Alphabets and Old Frogs

I started my Thursday evening stitching session by working on Castle Sampler. I managed to get all of the over-one stitching in the top border done. It's a small accomplishment, but progress nonetheless. It didn't take terribly long and I could have made some progress on the remaining bits, but I decided to put it down for a bit. The over-one areas aren't bad to stitch, just very fiddly and I don't have the eyesight (or patience!) for it after a day of staring at my office computer.

Here's how the blocks look. I still have to go back and put an over-two stitch in between the green over-one stitching. Actually, the worst part of the over-one stitching was the tiny little bit inside each letter block. Each one was five stitches-- done in three different colors, in typical TW fashion. The results are terrific, but doing confetti stitching over one is NOT my idea of a good time! LOL

That takes care of the Castle Sampler update. Now it's time for Old Frogs.

I've been trying to stitch one Christmas ornament each month this year, and so far I've kept up, more or less. I hadn't yet started an ornament for April, and I was ready for a break from CS last night. So I pulled out my stash of JCS ornament issues and found a forgotten ornament that I started back in 2000.



I KNEW there had to be a reason that I had stopped working on this-- it was nearly finished, and had been tucked neatly inside the magazine, where it spent the last 4 1/2 years. It looked fine to me, so I decided to finish it. After stitching a very little bit, I realized why it had been sitting for so long. I had somehow miscounted by ONE STITCH (isn't that usually the case?) and didn't realize it until I had nearly completed the ornament. Not being a big fan of frogs, I simply put it away. And then I forgot about it.

This really bothered me. It's a pretty design and has enough work in it that I really don't want to start over. So I got out the scissors, and I frogged. And frogged. I had to frog all of left side from the bottom of the red motif up. I think I've removed all of the mistakes and am now ready to finish the stitching. :)

We're heading to the country for the weekend. We'll be staying a bit longer this time and won't return until Tuesday. There's a lot of work to do out there, so I'm not sure how much stitching time I'll have. I'm optimistic though, and will be taking a few projects along to keep me occupied.

Back to Scheduled Programming

I started back to work on Castle Sampler last night. At the moment, I'm still focusing on the over-one bits in the border, so it's slow going. The stitching is so tiny that it is sometimes difficult to tell that I'm making any progress at all. But if you look very closely, you'll see the bits that I stitched between the letters in the top border. There are two shades of green (3363 & 3364), so I've been stitching all of one, then coming back to do the other. It seems to go a wee bit faster that way. Of course, I still have to come back and do the over-two stitches in between. It's such a lot of work, but the results are nice.

My 100th Post

I was beginning to get burned out on Castle Sampler, so I decided to take a break from it over the weekend. Instead, I worked on, and finished, Pumpkin Harvest by The Trilogy. HAPPY DANCE!!!!! This was my first ever "primitive" design, and it was a lot of fun to stitch. I don't think I'd want to do this type of pattern all the time, but it was certainly nice for a change and I'm sure it won't be my last.

Edited to add: OOPS!! This was NOT my first primitive design! I realized it last night when I went to bed and saw my completed Bent Creek lighthouse hanging on the wall. I wonder what else I've stitched that I've forgotten about? LOL

S-L-O-W Progress

I'm still working on Castle Sampler, and it is extremely slow going at the moment. For the past few days I've been focusing on the backstitching on the border and the over-one areas. It's making for some VERY slow progress!

Questioning my sanity

I'm still working on Castle Sampler, trying to finish it before the start of Persian Iris Garden. I'm mostly working on the backstitching in the outer border, so there really isn't any progress worth showing yet. Maybe in another day or two.

In the meantime, I'm starting to wonder what I'm getting myself into with the Persian Iris Garden online class. Challenge #1 is the fabric-- 32 ct. black Belfast. I've stitched two other projects on black fabric in the past. The first was a Cross My Heart leopard on 16 ct. aida (I hadn't learned about linen back then).



After I finally completed that design, I swore I'd never stitch on black fabric again. Then I decided to do TW's The Castle on black fabric. This time I used 28 ct. jobelan, which I found much easier to work with than the black aida.



Challenge #2 is the beading, for which there are two options. The first option has only 1,788 beads. The other option includes beaded corners (the bit with the irises) and uses 4,432 beads. I like beading and all, but that's a LOT (!!!) of beads. Realistically, this isn't much more than Angel of Love, which I stitched years ago for my mom. It had 4,110 seed beads, so I should be able to manage with 122 more.

What's daunting is the thought of all those beads on BLACK fabric. Combine that with the sheer size of the design (293 x 293), and you can see why I wonder what I'm getting myself into. Still, I love a stitching challenge, so I'll be anxious to start this one. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long for the supplies!

