Photos, SBQ, miscellany...

Yet another catch-all kind of entry...seems to be my norm lately!

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I've gotten a couple finishes logged this past week, but I can show only one of them at the moment...the other is for my partner in the Stitching Bloggers Birthday Club exchange group and I'll share it eventually...just not yet! I will say that I'm thrilled that the new-to-me finish I used on it turned out pretty good. :-)

The one that I can show is Part 5 of the Checkerboard Mystery SAL. I was sorely behind on this one after the first week of working on it, but I worked on it during my multi-hour Mother's Day Stitch-a-thon. I would have finished it up but I ran out of a the blue needed for the sky, so had to put it away. Last week I got to Hobby Lobby and picked up the needed skein, so I pulled it out Saturday night (a day early...my rotation has been off for the past couple of weeks), finished up the bees in the bee hive block and the sky in the last block and voila! Part 5 is completed, and a week early at that! Now I'm all ready for Part 6 whenever Maryse releases it.

Another "finish" of sorts - my Fair and Square Independence Day exchange is all packaged up and ready to be mailed! I picked up the last of the extra goodies over the course of last week and I got it all enveloped and addressed this morning. It'll head on its way to April in Illinois either Tuesday or Wednesday, whichever day I get a chance to get to the post office. *I* like what I stitched, and I hope April does as well! I'll share pictures once I know she's received it.

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Now for some update photos...

Here we have the 2nd side of the Just Nan Christmas biscornu. My apologies for the creases and shadows...I need to refold the fabric so it's not folded right in the middle of the design.

This part has given me fits so far. Not because it's hard, but because apparently the whole counted concept of counted cross stitch has eluded me. I've been having issues with simple 1-2-3, a skill that most 5 year olds can handle with no problems. *sigh* But fortunately I prevailed (frogged, re-stitched, frogged the re-stitching, re-stitched for a 2nd time...and a 3rd time...) and it's all good now...I think. :-)

I'm sticking with the same thing I did with the first side - stitch all sections of a color before moving on to the next color. I'm done with the 3 pinks - with the exception of the backstitched year, but that has to wait until I get some of the greens done - and I'm in the midst of the white.

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And here is the latest on Coq au Pins. I'm over halfway done with the chicken now. I just love working on this! I have to force myself to put it away.

On a somewhat related topic...I saw the Christmas chicken this past weekend at a LNS where my parents live. MUST. HAVE. CHRISTMAS. CHICKEN. I love the design, I love the colors, and I love the little tray piece that goes with it.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think my mom may be getting it for me for Christmas. :-)

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May 14, 2008 - For seasoned stitchers: Define a stitching term or acronym for newstitchers. For newbies: What stitching term or acronym would you like defined?

The permalink to this post is:http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/05/sbq-stitch-speak/

Since this one has been out for almost a week and has been answered quite a bit, I'm sure there's nothing new I could contribute...but I'll answer anyway:

BAP = big a$$ project/piece
WIP = work in progress
SEX = stash enhancement experience (kind of interesting when you don't know it refers to stitching and you read "I had some great SEX this weekend...")
LNS = local needlework shop
ONS = online needlework shop

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Topic of the Week for the week of May 12, 2008:

Which of these do you prefer to use when stitching? Why? Hoop frames, Q-snap frames, Laptop/Tabletop stand, Needlework Stand

Depends on the project. For most of my pieces, I use a combination of Q-Snaps and my lap frame. I prefer Q-Snaps to hoops and I like the lap frame to hold my Q-Snaps so I don't get a funky kink in my wrist, plus it allows for 2-handed stitching. If it's small - like an ornament or other small piece - I'll stitch in-hand. Some little pieces don't fit in Q-Snaps and it's actually easier to just stitch in hand. For certain larger pieces, I use my all-in-one scroll frame lap stand. Like the Q-Snap with the lap frame, this holds the scroll frame up for me so I don't kill my wrist and allows for 2-handed stitching.

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Well, our summer vacation has begun. The Tot's last day of preschool (ever...*sniff sniff*) was last Thursday. It was kind of emotional for everyone...The Tot doesn't want to leave her friends or her teachers, I can't believe my kiddo will be in Kindergarten next year...even her teachers were a bit teary-eyed saying good-bye to the kiddos at pick-up time. I'll admit it's nice to be able to sleep in a bit and not have to get out 4 times a week (especially with gas prices soaring like they are!!!)...but then again, I'm sure it won't be long before I start hearing "Mommy, what can I do? I want to do something fun...". Even though my goal is to not drive as much as possible, I'll have to get the girls (and myself!) out of the house probably at least once a week. Thankfully we have a couple nice parks and a really good library in the nearby town.

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If I don't get a chance between now and then...enjoy your Memorial Day weekend! Unfortunately I won't enjoy mine...we've been "summoned" to the IL's because SIL will be in town for her birthday and "wants to see the girls", plus the shower for The Hubby's cousin (mentioned at the bottom of this entry) has been planned for this weekend. I'm already experiencing an upset stomach and headaches in anticipation of having to be around these people, and I'm wondering how I'll be totally screwed over during this visit. *sigh* And to make it even worse, The Tot will be missing a birthday party for one of her close friends from preschool. Oh...and it's going to cost us about $200 in gas alone to make this trip. I can think of a bunch of things I'd rather spend $200 on, but of course I get no say in it. *sigh* What a fun holiday weekend for me, huh?

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OK, enough of that...

I better scoot here and get a few things done before The Hubby comes home. Thanks for stopping by and for your comments...much appreciated! Hope your week is off to a great start!

Playing catch-up again...

A couple Topics of the Week, an SBQ...why can I not keep up with these things?

Here we go:

Topic of the Week April 28, 2008: Share a photo...and a little info...of yourself as a child

OK, I don't have a photo. Most of the photos of me as a child are at my parents' house, and the handful that I do have here are located in a box somewhere. So I slack and have no photo.

