Floss and a New Start

My web friend Draconayzia sent me the floss to start Spike - he's getting his beginning bright and early - or dark and late, depending on how the day goes - Monday morning! I'm just going to stitch him on regular white 14 count - he's a small pattern, and the stitching will be 3-4 strands, so coverage won't be a problem. I like 3 strands on 14 ct, makes it look very tapestry-like. And aida is good for these computer-generated patterns. They need a very sturdy base. I could do it over one on 20 count, but then he'd be tiny. I don't want that. Here's his floss and my discount fabbie.

And tonight's the night! I finally get to start 'Rose of Sharon' by Mirabilia! It's with a SAL on the Mirabilia BB. I can't wait! I'll be starting her at 6:30, after I finish catching up on all my emails and sites and such, so that I don't have to stop once I get started.

Whee!

And here's the update on my Nautical sampler! It no longer fits on my scanner. I just need to finish the red border down the left side and my March goal will be done - so I think I'll set another. I'm not sure if I'll try to finish the right side, or if I'll work on the boat or sailors that go in the middle...

The little red diamond and the red 'half' block actually have white around/next to them, it just doesn't show up very well right now. It's interesting to work on this piece - almost all my other projects have elegant, muted color tones. These screaming primary colors are a real difference!

SBQ

I joined the weekly SBQ group - though I haven't said anything to them yet! - and here's the question:

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?)

Well, oddly enough, mine is 5x7 kits. I don't know why - I love big projects. But when I see a 5x7 kit my brain just goes 'oh, I could get that done in no time'! and I buy it. Especially if it's got animals on it. Go figure...

11:00 PM -
I went to my Mum and Dad's today to visit - Dad got the fourth season of 'Hogan's Heroes' for Christmas and just hasn't had time to watch it yet. We always watch them together - sometimes my sister does, too, and my Mum, but they don't like them as much as Dad and I do. And my DB hates that show! So, I needed something to stitch - I can't sit still and do nothing, and Archangel is too complicated to work on while watching something new.

Anyway, I took my 'Nautical' sampler - and I got six of the seven flags done! That's almost my whole March goal for this piece! Tomorrow I'll finish up the last one and try to get the red-line border done around them, and post a pic! I'm amazed, because even though they are simple, there are exactly 111 stitches in each square flag - so that's um... 672 stitches, because I got the first line of the seventh flag done, too. I also did a bit of the red border, so that's really even more stitches. If I wasn't so sleepy, I'd finish it up tonight, but I know I won't make it.

So, tomorrow, before I start 'Rose of Sharon', I'm finishing that last flag! Then I can have a whole new goal for March - maybe this piece will be finished sooner than I think!

March Goals

I'll be updating this post until I have fifteen projects worked out.

1. Stitch 15 hours on 'Archangel'
2. Finish the left border of 'Nautical' - this will mean finishing seven flags and the red line. I'm not sure if I'll include backstitching the flags in this goal or not. (done!)
3. Finish 'Chang Wufei's collar and a big chunk of his shirt. (done!)
4. Complete 500 stitches on 'Vash the Stampede'
5. Stitch at least two more books on 'Frederick the Literate'
6. Complete 5 hours each on 'Angel of Grace', 'Rose of Sharon', (done!) and 'Touching the Autumn Sky'
7. Start 'Spike' (done!) and 'My Baby Duck'
8. Finish an entire row of blocks on my lace tablecloth
9. Do at least two color changes on 'Crayon Ripples' but try for four.
10. Finish four blocks on my 'Arrowhead Puzzle' quilt project OR sew together the blocks I already have done.
11. Work on at least 3 UFO's besides 'Vash the Stampede' (done!)
12. start (done!) and finish 'It's Not Easy'

Help Me!

I need to stop finding new designers to moon over!

I discovered Bobbie G. Designs today, and I'll be adding about five of them to my wishlist. Like that isn't long enough already! It's getting to be pathetic!

Here's a link to see all the designs:
https://www.stitchingbitsandbobs.com/cgi-bin/Store/pageread.cgi?BobbieGDesigns

Here are the main ones I want:

Plus there were a few others I wouldn't mind having. But these three are my favorites. I love anything nautical, and anything with chickens. Maybe it's a weird combination, but I don't really care. I've been weird ever since I was born. Just ask me family.

On the stitching side, since I've gotten Wufei's neck done, I've begun on more of his shirt. I also finished another flag on my current Nautical sampler. Except for the backstitching, that is. Still waiting impatiently for Friday! Soooooooo want to start Rose of Sharon!!!

I've updated my webshots - again - with an album entitled 'Trade'. See anything you like, I'll trade it for something from my wishlist. There's not a lot in it yet, but it will be growing.

progress

I have moved beyond my goal - for once - and finished Wufei's neck as well as his chin.
Yay!
Some more work on his shirt and I'll post a pic.
I also got out my 'Nautical' sampler and I'm working another flag. they're pretty easy, and I'd like to get the border done so I can get to the boat in the middle.
The Rose of Sharon stitch-a-long starts this Friday - finally! - and I can't wait to start working on her. That's probably why I've gotten extra done on a few of my projects; it's the anticipation of starting something new. Always makes me work faster!

How Depressing

I added up my 2007 finishes, and got a grand total of 5.
Five!!!
And they're all fairly small ones.
Of course, I went from doing a lot of little projects to starting some big ones as I discovered that there were more patterns out there than the little ones my once-LNS carried, so that's part of the reason.
Still... five!
Argh!
I swear I'll do better this year!
*grumbles to self* How'm I supposed to justify all this stash...?

