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?