As for the info...I was a typical little girl growing up in the 1980's. I loved horses and animals, took dance lessons, played soccer, was in Girl Scouts, wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up...and I was also *painfully* shy. Not around friends or people I knew, but put me in a situation where I was with strangers and I could not socialize. This annoying little deal carried on until I went away to college and literally had to force myself to mingle with the strangers.

There you have it...I've been normally typical my whole life! ;-)


Topic of the Week May 5, 2008: How did you choose the name for your blog? Is there a special reason behind it? Please share.

I know I've answered this before, but instead of looking for the link, I'll just answer it again.

My blog title - The Stitching Hour - is a play on words of the witching hour. When I got back to stitching a few years ago, each night as I was preparing to stitch, I would tell my husband that it was the stitching hour...trying to be corny and punny. When I set this blog up a couple years ago, that was the first name that popped into my head, so it became The Stitching Hour.

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This week's SBQ was suggested by Jennifer:

Do you have any pieces that you would liked passed on to future
generations as family heirlooms?

The permalink to this post is: http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/04/sbq-heirlooms/

There are a few pieces that come to mind: our wedding piece, the girls' birth announcements, the first haircut pieces (still need to make one for The Little Tot), my Alphabet Sampler Book...probably some more, but my mind is mush and I can't think at the moment.

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The rear-view picture of The Little Dog from yesterday...I played around with it a bit:

:-)

Nothing fancy, as I had to use Microsoft Paint because we don't have Photoshop (although I would love to have it!). Nonetheless, it's quite fitting, I think.

I'm sure The Little Dog would be thrilled to know that I'm plastering his rear all over the Internet. At least his butt's not too big, unlike a lot of Dachshunds I come across.

(and I'm wondering what kind of weird search topics will link to this entry...all this talk about dog butts and rear-view pictures...LOL)

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Have a good weekend!

And the other stuff...

...starting with a meme that was passed along to me by Ruth:

A) List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
B) Tag seven people to do the same.
C) Do not tag the person who tagged you or tag "whoever wants to do it."

1. If I don't like a food, I will. not. try it, no matter who made it or how much time they put into it or whatever. Not just a bite, not just a little taste. I figure I'm old enough to not be forced to eat something if I don't want to!

2. Within the past year, I discovered the joy that is pecan pie. I had never eaten so much as a bite of pecan pie until last summer, and now it's one of my favorite pies. (no, the not eating pecan pie has nothing to do with my first quirk...)

3. I can't dangle any appendage over the side of my bed. I know there is nothing that would grab it, but I guess I've seen too many movies where there is something under a bed that would grab a dangling arm or leg. My silly brain will just not allow a dangling appendage.

4. I can't really enjoy a meal unless my kitchen is somewhat cleaned up from preparing that meal. I have to clean up some of the mess before I can sit down and eat (soaking pots or pans are an exception, but even those bug me a little).

5. I still have my childhood Lovey...a thermal baby blanket. When I'm upset or worrying about something, I snuggle up with that blanket. And during allergy season, I use it to prop up my head a bit so I can breathe better. So I guess I can say that I still sleep with my security blanket. :-)

6. I have to have my toenails polished at all times. Even in the dead of winter when no one sees my feet. I just can't have bare toenails...it bugs me.

7. I can't stand being in sock feet. Either I'm barefoot or have slippers over my socks. I can't walk around with just socks on. Doesn't matter if the floor is clean enough to eat off of, I have to either take my socks off or put slippers on.


As for tagging...I'm going to break one of the rules above and say that anyone who sees this and feels like answering it, consider yourself tagged. I know this has made the rounds lately and I can't remember who's been tagged and who's not been tagged.

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And a couple SBQ's...

April 10: Suggested byJennifer:

What is the most complicated piece you've ever completed?

The permalink to this post is:http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/04/sbq-complications/

Hmm...I don't know that anything has been super complicated. The wedding piece I did a couple years ago required my close attention, with frequent color changes in a good portion of the design, but it wasn't really complicated. And I've done a couple BAP's that were large, but not complicated. So I guess my formal answer is that I've not tackled anything that can be deemed "complicated".


April 23: Suggested by Christine:

How do you handle blended threads? Do you kit the blends up before youstart a piece, or do you grab what colors you need and blend when the need arises? If you kit up the blends beforehand, how do you store them? Do you have another option for blends to share?

The permalink to this post is:http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/04/sbq-blends/

I pull the blended threads as I need them. I'll cut the 2 (or more) different floss colors to the same length, pull however many strands I need, then stitch the blended section. If I have any blended lengths left over, I'll keep them separate and label them (if possible) for future use in the project.

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And last week's Topic of the Week: What's your favorite guilty pleasure?

I guess I'm going to say my stitching. Every night after the girls are in bed, I stitch. I don't do laundry or housework or anything else...I stitch. That is my time to unwind from the day and relax and do something for ME without someone else saying they need this or need that or want this or want that.

Now of course if someone is sick, or if I'm trying to get laundry/cleaning done for a special occasion (company coming, someone going out of town, etc.) I will suspend my stitching...but I usually try to get that kind of thing done during the day so I can have my evenings for me.

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And that concludes the list of items I needed to blog about. Took me 3 entries to get through it all, but it's done. Now I shall go into hiding for awhile, seeing as how I'm sure everyone's tired of my blathering. :-)

Stitching updates, SBQ, and more...

Couple of photo updates:

First up is the latest view of Santa Sampler, as of the end of Tuesday night's session. This one is quite detailed, with lots of color changes, so it's slow going. I've gotten all the x-stitches done on this part, but I've still got a lot of backstitching to do - sitting Santa, all the toys, the holly and the Santa in the center (and that center Santa has TONS and TONS on that beard...). I started this one back in October 2006 and if I'm lucky, I'll finish it sometime before October of 2106. Can't have a 100-year WIP, now, can I?

