Progress photo Friday

Yes! Hold on to your hats, I am actually going to post photos. Well, one photo. I am not quite to the point of actually posting a photo of Cheryl's Bouquet quite yet. I'm almost there, though, and if I keep on it I think I may be able to post something by the end of The weekend. So, keep your fingers crossed. Today, my goal is to work on my SAL project, as I didn't work on it at all yesterday. But I think today I am going to have a complete stitchy day, I will work on project after project all day long. And first off I am going to make myself work on that stinkin' eagle, and get some of it done. I hate that it feels like it's hanging over my head, mocking me!!! So today I will conquer it!!! LOL!


So, here is the last progress photo, from before we took our little break from it:









And here is my current progress:

So, there yah go. sorry the photos look a bit rough, I think it's the texture of the fabric, but none the less, there it is! Finally a progress photo! You can see I worked on the dreaded wing quite a bit, and the other night when I started getting frustrated with those browns and I felt like throwing it across the room, I just worked a bit on the wording, as that is very easy, and a nice break from all the tediousness of the many browns in the wing of the bird. Well, not much else to share at this point. I am eager get myself situated on the couch and put in some good stitching time today. I have been a bit preoccupied with my writing as of late, as I shared a few posts back, and that has taken up quite a bit of my time, but I feel as though I am over my little blogging and stitching slump, so you should see more of me here! and thank you everyone for hanging in there with me during this slow time and for encouraging me during my slump!

The itch to stitch is back!

Hello! thank you all for your comments yesterday. I think you helped break the spell, because yesterday though I was busy with newspaper stuff, and my writing, I found time to sit and work on A bouquet for cheryl for about an hour. I actually felt the itch to stitch! And again today I feel as though to stitch wouldn't be so bad. It is Thursday and that means SAL day with Cindy. I am gonna try to press forward with that project. I think I may have just been frustrated the other night trying to work on it, I was tired and in that slump, and who wants to work on a particularly tough piece when you're in a slump? It makes you feel even more "slumpier" LOL! Anyway, so it is a beautiful bright sunny day out and I think I will definitely use the good lighting to help me along with this project. And Cathy you are right! If things get too rough I can just put in a few stitches, or a length of thread, so I don't go crazy, and yet I am still getting a little progress in on it.
Thank you to you all who left me such kind comments yesterday. I definitely feel the slump lifting, now besides wanting ot work on Isaiah I also want to work on something else. A bouquet for Cheryl and the celtic knot bookmark that I started the day before I started Cheryl's bouquet are both calling to me! So we shall see what I actually pick up today!

A stitching slump...

Still not much stitching on my end. last night when DH got home we watched a movie and all the while I kept looking at various projects laying around near me thinking, "I really should stitch" Then I finally picked up my isaiah piece started working on the eagle, messed up and that was that for that. I am starting ot hate that piece. I'm sorry Cindy! Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful, but, why do there have to be SO many freakin' browns in that dumb bird. "Well, Lana, of course it may be to give the bird some dimension, and some texture, D'yah ever think of that?!" Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I did! The chart just drives me CRAZY!!!! I have tried to make a working chart but it is so dark I can't tell what anything is, I have half a mind to just mark up the original, but I would have to go back and mark all that I've already done, which could take me ages, while I could just be stitching on the thing in the first place!
I guess I am just in a huge stitching slump, and for now...I need a break. So, if you don't see me here for a bit, don't fret, I'm still alive and you may see me in your comments boxes, because I am really into still reading everybody's wonderful blogs, I just don't have the energy right now to stitch, and since this is a stitching blog I guess I would need to keep that up in order to make this blog worth anything. And I don't even have the want to to keep up with my own blog. I'm just in a slump. Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

Happy Tuesday!