SBQ - April 19

This week's SBQ is from Jenna:

Do you do obligation or deadline-based stitching? Why or why not? If you do, do you tend to get in over your head and why?

Yes, I do obligation/deadline-based stitching. I only recently got back to it, after a several years long hiatus. I stopped doing it a few years ago because life got in the way and I felt unable to meet deadlines. But I found that I missed participating in exchanges, so this year I decided to try it again. So far, I've done three exchanges this year, and had great success with each of them.

However, the only obligation stitching that I participate in now is for exchanges. I don't do round robins or "theme" projects that demand a certain genre, design size, fabric, etc. I've participated in one or two of those types of projects, and have found that I had to really force myself to finish the projects. I need more freedom in my stitching choices, I guess. My reasons for participating in exchanges is easy-- I love giving and receiving stitched gifts. It's particularly nice to send a stitched gift to someone whom I know will appreciate it.

I occassionally feel like I'm in over my head as mailing dates approach. I like for each exchange gift to be just right, and I often have trouble settling on a finishing technique. As a result, I find that I sometimes have to really push myself at the end to get things in the mail. Even so, I haven't missed any deadlines and have had a wonderful time in all of my 2006 exchanges.

Weekend stitching... or lack thereof

The weekend was great, very productive. I didn't do a lot of stitching, though. This was the monthly stitchathon weekend, but I had to squeeze stitching sessions in between everything else I needed to accomplish. There simply wasn't enough time or energy.

My weekend started with a drive to the country on Friday evening. Normally we don't leave until Saturday morning, but this time I had some bank business that needed to be done, so we had to leave on Friday. I came home from work, cooked dinner, cleaned a little, packed a little, then jumped in the car. Most of Saturday was spent between the bank, DMV, and yard work. All of that was followed by some quality time in the jacuzzi, which didn't leave much time for stitching. Sunday was Easter dinner with family, followed by the drive home. Again, not much time for stitching.

I had intended to work on Robert's Stocking over the weekend. The stitching is nearly done, and it works up so quickly. I thought it would be a good project for the weekend, as well as a nice break from Castle Sampler. But when the time came to work on it, I just couldn't get motivated. So I pulled out Castle Sampler and worked on it instead. With such limited stitching time, I didn't make a lot of progress. Still, I am inching closer to a finish on this one. Here are the Before & After pics:



And now, a gratuitous picture from the country. This is my little breakfast nook, one of my favorite spots in the house. We have a very pretty formal dining room out there, but I like the breakfast nook, with it's view of the mountains. On the table are some flowers that I picked on Easter morning. They were for my aunt, along with the crystal pitcher, which had belonged to my mother. The tablecloth is cross stitched, but not by me. It was passed on by a friend of the family. I don't know who stitched it, or when, but it is quite old.

Happy Dance!

Last night I finished Seaside Sampler, by Stranded by the Sea. Time for a Happy Dance! This brings my total finishes to 10 for 2006. With any luck, I'll also finish Robert's Stocking and (maybe, just maybe) Castle Sampler before the end of the month.

My Next Project

I did it!!! I signed up for my very first Chatelaine on-line class. These designs have always appealed to me, but this is the first one that I've just HAD (!!!) to stitch. Which one?? Why, Persian Iris Garden, of course!

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love artwork or designs that have a Persian influence. The moment I saw this design, I knew I would be stitching it. It's just so... ME!! Believe it or not, I didn't sign up for the Yahoo group immediately. The project doesn't begin until May 1, and I thought it would be torture to join the group months before the pattern, or even the materials list, was released. So, I waited.

The materials list was released while I was on vacation, and I sent my payment for the group early this week. I also promptly ordered the materials (including the extra bead pack for the corners) from European Cross Stitch. Unfortunately, my package won't be shipped until at least May 1, so I won't have the materials on the day that the pattern is released.

I'm anxiously awaiting my start on this project. I even have "music to stitch by" picked out (something by Kayhan Kalhor, most likely). It's going to be a long wait!

In the meantime, I'm trying to finish Castle Sampler-- hopefully before Persian Iris Garden arrives.

Stocking Info

Carol, I read your question about Robert's Stocking, and completely forgot to answer. Sorry about that! The stocking pattern is by Shepherd's Bush. I've been amazed at how quickly this one has worked up. I'm hoping to finish it this month, with Sophie's Stocking to follow later this year.

A Little Happy Dance

I actually finished this over the weekend, but didn't have time to post until today. It's Partridge & Pears, by Prairie Schooler, from the 2005 JCS ornaments issue. I had intended to finish this in March as part of a SAL, but I ran out of time, so it was my first finish in April instead.

