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.

 

 



 

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!

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!



Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope, if you enjoy it, you are having a day worth enjoying, and if you don't enjoy it for whatever reason, you are at least spending the day doing something enjoyable. Here in Crazyville, we spent it quietly inside. It was 9 degrees in Maryland most of the weekend. Not exactly run around and play weather.

I did get in the car, yesterday, to go downcounty to see my mom. She had some things for Kay-kay for Valentines' Day and I thought I would surprise her by cleaning her mudroom. We had 5 inches of snow on Wednesday and about half an inch Friday night and it was not well-behaved snow that is heavy and wet and sticks to the ground. This crap blows around. I had to drive into the next big city for a job interview on Friday morning for a new part time job (which I got) and I swear, it was like ice-skating. My car badly needs new tires--for whatever reason, the front ones wore funny, so it's like running on racing slicks. And I don't like driving in snowy conditions anyway, but I figured it was for my mom, and for my daughter, so I got in and went. And then hit a freaking white out. High winds blowing that snow all over the road (and buffeting my car), and I thought about turning around. I thought I would give it another chance. The next time I hit a patch of snow, the traction control light came on. I thought I would soldier on, because I am determined. The third time, I turned around because I didn't want to go careening off a hill or get hurt for a day that, in my realm of holidays, doesn't rank in the top 3.  So, instead, I came home through town and stopped at the grocery store.

I could say a lot of things about how conflicted Valentines Day makes me feel. It's another holiday that makes people feel the need to compete to show how much they care or are loved. It was a bummer in college to walk by the front desk of the dorm, loaded down with flower vases, knowing that none of them were for me or probably ever would be. And the same for work. Left-brain brought me flowers our first year of dating, and that was the only time I ever got flowers at work. He doesn't like the holiday because he feels that people shouldn't have to set aside a day to tell each other how they feel. I have tried to tell him that there are relationships where people don't say that every day, we just have a relationship where we do. It would be nice to get a piece of jewelry, but, when it comes down to it, I only wear my bridal rings and the necklace they picked out for Christmas, so it would just be spending money we don't have to. But if he brought me a puppy,  . . . .  But I do enjoy it because it's a fun day we spend as a family. We snuggled this morning and opened cards and gave kisses. And we're having a nice family dinner tonight. So, it's a good day, a day to remind me how truly loved I am.

I did spend a good portion of today stitching.  I have been hearing really good things about War and Peace, so I watched that Ondemand. 4 hours of gorgeous costumes. I have never read the book, but I did buy a copy of it last year and it's in my ever-expanding TBR pile. I have to watch the rest of it, but it makes for good stitching backdrop. I will post a picture of my progress later, I managed to do about 500 stitches in that time. I feel like I can get Santa's Pets done in the month if I have decent things to listen to while doing it.

I did pull another project from the Bin of Good Intentions this week:

Cats Baskets and Quilts
Cross Stitch & Needlework Magazine
called for flosses on 28 count Monaco

Cats, Baskets and Quilts was a series from Cross Stitch and Needlework in the 80s. I started it a few years ago and abandoned it about 10 stitches in, but it's a very quick stitch, though slightly squirrely with the fractionals. This is the section called Amish quilts and it has a lovely black and white cat washing his face. He looks like my Flicky, and I don't see a lot of black and white cat designs, so it's fun bringing him to life. There is another section, Appalachian, with a ginger tabby, like my Gus, but the last section, Nantucket, has a Siamese, and I am too untalented to try to convert that to a black Lily cat. Otherwise it would match the Three Musketeers.

 

So that is all for this week. Its been such a cozy, do nothing feeling week in Crazyville. I hope next week is more exciting. Just think, we're five weeks from Spring!



February is one week old!

This has not been the best week. I haven't felt well--Kaykay brought something home from daycare and we've both been sneezy. She is the lucky one; she gets it, has a few days of runny nose and then goes back to normal. Mommy, on the other hand, ends up needing a z-pack. I am hoping it doesn't get that bad. I ended up with bronchitis for 5 weeks in November (and that was with a z-pack). I don't want to repeat that. Anyway . . . I decided to focus on finishing Santa's Pets this month. Why I decided to pick the shortest month of the year to do this, I don't know. But it is my focus. I finished the right side upper section this week. I know the bottom is going to be tricky to finish because it's a lot of confetti stitching. I spent this morning starting and ending threads. Fortunately I got up early and had time to do this.

