I have picked my next large UFO to finish

I told you the other day how I am going to try to finish my UFOs (at least I think I told you). I picked my next large one to finish up. It's Dimensions Gold Collection's Elegance of the Orient, which I started in late 2000, worked on pretty steadily all the spring of 2001, and then got upset with and put down that summer. It's been pretty much sitting around for the past 7 years. I did go back and finish the lady's head, but more out of the realization that a headless woman is horrifically disconcerting than anything else. It has blended threads and uses metallics.

Have I ever explained I really hate blended threads, ever since my first attempt at a Teresa Wentzler? I was 21, and found this lovely kit called Peacock Tapestry, I had never stitched on linen before, wasn't that good at fractionals and hadn't done blended threads, so that was the perfect project for my stupid self, right? Anyway, my attempt has made the thought of blends not a good one. And metallics just don't behave, especially not the ones that Dimensions uses in their kits.

But I have decided I am going to get this project finished, come hell or high water. I've moved light years ahead in my stitching since I started this one (can we say knots?)I think I just got daunted by the fact that it was a lot of backstitching and the metallics weren't working for me. I probably have a third left to do, and a lot of that appears to be half stitches, so it's fixable. I decided I can take out all the metallics I have in there so far (it's mostly just backstitching and long stitching) and use a Kreinik instead. Those behave better for me. The biggest issue is keeping the chart in usable condition. It's pretty ratty after all these years, so I anticipate a trip to the copy store for a working copy in my near future. But I will get this finished.

Today I am working on my part of a Round Robin. I said to myself after the fiasco with my neighborhood RR that I would NEVER again do one of these. But the group I am in is small, I've known them for at least a year or so, they have good reputations, and so I trust them. Plus, I am not sending charts or floss along with this one--I've found the best way for something to go AWOL is to add floss or a valuable chart to the package. And I guess I've learned to not get attached to a RR. That one got sidetracked in Baltimore County for 6 months and it was only after I posted on 123 that, if it didn't come back in a certain amount of time, I was going to haul my butt up to Baltimore County and file charges that it came back. I hate to have to be a thug, so won't get emotionally involved this time. But I don't understand why anyone would STEAL someone else's cross stitch. It's beyond my comprehension, but then again, one of my personal rules for successful living is to ask myself whenever I am doing something if it's something worth spending time in the local jail for. 9 times out of 10, if it's something I have to ask myself that question about, it's probably not. And I sure as HECK wouldn't want to do it for cross stitch.

But this will be better. My theme is "What You Love." I chose to do the Mosey and Me piece from the 2005 JCS Ornament issue, since it does look a lot like the twins. Well, more like Chanceypants than her brother (she's a little obese right now). I can't wait to see what the others put on theirs.