My next April finish will be Seaside Sampler, by Stranded by the Sea. This was also a stitch-along project. It was a 24-hour SAL, and I didn't quite finish it in time. (Do we see a theme developing here? LOL) I think it was a bit ambitious for a 24-hour project. It works up quickly, but it measures 5" x 5", which is a bit more than I can generally find time to stitch in a weekend. It was a lot of fun trying though, and it will definitely be completed this week.

It came from the 80s

I've done needlework in one form or another since I was a child. I'm 36 years old now, so that's a lot of years spent with needle in hand. I did a few bits of cross stitch here and there as a kid, but the bug didn't really hit me until I was in college. That would have been in the late 80s/early 90s, for any of you who do not want to do the math. ;) Needlework has come a long way since then.

I give you Exhibit A...



I found this little beauty while sorting through some of my stash this afternoon. I had no idea that it wasn't quite finished. I guess that makes it my oldest UFO. I feel like I should finish it-- those last few missing stitches bother me. And yet, if I did finish it, WHAT ON EARTH WOULD I DO WITH IT??? To say that it doesn't reflect my tastes now would be an understatement.

It didn't reflect my tastes back then, either.

No, what this project represents is a lack of available designs and a lack of stash money, combined with a desire to stitch something. ANYTHING. Just as long as I was stitching.

You see, it was the late 80s, and I was a poor college student. Those of you who have done needlework for 20+ years will remember what the design choices were like back then. It was, as they say, slim pickings. Add a miniscule stash budget (and no internet!), and you get things like this. The booklet was by Kappie (anyone remember them?). I was tired of stitching teddy bears, and this was something different. It even called for Balger blending filament, which I had never heard of. The patterns were all of stylized ladies, and all outlined in black.

I chose this particular pattern out of the booklet because it had the fewest colors, and I already had some of them on-hand. This meant that I didn't have to buy any additional supplies, other than the Balger and fabric (14 ct. white aida).

Looking at this project reminds me of how lucky we are to have so many talented designers producing a wide variety of patterns, and how fortunate I am to have a stash budget. Maybe I should frame this project and hang it in a place where I can see it regularly as a reminder.

I'm back!!!

We left for a trip to New Bern, NC last Saturday, and I didn't have a chance to post before we got on the road. It was a blissful week of relaxation and stitching, and an occassional walks by the lake.

Prior to leaving, I was busy finishing my Spring exchange gift for Leslie. I stitched Just Nan's Royal Blossoms, with a few changes. I made my flowers purple instead of pink, and used pale lavender fabric. Of course, I got all the way to the PO when I realized I hadn't taken a photo of it. :( Fortunately, Leslie posted a pic on her blog.

I also received a spring exchange gift from Laurie a couple of days before leaving. I just loved this little needlebook-- it's so beautifully stitched and finished. Thanks, Laurie!!





I took three projects along on our trip-- Castle Sampler, Robert's Stocking and a Christmas ornament. But the only one I worked on was Castle Sampler. I made some good progress on it, and am hoping to finish it in April or May.

UFO Tuesday... or not

I've been working hard to finish my Spring Exchange project this week, so I skipped working on my UFO last night. I completed the stitching on the exchange piece Monday, and started the assembly yesterday. Unfortunately, I was a bit under the weather and didn't get it completed. :( Mailing day is tomorrow, so guess what I'll be doing tonight!

In the meantime, I did a few more stitches on Robert's Stocking. I love how this is turning out, and it's such a nice change from some of my other projects. The photo isn't the best because I laid it out on the kitchen floor (the best place I could find to stretch it out at the time) and got a reflection from the flash.



And now, a shameless pet picture! I am never able to get good pictures of my little gray kitty. She's very camera-shy and always moves whenever she sees or hears the camera. BF took this pic a couple of days ago, while I was at work.



Of course, this photo isn't quite what it seems. In the pic, it looks like the two of them are simply taking a little catnap together. In reality, they had just had a fight and Buddy had dislodged little Zoe and taken over her pillow. Normally Zoe spends hours on end on her "throne", looking regal while perched on "her" pillow. That is, until Buddy, the rambunctious boy cat, comes to bug her. I think it's the only time she moves.

This week's SBQ was suggested by Carol:


Have you ever participated in a needlework mystery (i.e., a design that you started before knowing how it will look in the end and by which you receive parts of the design via the internet, magazines, or leaflets at spaced intervals)? If so, why did you decide to do the mystery? What appealed to you about it? Did you enjoy it? If you have not done a mystery, would you ever do one?

I've never participated in a needlework mystery project, and I doubt that I will in the future. Many of the finished designs do appeal to me, especially the Chatelaine designs. Even so, I wouldn't sign up for one. I prefer to know what a design will look like before I commit my time and $$ to stitching it. I would hate to get part of a project done, only to decide that it wasn't something I would choose to stitch outside of the "mystery" project. So, I'll continue to wait and see what the mysteries look like before purchasing any of the patterns.

