2014 Year in Review

I recapped most of what I've accomplished in my WiPocalypse post, but I figured I would throw everything in here?

I feel like my biggest accomplishment is that I'm back to stitching again after a fairly substantial slump, and I've re-created my blog.   I still have a really busy life and a lot (too many? haha) of hobbies, but I'm stitching again.

In fact, looking at the records, I've stitched more this year (and just in the second half of this year, actually) than I have for all of the other years I've lived here.  Wow.  In fact, I haven't stitched this much since 2007, which is well before I moved here (2008 was a heavy grad-school year).

And I'd like to just express my joy at how easy it is to get everything I want in Blogger's WYSIWYG editor.   I used to spend hours and hours working on the CSS and imaging and other issues just to get the blog the way I want it.  Now, I get everything I want - pages, background images, etc. with very little effort.  No more self-taught CSS and very little HTML, yay!

And something, which I'm really proud of - I got everything organized!! (again?  I've had different schemes over the years), both physically and in digital form so I know what I've got.  Yeehaw, organization!  I think that's part of coming out of the slump.   I work on a lot of home improvement projects, which definitely impedes stitching time, but upgrading our place goes hand in hand with getting everything put away and organized :)

So here's a run-down of finishes, progress and framing

Finishes:

• Letters from Nora - S by Mirabilia (finished 6/19, started 2011 or 12?)
• Halloween Fairy by Mirabilia (Finished 7/28, started 2009):
• Miss Witchy Mouse by Just Nan (9/21)
• Miss New Year's Fairy by Mirabilia (Finish 10/13, started in 2011? maybe)
• Haunting love by T. A. Smith Designs (10/18)
• Christmas Mice (Star and Ornament) by Margaret Sherry (10/18)
• Immaculate Hart by Ink Circles (11/9)
• Houston Needle-Roll (finished 11/9... again)
• Wee Beasties Round Robin (12/4)
• Christmas Mouse (with holly) from WOCS 220 (12/07)
• Wild West Sheriff by Sweetheart Tree for Kathy's RR (12/14)
• Christmas Ornaments by Nora Corbett (12/24)
• Cthulhu and Meeple for Amanda's RR (12/28)

Progress:

• Deco Spirits 
• Ferret Knot 
• Chinese Dragon

Framing: 

All of these were finished by Nick's Frame Shop in Phoenix (Letters by Nora S was, also).

• Luna Moth by Sandra Paradise
• For Amelia by Dimples Designs
• Tywyn Sampler by Charland Designs
• Storyteller by Teresa Wentzler

I hope everyone has had a fantastic year and holiday season, and I look forward to all of the goodies I will stitch and see stitched in the next year!

Round Robin-thulhu

So, after finishing Christmas ornaments, I took a couple of days off and just played on the PS3 and had some other good times.

On Saturday I went to the local indie theater and watched Blade Runner (the "final cut") and then we went to dinner and just hung out at a favorite local place for a while.

And yesterday?  I spent the day playing with my stitching while watching a playthrough of Ni no Kuni.   I wanted to spend the day playing more Assassin's Creed, but the PS-Store was down on Saturday during their epic DDOS attack, and I ordered what I wanted from Amazon instead, so now I'll have to wait (dammit).

I'm in this weird holding pattern - there are two SALs I've signed up for, and the people running it are super strict about starting dates.  I mean, I get the second one - it's a race to finish a UFO, so that's fine, but there's a New Year, New Start SAL that's only supposed to strictly start on Jan 1... and I'm also waiting for the first installment of the Cloudsfactory SAL... it's just weird.  I have these things, all set and ready to go, but I can't work on them.

Instead I worked on an RR (which I should have been working on, anyway).  It's the next in my round robin with friends, and this one is Amanda's.    She wants us to stitch whatever it is that is "us", a nice motif or whatever.     I was spending a lot of time thinking about what to do.  I mean, everyone knows I do the cthulhu/octopodes thing, but is that what I wanted to stitch?   And then I was terribly concerned that I wouldn't leave enough space for anyone else if I did the wrong thing.  I originally thought of doing the Octopus from Blackbird Design's Octopus's Garden, but that might be too big, so I surfed around looking at different patterns, and I was always worried that they seemed kind of large.  And then I just caved and did an adorable Cthulhu I'd seen online.    I do like him.

He's done in Crescent Colours Spinach (the wings) and Desert Mesquite (main body).   I went ahead and stitched up and down, instead of side to side, for the wings, and I think it worked.

