This week I wanted to show you the progress I have made on the Ocean Runner and how I am moving the project down the frame as I finish each section.

Last night, I finally reached the top of the frame (for the most part) and decided to move the fabric down in order to work the next section.  This photo shows how it looks now that I have moved it down.  On the reverse side, I have not put my thumbtacks all the way across the bottom, only in the extreme corners and the center where there is no stitching.  This is so that the tacks do not pull the stitching out of shape or make a hole in the stitching. You may see that there are three holes in the fabric near the top of the frame.  These are just areas where the strands of fabric were pulled out of shape but is not torn.  I simply move the strands back into place and the hole virtually disappears.  There are three other holes near the needle that I have moved the strands around and they are almost gone.  Once I stitch over them, you won't be able to see them anymore. 

I am enjoying how quickly this project is stitching up as it doesn't take long to see more pattern emerge or to fill it in.  Most likely, I will continue with this one for a while before I return to my Sonja rug.

As I prepared for my trip to Antigua, I wanted to take along a project that was small enough to fit into my purse yet would give me an easy way to see my stitching well.   I couldn't take along my magnifying light visor so I tried to think of other things that would give me the best magnification and light. 
I found a pair of magnification glasses at the dollar store that worked well to bring my canvas and stitches into sharp focus when put on over my regular glasses.  I also found this wonderful little light at my local grocery store that clips onto my project perfectly.  The light is an LED light by Energizer and folded up very small to fit into my travel box easily.
I must say, that this little light did a wonderful job of lighting up my project when the surrounding light wasn't good enough.  I often wake up hours before my husband, when it is still dark out.  I would take my stitching out onto the balcony so that I wouldn't disturb him and would turn on the light.  The light showed up my canvas in the dark very well and I was able to stitch perfectly without strain on my eyes.

For the last couple of weeks, I have been away in Antigua.  I decided to take along a very small project that I could easily transport and work on during down times.  This project is designed to be installed on the stairs of a Beachfront mansion I am currently building.  Since the house is being built to be on a beach, I felt that the waves along the sides of this little runner were perfect.  Each runner is approximately 1 1/4" wide and will eventually be about 20" long.  I have two staircases in this house.  I rolled up the excess fabric behind the frame and will move it down as the design is stitched.  This photo was taken while I stitched on the beach after about one week of work.  I have just uploaded the pattern to the Etsy store and the link to the pattern can be found here. 
​
Now that I am home and in voluntary self-isolation due to Covid-19, I will have lots of time to work on both the house and my stitching.  I am looking forward to working without guilt since I can't go out to do anything else! 😊

This week I thought I would highlight a free pattern that I have posted on the website.  The link to it is here: The Roosevelt New Orleans Rug.  This rug came about in a very interesting fashion. One of the people on the Petitpoint site that I belong to mentioned a wonderful mosaic style floor that she saw in the Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel and said it would make a wonderful cross stitch or petitpoint pattern if someone wanted to graph it out.  I decided to take up the challenge and made a graph of the floor as it occurred in the lobby of the hotel.  After I was done graphing the existing floor, I decided it would make a wonderful rug.  This pattern is the rug that I designed using the lobby floor as my inspiration.  I have posted it up for free for personal use.  Please do not sell this pattern but if you wish to sell the rug that you make from it, feel free.  If you do download it and make a rug (or other project out of it), I would love to see it and post a picture of it in a Member's Gallery that I will set up once I have a picture of a rug that someone has stitched from one of my patterns.  Credit for stitching the rug will go to you.
As time goes on I will post other free patterns so be sure to check back from time. Below is a photo of a digital representation of the rug for you to see.