Slow week?

This feels like it has been a slow stitching week for me. I've had to teach this week, which always wears me out. I've continued to stitch each day but have had less energy and enthusiasm for it over the last few days.

I did my usual bit of UFO stitching on Tuesday, but not enough progress on it to share. I worked a little each day on my Spring Exchange piece also. It's turning out very pretty and the color changes are working out nicely. I'm not entirely sure how I will finish it off once the stitching is done, but I have a few ideas. The problem is, I have too many ideas! This is a design that would lend itself to an assortment of finishing options and it's hard to pick just one. I have to pick one soon, though, as the mailing date is fast approaching. It has to be on its way by Thursday. That's less than a week away!

Since I've been rather tired after work this week, the large stitches of Robert's Stocking really appealed to me. I've been enjoying the little patchwork bit at the bottom of the stocking. I just noticed last night that you can't really see that part on the pattern photo. Of course, Robert is still headless and will probably remain that way until the stitching at the bottom is completed.

March Stitchathon, or Ranting & Raving

I didn't have time to post over the weekend-- I was too busy stitching! :) It was the monthly stitchathon weekend, and I decided to work on Castle Sampler.

On Friday night, I ran out of DMC 3052, which meant a Saturday morning trip to the dreaded Michael's. I was running low on a few other colors as well and made a list of 10 or 12 colors that I needed. BF and I went out for breakfast and promptly headed to Mic-hell's. (Do you feel some ranting coming on? LOL) I went back to their pitiful needlework section and, much to my surprise, they had most of the colors. But OF COURSE, in typical Mic-hell's fashion, they were out of 3052-- the ONLY one I actually needed!!!

It would be one thing if this was an isolated incident, but it happens nearly every time I try to buy floss at that store. What was even more galling was the fact that they NEVER seem to restock. Weeks, even months, can go by and they are continually out of the same colors. Sadly, it seems to be the location nearest my home that is the worst offender. I've been to the same store in other places, and have never seen one quite as bad as the Reston location.

I spent most of my time in the store muttering like a raving lunatic. BF suggested that we make a mission that morning of finding an alternative craft store for future purchases. As we were setting out, I remembered that Red had mentioned in a comment on a previous post that there was another craft store not too far away. Unfortunately, I remembered "Hobby Lobby in Sterling," while it was actually AC Moore in Ashburn. Oh well... small technicality. LOL

After driving through Sterling, I saw AC Moore and suddenly remembered that was the place we were looking for. The store was quite nice, but quite crowded. It turned out that they were having some sort of "festival" and we had shown up just in time. There were assorted demonstrations going on, though I didn't pay too much attention. I was a woman on a mission. Their flosses were oh-so-neatly organized. None of those silly rotating contraptions that "the other store" has. And here's a shocker... they were FULLY STOCKED. What I didn't realize until I checked out was that they were on sale for .12 each.

Following the great success at AC Moore, I will not be going to that other place again. Oh, happy day!!!

Once we returned home, I settled in for a big weekend of stitching. I didn't keep track of my time, but it was enough that I had "stitcher's fanny" by Sunday night. LOL There were no frog visits, and I was quite pleased with my progress on Castle Sampler. Here's the Before & After:

SBQ - Week of 3/15

This week's question is:

Do you stitch "over one?" If so, describe your experiences. If not, have you considered it?

I guess my first over one stitching was back in the '90s, when I did several Cherished Teddies pieces on 22 ct. Hardanger cloth. To me, that was just like stitching on aida cloth, only smaller, so I never really thought about it being over one stitching.

In more recent years, I've progressed to doing over one on linen and evenweave fabrics. The smallest I've done was a tiny sampler over one on 40 ct. gauze. Other things I've done over one have been only sections of a design. I like doing small bits of over one stitching, but I don't think I'd want to do a large project that way.

Mail!

Yesterday was a good mail day, but for once, it was not due to stash. (Can you believe it?) This time, it was bath products. There was a box from Lush waiting on the doorstep, and it was HEAVY. The package had a buttercream, a bath melt, a couple of soaps, 9 bath bombs, and 4 or 5 bubble bars. AND... they sent a package of freebies with 2 more bath bombs, a bubble bar, and soap! Next to stitching stash, bath products are my biggest habit (and at the rate I'm going, the bath stash may overtake the XS stash soon).

My Wednesday evening stitching time was spent on my Spring Exchange gift, and it's looking very pretty. I do have one area that I have to frog though-- I'm just not thrilled with the color choice for that particular spot. I'll be working on it again this evening, then I'll take a break over the weekend for the monthly stitchathon. I think I'll work on Castle Sampler again this month.