I know the photo is a slight bit blurry, but this was on the only photo that showed off the sparkly fabric. I just love opalescent fabric, especially on Christmas designs. I need to scour eBay and see if I can find some more opalescent fabric deals...

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And here is my newest start, the Just Nan 2007 Christmas biscornu. This one will be my ornament for this year, plus I'll be making another one for my mom (eventually).

I put the first stitches in on Monday night (no Monopoly this week...I'd gotten a late start at stitching and didn't have enough time to drag Monopoly out) and added some more on Wednesday night. I'm trying to stitch all the areas of each color before moving to a different color, but I cheated a bit and added the purple and maroon/red before I really should have. I'm such a rebel, huh? :-)

(sorry about the stray green thread...I didn't notice it until I was editing the photo)

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This week's SBQ was suggested by
Terri and is:

What items do you consider essential to your needlework that you keep
in your stitching bag?

The permalink to this post is:
http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/04/sbq-the-essentials/

My stitching essentials are mainly my scissors, a light source (I have a little daylight lamp for travel), my needleminder, and my Bucket, AKA my ort collector. Other items that get a lot of use, but not necessarily for every single project, are my Q-Snaps, magnet board and stand, tweezers, dololly, marking pins, and lap stand.

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For the past couple of weeks, I've been saying I needed a hair cut/trim. My hair is VERY fine (not thin, just fine) and if it gets too long, it starts to look stringy and grubby, even when it's freshly washed. I got to thinking back and realized the last time I had my hair cut was in August. Yikes. Time to get serious about a hair cut!

I went shopping with my mom and the girls yesterday, and while we were out, I decided to go to the hair cut place in the mall to get a trim. Long story short, I got 5½ inches cut off my hair! Wowzers! It's a bit shorter than I'd envisioned - it's right at my shoulders - but I like it. Besides, it's just hair and it'll grow back out soon enough. I can still get it in a ponytail, and seeing as how I have more ponytail days than not, that's what's really important...LOL!

We'll see how long it takes The Hubby to notice...

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Another shopping mention...the Ben Franklin store where my parents live is going out of business, and yesterday was their first sale day. We decided to check it out and see if there were any good deals to be had.

I can see why they're going out of business - their prices are HIGH! For example, DMC floss...I was going to use this opportunity to stock up on some colors that I was running low on. Their regular price is 39¢ a skein (!!!!)...with the 20% discount, that makes it 31¢ a skein. Ummm, Hobby Lobby has it for 25¢ a skein at their regular price, and Michael's and JoAnn's run even better sales every so often. So Ben Franklin's sale really wasn't. Bummer. They'll keep dropping the prices until they close in May, so hopefully I can catch a good deal on floss sometime between now and then.

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Quick update on Dog...she's doing well. I noticed she's filling out a bit and not looking so thin. I suppose having access to food twice a day will help like that! I've been letting her out to run and stretch her legs as often as possible, and on days when she gets out a lot, she's not so jumpy and nutty-crazy. And she's making a good watch dog. Someone came to the house to pick up some Freecycle stuff, and when she heard the car in the driveway, she started barking. Not a "hi, hello, come see me" kind of a bark, it was a "hey! what do you want" kind of bark. The Little Dog is quite the noise-maker himself (read: as a Dachshund, if he's awake, he's barking), but if it came down to it, he'd be more likely to pee all over an intruder rather than actually protect the house. Who knows, Dog may not be very effective as a defender, but at least she sounds like she would be. :-)

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Okey-doke...The Little Kiddo is waking up from her nap and is probably wanting some lunch, so I better scoot. Thanks for stopping by and for leaving your comments...all are much appreciated! Have a Happy Thursday! :-)

Yup, it's a Monday...

Today has been a very Monday kind of Monday. Both girls and both dogs have been absolutely wacky and it's been one of those "Calgon, take me AWAY!!!" days.

First of all, The Tot seems to have forgotten all previously-known rules of the house and has gone deaf. That combination led to her leaving the door open, allowing The Little Dog to get out of the house, and also allowing Dog to get in. !!!! Fortunately Dog wasn't wet and muddy like she had been earlier this morning, and she only ran the length of the house and came back into the kitchen before I caught her and got her back outside. I was a little...excited...during that whole escapade, especially as I was imagining a super-hyper-nutty Dog wreaking havoc throughout the house. I had a nice little chat with The Tot about WHY we don't leave doors open.

The rest of the day was much the same - crazy-weird stuff happening, and usually all at once. If I could have cloned myself into 3 or 4 extra versions, I would have been fine. As it was, my 1 person dealing with everything at once...let's just say I'm a bit frazzled by now. Looking forward to decomposing decompressing in a bit...

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A couple comments about Dog...Chiloe mentioned that we'll probably end up being Dog's new home. As much as I'd keep her in a minute, right now is just not a good time to add a dog. She needs a fenced-in yard, and ours is not. The set-up we have right now - crate in the garage, tie-out in the yard - is OK temporarily, but would not work as a permanent situation.

And Ruth said we should go ahead and give her a name...I'm sorely tempted! But by leaving her as just Dog, I'm trying to not get quite as attached to her. If I name something, my mind thinks that something is mine...and Dog just isn't mine. I have tons of names rolling around in my head that I would love to give her, though! Who knows, I may break down and give her a real name...we'll see.

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When you stitch a pattern that you have downloaded do you print out the pattern or do you stitch directly from your computer screen?

The permalink to this post is:
http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/03/sbq-downloads/

I print everything out and stitch from the print-out...I can't imagine stitching in front of my computer! Even if I had a laptop that I could set up in my stitching area, I can't imagine trying to read a pattern off the screen.

