Well, hellooooo

I can not believe it's been 2 months since I posted. Time flies. This year has flown by so quickly.

I started a new job at the beginning of November. I have tried not to show it, but the last company I was with was not a good fit for me. The working from home part was nice, and my coworkers are really amazing people, but there were so many factors that were not good for us. Money was incredibly tight and I was always having to depend on overtime, which is NOT a sound financial strategy.  By the end of the summer, it was so bad that my depression was taking over, and I was not the partner or parent my family needs. I woke up one morning and just said, "I can not do this for another 30 years" and started looking for another job. I prayed about it, and this job opening happened.

 It's not a work from home job, but it's only 16 miles past the preschool my son goes to, and the money is worth the drive. It's still in insurance, but working with premium, not underwriting policies. I am finished with training, and I am doing OK. I am still confused about a lot of it, but I am determined to rise, so I will figure it out. It feels nice to be able to provide for my family in a meaningful way, and to breathe. I am still going to try to live tight for a while, to pay off some bills that just couldn't be cleared on what I was making, and put away for the inevitable rainy day, but I can see a future now. And, if this doesn't work out  . . . that's OK. I am not stuck anywhere . . . and I can go out on my own terms.

Anyway.

The new office is near to where they were putting in a new AC Moore. I went there the day of its soft open, and then the next week, found out they were closing. WHAT THE HECK!  I can't imagine they didn't know this was coming and still hired people to work there. Crazy. I have been back since the announcement, but, in a weird way, it feels mean. These people just got these jobs and they're closing tomorrow, so I just decided to not go in anymore. They are opening another craft store near there (honestly the idea of 4 craft stores within a 2 mile radius seemed silly to me, but what the heck do I know), so I hope these employees can get jobs there. I did find two nice tobacco baskets there. One I thought I could display smalls in, the other, I would like to find an old hand me down pair of skates and some mittens and make something to hang on the wall.

I haven't been stitching much though. I read a lot, but my day is broken up so oddly that stitching is hard. I have picked up my needle in the last few days, so we will see.

Greetings from a very windy Crazyville

This month is flying by so fast. So far, we have celebrated Lolo's 3rd birthday (he insists he is 4), and our 9th anniversary. Where has the time gone? We still have candles left over over from the reception; I started burning them last week. Not sure why I was keeping 40 votive candles, but they still smell nice, and it was time. I spent all week decorating the inside of the house, and Left-brain put up our outdoor display. We had a frenzied run to Walmart on Monday because two of the blowups wouldn't blow up this year. I hate that! Next week will be the Halloween parties and trick or treating for the kids. This is my favorite time of the year, after all.

The year of stitching spookily is moving along. I have worked on 5 projects so far this month and have two finishes:

Pumpkins

Designs by Barbara Ana

design kitted up by my LNS with GAST threads

My LNS kitted up this design, which was a freebie through Creative Poppy in 2014. The designer doesn't remember it. I have passed my copy on. It was a fun little stitch. I want to have a bigger fall tree, or else festoon my banister with opulent garland and place my fall ornaments down the length of it with some twinkly lights. This would be cute. 

Fall

Brittercup Designs freebie

kitted up by my LNS with called-for threads and various buttons.

This is a little kit my LNS did in 2008. Y'all, I managed not to lose the buttons for 11 years. I am so proud of myself!  It was a very fast stitch and will be another design made into an ornament. 

We went on a ghost tour the first Friday night of the month. It didn't feel like October here in Maryland. The whole week was in the mid-90s, and then that day, fall arrived. We went on a nice walk around the county seat, and ended at our old jail. The tour guide said strange things happen in this building all the time, and we were allowed to walk around in the basement. They have set up a cell so you could see what it was like. When this cell was in use, for the majority of the time, it was miserable. You got food,but the only time you got a blanket was if your family provided it, and a candle was a rare luxury. It was a place of despair. I walked in the cell and got a terrible feeling like you get when you look at a bad car accident, like you don't need to be looking at that. I snapped a picture, and this is what I got.

