I picked up my Story Time Sampler from the framers the other day and I just cannot stop looking at it.
I can’t believe it’s done…
It’s a bit bittersweet; it was such a big part of my life for the past year, and now it’s done. I cant believe that’s it.
Life is much more successfully looked at from a single window.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
I made it just in time – my Story Time Sampler is done! I was a bit late getting to this month’s frame, partly because I’ve been busy with work, partly because there’s been almost no daylight, and partly because I just wasn’t feeling this month’s frame. The official last frame was supposed to be A Christmas Carol and I just didn’t like it for some reason.
Well, it’s a good thing I delayed getting started because about halfway through the month the lovely Frosted Pumpkins released a surprise bonus frame featuring The Great Gatsby.
The final scene
No major changes except for lowering his mouth and changing his smile to more of a smirk.
Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.
Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
This month’s Story Time Sampler frame featured Josephine March from Little Women. It probably comes as no surprise that this librarian has always felt an affinity for the bookish Jo.
Hello Jo!
Other than lowering her mouth and switching around some colours here and there I didn’t make many changes to this month’s frame.
Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it.
L.M.Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
I’ve been waiting for this all year – the theme for this month’s Story Time Sampler is Anne of Green Gables. This is the first frame since Sherlock Holmes (all the way back in March!) where I’ve actually been excited about the character. I also made quite a few changes this month; it seems like the more I care about the book the more I care about it being accurate.
A perfect autumn day
Of course I lowered her mouth, but I also exchanged the pink hair ribbons for green ones – Anne always mourned the fact that her red hair precluded her from wearing pink. I also replaced the spring flowers with chrysanthemums, in part as a nod to Anne beating Gilbert in the spelling bee, but also for seasonal accuracy (more on that later).
I finished the banner on my Story Time Sampler! And just in time, the next frame’s occupant will be announced tonight. I know that Little Women will be one of the remaining frames, but the other two are still a mystery.
It’s done (for now)!
Now that the frames and banner are done I just have a little frame to work on each month, which is going to free up a lot of crafting time for the rest of the year. What shall I make next?
If we could act a little more according to common sense, and a good deal less according to fashion, we should find many things work easier.
Anna Sewell, Black Beauty
This month’s Story Time Sampler frame was based on Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, yet another book I’ve never actually read; I never did go through that horse obsessed phase that so many young girls seem to and so never felt inclined to read this. Anyway, I listened to the audiobook while working on this and, while it’s decent, I don’t think it will become a favourite. I can see how this would have been a very important novel for children in a time when horses were a primary mode of transportation, but a lot of it feels kind of irrelevant today (or at least to suburban kids like me who rarely, if ever, encounter horses).
Black Beauty (and mystery rider)
I didn’t make any changes this month except to lower his mouth. I just want to take this moment and say I have no idea who the rider is supposed to be. While there were plenty of human characters throughout the story I can’t think of any one that was important enough to be featured here. Maybe he’s supposed to represent all of them? Who knows…
Just a quick post today to show you the progress on my Story Time Sampler. I’ve been saying all along that I wanted to finish the banner and frames before September. Realistically, I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t make it, but I am pleasantly surprised by how much I was able to complete. The frames are all done and the I’ve finished all the fiddly bits of the banner, from this point onwards I just need to fill in the bare space with the main colour.
I’m almost there
I’m going to put the banner on hold for now so I can work on September’s frame. This month is Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty, yet another book I’ve never read. I guess I wasn’t as avid a reader as I thought.
I’ve finished the August frame on my Story Time Sampler, The Phantom of the Opera. I have to be honest, while I know that this is based on an actual novel I’ll always think of it as a musical.
Phantom of the Opera
I din’t make any major changes this month, just lowering their mouths like I did on all the rest. This is the first frame with two characters (well, there was a mermaid in Peter Pan’s frame, but she was off in the distance), but it doesn’t feel too crowded.
The July instalment of the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery’s Story Time Sampler is The Lady of Shalott by Lord Tennyson. To be honest the only thing I knew about this was that Anne Shirley ran into some trouble when reenacting it. Since it’s a poem it was a fairly quick read, I especially liked this bit here:
No time hath she to sport and play:
A charmed web she weaves alway.
Seems like the Lady was a craftsperson.
The Lady of Shallot
Once again I lowered her mouth, but I also eliminated her smile. She’s floating to her death, a smile just didn’t seem right.
Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning.
-J. M. Barrie
Peter Pan has taken up his spot on my Story Time Sampler. I listened to a radio dramatization of the play (I think it was a BBC production) while working on this and quite enjoyed it. It’s very much of its time, but J.M. Barrie really does an excellent job of capturing a child’s logic.
Doesn’t he look impish?
I didn’t make any changes this month, just lowering their mouths like I did in all the other frames. Read on for more…