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Maryse has released Part 4 of the Checkerboard Mystery SAL...I got it printed off last night and went ahead and pulled the floss for the first couple of blocks, so it's all ready to go on Sunday night. She's continued with the spring/warm weather theme in this part, but there is one block that I can't quite figure out what it is. It looks like a picnic table under a vine archway or something like that, but not really. Anyone else who's doing this SAL happen to know what that block is? *shrug*

I'm also starting a new ornament this week - the Just Nan 2007 Christmas biscornu. This one will be my ornament for this year (I know, it's a year late) and I'm looking forward to starting on it. I like Just Nan patterns...they're very pretty, but they stitch up fairly easily and quickly. I'm actually making 2 of this design this year, the other one for my mom. She saw the biscornus I made for The Tot's teachers at Christmas and wanted one for her own. I told her I'd make one for her, so she picked the Christmas biscornu.

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My clock is telling me that I'd better get to stitchin' if I'm gonna, so I better get going. Thanks for reading and leaving comments...I appreciate it! Hope your week is off to a good start!

A catch-all kind of entry...

...seeing as how I have some Blog Bling to fling, plus 2 (I think it's 2...???) SBQ's, plus some other stuff. This will be another one of my mish-mash o' stuff kind of entries.

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I'll start out with a *wonderful* surprise I received in my mailbox Wednesday from dear Vonna. Vonna had absolutely no obligation to send me anything for my birthday, but she did anyway. And after the MIA status of my Stitching Bloggers Birthday Club gift (good news on that in a minute), I was really touched to get a stitching-related goodie in the mailbox.

She sent me a really sweet card and a *beautiful* little biscornu kit. I opened up the kit to take a lookie and I discovered 2 pieces of beautiful linen - already cut to the right size, saving me from making a measuring mistake! - and 4 different colors of Caron Waterlilies floss. I've never worked with Caron floss before, so this will be a treat for me. The colors are so pretty and it looks so...elegant. I may have to make an adjustment to my rotation and get started on this one sooner than later! Thank you again, Vonna. I truly appreciate it!

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As for the good news regarding my birthday exchange gift...the exchange leader got in touch with my partner and found out that she had my birthday written down as March 31 instead of March 11. So I will be getting a gift afterall...YAY!

Although now I'm wondering if I had maybe accidentally typed 3-31 instead of 3-11 when I sent in my information for the exchange...

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A couple week's worth of SBQ's...

February 26, 2008: This week's SBQ was suggested by Rachel and is:

What is your cross stitch weakness? (i.e., What do you have to have
when you see it, even if you are supposed to be on the Wagon?)

The permalink to this post is: http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/02/sbq-stitching-weaknesses/

Like other answers I've seen, I'm a sucker for a good sale. If I find something I kinda-sorta-maybe-might-could like and it's on sale, it calls to me and I have a hard time leaving it. Although right now, we're getting serious about our family budget, so I'm forcing myself to be on The Wagon...not having a nearby LNS will probably really help with that!


March 5, 2008: After you stitch a pattern or kit, what do you do with it?

The permalink to this post is:http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/03/sbq-recycling-questions/

I'm a hoarder, so I tend to keep all patterns, even kit patterns. I have the mindset that I may need the pattern or a part of the pattern again in the future, or I could pass them on to my girls once I've gotten them properly interested in the craft. As for the floss...I've been saving the bits of leftover floss, but I think I'm going to give them to my Granma for when she needs some floss when doing embroidery work on her quilting.

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Marita flinged (???) some Bloggy Bling my direction, so it's my turn to do the same.

The original award comes from A Nice Place in the Sun, a place where everyone who has won the award is listed.

The creator of the You Cheer Me Up award had three things in mind for the recipients:
* bloggers who make me laugh until my face hurts
* bloggers whose writing voice comforts me when I’m feeling lost
* bloggers who inspire me when I’m feeling blue.

I've had a few down times this month, resulting in posts where the different bloggers have left comments of support that most definitely fit the 2nd and 3rd criteria above. I went back and took a look...that's a long list! To save time (and my html sanity), I'll list the names and a reference to the blog title...basically, if you've commented to any of my more serious posts this month, considered yourself awarded, because you have cheered me up. Here are the names, in no particular order (and I think I got them all...if I missed anyone, I apologize!):

Chiloe (chiloe's corner), Barbara (mainelystitching), Missy(a tree hugger's wife), Carolyn (taking one stitch at a time), Heather (quiltorstitch), Dawn (crafter's creations), Dani (navy stitching), Vonna(twisted stitcher), Helen (stitchingranny), Kim (real life adventures), Harmien (xstitch.nl), Laura (mellow bungalow), Meari (meari's musings), Jenna (tale of a shooting star), Janice (amazing stitches), Michelle (cozy egg), Von (on the dry side), Wanda (wbstitches), Cindy (random stitching ramblings), Anna (stitch bitch), Ruth (musing badger), Katrina (needle's promise), and of course, back to Marita.

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And on an ending note, I'll mention my stitching, since this IS my stitching blog... :-)

Heather's Blogoversary Prize is making its way west right now, as I finally got it to the Post Office this morning. It would have gone out yesterday, but I didn't have a boat...and I needed a boat to get to the nearest Post Office (seriously...things are quite flooded around here, the worst most people have ever seen). Thankfully I got to a different Post Office in town today...

I'm moving right along with my Checkerboard SAL, being just 2 blocks shy of completing Part 3. I'm also making good progress on the I Block for Alphabet Sampler Book...hoping to get an early start on it tonight and knock off a good portion. And I also got almost all of the x's done on The Tot's Christmas ornament...just a few more and then the backstitching, then it will be completed. Updated pictures of stuff to follow in the next few days...

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Whew, now that I've written a novel, I better call it quits. If you've made if this far, you deserve an award for putting up with all that hot air...LOL! Thank you for visiting and your comments...all are very much appreciated!