My cell phone is brand-new--I am not bragging, the old one died and I had to get a new one a month or so ago, just pointing out that it can't be malfunctioning. The camera is good. That is not a fingerprint on the lens. The room was fairly dim, and there was not light coming in from outside. On the bed is a dummy. What is by the dummy's foot? There was nothing like that in room and no explanation for the source. Just something kind of crazy and slightly spooky. What do you think?

The year of stitching spookily

Have I mentioned this? Tomorrow starts my year-long project to focus just on Halloween and fall designs. I have been pulling them like crazy and I am ready to go. I know I won't get them all done, but a year of playing with fall colors, whimsy and foxes? Perfect! A few little finishes, a WIP, and Gibbs, the box office dog. We started trying to decorate at work. He is very patient. He is now the Pumpkin Spice pupper.

So Much Stitching

Another month or so gap between posts. Ooops. Is it just me or is this summer flying by? We have had a few random days off. I took the first Friday of the month off to spend the day with my daughter. We went to a nearby state park, did a little hiking and swam in the lake before thunderstorms chased us out, then hit up a nearby Goodwill. I have been starting to try to find some work-appropriate clothing, since I think I want to start working in an office again. It's amazing what you can find, if you think outside the box. Left-brain took the kids camping at Gettysburg last weekend. It's not a bad trip for them, and has sparked some interest in the Civil War for him, but the kids got to missing me and came home on Saturday night. Or rather I drove up to the campground after work and got them. Ooops. Oh, well. I keep telling my husband we need to plan trips far enough in advance that I can get time off. Or else I need to change some things to enable me to work less. One of my goals for the next 12 months is to get down to one job that pays enough of an income to make me feel like I am taking care of my family well. Maybe this isn't the right place to say something like that, I don't know, but we live either feast or famine in our house and it's exhausting. We deserve better. I'm coming to understand the last year has been the equivalent of a branch where one rests after pulling themself out of quicksand in order to rest and regroup, but now it's time to fly onward. That scares me to realize, but . . . it's time.

 Some finishes . . .


This is not a recent finish, but I finally got a picture of my sweet bunny finish. This was a Christmas gift from my mom. It was not a quick finish, and isn't perfect, but I love it. I forget the name off the top of my head. It's a Russian kit, but I think you can get it on 123stitch.

This is a little kit I have had forever. It uses overdyed linen floss. It was fun to work with. I wish people still made it. It didn't fray like I thought it would. 

Lost Spirits

Birds of A Feather

stitched on PTP Raisin linen 

w/ DMC conversion

This was a long time work in progress. The pumpkin head took a crazy long time to complete. But I have discovered podcasts and those help pass the time. 

Walt the Malt

JCS Ornament Issue 2008

28 count Monaco with DMC conversion

I like this one because I was able to use one of the new DMC colors. I used the color they call White Violet. I think it adds a bit of a difference to the cup. He is supposed to have some buttons, but those have to wait. He isn't finished yet. 

Winter Sampler

Prairie Schooler

DMC conversion on 28 count Wichelt linen

I am pretty proud of this. I did not like the colors the designer pulled. This was all muddy browns and greys, and I wanted something to be blue and hard and crisp. So I did this conversion. This had languished for a while as a UFO, so I pulled it out and decided to finish it. It took a few weeks and that border got fiddly. I like this a lot. I think I will make a wall hanging out of it, something to decorate the walls this winter.  

Boo Steps Out

Cricket Collection freebie

stitched with random overdyed threads from Polstitches 

and Hand-Dyed Fibers on 28 count Monaco

I just pulled different Halloween-y colors to play together. I think I want to make a wind-sock-type ornament out of this, but not 100% on that. I used one strand to get a more wispy effect.

So that's all from here. I hope everyone is enjoying the end of summer here in North America. 

A long-neglected update.