This is the progress so far:

Santa's Pets

2009 Better Homes and Gardens calendar

stitched with called-for DMC and fabric

I apologize for the quality of the photo. My camera takes good photos, but this one is pretty challenging for it.

And this is what is will look like when done

I decided I will frame it under glass, with a barnwood frame, and probably mat it. I think it needs a little more of an finished edge than the model shown has. But it will be really pretty. The house we are moving to has a fireplace and this will look so lovely over the fireplace (after Left-brain makes a mantle, since my dad never got around to installing one). If you see this calendar on Ebay, it's worth the money to buy it. there are several really pretty designs in there.I would just recommend making a working copy. 4 years of holding this has left fingermarks on it--my copy is unshareable because the page is pretty much see-through, but at least it doesn't affect any other design.

I did pull out this small UFO to work on when the puppies get me frustrated. Maybe not the best choice. It frustrates me too. It's not quite confetti stitching, but it just barely rises above it. No rhyme or reason.  But it will be so pretty on my tree when it's done.

Winter Animal cards

Cross Stitch Gold December 2007

called for threads, unknown fabric

Thank you to everyone who is hanging in with me. I know I am not stitching anything really current and "fun", but I do think it's always kind of interesting to see "vintage" stitching. And next year, I can stitch something more current, except I looked through the newest Stitchery catalog and didn't see anything I couldn't live without. Hmmmm!

Anyone have any fun plans for tonight? I work til 6, but went out yesterday and got some goodies. Left-brain got a small convection oven for Christmas and has been using that to cook chicken and it's so tasty. I also bought a schmearkase cake after stitching group. Now, growing up "schmearkase" was a way of doing cottage cheese. My great-grandmother used to make it fairly regularly with the new milk on the back of the stove, but when the family moved out of Pennsylvania in the 60s, neither new milk or time was available for this. So Gramma just made it by running cottage cheese through the potato ricer, mixing it wuth some heavy whipping cream and serving with apple butter. It's so good! But when I searched it out to find out the proportions to make it for myself (because I didn't learn a lot of my gramma's recipes, which i kick myself for), there is a cake by the same name. Not the same thing, but I never took the time to make it. So when I saw it yesterday, it looked good. And tastes good!  Like cheesecake, but with a base made of the same dough that makes raisin-filled cookies (another PA thing, LOL). I plan on getting more of these. Along with bigger pants! So we have that for dessert. If the game is not close, I am watching Downton Abbey, although it was a little shocking last week!

So, i know everyone is prepping their Super Bowl menus and donning their team's colors, so will let you go!  Have a great week!

 

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!

 





Year end review and 2016 plans

Can you believe it will be 2016 in a week and a half? 2015 went so fast. It feels like it should only be July, right? I am still getting used to using my laptop. I am so used to using my phone to do everything Internet-related, it's not easy to switch back. I am trying more.

My stitching year in review . . . it was an OK year. I did not get as many finishes this year, but I was working on some bigger projects all year. I haven't worked on a Dimensions kit in ages, but I spent the better part of three months on Soul Music.  That's a long time on one project. I did get my Sleepy Hollow finished, which is a major thing for me. Major . . . And I managed to participate in the ornament exchange, which, with my hectic schedule, was not easy. We'll see about next year.

Which brings me to my 2016 plans. I did start discussing this on Facebook, but I have so neglected my blog and didn't post about it.  After gathering my UFOs and WIPs, and realizing I have over 70 of them and seem hell-bent on starting more, I realized enough is enough. I pulled one of my large totes, christened it the Bin of Good Intentions, and put all my UFOs in it. All except the Hummingbird Trellis afghan, Summer Ball, and my Miribilias. Because 2016 is the year to work on reducing the number of my UFOs. I decided including those last projects in the mix would be too stressful--Hummingbird and Summer Ball alone could take a year and, in the end, I would have one project completed, where I could have 10 or 11 done, or more. So those are out for now. But the mix I have is some big ones, some smalls, and a couple that need to be restarted because they got messed up while they were UFOs.