Enjoy your Friday - Good Friday for those who celebrate - and have a Happy Easter weekend!

Mish-mash o' stuff - 3rd finish, SBQ, blather

Before I forget...j_hockeypuck left me a comment a few entries ago, asking who designed the Merry Christmas piece I'm working on. The designer is Barbara Baatz, who is a designer out of Kooler Design Studios. Apparently this was once sold as a kit, but it's been re-released as a pattern-only option. You can order it directly from the Kooler website, but I ordered mine from Amy at Down Sunshine Lane. Hope this helps!

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I put the final 3 sections of beads in tonight, and now Christmas Tree Mandala is finished! Yay, my 3rd finish of the year. I know I started this sometime last summer - I remember working on it during The Tot's summer dance lessons - but without looking at my blog archives, I don't know the exact date.

It's stitched over 2 with DMC flosses on 28-ct DMC linen. The beads are Mill Hill. I made some minor changes from the pattern: I changed the gold metallic French Knots to crystal-gold beads (I hate FK's with normal floss, how on earth would I get that hateful metallic tied in a FK?!?!), I changed the color of the beads in the shrubbery from crystal to red, and I stitched Algerian Eyelets in the shrubberies instead of Rhodes Stitches. Everything else is from the pattern.

One minor problem...I had planned to finish this as a top for a little red velvet gift box that I'd scrounged from my sister's "to Goodwill" pile. Yeah, that's a no-go, as the finished piece is a tiny smidge too big. Yurg. Not sure how to finish this one now...maybe I can find another (slightly larger) box...or frame it...or make a wall-hanging...?? I *will* do something with it, it's too pretty to spend the rest of its life in the storage box with my baby quilts and afghans.

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I've come up with my Blogoversary Give Away prize for Heather...I just need to do some figuring/planning before I get started on it. I think it will be *perfect* for her! I'm hoping to get started on it within the next week...I'd like to get it sent off ASAP, because I don't want to make her wait too long.

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This week's SBQ was suggested by Loretta and is:

Do you have any projects that you have scrapped and started over? What made you start over from scratch?

The permalink to this post is:http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/02/sbq-starting-over/

I can think of one project that I scrapped and started over...and that was because I'd started stitching with the fabric in the wrong direction. The design was longer on the horizontal than on the vertical...and I started with the fabric longer on the vertical than on the horizontal. Thankfully I caught it after only a couple hours of stitching...but still! I wasn't too happy with myself on that one.

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I've managed the impossible...I found a Wii earlier this week! So our family is now the proud owner of a Nintendo Wii system. I have to admit, it is one cool gadget. :-)

I never had a gaming system when I was growing up, so this is all a thing for me. The Hubby had an Atari and then later, one of the original Nintendo systems, plus his college roommate had a PlayStation or something...so he's quite used to gaming systems. Even so, this Wii is a whole new concept for him. The fact that you have to get up off your duff to play most of the games is wonderful, and with this past week of snow/ice combo, closed schools, and general restlessness from both The Tot and me, this Wii has come in handy. Wii like it (har har).

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And finally...a mention of The Baby. She went in for her 15-month check-up recently and I was surprised to learn that she gained only 1 ounce from her 12-month check-up. She grew ¾ inches in length, but gained only 1 ounce. !!! With that massive weight gain, she's still under 20 pounds...by about a pound a half, at that. So I have a 15-month old who is still wearing some 9-12 month size clothes (some are still baggy/gappy on her!) and is smaller than most 1 year olds. The pediatrician wasn't at all concerned, so I guess I shouldn't be. I mean, she eats, she plays, she sleeps extremely well, she's meeting all her milestones...she's just a tiny little thing! I suppose I need to change her name from The Baby to The Pixie. :-)

This is quite the opposite from The Tot...after about 6 months or so, she was consistently in the 90th percentile for her stats (still is). Now comes along this little thing who is at about 40th for height, 10th for weight. Funny how the genes can be so different between siblings...

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'Tis late and my eyes are drooping, so I think it's bedtime. Thank you for reading and for your kind comments lately...all are much appreciated!

Have a great weekend!

Final x's on CTM, plus this week's SBQ

Here is the latest view of CTM, as of very late Wednesday night. My apologies for the slight blurriness...I didn't catch it until I was editing the photo just now.

I finished up the final x's and metallic work last night while watching The Harvey Girls off the TiVo. I'd not seen this one before - other than a couple clips here and there - so it was a "new" movie for me...and as with most MGM musicals from that era, I give it a thumbs up. :-)

Now that I finished with the metallics and the last shrubbery and have put the done-with colors away, the only color left in my floss bag is black. The only stitching left is the rest of the swirly fence-border stuff around the black and gold border. Then to the beading...

I did notice I've made a tiny mistake, but I'm going to leave it as it is. It's not horribly noticeable...but of course I see it because I know about it. See if you can find it... :-) *I'll reveal the mistake further down

And upon looking at the picture, I see another mistake - I stitched the holes in the bottom left black border with gold metallic, when they're supposed to be left open for beading. Ooops! I'll be ripping those stitches out...

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This week's SBQ was suggested by Kathryn and is:

Are there other crafts that you have tried and abandoned? Why do you like stitching better?

The permalink to this post is: http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/02/sbq-other-crafts/

I haven't really "tried and abandoned" any other crafts. Most of the other crafts I somewhat do are related to my cross stitching. For example...I do a little bit of painting, usually painting frames for cross stitched pieces. I do a little sewing, usually for finishing off cross stitched pieces.

