Look what I did!

My checkbook cover has been falling apart since I received it. I was staring at it today and thought, "Enough is enough." So I followed a tutorial from crazy mom quilts and made a new one.

Ta-da!

Not perfect, but much, much better than the plastic one that was cracking. Best of all, done in an afternoon, even with two adorable distractions.

I think the colors are not fashionable at the moment, but I really like it.

Now to make a purse too....

State of the Stitch: HAED Case

Well, as a reward for letting him play with the boys (college buddies) all day yesterday (read from before the kids awoke to just before bedtime), Chas has taken both children to the grocery store and I get some silence for a few brief moments. How do I spend my time? Not stitching--that would require clean up first. Not packing--that would be too much like cleaning up. Scanning. Yes, scanning.

I had been planning to post cross stitch wips by designer for some time. So sad that I have so many wips that I can do it this way. Or wonderful. I guess it depends on your perspective. I'll go with wonderful.

I chose HAED not because they are the fast favorites (I love my wips pretty much equally for different reasons just like my real children). Merely because my actual progress is so minimal for each wip that I can fit them all on the scanner bed, though not at the same time. So bear with me, brace yourself and buckle your seat belts....

First up is what I believe to be the first HAED I put needle to: Nadia Tate's Quick Stitch Star Fae. Still love the colors, but I don't think it has been in actual wip rotation since probably 2006 or so. I hate, loathe and despise stitching with that awful sparkly stuff listed in the materials. I started it and although the shine is lovely, it is too bulky for the fabric, which if I recall is 32 count. I obviously used half cross stitches as you can see in the outline of the wings. Not entirely sure how I feel about how that looks. Still the colors are pretty and the finished size with all the stitches in may cause it to turn out just fine. Several HAED stitches have very strong positions regarding the use of half versus whole crosses.

Someday I will finish it. Or maybe Angie will.


The next design up is Nadia Tate's Quick Stitch Buttercup Kitty Fae. I can take credit for helping to inspire this one as I had described wanting a buttercup fae in great detail. Turned out great for very personal reasons and I won the original ACEO. I am woefully uncertain about the hair and face, but many long time HAED stitchers reassure anyone who asks that the colors will be phenomenal when the project is complete.

Regardless, I do love just stitching Nadia's backgrounds. It is so pretty don't you think?



Moving on to Josephine Wall's Pegasus and Castle Bubble Quick Stitch. Stitching the solid color was very soothing actually. I am still using half stitches for this one, which makes the corner look odd. I had plans for fixing it.

But really, I should just have plans for stitching it.


Then I have Scott Gustafson's Frog Prince 3 (another quick stitch--I could comment on the misnomer, but I believe the fault lies with the stitcher not the chart). I started this one ages ago for Angie. When she was smaller, she called the princess "Angie" and kept asking when I would finish the picture of her with the frog.

sigh.

I love the image, but I loathe the confetti stitching, but it is somewhat more bearable by my use of the half stitch.

However, I am so very, very, close to finishing--relatively speaking of course.

Next is an out of print HAED by Sara Butcher (soon to be something else as I believe she is getting married). I am so happy I bought this one ages ago. It is my first attempt to use a whole cross. I dislike the whole cross even as I appreciate the fact that it does not distort my fabric (half crosses tend to pull the fabric in one direction--a problem I now handle by using Q-snaps when I use my half cross). The coverage with one strand in a half cross on the higher count fabrics is just fine, even for these darker colors. I resent the incredible amount of time it takes though. Still, Angie's face lit up recently when she saw this chart, so I need to get back to it.

Another full cross is next: Automne by Christopher Vacher. A friend saw this and admired it. I was grateful for the excuse to stitch it. I love the vastness of this piece and the knotwork. The solitary figure (and no I haven't reached it yet) speaks volumes. It is a lovely piece of art.

Page one of the chart is finished and I have moved on to page two. On page two, I decided to go to using all of one color before moving on to another color. I was hoping that this would help me avoid missing a stitch here and there. I looks great, but I don't know if my theory will work since it has been at least a year since I touched her last.

Finally, this next chart has been my primary HAED in 2009, a quick stitch of Citrine by Rachel Anderson. It is part of a stitch-a-long and I have been a most miserable participant: rarely posting and seldom stitching. I returned to my half stitching ways with this one on belfast linen. I love the large blocks of colors and came up with another ingenious way of gridding: changing thread colors for the grid of each new page. You might be able to see it in the picture. I have big plans for this design once it is finished. I had hoped that a SAL would keep me motivated to stitch. Nope. I was distracted by my new found love of quilting.