It's going to be a challenging project. I know that. There is a reason I put these projects aside. But it may just be a temporary thing, maybe now I'll love them again and get them finished. I've already finished two projects out of the bin, and I'm happy with them. Who knows what I can accomplish if I set my mind to it? I did join a . . . stitch-a-long is not the right word, but it's a no-stash, no-start support group. They are set to only work on existing WIPs and UFOs from January 16th to July 16th. I think a few are starting things the first two weeks of the year, but I am trying to refrain from that. A great many of my UFOs started out as challenge projects where challenges didn't get completed. I am allowing myself a January 1 start, though. That is a tradition, but I am not going to make that a focus. I will focus on the other January 1st starts I didn't finish.

I do know I'll be posting here more in the new year. I really fell behind in posting finishes and that that is not good. I will try to post at least once a week. Hopefully more.  Blogger does have a mobile app. Not so easy to blog on a cellphone . . .

Until then, Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

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!

All finished

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

An Old UFO

Blackbird's Winter Delivery

Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers

stitched with the kitted fabric and fibers

 

 

 

So-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

 

Last week, for a lot of reasons, was chaos. Mom ended up in the ER on Wednesday night, so that threw me off for the next two days. She's fine, but it was a scary thing to deal with--she doesn't drink enough water, and got dehydrated.This weekend, we brought everything home from the storage unit. I spent most of Saturday, cleaning out my office, so that Left-brain can put up the bookshelves when he gets them put together. Mom came out for the day to watch Someone Small, but also so that I can keep track of her fluid consumption. I got a lot done. Threw out a lot of detritus. I am very hopeful that most of my books fit on the shelves I bought, because there isn't a lot of other space to put them, and not a lot of place to store my stash. I refuse to have it all stacked in here (remember, I have that issue with stacks and paper and staring at that all day would drive me crazy. Books are different, I can do spines of books), but I need the bookcases put up so I can put the books on there, and put the stash boxes where the books were.

 

Anyway, so . . . while I was cleaning, I found this. It's from the first year of the Loose Feathers club. I signed up for that club in 2003, stitched a few of them, realized I couldn't keep up, and I have the rest in stash somewhere. I've started this one and frogged it a few times.  I think I have even bought more floss for it a few times. But I am determined that I will finally get this thing done. It's not a big design, 4 3/4 X 5, I don't know why I am not able to complete it, but I have been scared of it, and then I put it aside, and pick it up a year or so later and put in a few stitches, and put it back down. So I am putting everything else aside and finishing this. Because this is just silly. And I think it will be really finished when it's done, framed with a black frame and a white mat. I know I do not like the fabric because the dye comes off on my hoops and I have to watch them when I switch off to something else, but maybe finishing it will put an end to it.

 

And I have a question. We had the box of my unfinished finishes in the storage unit, and when Left-brain brought it home, I realized there are quite a few that are dirty and stained and hoop-marked. In my defense, I didn't know better. I think I can clean most of them up--if a Tide Pen can remove dog poop and highlighter, it's gonna take most anything out This is proof. I have one poor little mouse ornament that has a wierd stain on it, and the best I can think is that my dad used to use this product on the woodwork that, if you didn't rub it really well, it would leave marks, and I think some got on my finish. It's done with Weeks, so it's not washable, and it was one of my first overdyed projects. It's not unsalvageable, it just looks a bit battered, but I look a lot more battered than I did when I was young too, and I can live with it, rather than restitch it.Would you go ahead and have it made into an ornament? I mean, the back of the tree needs ornaments as well, right?

A little more stitching time

Somehow, somewhere, I got some stitching time this weekend.

I WAS SHOCKED.