Pictures!

First, an almost-forgotten happy dance. This is a design by With My Needle from one of the JCS ornament issues. Of course, I don't remember which issue I stitched it from. It's stitched on 36 ct. linen using WDW Brick floss. I actually completed this on February 24, the day before we left for Florida. Of course, I had to do other things (like packing) that evening and I didn't have time to take a picture.

I'm still working on my UFO on Tuesdays. I'm seeing some progress on it, but it certainly is slow! I got tired of stitching beads and switched to the wing instead. Of course, there's a ton of metallic braid and blending filament in the wings, so that poses its own challenge.



I'm also participating in a TW stitch-along. My project for that is Castle Sampler, and the designated SAL day is Monday. I've been working on this other days as well, in the hope that I'll finish it this year. Looking at the progress I've made so far, I think I can do it!



When I get tired of Adia and Castle Sampler, I switch to Robert's Stocking. It's a fairly large design, but it's over 2 threads on 18 ct. linen, so the stitches are nice and big. It makes a nice break from some of the other things that I have going.



Of course, I'm also working on a project for the Spring Exchange, but I can't post pics of that!

I promised pictures

And I took some. Unfortunately, our internet connection chose not to cooperate when I tried to post them. So I have pictures on my PC, but not in my blog. Yet. Perhaps it's in a state of shock that I finally updated my photos. I'll work on it some more this evening and see if I can coax the machine into behaving. If it cooperates, I'll have updates of Castle Sampler, Adia, Robert's Stocking, and a February ornament Happy Dance that I had nearly forgotten about.

In the meantime, I went shopping with BF after work yesterday. Nothing exciting-- just a trip to Home Depot. I hate going into that place, but it was a necessary evil. We needed a light fixture for BF's master bathroom. We found one that I like, but it doesn't go with the existing faucet or other bathroom hardware. So I guess we'll be replacing all of it in the near future.

After our little shopping adventure, I was able to prop my feet up and work on Castle Sampler while watching Footballer's Wive$ that we had taped from BBC America. I didn't get much done-- just a bit more of the border.

Getting back on track

I'm a creature of habit, and when I get out of the habit of something (like blogging), I have a very difficult time getting back into it. Case in point: I've posted only one blog entry in the last 2 1/2 weeks.

I could come up with plenty of excuses-- work has been extremely hectic, I don't feel like spending time on-line at home, etc., etc., etc. But really, I was just being lazy. So, no more laziness... back to blogging!

The first weekend of the month is my FUFO weekend. For March, I assembled the June Sampler Accent from Periwinkle Promises. I stitched this little thing YEARS ago, but just got around to putting it together. The photo isn't great, because there's a lot of tone-on-tone stitching, which doesn't show up very well.

I'm happy to report that I have stuck to my plan of assembling at least one FUFO per month. The pile is shrinking!! Well, sort of... I seem to be adding to it with various ornie finishes.

Over the weekend, I started working on my Spring Exchange project. I had a hard time choosing a pattern for this one-- there were so many I liked! Once I settled on a design, I decided to change the colors a bit, to something I thought my partner might like better. This resulted in a bit of frogging along the way, but I think most of that is resolved now. I'm very happy with the color change. I hope the recipient likes it!

Speaking of exchanges, the St. Patrick's exchange that I sent to Heather arrived safely. My pics didn't turn out very well, but if you visit her blog, there are better pics there. The pattern is from Sweetheart Tree.

DOH!!! I just realized that the (bad) photos I took of this exchange project haven't been uploaded to my Photobucket album yet, so I can't share. You'll have to visit Heather's blog if you want to see them.

I haven't taken any update photos of my stitching lately. I'll do that tonight... I promise!!! Check tomorrow for plenty of pics.

Long time, no post

Lately, life has gotten in the way of blogging. It started with work, which was extremely hectic last week. Then I hopped on a plane to Florida, to visit BF's parents. It was a wonderful, relaxing trip, and I even did some stitching while I was there. More on that later.

Flights to and from Orlando (you know, where THE MOUSE lives) can be a bit trying, to say the least. Lots of screaming children on those flights, which is a real picnic if you happen to have a 6:00 a.m. flight. On a SATURDAY morning. The return flight, though it was on a weekday and at a much later time, wasn't much better. We arrived home, somewhat frazzled from travel, and my day improved immediately. There was squishy mail. Lots of it!

First, there was my St. Pat's exchange from Laurie. What a beautiful bag! The photos truly do not do this piece justice. The stitching is so tiny and perfect, and the finishing is simply wonderful.





