New "Forever" Hand Stitching Project

I like to have a long term hand embroidery project going on, and haven't started one for a long time.  Not since this Star Spangled Uncle Sam. With the time change, and hopeful rainy season, it will be nice to snuggle down in the early evening with a new stitchery.

I seldom sit and piece at the sewing machine at night, as after a long day, as I'm usually tired and I find I make more mistakes cutting and sewing at night that I then need to correct in the morning light.

However, hand embroidery is different.  I thread all my embroidery needles early in the day in preparation for stitching. Have good lighting set up by my chair, and I'm ready to relax----and hand stitch.

Star Spankled Uncle Sam

When I saw Crabapple Hill Studio's newest mystery stitchery, The Salem Witches at the Quilt Guild, I knew I had found a new "forever project".  I love all the witches! Their poses, and clothing and what their various guild duties are! Like the Raffle ticket selling witch holding her basket of tickets and the sewing machine that is being raffled off!

(click on the pictures to enlarge)

Here is a photo from Crabapple Hill designs showing all the witches. The detail is awesome!

How about that cute cat on the pile of quilts in the wagon? Adorable! I love the vintage look of the whole scene.  I can't even imagine what part 2 will be like! But, I'm loving this first panel!

Yesterday I started transferring the design to fabric. It is suggested you use a brown colored .05 Micron pen and a light table.  My light table is definitely too small for these figures, so I taped the pattern to a large window in our hallway, and then taped the fabric over the drawing and started tracing the images.

I got this far transferring the design yesterday before my arm gave out----

I hope to finish the tracing today and get started on the coloring process.  I may venture away from the suggested Crayola Crayon method and use my Copic markers instead.

More later--------