1K Sunday

This weekend was a two project weekend. I wanted to 'touch base' with another project that has fallen by the wayside and attempt to get caught up with the challenge that Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs had issued on the official Heaven and Earth Designs Facebook group. Or at least put a dent into it :). 

The first WIP was picked up on Friday and continued on into Saturday. It is a monochrome that I had started back last year after my poor Ozzy had left me. I had set it aside as I wasn't 'into' it. I figured almost 6 months in the Bin O'Shame was probably long enough. I will probably have to get more Gloriana Threads  12 strand French silk floss in #079 Monet's Pond (Lot: T17/12148) for this project as I am rapidly running low. I have a great deal more to stitch and I do not think I will have enough. 


Sunday's project was the challenged thatMichelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs had issued on the official Heaven and Earth Designs Facebook group. This particular challenge was 1000 stitches in stair step stitching. 

I chose QS Maleficent/Evil Queen as my project as I wanted to get more stitching time put in on her. I love the colors that are used in this project and she really is a fun project. 

Yesterday, I managed to finally get around to the challenge. I also managed to get all 1000 stitches in during the afternoon. It helped that there were large blocks of one color. Had these sections been all confetti stitching, I probably would not have gotten so far :). 


Well, here they are. My two projects for the weekend:

WIP #1:

Design: Jardin Mythique

Designer: Danielle Chevallier of Danybrod

Fabric Used: 36 count Edinburgh linen in White

Fibers Used: Gloriana Threads  12 strand French silk floss in #079 Monet's Pond (Lot: T17/12148)

Stitcher's Notes: Began Friday, September 11, 2015. Will not be stitching the alphabet and outer border. 

As of Wednesday, September 16, 2015:

As of Monday, February 22, 2016:

WIP #2:

Design: QS Maleficent/Evil Queen 

Designer: Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs. Based on the original artwork of Annya Kai. 

Fabric: 22 count Antique White aida by Wichelt

Fibers: DMC as called for in the chart

Stitcher's Notes: Began Saturday, January 24, 2015. The Quick Stitch for this design is no longer available for purchase at this time. The chart was originally called Maleficent, however, this was changed at some point. 

As of Monday, November 23, 2015:

As of Monday, February 22, 2016:

Time for me to bolt for the door. I hope everyone had a great weekend. 

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

A Vist From Maleficent

While I had started hd-30 February: a year in chalk by Cathy Habermann of Hands on Designs, I did not get too far into it from the last post as I did not sleep very well this past weekend. The darker fabric was not cooperating with lack of sleep, so the QS Evil Queen decided to pay me a visit instead. Which is good. Because I managed to get a LOT more stitching in. A guesstimate is another 800 stitches this past weekend. All in DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117  310, naturally. It's exciting to see it come together like this. 

Here is what I managed over the weekend:

Design: QS Evil Queen 

Designer: Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs. Based on the original artwork of Annya Kai. 

Fabric: 22 count Antique White aida by Wichelt

Fibers: DMC as called for in the chart

Stitcher's Notes: Began Saturday, January 24, 2015. The Quick Stitch for this design is no longer available for purchase at this time. The chart was originally called Maleficent, however, this was changed at some point. 


As of Monday, November 2, 2015:

As of Monday, November 23, 2015:

The rest of the week will be devoted to hd-30 February: a year in chalk by Cathy Habermann of Hands on Designs in order to get that one wrapped up soonest. I will probably go back to Evil Queen until the Thanksgiving Day. The day after Thanksgiving, I have a special Christmas project that DH picked out for this years' Christmas festivities. I've pulled some floss for it already and I cannot wait to get started. This one will be the most outrageously blingy project yet! 

Well, I had best be off. It's lunch time here in the desert and I'm hungry. :)

I wish everyone a great Thanksgiving week! 

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Challenge Met!

I didn't think I was going to make it, but I managed to get my 400 stitches stitched in one weekend! It wasn't necessary, however, I wanted to push myself a bit. I think I will extend this challenge a bit and attempt a minimum of 400 stitches every week until November 30. I really do want to see how far I can get before I have to put her away for my Christmas start this year. DH picked that one out and it's a doozy! 

Well, at any rate, here are my 400 stitches:

Design: QS Evil Queen 

Designer: Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs. Based on the original artwork of Annya Kai. 

Fabric: 22 count Antique White aida by Wichelt

Fibers: DMC as called for in the chart

Stitcher's Notes: Began Saturday, January 24, 2015. The Quick Stitch for this design is no longer available for purchase at this time. The chart was originally called Maleficent, however, this was changed at some point. 

As of Friday, October 30, 2015:

As of Monday, November 2, 2015:

I had best be off. Time for chores. I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

The 400 Stitch Challenge

In my last post, I had spoken about Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs issuing a stitching challenge for her Facebook group. You would choose one HAED piece for the challenge (either in process or a new start) and the goal is to complete 100 stitches per week for a 4 week time frame. I chose my current HAED, QS Evil Queen, and have marked 400 stitches on the chart. And honestly, it really does not look all that bad. I am hoping to get at least half of that stitched by the end of the weekend. I am not sure how much will actually be accomplished as DH and I have a fair amount of running around we need to do this weekend. Monday will tell the tale! :)

At any rate, here is where I am after two days of stitching off and on. The trailing thread marks the start of my 400 stitches for the challenge. 

Design: QS Evil Queen 

Designer: Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs. Based on the original artwork of Annya Kai. 

Fabric: 22 count Antique White aida by Wichelt

Fibers: DMC as called for in the chart

Stitcher's Notes: Began Saturday, January 24, 2015. The Quick Stitch for this design is no longer available for purchase at this time. The chart was originally called Maleficent, however, this was changed at some point. 

