A Crazy January finish, a WIP, and a new start

I was a busy stitcher this weekend.

I had to get out of the house Friday night. I hadn't left it since Tuesday afternoon, thanks to a 13 inch snowfall, and we were starting to run low on food, so Left-brain got my car out of the space and I went to what was, to me, the happiest place on earth, the grocery store. It was a joy, especially because I got to see people I'm not related to. I stocked us up for the storm that is supposed to come through tonight through Wednesday, and came home to stitch.

I finished Hope Perches. I'm happy with it. It will look fantastic when it's finished into a pillow, something fresh and springy to remind me that better times are ahead. This is the second Crazy January start I've finished. Woo hoo!



With the finish, I rotated in another Crazy January start on Saturday. I had thought about doing another little one, but I know myself well enough to know that, if I do all the smalls first, I will be stuck at the end with the big projects and a chip on my shoulder, so I'm going to go back and forth with them. I think that's a more efficient way to do it. I chose Patriotic Summer to work on.



I had to frog out one of the flowers--the colors and symbols were very close, and so I, given a 50/50 chance of getting it right, got it wrong. But I got a little progress done. We went to my in-laws' house to celebrate his dad's birthday, so it wasn't a lot, but every little bit helps. I don't think this will take that long to work on, it's fun, like all of Midsummer Night Designs' pieces. And the colors are so pretty and fun to work with.

Yesterday I started Dimensions' Barnyard Kitties. It's my projects for the special contest at the state fair. I'm hopeful the judge won't nitpick that these are 'kittens', not 'cats', but if I don't win, it's OK.


I really like working on this project. Most of what I've gotten done was in a 5 hour stitching session. For a Dimensions project, this is a lot of progress, and it didn't feel like a hassle. The fabric is 14 count, and so it's not that hard to pull the floss through (nothing like trying to jam 3 strands of floss through 18 count aida to get the ol' heart pumping). They even cut the fabric decently--it's two inches on each side, so it shouldn't be too bad to frame. I do need to have good light, though, in order to work. This may be a lunch time and high daylight project. And, when I scrunched it to remove the sizing (I normally don't do that anymore, but I had to with this), it left white marks on the fabric. I think they'll wash out fine, though.

So that's my weekend. I appreciate all the comments on Betsy. I am beyond pleased to have her done and done well. Now to cross fingers that she'll look good in the frame.

Hoping everyone is having a great start to their week.

A picture post

Betsy is finished.



Sorry the picture is so far away, this is a very long piece and impossible to fit the whole thing in closely. I'm pretty pleased with how she turned out. Now, all that's left is to get her to the framer and into the cherry frame I picked up on clearance at Michaels a couple weeks ago. I so appreciate all the support I was given during the stitching process, all the years I've been working on her. I will put this chart up as a PIF on this blog in the next few weeks. Watch for it.

The finish line

If I'm stitching the last big line of stitching, and I'm making crosses as I go, am I crossing the finish line? I am "this close" to finishing Betsy. One more star, the date and the rest of this line, and she's done. I won't post a pic til she's finished, but I think she may be finished by the end of today.

Stars and birds and words, oh my!

But a little housekeeping first.

I mentioned "Finish-it February" and Riona asked if that was a new challenge. It's actually something I heard about probably around when I started blogging. The idea was to focus on finishing something in that month. It was probably in 2007, though it may have been older. Remember, January was always "Guilt free January" so I guess the point was indulge in one month, repent in the next, but that was before the recession started and we all started making do with what we have, not starting new projects left and right. I'm probably the only one who still thinks about it, but it's a good practice for me, and I always wierdly think of February as "Finish-it February." Anyone is welcome in joining me.

I don't have a picture of my fair project. I realize I am bit anal about the planning and getting ready. I've always been a keen competitor when it comes to the fair, ever since those days when I, wearing my immaculately pressed white button-down, black skirt, Sam and Libbys, very large bangs (an accomplishment in the Maryland summer humidity, and my ribbon tie, paraded my dog on the end of a leash around the cattle show pavilion. I was a good dog shower (my beloved Dana and I took home either Champion or Reserve in every division we entered, and only lost Senior Champ overall because we didn't do obedience or the costume class. I knew our strengths), but I never won the cross stitch class. And so, I've spent my adult life pushing for the win. Funny how, til I get that best of show, I won't really feel vindicated. Perhaps I should have stuck with dog showing, but we did atrocious at the state fair; Dana decided she'd had enough of other people's opinions of her, ate some horse poop, sat down in the ring, and took fourth, and that, my friends was the end of our show career. Cross stitch, at least, doesn't eat horse poop and then try to lick your face.