This list, I believe, covers every current HAED wip. I am fairly certain this statement is accurate, but let's just say I have some wiggle room just in case I find another long lost HAED wip.

I have finished only one HAED design: Ballet Pigs Quick Stitch by Sara Butcher. I still haven't finished it so that Angie can have it in her room, but the stitching is done.

Future State of the Stitch posts will include Teresa Wentzler and Chatelaine.

I will wander through the rest of 2009 as I please, crafting here and there as the spirit moves me. In 2010 however, I need to develop a plan to balance quilting with cross stitching and perhaps the occasional clothing-sewing.

Popping up, err in, err, over?

Hello again.

I can't promise I'll be posting more regularly, but I'll try. I've been very busy trying to find a house, not getting calls back form lenders, trips to the er and an mri, unexpected dental work for Angie, I did some self defense and Tae Kwon Do classes--loved it but had to give it up temporarily for financial reasons, had some very stressful times at work, Chas had some stressful news too and we're gearing up for the end of the school year. That splat you heard was me collapsing in a puddle of exhaustion.

I had a friend and her family over on Saturday (and if you like animal stories you should read about her adventures with Zip--it is amazing and touching). She mentioned that she hadn't seen any wips in a while. So I'm going to try to post wips soon. All my wips--yes all of them. Perhaps I'll shame myself into completing one. No shame isn't the right idea. Perhaps I'll motivate my serial starter self to complete something so that I can start something else. I plan to do it by designer: Chatelaine, HAED, Teresa Wentzler, The Sampler Girl and Everything Else. Doesn't that just give you something to look forward too? And as you and I scan the far outdated wips list on the sidebar, we all realize what a monumental task this will be. But at least it will be fun and pretty.

Since the First Grade Quilt has been finished and my most recent Love Quilt Square sent in, I have happily stitched on all sorts of projects. I've dug out some old favorites for the sheer pleasure of stitching. I've stitched on the Frog Prince and Bedtime Stories, on the Tree of Hope and Hope Perches. It has been fun.

I'm hoping to work on a few quilts this summer. Angie got her first big girl bed--so she'll get a twin size story quilt. I need to obtain some fabric (believe it or not) with mermaids in addition to what I have. I wouldn't mind some wizards and witches too. We are in a bit of a budget crunch, so I don't know if I'll be able to do it soon, but I'll just work with what I have first. I also want to make a napping or wall sized story quilt for Angie's first grade teacher who has been wonderful. I'll try to have it done for the first day of school so Angie can give it to her next year. I also need to do a quilt for my clerk who is retiring. Of course she picked colors I don't usually have so I don't know how I'll manage that by August, but we'll see. It will be Love Beads by FunQuilts and I'll need reds, yellows and blues. I have some blues, but not much of the others. I have some fabric, but I don't think it is enough to to a full size quilt for her bed--she may just have to be satisfied with one for napping.

And to leave you with a random thought:

I was mentioning to Chas that if we won the lottery (and I mean a really big lottery), I would have my own cable channel. And then when my favorite shows are cancelled, I would obtain them and put them on my channel so that I (and everyone else) could continue to watch new episodes of excellent shows (or even my guilty pleasures) instead of hoping for a dvd.

To date, my dream channel would have:

Farscape
Firefly
Journeyman
Pushing Daisies
Life
The Class
The Adventures of Brisco County Junior
Space Above and Beyond
Babylon 5
Earth 2
Deep Space 9

Oh there are others that are escaping me right now, but you get the point. What would you air on your channel?

Happy New Year

I hope everyone had happy holidays. Ours were wonderful, time spent in the hospital aside and even that had a good result.

I had one late 2008 finish yesterday--my first of two Love Quilt Squares. Please forgive the scan--I'm still working out the kinks on the new computer. I just realized that the scanner and camera wizard I depended on and the Adobe Photoshop I loved are not on the new computer. The charts were taken from parts of patterns at Ludivine's blog. I used DMC 153, 340, 341, 553, 554, 600, 603, 604, 963 and 3689. I hope it makes the recipient happy. Angie thought it was pretty so I'll need to make her something similar someday.

2008 was not as productive as 2007. I didn't finish a single humbug although I started many. I had a few nice finishes, but my volume was down as I tried to juggle work, home and hobbies.