I hadn't realized it had been so long since I posted. I really need to step up my posting. It's just been so busy here. We celebrated my daughter's birthday last week. Her birthday was on a Sunday, so we went to a nearby state park with a swimming lake and spent the day. Neither of the kids wanted to get out of the water, even to eat lunch and dinner. I mostly spent the day under the awning, watching them. And then, somehow, managed to fall over a beach ball and jack up my ankle. It has been two weeks and it is finally starting to not hurt so much. Though, driving is not a pleasure. Last Monday, we had to help my beloved cat, Gus cross the Rainbow Bridge. Mom has had him since I moved in with Left-brain; we didn't want to take him away from his siblings, and Left-brain has cat allergies, and had the dogs, and it just didn't seem like the best choice for him to be with me. I agonized over the decision, but he was happy with my mom and he was still mine. He was 20 years and a month old, and had not been doing well for a while. It was his time to leave us. He was quiet all day, but when he felt I was near, he perked up and "talked" to me. I told him it was OK and thanked him for being mine for so long. I was 22 when I got him, and he was wonderful; I was the luckiest girl in the world to have him as my first great love. His little paw-print is in our china cabinet with the Fenton cat my gramma had painted to look like him, and I found a little ginger tabby figure today to put next to his ashes when they come home. But on to nicer things.

I ended my Stitch Maynia shortly after the last post.   I had 3 finishes during the month of May, and then have finished two more since then. First, my finishes

This was from an Etsy seller. I plan on just making him an ornament to hang with the other Halloween ornaments. I think I am going to spend September finishing things. It would take up so much less space that way. I was digging around in the garage the other day and found some of my finishing stuff, so it's a message to get started, right?

 

This little boat was in my stash. I think someone either put it out at stitching group or it was an inheritance from my friend, Enid.  I forget who it is by and it was not the easiest finish. I have visions of it on top of a painted box, maybe to hold some of our seashell collection?

 

 This  little guy was from the book of bookmark-sized charts by TIAG. I want to do several of these as an afghan. He is on a little scrap of some king of afghan fabric. He is super cute, but I am not pleased with how his butt looks. I know  . . . but it just looks like he is wearing a diaper. He will still be a cute little ornament!

 

Another Stitch Maynia finish. I am totally and completely in love with how this turned out. I planned to originally stitch it as I watched Southern Charm on Bravo, but it was too much fun to put down. I enjoyed learning about the houses while I was stitching it--the house on the right was originally built so that it would be the first house ships saw as they entered Charleston Harbor, and then the other two houses were built. Can you imagine! That probably made for a few awkward interactions at parties.  I have fantasies of having a South Carolina wall and this will be the start of that. I may try to see if one of the craft stores here has a decent rectangular frame for it.

 

After all the starting, I just wanted wanted something somewhat simple to work on for a while. I won this fabric on Ebay back in the day when hand-dyers used to do Dutch auctions on Ebay. Do any of you remember those days?  They were great to build up hand-dyed stash. This was by Dovestitch. I haven't used a lot of what I bought as it was random small offcuts, but this worked so great to bounce the bright hot orange off of. The chart has been out there a while. It's a freebie on Casa Cenina's website. Not the easiest chart layout, but I love how it turned out.

 

I pulled Summer Ball out again last week, along with Shores of Hawks Run Hollow. I haven't really worked on this since last summer. I just got burnt out on it, and, TBH, it reminds me that a lot was done when I was unemployed and I hate that time. But, I really would like to at least get this section and all the backstitching done by the end of the year. Once I get past these men, it's all pretty linear from here to the end. I hate to say it, but I HATE stitching on these guys. This one looks like he has a porn 'stache, which is neither comforting or period appropriate. It's just a lot of fiddly stitching. The women are much more fun to work on, but I actually love working on the architectural details of the project the most. I really want to see this done and up on the wall.

