Stunning Irises

I thought I would post a pic of the WIP I took to CATS. I think I posted a pic of it before, but I thought this was a much better time to post because I actually did something now.

This is Stunning Irises, by Sheila Hudson, from the March 2006 issue of UK Cross Stitcher. I saw a photo of it done on black, and I think it makes the colors pop so much better than they did on the white the model was done on. I think they are such "hot" colors, it works better. I worked on it the first day of CATS, a little yesterday and then for a while today. I didn't get a lot of stitching done, because I had a nail appointment at 1 this afternoon, so that lost me 2 1/2 hours of stitching time, an hour for the fill, and then the travel time. Then I fell asleep and took a nap, I didn't get a lot of sleep this weekend, and then was out late last night.

I have it on the new scroll frame Mom bought me. It was made by Images Stitchery and is a thousand times better than what I had before. It's so easy to end threds on this thing. I am still trying to find a comfortable position to stitch on, but it's really nice to work with. The angle that the stitching sits on is wonderful for working with black, because yo can see through the holes, which is so important on black.

And of course, Chancey is in the photo. She looks darling as always! Someone on the other board had to post that they could see cat hair on this. OF COURSE there is going to be cat hair. I have 3 dogs and 3 cats. It comes off.

Our Trip to CATS, part 1

I promised I would post about CATS, so this is my recap.

I had a blast. I have to say I had a wonderful time. Maybe because it was the last one, and there was a sense that we had to do it to the max, or because my mom was along and she is the ultimate enabler, but it was great. I know people have been complaining about it was smaller, or not as good as it had been in the past, but I don't think we were at the same show, because I had great fun. There were less classes than previous years, but they didn't even know they were going to have it and it was pretty cool that they had any classes.

So I thought I would start from the first day. That makes sense right?

We wanted to be there when the shopping mart opened, so that meant getting up at 5 AM on Thursday. I had mostly finished packing, but hadn't loaded the car, because I don't live in the best neighborhood, and I've had my car broken into 4 times (wow, I just realized it's been 4 times, gaahh), so I try to not pack early. So my cell phone alarm goes off at that hour, in order to make sure I have everything packed and can get through not only DC traffic, but also Baltimore and Harrisburg traffic in time. The dogs did not want to cooperate. Robbie decided to play his, "Mummy I didn't hear the alarm going off and it's too early to wake up, so let's sleep" act, and I had to get him out and pottied. My brother, who was babysitter for the dogs, was stuck in Indiana for work, and was not sure when he would get back to Maryland, so we weren't sure how long they had to be cooped up without a potty break. And pottying three dogs is not a 5 minute thing. So we got them pottied and then it dawned on Robbie that I was leaving. I wouldn't stress about leaving Chancey and the cats, but he's very attached to me, and he's never, in the six weeks that I've had him, been away from me for more than 8 hours, and for him, that's a big deal (and he let me know about leaving him last night, LOL). He was not happy with the fact that I got ready to go and hadn't gotten out the leash and he really wanted to go, I tell you it broke my heart No, my boy isn't spoiled, is he?

Finally we got out of the house, and on the road. It was a pretty decent trip. There was an accident on 95, so we took another route. It was an easy run up 83, but that's a nice ride anyway. Little bit of a hang up in Harrisburg, but not bad. I thought Hershey was further from Harrisburg than it is, so we were there and in line by 8:30.

We got into the shopping mart on time. I have a system in place, that has worked well the past two years. We went to Stoney Creek first to pick up some of those little pieces that I need for their charts. They offer great kitted up packs, you just provide floss. Pretty cool. And I had to go look at Hummingbird Trellis afghan, to imagine that some day, if I just stick to my guns, I'll get it finished Then we hit Picture this Plus. I brought Sleepy Hollow along to pick fabric, and also an Eva Rosenstad kit of horses in the snow. The cats, OK, I had to pay for it, but they bought it for me, bought that one for me, a couple years ago for Christmas, but I can't figure out why they used cream linen for a pattern in the snow, so we swapped that out for a piece of Crystal Mercedes. Oh we chose Loch for Sleepy Hollow, which is a good match for the fabric used for the model. She also suggested Echo, but I didn't like that as much.