Hello! Wow! the weather here has been crazy! last night there was talk about tornado's, this morning, actually this afternoon I woke up to a thunderstorm ripping through...some crazy stuff! I actually love thunderstorms now! I have lived in TX now for a little over two years, and when I first moved here, I hated them, I would all of just about hide under the bed when one would come around. I'm from California we don't have thunderstorms, we just don't. If a "thunderstorm" comes to the southern Cali area there are no "Severe weather alerts" issued on the radio or on the TV. We have things in California that you can't issue an alert for! Although many scientist have tried to do so, giving an alert for an earthquake doesn't happen so well. So, when I moved here and heard the weather alert sound on the radio the first time, I thought the world was going to crack in half and fall apart, I was freaked out!
But now after having been through many thunderstorms, I just turn on the radio and make sure we don't go to tornado warning, and everything is fine. I actually (call me crazy if you will) enjoy wrapping up in a blanket and sitting on my front porch to watch a storm. At night if there's a storm, I like to turn out all the lights, and open the blinds so I can see the lightning flicker through the sky. It has this delicious scary feeling to it, you know the kind of feeling where you know that it can potentially harm you, but the possibility is slim, so why not sit back and enjoy the thunder boomig through the clouds. You get a little jump when it booms and cracks, and you can hear it either getting louder or softer...anyway. I love thunderstorms now, and I know you all wanted to know! LOL
Sorry if this post is very chatty. I have been doing a lot of writing lately. Fictional stuff actually, and that is why I haven't been on here much. I have been over at my fictional blogs sharing a story or two out of my head. If you all want the link feel free to ask, and I will post it here in my next post. It's funny, because in 5th grade I recieved my first D in Creative writing, which made no sence at all, because I could write everyone else in that class under the table. and it was a 5th/6th grade combo class. I would write 5 pages for everyone else's 1 or 2 pages. That stupid teacher gave me a D because I wasn't writing things she thought I should. She said I needed to be more creative, because I wrote about realistic things and she wanted me to write about talking rabbits or something. Imagine her utter surprize when three years later there was a district assembly to award ME the "Young author's award for all of Ventura county" I coulda stuck my tongue out at her and said "Told yah so". Of course I didn't. But I am so glad that I never gave up my writing. That lady could have squelched something that is a talent and a gift in me, but I pushed through and three years later a teacher who recognized my talent for what it was, turned my story into the competition, unbeknownst to me, she had asked me if I wanted to, but I said no, because I didn't think I was any good, but she saw the potential, and the talent. And now, while I still don't think I'm good enough to be truly published, the World wide web has made it possible for me to share my writing with others. Anyway, so that's where I've been. I have stitched a little, I was supposed to work on my SAL piece yesterday but I didn't. Naughty me! I guess that's what happens when you have too many hobbies! One always wins out! I think I might have put about 20 stitches into Cheryl's bouquet but that is about it. I am not sure what today holds, but we shall see. Hope you are all having a great Tuesday!

Monday...again

Well, not a whole lot of excitement on my end. My google reader is filling up, but for some reason I have not been much in a stitching mood, or a bloggey mood. I have put a little bit more work in on Cheryl's bouquet but not enough to share a photo. Hubby was able to get the scanner up and running again, so I will scan photos of last week SAL progress later today. I have been reading and discovering more and more new blogs! I have them all saved in my "to be read all the way through" pile, in my favorites, however, instead of reading them ALL all the way through,(Which would take WAY too long!) I usually will scroll down to the very bottom of the first page that comes up and read from there, so it gives me a good idea of what you have been up to lately, then I had it to my ever growing list of google reader subscriptions. I really need to remember that when I am in a stitching slump, as I seem to sorta be in, I should read blogs! It is very inspiring! Well, I have to go to work in half an hour so I think I will try to get some more work inot Cheryl's bouquet as I am very excited to show it here soon. I will write some more later today and share some photos.

Oh yes, and I have something to say to a very special person, today is my SAL pal's birthday so Happy Birthday Cindy!
It also happens to be my mom's birthday too! I would wish her a happy birthday here too, but she doesn't read my blog, aw, but what the heck!
Happy Birthday Moozie! I love you!

ANOTHER new start!

Yup, that's right! I couldn't wait and I put forth my first stitches into a Bouquet for Cheryl today! Now I'm only going to tell you that much until I am finished with the entire middle section of the piece then I will share a photo with you and you can give me your feedback...okay? Lets just say I am having a ton of fun!!!! This is a great piece! and I can't wait to see how it comes out! I can't wait to see Cheryl's (Life of bezza chezza) progress on it once she starts on it too, which may be awhile, since she is starting the other big ole' one...what's it's name? I just know it means Circus of Circles, in english....well, I think I know that, well, today is Friday so I should be sharing SAL photos, but my scanner is acting up, and I am not sure what is wrong or what so I have to have DH look at it later, then I will share photos, lets just hope it's nothing too serious! Well, I am off to go work more on Cheryl's pretty bouquet, at the rate I'm going I will probably have progress to share at the end of the weekend...it is a quick stitch! That is if my scanner doesn't have to get fixede or whatever...thank you for the comments, Cheryl, and Dani!

A new start!