I think 2009 will be the year of the quilt as I focus on Angie's school project for the first three months. I will take some time for SALs at the Chatelaine and HAED message boards, but I have lots of lovely fabric to make quilts. I've seen lots of lovely modern quilts that I am itching to try. My hope for the future is that I finish one quilt per year in addition to my other hobbies.

As for cross stitch, I'm doing the new Challenge at HAED, with the hopes that the finished design will go to a charity project. I'd like to start the new Chatelaine Hanging Gardens of Semiramis (since it was my suggestion) and the new mini mandala non-mystery (it has trees--a favorite motif of mine). I still have one more Love Quilt Square, but that isn't due until May, so it will be a lunch and travel project. I'd like to finish the Wedding Present and the skulls projects. I'm not sure what else 2009 has in store for me cross-stitch-wise. I'd like to get back to the Spanish Sampler, Polar Lights, and start Paradigm Lost.

More than anything, I'd like to find and buy a new, slightly larger, home in 2009. We have truly outgrown our cozy little gray house, but it is incredibly difficult to get loans in the current economy. Hopefully, 2009 will be our year. as long as we can stay together, mostly happy and healthy, I guess it is all good.

I hope 2009 is good to all of you.

I did it again.

I signed up for two Love Quilt squares.

And yes, that is in addition to assembling the Quilt for the First Grade class project.

No I don't know what is wrong with me.

And don't get me started on how many new Chatelaines and even some HAED's plus all my WIPs and SWIPs are calling my name.

Apparently I think that there is an entire extra year in 2009.

So maybe it will be once a month

Wow. First grade is really keeping us on our toes here. She has homework and between that, karate and Chas's work season starting up, I've had precious little stitching or blogging time. I'll try to do better, but wow, I make no promises.

I managed to do a little at the Chatelaine Stitching Olympics. I managed to reach two of my over 15 goals. Of course I set lots of goals so that if my attention wanders, I'm still working on a project. But I did manage to earn a silver medal, so hooray me.

I finished one of those everlasting crane medallions on Japanese Garden. I decided to stitch the entire medallion over one, instead of part over one and part over two as charted. I think the finished product looks beautiful, but good heavens it takes ages to do. One down, *erp* three more to go. I hope to finish this some day. I will say that completing one medallion really inspired me to do the rest of them. I have started the second medallion, I'm going to try to do most of the black first to see if that causes the single stitches to lay better. Stormy said not to wait until the end to finish the medallions, boy was she right. I think I would be completely discouraged if that was the only part I had remaining. Somehow, now that one is done, doing the remaining three is not as intimidating since I can mix it with stitching other parts too.

I also managed to to finish the corner ornaments in the Tree of Hope. I love this design. I love stitching trees. I want to find a silk sub for the 3371 in the tree itself, but meanwhile, I'll resume focusing on the silk bits of the tree. Love it, love it, love it. I love all my Chatelaines really.

I also stitched a bit on Watergarden, the Christmas Mandala (freebie) and Polar Lights during the CSO. I am still being good and not joining all the classes screaming at me. I still want a house and I'm staying focused on that. Of course, I have roughly four or five unstarted Chatelaines. Hmmm quick count:

St Petersburg
Celtic
Midi Mysteries 2 and 3
Autumn
Stitching Leporello
Japanese Octagon Box
Illuminated Medieval Sampler
Christmas Mystery (can't remember which one though)

Okay, more than I thought. So really, I don't need to buy any more--darling husband would concur. I have the stuff to start the Leporello, JOB and Autumn right now if I wished. And I could start either of the Midi Mysteries if I made a fabric decision from my stash. I want to join some classes, but I should really finish something first. I'll probably grab the latest Midi before December so that I can maintain my set, but I will exercise restraint beyond that.

This month I've been focusing on Angie's tooth fairy pillow and on the Frog Prince 3 by HAED. A little Angie centric, but that's okay. I want to start one of the Lisa Victoria dragons in my stash and a Sara Butcher design is begging to be started too. I'm also thinking about doing some humbugs for the Holiday Store at school. I have a wedding present that is over due and some Halloween gifties that need to be finished. And I'm wondering if I should make a dress for Angie to wear in the holiday concert and if so, I should start it now so that there is a chance I'll finish it.

I'm full of ideas--I just need to start and finish a few.