I'd love to learn to knit and crochet...and I've somewhat learned the basic stitches of knitting. But I'm not real good at them and I definitely don't know how to fix mistakes (which I make quite a few of). I know I could do it if I would practice...but in that vein, when I have time to do crafting, I'd rather stitch. Vicious cycle, there. :-)

Why do I prefer stitching? It's the craft I've been doing the longest, the one I'm most comfortable with, the one I'm the best at (not to say I'm a completely perfect professional-grade stitcher...far from it!). Plus, I just plain enjoy stitching. Right now, I'd rather use my available time to stitch than to take the time to "perfect" another craft. So I stitch.

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And tonight I start the H block for Alphabet Sampler Book. It's going to be a bit crazy, seeing as how we have 2 shows on at the same time, and only 1 TiVo (thanks a lot, ABC, for switching "Lost" to Thursday night from Wednesday night!). We'll TiVo "Lost" in the living room while watching "Celebrity Apprentice" back in our bedroom. Then we'll come back to the living room and watch "Lost" afterwards. Thankfully H block is a simple piece and I can stitch it in the non-perfect lighting back in the bedroom.

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Seeing as how it's dinner time, I better cut this off and go see about feeding the Hungry Masses. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your evening and have a Happy Friday!



*look at the bottom right shrubbery...the Algerian Eyelets in the center. They're stitched a lighter shade of green than the other 3. The other 3 are the correct green.

First finish of 2008!

I know I'm quite a bit later than many of my fellow stitchers when it comes to getting that first finish of the new year, but I can finally claim one:


I went ahead and finished it up Thursday night...a whole week early. I won't get started on H until February, so I have a "free" Thursday night next week. Probably just as well, since that's the night that "Lost" is coming back on, and it's on for 2 hours. Looking forward to that!

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And on that note...here is this week's SBQ:

Have you had a happy dance yet this year? If so, tell us about it! (Or just point to the entry that mentions it.) If not, when do you predict it will be?

The permalink to this post is:
http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/01/sbq-first-2008-happy-dance/

See above for my answer. :-) As for telling about it, it's the G Block for the Erica Michaels Alphabet Sampler Book project I started last summer. I started this block on January 3rd.

I anticipate having another "finish" this weekend - Part 1 of Maryse's Checkerboard Mystery SAL. I know the entire piece is far from finished, but I still consider each part to be their own finish.

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In other stitching news, I ended up not stitching on Tuesday night since I was in that Mega Deep Funk. I don't stitch well when I'm stressed or anxious, and since I was very much both of those, I thought it best not to arm myself with a needle and scissors. In that state of mind, they could have ended up deeply embedded in the drywall if I'd made an mistake. :-) It was one of those nights where it was best to just walk away...

I did work on CTM on Wednesday night for a bit and finished up the 4th tree (minus the silver metallic) and got most of the 4th section of outer border done. It doesn't look like it'll be another finish for January, but - pending some unforeseen something - it'll be done by the end of February. Updated picture soon.

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On a related note, Mega Deep Funk has passed. I'm now human again, although it appears the PMS has gone from causing a fractious state to causing a weepy state. I find myself tearing up at the silliest things. *sigh* To take a quote from one of my favorite movies "I feel like a defective typewriter". It's so hard to be a woman...LOL.

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Cutting this a bit short so I can get to bed...Thanks for stopping by and have a Happy Friday! Stay WARM! It's ~cold~ out there! Still no snow, though. :-(

Well, it didn't go according to plan...

...in my last entry, I was anticipating more stitching on CTM that night. Well...I ended up *totally* zonking out in the chair that night and didn't get a single stitch done. And I mean totally zonked - I drifted off around 9 PM and didn't wake up to go to bed until around 1 AM. Ooops! However, I rarely get to do that kind of thing anymore, and it was nice to be able to just sit and relax. :-)

Anyway, that threw my CTM plans off, but I made up for it a tiny bit during the day Thursday. I was able to sneak a few stitches here and there and while it wasn't great progress, I at least got some stitches in. Part of the stitching was re-stitching because of a visit by Mr. Frog...grr. Apparently I'd made a counting error ahwile back when I'd put a few stitches in the left side tree, and I discovered said error yesterday when I continued working on the left side tree. Fortunately it was only a couple dozen stitches and it didn't require too much re-doing.

Taking a look at this photo, I'm reminded of how pretty this piece really is. I don't see it when I've got it in the Q-Snaps and am working on only one section. But taking a look at the whole thing...wow. I'm glad I decided to give this one a try.

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Last night I worked some more on G Block...it's moving right along and I think I'll get it completed by the end of the month. The finish may come on the 31st, but that's still by the end of the month. :-)

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SBQ time! This week's SBQ was suggested by Outi and is:

What is your favorite past time while stitching? Do you just enjoy silence, listen to music/audiobooks or do you "watch" TV/movies? Do you have specific favorites you listen to/watch while stitching?

The permalink to this post is: http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/01/sbq-favorite-pastime/

My stitching time is at night after the girls have gone to bed...which coincides with nightly TV time. I can stitch and catch the shows at the same time, so I do. The only show that has a no-stitching "rule" is "Lost" (coming back on in 2 more weeks...YEAH!) because it's a tricky show that requires your 100% undivided attention to know what's going on. Well, even then, you don't always know what's going on. ANYWAY...yes, I stitch whilst being dumbed down by the boob tube. :-)

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Even though I have a few more months to get it all together, I've already been pondering my contribution to the Stitching Bloggers Birthday Exchange. I've been reading up on my exchange partner and have gotten a couple extra gifties, but as for the stitched piece, I'm a bit undecided. I have a few ideas floating around in my head, including a "custom-designed (by me)" piece that would incorporate some (apparently) important/favorite things of this person. But would this person want something like that? Or would this person rather have a piece stitched from a known pattern? ???

Any input on that? Would you like something that was designed especially for you (similar to the 4-Patch Kitty ornament I made for Carol), or would you rather have a professionally designed piece?