We also hit Scandanavian Stitches, and Gitta's. Mom fell in love with an afghan with little Eskimos on it that they featured. So we bought those. We also hit Dnky Dyes for their Oops packs, great bargains! A lady I consider an online friend, Draggy, came up to me while I was there, and I met a couple other people I know from boards.

We hit a couple more stands. OH, I found a Just Nan Bluebird Queen at Silver Needle. Very cool, that was sold out everywhere else.

I had to take Mom down to Lancaster to do some banking. I have to compliment her bank on giving CORRECT directions. This is a biggie for me. I hate getting lost. So we had a break from the show. Got back, and I wound down the windows a little, went into the stitcher's lounge, and it started raining. When we got back, the car seats were wet, uncomfortably wet. I did get a lot of stitching done in the stitchers' lounge. I took a design from UK Cross Stitcher to work on that day, and I got some good work in. People kept thinking that it was a Halloween picture, but it was called Stunning Irises. So I worked on it, even during the time we were back in the hotel. It was the perfect evening, stitching, and watching CSI. I had a hard time staying awake, because I'd been awake so long, but I did it. Then went to sleep, dreaming of what would happen on Friday.

Quck post

To let you know I'm back from CATS and had a really good time. I mean, I had the best time. I didn't get as much stitching done as I wanted, but all in all it was a blast. It was a bittersweet weekend, because this was the last CATS, but we sent it off in style.

I will post more details tomorrow. I am off to jump in the shower and head off to karaoke

And another finish

This is Halloween Night by Val's Stitching Stuff, finished except for having the buttons put on and having it attached to the pillow. I told Mom that the people at Stitching Post were going to be shocked at how quick it was finished, mainly because she was in complaining about I never finish things for her. This was a pretty fun stitch, all in all. It was quick, I started it last Friday and it's done already. And I haven't been working hard on it or anything. I highly recommend the chart if you like Halloween, though I do recommend, if you like the other chart in the pack, the cat treat bag, GET THE NEEDLE NECESSITIES FLOSS ASAP. My LNS will not be ordering it anymore, and what theyhave is all they will get. Your LNS is probably the same way. Someone else on 123 just finished this last week, and they were doing it as a banner with a fringe on the bottom. It looked great!

Almost ready for CATS

I took today off so I could get all my chores done to leave for CATS. I was really busy this morning. I cleaned the kitty boxes, all three of them as a full change, cleaned the dog yard up--that was nasty, and not because of the dog's leavings. We have a huge pine tree over the house and the needles have fallen off and made a pile by the gate and down by the fence. Somehow it gets wet, and packed into compost. So I had to get that all pried out of there, pulled out the ivy that is growing in from the neighbor's yard, and threw it all out. I ran my errands, and popped into Michael's. I got a bunch of floss there-it wasn't on sale, but I was in a kitting up mood. There were these two rude women behind me in line who were upset that it was taking the cashier so long to check me out. I almost turned around while they were saying their rude little comments and told them that, next time, they should walk faster if they didn't have the patience to wait. It was embarrassing. I've stood in line plenty of times behind people with silk flowers or scrapbooking supplies and just shut up while their order got rung up. I just don't get people. Why are their lives so much more important that they need to be places sooner and have to be rude? I just wonder; I think I am a fascinating, exciting person when you really get to know me (because, really, how many people do you know who have been friends with Norwegian aristocracy, been in a shoe commercial, and asked their mom to pick up the amythist that someone dropped on the living room floor), and I don't have a reason to just be a jerk because of it. Perhaps I am not taking full advantage of my potential . . .
So after that, and because Michael's didn't have all the floss I needed, I headed to the LNS. Stitching Pretty was closed because they are at CATS. That was sorta cruddy because I just needed floss. I don't find myself buying as much in that store as their designs are not really my cup of tea, because they use specialty threads, and I avoid those, so was trying to save my budget. But my trusty Stitching Post was open. I went up there, got my floss, and then bought a Hardanger project to do. It's a learning project, I had to pick a less ambitious project, because, after all, this is my first real Hardanger project--it's been 17 years since I last learned a new craft.

