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.

 

 



 

January Roundup and

January was a pretty good stitch month for me.    I had 4 finishes for me, and they weren't particularly easy finishes for me.

Summer House

Country Cottage Needleworks freebie

LNS kit up with suggested threads

 

 

This was an older freebie that I have had for a while and just decided to start over the Christmas holidays. I finished it on New Year's Day. It's pretty sweet and will end up a cube finish.

July Floss Tag

Needle's Content

stitched with called-for threads on 32 count evenweave

 

This is another one of those floss tag things. I really want to get this project done. I like these designs, I just do not like the physical process of stitching them.  Because 2/3 of it is a line border and I hate stitching those. There, I have said it. I don't know why I have felt so awkward about admitting that. But I only have 6 more to do, and then the finishing. The finishing isn't hard in and of itself, it actually maybe takes 2 hours to make this into a floss tag, but I also balk at that. I think these are things I can work on while the baby is napping or at lunch breaks, but I really do want to get this completed this year. I just have to get the tool that lets you put in grommets so I can get it done.

 



 How to be A Mean Mother

Lizzie Kate

stitched with called-for threads and fabric

This was a gift from a friend after I had Lolo. This is not the best phot I chose this as my January 1st start. I think this is the only January 1st start I have ever completed. I love it.  I am going to hang it between the kids' rooms. I just have to have it framed. I plan on doing her "Promise Me" as a gift to the NICU for the excellent care they gave to our family. It won't be ready for this year, but maybe next year's NICU reunion.

Winnie the Pooh blanket kit

 

 

I have talked about this one. I finished it and took it to the hospital last week. It's very comfy for him, just a light blankie he can use in the car or at daycare. Lolo enjoyed it in the way only small children can show their appreciation--he spit up on it. It's OK, though. It came out. I still love him, LOL.

 

 

 

And these are my finishes for Feburary.

 



Year of the Dragon

Dragon Dreams 2012 JCS Ornament Issue

stitched with called for threads on opalescent linen

 

 

I have been wanting to do this for Someone Small since she was born. I didn't want to do a Baby's  1st Christmas in the traditional pink and blue for either of my kids, since they have those in other materials. I already stitched Lolo's ornament, so it was time to get on the ball with this. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Dragon Dreams designs and I think this is the coolest one of the all the JCS designs. Someone Small is not that big of a fan of it yet, but she will. Hopefully . . . LOL If not, just leave it at my house.



Happily Ever After SAL (January Block)

Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

called for threads on PTP Crystal Barnwood Lugana

 

First and foremost, I need to say that I am passionately in love with this fabric. I want, like, 20 yards of it. This has been a kind of challenging stitch. I didn't realize they were releasing the new parts on the first of the month, so I got the second part and had done very little on the first part. So I worked like a frenzied ferret this week, then realized I had miscounted the border and then had to pick out and restitch all that flower border. But I have finished the first block. I am going to try to work on the second block this week, and maybe try to do some of the March block border. I don't know though. I kind of want to work on that border when I get to March.

 

 

Other than that, it has been a busy week or so. After many attempts to get him to take a bottle, we finally decided it was in the baby's best interest to put him on a G-tube until he develops the ability to coordinate all his swallowing reflex. It was not an easy choice to make for him, but he turned 4 months old this week, and my insurance is not going to continue to pay for him to be in hospital. So he had the surgery on Friday, and he should come home this week. It was amazing to see him without his nose tube in. He has never not had some sort of tube in his nose. And I have seen him without it twice for maybe 5 minutes, so I am learning my baby's face. And I love it.

 

He did well. He didn't feel too well on Friday and not so hot yesterday, but this morning, he had a smile for me. He is just the happiest little guy. I went in the other night and he was lying in his crib, smiling. I mean, how awesome is that? He has such joy in life.  I know some of it is that he doesn't know this is not how most babies start their lives, and he doesn't know anything different, but he can choose to be fussy and unpleasant, and he chooses to be gentle and sweet. It inspires me. I can't wait to show him the world.