Whoa...

I saw this pattern for the first time today:
http://books.lulu.com/content/194019
Sistine Chapel
it's app. 3 1/2 feet by 6 3/4 feet - and that's apparently stitched over one on 32ct. On 'regular' aida, it would be twice that size. I don't even think they make aida that big.
1809 colors with 1200 blends.
I do NOT want this patten!
But it's fun to look at!
And here I thought 'Spartacus' was a complicated pattern!

my goal list

well, my goals for February are getting done. This is amazing to me, because usually I only get about half and February is a shorter month.
I got my 200 stitches in on Vash, my UFO (UnFinished Object) - I think it was 206 to end with. I didn't bother with a picture, because there's not a noticable difference. Next month, I think I'll try for 500. I doubt if I'll have enough time to concentrate on finishing him. He's got 1200 stitches, at the very least, to go, and most of them are confetti. I hate confetti. Did I already mention that?

I dug out my Kats by Kelly designs and added pics of a lot of them to my Stash album in webshots, because I was going through last year's stitching notebook and found that I had marked down 2008 as a year to get a lot of them done. Good thing I had already started SnowKat, then! I think Cat O'Lantern will be next.
I also added the ones I don't have to my Wishlist, because next month is my birthday and my family will be looking there - I hope!

Wibble

9 AM

I've been informed that the Dragon Dreams patterns I ordered are out-of-stock and since they come from Canada, may take two weeks to get in before they're mailed to me.
*lip wibble*
I've got time to stitch the wedding sampler, but this also means I have to wait for my new copy of 'Brinkerhoff Home' and I really wanted to work on it.
I hate delays.

2 PM

I've updated my webshots albums to include one called 'Stash'. If anyone fancies a Stitch-A-Long, let me know? I'm about to go bonkers waiting for the 29th to start the Rose of Sharon one.

8:30 PM

On the bright side, I was sorting through a box - no, I'm still not unpacked yet even though I've been at my new house for a month - and I found this pattern, the floss, and the fabric, all ready to start. I think it'll be a goal for March, to start this.

Dyeing Fabric

I spent the day trying out different techniques of dyeing fabric. The blue and green came out all right, but the brown has flecks of red and blue no matter which way I dyed it - washing machine, hot water in a bucket, stove top - didn't matter. Otherwise it was really pretty. As soon as I get batteries for my camera, I'll take some pics.

-2/21 - photos are now up, in my cross stitch album
http://community.webshots.com/user/JinxedChilde


Since I finished my Lizzie*Kate project, I've decided to let 'Snow Kat' by Calico Crossroads take it's place as my stress-free project. It's actually a bit bigger than a usual one, being 8x10 inches, but I think it will be all right. It's not a difficult pattern.


This evening I'll be getting Vash out to work on. If I can get his full 200 stitches in, I'll be happy. He's down to the confetti stitching on his gun, though, so I don't know if I can take it. All that grey, dark grey, light grey, different light grey, steel grey... urgh. But I'm so close to finishing him!


One of my net friends is picking up the floss for me to start stitching my Spike pattern. I can't wait to get it - he's only got 10000 stitches so he should be a quick finish. This is what the pattern looks like:

I made it myself, with PC Stitch. I love that program - where else could I ever get a Spike pattern?

finished project!

I finished my Lizzie*Kate project - now I have to buy a silver heart charm to put on the right side of the word 'you' and pick some fabric to make it into a pillow. It's stitched on 14ct. Rustico, with 3 strands of floss. I have to make it sturdy, because cushions and pillows have a short life expectancy at my house. Too many people who like to pillow fight. Of course, getting whacked with the charm might make them think twice.
Well, knowing my family, it'll just make it worse... ^_^

Lizzie*Kate project

Here's how far I've gotten on my Lizzie*Kate project. I'm going to try and finish it tommorrow. The blasted scanner is making the colors all wonky, it's much lighter than it looks.

February List

My stitching goals for February:

Cross Stitch:

Finish Lizzie*Kate 'Follow Your Heart' (done!)
start Mirabilia's 'Rose of Sharon' (waiting for StitchALong)
Finish chin on 'Chang Wufei' (done!)
Stitch 200 stitches on 'Vash the Stampede' (done with 206!)
Finish two books on 'Frederick the Literate' (done!)
Finish five hours on 'Angel of Grace' (done!)
you can see pics of most of these here:
http://community.webshots.com/user/JinxedChilde

Sewing:

Finish my tea-towel 'dress' (1/2 done)
Work on my Arrowhead Puzzle quilt (done!)

Crochet:

Get three blocks of my tablecloth done (1 so far)
Finish at least two color changes on my 'Crayons' ripple afghan (done!)
Finish doll dress (3/4 done)

and possibly make a 'Figwit' plushie

First post

So, isn't this fun...
I've been meaning to have a stitching journal for quite a while.
Since my baby sister announced she's getting married, I went straight and ordered a pattern for a wedding sampler for her.
Nice enough to start with, yes?

Here's the pattern I chose:
Fantasy Wedding Sampler by Dragon Dreams






And while I was at it, I bought two more... what can I say, I'm addicted! Of course, the Debbie Patrick is one I really needed, because I started the project but spilt water all over the pattern and ruined it. So the new copy was necessary. 'Why Hoard Gold' is also by Dragon Dreams.