Goals: Finish it February

I had lots of nice starts for my Guilt Free January and no finishes. Not even a little ornament. Sigh. The new computer system at work and some illnesses at home dissolved my stitching time by the end of the month, but here is what I managed to accomplish in January:

Started:

1. Hope Perches
2. Colored Pencils
3. Have a Cup of Cheer
4. Polar Lights
5. Purple Passion in a Bag
6. Happy Holidays

Stitched one HAED QS SAL and also during the HAED Challenge SAL.

I thought there were more starts, but maybe that was just wishful thinking. I'm a little disappointed because I had hoped to be in double digits with new projects. I still feel a few new starts percolating, but they may wait until March Madness.

For Finish it February, my goals are to finish:

1. the DMC and NPI sections of WG
2. the first blipping crane medallion of JG (can you tell it is starting to drive me crazy?)
3. Amethyst mystery (really)
4. the Christmas tree mini mandala
5. the tooth fairy pillow (Angie has a wobbly tooth and I'll be finishing the pillow once I actually start it)
6. All of DMC 300 on the current page of my HAED challenge project
7. Colored Pencils by Scandinavian Stitches
8. A Christmas ornament
9. Charting Angie's classmates' names

Excessively ambitious as always. We all know I'll probably throw in something else entirely, but let's all pretend I'll be sticking to this list.

Lots of Little Pictures

I managed some quick scanning today! Still no photo of Midi yet though (sorry). I don't think I've posted photos since early November so you can go to the Ornie Blog and see my November ornaments (December will have to wait for my digital camera though). Here you can see my Progress on the HAED Challenge project after the November SAL. Just a tiny bit of progress in the upper right corner. I took a break from it in December so that I could finish Midi and work on ornaments. I think I was a bit burned out on the colors, which are similar to Midi, and are prevalent in QS Frog Prince 3. All the same, what you see is the result of 11 months of SAL participation. I'm hoping to complete another 2 and a half pages for 2008. It should be a little easier once I finish page two, which is a bit complicated.

The remaining scans are from my new WIPs, discussed yesterday. No new starts yesterday--Saturdays are tremendously busy for Chas. Although he works from home, he is glued to his computer and the t.v. all day (and yes, he truly loves his job) so I am busy chasing and entertaining the kids--fun, but very little stitching time for me.

This is Hope Perches. It was the first new project of this year because I wanted to start with some hope. I am using Thread Gatherer silks instead of the recommended fibers on 32 Count Pussywillow Lugana by Sugar Maple Fabrics (SMF). I hope Tanya doesn't mind the substitutions. It's even prettier in real life and I feel happy just stitching it.

Next is Colored Pencils which is being stitched on 32 count Daffodil Lugana by SMF. This will be a teacher gift for Angie's kindergarten teacher. On the first day of school, her teacher mentioned that her favorite color is yellow so searched my stash for a nice yellow to use instead of the cream linen that came with the kit. I am using the Danish Flower Thread that came in the kit and it stitches nicely. Then again, I am one of those strange people who really loves perle threads, whether silk or cotton or something else. I'm excited about how I'm going to finish it which helps me stay motivated--it is a little dull stitching the same shape over and over again (the design is twelve differently colored pencils arranged horizontally and vertically).

This is the start of Have a Cup of Cheer. The fabric is a lovely piece from a Dinky Dye limited edition pack. It's very cheerful on it's own and I found some festive skeins of Six Strand Sweets since it is a choose your own design. I mentioned frogging it and starting over on a different fabric, but on second thought, I think I like how this looks. Any thoughts? The fabric color is fairly true, but the cotton threads are a bit brighter in reality. I'm not sure how I will finish it, or even if I can finish it in time for the competition, but this is another one that just makes me happy to stitch.

Finally, if the other projects make me happy to stitch, this one makes me delirious with joy. It's Polar Lights by Chatelaine. The scan is a little dark and I couldn't tinker with it to get it right, so just imagine this, only a little lighter. I have had the chart for over a year and the fabric for over two years and I've slowly been acquiring the supplies. I'm still missing a few Weeks Dye Works, but I was so eager to start this now I figured that it wouldn't matter--I only need some of the darker blues and purples and I will have everything thing except the Mill Hill Treasures. The Fabric is SMF Shimmering Lilac Lane and in real life it is perfect. I am a little worried about the creases, but I'll just do my best to fix them. I'm sure that once I spend some quality time stitching on it, the creases will disappear.

