My current obsession, Birthday Gifts and Plane Flights

It's time for a stitching post.

First, I forgot to share what I got for my birthday (4/14). I have an Ergo stand!

It's so awesome. I love this stand. It goes this way and that. I have to be a bit careful with it, though, because the arms of the couch are way high and the seat is very deep, so I tend to sit indian style with the stand pulled way up. Or, I lounge sideways on the couch (legs stretched out) and have the project pulled over my lap.

So then you'll want to know why I have the holder at the top of my piece instead of the side, which is the usual way. Well, there are two things going on here: 1) I don't always have it at the top when I'm working on q-snaps, it just depends on how I am sitting as to how I set up the stand (the dogs like to sleep with their head on the stand's leg/s, so I've got to make sure I've got it right, or I'll have some cranky dogs when I try to move the stand, and 2) I stitch funny. Seriously, check it out:

I stitch from the traditional "left to right" way as far as the picture is concerned, but what I really do is stitch from bottom to top. So the top of the piece, its off there to the left (what would be W on a map). But I stitch from left to right (S -> N). But as you notice, I read the chart the correct way. So the chart? That's how I stitch and how I see my stitching, I just stitch sideways (basically, turn your stitching counterclockwise 90 degrees, and stitch that way, and you get how I stitch).

So why don't I still just attach the q-snaps at the side and rotate the q-snaps so that it sits right? I usually do. I just hadn't changed the orientation of the stand from when I was working on Fantasy Sampler, which is on scroll rods. So the only way for me to get the stand to hold that correctly is to actually attach it at the top.

And in other news of the stitching, here is my "before" of Freshwater Pearls (That name always cracks me up, because clearly, it HAS to be saltwater with the sea weed, shells, and crab and all):

It twas a freebie pattern given away by DMC a few years ago ('96) And here it stands now:

When I started it a couple of years ago, I figured that I would work on the shells and then fill in the rest, so that's why I got the sand dollar done first, followed by the shell, and then started on the spirally thing. But then recently, I looked at the chart, drew in guidelines every 20 stitches (more or less on the borders) and I figure that I work on it, left to right, square by square. I usually don't leave parked threads, so I stitch whatever symbols are in the square, and I'll go outside of the square to finish off symbols (but not always, as is shown by the dangly threads). That's why my highlighted stitching isn't completely constrained by the grids I drew. Sometimes, the next symbol is too far away, so I just dangle the thread and park it near the area where it next appears so I stitch over the loose bits. Basically, I just march across the canvas.

I cannot stop working on this piece. I feel so consumed by it. And not only do I desperately want to finish this thing (and I've got a long way to go - this thing is HUGE), but I'm thinking about doing it *again* over one whilst I happily stitch away on it. It's whole stitches and colors (seriously - no tweeding), so it would be easy to do (well, technically). But I'm thinking this would be faboo on some small count fabric.

I think I've lost my mind.

The worst part is, I'm neglecting other stuff to play with this piece. That's bad. But I love it! I've haven't had this much pleasure stitching in a long time. I've got to get back to the UFORR and a couple of obligation pieces before I disappear, but I think I'm going to JUST SAY NO to any more obligations until I get this thing done. Much love.

And stitching with the stand is even more fun than stitching without. I keep thinking of the 100 other patterns I want to get to, and I've even *gasp* thought about stitching another large Crossed-Wing. That's all we needed right, some sort of Snowy Egret: redux.

I almost forgot to add. I got my tickets for HERSHEY!! woot! CATS, here I come!!!