Several New Starts

Well, since things are a bit tight this year with money, I've decided to stitch up xmas ornaments and gifts to give this year. It's more importantly gotten me out of my funk, so it's worth it to begin new mini projects.

I adore ornaments. I really do. The Just Cross Stitch ornament issue is always one of my favorites. So much variety and the projects are generally quick to do. I think one year I made about 20 and I started in early December. I love going through the old issues and rediscovering all of the ones I had forgotten about. I love the whole process. I love picking them out for individual people. I love picking out the fabric and flosses. I love changing elements of the design such as colors and just using what I have, rather than going out and spending a lot of money that I don't really need to.

The only downside is finishing. I am not the world's best finisher. I mean, I start out with good intentions, but then sort of get really frustrated with the process and get annoyed because it's cutting into my stitching time! :P


I started a new ornament yesterday. I will post a picture tomorrow. It's getting late in the day here, and the light isn't so good. (That and the recipient is due home any minute! =:O ). It's a Little House Needleworks ornament from the 2005 JCS ornament issue. The design is called 'Home for the Holidays'. JCS decided not to include an alphabet in that issue to you can't really customize the name on it, so I winged it. I think it turned out ok. Instead of stitching one of the snowflakes at the bottom, I want to find some miniature numbers to stitch the year there instead. This year, my FH (future husband) and I were supposed to be married October 6 of this year, but we had to postpone it. It doesn't make us any less of a family, so I thought I would start a tradition of stitching an ornament for just us, one for every year we are together, married or no. Should be good times.

I will post pics and finishes as they come in. :)

Time for dinner!


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Respectfully submitted,

C.

Just For Me SAL Update

Here's the deal, we pick a design that we have in our stashes already or maybe one you've always wanted to get for yourself, it can be the same one or different designs.

The ONLY rule is that the completed project is JUST for the stitcher. Not for anyone else. Just for us. From start to finish. Yes, I realize this means yet another start and yet another WIP, but as I am the Goddess of Starting Things, this is ok! Just something that you've always wanted to stitch, only this time, you get to keep it for YOU.


Anyone can join and there is no finish date. You work at your own pace and for the pure enjoyment of it. You can pick any design that you wish and it's finished when it's finished.


I have chosen my chart, Little House Needleworks 'Queen Bee'. Hopefully, I will have the supplies in time, but if not I think I have a backup.

So, please join me next Monday, November 3 for the Just For Me SAL. Be sure to post your work as I love looking at other people's stitching. :)


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Respectfully submitted,

C.

Woman, thy name is Apathy

I haven't stitched in over a week. It's getting on closer to 2 weeks, but given the depth of my apathy, I don't really care. This week pretty much bit the big one. Why, you may (or not!) ask? The 23rd was the 11th anniversary of my father passing. I was 27 at the time and I have come to realize that no matter how old you are, the passing of a parent sucks ass. There is no sugar coating that, folks. Sorry. That and time does NOT heal ALL wounds. That's a crock. There are some days where missing my father is not so bad, and other times where it is just as fresh and as raw and as real as the time it actually happened. I suspect it will be like this for the rest of my life, but that's all part and parcel of this crazy little thing called love and life.

Needless to say, I haven't felt like stitching. A very sweet lady on the SanMan boards, Sarah, is also having a rough time of things as well. I came up with an idea to get both her and me out of this seemingly impossible fun we are in. A 'Just For ME' SAL. Here are the 'rules' so far:

1. The ONLY rule is that the completed project is JUST for the stitcher. Not for anyone else. Just for us. From start to finish. (Yes, I realize this means yet another start and yet another WIP, but as I am the Goddess of Starting Things, this is ok! )


That's it. That's the only rule. Sarah said she always gives her stitching away and has never kept anything for herself. Well, if nothing else, this is a good idea. I asked her to pick a start date in addition to the chart we will be doing. I had suggested a SMO, but it can be anything really. Just something that you've always wanted to stitch, only this time, you get to keep it for YOU. Not given away to your neighbor's cousin's aunt three times removed who will only toss it in a yard sale later on because it no longer 'goes' with her 'day-core'. (People like that honestly need to be flogged. Can you imagine that happening to Michelangelo or Picasso? "Sorry, Mikey. Yes, the statue of David is lovely, but we've decided to redo the house in Post Modern Bullshit. You don't MIND, do you? It simply just does not WORK in the overall theme we've chosen. There's a dear!". /rolls eyes. Marrone!! But, as Alton Brown says: that's another show!)