Right after Christmas, our storage hassles came to a head. Left-brain couldn't get to the desk in the office because of the stacked boxes in there, and I couldn't get to anything of mine. It was starting to really annoy both of us, so we reconfigured his mancave. A lot of my boxes are now downstairs, but I can get to them easily and they are no longer a towering death trap, where the heavy things seem to be on top and everything I need is in the bottom box. Our goal, as stated before, is to build a shed, even though I don't know how that's going to work because they just re-did our flood maps and my side yard is even more in a flood zone than it was before, and I don't want our shed in a flood zone. But, when we do that, we're moving all the man toys out there, all the exercise equipment that is downstairs out to the garage, and the area where that is now will be my stitching area/the baby's play area. Maybe then, I can get some real shelves and a suitable table set up. Barring us moving to another house/having another baby/who knows what else happening in the meantime.

But I pulled Waxing Moon's No Scaredy Cats out of my Crazy 15 starts from 2011:

Remember this? (It's the last one in the post. Not the last one to be completed, just the last one in the post)

My progress has been abysmal:

 No Scaredy Cats


But between Downton Abbey Season 2 on Monday, the "Gold Rush" finale on Friday night (that show is like watching a flipping trainwreck, but it's strangely addictive), and then a marathon of DA Season 3 on Saturday, during which Babygirl slept, I got a lot of progress. It's probably 2/3 finished, but I still have her sign to do and her head. And I love it. I did change the cat on her shoulder to a tabby/calico looking cat, just to be different, and it's cute.  I don't know if I'll do the pumpkin necklace for her though. I don't want to buy the charm, and I found out small things that dangle attract fingers that pull (and I'm not talking children's fingers). Not sure how I will finish this. Maybe as a cube, but then again, I may be able to rustle up a small black frame from somewhere. My mom is starting to be on the lookout for frames at rummage sales and the like, and, since those will be starting up again soon, I may be able to find what I need.

I will post a picture when I get a little more progress on it. I wanted to do it last night, but Babygirl was either teething or so tired she couldn't sleep, because she stayed up, fussing, til midnight. Makes for a very tired Mummy, that does. And she was not any better this morning. No fever, nothing obviously wrong, just disgruntled. But she was fine when she got to school, so hopefully, it will pass.

Finishes and Flare--a picture post

I promised some pictures of things I had finished lately.

This is the October floss tag from Heart's Content. It was a very quick stitch and I am looking forward to finishing it as soon as I can get ferried into Metro Crazyville for the interfacing and thingy to do the hole at the top (I'm having a moment here with the name of those things). I am looking forward to doing the whole set, they would be really cute for exchanges or just as a way to "purty" up my threads.

 And, at long last, Icy!  Started January 1st, 2010, done May 28th 2012. I think this is the only January 1st start I have ever managed to finish. Ooops!

 It was a big chart and a challenge--the rayon was a worthy adversary from over the sea (literally--I had to order it from Sew and So)--but it feels so good to have finished it finally. I will get this one framed, and it will make a pretty addition to our winter decor.

In case anyone is interested, here is what the front of the house looks like, decked out for summer.

I almost feel ashamed because the actual flower bed has nothing in it at the moment, and so many people post pictures of immaculate gardens full of beautiful flowers (my mom and MIL are bothered by the lack of vegetation as only flower lovers could be, LOL), but I couldn't figure out what I wanted it to look like during the late spring, and, I mean, realistically, this is not the year to sweat the small details. Maybe next year, unless my mother was being serious when she said she would come out and plant flowers for us, which she claims she is. We have the ornamental grass, we have the petunia baskets and that railing planter (the thing was a waste of money since nothing actually survives long-term in it, but it was too expensive to just chuck it out, fortunately it's probably going to break one of these days), and I love the pinwheels. My MIL gifted us with a bunch of seasonal flags as a bridal shower gift and I love how cheerful they are. I have great plans to plant more bulbs this fall, along with some pansies and mums, and maybe beg a cutting off my grandmother's peonies next spring, so it's a slowly evolving work in progress. And, considering I dug the bed without a proper shovel, pregnant, in one day, it's a fine flowerbed for what it is. When I met Left-brain, this was a house that shouted "single guy seeking a wife", and, slowly, it's starting to sing, "a family lives here." And I like that.

Rabbits and Dragons and pumpkins, oh my!

I have been busy as a bee lately. Since the box with my WIPs/UFOs is buried underneath other boxes, I have been trying to work on things that I come across, at least until we get a better system going on in the house. This is what I've scavenged from the detritus.