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Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your Friday! Have a great weekend! :-)

SBQ catch-up

I've had these SBQ's sitting around for over a month now...no time like the present to get them taken care of!


December 5, 2007: Suggested by Nancy

What tips would you give to a new stitcher to help her stitch faster and neater while still keeping it enjoyable?

The permalink to this post is:http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2007/12/sbq-tips-for-a-newbie/

I would suggest the following: use a hoop or Q-Snap to keep the fabric nice and taut. Use floss lengths of around 12 inches to keep them from knotting and tangling up. For a detailed pattern, make a photocopy of the pattern and mark off the completed stitches. Don't worry about the "faster" part, as much as the "enjoyable" part. Stitching should be fun! :-)

*****

December 12, 2007: Suggested by Nancy

Do you do anything special to your threads before putting them through your fabric to make them more manageable?

The permalink to this post is:http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2007/12/a-finished-row/

Other than wet down the end before I thread the needle...no. I've been tempted to try Thread Heaven with the darn metallics, but I haven't actually done it.

*****

December 19, 2007: Suggested by Kathryn

Have you ever helped anyone else learn to stitch? Have you ever helped anyone learn a new stitch or technique?

The permalink to this post is: http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2007/12/sbq-teaching/

I'm a DMC Mentor, but I haven't had the chance to teach anyone yet. When my girls get old enough, I plan to infect them with the stitching disease. :-)

*****

December 26, 2007

Did you receive any stitching-related gifts for the holidays?

The permalink to this post is: http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2007/12/sbq-holiday-gifts/

Not directly, but I did buy the Just Nan Christmas Biscornu chart and accessory pack with some Christmas money. I don't usually put stitching stuff on my list because other than my mom, no one who shops for me has any clue regarding stitching stuff.

*****

January 3, 2008

Are you starting something new to celebrate the New Year or participating in "Guilt Free January?" If so, what are you planning on starting?

The permalink to this post is:http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/01/sbq-new-year-new-start/

I have a couple new starts for this month: the Monopoly gameboard for The Hubby, and Maryse's Checkerboard Mystery SAL. No more new starts this month...and probably no more new starts until I can get another couple of smaller WIP's done. Unless some gift/exchange stitching comes up...that will be started as needed.

*****

January 9, 2008

What was your favorite finish of 2007?

The permalink to this post is: http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/01/sbq-last-years-fav/

Oh gosh, I don't know! Each finish was special for its own reason, and I don't know that I liked one more than the others. I enjoyed them all!

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Phew, all caught up now! From now on, I'll try to not let them pile up that much. (key word being "try"...LOL!)

NaBloPoMo Day 8: SBQ catch-up

Today's fact:

On this day in 1836, Milton Bradley (yes, THAT Milton Bradley...board game extraordinaire) was born.

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Since it's late and there are only 40 minutes left to make a post for Day 8...and the fact that I have a month's worth of SBQ's sitting in my inbox...



October 10th: Suggested by Ternezia - What for you means to achieve mastery as a stitcher?
The permalink to this post is: http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2007/10/sbq-master-and-queenie/

Even though I've been stitching for 20 years and have done a wide variety of projects, I'm quite hesitant to say that I've achieved mastery. I feel confident in my abilities that I'm a good stitcher...I just don't know if I'm a master stitcher. To reach that level, I guess I'd have to be good at a wide variety of stitching techniques and have lots of experience with different fabrics and fibers.


October 17th: Suggested by Jennifer - What proportion of your stitching is for your own personal use versus gifts?
The permalink to this post is: http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2007/10/sbq-gift-giving/

Of the projects I've done to date, most of them are for me. I'm stingy with my stitching and don't like to give it away unless I know it will be recognized for what it is.


October 24th: Do you railroad?
The permalink to this post is: http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2007/10/sbq-working-on-the-railroad/

I only recently learned what this meant...and no, I don't do it. I tried it, but it didn't seem to make any difference in my stitching, plus it took longer to do the stitches. So thank you, no, I'll pass.


October 31st: Suggested by Ternezia - If you were a cross stitch designer, what would your design style be?
The permalink to this post is:http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2007/10/sbq-designing/

I've already put together 3 designs of my own and would like to do more. 2 of the 3 were small quilt-related pieces - 1 was a 9-patch style quilt made up of several different quilt block patterns, the other was a 4-patch style quilt made up of cat blocks. The other piece was designed from a still shot of my favorite movie, "Singin' in the Rain".
If I could figure out a way to deal with the copyright issues, I'd love to design more pieces that are based on still shots from classic movies and musicals of the 1940's and 1950's. I'd also like to do more quilt-themed designs. And then I've had some ideas of doing a series of alphabet sampler-type pieces using animals. I have quite a few ideas floating around in my head!


November 7th: When you have to frog out stitches, do you reuse that thread or do you start over with a new strand?
The permalink to this post is:http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2007/11/sbq-recycling/

It depends on how wonky the thread is after I frog it all out. If it's salvageable and looks OK, I'll re-use it. But if it got all pulled and fuzzy during the frogging process, I'll pitch it and start over.

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There...all caught up with the SBQ's and with about 5 minutes to spare until it becomes Day 9! Thanks for visiting, and hopefully tomorrow's entry will bring something more interesting...I'll try, anyway!

Duh! Forgot this week's SBQ...

...I was trying to do too much with my earlier entry and completely forgot to answer the SBQ.

Anyhoo...

Today's SBQ was suggested by Jennifer and is: What are your favorite online stitching supply sources?

The permalink to this post is: http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2007/10/sbq-sources/

Most of my online stitching purchases have been through eBay and catalog places like Herrschner's and Keepsake NeedleArts, but I've placed some orders with a few true ONS sites.