But then I thought I hadn't done enough, and while stitching this, I thought "wouldn't a little red meeple be awesome?"    For those not into gaming, meeples came about from the player pieces ("my" + "people") in Carcassonne, a tabletop game, but people generally refer to player pieces in most gaming as meeples now.    Red is both my favorite color and the color I try to always play when I'm gaming (hilarity ensues when I play a non-red color and end up moving the red player and/or generally being confused because I'm so used to red being mine).

I went ahead and charted one out... I think he came out pretty nicely.
He's stitched in DinkyDyes silks I had on hand.  This skein wasn't labelled, which leads me to believe it is Waratah.

And here is the placement on Amanda's RR.   I hope other people are brave enough to branch out - they're plenty of space, we just have to keep the correct count (off of the first part, which is Kathy's nutcracker, not necessarily from the basting lines).

Oh, and I did end up starting something new-new, but I forgot to take a picture of it.  It looks like I might run out of treasure braids (HAHAHAHA), and sadly it seems that 123stitch doesn't carry those.   I'll be calling a couple of LNSs in other areas to see if they have stock on hand they can ship to me.   Not having an LNS is just so utterly annoying.  I'd just buy my own place out if I could.

Christmas Ornaments by Nora Corbett

Well, I finished the piece I'd started over the "sick" weekend :)  Luckily I'm doing much better, even if not at 100% yet.

Someone posted a finished piece on a Facebook group and mentioned that it was from the 2012 Keepsake Cross-Stitch Calendar, but is now available through Herrschner's as a pdf download.

I thought I would just take a couple of hours to bead it this morning (I started at 9 or so?), but 12 hours later I'm finally done!   The beading on this was intense, but I think the beading also took a little longer, because I made sure the beads were good and secure since the beading on this is so heavy.

I really liked the picture I saw on Facebook, so I went with that idea on the fabric I had.  I  have a lot of grey(ish) fabric, so I did a floss toss and pulled the one I liked the best (some of them were too green or blue for what I wanted).   I think I ended up with a pewter lugana.  I'm pretty sure it's 28 count because the stitches were so huge (can you tell I don't keep all of my fabric as labelled as I should? haha!)

Anyway, it's been rainy and miserable all day here, and should be for a few days, so no awesome pictures, I'll probably update it later.

Here's the before with no beads/kreiniks - I actually stayed up late last night to finish it and considered WIPWednesday-ing it.

And the after! - I really couldn't get the shots I wanted - it's been rather dreary here all day, so pretty much just artificial lighting, slightly different shots show off the beads differently.

                

And a whole bunch of bonus shots (sans my initials, I had to ponder that for a bit).

         

                  

I'm pretty sure it's the last finish for the year, but at least this piece will stop screaming at me every time I see a posted finish. I can't wait to get it framed!

December TUSAL & IHSW

It's TUSAL time again, and it was also the IHSW weekend.  And I was in urgent care so now I'm home for the next few days with antivirals and antibiotics, so I have plenty of time to stitch (when I'm not sleeping).   Coincidentally, I was crowing over how awesome it is that it's the first Christmas since 2009 that I haven't worked; I'd rather be working than have the flu.

Anyway, I did finish the black in the Celtic Ferret Knot.   I'm still really unhappy with the material I used on this (it was antique linen from my stash, I wish I'd done a white evenweave, and a smaller count).   He's coming out OK, though ;)

And then I started something entirely different (hey, why not?).   I don't have all of the kreiniks and beads yet, but I ordered them, so it's just a matter of time.  And I have more evidence of my inability to square anything in my qsnaps.

And I added all of my pretty new threads to my ort jar.   I'm definitely going to need a bigger ort container for 2015.

Well.  I guess the good news is that I should have some good WIP Wednesday progress by then ;)

Zodiac Mystery Sampler - I gots the stuff!

I'm sick.
I'm drinking (hot toddies).
I'm playing with my stuff.

I received my kit for the CloudsFactory 2015 Through the Stars Zodiac sampler mystery thingie!

I lurve it, I lurve it so much, except for those gold rayon threads (the white threads are not rayon, I think there was just too much for the organizer slot).

I initially debated joining in on the mystery, because I always want to join in on mysteries, but they always end up being ones where I don't like the final product.

I think that CloudsFactory's designs are adorable - maybe not something I'd want to stitch a lot of, but hey, it's zodiac themed, and how could that not be even more adorable?

So I was in for the mystery.

The decision came down to kitting it or not.

And here's my dark and dirty little secret -   I love PTP fabrics.  A. Lot.   I adore them. I think they're my favorite hand-dyed fabric supplier, and when I surf through their colors, I always run across Gothic and I want it SO BADLY, but I can never think of what in the world I would stitch on it.