Above is a very sweet floss tag I started from The Needle's Content. She offered these charts in 2009, as a series you could purchase and have sent to you. I don't know if they are still available, but I really enjoy this one. It was a bit pricey to kit up the set of charts with Gentle Art, but I really love how the colors work, especially on this ivory Jobelan I bought. It's probably going to be a challenge for me to assemble this, but I don't think it's unachievable.

I rounded up all the parts of Icy Dragon and am also working on getting him finished:

 He has been a two year WIP, and I was doing him as a SAL with Riona. Well, that got to put the side when I took that new job last year, but maybe this new work at home schedule is just the impetus that I need to get him done. Really, there isn't that much left to do as it is.  Just finishing the clouds and border, beading it, and a little more outlining. I can do that. Piece of cake!

And my bunnies are done. I just love how this turned out. The perfect balance of rustic and elegant. I did have to frog quite a bit because of the linen, but I still love it (the linen, that is). 

I am probably going to have to ask Left-brain to reorganize the office/storage room so that I can get to the UFO box again. I have some stuff out, but not that much. I realize, I am probably not going to have a lot of stitching time after Babygirl comes, but I have heard babies sleep a lot that first month or so after they come, so I don't know. I don't want to stop the forward progress.

As far as she goes, we had another ultrasound on Tuesday. She is turning into a Chunka-monk, all the way up to 5 pounds now, with 7 weeks left to gain weight. She moves A LOT; we were hooked up the monitor at the doctor's office and she was squirming like crazy. She got a case of the hiccups that was so bad she was doing it for 5 minutes or so; the doctor thought that there was something wrong with the machine. Nope, just my kid! They have been hassling me about my weight, not because I gained too much, but that I haven't gained any weight. I can only do what I can do, and the low-carb diet is not exactly conducive to weight gain. The baby is growing--the only pre-baby clothes that fit anymore are sweatpants and my big t-shirts--I'm just not getting big, but I did have a lot of fat she can have.

 My baby shower is tomorrow, and I am pretty excited about that, at least a little bit because one of my best friends is coming into town and I haven't seen her since my wedding (we had been discussing a trip to Kentucky before the baby came, but hadn't firmed up plans, and then the baby happened, and a 10 hour car trip was not happening). I think we may go to the movies, probably Dark Shadows, but not sure yet. She said she could help me get the room ready, but it's as ready as it's going to be til the couch leaves. Besides, it's a vacation for her, not a working trip. i want her to enjoy the limited pleasures of Metro Crazyville, LOL.

So that is all that is going on here. I hope that everyone is enjoying a nice week, and has exciting weekend plans.

Wrangling BAPs.

I haven't been stitching the last week or so as much as wrangling large UFOs. For some reason I can't explain, I just haven't felt like working on ornaments lately. These big ones are much more my speed, at least for now. Give me a few weeks, I'll get over this, I know it. This is my Moby Dick, White Willow Stitching's Arab.

I need to explain that statement. I love this piece, I can tell it's going to be amazing when it's finished. I wouldn't have bought it if I didn't think that. BUT . . . I started this wrong when I started it in 2006, and I am spending time trying to fix it. And that ain't easy. Look, it doesn't even photograph right. I want to get it to a point where I can do the 10X10 square method on it. Hopefully, I can make some progress on it this year, but don't count on it. This is the Summer Ball update.