ANY whoo..... I will let you guys know when the start date is and what chart has been picked out, if you would care to join. I know stitchers of any stripe are the most generous of sorts, but honestly people, when did we forget about gifting OURSELVES?!



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Respectfully submitted,

C.

Question of the Week

Pulled out Little House Needleworks 'Cappuccino' last night and started stitching that one again. This was a tiny kit by LHN and Crescent Colours and contained enough of the Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk floss to stitch it on a 32 count fabric. I instead, chose Sassy's Fabric 'Tan Marble' opalescent in a 14 count. Not an issue, however, I am out of one color and will probably need three more. Stitcher's Paradise sells them for 7.50 a pop, which adds up to 30 dollars for four skeins of floss. Ouchies! I am sure my FH won't really care, but in this economy, I am really hesitant to spend that much on four skeins of floss. Yes, I know they are wonderful, yes, I *know* they are 12 strand skeins, but 30 bucks is 30 bucks, ya know?

At any rate, here are some pics of my stitching box and some of my favorite tools that I use. Use as in, I can't stitch without them and go into a panic if I have mislaid them. ;)

My Q-Snaps, my John James platinum needles, and a needlebook that was stitched and given to me by Stitchertigger. The tin with my initial on it was 50 cents at Michael's and is used for ort storage. It gets dumped out when it gets full and/or I complete whatever I'm working on at the time.



My German DOVO scissors and a needlecase that I made myself. The scissors were 50 dollars and worth their weight in gold, however, they desperately need sharpening. The needle case's design came from an Art Deco alphabet from one of the UK mags. (Which one escapes me, at the moment, but if I remember or come across it, I will be sure to post info.).




Overview of the box's contents:




I would post a pic of my DMC stitch bag, however, it was wee-wee'd on by one of the Stitcheh Kittehz. I need to replace it, however, I just Frebreeze'd it and put it up. I am loathe to give it up, because it holds a lot of memories, even though it's starting to fall apart. I suppose I will get a new one at some point.


With all this being said; what are your stitching treasures? WIPs, UFOs, finishes, accouterments, what have you. Tell me what you can't live without or what's your favorite.


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Respectfully submitted,

C.

Another one bites the dust

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust


Last night I managed to finish up one of the sixty-five WIPs/UFOs that I have. It had been sitting for a while, I just didn't either feel like stitching on it or was feeling too lazy. It feels nice to have one out of the way. I will be getting another long term project out of the bin in a little bit and start in on that. One day I will just have the Small Bin o' Denial to contend with and not the Small one and the Big Honkin' Bin o' Denial.


In the meantime, in between time, here are the stitchy notes and the requisite picture. Enjoy. :)


Plum Pudding Needlearts freebie 'Blessed Be'. Various DMC, Anchor, Crescent Colors and Soie d'Alger fibers. Date started unknown. Finished Tuesday, October 14, 2008.





Hope everyone has a good day out there in cyberland. And may the Needle be with you all!


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Respectfully submitted,

C.


PS: Godspeed, Mr. Mercury. You are sorely missed.

Quaker Boo finish

This will probably be my first and only Quaker style finish. The center design where the cat is gave me fits and I wound up cussing like a sailor on a three day pass in Hong Kong. I am not real fond of Quakers, they just don't look 'complete' to me with half of the motif missing and the colors chosen are usually never to my taste. But this one caught my eye, so I decided to use some color in it and see what happened. I like the end results, I just don't think I will ever do another one, no disrespect to the Quaker lovers out there in cyberspace. :)

Anyhoo, here's the finish. Stitchy notes first, then the pic.