 

 

 

I am starting to think about my stitching for next year. If I get decent progress on this (and, who knows, I might end up getting a fire under my butt and finishing this, LOL.), I think I want to spend the year stitching Halloween and autumn charts. Imagine spending the year using those rich rusts and oranges, wines and purples. I have one project kitted up that I just tossed a bunch of left over fall floss in and will improvise as I go along. Doesn't that sound fun!!!! I would be in heaven, I think.

 



I am awful at Stitch Maynia

Some people are so organized about this whole thing. They have a detailed shopping list, they order everything prior to the start of the thing. They take photos of their stops and starts. Me? I am like, "Let me grab something up and see how it goes." I am on day 19 of this adventure. And starting to lose steam.

I have started something almost every day since May 1st. When I get to the end of the month, I will make a big post about it all. Yesterday, I was so busy, then so tired, I couldn't start anything. I started two this morning, but I am not that comfortable with doing it like that.

I am kind of pleased at myself for taking the time to include projects I have hesitated in the past to start. One of the things I chose was Lizzie Borden, by Monsterbubbles. Does anyone remember them? She was a fun, quirky designer, and I loved that she came around when quakers and the monogram samplers were the rage. Lizzie Borden was a controversial design, or so it seemed at the time, because of the subject matter, and there were blood pools under the head of Lizzie's parents. I liked it, though, but never stitched it, first because it used all Weeks and Gentle Art, but later, Leftbrain doesn't like the morbidity of the design. Well, he isn't the one who has to stitch it, so I kitted it up and started it and I LOVE working on it. My progress so far can be seen here. I was concerned about the small printing on the chart, but it isn't an issue so far. I can't wait to work more on it.

I also did decide last week that I don't have to spend all day on one project. If I just start the project and move on to something else, it still counts as a start. I had a tiny little start from Mother's Day I made good progress on, but had to put down for other adventures (namely, I got my ears repierced and we made BLTs, which is about as perfect a Mother's Day as I could ask for). It can be seen here. It only needed a few more hours of work to be complete, so why let it sit for the rest of the month? My other project for the day was a WIP I had started last month. So I finished it. Although I don't want to do that all the time, it felt better to complete a project, not just start one. I have three completions so far this month, which is pretty awesome!

That's all for today. I will try to post pics of all this stuff soon.

Stitch Maynia, part 1 (pic heavy)

I originally was not going to participate in this. I have a lot of WIPs and UFOs and have been going back and forth about adding to them. But in the days running up to it, seeing people kit things up, I decided, since I don't have to actually work to kit up projects for this thing, and I have a lot of projects I want to start, but have resisted, why not just do it? So I started. As crazy as it seems, I am embracing one project for each day in May. Some may be UFOs that need love, some are new projects. Some will be large and some not so much. I plan on finishing these, but probably not this year. Pardon all the pics, and please forgive me my terrible photography:


From an issue of Cross Stitcher. It uses DMC Light Effects. I am a masochist, LOL

From a 1999 issue of Cross Stitch Collection. I just love the colors:

I just love this little design. Something fun to brighten up winter afternoons.

Kitty and Me started posting these on her Etsy shop. I just thought it would be nice to have as "not a Halloween" fall project.

I have had this chart forever. I just love the little puppies' faces.

Everyone posts this Prairie Schooler. I have been wanting it for a while, recently bought it and thought it would be a good start:

I found this in an old Gloria and Pat book. I thought it would be cute for my daughter, since she and her brother don't see eye to eye. Ever.

This is one I may end up removing. Another project I have had forever as a UFO. I started it with Anchor, but I don't like how the Anchor floss converted. I am unpicking it, but it's slow going.

I saw these little bunnies years ago in a letters section of Cross Stitcher, and spent a year or so searching out the design. I love it. But never stitched it. I splurged and bought some of the Etoile threads to see how they will look on it.

This is my start for today, in honor of the Kentucky Derby. It's an old Janlynn kit I have had for years, but never had the "spirit" to start. I think it will be a magical piece, but it's very large! 

A freebie I found somewhere. I am playing with the colors.(Pardon my thumb)

And another freebie I found. I am using some of those new DMC Colourist (or whatever they are called) threads.

