Taking a break from the Purple Blob. So help me, it is driving me plum batty!!! I have made mistakes in it which has resulted in the ripping out of over four hours worth of work. I am not sure if I am going to finish this one in time, but yanevaknow. May it be from my lips to the Heaven's ears. :)
I decided instead to re-stitch one Shepherd's Bush design and stitch up a whole other of their mini kits. These were purchased at Stitcher's Paradise bit ago. They were fairly cheap (less than 15 dollars each) and included all of the silk, fabric, buttons and a needle for stitching. They went *VERY* quickly and I look forward to stitching even more of these. Here is the first one, redone on a different fabric with a miscellaneous golden bee charm attached. As I suspected, I thought it would look better on a crisp white linen, instead of the light flax I stitched the original one on. This one was stitched yesterday, Saturday, April 12, 2014:
Fabric: 28 count Charles' Craft Carolina linen in Salt
Floss: Gloriana Threads in Dried Pink Roses #119), Thread Gatherer'sSilk n' Colorsin Medieval Mulberry #091, Rose Blush #100 and Williamsburg Green; Possible discontinued color. Unable to locate any info on it at all.
Fabric: 28 count Charles' Craft Carolina linen in Salt
Fibers: DMC in 610, 729, 936, 3012, and 3021. Weeks Dye Works embroidery floss in Linen #1094, Red Pear #1332, Lancaster Red #1333, Guacamole in #1193 and Gunmetal in #1298.
Well, I had best be off. Time for more Hercule Poirot movies. Hope everyone is having a great weekend! :)
Been busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest. As such there hasn't been much time for stitching, but a lot of 'life organization' taking place. On my birthday this year, back in mid-March, I managed to get my motorcycle endorsement class passed. I am so, so excited. It will be a bit before DH can purchase my bday present, a Kawasaki Ninja 300 SE in white. I am so, so excited!!
In the mean time, in between time, DH and I moved from Reno to Las Vegas. We didn't expect to ever come back to LV, but life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. There were opportunities that presented themselves and we simply could not pass them up. The good news is that we managed to find a very nice house for rent, and I now have my own craft room!! Woohoo!! I will post pictures once I get everything the way I want it. It's going to take time and a bit of cash, but then again, what doesn't, yea?
I also managed to get two tiny finishes done. These were purchased at Stitcher's Paradise when I was down a bit ago doing interviews. They were fairly cheap and included all of the silk, fabric, buttons and a needle for stitching. They went *VERY* quickly and I look forward to stitching others.
Managed to finish up another UFO from this year's list. Feels good to have another one done. Managed to get this one finished during a Law & Order: SVU marathon. Been on the couch since last night due to throwing my low back out. At least it gave me an excuse to lay on the couch and stitch, eh? ;)
Fibers: Crescent Colours cotton flosses in Antique Lace, Clay Pot, Four Leaf Clover, Spinach, and Wild Berries
I am thinking about taking out the date on the right hand side. I think it make the design unbalanced, so to speak. I'll put it away for now and think about it some.
I've pulled out another one, and I hope to get it finished soon. For now, I need to get back to the couch and back to stitching. Hope everyone is having a great week! :)
Got another quick finish under my belt, just under the June 30 deadline. I got this last week during my usual Wednesday trip to Stitcher's Paradise. It was just as fun as the Very Merry Spring design that I stitched by the same designer, JBW Designs. I will have to look and see if she has designed ones for fall and winter, so that I can round out the seasons. :P
At any rate, enough of my blathering, onto the pictures! :D
Fibers: Au Ver a Soie Soie d' Alger 7-strand silk floss in 945, 4911, and 4916.
Well, I best be off. Today is my Friday, and I hope to get some more UFO's finished within the next few days. Thanks for looking and I hope everyone is having a wonderful day! :)
Errata: Stitched one thread of silk over two linen threads.
I am also taking part in the Heaven and Earth Designs message board Storykeep SAL that started the other day. I chose Treasures as it was a black and white and it kept calling my name every time I looked at it.
***Stitcher's Note: This SAL is for HAED members ONLY and as of right now it is closed. Please do not contact me asking me to share this pattern, as it is NOT for sale/trade!
I am seriously contemplating ditching all of that white, because there is about 2-3,000 stitches of just plain white. Ugh. NOT looking forward to that at all! So, I decided that instead of stitching white on white, I would stitch it on a turquoise colored fabric and this is what I came up with. I am loving the color. It reminds me so much of the sea that I saw and swam in when I was in the Bahamas and that is in the Panhandle of Florida. I miss it so much. Being in the desert is really not my cup of tea!