Last night I was looking through the freebies at ink circles, and I decided to start working on one of their monthly freebie celtic knots. I am doing the bookmark that was the June 2006 knot. I am doing it with a dark grey outline (DMC318) and in the inside in overdyed DMC- in blue. This is my first time really using a varigated thread. so far, it's cool. I didn't get very far with it, as I started it right before I had to go run the route. I want to do Cheryl's Bouquet. But I am looking around for the perfect overdyed floss. There are so many beautiful ones out there, I sorta want to do one in every color I like! I can just see it now, years from now my house filled with Cheryl's Bouquet in every imaginable overdyed floss color. No, there are too many other patterns that need to be done. It is a beautiful design though, and I would love to put it in my "To do" list.

A dedication

In loving memory of those lost in the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech University on

April 16th 2007

You will be missed

Chugga chugga chugga chugga whoo whoo! ALL ABOARD!!!

Here's proof! I HAVE been putting in lots of time on dad's train! I am really getting close to a finish. That orange-y colored square thing there to the far right? That is the last box car of the train, and the farthest point of the project. So I just have to fill in the center part, and I'm good to go!

You know what I was thinking about last night? Well, this pattern was taken from an issue of Stitcher's World magazine, from way back when, and in this one issue there are 5 projects that I want to do...this one being one of them. And they are all really nice projects, and I was thinking how I miss that! Picking up a stitching mag, and finding THAT many GOOD patterns that I MUST stitch. Now I am lucky if I can find three to stitch in one issue. Is it me? Or is the industry changing? I don't know. But that got me going through my stack of magazines and there are quite a few patterns in them that I want to stitch. You know what else I have discovered...I want to do a sampler...like an old fashioned sampler. Which is odd, because I have never had the desire to do one before. But they look easy enough, an alphabet, a saying, and some design here and there, and wala! You have a tiny piece of history! I have only stitched ONE sampler before in my life, and I did it for my mother, who's home is decorated in colonial style, as she was born and raised in Virginia, so it is part of who she is. But I have never had the desire to do one myself. And looking through my mags, I found quite a few patterns for a few that I would actually consider stitching. Man, is my style changing!

Yay! This week Cindy and I are going back to working on our SAL. I am excited, but I am worried that with trying to get my dad's train done that I will not put as much time in on it as before, but I will definitely try to get as much time in on it as possible. Afterall, we only work on it two days a week, that still gives me 5 other days to concentrate on Snow Valley...Yeah, THAT will definitely work! I am missing that project! I am so excited to get back to it! And this way it will break up the consistency of working soley on Snow Valley.

Well, I am off to get some more work in on Snow Valley Express! Wish me luck!

Where did winter go!

Wow! The weather has gone back to winter...it can't seem to make up it's ever lovin' mind! Yesterday it was HOT and today freezing! I wish it would just make up it's mind what it wants to do! Well, yesterday I worked on Snow Valley Express, and it is what I think I will be working mostly on for the rest of the month. I NEED to get it finished, and I am close, I just need to keep on it! I get side tracked, with other things, you know how it is! I am really close, and I think that if I work on it everyday for 2 hours I should have it done in time to send for his birthday this year! Gosh, I hope! Then I can have that obligation lifted off my shoulders, and quite possibly start something new? Or pull out an old WIP that has gone forgotten in my stash, or something other than that train. I started it in Dec of '04, intending it to be his birthday gift for 05, then Christmas of 05, then birthday for 06, then Christmas for '06, and I am just frustrated, and I want to finish it!!! I just want to ship it off, and never see it again, unless it is framed and on the wall of my dad's study! Horrible, I know, to feel this way about a gift, but I have been working on it on and off for over two years, and THIS is it! When I finish it, forget the happy dance! I am going for a major blow out party, and you're all invited! LOL!!
Well, I am off to work on...you guessed it: Snow Valley Express! I will share progress photos on Monday! Wish me luck that I actually get some good progress done!

Progress Photo Thursday!...Thursday?!

Yup, I had decided that since I have not posted photos for a few days that I would share some,even though it isn't Friday yet, just so you know that I DO occasionally stitch, you know? In between those long hours on the computer reading blogs. I'm beginning to think that my true love/obsession/hobby is reading blogs, and I stitch whenever I can slip it in...nah not for real, I just love so many blogs, and I have that blessed thing we call Google Reader at hand, and sometimes I don't want to sit and just read, I just want to sort of just read a few posts here and there and move on with life, you know? But then every so often I will wake up and realize after just reading a few post everyday for a week that I have over 80 feeds! Yikes! so, then I plunk my behind in the chair and spend all day reading! Which is exactly what I did today! When I woke up this morning and looked at my google reader, I had 76 feeds, and I am proud to announce I only have 27 now to read! All your blogs are so fun! And the stitching is beautiful!


Now onto the photos!