The next bit of mail was an order I had placed from Carrie's Threads. I had forgotten I'd ordered these before we left. This was my first order of these threads, but I'm sure I'll be ordering more. The colors are so pretty!


The other two packages were a complete surprise. Both were sent from stitching friends as a "thank you" for some patterns I had passed along. One was a package of foot spa goodies-- fabulous timing, since I have to teach a class next week and my feet always ache afterward. The other was a package of yummy fabrics, which I am already making plans for.



It was a lovely mail day, indeed! :)

And, in stitching news... I took Castle Sampler to Florida. It was the only project that made the trip. Despite a couple of frog visits, I did manage to make a bit of progress on it.

What UFO???

Yesterday was UFO Tuesday, and I was supposed to dutifully stitch on Adia. But I was delinquent and went to a wine and cheese tasting instead. Afterward, I had dinner with a girlfriend at a wonderful Indian restaurant and by the time I got home, it was too late for stitching. Maybe I'll pull Adia out tonight.

Monday wasn't much better for me on the stitching front. I really didn't do much, even though I had the day off. I was tired of BAPs after working all weekend on Castles Sampler, so I started an ornament instead. No pics yet though.

Stitchathon Update

This past weekend was the monthly stitchathon and I chose to work on Castle Sampler. One of my goals this month was to complete the castle in the center panel, and I thought I could do it if I worked on it over the weekend. I ended up discovering some mistakes, both my own and charting errors, so had to frog a couple of times. Despite the setback, I managed to complete the castle and the inner border. The castle and figures both required lots of color changes and backstitching, which slowed my progress considerably. Now that those areas are completed, I'm hoping this project will move along a bit more quickly.

SBQ - Week of 2/15

This weeks�s SBQ was suggested by Heather:

Comment on your comments (giving and receiving): Do you love comments or hate them? Do you check them every day, never check them, or find them helpful? And finally, are you convinced no one is reading your blog if you don�t get any?

I love comments! My intention in creating this blog was to write it for myself, as a sort of stitching journal. As I started receiving comments, I realized what a great motivator it is to know that there are other stitchers out there who are interested in this stuff. Let's face it-- no one understands this little obsession better than other stitchers. BF shows proper enthusiasm for my stitching and watches happily as "squishy mail" arrives, but he cares only because it's something that makes me happy. But other stitchers GET IT in a way that non-stitchers never will. I

also like to leave comments for other stitchers. There's so much beautiful and inspiring work being done, and I'm always happy to cheer other folks on.

I think I've been staying on track this week with my stitching, although I haven't felt all that productive. Maybe it's the lack of Happy Dances this month. Most of my February stitching has been on BAPs and I'm not having many finishes to celebrate right now. Maybe it's time for another ornament.

Monday was the TW SAL, and I dutifully pulled out Castle Sampler. One of my goals for this month is to finish the center panel, and I think I am on track for that.





On Tuesday I worked on my UFO. I was tired of fiddling with beads, so I worked on her wing instead. There's a ton of blending filament and metallic braid in the wings, which made the stitching go quite slowly.





With my SAL commitments out of the way, I was able to spend some time working on Robert's Stocking. I'm happy to report that it is going much more smoothly now after all of the frustration I had earlier with restarting it. I took the photo below before last night's stitching session and have nearly finished the sleeve.

I came home yesterday to find a little package waiting for me. It was my Valentine exchange gift from Jackie in Australia. How exciting!!! Inside was the most darling treat bag, beautifully stitched and embellished with tiny beads and pearls, and a tiny cupid charm. The photo truly does not do it justice.



And there were goodies inside! There was a piece of Cherub Pink jobelan (how appropriate for Valentine's Day!), a tiny tin of mints, and two skeins of Dinky Dyes floss in yummy colors. I'm very excited about the floss, as I have not yet tried anything from Dinky Dyes.

I can share!!

I just received word this morning that the Valentine exchange gift that I stitched for Jackie has arrived. Now I can share some pictures!

The design is "Have a Heart," a freebie by Just Nan. The pattern is for the heart on the front of the needlebook only-- I adapted the rest. After completing the heart design, I stitched a square border around it. I did the same border on the back and used part of the pattern to create the motifs in the corners. This was my first attempt at making a needlebook and I was quite happy with the way that it turned out.

Starting over... yet again

So, the third time's the charm, right? At least, I hope that's the case. If not, I'm in real trouble, as I have started Robert's Stocking AGAIN. Yep, that's 3 times I've started it since first beginning last Friday.

When I first started the stocking on the 20 ct. fabric, I used 6 strands of floss. The pattern calls for perle cotton, but I'm not a fan of the heavy gauge perle and decided to try regular DMC instead. I used 4 strands and was happy with the coverage on 20 ct.

