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. :-)

A finish!

I took some extra time this weekend and put it toward The Bee Charmer biscornu, the kit that Vonna sent me for my birthday. Not only did I complete all the stitching, I finish-finished it! And I really like how it turned out.

The Bee Charmer by Indigo Rose

Stitched with included fabric and flosses (32 ct cream belfast linen, Caron Waterlilies, Anchor #12 pearl cotton)

Stitched Mar-Apr 2008

I made a slight change...the kit called for 4 tassels on the corners, but I left those off. Partially because I've never made tassels before and didn't really feel like learning right now, and partially because I think it looks better without them. Who knows, I may go back and add them at some point...

The kit included everything but the needle and the stitching talent...and instead of fluffy stuffing, they included poly pellets. I'd never used poly pellets before, but I really like the result. This biscornu has some oomph to it! It's a lot heavier than the fluffy-filled ones I made at Christmas.

The only thing I'm a bit hesitant on is the attachment of the buttons. I may take this with me next week when we go to my grandparents' house in Paducah for THE quilt show and see if my Granma can give me some pointers on getting the buttons attached better. They look just fine, but I know they're not quite right...and of course that will bug me.

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A Yahoo group I belong to has started the Topic of the Week, and here is last week's topic:

April 7 is the little known "holiday" of"No Housework Day". What is your least favorite household chore?

There are a few chores that I really don't like, but my least favorite is cleaning the bathrooms. We have pretty hard water around here, so it takes a good bit of elbow grease to clean up that hard water residue off the counters and the bath tub. The Mr. Clean Magic Erasers have really helped, but I still have to scrub quite a bit. And then in no time, all the once-shiny surfaces have that dull look to them. Ugh.

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It's still a bit early, but I've started planning out my partner's stitchy gift for the Stitching Bloggers Birthday Exchange group. I've had some ideas floating around in my head ever since I got my partner's name and read around on her blog, but I took some time today to really plan things out. I've got a good start on planning and will start stitching it as soon as the details are figured out.

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In blog news...I'm thinking of changing my layout. The flowers are fun, but like just about everything else in my life, I like to change things up a bit now and then. I'm one of those people who rearrange the furniture every so often, I change my desktop picture frequently, I change the ringtones on my phone...as much as I'm a creature of habit with regards to some things, I get tired of the same ol' same ol' with regards to others. So if you happen to see a mess here sometime this week...bear with me. I'll get it all taken care of soon.

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I've got a crazy week ahead, so this entry may be it for me this week. I'll be around, just probably not blogging until I reach the other side of the chaos.

Thanks for stopping by and for your comments! All are appreciated! Hope your week is off to a great start, and the rest of the week follows suit!