I tried to work on the edge to get it to match yesterday, but that didn't happen. It's OK. I am happy with my progress. Every stitch is one closer to the finish! In other news, I have started the gestational diabetes control program. All in all, it's not insufferable. I do have to test my blood 4 times a day, but that's not bad. I normally don't promote non-stitching products on this blog (because that's not cool, and they don't pay me), but I can say the OneTouch Mini the diabetes educator gave me to use to test my blood is as painless as they come. And I have given quite a few blood samples the last few weeks, so I am becoming an expert on the topic. It is pretty much the most pleasant part of this whole thing--I'm still adjusting to the food situation, but I have eaten so many hard-boiled eggs for snacks and breakfast that I gagged on the one this morning. And I had to have Crystal Light today--I've been drinking nothing but water since the meeting with the educator, and I wanted some flavor. But I'm going to get through this. It is "only" 10 weeks or so, and it's what it takes to get Baby Girl here safely, and I'd do anything for my girl. We did eat a smidge of a protein bar this afternoon, and, judging by her reaction, we will not do that again--so nasty! But she enjoys peanut butter; I see a future of us bonding over peanut butter eggs and pumpkins. And I am learning why exactly I am obese. Everything I love to eat is high in carbs; some of my favorite cereals have the same number of carbs in one tiny little bowl that I am allowed for an entire meal. I nearly flung my expensive, freeze-dried strawberries after finding out one serving is the same carbs as my cereal, and I've been eating them on cereal like crazy. Arrggh. Needless to say, I've lost 4 pounds since Friday, just by reading labels. I'm sure the nurse will be upset at my doctor's appointment tomorrow, but I'm following the diet. It's time for me to get my evening snack, so have to leave. I will try to post more pictures this week, since I've been remiss in posting. This is a start. Have a great evening. Stay away from protein bars. Read labels. Keep stitching!

2 Finishes and a WIP.

My current WIP, a UFO from Just Another Button Co, Stitch Every Day, called You Lucky Dog. I hope to be done with this over the weekend. Please excuse the shadow on the fabric, my camera has decided that the flash requires me to sell my first-born child in order to work, and that ain't happening:




And my 2012 finishes.

January square from Vals Stuff, Itty Bitty Kitty Quilt series (say that 10 times fast!). I am planning on doing one of these squares a month, and there are two squares per chart, but I will count each square as a finish. The border should count as a finish too, due to all the work, but that would be being too nit-picky, and I'm not actually finished it, so I won't.


And the SNN kit finish. I still have to decide about the beads, but I am gifting this finish to my dear friend, Kathy.



I know these are not big finishes, and I'm not sure how many of those 2012 will bring for me, but they're finished. And that is pretty good. I think finished projects take up less space than UFOs, don't you?

How to make a UFO

One of the days this weekend, probably Saturday or Monday, I decided to pick through my UFOs and work on one, to get myself ready for the new year.

I pulled out one of my 2011 Crazy January starts, Ms. Mitchell's Christmas Pageant. I know I had thought I would make MUCH more progress on that one because that first kid went very quickly the first day I worked on it. I started working on the next kid, and discovered I didn't have the color I needed. Apparently, I NEVER had the color I needed, because I was particular about not robbing those projects. I thought I had kitted it completely up before starting the darn challenge, but I guess it must have been one of those disappointing Michaels trips where they didn't have all the colors (BTW, I emailed them about that little situation to ask if they were intending to stop carrying DMC and they claim it's a stocking issue. Seriously, AT EVERY store in Montgomery and Carroll Counties? In case someone from Michaels reads this, hire new stockers or investigate your supply chain, Joanns and AC Moore don't have these issues, and I actually bought DMC from the LNS the other day, it may cost more, but at least they have the colors). Since I still don't have those colors, and I wasn't running out to the store that day, I had to put it back in the bin.


Next, I pulled out a picture of Carousel Horses. I think I started that one in 2004, but, apparently, I robbed it of the floss color I needed to use between then and now. I didn't feel like digging through the bin of floss for another skein (or maybe the original one), so that went back in the bin. Finally I pulled out my current UFO WIP and am working on that--at least I know I didn't rob that project, LOL. My large Chestnut project by White Willow will also suffer from this theivery, if I remember correctly. BUMMER.

I find this to be one of the uniting factors in my UFOs, the self-created lack of all the supplies. Not all of them are placed as UFOs for that reason; it almost seems like I will start a project, realize the stars are not aligned that will allow me to enjoy said project, and put it down, then I rob it blind, like an old car that breaks down, is left sit, then you come back for it with a towtruck, and find the tires are gone. Does anyone else do this? It really is kinda frustrating, when I think about it. Does anyone else do this?

Some updates

The computer is cooperating . . . for now.

This is the finished square for Primitive Needle Lisa's memorial quilt. I couldn't find the picture to show off when it was completed.



The wording is from the epitaph for Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy, and I think it is probably the nicest thing you could say about someone who has passed away. I hope our work gives her family a bit of solace. She is so missed.