Here is my March Freebie, finally finished! It is missing a button, to the right side, there is a green stem, but no flower...I think the lion...whom I just realized is blind, because I forgot to stitch in his eye- ate the flower! Yeah, that's my story and I'm stitchin to it...I mean stickin to it!


And I am so CLOSE to finishing April already, I started it last friday I think...? And I stuck with it, and here it is, all I have left is to finish the bunny! I love the colors in this one! So bright and yet soft at the same time...

Sorry it is a bit blurry the fabric wasn't laying flat on the scanner and it caused a shadow on it. And again...I have a flowerless stem, and I don't think the bunny ate it, because he has no tummy yet, but you never know! I am not sure if I will order the buttons for these little things, as I have not exactly decided what I am going to do with them just yet. I was thinking about making them into a quilt, or maybe frame them individually as wall hangings. I really didn't think about it when I decided to take on stitching this series, I was just thinking, "Oh how nice, to do a little something to sorta break up the monotony of the HUGE projects I seem to indulge in. But I have yet to really figure anything out finishing-wise for them. Anyone have any suggestions?
Well, that's about it for me today, I want to thank all of you who left comments on my previous post about hand dyed fabrics and over dyed threads, thank you for the encouragement, and Kathryn for the tips! I think I am gonna do it! Much to the dismay of my DH who was happy that I seemed so "content" with what I had...ah well, what can I say? "Hand over the Credit card, honey,and no one will get hurt!" That works for me! Catch yah guys later!

A new Obsession

O.k. I scratch what I said earlier about not wanting or needing to buy any new stash. Here's my delema. Over dyes and hand dyed. I guess it isn't as much a delema as it is a curiosity. I have been stitching for almost 15 years now, and I think of myself as fairly addicted to the craft, at times obsessed, and while perusing all these wonderful blogs I have seen many different fabrics that were hand dyed and lots of beautiful overdyed threads. However, I have never had the desire to use them...until just about 10 minutes ago. I was reading a blog, and they were talking about wanting to start an "Ink circles" project, and there was a link that lead to that page, and I was hooked! Many of the pieces that are done by this designer(s) are stitched with over dyed threads. And they are BEAUTIFUL! And granted I know in my previous post I said that I am not into the whole Sampler thing. However, some of them would, and do look extraordinary with the over dyed threads. I've just not been brave enough to try it yet, but maybe it's time to hop out of my comfort zone and try something a little different. I love seeing these sorts of things on other blogs, I love seeing all the hand dyed Fabrics, but the projects that I do don't seem like the kinds that would look good on these sorts of fabrics...I don't think(?) I don't know, see? That is where my doubt comes in....What if I get going on one of these gorgeous fabrics and then the project just looks awful?! The ones that I like seeing with the hand dyed fabrics are the fairies. They look gorgeous, but I am so not into the whole fairy thing. I could do angels, and I do like the Celtic ladies series, which I have seen some of them done on hand dyed fabric, and I know that somewhere I saw a site and it gave you tips on suggested fabrics to use for certain projects, but where I saw it I don't remember as it was awhile ago.
So, I guess what I am saying is HELP!!! If anyone out there is reading this and have any tips or hints for me, regarding hand dyed threads and fabrics, please, enlighten me! I just want to let my clicky finger go to town and buy all the beautiful fabrics, and threads, but am afraid that once I do they will sit and I will not use them because I am afraid of messing up.

I blew it!

Blew what you ask? Well, seeing as how I spent so much time the past few days on this computer playing that game, I decided that I would issue myself a "No Electronics Tuesday". Which meant...no TV, no Computer. I would allow the exception for a radio, for music and my audio book to listen to while stitching or doing housework. As you can see...I am on the computer! So, I blew it! However, I kinda issued it so I wouldn't spend all day on the SIMS game, and well, I haven't, but reading all the blogs I need to catch up on while I was playing the game has taken over! I haven't even sat down to stitch yet, and I am doing so well on my April freebie. Last night I was finally able to shop!!!!! (Hey! After being unemployed for four months, and not having much extra cash- That was a big deal!) I treated myself to an audio book, as I have been wanting to get some for when I'm stitching. so, last night I listened to the first CD and stitched happliy away on April.

