I am sitting here, trying to fight the urge to start JAR Christmas Memories. I can not start another project. Absolutely not. But it's so hard when I've a beautiful piece of cream lugana shot through with gold to work on. It's DELICIOUS fabric. I am a little taken aback because it's over-1 and it's not a small project. But I'm good at over-1 now.
I started reading Sleepy Hollow yesterday. I think it changes my picture of Ichabod Crane. I always imagined him as an awkward person, but he wasn't, at least not according to how I read it. He was more like Jerry Seinfeld in breeches, maybe not the best comparison, but he is portrayed as more like an average guy with a lot of charm, who fancied himself as more than he was. Interesting. I am trying to read it critically like I did in college, I'm rusty at that. It's not as easy as it was back then.
I don't think I had blogged about this, but I have been looking for Sheepish Designs' Betsy for a month or so now. I couldn't find it anywhere. Til I looked at Silver Needle. Surprisingly, they had a copy of it. I ordered it, it came. It has the conversion for DMC, and it's stitched on a yellow fabric, which I have from my efforts to find fabric for the autumn sampler--I bought a lot of fabric for that one sampler that didn't work too well, remind me not to move too far from an LNS.
12 October 2007
worked on the afghan last night
I am starting that afghan SAL this week, so I decided to take some time last night and work on my Hummingbird Trellis afghan. I think I made some good progress. I am working on the trellis structure in square 9, and got the rest of it outlined in half stitches, with some of it being filled in. I am sure this is not proper protocol, but I just wanted to get it finished. And it shouldn't hurt the look to do it that way because I only did the bottom leg, so when I do the fill work, it will get crossed in and have the tension be the same, or at least the same as it's gonna be on an afghan. I even got a little bit of the greenery under the trellis started. Anything to stitch other than white. i think I am going to move to the square above it next. I think.
Oh, on other good news, someone at 123 stitch had posted a finish of a black cat leading a band of singing pumpkins last week. It was darling, but we could not find the designer. It was out of an old issue of Cross Stitch--one of the myriad of magazines that came out when I wasn't "into" stitching, dang it. So I have been trolling E-bay for it. I didn't find the design at first, but did find the postcard it's based on. I didn't purchase the post card, because it was going for like, $40, which is a lot of money. But I found the magazine in a lot on Tuesday, so scooped it up. It came last night. And it doesn't look superhard. So I was thinking, as I so often do, that it might look kinda cool to stitch the design, buy the postcard and frame them under each other. I mean, it would not be SOOO far-fetched to have up, since we do collect black cats. i don't know, will have to think on this.
Oh, on other good news, someone at 123 stitch had posted a finish of a black cat leading a band of singing pumpkins last week. It was darling, but we could not find the designer. It was out of an old issue of Cross Stitch--one of the myriad of magazines that came out when I wasn't "into" stitching, dang it. So I have been trolling E-bay for it. I didn't find the design at first, but did find the postcard it's based on. I didn't purchase the post card, because it was going for like, $40, which is a lot of money. But I found the magazine in a lot on Tuesday, so scooped it up. It came last night. And it doesn't look superhard. So I was thinking, as I so often do, that it might look kinda cool to stitch the design, buy the postcard and frame them under each other. I mean, it would not be SOOO far-fetched to have up, since we do collect black cats. i don't know, will have to think on this.
11 October 2007
Ahhh, I got to work on Sleepy Hollow
Have you ever had that project that beckons to you while you are working on other things? And you want to work on it, but can't? That is how Sleepy Hollow has been. I could not work on it because I was finishing the turkeys, and then I started Mom's tabletopper. Well, last night, I worked on MY project at home.
I did start my part-time job. I like it so far. It's a lot different from when I was there before, but I'm a lot different from how I was back then. We got everything done by 8:30, so I was home by 9. And I got to stitch for two whole hours. Pure bliss, I tell you, pure bliss.
Everyone seems to like this project. I am having fun so far. I am working on the Headless Horseman's horse. It's going OK. It's a lot of black, which normally annoys me like crazy, but so far this is not bad. The only bummer is that I thought there were blending filaments that would make things glow in the dark. There are, but none are clear or white. So I may not get to have my glow-y picture. But that's alright. I can tell this is the kind of project that is an accomplishment, even if it's simple, and I can not wait to work on it tonight.
I am in an afghan stitchalong on 123 now. We start tomorrow. I need some support or I will NEVER get that afghan finished. I decided that, until I get some q snap covers big enough to hold the rest of the afghan, I am going to keep it in the pillowcases like they recommend in the magazine. I bought some cheap pillowcases at K-mart--BTW, call me a snob, but I bought a set of sheets at the same time I bought the cases, and those sheets SUCK. They aren't Martha Stewart, but they are really rough-- and pinned it in there. Hopefully this will keep it cleaner than it had been. In case you haven't figured it out, I am not a fanatic about keeping everything really clean, but Robbie and the cats have been lying on the afghan or jumping on it to get my attention, and I am starting to realize that I can't handle that happening for the next however many years it will take to do this.