I've ordered from House of Stitches a few times and am very much impressed with their service. Their shipping is LIGHTNING fast...I've been quite surprised when I open the mailbox and find my order, only a couple days after placing it. They're also a brick-and-mortar store in LaPorte, Indiana, and despite having lived about 45 minutes from there at one point, I didn't discover them until after we'd moved south. If I'm ever back up in 'Da Region', I'll make sure I visit the store.

I've recently ordered from Jenna at One Star's Light. I stumbled across her shop after reading someone's blog and it just happened to be a special sale event, so I splurged and ordered the Peacock Stitching Chair kit. I looked around her shop and saw some other goodies, but those will have to wait for another time. I have her bookmarked and will check with her when there's something I'm needing. Her communication was great and I was pleased with the overall service from her.

I've also recently ordered from Amy at Down Sunshine Lane. I stumbled across her site while searching for a pattern I'd seen online and decided to order it from her, after remembering lots of positive comments about her store from other stitching bloggers. I concur...the service was great and I got my pattern super fast. She's another ONS I have bookmarked and check with when I come across something I need.

Earlier this year, I was needing some JABC buttons for a project with a fast deadline, and I was directed to Mary Kathryn at Handcrafts Online. I had my fingers, toes, and anything else crossed that I could get the buttons in time, and sure enough, I got them in time. I know who to go to if I need more JABC buttons, and like OSL and DSL, I keep Handcrafts Online bookmarked.

I think those are the only places where I've done any online shopping.

And that ends this week's SBQ. :-)

Stitching updates, SBQ

Again, I'm somewhat lacking in stitching...partially because I've been away from home, partially because I've been busy with other things.

I ended up having to re-mount my mom's Autumn Sampler because The Hubby made a minor mistake with the frame. It was easier for me to re-mount the stitching rather than have him start over with the frame...so I did. I got it all done up last night and plan to get it into the frame tonight. I'm ready to mark that one off my To-Do list

I've done more work on my Alphabet Sampler Book C block more than anything else lately and I'm moving right along with it. No problem in getting it done by the end of the month and meeting that goal.

In other "stitching" news...I learned to knit over the weekend. I'm so very much NOT ready to make anything, but I know how to cast on, knit, and cast off. I'm having trouble with purling...I just can't seem to get it. I'll keep working at it, though, and hope it'll come to me eventually. Right now I'll cast on about 20 stitches, knit 2-3 rows, cast off, then rip it all out and start over. Practice makes perfect.

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Today's SBQ is: Would you ever stitch one of your BAPs a second time? (This does not include starting over because of mistakes, bad fabric, etc., rather stitching something from the first stitch for a second time.)

The permalink to this post is:http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2007/09/sbq-seconds/

Probably not. I've done only a handful of what I consider to be BAPs, and I can't think of a valid reason why I would stitch one a second time. Other than some things I've made for The Tot and have stitched/plan to stitch again for The Baby, I usually don't do a project more than once.

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Some responses to a few comments lately...

Anna and Carolyn both commented that they didn't realize agriculture was taught in schools. It's not as commonplace as the core subjects, in that all schools in the country don't offer agriculture courses. But it's growing in popularity and new ag programs are added every year. If you've ever heard of FFA (used to stand for Future Farmers of America...now it's just the initials because it doesn't focus on farmers only)...those students have to be enrolled in at least one agriculture course in order to participate in FFA.

Ag courses cover a wide variety of agricultural topics. It depends on the state and the school district, but you can find courses in Horticulture, Plant and Soil Science, Animal Science, Food Science, Ag Business, Ag Mechanics, Natural Resource Management, Landscape Management, and others. And depending on what agricultural commodities are important in the different parts of the country, you can find courses that are specific to those commodities, such as Equine Science in Kentucky schools, Dairy Science in Wisconsin schools and so on. There are guidelines to follow, but the class offerings can be tailor-made to fit what the community needs.

Itching to Stitch commented that she didn't know hummingbirds made noise. They don't sing or chirp like other birds...the best word that describes their noise is squeak. The noise doesn't carry over distances like other songbirds' calls, but the little squeaks can be heard from nearby trees. They squeak when they're fighting with each other, and when we've entered "their" space.

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Well, I was going to do my next letter for Encyclopedia of Me, but since this entry turned out to be a bit longer than I'd initially expected, I'll postpone it until a later entry. And in looking at the calendar, it's approaching the middle of the month, so that means it's the week where I usually share pictures of my stitching progress...so I guess letter B will have to wait until next week. Trying to avoid overkill...

As always, thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!

Latest stitching, SBQ, and more

Even though I've not been seen much here, I'm still stitching away. Still plagued by The Frog at least once - usually multiple times - during each stitching session, though, and I'm about ready for him to be on his way. I normally don't have this many problems with The Frog, so I don't know if I've got something going on subconsciously or what. ??? Who knows.

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Here's my monthly update photo of Scenic Farm. I've looked back and it seems I take pictures of my pieces about once a month...not necessarily trying to stick with a certain schedule, it just kind of works out that way. I don't get enough visible progress done each week and I hate to take pictures that don't show any progress, so I guess I'll just stick with my middle-of-the-month photo updates.

Anyhoo, since my last photo, I've finished up the silo, and the outer branches of the trees (the purplish-brownish half stitches that are just kind of floating in a halo around the tree trunks...they'll be connected with backstitching and will look like normal tree parts eventually). This week I finished up the large section of maroon that's the side of a barn. It felt like that took forever!

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Over the weekend we were out of town for a family reunion and I took along the B block of Alphabet Sampler Book. I got a lot done on it and will definitely get it completed this month, thus continuing my goal of getting a block done each month. And I worked on Santa Sampler last night for the first time in probably a month. Tonight it's Christmas Tree Mandala and I'm looking forward to making some actual net progress on it, after last week's frogging out and re-stitching the tree.

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Today's SBQ was suggested by Jennifer and is: How did you get started stitching? Was there a person that inspired you?

The permalink to this post is: