Soldiering on

I know that it's been a few weeks. I have been busy at work. Still doing the extra part time gig. At least for now. But 4 days a week is a lot of time out of my schedule. Next week, it goes to 3 days, but I'm going to use that evening that I am not working to work on the house we're moving into. Another project for me (because I don't have enough things to juggle, right), but, it's what is best for our family, so it's what I have to do. After finishing "Santa's Pets," I thought I would spend March doing smalls. I did manage to get that little Just Nan finished, but then I picked up PS Bunnies and that took most of the month to finish. I've been working on that project for 3 years, but I didn't enjoy it. And I don't know if I would have finished it had I not set one of my goals for the year to be to make an effort to finish projects that I don't enjoy as much or are challenging. And some of the colors on this one are . . . challenging. I have all the supplies to finish the designs into ornaments, I just haven't had the chance this week to do the washing and finishing (but I did paint the backing, so I am trying! I won't post a picture of the full project til it's done, but this is a sample of the end result:

Bunnies

Prairie Schooler

called for threads on 14 count black Charles Craft Aida

 

 

They are very sweet little guys. And they will be very cute next year for Easter. And I feel quite accomplished that I finished all 9 designs. I don't know why I didn't finish these sooner. I like Prairie Schooler (anyone else seriously bummed they went out of business? I will miss them) I like bunnies. I just . . . that red was not spring-y to me. and it felt like I was doing the same design over and over. 8 times. And maybe knowing that I have 9 things to finish now, that probably scared me. Anyway, it's very cute.

And my latest WIP:

 

The Gift

2011 JCS ornament issue

Blackberry Designs

stitched with called-for threads on 16 count aida

 

 

 

I have been itching to stitch this design since the magazine came out. I love it--it's the design of the sweet lamb. Very shaded. The original is supposed to be stitched over one on fine linen. As you can tell, I am not doing it that way. Mine is on 16 count linen. I agonized over this, but I don't think I see that well and I don't think I would enjoy this project if I was having to stitch it so tiny. I think this will work out. It's going to be a big ornament, but that's OK. You need something to fill the holes or for the bottom of the tree and it's so pretty.  I just want to have this in a form I can use.

 

I also wanted to share this picture. 

We went to the National Zoo on Saturday. My brother has been wanting to take my daughter since she was tiny, but he wanted to wait til she was potty-trained. And he knows I have been having a rough patch, so we all piled into my mom's car and went downtown. We discussed the subway, but due to terrorism and the fact that my mom is 81 and my daughter is 3 and there is a long walk between metro stops when you are 81 or 3, it was better to drive. And parking is not bad--we parked at the Marriott Wardley Park, 2 blocks away--and it was affordable, but there is an app, Parking Panda, that also gets you  discount parking. (In case anyone is visiting DC and is interested)

Left-brain and I took Kay-kay back in August to see "Bamboo"--her name for Bao Bao. Bei Bei had just been born, so we couldn't see him, but he recently made his public appearance, so we had to see him. Although I don't know if you call this seeing him. He was in a tree, sleeping. Apparently he does this a lot. He falls out every so often, but it doesn't hurt him because of his fur. He went inside, and my mom waited in a long line to see him. She was in paradise. We, however, chose to go look at other animals, but it was a nice day.

So that is all for now. I hope everyone had a nice Easter!

Small stitches

I have been working on some little stitches since I finished Santa.  They were both kitted up on the same day, right after DD was born, and I want to get them finished. The black is PS bunnies, which I would like to get done for Easter, and the other one is "In My Daughter's Eyes".  I envision the bunnies mounted on wooden egg shapes, but I will have to see if AC MOORE carries those. 

A small finish

Frost is on the Pumpkin

Just Nan

stitched with called-for threads on unknown fabric with rainbow blending filament

 

 

 

Yesterday was stitching group day. It was also my first real day off in 2 weeks--I started a new job on February 20th, and have been working that and the two existing jobs every day since.  I have been very stressed out--coming home at midnight means I don't get to sleep til 1AM and then get back up at 6 to start the day means I am running on caffeine and determination. I don't know how long I will keep this job, though. When I took it, I told them one weekend day per week and, low and behold, I am scheduled both weekend days for the upcoming week. I am going to try to resolve it today, but I don't know. . . If it has to be, then I will work until I find something else, or get fed up. I don't mind working, I do mind working 70 hours a week when I explained I couldn't do that.

 

Anyway, I started this project in 2015. This picture shows how quickly I abandoned it:

 





 

 

I think the store didn't have 970 when I went and I couldn't find it in my stash, so I gave up and put it away. And then, yesterday morning, stressed out over this new job, I pulled it out and decided I was finishing it. And I did. It took next to no time. Kay-kay helped pull a few stitches.  I know I will finish it as an ornament, but not sure when it will be appropriate to display it. The snowman kind of throws it into a weird place, since I don't have Halloween snowmen, but I guess I could always start  with this.

 

 

Hoping everyone is having  great weekend so far.  And that this week brings some progress!



Major Happy Dance

Santa's Pets

2009 Better Homes and Gardens Cross Stitch Calendar

stitched with called-for threads on called-for fabric

 

 



 

After a little over 4 years and 3 months, this is finished. I am in awe of it. 17 1/2 by 11 1/4 inches. 39445 stitches. Fractionals and blending filament. In the course of stitching it, I have bought a house, had 3 employers, and had a baby. I have also learned a lot about what I am capable of; when I started this, I didn't think I'd ever finish it, because I never finished anything this large and fully-covered. Now I know I can do it, a plan which I plan to extend into other areas of my life.

 

But I won't be stitching with blue for a while.

 

Or grey.

 

And I am currently working on a conversion for Celtic Spring. I don't like the colors she chose for Spring, Summer and Autumn. They don't feel "of" that season to me. But I want to step outside the colors others have chosen. So, I decided to start with Spring. Once I am outside the time for Stash and Start Restraint. I thought about a green colorway for her, but I am not sure I could deal with that much green.  Then thought about incorporating a colorway from my college costume design days, a design of pale pink over salmon, but again, too much pink. So it struck me. What about a colorway that pulls its inspiration from the DC area's cherry blossoms? Pale pink gown, with a beige-brown top coat-with small green flowers. And black/brown hair for the girl herself, for a Galway kind of look.

 

What do you think?