I may not be able to start anything new until tomorrow, but I have two projects bagged up for my lunch break. Thanks to Janet, I have a more coherent diagram for the nun stitch, but I'm still not sure how it will work for the Autumn bellpull. I also have a Purple Passion in a Bag (thanks to a trade with Nicki last year) lined up and found a great diagram for a palestrina knot and I'm eager to try it. I'm also thinking about starting Graceful Lady for my Mom because it has far less backstitching and color changes than the Japanese Angel, which is lovely, but frustrating. Finally, I hesitate to say this because I may jinx myself, but I'm thinking about starting Paradigm Lost by Long Dog. I wanted to stitch it on 36 count, but I don't have any. Then I hit upon a color scheme I think will be great and I have some 32 count linen that will work. I toyed with the idea of doing it over one, but it would be too small. I just don't know what I will do. I may do floss tosses and post some more pictures, or I may just dive right in.

I don't have any unstarted Chatelaine Mandalas or I would start one (I'm awful I know). I think the only other Chatelaines unstarted are the Stitching Leporello, the Japanese Octoganal Box, the Illuminated Medieval Manuscript,Christmas Mystery 3 and Midis 2 and 3. No wait, I'm wrong: I have St. Petersburg unstarted, but I missing most of the supplies and I'm in Mystery XI, but I only have a few fibers. I'd love to start the Leporello, but I don't have enough fabric. I could start the JOB because I have everything I need, but I'm not sure it would be so satisfying to stitch all those black boxes. Not sure what I will do but I think I will allow myself one more Chatelaine start in addition to Autumn. Goodness I have a lot of Chatelaines.

Janet has asked a few times for my secret. I don't have one except that I do try to stitch whenever I can and I try to stitch for even a few minutes each day. Sometimes I feel like I'm going at a snails pace (at some point I will show you my plodding progress on the crane medallion in JG), but at least it is some progress.

Is anyone else stating the new year with new starts? I highly encourage you to start something new. I love that moment when the project actually starts. It is a wonderful feeling and the time away from current WIPS makes them feel fresh and new again too.

I Start, Therefore I Am.

I have attempted a new start everyday of this new year. The serial starter in me is giddy with the joy of multiple new projects.

January 1: Hope Perches by The Sampler Girl (Love it)
January 2: Colored Pencils by Scandinavian Stitches (my first use of Danish Flower Thread--nice) I figured that I should start my teacher gift now so that it is actually finished by the end of this school year. I want to avoid the stressful debacle that was the ornaments.
January 3: Polar Lights by Chatelaine (I try very hard not to squeal with delight every time I put in a new stitch I'm so excited to start this project finally)
January 4: Have a Cup of Cheer by the Sampler Girl (I think I'm going to frog it and start it on a different fabric--so two starts for the price of one!)

And no guilt yet!

No scans as I haven't had time to operate the scanner (unclutter it really). I'm sneaking this post in quickly before Chas has to start working in a few hours.

I attempted to start Autumn by Chatelaine on my lunch, but I've never done a nun stitch and the chart doesn't seem to have a diagram for it. At home I searched for nun stitch diagrams on the Internet, but after looking at several, I still don't fathom it at all. Since I'm not actually finishing this as a bellpull, I may just use a satin stitch instead and be done with it.

I have a few other new starts lined up and I'm contemplating a HAED start but don't know which project I want to use. Nothing is really screaming at me to start, but I'm generally thinking about either Found or Pirate Dragon by Lisa Victoria or maybe the QS for Fireflies on Parade by Stacy Tippin. Or maybe if I want to start a big HAED, I'll go with Bedtime Tales by Lisa Victoria. I'm tempted to start a new Teresa Wentzler and maybe an M Designs chart, perhaps a few other big things. We'll see--I don't think it is possible to have 31 new starts this month.

I'm having a good time. Can you tell?

Contemplating a Guilt-Free January...

I'm trying to be oh so good and not purchase any new charts this year.

So I think my guilt free January will involve new starts. Serial starter me did not actually start any big projects last year so I may just go wild and start bunches of things. Bunches.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007: Year of the WIP Review

Well back in January, I declared that I would be a WIP slayer and I set some goals for myself. So let us see how well I did (try not to chuckle too loudly).

Of the WIPS and UFOS I had specifically identified as finishing, I managed to finish only Midi 1, Snow Crystal, QS Ballet Pigs and Stretch. Not bad, but I had hoped for more progress. Of course, I did bring a tiny life into the world and he certainly kept me hopping this year, so four finishes isn't terrible.