Quaker Boo by the Sampler Girl (http://thesamplergirl.homestead.com/quakerboofreebie.html). DMC B5200, 310, 907, 973. Needle Necessities # 106 (Witches' Brew). Kreinik Very Fine Braid #4 in 001. 14 count Purple Potter aida by Wichelt Imports. Q-snap frame. John James platinum needle in size 26. Began Monday, October 6, 2008. Ended Saturday, October 11, 2008.

I'm off to choose something else to stitch on for today. I think I am going to get out the WIP/UFO bin and feel better about that.

Hugs to all!

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Respectfully submitted,

C.

NJ Devils Logo rewind

Began this one again because the last time I tried stitching this one, one of the Kitteh Crew took a whizz on my stitching bag and I was so upset, I just tossed the work that had been done, rather than deal with it. I purchased all new supplies, fabric and floss and put it away until tonight. I started it tonight, because tonight was the season opening game for the Devils. They played the NY Islanders in Newark, and wound up winning 2-1. Special grats to Martin Brodeur for an incredible last second save (literally).

Anyhoo...on with the pics!


New Jersey Devils logo by Nomis. 28 Count white Monaco. DMC # 321. Frame by Q-Snap. Size #26 Platinum needle by John James. Started Friday, October 10, 2008 4:00 PM PST during the start of the 2008-2009 season opener. NJ Devils vs. NY Islanders. Final score: 2-1 Devils. WuWu!!





Tomorrow night is versus the Penguins. I will probably be online with Richard, and we will be giving each other hell. ;). My FH got us NHL Center Ice this season, so I will be watching hockey all weekend, probably.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!


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Respectfully submitted,

C.

(Cross Stitching) Chicken Soup for the Soul

I've been bummed the last couple of days because today my FH and I were supposed to be married, however, due to plain ole economics, it just wasn't feasible. We opted instead to get married next year, and having a bit of a bigger wedding than originally planned, however, it still doesn't mean that I'm not bummed about it not happening.

At any rate, the past 2 days, I've turned to stitching to keep me busy. I turned to a specific designer, in this case, SanMan Originals. I have been a member of Sandy's board since early 2003, if not before. There is just something comforting and familiar about her designs, so I've reached for her designs to help pull me out of my minor funk. Here is the fruits of my labors.

(Please note that the usual disclaimers, provisos, and quid pro quos apply: Not for resale, Member Only patterns.)


Secret Shop 'Autumn Leaves'. 28 ct natural Pearl Linen, various cotton and silk flosses.




October 2008 SMO newsletter gift. 28 ct natural Pearl Linen, various cotton and silk flosses.

So, who is the designer or design that you turn to in order to feel better?


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Respectfully submitted,

C.

The sum up

I'm a bottom line kinda gal, and I appreciate things that basically cut to the chase.

With 65 bloody WIPs/UFOs in 2 plastic bins, you can guess how successful I have been at staying off the intarwebz, yea?


I didn't put not *one* stitch in all day. I've basically felt like hell and just didn't feel like it. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

As Scarlett O'Hara once said: Tomorrow is another day...


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Respectfully submitted,

C.

Bob Ross is God

Bear with me here....

I have two plastic bins full of WIPS (works in progress). One is a lot smaller than the other. The small one contains approximately EIGHTEEN WIPs and UFO's (unfinished objects).


These are projects that I work on off and on. I have gotten one or two completed, but honestly, I really do need to set aside at least one or two days a week and work on these projects alone. I hate to even mention the bigger bin. It's one of those under the bed ones and I stopped and counted and in the big bin, there are FORTY FIVE wips/ufos. FORTY BLOODY FIVE. That is 63 total, folks. 63 unfinished, incomplete works.

MARRONE.