Cricket Collection flip Flop. One of the LNS' kitted these designs up and I am slowly working on it.

Now, if you have made it through this, these are the progress photos so far:

Day 1 of the Waxing Moon piece. I bought this fabric in a grab bag at CATS in 2006. I don't know who it is by. I am using DMC and loving how this looks so far.

Day 1 of a JBW Designs, Country French Pig. This was a little UFO I had kicking around. He just had his front leg when I picked him up, but now he is complete. I love these little animals--they look so pretty, no matter what you stitch him with. He is done on basic black evenweave with Needle Necessities floss. 

I have more future choices to show, but that is enough for today, I think. I ordered the materials to do Lizzie Borden by MonsterBubbles, which I am excited by. Left-Brain thinks it's morbid, but he can have his opinion, LOL. 

My handsome boy

I don't think I have posted a photo of this guy in a while. He just had his spring school pics taken. Other than his hair, which I swear was nice when he left the house--he was all spiky, he looks so adorable in this picture. They gave us the information about the backdrops they were using, which helped immensely in picking out his outfit. And it doesn't hurt that he LOVES wearing a bowtie--he is such a little gentleman in that way. I found it at Walmart, and that makes up for them taking away the little bit of cross stitch they had. He is doing so well. He just finished his speech therapy--6 months ago, all he could say was "Mama," "Dada", "Sissy" "Dimi (Granny)" and "Mick" for Mickey Mouse. Now he talks about as well as his sister did at the same age--I put him in the car the other day and he asked where Granny was and if "Unca Yuke" (my brother) was at home. So I think the therapy was success. I am still, always, so grateful for the prayers and good thoughts that were sent for him. He is so healthy and strong and we are so blessed.

I seem to have lost my stitching bug the last few weeks. I had some medical issues that were causing me stress, but, after going to my doctor, everything is OK. I am relieved; one day, I drove to work, just crying over the whole thing. I ended up doing a lot of reading instead. And that's OK. This isn't a race. This is the only thing I have finished that I took a picture of. It's one of the snowflakes Sanman did one year for Christmas. I did this with Coloris floss by DMC. It's nothing major, just a pretty little finish. I like the color a lot, and am going to look for a small snowflake charm to put in the middle.

I decided this was going to be the year I stopped feeling sorry for myself and wallowing in my past, to start taking care of myself in a meaningful way. To rise, as it were. Going to the doctor actually has been part of that plan, since I didn't ever care if I stepped back into a doctor's office after having Lolo. . I promised myself that I would get all my checkups done,  get my teeth cared for again, get new glasses, since my eyes were last checked in 2002. I'm still working on that one, but my teeth have been worked on, and one of my doctor appointments is done. I was terrified to go in, but the doctor realized what was happening and he's working with me. I have a few more things to do to get my health back under control, but I am getting there. Small battles win wars.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. If I don't post back next weekend, have a safe and happy Easter or Passover.

Been away too long!

Somehow, the last 6 weeks got away from me! It's been so busy, I just forgot to post. I had these grand plans that I would spend this month finishing things into ornaments, but that got away from me. I've been putting in 60-70 hour work weeks, and trying to spring clean the house. We also decided to try starting seeds and growing some veggies this year. In one of my rambles through Dollar Tree, they had seed packets, $4/$1. I bought two packs of tomatoes, a pack of cucumbers, and some green beans, plus the dirt and an incubator-type thing. The tomatoes are doing really well, the others not so much, but I am hopeful. I went back and bought pumpkins and bell peppers, and am going to start moving stuff out onto the deck. I have finished a few things since the last time I posted:

 

Five Little Pumpkins

JBW Designs

stitched with called-for threads

on MCG textiles evenweave scrap

 

 

 

I changed this a little from the original. There was a lot of fiddly over-one stitching, so, when it came time to do their eyes, I skipped that part. I also removed the random stitches in gold thread all over the place. I don't think it takes away from the design in general. 