And I finally heard back from CATS. I am in the Christmas project class. I am happy with that. I wanted that class most of all. I was really worried that the information wouldn't come here in time since I paid so late, last Monday, and they never called me back after I asked. So, we're off!

Bummer

I found out Needle Necessities floss is going out of business. That kinda sucks. It's sorta like that co-worker who you barely knew, but figured they were OK, that got fired. You rarely ever saw them, you probably really didn't know what they did specifically, but they seemed pretty cool in the breakroom, and it's a shame to see them go. And I feel that way about that floss. I didn't use it a lot, but it was pretty when I did. I used one of their colors for that pretty sampler I did earlier this year.

So now I have a crisis. I have a skein that I bought for Hinzeit Lighthouses. Do I use that one, or keep it. Likewise, in the same Val's Stuff book for Halloween Night, there's a chart for a trick-or-treat bag, using a color I have. I don't know whether I should horde it or not. I know this is a stupid thing to ponder because I am trying not to waste money and I don't use it that much, but still . . . this is why I really prefer DMC, it never goes out of business. Someone was asking what we would do if they stopped making DMC the other day. I thought that was such a stupid question, they will not stop making DMC, and if they did for some reason, I would do kits.

A little too tired to stitch much today

I don't know if it was just because of being awake so early yesterday, or because I almost fell yesterday morning at the McDonald's on the way to Stitch N Stuff--I wrenched both of my knees and my thigh muscles hurt, but I stupidly didn't complain to the manager that if the friggin floor is wet from rain, it really is not enough to put a well-hidden sign that states caution wet floor where one can't see it and then falls--but I have not been in the mood to stitch.

I have been working on Mom's Halloween night today. It's a really fast stitch, which is why it's a good choice for me today. I am really enjoying the way the colors fall together, that beautiful rich purple against the gold and the orange. These are not colors that I would have necessarily put together if I were designing, but since I see them together I think they are STUNNING. I did tell my mom that this was not a pillow to get dirty or wet, though, it would be ruined.

My First Hardanger Piece

This is the result of my class today. I am really proud of myself.

I got up at 6 AM this morning, again, thank God for the Salsa option on the alarm on my phone. So I got ready and was out in the car by 6:30. And I still managed to be late to class. I got mislocated on the road in Reading, and ended up about 20 miles out of the way. Fortunately they held class for me.

Hardanger is not as hard as it looks. I don't like the buttonhole stitch around the edges, but the other part was OK

Stitchy school for me tomorrow

By this time tomorrow, I will know hardanger . . . I hope. I am off to Reading, PA, to take a class at Stitch N Stuff. I know, odd to drive 150 miles to take a class I can take at Stitching Post and not blow 5 gallons of gas, but I've had a really bad week, and the chance to go to an "exotic" LNS, well, that's exciting and worth it, frankly. I've wanted to learn this for a while, I think it will help me with those Victoria's Sampler projects Mom bought--she's rumbling because I haven't started any of them for her yet--and I should take some classes, get out with other people. I realize I am starting to hole up in myself again, like I did when I was little, and I need to cut that off now.
So I'm off. It does feel funny to head up there, when I'll be back next week, but maybe I can find some cool, new-to-me places. I consider that fabric store with all the cat fabric to be a treasure. And I'll have a new craft. The class won't stink. Nothing would be as bad as the knitting class from HELL at CATS 2 years ago.