Here's a pic of the other bin, or as I am calling it: The Big Honkin' Bin o' Denial:





I was in the process of trying to find something when I came across two designs in the bin. One was Waxing Moon's 'Hocus Pocus'. Now, some history on this piece. All of the stitching with the exception of the cobwebs in the corners was began on Tuesday, September 6, 2005 and finished sometime in November 2006. Please note the bolded and italic font in the last portion of that sentence. See the date? Like 2 BLOODY YEARS HAVE PASSED and this thing sat languishing in a plastic tub, waiting on me to get off my fat ass and actually finish it. Which I did, today, Wednesday, October 1, 2006 at 3 PM PST.

Pic of the final product:

By Waxing Moon. DMC floss, cat eye stitched in DMC metallic #5269. Cobwebs in corners stitched with Kreinik VFB #4 001. 28 count natural Pearl linen. John James platinum needles, frame by Q-Snap. Began Tuesday, September 6, 2005, finished main portion of design November 2006. Spider webs finished Wednesday, October 1, 2008.


This project and another one, Summer Glory from the Leisure Arts magazine from the 1990's, just needed a wee bit of stitching and they are DONE. I am angry with myself for letting them sit so long. Don't beleive me? Here is a before pic of the same project when I picked it back up at 2 PM PST:





(Progress picture removed from Webshots 12.01.2012 and no copy found in records)




I suppose the anger is a wasted emotion, but I can't help it. It took all of an HOUR to frog out the crappy DMC metallic that was originally in the upper left corner and re-stitch it in the Kreinik #4 VFB in 001. This thing sat for just shy of 2 years being completed, because I didn't want to deal with the DMC silver metallic. (Which is just the devil, as far as I am concerned. I could go on a rant to rival one of Dennis Miller's, however, as Alton Brown says: That's another show!). /sigh. I just got it out and finished it.


Oh, well, one down, 17 in THAT bin more to go.

Here is a pic of 'Summer Glory' by Linda Culp Calhoun for Leisure Arts Magazine 1995. Zweigart 28 count Glasgow linen in Flax. DMC embroidery floss with DMC #12 ecru perle thread. This is the last in the series and I have stitched the other three. This one was started Monday, March 21, 2005. What is the date again? o.O


(Progress picture removed from Webshots 12.01.2012 and no copy found in records)



This one has sat so long, as I have managed to switch the symbols on the chart and got them mixed up. What this ultimately means, is that one symbol was stitched in the wrong color of thread. OY. OY. OY.

This is where Bob Ross comes into play. Does anyone remember him? He was that sweet, soft voiced, mellow guy on PBS television who taught people to paint. He was a white dude with a kick ass 'fro. I loved him. I thought he was the greatest thing ever. I loved the whooshing noises he made when he painted. He totally got into his art and didn't care what people thought. Happy little trees indeed. :D

This is when I have my Bob Ross epiphany.So what? Flowers and cob webs in real life are not perfect. Who's gonna know? Unless someone is standing there with the chart in hand, looking at what I did, you can't really tell I 'screwed up'. (And if someone is standing in front of my work, with chart in hand, critiquing my work in that manner, don't blame me if both middle fingers come flying out.).


Huh.




Well then.




On the cob webs, I just did the basic outline of them and then stitched where I thought the 'legs' of the spider web should go. A la Bob Ross. 'Maybe in your world, it goes like this. WHOOSH!!' 'Maybe in your world the cobwebs are joined together. Yeeeenarrrrh!!'. 'It's your world, you can do as you please.'. I was totally getting into it, and even making the 'whooshing' noises. Mind you, I had quite the collection of Kittehz in the room at the time and they all stopped napping and cleaning themselves to stare at me as if I had lost my mind. (I probably have.).

I have the 'Summer Glory' heart all ready to go, so it's next. I am hoping to finish it by no later than Friday. This was so liberating and so productive, I've brought the smaller bin into my room and set it beside my desk so I can pull them out one by one and finish them. The bigger bin will be next after I finish all of them. I thing getting out another 18-20 out of the big bin, and putting them into the smaller one will help in decreasing said overload.

Well, on with the show. Lots to do and it's getting late in the day.


And as Bob Ross used to say: Take care, and God bless, my friends.

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Respectfully submitted,

C.