Third Organizational Post For 2015

And possibly final organizational post. 

As I seem to not be feeling well due to various factors (the weather, being female, cursed with hormones) I decided it would be a good time to get organized again and see what was what. Instead of confining myself to just the Bin O'Shame, I have decided to add Leaflet Silo, Kit Mountain and The Library into the mix, because I am seemingly a glutton for punishment. Obvs. (Please bear in mind, that when I took the pictures, these were not taken with any sort of artistic merit in mind. Please also bear in mind that crafting wise, this is my ONLY hobby. I do not sew, nor quilt, scrap, whatever. And this is cultivated over a 20+ year period, so yea, I've got a metric f-ton of stuff). 


In my original post regarding the Bin O'Shame, I began with 89 projects that had been left to sit for whatever reason or another. This year wound up being dedicated to stitching up as many of these as I could before burnout set in. I had an original goal of 25 to start, as I figured that was a goodly sized 'dent' in it. As of today, here is what I have managed to accomplish:

Journey began Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Original Total: 89

Removed 19 for various reasons, leaving 70 as the final total.

As of Friday, September 4, 2015:

35 stitched as of Friday, September 4, 2015

Total Left: 35

Well, that is certainly more than I had bargained for! And hooray for not only making the goal, but going beyond it. As of right now, I do not know if I will stitch anymore from the Bin O'Shame as I am quite burned out on it and none of the projects that are in the  Bin O'Shame are tickling my fancy at the moment. But, hey! Ya neva know! I do know there are a couple of Thanksgiving/Christmas projects in there that could stand some attention. And I may just get frisky and finish those rather than diving into Kit Mountain for those types of projects. 

So, without further ado, here is the before and after Bin O'Shame pictures:

 As of Tuesday, February 24, 2015:

As of Friday, September 4, 2015*:

*Not pictured are three HAED's (QS Maleficent, Treasures SK by Selina Fenech, and Shimmering Night by Ching Chou Kuik). These are packed up for the time being and I will not get to stitch on them any time soon due to time constraints. Although, knowing me, they just might get unpacked and stitched! The one in the bag is Christmas At Hawk Run Hollow, which I have apparently not touched since January of 2014. I should probably get back to that one and at least finish Block Three which has been started already. Still, in all, I made a hell of a lot more progress stitching these than I ever dreamed that I would. Which is a really nice feeling! :)


This then brings us to the 'rest of it'. 'The rest of it' comprising of Kit Mountain, Leaflet Silo and The Library. Kit Mountain is what I refer to as all of the projects that are kitted up and ready to go. It is comprised of the following:

As of Saturday, September 5, 2015:

 116 Projects

Total as of Saturday, October 17, 2015:

113 Projects

Not making any great strides in that area, however, I was concentrating on the Bin O'Shame, so that is no surprise there. This total also includes six HAED's that I will not be getting to any time soon. I find it odd to think that I will probably cull down Kit Mountain at some point, as there are numerous projects that I have no interest in stitching, but the HAED's will probably be stitched at some point. Go figure!

Here is how Kit Mountain is looking as of right now:

These are the HAEDs that await their turn:

In order to work all of these in, I am considering continuing stitching from Bin O'Shame and grabbing a kit out every time I finish something that I stitch from the Bin O'Shame. That way, they both get worked on at the same time. There is also plenty to stitch seasonally, as I am a seasonal type of stitcher for the most part. 

And then, there is Leaflet Silo. This is what I refer to as the bins of leaflets and charts that I have acquired over the years. Some I have purchased from brick and mortar stores, some from online shops, some form eBay and Etsy, and a lot from other stitchers. 

Please note that at this time, I have not taken an inventory of the individual bins or binders to see how many charts there are in each. I am organized, but I am also lazy :P. The contents of the bins are by designer in alpha order. I have a hard time trying to find things when it's done seasonally or by theme. I have found that alphabetical order is what is best for me. 

Here is A-H:

Contents of A-H:

I-Z:

Contents of I-Z:

Last but not least is The Library. The Library consists of the binders that I have created of designs ripped from magazines and charts that I have purchased online, in addition to freebies. It also includes books that I have purchased. For years I had numerous magazines from the US, UK, and France and it just got to be too much. I have broken down the US and UK magazines and have only kept the French magazines and those UK magazines that are rare and hard to find. Right now I have most of the books packed up, but I do have some special ones out in case I get the urge to stitch from them.

The Library- Binder Collection One:

The Library- Binder Collection Two:

The Binder Collection Two contains a binder full of charts and leaflets that are rare and hard to find. I am hoping to stitch out of that binder next year, in addition to stitching from the Bin O'Shame and Kit Mountain. It is a LOT of stuff and a lot to do, but this hobby is just as much about collecting as it is about actually stitching and creating things. 

I have a lot of grand plans for next year's stitching goals and quite honestly, I have no clue if any of them will come to fruition. 2016 should be as interesting a stitching year as 2015 sure as heck has been. 

I had best be off. I think I need a nap after all of this organizing. Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

---

Respectfully submitted,

C. 

 

The bell rang twice

Well, it's been a while. I haven't made much progress in the stitching arena, as I picked up extra shifts at work and my schedule's been bouncing up and down like a Chihuahua on crack. This week, however, I begin my full time PERMANENT shift, so things should settle down soon. Yay!


In addition to all the work I've been doing, Teh Hubmeister and I have added two more additions to our kitteh collection, resulting in the 'Furever Home Bell' being rung twice. Mr. Charwee died back in May and things have been a bit lonely in the house for our remaining kitteh, Ozzy. So, after a few weeks of debate, Teh Hubmeister and I went down and adopted two shelter cats. All of our animals have been rescues, and we've never had to give any up (Thank God!).  We adopted a male and a female, although, we went in with the intention of adopting just one. We had settled on the female, but the male just kept playing with me and acting so cute, we took a look at him as well and wound up taking him home too :)! When one of the volunteers put the cat carrier down on a bench to place the male in it, he ran up to it and just jumped right in! Kitty knew with whom he was going and was rarin' to go, haha! :)


At any rate, here are our two newest members of the house:


This is Doro, named after Doro Pesch, a heavy metal/hard rock singer. The female is quite vocal and after calling her after many female rock and rollers names, it was the only one she would answer to! :O

This is Lemmy. So named after Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister of Motorhead fame. He's kinda quiet for the most part, but I thought he'd be a lovely complement to our Ozzy. 

And last, but certainly not least, is our Ozzy. The Oz Man cometh, and I thought the Oz Man would goeth when we brought home the two new cats, LOL! Here is Ozzy's reaction to the new additions:

The household is settling down from all the hubbub. Even with separation of the cats, there are still some 'pecking order' issues to be settled, but so far, there's been no blood. (Thank God!).

Well, I must bolt for the door. Need to get some things done before work. Hope to have a stitching update soon. Hope everyone is having a great summer weekend and is staying cool! :)

---

Respectfully submitted,

C.