Then came the fabric change to 18 ct. and the subsequent restart. Since the stitches were a bit larger, I decided to use 6 strands. I put in a couple of hours working on it Wednesday evening. Last night, when I picked it back up to work on it some more, I realized that I really didn't like the 6 strand coverage. It was just too bunchy for my taste and was a pain to stitch with. I did a test swatch with only 4 strands and liked it better. So yep, that's right-- I frogged everything I did on Wednesday night and started again, this time with 4 strands. The bad news is that I've started the same project 3 times. The good news is that I am much happier with it on the new fabric with only 4 strands.

I'm really starting to wonder about my sanity.

This weekend, "they" are calling for SNOW. Blech!! BF and I will be at my place in the country, which is supposed to get a bit more of the white stuff than predicted here in Northern VA. Sometimes I have 'work' to do around the house when we're out there, but there's really nothing pressing for this trip. My plan is to prop my feet up and stitch, and generally enjoy being away from the metro area for the weekend.

I'll be participating in a "24-hour Challenge" this weekend, where I am supposed to choose a design to complete in 24 hours. I love these quick finishes and am looking forward to this month's challenge. My project will be a design that I'm stitching for an upcoming St. Patrick's Day exchange. I'm not entirely sure that I can finish it in 24 hours time, but I won't have much to distract me this weekend, so there may be hope. Of course, it is only the stitching that will be done over the weekend-- the finishing will be another story all together!

No word yet on the Valentine Exchange that I sent out. I keep hoping it will arrive at its destination, so that I can share some pictures.

Crisis Averted... sort of

First, I want to thank Susimac and Cindy for the excellent suggestions. Unfortunately, the fabric I already started on is definitely 20 ct. linen, not evenweave. :( I have no idea what the "pearl" linen is, although I know Silkweaver has it. I'm pretty sure that's not what I have though.

I ended up making an "emergency" run to the LNS at lunchtime today. While there, I found out that they didn't have 20 ct. linen. The woman who was working at the LNS today actually seemed convinced that it couldn't possibly be 20 ct. LINEN and said simply that it must have been mislabeled. Of course, that was because the original piece of fabric did not come from their shop. If it had, I'm sure the "20 ct. Natural Linen" tag would have been deemed correct. LOL She insisted that what I have at home *must* be 18 ct., since 20 ct. apparently does not exist. Even the colors were not quite right-- but of course I couldn't be 100% sure, because I did not have the fabric in question with me.

I was quite anxious to get back to work on Robert's Stocking and didn't want to take any chances, so I purchased 2 pieces of 18 ct. Natural Linen. I figured that the best case scenario would be that the 20 ct. was indeed mislabeled, and I'd simply have an extra piece of fabric. Nothing wrong with that!

I brought the new fabric home and laid it out next to what I had already started. Indeed, they were not the same fabric. The color was off ever so slightly, and the count... definitely not the same. I measured the fabric I already had, and it is absolutely 20 ct. linen. My best guess is that it's a fabric that has been discontinued. That wouldn't exactly be a surprise, since I've had this fabric for at least 7 years or so. ;)

Not wanting the pair of stockings to not quite match, I went ahead and started over on the new fabric. I'm not thrilled about this, but it's really the only practical solution. I could find different fabric in the same count, or 18 ct. linen in a color that was just barely off. I knew that no one would notice the difference, but it would bother me forever. So, I started over. And here it is...



I haven't caught up to where I left off, but it's not too bad for an evening's work. Especially when that evening consisted of a lovely dinner with wine, flowers and candles before I started stitching. And no, there was no 'special occassion,' it was simply a Wednesday night, and I love to cook! It just didn't leave much time for stitching.

Quelle Horreur!

I don't know why my high school French teacher suddenly popped into my head, but there it is. The first thing I thought when I realized what I think may be a boo-boo on my latest stitching project.

First, a little background--

I purchased patterns for a pair of Shepherd's Bush stockings YEARS ago. I think my intent was to make them for my ex-husband and myself. We split up in March of 2000, which should give you an idea of how long I've had these patterns sitting around, collecting dust. That's six years, in case you haven't had your morning coffee yet. Stitching just one for myself seemed a little lame, and unfortunately, my parents both passed away before I could do a pair for them. So the patterns sat some more, until I rediscovered them late last year.

In my enthusiasm for the Stocking Project of 1990-something-or-other, I bought the fabric to start. But, I only got the fabric for ONE STOCKING. (Do you want to guess where this is going? LOL) My rationale was that I would purchase the second piece after finishing the first stocking. It made sense at the time, really it did.

Fast-forward 7 or 8 years (maybe more!), and here I am with a single piece of 20 ct. Natural Linen that I can't seem to find a mate for. I looked at my usual online shops and could find 18 ct., 19 ct. and even 22 ct. linen... but no 20 ct. I have no idea who the manufacturer of my fabric is, as the label just has a hand-written note designating the count and color.

