Orts to the Rescue!

When I bought the Family Sampler, I bought all the supplies from 123stitch.  Not really a kit, as everything was seperate, but I bought everything they listed as needed.  I saw my first minor problem when I realized the fabric they sent was more like 30 count.  I finally made sure the whole design will fit (just barely), so I'm safe there.  The next almost catastraphe was with the Classic Colorworks overdyed floss the sent with the pattern.  The green and 2 colors of pink were sent with more than one skein, but the "Roasted Chestnut" (for the house) only had one.  And it ran out 23 (!) stitches from the end of said house.

Enter the ort jar:

Now I really don't know why I keep all my thread scraps (or why they're called orts for that matter), but I suppose it's a little neater than having scraps everywhere.  And anyone who knows me know neatness is always my first priority (sorry, can't even type that with a straight face).  Anyways, I was looking for a few scraps I could maybe hobble together to finish and found one long piece that was a little tangled. Luckily once it was straightened out it was more than enough to finish the house.  Crisis averted!  Not that having to go to the cross stitch store is really a crisis, but those overdyed threads have dyelots that are notoriously hard to match.

Which leads to the Family Sampler at 70 hours (there's a picture on my project page at 60 hours, but I figured it was getting a little boring showing the same project over and over...)

Family Sampler (c) Little House Needleworks

32 ct vintage buttercream linen
started 7/8/14, 8/23/14 - 70 hours

 

It's coming along quite nicely I think, but it's definitely huge.  The flowers in the border go just past half way.  I can't even imagine what it's going to cost to frame!