 

 

Secret Needle Night kit

March 2006 (?)

used kit contents

 

 

I loved every second of working on this little guy. He stitched up so quickly and was such an effective use of specialty fibers. I am not sure how I will finish him, yet. I need to think about it. It would be nice if I could find a fabric with rainboots or umbrellas to back him with. I have an uncanny ability to manifest that sort of thing, LOL.

 

Otherwise, not much of interest going on. I have been reading like a fiend, mostly children's books. Right now, I am reading Miss Hickory.  about a winter in the life of a little nut doll. I know how it ends and I am not looking forward to that, but I am reading it anyway. I also read the first two books in the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. We saw the movie this week. I enjoyed it as a stand-alone, but I think the books went into more detail and explained things better, so I like those more, and think, even if you saw the movie, the books are a must-read.

 

 And I am still slogging through the Outlander series. Last year, I decided I would read the entire series. I read the first book 20 years ago, but stopped after Dragonfly in Amber, and just couldn't get back into them. While I was unemployed, I started them again, and just recently finished Drums of Autumn. I am not about 300 pages into The Fiery Cross. It's slow going, but I am getting there. They aren't bad books, but it's just very detailed reading, even more detailed than John  Jakes' books, which I love.

 

So that is about all from here. I hope everyone had a great month and is ready for April!

 



 



Ta-DA!!!

Sanctuary

CW Designs

stitched with called-for DMC threads

 on 14 count aida

 

 

I finished this this week. I am so STOKED to be finished with it. It's been a journey. I bought the chart in 2006, but had to stop because I got lost and couldn't find out how to fix it. In 2016, when I spent 6 months on UFOs, I restarted it and worked on it off and on for the past three years. I just loved how it has turned out. It's so calming to me. Really soft, lovely colors, and then those pops of amazing hot reds and pinks in front. I am going to try to frame this myself this year. It would be nice to have it ready for Easter, so we'll see.

 

 

I also had the brilliant idea this week of trying to pull all the things that I might want to work on this year and put them in a bin to have at hand. I found a really simple bin at Dollar Tree (for $1, no less) and put a bunch in there, and then filled up a box, and then another box. I have more ambition than skill, I think. :)  But, you have to have a goal, right? I did find a bunch of projects that need to be finished, so it was not all shameful. I think March may be a month where I focus on finishing items fully. I will have to see how that goes.

 

 

Right now, I am trying to finish up Winter on the Square by Just Nan. It's been a fun stitch. I will post a photo when I take a good one. I am going to finish it as an ornament. I think it would have a better chance of being used in that condition vs. as a picture on the wall.



Another finish and an almost finish

Busy week this week. I had some dentalwork done on Thursday, so I was slightly worried about that all week. It wasn't a big deal in the end and I already feel much better. I did get a twinge tossing the moldy WIP, but, on the bright side,  I found a piece of black fabric in my stash that the new start will fit on and so I may be starting that in a few weeks.

I finished this sweet wee man this week. I don't have a lot of information about the finish, other than he came from Needlecraft, a British magazine, and he was part of a series, probably in the late 90s. I stitched him on Lugana with DMC. I think I need to work on my lazy daisies, but, all in all, I am so pleased with him. He is going to end up with my mom, since she has taken care of and loved my Gus since I got married (Left-brain has allergies, and is very allergic to my cat-son). Gus is almost 20 and having some major health issues now and Mom's having a hard time with what is going to happen. It's funny, he has outlived every other cat in the cat colony he came from by two years, and those two were ours as well, he is probably the oldest cat in the vet practice. He is the oldest cat we have ever had, he was my first cat, and probably the last cat I will ever get to have, and we've had him since he was 7 weeks old. And we still don't think it's been enough time with him. Anyway . . . this looks like him in his prime, since he was on the richer orange tabby side, so it's a nice tribute of him. I would be happy to think of him chasing butterflies on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge when it's time.

 

 

This is my current large WIP, hopefully soon my latest finish:

Sanctuary 

CM Designs

14 count aida with called-for threads.