I was really looking forward to working on the stocking again this evening. But there's no sense stitching any further on it if I am not able to get the same fabric for a second stocking.

Oh darn... I guess that means I'll have to go to the LNS on my lunch break. Again!! LOL

February Goals

I should have posted these goals sooner-- I've already met a couple of them!

1. Start & finish St. Patrick's exchange project
2. Complete castle in center panel of Castle Sampler
3. Stitch on UFO (Adia) at least once each week.
4. Finish one FUFO - finished two on 2/5
5. Start SB's Robert's Stocking - started 2/5
6. Stitch two ornaments - finished one on 2/2

The only goal I've met that hasn't already been posted here is Robert's Stocking. I started it Saturday and worked a bit more on it last night. It's done over 2 threads on 20 ct. natural linen.

February FUFOs

Since it was the first weekend of the month, it was time to assemble another FUFO. I'm trying to reduce my pile of completed stitching that needs some type of finishing by doing at least one finishing project each month. This month, I decided to make a flat-fold using a Cherished Teddies Easter project that I stitched several years ago. I found some adorable Easter egg printed fabric that was perfect for the backing.



I also finished a box top that I stitched in 1999 from a Daydreams kit. The stitching was finished long ago-- all I had to do was sponge paint the box top (something I've never done before) and attach the ribbon and stitching.

I couldn't do it

After posting yesterday that I was heading to Michael's and walking out the door of my office... I couldn't do it. I literally talked myself out of it on the short walk from my office to the car. My first thought was that my shoes weren't the most comfortable. And who wants to trek through Michael's in uncomfy shoes? Not me.

Then, I heard a little voice in my head telling me that Michael's probably wouldn't have all of the floss colors anyway. They never do. (Was that you, Carol? LOL) Besides, this is a perfect excuse for a lunchtime trip to the LNS! :) Sure, the DMC a little more, but the shopping experience is much nicer, and you never know what other goodies might be there. Remember the $75 spool of Kreinik? ;)

Since I didn't get the DMC that I needed on the way home yesterday, I decided to work some more on Britty Christmas Kitty. I did a tiny happy dance last night around 8:30 when I finsihed it. It's tiny-- about 1 3/4" x 1 3/4". I haven't decided yet how I will finish it, though I really do like the little pillow ornament that they did in JCS.

Off to the dreaded Michael's

As everyone knows by now, I do not have a happy relationship with Michael's craft stores. Going there just irritates me to no end. Unfortunately, they are a necessary evil from time to time. So go there I must... as soon as I leave work today. I'm not much for running errands on my way home, and Michael's rates somewhere below stopping at the grocery store after work. Really, I dislike it that much. But I'm out of several floss colors for Adia and probably won't get much more accomplished on it until I get the missing bits.

Wish me luck!! LOL

January Goal Review-- and a small start

I'm happy to say that I met all of my goals in January. I haven't yet set my goals for February, but I think they may include starting one of the SB stockings that I have planned for BF and me.

1. Finish Santa's Magic - completed January 2
2. Start and finish Valentine exchange piece - done and mailed
3. Start and finish Quaker Diamond - completed January 6
4. Complete Snow Wonderful - completed January 16
5. Assemble one FUFO - assembled 2 - Bee My Honey & Spring Morning
6. Spend some time on Spanish Geometrical Sampler - worked on during stitch-athon weekend
7. Finish UFO Mother's Love needleroll - completed & assembled

I didn't feel like working on anything large last night, so I decided to start a new ornament. I chose Britty Christmas Kitty, from the 2005 JCS ornaments issue. The poor creature is still headless at the moment, but I think I made pretty good progress. I'm stitching it over one on 28 ct. Queen Anne's Lace hand-dyed jobelan.

Neglected UFO

I woke up feeling lousy yesterday, so called in sick to work. Nothing serious, just one of those days and I'm fine now. And of course I wasn't too sick to stitch!

Now you'd think with a whole day just to put my feet up and stitch, on a TUESDAY, that I would have made all sorts of progress on my official UFO, Adia. Wrong! I meant to... really, I did. But I had pulled out Castle Sampler for my Monday TW stitch-along and I just couldn't put it down.

Lately I've been working on the Castle in the center panel. I've made pretty good progress and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I got a bit bored with that and switched to the inner border for a while. That's one of the reasons I love stitching TW designs-- lots of variety!!! And I truly enjoy working those borders.

The photo below was taken before I stopped working for the night. I've completed the inner border across the top, and am now working my way down the right side.



And I promise I'll work on Adia again soon!!