 



Finish #13 for the year

Birdsong 1, by Prairie Schooler. I started this while pregnant, and just got overwhelmed by the 40 count. Y'all that work on that count, I bow to you. I determined to finish it and did. It felt quite satisfying to put the threads in the box after this one. I wanted to do the companion, Birdsong 2, on 40 count. Not happening. I just won't hang them together!

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?

January was a very productive month!

I am quite impressed with myself! I'm two weeks into the Stash and Start Restraint Challenge and so far so good. No new starts, no new shopping, even though I did find some kits I would like. I am keeping my head on straight. I can't afford new stuff, and I have so much that needs to be finished. Not the least of which are the 4 afghans in various stages of completion. But that is another story for another day. Look at all these lovely finishes for me this month!

Kitty's Life, Prairie Grove Peddler

recommended threads on Wichelt linen

 

This was a Crazy January 2011 start. I have to say I am really glad to see it done.  Not just because of the Wichelt linen. It was large blocks of color, writing, and long lines with overdyed threads. My favorite combo. And I do like the design. I just . . . I'm glad it's done. And, I mean to make this clear. I know I express a certain amount of loathing for Wichelt linen that borders on obsessive ("I should say so, if you hate it so much, why do you keep buying it?) I think I had this in my stash, but I realize that Wichelt linen is like that super-hot person you liked in high school. You know better, but they look like Paul Rudd and have a motorcycle, and they let you wear the helmet when you climb on up with your fake-Bennetton bag, and you can't help yourself. So you ride home, and court the wrath of your mom, knowing they will just stand you up for your senior prom.  And that is how Wichelt works, it's so pretty, but so skimpy and stiff.  But I keep finding myself looking at it on the bolt. I am trying to use only Zweigart, but I think I just bought some for my CC Dickens ornaments. Oh well . . . .

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin

Whiskerkins, by CM Designs

stitched on Monaco, with the recommended threads

 

I started this last spring.  I love this line of designs. So cute and not that hard to stitch. This ended up a UFO because of the greens she chose. 3815 and 3816. These are not Halloween-y greens, although they do photograph darker. I am happy with the finished project even if it was disconcerting to work with that green. I think this would be so cute as a grouping of pillows across a sofa for Halloween, don't you?

 

freebie, Kissycross

stitched on oatmeal aida, with customized colors

 

I changed this one a lot. I started it this fall, but I put it aside because I did not like the colors the designer chose. They were very light, and I love my foxes red, so changed that out, then realized it's not really fall if the leaves aren't different colors!  So I changed the colors around. I love it!  Oatmeal aida is so nice to do prim autumn designs on. It just feels like a warm and comforting color, and I use it a lot. Over evenweave, but you know me, I stitch on anything!

All Dressed up for Christmas

Vermillion Designs, 2005 JCS Ornament issue

called for DMC and Kreinik 102 #4 on Jobelan

 

 

This is probably my favorite design ever from the JCS ornament issues.  I loved it the second I saw it, even though there are a few errors. One of the symbols shows as a grey and it makes no sense, so I changed it to the darkest gold. I enjoyed stitching this, even though it was a challenge. But it has made me happy during a time I am under a lot of stress. 

The Language of Flowers

UK Cross Stitcher, May 2006

called-for threads on Monaco

 

 

This is another design that ticked all the boxes on first view. Gorgeous colors, delicate design, lovely font. I just enjoyed every second I spent on this. I don't know what I'll do with it, maybe a pillow, but it just enchants me.  

 

 

Not much else worth discussing is going on. We got 3 feet of snow last weekend. The snow was so heavy on my car that the driver's side mirror broke off. Left-brain Gorilla Glued it on til I can call the junkyard and get a replacement shipped, though, really, if the glue holds and the mirror still works, do I really need a new mirror? I mean, do I really want to spend good money on that car? 

 

 

I have been doing really well this month with not spending money. Christmas sort of reinforced to me that things have to change for us to have a better life. I  made a resolution that this would be the year I got myself out of debt, except my job cut off our overtime. I have been bummed out about that, but I realized that that was no reason to stop my efforts to improve our life, so I just have to get a new part time job. And it would be a lot easier if we just stopped shopping and only bought what we needed, got rid of what we didn't need, and appreciated the time we have together. This is quite a shift in my thinking and one I have never been able to keep at this long, but I really feel like this is my time. 2016 is my "fight song"; I don't really care what anyone else believes, cause I still have a lot of fight left in me!