 

 

I originally started this the year the chart came out, 2006. But I had to toss that start because it was so hopelessly confusing starting in the middle. I restarted it in 2016 in the corner, using my stair-step method, and it's been worked on on and off since then. It's almost finished and I love everything about it. It feels like it's happening on Easter morning, that or an early summer morning, and it's so comforting to me. I love working with those stunning reds and pinks after so much green, but the whole thing has been a pleasure to stitch. I am hoping to have it done this week. I may try to frame this myself, it's not a totally weird size, so we'll have to see.

 

 



 

Sorry about that!

I didn't realize the links wouldn't work. Ooops  Here they are!

A baby wolf

look at this cute fox!

This designer is rapidly becoming one of my favorites

I am really drawn to this style of design lately.


I thought they were nice. In case you need to buy something.

I have made the decision to toss that mold-splotched WIP and start over. It's not the easiest decision, but I would rather start fresh with clean supplies and not end up sick. I need to order a new piece of fabric, since this was not a standard size cut, but I will hold off on that purchase til I NEED enough to make it worthwhile. I think, if I use the stairstep method I adopted after I started it, it will go faster. Maybe in the summer, I can start it.

I have a couple recent finishes, although these photos are arguably not great. I will try to get some better ones.

 

This and That

Cricket Collection Freebie

kitted up by my LNS

 

 

This was intended to be a basket tie on, but, after working on it, I realized I am not the kind of person to tie things onto a basket, so I snipped some fabric off the sides and will make a little pillow out of it.It was sort of a pain to stitch, but I think some of that was the fact that my hand was starting to hurt when I worked on it.

Fox Forest

Workbasket

called-for threads on unknown aida

I have had this chart since it came out.  Please take the following as my personal opinion that may or may not  affected by the face that I was in A LOT of pain working on this. I loved the design, I did not enjoy stitching it. I realized I have been spoiled by using GAST and CC floss. It covers better than Weeks. This coverage felt skimpy to me, and I think of foxes as luscious and fluffy. That poor guy in the middle, he even looks like a coyote to me. Poor dude. I may redo this with DMC when my hand doesn't hurt. The burning, raw sensation is starting to go away, though it came back this week when I was brushing snow off the car, it's mostly just achy. I know I posted I would go to the doctor, but I have had some dental issues crop up, and my kids have been dealing with respiratory stuff since the beginning of the year. Hopefully we are going to start feeling better.

 

 

 

But I did want to share this darling tabby gentleman:



 

He is so soothingly perfect in his orange sweetness. The stitches are laying correctly. The backstitch is falling into place. The long stitches are so satisfying. Most of my work is not this even and . . . pretty at this distance. This is stitching ASMR. The chart was torn out of an old image of British Needlecraft (with no identifying issue information) and it's just lovely. I have had it for several years, and just decided to work on it. It also uses lazy daisies, which I suck at, so it will all even out. I will post a photo when he is done, but thought you might like to see him in process.

 

Fell off the wagon

I ventured onto Etsy this week. And fell off my no shopping wagon. I couldn't help it. It was one of those weeks. Found out we developed some manner of a mold issue in my garage over the past year, and I had to start throwing things out, some of which were handmade. I thought about trying to save the things, but realized that it just wasn't going to happen, and I am not willing to compromise my family's health for things. As much as it hurt, they had to go. But now I have to deal with going through every box in that garage and seeing what else was damaged. And this is stuff that was in plastic boxes, so it's not like it actually got wet. Most of my stitching stuff is OK, but there is a basket that I had stuff in that got ruined and who knows what else. I think if it was on the other side of the garage, closer to the house, we wouldn't have had this problem, but I don't know. I am trying to figure out if we put a fan in there, would it help keep whatever is causing this.