Well, at any rate, I need to get going. Need to get some stuff done before I make dinner. Hope everyone is having a great week! :)
I had some emails and some PM's on some of the message boards I frequent, asking how I organize my HAEDs. And since I had a new one come in, Silvery Moon by Jessica Galbreth, I thought I would take this opportunity to chronicle how I organize my stitching. The vast majority of my 'system' I owe to Jules of A Fairy Princess Dreams In Stitches . I figured since she was the one responsible for this HAED mess I am in, it would serve me well if I ripped of some of her organization ideas. :P
I have found that when you are dealing with a multiple page chart, with around 90 or so colors, just throwing floss in a bag and calling it a day really doesn't help. (Ask me know I know this! ;) )
First up is gathering your mats, or materials. I usually wait until I get a 20% off total purchase coupon from either Michael's or Joann's. It really helps with the savings!
Here is what I have whenever I kit up a new one:
- Trash can or garbage bag if you are tossing out your floss labels and what all. I know some folks collect them, but since I don't I generally have a small trash bag or garbage bin nearby.
- Plastic Bobbin Box . For smaller projects, you can get five bobbins in per section, so you only need one of these. I have one larger project kitted up, Cynthia , and she has 90 colors, so two boxes were needed. Make sure to get the ones with the plastic, not cardboard bobbins. The plastic ones are a LOT sturdier and you get 50 in each box to start you off. The boxes are about around $2.50 here in the US.
- Plastic thread bobbins . You may need extras of these. It never hurts to have a spare set, either, I've found. The Silvery moon SK has 50 colors, but the larger project has close to 30 some odd. Go figure! :) These will run you anywhere from .99 cents to $1.99 for about around 25 per package.
- Heaven and Earth Designs generally call for DMC six strand embroidery threads, Art. 117 for your bobbins. I know that some of the projects now call for silks, however, for this project, I am using the called for DMC. DMC here in the US is the cheapest in the world, and here we pay about around .37 cents per skein, so we here in the US are lucky. IIRC, New Zealand has the most expensive at about around $2.00 per skein. o.O
***Skip the cheapo thread winder. It does no good at all, at least for me, and I find the winding by hand to be a mindless relaxing business after I've been running around all day like a chicken with my head cut off.
- Since I am lazy and at times my handwriting is atrocious (I blame too much computer use for that!), I get a set or two of the DMC Floss Number Stickers (Article No. 6103/12) to put on the bobbins. Bold, black text on a white background and I don't ever have to guess if the 6 is actually an 8, because I was in a hurry to get it done and got sloppy with it.
- A large Single Compartment Storage Box is also nice to store the whole kit and caboodle in. It keeps your project clean and cuts down on kitteh and/or goggie hair. :)
- Office Depot offers copy and print services, in addition to lamination. Since this particular chart was sent as a hard copy, I went to have ONE, repeat ONE, working copy made, so that I can mark off the chart as I go along. This is an absolute necessity, IMO, as some of the colors are so, so close together, and as I discovered to my dismay when I first started Rhiannon , speed will get you nowhere, and fast. I get the floss key laminated for $1.50 and to me it's worth it. I'm gonna be using it for a long, long time and as is the way of things, things can and do happen. I would hate for water or chocolate or what have you get spilled on it or it get torn or whatever. Getting it laminated is strictly optional, but I've decided that it's better to be safe than sorry. :) Here is the current floss key, all laminated and ready to go! :
Here is what my bobbin box generally looks like on the outside. I have Office Depot make a color copy of the first page with the design on it, so I can tape it to the outside of the bobbin box that I am using. Nothing is more annoying than to open a bobbin box, behold the shiny, pretty colors and then say aloud, "What is *this* for?!!!" Ask me how I know this. :P Next up, it't time to line up the bobbins with the floss. Before I begin winding, I generally put the DMC Floss Number Stickers (Article No. 6103/12) on the bobbins, and then put everything in numerical order, just like the floss key has it listed:
And since hand winding can be a bit boring, I suggest doing this whilst watching a movie or your favorite TV shows. Today I chose The Fifth Element. LeeLoo Dallas Multipass!
And finally, after all the winding, here is what you have to show for your efforts:
Well, I hope this explains the methods to my madness. I have found that this system really works for me and it's helped keep me on track. Well, I am off for now. Got some things to do and I need to decide what's for dinner tonight. Hope everyone is having a great week! :) --- Respectfully submitted, C.
