1st finish of 2010

I completed Hope Blossoms last night in time to claim a January finish, but just barely. After unpacking some of the projects I have in progress I came across my ESSY projects. These were little kits offered by Elegant Stitch from various designers with proceeds going to breast cancer research. I have completed many of them, but still have several to complete. I cheated on this one by Cindy Valentine and changed the backstitch wording (that said Faith, Comfort, Hope) to just HOPE in cross stitch. I have to admit that I had done a lot of this piece and then stopped because I could not figure out the finishing directions. I finally decided to just concentrate on the completion of the stitching, which was most enjoyable and the finished product is such a beautiful dainty piece, that when it came time to do the finishing I followed the directions and it could not have been simpler.
Now to decide what ESSY Project is next........

Rehab 101

These are a few of my projects that I've found among the boxes I've opened and hung them behind the door in my workroom.

It's been quite an enlightening couple of months stitching-wise here at the new place. You see I had cross stitch spread over one entire floor of a house where we used to live, (magazines in the livingroom bookcase, fabrics in a bedroom closet, finished projects under a bed in a plastic bin, threads in a cabinet in the guestroom, more magazines in the diningroom and more magazines and hard back books in the computer room) here I have it pretty much confined to one room for now, (in a closet or in boxes) and that's what it takes up, pretty much one whole room. It's a sickness actually, this fabric, thread, scissor, chart, button, bead, bobble obsession I have. But rather than a 12 step program, I think I just came thru the 12 month program where I didn't look at any of it for long enough that I didn't realize the sheer volume of what I actually had. It's scarry now to see all that I've aquired over the years. My main objective for now is to get back to stitching and get organized in a way I have not been for sometime. So many projects, so little life expectancy.

Happy Halloween

It's officially Halloween!!
I got the blue crocheted baby blanket done in less than a week, given to the about to be new mom, and then closed on our new house. Surrounded in my current house by cross-stitch, I cannot wait to get moved, settled and have my stitching organized in it's own room so I can start stitching again.
Happy candy eating everyone!!!

Halloween Stitching???

Pictured at left is a treat bag that I made for a Legacy BB Halloween exchange back in 2002 with a little pudgy from SBs Baby Bug Ball. It was a hard one to give up once done as it's lined with some fun spiderweb print fabric and it turned out so much better than I imagined, but off to Canada it went.

Stitching something for Halloween was always one of my favorite things to do, but it won't happen this year. I have a blue baby blanket to crochet in the next couple weeks for a co-hort at work who is having boy #3, so I'll only be dreaming of fun Halloween things to stitch this year.

My framed Birds of a Feather Happy Halloween did go to work with me last week rather than getting packed in a box for the move and I have to say I am so enjoying it. Next year I can't wait to dig out a Halloween design by Birds of a Feather or one of the fun monsters by Frank (of Mosey n' Me) to work on.

Are you stitching anything with a Halloween Theme????

Stitching Update

I sit here surrounded by stitching supplies, charts, books, magazines, etc, and I am completely overwhelmed. Why you ask...because I'm supposed to be packing it all up for the move. I have not had the time or interest the past couple years to stitch as my mind has been other places. A new job in the cancer research department as of July 2008, the failing health of my father who had Alzheimers and passed away July 8, 2009, an ongoing federal investigation at work, and searching for a new house have consumed my time, energy and attention span. The new house has been found, we close in three weeks. Then comes painting, and moving and then working on our current house and selling it, so the attention span thing will continue for a bit longer. Anyway, I have enjoyed sifting and sorting some of my completed needlework and accoutraments and will continue to as the process goes on. I did stitch one item this year (Little Lamb Sleeping by Drawn Thread) for another coworker who was having a baby. The sad part was she just didn't "get it" and was not the least impressed. In fact I think she was quite disappointed when she opened the gift. I'd gladly show you my endeavor, if I could find pictures, which I can't. I've moved everything on my hard drive over to MY BOOK and plan to clean files once we get moved as it's quite a mess. I also plan to get back to work on the stockings I have in the works and get them done for my lovies before they graduate from college. Once moved, I plan to organize and get rid of a LOT of my cross stitch that I know I will never get stitched. I also want to start a stitch group and have friends over to share what they are working on. And most important, I hope this finds you stitching along.

Where does the time go????

I'm thinking it's a waste of time and money to even buy calendars anymore since the pages just fly off of them right by my face. I always loved the saying "CAUTION: Dates on calendar may be closer than they appear". Nothing could be more true these days.
I've changed many things about my life since I was last here. I have a new job and with it new surroundings, new learning curve, new boss, new cohorts. I have a few new interests, have gotten back into some older interests, but for now I still have the same address and forever the same last name.
As for stitching, I haven't done any of that in over a year. I'm thinking it's time to be realistic and seriously weed the collection. I do have a few things I plan to keep and finish or that I may want when I'm in the home. (Not that I'm even close to ready, but who can think about retiring in this economy?) I did crochet a couple of baby capes for newborns whose parents I work with (if that counts), but the crochet bug is about gone and I need to eek out another gift or two before it completely disappears.
I didn't attend the SB retreat last fall, in fact I hadn't even given it serious consideration at sign up time. I did miss seeing old friends and have some good laughs. Backing away from all the negative aspects about stitching for a while was really good for me, gave me new perspective on life. But on the flip side, I've missed so many of my friends who I connect with thru stitching. And I want to reconnect with those people again. I did enjoy concentrating on things locally; home, family, work, organizing my life, and playing with my iTouch and Creative Zen. But now that I'm wireless, I hope to keep up with personal email a little better.

Pre-Halloween Stitching

It's been a week since I stitched this little sign from the Salem Witch chart (Primitive Needle), and I've got another one kitted up to take along to Salem with me. This came in the mail last Thursday (more than a week ago) and I couldn't stop looking at it or resist the urge to just put needle to fabric and stitch the darn thing. So on Saturday evening I found out just how quick a stitch this piece is.

The trouble with organizing and sifting stash is that things get lost or buried in a hurry. That's what happened to my Happy Haunting (Shepherd's Bush) this past couple weeks. I was determined to find it this weekend because I knew it was in my house, my car or at the office. Well I finally found it just a few minutes ago typically buried. I'm posting this to inspire Cindy, since she inspired me with her Halloween Fairy. Working on this is quite relaxing. I did all the little things in the hill and then went back and did the fill, which went way too fast. As you can see I'm basting the left edge so I can skip down a bit when next I pick it up.

This week I think it's going to be a combination of Random Thoughts (Drawn Thread) and the Jane Austin Sampler from The March 2007 issue of The Gift of Stitching. Random Thoughts is an old WIP that I enjoy working on, but Jane has been calling to me to start it. I think she may be a good travel piece.