I also finished Part 2 of CItA.




I started Part 3 on Wednesday night. It's moving surprisingly quickly. I love how she includes the stitch diagrams on the charts. It really helps to see how things are supposed to go, much easier than surfing the net for instructions. I betcha if she included turkeywork instructions, I wouldn't run screaming from them.


We spent the weekend in Gettysburg, camping. It was a relaxing time for me. We went on a ghost tour of the Jenny Wade home. Jenny was the only civilian casualty of the battle, shot in her sister's home while baking bread. The story of her death, and the family's struggle to survive, is fascinating. I enjoyed the tour, but I didn't see any ghosts, didn't have any creepy hap'nins. Left-brain kept sticking his finger in the bullet holes, and I kept expecting someone ghostly to bop him in the head, but no dice. Perhaps they found him intimidating? I feel so blessed that Gettysburg is so close to us, about 28 miles, so it's easy to get there, and it does have an other-worldly beauty to it. I plan on going back and taking a different tour, if not with the goal of seeing ghosts, just to find out more about that moment in American history.

I did take along Brave Hearts to work on. It rained on Saturday afternoon, so we were confined to the camper. I turned the TV on and stitched while Left-brain napped.(And yes, it might not be roughin' it to sit in a camper with a fridge, and cable TV, and screened windows, but we ARE on vacation, why make it a struggle to relax, LOL? I've washed my hair in the same bucket of water the horses drank out of, I got zippy to prove!)I am making good progress, and hope to have it finished this week. I will save the next picture update til it's finished.

I've been trying to be good here lately with my S.E.X. purchases. I stay off E-bay, and, when I do shop, if something catches my eye, it has to be something really special for me to buy it. I'm kind of proud of myself in that. I'd really like to start making dents in my UFO/WIP pile before the end of the year. I feel good that I've finished a few old projects this year, but there is so much more to do. I can pretty up the projects, put them in nice storage boxes, but they're still there. And buying new projects and starting them just doesn't feel right right now. Does anyone else feel this way? It's probably for the best, but it's a different place for me to be.

Weekend works

It was a stormy weekend here in Crazyville. We got remnants of the devastating storms from North Carolina. While we did not get damage here, there was a tornado warning for the greater metropolitan Crazyville area, and I did spend a few minutes downstairs on Saturday evening. I realize I could never be a storm chaser--the second a warning is issued, I freak out. Yesterday was a little nicer. When I left the house for church, there was a rainbow in the sky to the west, the trees and flowers finally are letting loose and coloring up the landscape, and it was a bit warmer. We even got a small concert at church yesterday for Palm Sunday; the City Band of Washington, a bagpipe orchestra, played for the 9:15 service, but we heard them in the parking lot on the way out from early service. I'm a sap anyway, but it was so joyous to hear such beautiful music on a beautiful morning.

I did make some progress this weekend. I FINISHED Plummy Fairy. I'm not happy with her French knot eyeballs and may pick those out and redo them, but I love this finish. Adore it!




5 Crazy January starts are now finishes. Woo hoo!


I worked on this as well. This is something I started in December. I know, I know. What is it? No, it's not a map of the Washington Metro system. It's Autumn, a freebie by Minguistitch.


Yes, it's tricky. Yes, I wish I was stitching a facial detail. But really, anytime you start a new design that has a lot of color changes, there is a moment where you have to wonder how the mass will eventually relate to the picture as a whole. It's getting easier-ish. I am relying heavily on a highlighter to let me know what I've finished. and I think I've done the hardest part. The pink blob to the left top are the goddess' lips and I'll soldier through. I'm enjoying the challenge and moving around so as not to get too frustrated.

Lastly, my kitties.




We have bad light in the master bedroom, which is where we basically hunker down to watch TV when it's too cold to go downstairs--basically October to May. It's workable when I'm working on something in white, but this black has proved to be a challenge. We were working on shifting lamps to provide better light, but I was whining. Left-brain came home on Friday with a clip-on lamp for me. I attached it to the headboard, and got a lot of progress done. All the new parts of the kitten were done in 2-3 hours, serious progress for me!

I hope this week is kind and gentle to us all.