HOW COULD ANYONE  NOT WANT THIS?!?!?!

So, since they were going to be kitting the Weeks Dye Works threads, regular threads, and the best fabric in the world all together, I caved.  I did the math, and I came out ahead (as long as I didn't already have any of the hand dyeds on hand), plus it would be conveniently kitted with the fabric I wanted most in the world, and in a size larger than fat quarters, so I'd have to order a fat half anyway.   Win-win.

The fabric really is that gorgeous, the deep midnight blue with pink and light blue highlights and is every bit as beautiful as I was hoping.

And I don't own any of the WDW threads, so nothing will go to waste (well...).

My only ish is the rayon threads.   I have a full on hate for rayon threads.  I stitched Ice Dragon's Kingdom and Moonlight Guardian, which are big rayon pieces, so I can work with rayons, I just hate them.   So, I'm trying to decide if I can just suck it up for the small bits of the mystery or if I should try to find a silk alternative (I think that silk gives off a comparable sheen without the pain of having to stitch rayons).  I'll be out of town near and LNS in January, so I can do it early enough that it won't impact my progress.

Anyway, SO EXCITED!!! And I can't wait for the parts to start coming out for the mystery!

WIP Wednesday

And then there was that time when a good half of my staff was out at work and things were particularly brutal and I came home utterly exhausted, refusing to cook or be a useful human being in general (at least until after my shower, because I sweat through my scrubs and wasn't feeling very clean or refreshed)...

And then I wanted some soda, only to realize that the soda would be way better with a bit of liquor in it.

And then I sat on the couch and contemplated playing PS3 or stitching, knowing that stitching while under the influence is usually not a good idea.

And then... the little ferret, he was just right next to me on the couch, and just a couple of threads while my nails dried (because bad work or not, we always have beautiful nails) wasn't unreasonable, right?    And then, well I'm on a roll, right?  And then, I'll just finish this one thread, right?  And then, I'm SO CLOSE to finishing that one page.   But wait?  Was bedtime an hour ago?

Oh well :)

I just finished the black for Page 4.  Two more pages to go and I'll start in on the color.

Next year's goals?

Inspired by Measi's post, I was thinking of all of the pieces I'd like to work on in the coming year.   And, of course, I have utterly unrealistic wish-goals.  But let's just roll with it, shall we?

I want to whittle down my WIP list.  I'd like to (theoretically) get down to about 6 WIP slots (or so, some day), and I have the "slots" themed - like TW/Mirabilia/Misc large/etc...   I don't expect to get to 6 WIPs super quickly, so it's not a stressor or anything, but I would like to make some progress towards that goal.

Progress on a non-TW would be nice, I've been thinking Phoenix or Freshwater Pearls

And here are a few other future projects that I'm keeping in mind (but I think I'm going  to try to go with a "2 WIPs Must be completed before adding a new WIP rule).

Except of course, there's the CloudsFactory mystery and my RR I'm involved with.

I really, really really really, want to try surface embroidery.   I can stitch, I can canvas work, I probably would take to it relatively quickly, and I am utterly entranced with the Secret Garden Hummingbird project.  And I'm afraid I'm a weak, weak woman and I will succumb to the siren hummingbird song.

Which will probably snowball into a record fit of start-itis, because the book that the project comes from has so many beautiful patterns/drawings.

I have my Mirabilias lined up in order as soon as I finish Deco (I don't count the Fairies against my Mira-slottish-ness because they're so fast)

I have kitted up Chatelaine's Old World Vineyard, which I purchased as part of her piggybank sale (and kitted using EuropeanCrossStitch's 10% off sales for the beads and ABCStitches 20% off BlackFriday sale for threads).  I just need fabric for that and it's good to go.

I also bought a kit I found on Ebay, Joan Thomasson's "Happily Ever After"    I've been wanting her "Russian Fairy Tales" something fierce (it was a class kit, I've googled and keep googling, looking for people who are selling their kits - partially finished or not), and I also "need" Magic Nesting Dolls)

I'm itching to start either of those two, but I think the only way I can justify it in my head is to finish two or three WIPS first.