found a good storage solution

I have been searching for a box to put my Hummingbird Trellis Afghan in when I can't work on it, and I think I found a good one. I had been using various options, ranging from a Michael's bag--not good--to a plastic drawer from Target--not bad, not good, but not bad--to my personal favorite, the tin container that once held popcorn from Fisher's popcorn. Fisher's popcorn is an Ocean City institution, and, for my birthday last year, when Mom and I went down there, we bought a couple tubs. I figured they would be good for stitchy stuff, and what better reason to eat popcorn than for S.E.X? They do mailorder too. Anyway, not the point, and I ended up moving the project out of there, fearful, because, well, to be honest, I am paranoid. Now it's holding unwound floss to be put on bobbins, when I ever have time.
So I was looking for a better solution. I knew kinda what I wanted, but they didn't have them at Michaels. Frankly, Michael's ought to offer more storage solutions. What crafter has stash that fits in a small little container, or a basket? We need bigger things. I liked those cases they put scrapbooking papers in, but they weren't big enough. So, last night while waltzing around Staples to get a box to put the dog carrier in to ship it back to its owner(I know, boxes are like cats, if you are buying one, you have WAYYYY more money than sense, but I can not find a box around our house that would hold this dog carrier), I looked around, because, offices are FULL of sensible storage solutions--think of the last time you got yelled at because you had some object out of place on your desk--and found a little box. Well not so little, it's the case like I wanted:

http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&prodCatType=0&catalogId=10051&productId=180931&cmArea=SEARCH

Not as pretty as the Fisher's can's, which can be seen here:
http://www.fisherspopcorn.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=catalog.catalog&categoryID=12

But they are cheaper, and non-fattening.

Still not sure what to do with the little cat

I am still figuring it out. It would probably be really cute to have it framed. I know Stitching Post carries teeny little frames, but they have 3 inch openings which would leave an inch on either side, which is kinda a big space. It might make a cute pin or necklace to add to my black cat collection. It's not really a seasonal design, so that helps, but I don't know. The problem with that is to find the silver or whatever in the right size and this was not designed to be over-one, I just felt like challenging myself. We'll see, I have time. I should probably take it over to the LNS and see what options they suggest.

I am almost finished with Country French Cat. It's been an OK stitch. I thought I would have it finished last night but I have a toothache and I just wanted to sleep last night. But it should be done today. I am going to do it a couple more times, once for my mom as a memorial ornament for Grampy--I was thinking since he was a light grey, doing it on navy blue so he pops, and then doing one for Brea and my other friend Samantha. I know Brea reads this, so pretend you didn't see that, B! If I were a sewer, I could make them into catnip toys, but I don't sew, LOL, and I know the last thing B needs is Scarlett Anne getting access to more catnip, LOL.

A tiny little finish

I promised a photo, so here it is, the Littles, Black Cat. It's 24X24. I put in the bobbin of floss so you would get an idea of size I don't really know what it should be finished as

Random thoughts for a Monday

I have all the supplies I need for Mom's requested Halloween Night by Val's Stuff. It feels very odd to have every supply in my hands that I need. I even have a pack of needles--cause it's not like I don't have needles to spare, LOL. This doesn't look like a hard project. I estimate it won't take me that long. My projected finish date is next week, so we can have it at the Stitching Post to be finished on the way back from CATS, though I just realized it has to be ironed, so that may not happen.

I need to take a pic of my little cat from last night. The computer was acting up, maybe it will have itself under control tonight. I will not be doing any more over-1s for a while. It's not that I have issues with over one, because I don't anymore, but I've done it now. I can do it, I don't see the need to keep doing it. I might need my eyes 20 years from now. :)

Not much else is happening. I faxed in my registration forms for CATS today. I hope I get in those classes. We plan on leaving at the BUTT-crack of dawn on Thursday. I want to be there when the market opens and it opens at 9AM. 9AM! Anyway . . . it should be fun, and a day spent stitching is better than a day spent answering the phone. I do plan on maybe not spending each and every day there. I thought Mom and I could have some time to go to the parts of Lancaster we never get to.

Oh, but I did decide there is no way in HELL I can either afford or need all that extra Yorkshire fabric. So, as embarrassed as I was to admit I messed up, I emailed 123Stitch and asked them if I could return two lengths of it. I waited all weekend with baited breath, and I can return it. All I have to do is write what I need to exchange it for. Woo hoo!