 

So that is that for this month! I hope everyone is having a good week!

 





Another finish

Happy New Year!  Sharing a finish for today. I have had it kitted up for a few years, pulled it out before Christmas, and finished it this morning.  It's from a 2006 issue of UK Cross Stitcher, using the called - for DMC on white Monaco. It was fun to stitch and will be so pretty.

Today starts a 6 month period of Stash and Start Restraint for me.  No new stash,  no new starts. All I can work on are my UFOs.  All I can buy is the materials to finish those UFOs. Now that it's here, I'm a little worried I will cheat, but I can do anything for 6 months, and it comes at a time when we are feeling a money pinch, so . . . It will have to do til things get better.  Which, in an eerie coincidence, I heard my phone go off at 5AM with a FB notification, and it was some random message from a FB friend I don't talk to that much and it said, "Trust in God". Since I had asked Him to help us get through this last night, I choose to take it as a message. 

I have a few more finishes to post. I have 3 for the year so far. Nothing major . . . But they're finished. And 2 were UFOS, so they're out of the Bin of Good Intentions!

Sleepy Hollow is FINALLY finished

A little over 8 years ago, I started this project.  I never dreamed it would take so long in the beginning, I never dreamed it would end in the end.  LOL.  But I put the floss away and took the picture and I have the finish!

I do have a few notes for anyone thinking of stitching it.  Take the leap of faith and invest in a teal hand-dyed.  You will need 2 fat halves. Don't go lighter or more purple blue. The color makes it look stormy and spooky and the oranges and greys will pop. Maybe choose a darker grey, if you can't do the teal.  But I love this Loch. This is my go-to Halloween fabric now.

You will need more than one skein of London Fog. Which is a pity because it is the ugliest color Weeks ever made and you will probably never find another project that will ever use it. You could sub out for CC Bunny Honey or GAST Woodsmoke, but toss that against the other colors and your fabric to see how it works.

So that is that.  I love this project. I keep imagining how it will look finished as a stand up. I think awesome, right?  Now to find the fabric!

Recent finishes and a UFO turned WIP

Hello! I hope everyone is having a great start to the New Year. Mine seems good so far. Except for the lack of a good computer with blogger access, except when I work at the theatre, I'm good. I think I am going to spend the money and have my current laptop tuned up vs. buying a new one. It works, just slowly and not happily, but it was an anniversary gift and it would be better to not add another laptop to the landfill if I don't have to.


 I have been stitching merrily along. This was my first finish for 2015, a freebie (except you had to buy the buttons. 

O Holy Night

JABCO 

stitched with recommended Weeks and Gentle Art on a mystery linen from stash

It took me a while to find all the flosses in stash for this, but I knew I had them. I did have to rob another project for the Straw Bonnet, and it would have been easier to just buy another skein, but I chose to rob. After all, I don't know when I'll complete that project and I wanted to do this one NOW. And I love it. That Baby Jesus button is the sweetest thing EVER. This will be an ornament, but I'm still trying to decide on the backing fabric. Do I want to use a green to match the hills, or a purple for the inside of the stable? HMMM

Next finish was the Sampler Girl's 2012 JCS ornament issue contribution.

 Christmas with Jane Austen

Sampler Girl 

recommended DMC on mystery linen

 I have had this kitted up since May--there are several really pretty ornaments in that issue that I want to do, and this was a good start. I started it before Christmas, but got tied up with other things. She reminds me of my niece, with whom we spent a really nice day in November, watching her compete in an Irish dance competition. Kaydence was over the moon to spend time with her cousin,  and when we ask her to dance like Hannah, she twirls and leaps. We are planning on putting her in a class where they are introduced to Irish music, stories and dance, so this will be a nice way to integrate that.

 I have decided to spend 2015 either working on a few selected projects (that I keep in a box in the living room) or finishing UFOs. This one has been kicking around for so long, since 2004. I keep losing parts of it, so I have decided to man up, as it were, and finish it. I am using a Silkweaver Solo on  Tula, along with the recommended threads.