Of my proposed new starts, I only actually started the Mystery HAED project and ornaments each month. For a serial starter that is just fantastic.

I managed to stitch at least one ornament for every ornament SAL and I stitched during eleven of the twelve HAED Challenge SALs.

As 2007 closes, I have finished 23 projects of my first 25 project challenge.

I had 29 happy dances this year and that is so much better than the measly three from 2006. I think I am up for more SALs and goal setting to keep me motivated. I completed 18 ornaments and 11 other projects. Of those 11, only the Love Quilt Square, Tea with Jane and the Halloween Tuffet were new starts, so eight finishes is attributable to WIP slaying.

Of things projects not finished, I put needle and thread to fabric in all the projects I had hoped to finish so at least progress was made.

I'm pleased with what I was able to accomplish. A few more big finishes would have been good, but, there is always next year!

Done and Dusted.

I am pleased to announce that Midi 1 is complete as of December 25, 2007. My beloved husband allowed me roughly 42 minutes of stitching time last night to finish the final jessica windows, bottom border beads and all the bi cones.

I wish I could say that I am thrilled at the moment but it feels a bit anticlimactic at the moment. Maybe because I've been struggling to finish her for the last three months. I just have an overwhelming sense of, "Finally!" and a deep sigh of relief that at least one of my big projects will not be carrying over into 2008.

No photos right now. I didn't take a picture at work today (it's usually too dark when I return home in the evening for a decent picture so I take photos on my lunch break. She is lovely and I am looking forward to showing her to you.

I'm working on a few ornaments at the moment (well obviously I'm typing now but your get the idea). They are for Angie's teachers--how tacky is it that I didn't finish them before the break (be honest, I'm actually soliciting your opinions). We did contribute to the group gift for the teachers so we didn't completely ignore them, but I just wanted to make them something as well to show how much I appreciate their work with my daughter. I'm also trying to stitch ornaments for Kian and Angie. Right now I feel that I'm in ornament purgatory and stitching is losing my love at present.

I would have liked to have completed my twenty five project challenge this year, but I suppose I will endure if I don't finish the last few projects until the new year. Poor Amethyst is languishing for the want of a few crystals. Perhaps she'll be the first finish of the new year. With Midi complete I am pondering a new start, or should I just focus on another WIP and knock it out as well?

It's the end of one year and the start of another so I'm contemplating goal setting very soon. 2007 was very successful as I can see many finishes in the sidebar--especially when compared to my paltry three finishes in 2006. The goal setting and this blog have been enormously helpful in motivating me. I'll try to maintain both in the coming year.

I'm wondering if I should add other tricks to my stitching repertoire to fool myself into finishing more projects:

Should I use some variation of Nicki's one motif per week?
Should I have a focus piece?
Should I try a regular SAL on one project (yes Nicki is a huge inspiration to me)?
Should my next challenge be larger or smaller?
Should make 2008 my Stitch from my stash year?
Do I craft a new rotation? (and can my serial starting ways allow me to stick to it?)

I have lots of ideas tumbling around in my brain, we'll see where I land in a few days. I might try to mix it up a little bit to maintain my excitement about stitching.

Just some stitching

Here it is in all its glory: the first page in my HAED SAL Challenge project. I have bits started on the second and sixth pages too. I think I can get through at least two more SAL's before I need to grid more fabric.

I'm almost looking forward to the second page with the confetti stitching after spending eight months on the nearly solid blocks of color on page 1. I never realized how close in color DMC 300 and 400 are.

I wonder how long it will take me to stitch this page.

Regardless this is a landmark for me--this is the first page I've completed on a full size HAED chart.

I've been stitching on Frog Prince 3 for Angie. I have finished much of the girl's face and some of her hair. I'll post a scan of that soon too. I need to switch to other things if I hope to put needle to fabric in all the August projects. I was hoping to have Tina's book finished this weekend so that my mom (who will be here tomorrow) can take it to her. However, we spent last week in a flurry of activity trying to get Angie's supplies for Kindergarten. We still need to get her to the Dentist and have him complete the necessary form, but I think I've finished everything else. We received the bus information today. It only confirmed my intention to have Chas drive her to school. If she bused, she would get on the bus at 6:30 a.m. and be transported to another school to make a connecting bus at 7:25 a.m., which would then take her to her school by 8:00 a.m. Maybe when she's older, but I don't want my daydreamy child transferring buses just yet. That just seems like a disaster waiting to happen.