Even throwing it out is a pain in the butt. My town is doing a study where, instead of our trash being taken out of our taxes in a set amount, we have to buy special bags to use to put our trash in and ONLY those bags. They are $1.25 a bag, which isn't a lot of money, but at two bags of trash per week (cause I have a toddler in diapers), and a six month study period, it's adding up, and it doesn't take into consideration situations like this. I have been upset and, last night, I finally lost my, pardon me, my SHIT, over our trash. I went through what we had and told my family to start carrying the recycling out to the recycling. ALL the cereal boxes, the cans, the bottles, the milk jugs, it's all gotta go in the right bin. I think they got the point. But that still doesn't deal with what is probably going to have to happen if stuff is ruined. I told DH he is probably going to have to end up hauling a bunch of crap to the dump--we don't have to use the bags for that.

One thing, my hand doesn't hurt as exquisitely as it had been. I would not wish that ache on anyone. Even holding a bit of stitched aida on top of my index finger was like rubbing it with sandpaper after burning it. I can touch my hand now, hopefully a few more days, it will be back to somewhat normal. I am glad of that. It was scary.

So, I just needed a bit of retail therapy. And Etsy is about the cheapest place to shop on the planet for cross stitch stuff. I wasn't too awful. I bought:

this

and this!

And this.

And I couldn't leave this!

I think I could make a cute pillow or two out of some of these. I favorite a lot of small designs that might work on the Christmas tree, but I didn't buy those this week.

So that is all that is going on. I hope everyone is having a good week.  They are calling for 1-3 inches of snow here this week. I am OK with that, since I don't have to leave the house.

Second finish, and . . . ouch

Moonstruck

Midnight Stitching freebie

 



I have another finish for the year. I actually have a couple more almost finishes, but I had to put those down. This little guy is a freebie my LNS kitted up about 10 years ago. I inherited him from a stitcher who passed away. He was a cute quick finish. I am still not 100 percent sure how I will finish him, but I love him!

The reason my other two finishes aren't totally finished is that I have done something to my wrist. It started last week, pin pricks and a fuzzy feeling in my thumb that has steadily gotten worse. In the middle of the week, my thumb and first finger felt like I had gotten a terrible burn and ached. I think it could be carpal tunnel, but wasn't aware that it would be a burning pain like that, OMG. I didn't want anyone touching it.  I did buy myself a brace last night and am trying to rest my hand to see if it helps out a bit. I will go to the doctor if it doesn't get better; I don't have time to not be able to use my left hand.

Still doing OK on my resolution not to buy any new stitching supplies. Especially now that I am resting from stitching. I am enjoying looking at the old stuff I have, appreciating those old designers.

We are under the gun for bad weather this weekend. It's spitting snow now, but they are worried about ice tomorrow. I went to the store last night and picked up some things we could eat even if there was no power and tonight I will make a big thing of egg salad. Everyone likes it in the house and. worst case scenario, we can put it in a car if we have no power to keep cool.

My first finish of the year

Millenium Needleroll

Shepherd's Bush

stitched using called-for threads and fabric

 

 

 

I actually have a finish already for the year!  I started this during the week between Christmas and New Years ad finished Thursday evening. Only 19 years late for the New Year it was celebrating, but it will still look nice on our tree. I did break (on accident, I swear) the ball my husband got during his first marriage to commemorate the millenium, so this replaces that (and is probably a better idea in our house.)

 

I did all the finishing myself, by hand. It wasn't terrible. I wanted to learn how to finish correctly before I attempted doing a "needleroll" finish I envisioned for another ornament. I will not be making it so fancy, but now I know I can accomplish it. 

 

And I managed to delight myself this morning by finding several little kitted-up projects I had misplaced. Yay for me!

 

So far, still on the wagon as far as buying anything. I know it's only 6 days in, but I did get a gift certificate to 123stitch for Christmas, and I'm tempted to redeem it, but I know I would add extra to the total, and that is not part of my goal for the year. So I am putting it aside til at least closer to next December when I can really decide what I need vs. what I want. I am enjoying looking through my stash to see what treasures I have available. And the creative juices are starting to flow!