It's coming along, but the colors appear to have changed since the original pattern was done, because the frog was more blue on the cover chart, and the seaweed fronds are more green, but . . . I like it, and I'm tired of trying to keep the floss, fabric and chart together. I think this will be a wallhanging, but not sure.

I am almost finished with a project I started in the summer, that of reorganizing my thread stash. I've probably mentioned my lack of organization and how I never find the floss I need, because it's all wadded up in a box. Well, my friend Enid kept talking about how she keeps her floss in envelopes in photo storage boxes. Michaels was having a sale, and it sounded like a good idea, so I tried. First with sandwich bags, but those are too slippery, so I went back to the envelopes--lesson learned: sometimes, it's better to follow the crowd. It works really well. I am about 3/4 of the way though organizing, and it was not easy, but the DMC is, for the most part, in photo boxes. I still have to do envelopes for the 900 series and the 3000s, but it's closer than I was a month ago, and I can narrow my search. And know what I don't need to buy again . . . ever. It feels good.

I even managed to come up with an idea for how to use up some of the random strands of floss that I found that got separated from their skein or skeins that weren't marked what they were.  I have some of the Mosey N Me challenge charts. Well, why not take the random strands and use them to do one of those?  That way, I'm not wasting it. It's a good idea, I think

And the other thing I decided was that, while I love my super-fancy sewing machine, the fact that I took my last sewing class 18 years ago, I don't live near anyone who can really get me comfortable with it, and I am so intimidated by it is keeping me from using it, SOOOO, til I get enamored of it, I am buying one of those small sewing machines and using that to finish my stuff. I busted my butt at work last quarter--OK, I will pat myself on the back and say I did a great job last year--and I am getting a bonus, so kind of interested in seeing what that will be, but it's enough to get one of the small sewing machines. Let the girl get used to driving a Chevy before I get handed the keys to the Lamborghini. So, that should be in the next week or so.

I am so grateful for those of you who are sticking around while I work through the equipment issues I have. I found the Blogger app, so was able to post some pix. While my posts may not be as chatty, I'm still here, and still trying!

Happy New Year

Hey  guys.  Sorry for the long delay in posting.  My laptop still needs fixing, so my computing is done on a phone. Maybe it's good that I dropped my flip phone, otherwise I'd be in trouble.  Fixing the computer is not a priority now, because our stove took a powder as well and we need a stove more than a computer.

Posting photos of my latest finishes.  Sailing Mice is by Margaret Sherry. I started this when it came out, and misplaced the chart.  Someone on 123 gifted me with it.  Happy Camper was from JCS in 2006. It was a PITA to stitch, but I got it done

All finished

And it only took four days!  I am really pleased with this finish.

New finish (with which I am not pleased)

This is "Are You My Mother" by Bent Creek.  I stitched it on a piece of Jobelan I had around, with most of the DMC conversion. I did sub out the 550 the chart called for for the flower for 3041, since that looked more like the color of the Weeks they used. But the chick, because that's a chick, not a grown bird, the colors they chose were awful. I only tweaked it a little, because I couldn't figure out the golds to convert the chick to, but knew I didn't want a dark beak, so the beak and legs are 3822.

And . . . imagine my non-delighted surprise to find out that the two skeins of 936 I used for the stem (because I misplaced one while tidying up) were not a similar dyelot. One is an olive-y green, the other is not. What is up with that, DMC?

I know these are things most people wouldn't care about, and it's cute. If it wasn't that I know what it was supposed to look like, I wouldn't even care, but the colors for the chick that were the company's conversion look NOTHING like the picture on the package, and that is not a dyelot issue. That is just a poor conversion on the part of the designer.

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Is it so hard to check your conversion before you release a design? Or even have it stitched in the DMC you converted it to? I usually stitch in DMC because of the affordability of it, and, to some extent, because it can be washed if my assistant has messy hands and a joyous interest.  Kind of sucky if I can't trust what's on the chart will give me a finish that looks similar (and I know, I know, if it shows overdyeds, using a regular thread doesn't give the same effect, but could it at least be in the ballpark?). Brittercup conversions are usually pretty spot-on, that is why I want to do the quilt I have envisioned with her designs. I have at least one other BC kitted up with regular floss and am now going to go over it and make sure I like how it looks.