As of Wednesday, October 28, 2015:

As of Friday, October 30, 2015:

I had best be off. Chores are calling. No rest for the wicked and all. Happy Halloween and blessed Samhain to those of you out there! :)

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Respectfully submitted, 

C.

WIP Wednesday Dragging Of The Feet

Yep, I said it. It's out there now and make no mistake, mind. I have been doing nothing but reading and indulging in series via Netflix and Amazon Prime. I have stitched hardly a thing. Burnout has well and truly set in. 

This situation may be a temporary thing, as Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs announced on the official Heaven and Earth Designs Facebook page that there is a stitching challenge for November. You must choose one HAED piece for this challenge (either in process or a new start) and the goal is to complete 100 stitches per week for a 4 week time frame. You will post a pic of your WIP on the group with the name of the design (It must be posted on the group within the next 48 hours) and then November 28th post a side by side image showing your progress. At the end of November each person that has completed the challenge will receive a very special chart just for this event and only for the group. I have decided that, naturally, my QS Evil Queen will be the subject. 100 stitches per week is not that many, and is a goal that is easily completed. This also means that for the first time ever in my years of stitching, I am actually going to have to count out my stitches! I have never felt the need to do so. In fact, I lose all track of time and space when I stitch, so counting out stitches would just throw me off and harsh the stitching buzz, man ;). I think what I am going to do to combat this is to count out 400 stitches on QS Evil Queen and then 'start' from there. I am attempting to finish up the left hand side with the 3766 that I am stitching with at the moment. I do love pieces with blocks of some colors and confetti in others. I think constant confetti would drive me insane, but who knows?

Well, enough of my blathering. On with the show! 

Design: QS Evil Queen 

Designer: Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs. Based on the original artwork of Annya Kai. 

Fabric: 22 count Antique White aida by Wichelt

Fibers: DMC as called for in the chart

Stitcher's Notes: Began Saturday, January 24, 2015. The Quick Stitch for this design is no longer available for purchase at this time. The chart was originally called Maleficent, however, this was changed at some point. 

As of Sunday, October 25, 2015:

As of Wednesday, October 28, 2015:

Well, I had best be off. Lots to do today. Happy Hump Day everyone! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Sunday Visiting

Am I the only one that remembers doing this? After you slept in on a Sunday or went to the church of your choosing or whatever it was you did in the morning, you had a big lunch. And during that big lunch or even after, you sat and visited with old friends and/or family. I miss doing that. As I have moved around a great deal, it makes it hard to commune with old friends on a Sunday afternoon. 

This past weekend was my overnight shift and after finishing up (for the most part!) Creepy Cocktails, I went casting about for something else to keep me occupied. Only nothing was calling my name. I tried stitching on about half a dozen projects and everything just felt flat and uninspired. I got up very late today and remembered this one. I picked it back up and it's been going so smoothly. So, this is the one I am supposed to be working on. I am not sure how long I will be 'visiting' this old friend, but I am enjoying it while it lasts. Back when I first started, I had stitched the wrong color in one spot, and I am so happy I had the foresight to pick that out so that when I picked this one up again, I would not be faced with ripping out hours of previous work. That to me is the equivalent to opening the fridge to get some milk, only to find out its' all been expired. And who needs that on a Sunday? Not this gal!

Well, at any rate, here is what I have so far:

Design: QS Evil Queen 

Designer: Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs. Based on the original artwork of Annya Kai. 

Fabric: 22 count Antique White aida by Wichelt

Fibers: DMC as called for in the chart

Stitcher's Notes: Began Saturday, January 24, 2015. The Quick Stitch for this design is no longer available for purchase at this time. The chart was originally called Maleficent, however, this was changed at some point. 


As of Saturday, January 24, 2015:




As of Sunday, October 25, 2015:

For anyone that is interested, this is how I store my Heaven and Earth Designs that have been kitted up and/or started. I purchase the big scrapbooking containers (always at half off or more!). I find the plastic bags with the three inch metal book rings work the best for me. I tried winding floss on bobbins, but the floss winds up getting kinks in them that refuse to come out and I just can't be bothered with all that. Besides, the rings may be purchased at various places, including Amazon, for around six bucks for ten of them. Which is not bad at all. The symbol chart I have laminated as I use that a lot and I would prefer that it last for awhile, rather than having to repeatedly print out the same sheet over and over again. I keep clear rulers nearby so that I may keep track of the chart. As I purchase the .pdf formats of the charts, I always get the large print, as I have learned the hard way that confetti stitches get confusing with all the symbols look jumbled up in the regular size charts. I mark off the symbols that I have stitched with pencil so that if I make a mistake, I can easily correct it. All in all, this is what works best for me.

Well, I had best be off. I need to finish up some chores before a very early night for my person. I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Quick Stitch Maleficent Start

Yes, I caved and no, I don't care! I had made a 'deal' to myself that I wouldn't start this one until I had finished a third piece from the Bin O' Shame. Well, I didn't want to wait, so I didn't. She is a LOT of fun to stitch and I do not know if I will be able to put her down at all. 

Design: QS Maleficent

Designer: Michelle Sayetta of Heaven and Earth Designs. Based on the original artwork of Annya Kai. 

Fabric: 22 count Antique White aida by Wichelt

Fibers: DMC as called for in the chart.

Began Stitching: Saturday, January 24, 2015

I would love to find a Maleficent bag to keep her in, as well as a blinged out raven needle minder and a scissor leash to go along with this. Now if I can only find some fabric for the appropriate Q-snap grime guard. Time to go hunting, I suppose! :)

Well, I best be off. She's calling my name again. Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend! :)

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Respectfully submitted, 

C. 

Order out of Chaos (Or How I Learned To Organize A HAED...And Love It!)

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! :)


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Respectfully submitted,


C.