Starting Summer Dream

Though I've had the fabric mounted on the frame for over a week, I finally put the first stitches in Luan Callery's Summer Dream on Thursday. Instead of using all of the threads called for in the instructions, I'm trying to use the remainder of some of the colors left over from the companion piece, Fantasy Remembered. It looks like the designer simply converted the same Medici wool colors (now discontinued) to Appleton wools anyway, so why spend the money? I just hope I don't run out of some of the greens!

While I'm still not completely in my comfort zone doing non-counted work, it is getting easier, and I love the fact that there seems to be a lot of progress in a short period of time. As you can see, the stem is done (in packed outline stitch), as well as many of the smaller leaves (in satin stitch and closed fly stitch).Unfortunately, I received an email yesterday with instructions for some additional pre-stitching work for the My Way class, so Summer Dream will need to be set aside for a day or two.