Oh, well, onward and upward.

New start and a finish

I have a new start to show off, though the progress isn't very far along. This is my start on Pamela Kellogg's Summer Quilt. I bought them all when they came out, back in 2007.This is not my first time starting this; I started it the weekend that I brought Robbie home from Texas, because the next day we had to run up to Lancaster, PA, and I brought it along in the car. But that first version was on aida and I didn't like how it looked, and it's gotten a little trashed in the past 7 years, so I threw it out and started over.

 

 

This is what it will look like when done:

 

Summer Quilt, by Pamela Kellogg

 

And this is my progress, so far:

 

 It was a Law and Order Binge night on WE Tv, so that explains how I got this much done. I think we stitchers should petition cable to do a Law and Order channel. You can get so much stitching done during a Law and Order marathon. And there are so many episodes--I swear, every time I think I have seen them all, I realize I missed a lot from the first seasons. And the younger detectives are so easy on the eyes.  Between all the series they've had, plus the UK one, I think there is enough for a real channel, don't you?

And a new start means a finish on CC and LHN collaboration, Peaches.

 

 

If I were to restitch this, I would substitute the cat colors for the Mocha Khaki. They show up well in pictures, but in real life, the colors match my fabric, 28 count antique white Jobelan, too closely. Maybe a pale blue would have worked better, but I'm getting ready to go on a money diet, so am trying to use what I have, not purchase new. Plus, I don't know how y'all feel about this, but when I have cat designs, I always feel vaguely like I'm cheating on my cats when I stitch cats of another color and don't at least include one that looks like one of them. I know, this is wierd, but . . . now you know why I stitch so many Halloween designs--they're additions to the Lily collection we have.  I think a yellow tabby would look wonderful on this, I was just too lazy to make it happen.

 

So that's all I have for today. We are celebrating Someone Small's birthday this weekend. It's a week early, but it was a scheduling issue. It's a Sofia the First party, and we ordered the cake on Monday. She chose it--"chock-it" and white, with white icing with a princess tiara on top. (Part of me doesn't like the princess theme, but Sofia is a regular girl who became a princess, and she's not a jerk about it, so it's OK, plus, they don't make Doc McStuffins cakes, so we were limited) And I have a special plan for her real birthday; it will make up for the day after, when we have her 2-year-old wellness check and shots.  Ohh, bad Mommy!The doctor wanted to schedule it on her real birthday--I said the last thing I wanted on my birthday would be a shot, and I think Kay-kay feels the same way. Would you?

 

Well, hope everyone is having a good week.

Finished!

I am sorry for the cruddy picture. Kay-kay and I finished this on Friday night. Left-brain loved it. I didn't have it framed, but he has a framer that he likes. I told him to make sure the guy knows how to frame needlework, but if he doesn't, there's a place in Metro Crazyville, that a couple of friends have said do good work. I am happy with the piece overall, but not sure I'll do another one like this for a little bit.

Mother's Day finish and a new start.

Belated Happy Mother's Day to those who celebrate. We had a low-key one here. Left-brain was leaving to go camping for the week, and we had to get the house cleaned up, so it has been all about that and not so much about a party. Someone Small made me a tote bag at school--little tulips made from her handprints--which I will use to take small stitching projects to stitching group. Unless I put it away as a treasure. It's adorable. We spent the morning, reading and snuggling--perfect morning, right?

I did finish this yesterday.

I'm glad it's done. I did love working on it, but I'm glad it's done.

Because I started this:

 

Miss Kitty's Dragons

Just Nan

32 count JBW linen with

DMC floss.