I am so proud of myself, because after I cashed my check yesterday I wanted to RUN to the nearest craft store and go banarkers, buying everything in sight. But, I did not. (Applaud me here!) So, anyway, I think I may spend a few dollars on some threads I need for some of the projects I am working on now. But, seriously, I look at the stash I have right now and I really don't need to buy any more! between my WIPS pile and my "already kitted up and ready to go" pile, I should be good to go for at least two years, without having to buy anything new like patterns, or things of that nature. And even after that I have another 5 or 6 years of patterns that I would just need to buy the floss and fabrics for. So, I am feeling good about my stash right now, very content. Plus there are very few patterns out there that appeal to me right now. I'm not really into the whole folkartsy look or the quaker sampler look, and while I think they are cute and enjoy seeing progress on these sorts of things on others blogs, they are not my style.

The only thing I imagine when I think of buying stash is acquiring THOUSANDS of skeins of floss! That way I would never have to go get anymore, just go into my own stash and grab what I need. The fabric...well, while i could accumulate that, I kinda want to wait unitl i get around to a certain project and start the planning before I buy that, or it sits around and sometimes if I do a gift, or a small, then I end up cutting into something I originally set aside for a project and then when I need it, it's not there, and I end up having to buy it again anyway. I think I have rambled quite enough for today. Thanks for listening!

picture on top: I have no idea where this picture was taken, I got it off of yahoo images, but wherever it is, I wish I were there!

SIMS 2

Ok, yesterday I played the game for 9 hours! It's a sickness! Is there help for this kind of thing?! It's just addicting, you get going and your character starts levelling up and all of a sudden, you can't stop now! You have to go one more level, and reach one more aspiration! For those of you who don't play Sims, this post will mean nothing to you. but last night after I finally got off the game and went about my evening, I laid in the bath tub, and thought: Man, if I were a game programmer I would make a "SIMS Needle work" I have the career choices all set up we'd have People in:
-Publishing, to put out the great cross stitch and needlework magazines
-weavers- to make the fabrics
-people to make the threads, and hand dye them
- people to run the needlework shops
-people to teach courses on different needle crafts
- people who organize conferences and retreats

For creativity points
-finish needle work projects
-design a pattern

for social
-stitch togethers
-retreats
-needlework shop open houses

Anyway, that is just the beginning, I'm such a dreamer! Of course, if there was such a game, then we would, well, I would never get my real cross stitching done, and then what would be the point?
Anyway, thanks for listening, and reading. I actually finished the March freebie last night, and started April, so I will share photos of that soon!
Well, I am off to stitch...or play SIMS....or stitch?....Sims?... It's a sickness!

Progress Photo Friday

This is a really bad photo/scan. But at least it shows all that I worked on since my last photo. I wrote the last time that I wanted to have lots of backstitching done, and I think I succeeded! i love how the backstitching in this piece really makes the colors stand out! Well, two things did not happen this week: 1) I didn't work on dad's train, and 2)didn't finish my March freebie! or start April for that matter either.
ps, Hazel: I am so glad you were able to find those freebies. She actually has quite a few I'd want to do, I want to do the others there too, the Alphabet ones and the squared month ones with the checkered backgrounds. But we shall see! And I am just converting to DMC with mine, because I don't have the called for fibers! I have changed a few colors here and there to make them a little different as well.

You know what I realized yesterday? I never finished my March freebie by Erica Michaels! Right now I am not even sure where it has got to, so I will probably look for it later today, and I need to download the April chart and get going on it! I may forego that this month, though since I really need to work on my dad's gift...which I still have not done! I have been plugging away at the backstitching on Teddies, it is coming a long really nicely, and I will post a photo soon!

Well, this past weekend was nuts! On Friday we were on Tornado watch, Saturday dawned bright,clear and beautfiul, and Sunday also. I guess it is that time of year.



Well, I have been really bad about posting lately. I always mean to, but then I just read other's blogs and log out. Anyway, I do have some progress photos, of Dolphins and Teddies.









I don't even know if you can tell from the last post where I worked on this, I did some fill in here and there, tried to finish up the big pink ballon and fill in some of the patches. Like the yellow patch with the blue and orange triangles I finished filling in the orange, really not a lot just a little bit here and a little bit there. I want to try to get to the point here soon where I can seriously start backstitching the top part of the boarder and maybe start backstitch on the balloons. So hopefully next time I share a photo, there will be some serious backstitching done. We shall see. Next is Dolphins:



I have put some of the darker grey into the dolphin on top and the one on the left side. You'd think that with the big dolphin to the right being so close to being done that I'd spend all my time on it, but no, I don't know why, but I moved on to the others. I am itching to start working in some of the blues of the water, but I get going on the dolphins and I keep thinking, so close to seeing a whole dolphin, just keep stitching! So, I do, and they are getting there, again slow but steady. I really need to put these two away and pull out Snow Valley Express, as my dad's birthday is a month and a half away...whatyou wanna bet it isn't finished in time?