Another finish for me

I have had Bent Creek's The Littles, Little Black Cat for over a year. I found it a couple months ago, and decided it would look really awesome stitched over one. Last night, after I went through all that floss, I decided to stitch it. I had all the floss and a piece of fabric I could use. It didn't take me very long. I just finished it now, and we've been out most of the day. Went to Mom and Dad's to clean in their basement. I found a bunch of cards from my senior year, and my last semester's tuition check. I had written "final tuition payment' on it, LOL. It was only $2842. What a bargain for tuition! That was only 9 years ago.

So I have another project finished. Not a big one, but a finish is a finish. I will try to post a pic of it, but it's less than an inch wide and high. So should not be too expensive to be framed, LOL. I am going to try to finish Country French cat in the next couple days, then work on some things for Mom.

We made our reservations for CATS on Friday night. I have to fax our class apps over tomorrow. YAY!

Oh, what a day

Today was a really busy day for me. I have been a lax pet parent to Gus, though not entirely of my own choosing. Last summer, I wasn't really myself, and I wasn't doing much for the animals. I was feeding them, but they didn't get their checkups like they should have. Which I am not proud of, because they should have been my first priority, but I am trying to make up for that. So today was Gus' trip to the vet. That went pretty well, he peed in the carrier, which I am not happy about, but more because the people who made the carrier didn't make it so you can wash the cushion. I realize it was a dog carrier, but they still should have made it washable--it's an animal carrier, animals make fluids, it should be washed. But the vet thought it was pretty cute. I take that as high praise for my fashion choice, cause I'm sure she sees these every day Woo hoo, Target!

Anyway, we did go to the LNS to get my issue of the ornament issue. I got some other stuff--hello, this is me we're talking about. I bought Sleepy Hollow, which is not a bad chart. It is mostly DMC, with about 5 skeins of Weeks. I think I can get a nice piece of fabric for it at CATS. I would prefer giving Picture This Plus my money because I think they do a kick butt product. Now to choose what color and to decide if I want a sparkly or not. I also found a cute little limited edition chart from Waxing Moon to put on the paper box I bought at Hobby Lobby on vacation. But I was going through my floss when I got home to kit up Sleepy Hollow, and I realized just how unorganized I am. So I spent over an hour organizing floss. I still have a CRUDLOAD TO WIND ON BOBBINS. Arrrrgh. Anyway . . . Mom bought the Trail Creek farm pillow for a Val's Stuff chart she liked. It happened that I have the chart in my stash, I bought it some time last summer--don't remember exactly when, but I had it--and I have the buttons, so when I get two skeins of pansy purple floss, I can do that for mom. She asked why I hadn't stitched it yet, and I explained that the pillow cost $56. That was most of Gus' vet visit.

Oh, and I joined the library. I am stoked about that!

Working on Country French Cat

I pulled out JBW Designs Country French Cat yesterday. I have some other things to work on, but I was afraid the bag with this in it was going to get thrown away, and it's not hard, so I just decided to work on it. I think I will make a pillow out of it for my bedroom, since I have that cat fabric.

I hope the lady with JBW is at CATS. If she is, I plan on thanking her for her designs. I started collecting them this year because they really are fascinating designs. I think they're so clever. And they lend themselves to so many uses. This will be a pillow, but I am making another one for an ornament in memory of Grampy for the Christmas tree. But I don't think I would have them framed. I don't know. It's just not me.

Did someone say Birds?

I promised to post a pic of the afghan. I took it tonight. My darling Gussie moseyed over for a look. Note his Burberry print collar. He might be a barn cat, but he is one stylin' tubby tabby!

SBQ

Would you ever stitch one of your BAPs a second time? (This does not include starting over because of mistakes, bad fabric, etc., rather stitching something from the first stitch for a second time.)