So, this is what I worked so diligently at yesterday. This is my progress on Hope Perches, done on DMC marbled aida, with Hand-dyed Fibers in Robiness, Midnight, and Dragon something (I can't read my writing on the bobbin) with a brown from a detritus bag as the feet. It's coming along. I cut the fabric pretty small, but it's going to be made into a pillow like the chart cover, so I'm not scared.






The area of Betsy I worked on yesterday. The theme was stars and birds, because that's all I seem to have done. It does seem to be moving faster on this side. Why did I wait so long.



And the entire thing. I am not putting the loose thread between her needle and the flag. I like the effect of it without the thread. It sorta feels to me like she is raising her needle in defiant victory. She has finished this flag! Her sheep are content! Her stinky-looking flower is blooming! She has a peacock!



We should all celebrate the tiny, every day miracles: ribbons in a dog show we never thought we'd win, content sheep, even if they're just floss sheep, and snow days with warm cocoa and a snoring dog at our feet.

A Slight break . . .

but only from Betsy.


I decided to take 24 hours to work on another Challenge project. I pulled out Hope Perches yesterday at lunch and I'm working on that a little bit. It's probably for the best because I keep miscounting and getting frustrated. Hope Perches isn't as demanding, but it looks really good so far. I pulled out the backing fabric I chose for it, a pretty print of robins that inspired the color choices for the piece. I still have to find some fabric for the front, but I'm getting there.

I also took some time last night to pick out my entry for the special contest for the state fair. It took a while, since I had to go through my binders and try to find something that both I and the judges would like that would display my skills but is also something I can stitch in 6 months without giving up every other thing in my life. I know it was going to be a cat project; Left-brain weighed in, but he's learning, because he said, "Can you get that done?" I think so. I'll post my choice tomorrow and get started when I get Betsy done. That's my impetus for completion. I even know the frame I want for this.

I'm also trying to figure out how I'm going to handle Finish-It February. Do I want to focus on finishing a UFO, or on getting some of my ornaments caught up and ready to hang--that could take all month by itself. I know which way I'm leaning, but still not 100%. I hate when I get this way. At least I have a few days before February starts.

Growing like kudzu

It didn't feel like I stitched much this weekend. I had to work both days and Saturday, at work, I read instead of stitching between patrons. I didn't get started on the vine til I got home on Saturday night. And then I had to keep frogging it. I finally got it figured out, though, and I started working on the leaves yesterday morning, while waiting for church to start; I was in the parking lot, I can't stitch in church, it doesn't feel right to me. I kept working on them at work, and, after more frogging, I got those done. I tell you, I felt kinda stupid, because I couldn't figure out how the leaves were supposed to "happen"; it made sense on the chart, but did not make sense in my head on the fabric. I hate those moments.



As you can see, I got it all worked out. I'm glad to be done that vine, glad that it all came together right. I'm working on the flower thing, even though it vaguely reminds me of those big orchid things that open once a year and smell like rotten meat. I see this kind of flower a lot on samplers. What is it supposed to be?


Now that I'm close to the end, I'm so glad to see this thing almost done. My chart is starting to tear. I think I'm going to do a giveway. Normally I wouldn't go that route with a fraying chart, but this is a desirable one, so I'm sure someone would be happy for it.

I may know my ABCs, but . . .

I still am a bit foggy about my name.

I'm still in the middle of changing my name over to my married name. My CCs are still in my maiden name, only one of my bank accounts has been changed over. I finally got one of my jobs to change my name on the HR files, but the other one is still in my old name. I never write checks to pay any of my bills so I never write my new last name. I'm making myself sign everything right now, but it's a tedious transition. At least now I answer to the new last name, I just can't get used to writing it.

Today, I'm in process of continuing to integrate my repair work on Betsy. Because I had to move those little golden motifs around, I had a bare spot in the corner of the chart. Well, that WILL. NOT. DO. So I came up with the brilliant idea of stitching my initials over one in that bare spot. I also always use my middle initial, a habit I picked up working around actors. So, I pulled out my blue floss, looked at the charting of the letters on Betsy and said, "OK, I can start with an L. Easy peazy." My middle initial isn't L anymore. Well, technically, it still is, but legally, it's not. When I went to change my name with Social Security, I took my old last name as my middle. My initials went from "RLS" to "RSH" (which always looks like "rush" to me, but that's a side issue).

You see where this is going?

I'd like to think Left-brain wouldn't mind me using my old name on the piece, but I'm never going to learn if I never start using the right name. I had to pick out that L. And that was the moment I decided I'm not using my middle name on my stitching anymore. So I'm signing this piece "rh" in little tiny letters. It looks really good. I will say that. I think, despite my best efforts, this is going to be a great finish, LOL.

(This post was updated to provide some clarity. I'm cold and things that made sense in my brain don't make sense on paper)