I've had this chart since the early days of my stitching. I think I've mentioned a couple times that I didn't really know that there was a source of cross stitch supplies other than Michaels until, oh, 2001. I forget how I got on the hunt--either I looked it up in the phonebook, or searched it out at work--remember, that was right after the dot.com bust and the Internet was that shifty friend who let you down, but you placed on "probation" til you got over being upset.  And for that, I got my credit card hacked, so it was a reference tool only (again, a far cry from 1998, when, as a senior in college, we didn't even know how to cite a webpage, let alone rely on it to write a paper on which our final grade depended--we just goofed off online and sent emails.) Anyway, at that time, we here in MD always did have a good supply of stores (at least at that time), and I found a cross stitch store in Savage Mill, near Laurel. I went over there. It wasn't a great store, at least from what I remember, but they had nice fibers, and I did find this chart. I've had it kicking around my stash for all this time, and I finally decided, since this is the year of stitching what I love, I'm going to do it. The shop closed probably around 2003 or so . . . kind of a bummer, since we went from having 5 or 6 shops in Maryland to 2 (3 if you count Salty Yarns).

This is not easy. I've already had to frog it a couple times. But I put on Silver Linings Playbook last night, and got this much done (and a good thing because that movie is due back to the library today). I'm doing it in DMC--I can't afford Splendour, and this may take a while.

I'll keep posting updates.

Finished!

Giving Us Spring

San Man Originals

14 ct aida and DMC floss, as called for

(BS changed to 3799 and Variations)

 

 

All done for Easter! 


Happy Easter from our house to yours!

 



Smokin' needle

Wave

Bent Creek

stitched on mystery fabric with DMC,

 with a few conversions

I finished this last night. I found the threads and chart from when I previously attempted to stitch it, and just decided to bite the bullet, restart it, and get it finished. If I remember right, I bought the chart the last day I worked for my former company (also Prince William's wedding day). I had to drive to our head regional office down by Dulles Airport and hand in my computer, and then stopped at the LNS in Fairfax on the way home. So I've had it a while.

I stitched it on some mystery linen-y fabric I got at one of the stitching group meetings. I got a bag of small cuts that someone didn't want, and I've used quite a lot of it so far this year. This one just went with the country tones of this little patriotic piece, so it was a good choice. I used most of the colors that were the DMC conversion, but I did change at least one of the reds. They are now 814 and 815; the original color for the top stripe was supposed to convert to 3802, and that doesn't go at all with this other colors, so this was a better choice. 

I think if I were a professional designer (and I am not, because I can not draw. I just stitch and critique . . . liberally) I would stitch one version in the hand-dyeds I designed with, then another version in DMC. I think they all realize that not every stitcher can afford hand-dyeds ('cause buttwipes and Sofia the First pajamas do not pay for themselves!), but it would be nice to know consistently, that, if you convert it over, you'll get a picture to be proud of. Because sometimes my color theory skills are off and the floss aisle at Michaels is not the place to be figuring out how it's going to look.

But anyway . . . it looks good and I am very proud of it. My plan is to make this into a painted box. I have some long overdue housecleaning to do tomorrow, and then, hopefully, our plan is to go to Hobby Lobby. They seem to have a better selection of boxes and things to paint like this, so we'll look there. Maybe we'll get lucky.

 It's finally starting to be liveably warm here in Crazyville. My crocuses popped the other day--I forgot I planted them. There is a bunny who has been pestering my tulips--back off, dude! I bought some sunflowers. We'll have to see how well those grow.

That's all from here. Have a great weekend!

2 finishes for the week

Thank you for your nice comments last week!  I appreciate them.

Another not-so-easy week. On top of everything else that's been going on, I have a back tooth with a big silver filling that has been slowly crumbling since I was pregnant. I didn't go to the dentist (too busy) and it bit me in the booty on Tuesday. I bit into a cookie and the tooth shattered.  So I had it extracted on Thursday. The tooth was in really bad shape, but my oral surgeon is excellent and it was not bad. Although I do wonder why they are so quick to hand out hydrocodone to people. I don't like taking pills, and I especially don't like those heavy narcotics. If they'd asked, I would have just asked for Motrin 800mg, but they never do . . . Just a wierd thing.

I got a couple small finishes this week. This is a SNN kit from March 2007. He's pretty cute and it was a quick stitch. The directions did not clarify how to use the Frosty Rays thread, which I hate with a passion because it's just NOT NEAT, so I stuck to doing half crosses:

They gave enough thread to do full crosses, I see that now that it's finished, but I prefer it this way. It's small for them--4.5" X 4.5". I am trying to figure out if I want to finish it as a cube, which would be easier-ish, or if I want to make it into an ornament. This is not an easy decision.