I'm a little behind answering this question. I don't think I would. I think, in order to stitch something twice, you have to love it enough to put that amount of work in it, and, by the time I am done with a project, I hate it. You may think I am over-exaggerating, but I'm not. I hate them like bad former co-workers, with the slightest bit of sorrow that they're going, but not enough that you write anything on the card other than "Buh-bye" (and yes, I did that to one woman, but she was a witch, and she was probably too stupid to figure it out).

But you never know. I was thinking this weekend, I can stitch something to help the Odd Fellows raise money next year for the little community day. It would have to be something of decent size or people won't want it, and a horse chart because the new people in my hometown tend towards being horsey people. But I love my horse charts, I don't really want to stitch them and never stitch them again. So I may change my mind. After all, it's for charity.

Excellent progress made on afghan

I was very good last night. When I got home from work, I put their leashes on the twins and took them for a walk, their first together in the three weeks we've had Robbie-do. I felt like I was driving a team of horses, only stronger. And they are so funny looking, walking together, because Robbie is compact and neat-looking, while my beautiful Chance, well you can tell she has lived a luxurious life. We walked about a mile, and I'm sure we looked funny, me in my sweater, skirt, and ballet flats walking these two mis-matched little dogs. Anyway, when we got back, I of course got out of that sweater and skirt--it was humid yesterday--and sat down to stitch. I got that backstitching fixed, and started on the square I wanted to work on. I think I made excellent progress.

I think this is made easier by the fact that, after M'deer, I am not afraid of the complexity of design anymore. This is really not that hard, and not that much confetti stitching. And definitely not that much backstitching. I am on Square 9, which is the trellis with a bird nest. These are a piece of cake after the deer. But I don't think I will be taking this to CATS. It's too big, it's not easy to haul it around, and, to be honest, I am afraid people will think that I am a heathen for not keeping it in a pillowcase. So I will take something else.

I will try to post a picture tonight.

The Frog came visiting

I sat down to work on my afghan yesterday, and realized that I had backstitched the one square with backstitching in the wrong color. I am sure I could have fudged the color and changed it, but I like things to be right, so I spent the afternoon frogging it. Lesson learned: verify twice, count three times, and stitch once. I do not like the way it looks, as this fabric tends to pill. I don't know what to do, but I think it will tame down once it's fixed. And I won't do that again.

I also decided I am making a Little House Needleworks chart for my mom for Christmas. It's one that references the little brown hare, and we've had rabbits in the yard all summer. It's a very, how do I say this, Mom chart, with soft colors and a little bunny on it. She's looked at it at the LNS a couple times, and I think she would like that one. I don't even think it would be tooo expensive to have framed for her, either. I just have to figure out where I stuck it in my bedroom. I think it fell behind the trunk against the wall, but not sure.

Another finishand an update on the 50

I just finished Woodland Sampler. It took a little longer than I had anticipated, but it looks good, and was so fun to stitch.

I still haven't totally determined the next large project to work on, but I think the most logical thing for me to do right now is to finish the square of Hummingbird Trellis I had started and then didn't finish. That shouldn't take too long to do, and I should be able to have another project started to take to CATS.