I've also been bad. I started a new small project. I didn't mean to, but I saw a cute freebie yesterday that begged to be stitched. I had the perfect Dinky Dye fibers for it and I finally found a purpose for the 36 count Silkweaver solo I purchased two years ago. I hope to finish it this month and will post photos when its done. This also takes my complete WIP/SWIP/UFO total to 42. Since that is the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything, I feel good about my new start.

I know I am an unrepentant, unrestrained serial starter, but at least I have lots of fun things to stitch.

It's good to have options, don't you think?

The 1, 2, 3's of Inspiration and Restraint

I don't have photos of Tina's book yet. I needed a few more supplies and picked one of them up today. I'm following Judy Odell's instructions for GTK because I want it to be a book rather than just a flat fold stand up. I find the instructions a little intimidating, but perhaps it's clearer when you are actually doing it. I've read them through a few times and I'm still not sure I can pull this off. Cross the fingers on your non-stitching hand that I'm successful.

The inspiration in three parts:

1. I've been planning something for a dear friend for a few years now. It's gone through some design changes a few times--primarily because I tossed the first color scheme (something about blue...). Now I can't seem to find the parts I drafted (on several, separate sheets of paper) pre-fire. I was daydreaming recently and I realized that this design by Teresa Wentzler almost perfectly matches the colors in my friend's home. I could personalize it and it would be better than anything I could dream up on my own. We'll see what she thinks.

2. I think I've found the perfect Delicas for the Amethyst Mystery. Now I just need to order the Swarovskis and I can finish a Chatelaine.

3. I finally finished the first page of my HAED Challenge SAL piece. That feels like a major happy dance all on its own. Now I just have 14 pages remaining. At this rate, I will finish stitching in 9.3 years. Sad to say that won't even make it one of my longest running WIPs.

Now for restraint:

1. I have not purchased Pompeii yet. AND, I have almost convinced myself to wait until Martina releases it as a chartpack. Almost. I know there is still time for me to cave and join the group, but so far, I'm behaving.

2. The HAED BB is having a new start SAL at the end of this month. I was tempted to the point that I perused the HAED charts in my stash and narrowed my choices to five. Then I settled on Bedtime Tales by Lisa Victoria for Kian. However, I have been finding more WIPS, SWIPS AND UFOS, as I have rummaged through my stash looking for supplies. I think the list on the side is complete and that total is over 40. I can't justify starting another big project until I finish a few of the designs on my list, some of which are so close to completion that I find it appalling they aren't done. I think most of them were abandoned after I erred and had frogged a bit.

The fact that it would conflict with the ornament SAL helped my decision.

And I was really hoping for a background only SAL, which appears to be unlikely, since the bb said the next special SAL would be a holiday SAL. Anyone want to do a HAED background only SAL with me?

3. There are a few really good sales right now in the ons world. I'm limiting myself to just acquiring supplies for Midi 3 and Polar Lights, both will be started likely in mid to late September. It depends almost entirely on when the supplies arrive.

I am allowing myself some new (big) starts (excluding ornaments for the monthly SALs and a few other smallish designs I'm toying with stitching) in the next few months:

Midi 3--because no-one is posting on that forum at the bb or at the Yahoo Group. I love this series and I want to see it continue.

Polar Lights--It's been in the stash too long. If I finish Amethyst, I'll let myself start Polar Lights.

1814 Butterfly Collection--I plan to stitch this for the Houston Holocaust Museum's Butterfly Project once I have completed my Love quilt piece.

Bedtime Tales--Even though I won't be starting it for the SAL, it will likely be the next HAED I start. I'm working on Bedtime Story for Angie so I think I ought to work on a big design for Kian as well. Of course, I really ought put some stitching time on Bedtime Story--see why I don't actually need any new starts?

And do you see why I am the Grand Poobah of the Serial Starters?

My Fingers Feel Itchy

I want to start St. Petersburg by Chatelaine. It is ginormous project and I have the perfect fabric for it. I don't have nearly all the necessary fibers or beads. I don't actually have the threads for the first part.

I also want to start the Stitching Leporello, although I haven't completely settled whether I'm using the antique white from the kit or something with a bit of color.

I also hear the Japanese Octagon Box calling me. I have everything I need for it and I can stitch it in nice little chunks.

Of course, I also want to start Polar Lights--it will be a kind of wedding piece for Chas and I. I think I'll try the two motifs a week used by Nicki in her Tocatta SAL. I still need a few more Weeks Dye Works though.