I did start my part-time job. I like it so far. It's a lot different from when I was there before, but I'm a lot different from how I was back then. We got everything done by 8:30, so I was home by 9. And I got to stitch for two whole hours. Pure bliss, I tell you, pure bliss.
Everyone seems to like this project. I am having fun so far. I am working on the Headless Horseman's horse. It's going OK. It's a lot of black, which normally annoys me like crazy, but so far this is not bad. The only bummer is that I thought there were blending filaments that would make things glow in the dark. There are, but none are clear or white. So I may not get to have my glow-y picture. But that's alright. I can tell this is the kind of project that is an accomplishment, even if it's simple, and I can not wait to work on it tonight.
I am in an afghan stitchalong on 123 now. We start tomorrow. I need some support or I will NEVER get that afghan finished. I decided that, until I get some q snap covers big enough to hold the rest of the afghan, I am going to keep it in the pillowcases like they recommend in the magazine. I bought some cheap pillowcases at K-mart--BTW, call me a snob, but I bought a set of sheets at the same time I bought the cases, and those sheets SUCK. They aren't Martha Stewart, but they are really rough-- and pinned it in there. Hopefully this will keep it cleaner than it had been. In case you haven't figured it out, I am not a fanatic about keeping everything really clean, but Robbie and the cats have been lying on the afghan or jumping on it to get my attention, and I am starting to realize that I can't handle that happening for the next however many years it will take to do this.
10 October 2007
No time to Stitch
I meant to sit down and stitch last night, but we had to go to Lowes and it was late when I got home. I gave Mom the SNN kit from this month, I am trying to do what it takes to get her to stitch, it ain't easy, let me tell you. So I worked on her tabletopper for the hour I had left before bed. I used the wrong color the other day, so had to pick out 4 motifs and redo them. So that has slowed me down and bummed me out, but I'm back on track. I reused the thread I picked out to do a turkey, (don't tell the cross stitch police), so we should be OK and haven't wasted too much floss.
I am working on Sleepy Hollow at work. I had to come in early because I am training at my PT job this week, so have to make up time. I got to work at 7:30, so had a half hour to burn, and so worked a little bit on it. It's going to be a big time-consuming project, I see that, but it will be awesome when it's finished. I bought a book of Washington Irving's collected works yesterday--it was a bargain at $6.95--so I am going to read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in conjunction with working on it. I've read it before, I seem to remember as a child, I had a little record player and Mom bought me all the old stories to listen to and read in simplified versions. Sleepy Hollow, IIRC, is a pretty scary story, and was probably really sophistocated for an 8 year old to be reading, but I still remember at the end, "all that was left was the remains of a smashed Halloween pumpkin." Ohhh, that still sends shivers up my spine!
I am working on Sleepy Hollow at work. I had to come in early because I am training at my PT job this week, so have to make up time. I got to work at 7:30, so had a half hour to burn, and so worked a little bit on it. It's going to be a big time-consuming project, I see that, but it will be awesome when it's finished. I bought a book of Washington Irving's collected works yesterday--it was a bargain at $6.95--so I am going to read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in conjunction with working on it. I've read it before, I seem to remember as a child, I had a little record player and Mom bought me all the old stories to listen to and read in simplified versions. Sleepy Hollow, IIRC, is a pretty scary story, and was probably really sophistocated for an 8 year old to be reading, but I still remember at the end, "all that was left was the remains of a smashed Halloween pumpkin." Ohhh, that still sends shivers up my spine!
08 October 2007
And another new start
I know, terribly scandalous, but, considering I braved our shopping road to go to Michael's today, I think I deserved it.
I started Sleepy Hollow at lunch. I am not far along at all. Perhaps if I had not stopped for lunch, I could have done more, but I did manage to cut the fabric for the center panel and I got it onto the hoop, and did one line. I am using Picture This Plus 28 count Cashel in the color Loch for this project. I like it--it looks quite similar to the color they used in the model, I just dislike R&R Reproductions fabric. When I was at CATS, talking to the dyer, she had another color called Echo that I liked, and was beautiful, but there are quite a few greys in this chart and I was worried I would have to switch out too many colors. I could have done that, but I was worried that it wouldn't look right, and I live in tormented fear of doing it wrong.