I also realize that I haven't updated the 50 list in several months. I haven't been doing too good at workng on it, because New Birth of Spring was not on the list, it was just in a bag sitting in my bedroom. But I wanted to update it to keep myself on track:
2. Finish Stunning Irises
3. Miribilia Halloween Fairy
4. Bent Creek Summer Row--DONE
5. Bent Creek Winter Snapperland
6. AOY A Moment’s Rest
7. Like Feathered Wings
8. Summer Ball
9 . Ghost Wind
10. Cat Lovers Too
11. Will Work for Freezer Space
12. Woodland Sampler--DONE!
13 Halloween Bellpull
14 Stranger in the Woods
15 Raise the Roof-Happy Camper
16 I Like Winter Best of All
17 Is it Spring yet?
18. The Perfect Man
19 A Cat’s a Cat
20 Christmas Village
21 Villages of Hawks Run Hollow
22 Cat for All Seasons
23. Calico Cat
24 Hummingbird Trellis Afghan
25 Winter Quilt
26 Autumn Quilt
27 Spring Quilt
28 Summer Quilt
29 All Hallows Eve
30. Summers To Come (Cricket Collection)
31. Nativity-Mary Hickmott
32. Beachcombin—Salty Yarns
33 Country French Cat
34. Winter Gathering (I think this is County Cottage Needleworks that I finished)
35 Kitty Cat Row
36 Lost Spirits
37. Winter Sampler—Just Cross Stitch
38. Janlynn Summer Sampler
39 Barnyard Kittens
40. Sandy Orton Autumn Sampler
41 Blossom Harvest
42 To the Sea (pine Mountain Pillow)--DONE
43. 4 Season House
44. Bent Creek- Snowman Row
45—WWS The Arab
46—Kit and Boxby—Winter Wool
47—Kit and Bixby—Summer Wool
48—Kit and Bixby—Spring Wool
49—Kit and Bixby Autumn Wool
50—New fallen Snow-Glendon Place

A little bit lost

Now that M'Deer is done, I don't know what to do. I was planning on starting Nature's Home, but I don't have all the fabric, and I don't want to start anything til I make sure I have three yards of it. And I am not totally convinced that I like the Driftwood aida. It's grey, it didn't appear that grey on the website, so I don't know. I may just wait another month, buy three more yards of rustico and start then. It's not like I am hurting for choice of projects. I should really work on Hummingbird Trellis, since, almost three years into it, I have two and a half squares done. This does not bode well for getting it done. Or I could do Summer Ball. That is such a beautiful piece and I have a good bit of it done. Or I could just do small pieces for right now. I don't know . . .

OHHH, I got this month's Secret Needle Night. It is tres cute. They have had two good months in August and September. July and June kinda stunk, but the little mermaid last month and this month's little witch hats are sweet! What I really need to do is go through my kits and decide which ones I want and which I want to sell, because in two years, I've stitched all of two of them. But they aren't a quick stitch, they take me about a week and a half to do, which if I did every one, I would just be stitching Secret Needle Night kits and I am not THAT into them. My problem is, I'm not sure how to finish them off if I were to do them, and there's no place to hang them if they were finished. They might be cute as pillows, but three dogs and three cats would be kinda hard on a pillows. But this is cute. I figure I can finish it and then figure out what to do.
I also got 4 magazines tonight, US Cross Stitcher and Cross Stitch and Needlework and UK Cross Stitch Crazy and Cross Stitch Collection. I haven't had a chance to look through them yet. But Cross Stitch Crazy has an AOY cover kit that is really sweet!

M'Deer is finished

New Birth of Spring is finally finished. I worked on it tonight and got it finished. This is the finished piece and the detail of the hellacious backstitch. I am really proud of this piece and I can finally take it off my WIP list. Yay!

Not the most productive weekend

I had hoped to have a lot more stitching done this weekend, but unfortunately, didn't get as much done as I wanted. I am about 3/4 of the way through Woodland Sampler, but decided that, because I said I was going to do it, I would put down the sampler and finish New Birth of Spring. I got quite a bit done tonight. I am surprised by how shockingly easy this pattern really is to backstitch. There is a lot of it, but it's not too hard. I hope to have this done by the end of the week. I can move on to some fresh projects. I will not start my quilt til I have this finished. And I have that really pretty sampler from Cross Stitch Gold to start.

Update on the Hunt for Floss

I ended up not going to the fair today, so I decided to set out on a quest for the rest of the floss I need. Surprisingly, I found most of it at the Walmart in Columbia, which, by the way, is very neat, unlike the other two I was in. Again no exotic colors, but I'll shell out a couple bucks for those. It's OK when I didn't shell out too much for the other colors.

I think I'm gonna start it

As crazy as it sounds, I think I'm gonna start on Nature's Home. I ordered 3 big cuts of Driftwood Yorkshire aida to do it on, I have most of the floss--going out today to look for more--and I think I'm gonna do it. It doesn't look THAT difficult.