 

 

I also finished this little guy this week. He was actually a UFO from the fall and I just decided to finish him. He's a Sanman and pretty cute.  I know I have a tuck somewhere in the house that he goes into, but I have no idea where it is:

 

 

Someone Small told me he was "Cea-suh", and I do see the resemblance. Although I think, in her mind, dogs fall into two categories: "dee-dees", which are dogs in general and "Cae-suh", brown and white dogs. My brother's little JRT mix got called "Cae-suh" for that reason. Chancey is just "dee-dee" and my daughter shushed her the first time she met her. LOL (Chancey was barking at Left-brain, Chancey and Left-brain don't see eye-to-eye).   Chancey just kind of looked at her, but, when she got put out of the room, Katie kept pointing to the door and saying "Dee-dee, dee-dee," in the saddest voice ever. Chancey really does like her, she was just not used to someone so small telling her what to do.

 

Spring seems to have finally sprung. Maybe. I say that, knowing full well we had a surprise snowstore yesterday. They had called for snow showers, and it "showered" so hard there was accumulation. Today it's all melting. I don't think we'll be on water restriction this summer. The grass is like a sponge and it will take weeks to dry out.  But it's supposed to be 66 this week! Yay!

 

What I've been doing all month

It feels like forever since I posted. This has been a rough month for me. We have been dealing with some major health issues with my father, and, surprisingly, also with me. When I went into the urgent care with that stupid sinus infection at the end of February, they realized my blood pressure has gone very high again, and almost sent me to the hospital. I got a kind but stern talking to from the doctor there, got a referral to a new physician here, and was pretty much told if I don't make some life changes, I might not be around to see my daughter grow up. And that scared me. So I've been making small changes to start. I'm back on my blood pressure medication--not what I really want to do, but if it's that or dying til I get myself together, I'll do that--, bought a new pair of cross-trainers (and I can heartily recommend New Balance, I have never had a bad pair of NB sneakers, they're light, AND, in case this matters to you, they're made in the US), dusted off my pedometer, signed up for a walking challenge at work, starting to go back to the gym (I have to upgrade my membership so I can use the Crazyville branch, but I don't have the money for that yet, thanks to the sneakers), and trying to make some better food choices. It's not easy--the health issues with Dad kind of hit hard and I've been upset about that, and I have another sinus infection that I've been dealing with this week, but it will get easier. Change is never easy to deal with, but I heard myself giving the doctor all the reasons I don't take care of myself, and they were such BS. 100 excuses not to take care of myself and one really good reason to do it. So, that's where we are. Trying.

 

In between, I stitched this:

 

 

 

Is he not adorable?

It's from the leaflet, "Apples and Applesauce," by Pitter Patterns, who did a lot of House Mouse Designs. The chart is based on one of the pictures found here.  This site is one of my guilty pleasures.  I just find her pictures to be so sweet and clever, a gentle humor.

 

 



And some detail:

 



 

This makes me happy just to look at it. I was a little put off by the colors that it used, but, once it was all together and backstitched, I just love it.

 

A little finish

It does me no good to try and develop a plan for attacking my stitching projects. I make plans and then promptly abandon them.  I had all these plans for finishing a throw I started on New Years, promptly christened the Isis Afghan, because I was working on it during Downton Abbey, then put it aside for little charts like this one.

I finished another of the LHN Ornament series. This is Baked Goods, from the 2011 set. It's not one of my favorites, but it was a quick stitch. I think it's not one of the ones I like because the colors are so drab, and it didn't help that I ordered the floss online and the Gentle Art Mulberry I got was more rusty than Christmas-y red. This is on a scrap of ecru aida I got at the thrift store in a grab bag, and I didn't realize til I had started on it that the previous owner must have kept it in a sunny place because part of it is a little bleached. I kept going, though.  You really have to look at it to know it's there and this is just something for me. I'm going to try to use my sewing machine to make it into an ornament. One of these days .  .  .