I started Sleepy Hollow at lunch. I am not far along at all. Perhaps if I had not stopped for lunch, I could have done more, but I did manage to cut the fabric for the center panel and I got it onto the hoop, and did one line. I am using Picture This Plus 28 count Cashel in the color Loch for this project. I like it--it looks quite similar to the color they used in the model, I just dislike R&R Reproductions fabric. When I was at CATS, talking to the dyer, she had another color called Echo that I liked, and was beautiful, but there are quite a few greys in this chart and I was worried I would have to switch out too many colors. I could have done that, but I was worried that it wouldn't look right, and I live in tormented fear of doing it wrong.
A good start on a new WIP
Mom bought 3 kits from Dutch Treat Designs at CATS, and asked me to do them for her. I started one the other night and decided to pick it up again yesterday to get it finished for her. I've done one of their other designs, a freebie that my LNS kitted up as a tiny doily for a Christmas club a few years ago. It was pretty fun to stitch and this is the same.
The one we've chosen is a pilgrim one, with turkeys and a sailing ship. I got quite a bit accomplished last night because it's really easy to follow this chart. The one difference in theory between myself and the designer is that she says it's alright to not have the x's all facing the same direction, and I am too anal to allow that. So it takes a bit of chart movement and position, but I don't mind. Mom has said this would be good for the fair next year. I would like to enter it, but I hope it does better than the ones that were entered this year by someone else because those got no ribbons.
We went over to Stitching Post yesterday. It was First Sunday, so we got a 10% discount for bringing my tote bag. We didn't find much. I got the newest Loose Feathers design, a design for a workbasket, which could be pretty cute. And they were having a trunk show for the Workbasket, so I got a chart called "All God's Critters." Both designs are for over-dyed threads, but I don't think I am going to use them. I feel bad about spending money anyway, and now that I've gotten a part-time job , I don't know how much time I will have to stitch, so I can't see the point of buying expensive threads for these. And I do think that there is something to be admired in the way regular DMC looks. It looks very clean and simple, or at least I tell myself this to make myself feel better about using it.
But, I did cave and bought most of the supplies to do the Joan Elliott angel in UK Cross Stitcher this month. I am not that into angels, but she's really pretty. I could not find one of the braids and they were sold out of one of the colors of beads, but I got most of what I needed and I got a pretty piece of opalescent Jobelan to do her on. The magazine showed her on the new hand-dyed DMC aida, but I really don't think Aida is a good choice for this piece, so I thought the opalescent would make her look really wintry. I don't know when I will get her started, hopefully soon, because she is gorgeous. And I am not a fan of Joan Elliott or her angels!
The one we've chosen is a pilgrim one, with turkeys and a sailing ship. I got quite a bit accomplished last night because it's really easy to follow this chart. The one difference in theory between myself and the designer is that she says it's alright to not have the x's all facing the same direction, and I am too anal to allow that. So it takes a bit of chart movement and position, but I don't mind. Mom has said this would be good for the fair next year. I would like to enter it, but I hope it does better than the ones that were entered this year by someone else because those got no ribbons.
We went over to Stitching Post yesterday. It was First Sunday, so we got a 10% discount for bringing my tote bag. We didn't find much. I got the newest Loose Feathers design, a design for a workbasket, which could be pretty cute. And they were having a trunk show for the Workbasket, so I got a chart called "All God's Critters." Both designs are for over-dyed threads, but I don't think I am going to use them. I feel bad about spending money anyway, and now that I've gotten a part-time job , I don't know how much time I will have to stitch, so I can't see the point of buying expensive threads for these. And I do think that there is something to be admired in the way regular DMC looks. It looks very clean and simple, or at least I tell myself this to make myself feel better about using it.
But, I did cave and bought most of the supplies to do the Joan Elliott angel in UK Cross Stitcher this month. I am not that into angels, but she's really pretty. I could not find one of the braids and they were sold out of one of the colors of beads, but I got most of what I needed and I got a pretty piece of opalescent Jobelan to do her on. The magazine showed her on the new hand-dyed DMC aida, but I really don't think Aida is a good choice for this piece, so I thought the opalescent would make her look really wintry. I don't know when I will get her started, hopefully soon, because she is gorgeous. And I am not a fan of Joan Elliott or her angels!
07 October 2007
Another finish
I finished my little turkeys just now. It was completed 2 years to the day it landed in my mailbox. I have to say, I am really glad to be finished, now I can start something new.
I didn't do a lot of stitching yesterday. We went to Pennsylvania to take some flowers to my grandmother for her birthday. We brought her some pansies. I think she wold have liked them, we found a pretty container at Lowe's. They were the only place in the town we could find pansies. It does seem a shame to put them on her grave, but when I had my talk with her, I told Grammy she would need to send some rain to keep them pretty. So it's up to her.
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