Had two days off of stitchy goodness, woohoo! On Sundays, I try to have all of the housework completed (laundry, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, tidying up) and all errands run by no later than Monday, which is my Friday. I do this so that I can spend my two precious days off doing whatever it is I want, which is generally stitching. I laid on the couch Tuesday watching the entire Matrix dvd collection and stitching. Wednesday was my usual Wednesday trip to Stitcher's Paradise. Had a blast there getting caught up with The Girls and stitching until my fingers and eyes started to hurt. :)
At any rate, here is what I managed to get completed in two days:
I've got a fair amount done, considering how intensive the stitching is. I am going to have to find some other less taxing projects to do. I think I need a break from this one already. When I got home last night from Stitcher's Paradise I had quite the raging headache, so I didn't stitch any at all last night, which was a bummer. I am really enjoying this piece and I am having loads of fun with it, however, it is very intensive and it's sort of like running a marathon. Proper pacing procedures must be followed! LOL!
At any rate, I need to bolt for the door. Need to finish getting ready for work. Have a good day all! :)
Managed to get a bit of work done on Rhiannon, but as of right now, it still looks like a grey blob :P~. I'm pacing myself a lot more this go around and I am not making any mistakes (knock on wood!). This particular piece is going to be a process, and there's no need in rushing. In some cases, I'm stitching it literally in a 10 x 10 square, just to make sure that all my ducks are in a row. Right now I'm in the lovely outer borders where there is plenty of solid block stitching, so it's not *too* bad. I will however, have to get used to doing that when I get to the confetti stitching in the middle of the piece.
I have found yet another pattern that I want in addition to Cynthia on the Heaven and Earth Designs website. This one is called Shimmering Night and it is a fundraiser for Japan. The artwork is by Ching-Chou Kuik and it is listed as a Quick Stitch. DH says I can get both when we get paid, woohoo! I will have to come up with a name for her. :)
At any rate, here she is:
Tomorrow is my usual Wednesday trip to Stitcher's Paradise and I can't wait. I so missed going!
I must bolt for the door, right now, however. Breakfast and a stitching marathon await me. This time it's The Matrix trilogy. Fun! :D
Continuing with the Alice in Wonderland theme, I can tell this project is going to be huge in more ways than one. Yesterday, I forewent my usual Wednesday trip to Stitcher's Paradise as I wasn't feeling too hot, and I decided to stay home and stitch instead. Well, it turns out that I had found a mistake and that had to be frogged. Then I got oh, so hopelessly lost! I literally could not tell when one thread was tied off and another began. So, I ripped everything out and literally started over from scratch. I had Teh Hubmeister print out the first page again and I started that over fresh all over again as well.
It seems to have worked, as I have been stitching merrily away ever since, with nary an issue. Here are some lessons I have learned so far:
1. SLOW DOWN. Really, you would think this one would be a no brainer, but apparently, insofar as I am concerned, this is not the case. I think one of the issues I was having was that I was trying to rip through this piece, trying to break the sound barrier, and this is where I got lost and consequently in a fit of pique, ripped everything out and started all over again. (PMS played a part in that decision in no small measure as well, I'm sure! :P)
2. Print out the master floss list. Trying to work off of the Droid phone, while convenient, will not get you all of the supplies you need. And with 68 colors of floss, you're lucky you only had to go back to Hobby Lobby for only five!
3. Make sure you like the colors of the project. This is very, very important. You will be staring at these same shades of brown and grey for a really, really, REALLY long time. Jules would tell you to just start another one, but I want to see if I can get through this one first! :P
4. A support group is a must. Yes, this is one stitch at a time, but it can be overwhelming and frustrating and encouragement and sympathy go a long way in helping the process along!
5. Good lighting is a must. You have to see what it is you are stitching, and you have to be able to see to read the chart!
6. If you give the piece a name, make sure you pick the right one. As God as my witness, I had originally intended to call this one Morrigan, then I changed it to Elizabeth. Oddly enough, the Fleetwood Mac song Rhiannon kept playing over and over in my head and this time the name stuck. If I were paranoid, I'd say I had such issues with her because she didn't like the names I had chosen and wanted to be Rhiannon! o.o
Here is what it's supposed to look like, eight pages of solid stitching later:
Here is what I have so far:
If I manage to make it through this project with my sanity in tact, I have picked out my first purchase from HAED. Her name is Cynthia and the artwork is by Ching-Chu Kuik. I LOVE the colors in this one and I think she'd look gorgeous on an opalescent fabric:
I will leave you all now with some Fleetwood Mac and the hope that you all are having a good day today! :)
Yesterday morning, before I had my Wednesday stitching fix at Stitcher's Paradise, I came across the cutest design whilst on walkabout on the internet and really fell in love with it the moment I saw it. During the course of the day while stitching, I get up and wander around, as I tend to get stiff when I sit for too long. (I blame it on a job where I am constantly moving around). I found this wee bit of a thing in the shop and bought it, plus the fabric and threads on the spot. I started it right after I finished the Downton Abbey piece. It was a bit of a challenge, as this was my first piece on something that had this tiny count of fabric. I usually stick to my 14/28 counts, venturing only into 32 counts only rarely, although, I have been stitching 32 a bit more here lately. I decided on the 34 as the holes were big enough for me to see and the color, while still the palest of browns, made the colors called for pop. (I am currently on a 'No Stitching On Brown Fabric' kick. I realized a while back that EVERYTHING I was stitching on was some shade of brown and I really needed a break!).