Then again, I'd really love to start Midi 3 and keep up with it. I'm not sure I want to use the antique white fabric. I'm leaning toward a blue, but I think Breeze by SMF (which I have on hand) will be too much. I have some of the fibers, but I need more to make a good decision.

What I really don't need is another major new start.

I really ought to finish a Chatelaine before starting one (or five others).

I'm such a goof

I completly forgot that I finished another ornament last month during the SAL. I also failed to show you the ornies done in April and May. (Do you see a theme?) That makes my 25 project challenge total 11 instead of 10. So I need to finish two more designs and I can purchase a limited edition chart. I'm debating whether it will be Chatelaine's Castle Sampler, Chatelaine's Hertage Sampler or Nora Corbett's Thanksgiving Fairy (she seems unpopular on the boards, but being a November baby, I kind of like her).

In other stitching news, I stitched a tiny bit on Midi 1 Sunday night. I only have a bit more regular cross stitching to do (the lady and the greenery in her basket). Then I'll do the remaining special stitches and beading. In revising my goals, I hope to have it done by the end of September.

I'm hoping that I can finish three Chatelaines this year: Midi 1, Tree of Hope
and Water Garden. I would love to finish the Japanese Garden too, but I think that stitching the crane medallions entirely over one will slow me down quite a bit.

Finally, I signed up to stitch for Love Quilts (thus maintaining my serial starter status). My friend Cathy does lots of good work with her crocheting and I feel bad that my primary hobby, while lovely, creates nothing useful or practical (needlebooks are great, but few people really need them the way they require a decent blanket or baby hat). I'm very excited to make something to brighten a child's day. It's due in October so I'm reasonably certain that I can make that deadline.

Stay tuned

Sorry for the absences. I really have been trying to take it easy lately. Having a baby at 37 is far different from having one at 32. I imagine I would have had more energy in my twenties, but I know I wasn't ready for a child then. So here I am, easily tired, definitely tired of being told how big this kid is going to be (by everyone but my doctor), and suddenly realizing that we need to get a few more things done before the baby is born.

However, I may be announcing a name soon. We've found a couple names that seem to be sticking. At the very least, neither name has been rejected within a few days. It's difficult because we had the perfect names for Angie almost immediately. We haven't had an "AHA! That's it!" moment this time around. We were discussing it this evening and the reality is that this is probably our last child, and we want the name to be just right. Still, I think we've found some names with which we can be happy. Stay tuned.

With the realization that the baby will be here soon, we've started diligently looking for some necessities: car seat, co-sleeper, breast pump. This weekend we went shopping for the car seat and I finally purchased the seat, spare base and stroller on line. I think we are more savvy shoppers with this pregnancy than we were for Angie. The car seat came yesterday and the stroller arrived today. We agree that this set is far cooler than the one we purchased for Angie.

Next will be the co-sleeper. Since we moved our room to the front of the house, we don't have much space for a regular bassinet. Additionally, just in case I have to have a c-section again, using a co-sleeper will be easier for me move the baby for nighttime feedings.

I've been making lots of silly mistakes lately. Goofy stuff like putting cases at the wrong times in the written calendar, writing the next court date as the current court date in my orders, and forgetting to do things two seconds after the coordinator asked me about them. She turned to me and said, "This has been one heck of a ride lately!" then giggled. Lucky for me she has a sense of humor. We were talking last week and determined that in the 30 years she's been at the Court, I'm the first jurist to whom she has been assigned who was pregnant. She says my ditziness is rubbing off on her too. Next week is my rotation at the Detention Center, so maybe she'll have a little recovery time and normalcy without me.

Not much has been happening otherwise, some Angie things, which will go on her blog, and some stitchery, which will be posted here soon. This weekend is the Ornament SAL and I'm really looking forward to it. I can pick up the two ornaments I started at the end of the last SAL and maybe even squeeze in another ornament too! I'll go pull the projects to take to work as soon as I'm done posting. I've also started a new project to keep my Serial Starter status going strong. It's one of the Brittercup designs. I saw it and thought it would be perfect for a friend. After only three nights, it's looking good. I'll do a stitchy post tomorrow with more details and some pictures.

Blogger is also telling me that I will be required to switch to new blogger the next time I log in. It may take me a while to sort out this new system so bear with me. Just wondering, is anyone else amused by the fact that the word "blog" is not in Blogger's spell checker?