I managed to finish this last night whilst watching my beloved Hercule Poirot putting the smack down on 1930's criminals. Smashing!
At any rate, enough of my blathering...on with the show! :)
I do not know about anyone else, but I am COMPLETELY and totally enthralled with Downton Abbey. I recently watched it via Netflix with their online streaming service and I couldn't stitch during it, as it was so good. I was sad that it ended and went online to PBS's online store and ordered it immediately and it came in the mail on Monday. I decided to stitch a freebie that I found online to commemorate the series. I am also thinking about getting out the pen and paper and making my own sampler when the second season comes out. I'm hoping it's soon, as this series is awesome and I really don't have any patience, LOL! :)
At any rate, here's what I started last night and finished today at my Wednesday stitching at Stitcher's Paradise today:
Hot off the Q-snaps is my latest UFO finish, Little House Needleworks' Season of Growth . This makes the third UFO (and probably final) finish for this month. I have another UFO that I've been working on off and on. It's slow going on account of it being DMC's B5200 on white Monaco. It's total Snoresville, however, I am making some progress and I hope to finish it soon.
Stitcher's notes: Substituted DMC 150 for the called for 3051in the words Summer, June, July and August.
Now that I took a bit of time to organize my stash, my organizing has taken a life of its own and has spilled out into the house on onto the computer. I've organized links and favorites on the computer, got rid of outdated links or places I no longer go to and have even cleaned out my junk mail address of unwanted newsletters and emails. It feels good to have extraneous junk taken care of and I am finding other places that still need a wee bit of organizing. (My desk being one, LOL! :P).
Well, I need to go. Tomorrow is my my Wednesday stitching at Stitcher's Paradise and I need to get another UFO in the bag and clean up the threads and put away the Season of Growth chart. Until next time, stay stitching my friends! :)
Woohoo! I'm on a roll here! Got to go today to my Wednesday stitching at Stitcher's Paradise and managed to finish up Let's Go To The Beach. I am so excited! I even got to work on the next project in my bag, Little House Needleworks' Season of Growth . I'm going to wait until I have a bit more done until I post up pictures, however, I did make a color change and I am stitching it on the same 28 count Graziano Milan linen in white from Norden Crafts .
Got to go today to my Wednesday stitching at Stitcher's Paradise and managed to finish up Now I Know My ABC's by Blackbird Designs. This is the third time I've stitched it, and it never gets old. I am thinking about doing it four more times, once for each season and hanging them up during the appropriate season. I need to find some good charms to put in two of the spots on the sampler, but the stitching is finished. As for now, it get put away so that I may stitch on some UFO's, as I am sadly lacking in stitching up any of them, as I had planned to do in my 2010 Year In Review post. Since it is nice and warm out today, I think I am going to get out JBW's Cherries and finish it up first.
While at Stitcher's Paradise today, I purchased one of the Kelmscott Designs thread winders in a butterfly shape. I also snagged the Evergreen Lane chart by Blackbird Designs . It's the 11th chart in the Anniversaries of the Heart series. The next one should be out soon, and then I will have them all. Yipee!!
Well, I best be off. Dinner is on the stove! Hope everyone is having a great week! :)
I started Blackbird Designs freebie Now I Know My ABC's for the third time this past Sunday and while I am enjoying this easy stitch, the floss has me swearing like a sailor on a three day pass in Hong Kong.
This isn't a very good picture, but you can see what I'm talking about:
See that big kink? That's where the floss was knotted to keep it on the card. I mean *really*?! That is a LOT of floss to just snip off willy nilly. And the kinking up! OH. MY. GAWD.
This is what it looks like when you purchase it on the skein, prior to you carefully unpicking that knot to be able to use ALL of the floss that you just laid out almost 10 bucks for.
Yea, it looks nice, however, when you go to cut off a length to stitch with it, it literally folds back up on itself. I have tried to keep the lengths short, to minimize this, but it's the equivalent to shouting at the gale. Does one no good at all. The only way I know how to make it behave is to wet it down. When I go tomorrow to Stitcher's Paradise, I am going to have to pony up for one of those fancy Kelmscott Designs thread winders to try and help keep the floss straightened out. I mean, as my UK stitching sisters say, in for a penny, in for a pound, yea?
Well, I best get my old cranky lady self going. Have to take DH to the doctor this morning about his leg and then I get to come home and nap and stitch for the next five days. Woohoo! I managed to get all of my chores completed, including the stash organization project I had created for myself. I'll blog about that next post! :)
Fabric: 30 count linen by Wichelt Imports in Ivory (DMC equivalent to 712)
Fiber: Simply Shaker thread by Gentle Art Sampler Threads in Aged Pewter
Accoutrement: Mill Hill seed beads
I started Blackbird Designs freebie Now I Know My ABC's again. I wanted to try out Gloriana Threads and figured this miniature sampler was perfect for it. I've stitched it twice before and while I like the color I chose, 079 - Monet's Pond, there are a few things I am not liking about using the threads. I will start with the fact that it is twisted all to hell and gone on the skein, which makes separating the strands a right Royal pain in the ass. Also, they knot the floss about 3 inches from the end onto the card and I'm sorry, at 8 bucks a skein now, I am most certainly NOT going to just snip that right off!
Quick picture of the Monet's Pond:
I am stitching the sampler on a 32 count cream linen and it's turning out really pretty so far. I will try and post a picture when I've stitched some more.
Well, I hate to post and run, but I've got to bolt for the door. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! :)
I have been making some progress with Basket of Memories. I have also decided when I take my mini vacation starting this coming Tuesday, I am going to have a different type of project to work on. I am going to be organizing my stash and organizing WIPs and UFOs. Lists will be made and everything is going to be cataloged and recorded. I have already begun the process, and I am starting to feel better about things already. I need to get some labels for my bins, as things as just scattered willy nilly and this will just simply not do. It took me forever to find something the other day and really, I could use the time to be stitching! I've also taken the time to go through bookmarks on my computer that I no longer go to and to even trim down the amount of time I am spending on Facebook and message boards. I'm not quite ready to fully eschew the internet altogether as some folks I know of, however, I do understand about wanting to spend more time participating in life rather than just reading about other people doing just that! :)
At any rate, here is what I have so far on Basket of Memories:
Fabric: 30 count linen by Wichelt Imports in Ivory (DMC equivalent to 712)
Fiber: Simply Shaker thread by Gentle Art Sampler Threads in Aged Pewter
I need to bolt for now. Gotta finish getting ready for work and all. No bees, no honey...no work no money! Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! :)
Yesterday, while at Stitcher's Paradise for my weekly stitching group, I wasn't feeling well and didn't feel like stitching anything I had brought with me. It was horribly overcast and the wind was kicking up the dust like something awful, running riot all over my sinuses. So, I figured it was time for something in a monochrome. I didn't have one to stitch with me, however, I am going to pack one into my stitching bag, so that if this happens again, I am better prepared. (Lord knows I have enough, LOL!).
I wound up purchasing another Blackbird Designs chart. Shocking I know! I managed to get a fair bit done. I suppose it was a good thing I felt kinda crappy as I am kinda tired of stitching on brown fabric. :)
Hot off the Q-snap's is the JBW Designs project that I was working on. I like how it turned out. I have enough floss left over to stitch it again, maybe with a DMC B5200 for the bunnies and the ribbon. For now, the chart gets put away until I stitch it again.
Fibers: Kara's Quilt by SanMan Strands (discontinued floss line)
Well, I'm off to go get another project to work on. Tomorrow is my Wednesday stitching group at Stitcher's Paradise and I will be working on the BBD Moon Garden I think. Hope everyone is having a good week! :)
Woohoo! Go me! FINALLY got a finish under my belt and boy, does it feel good! I managed to finish the Summer Iris and started on the Blackbird Designs Moon Garden. I managed to find a really nice copy in almost perfect condition, for a VERY reasonable price. The stitching is going so QUICKLY and I am looking forward to stitching it at least once more once it's completed! :)
I had an awesome stitching day today and I am hoping for another one real soon :). It was such a joy to just sit and chat with the ladies at Stitcher's Paradise. I always have such a good time going to the weekly stitch in. It's treasured time and I always look forward to the next week. :)
Well, I best be off. I have some chores to do before The Hubmeister and myself go to dinner and then shopping. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week! :)