So WIPs that should be finished:

• Fantasy Sampler
• Egyptian Sampler
• BoInk 
• Deco Spirits
• Ferret Knot

WIPS with progress

• Freshwater Pearls
• Phoenix

New starts I'd like to get to:

• Silver Moon Tea
• Red
• Secret Garden
• Old World Vineyard
• Happily Ever After
• Crossed Wing Hummers (have fabric for most, mostly kitted)
• Wee Beasties
• SamSarah's Steampunk Sea Serpent
• Desert Sunset 
• Desert Sunset II
• Biltmore
• Behold the Field in Which I Grow My F-cks
• Just Nan Christmas Mice (3)
• Thanksgiving Fairy
• Lily of the Valley pixie fairy
• Christmas Ornaments (Mirabilia)
• Stained Glass Zelda (sprite stitch)

And just to prove I'm not completely insane -
Things I have no intentions to work on (they can wait til 2015 *or* I might dig them out for YOTA weekends):

• Celestial Dragon
• Chinese Dragon
• Enchanter
• Fortunate Traveler

So clearly, I will work on my 11 or 12 big WIPs *and* do all of the extra things *and* work on my RR, right?  RIGHT?   I don't need sleep either, right?  Or a job?  haha.

Wild West Sheriff - Chubby Nutcracker by Sweetheart Tree

I just started a round robin not long ago with a few friends.

For the first round, I stitched on my friend Kathy's.   She has a thing for nut crackers, and she chose the Chubby Nutcracker series for us to stitch.

I chose the Wild West Sheriff since everyone knows me for being a Texan.   I did the hat band in satin stitch and chose to do the entire face over one.

Added in the name and voila!

Now I just have to figure out what motif/s to do for Amanda's!

SALs for 2015

I think the most fun part of getting back into stitching is participating in stitch-a-longs.

That said, I feel like I only partly participated in a few last year, since I missed joining any at the beginning of the year, but this year, I'm already racking up a few SALs to participate in!

I am trying to focus on those that will allow me to work through my WIP/UFO pile.    I tend towards larger designs, so I'm not participating in anything that requires smalls or finishes... I also prefer to post on my own blog, so I'm not joining anything that makes me post elsewhere (though I do like watching!)

So far I have -

• DESIGN SAL, which introduces people to designers every month.   Each month, you post a piece with a different designer - the deets are on the main page.
• Year of the Magnificent TW for 2015, hosted at Sceal Teach
• Measi's fantastic WIPocalypse, which is my favorite SAL.

Probably

• YOTA (first Saturday, though I know with my weekend crazyness, I might miss a few)

And I'm hoping

• TUSAL will continue (I even have plans for a new ort container)
• IHSW, too :)

And I've joined a couple of Facebook SALs that are starting in January:

• New Year, New Start SAL on January 1
  I'm stitching the stained glass Zelda Windwaker piece from SpriteStitch
• Race to Spring SAL starting on January 5.  
  From January 5 to March 20, one should finish a WIP/UFO that has not been stitched on in the previous 6 months.  I'm going to work on either Fantasy Sampler or Egyptian Sampler.   Everyone that finishes is entered in a drawing.  I don't know if I care about the drawing, so much as I do actually getting a TW out of the way. 

And finally, I'm joining in on the 2015 CloudsFactory Mystery SAL.  It's zodiac themed, and their stuff is so cute, that it seemed like a fun thing to join in.  I've been wanting to join in with a mystery somewhere, but I'm always leery, because I'm not sure I'll actually like the end product.  I think I will like this one :)

I've already updated my tentative rotation for 2015.
I really like stitching large pieces in rotation until a certain "thing" is done, whether it's a motif, area, color, etc.  For Deco Spirits, it's easy - an entire block, for BoInk, it's a page (or three).   Some of the pieces are more difficult to define, so I can get "stuck" because I really like discrete mini-completions to celebrate, but I get there eventually.

WIPocalypse Year-End Review

Theme: Recap your accomplishments for the year! (Your finishes, your final before/after photos, etc).

So I'm pretty sure I've finished with any WIPocalypse progress.   I have a round-robin piece to work on and I know there's not a whole lot of time left in the year to get any significant progress done (I work over the holidays, I'm "essential personnel" so no holiday stitching time for me!).

So here's a run-down of WiP progress... just that stuff I had waiting for attention when I got myself back to stitching.

Finishes:  4 whole finishes!!!

Letters from Nora - S by Mirabilia (finished 6/19, started 2011 or 12?)

Halloween Fairy by Mirabilia (Finished 7/28, started 2009):

Miss New Year's Fairy by Mirabilia (Finish 10/13, started in 2011? maybe)

Wee Beasties Round Robin (Finish 12/14, started in 2004)

Progress:

Deco Spirits Start:

Deco Spirits Current:

Ferret Knot Start:

Ferret Knot Current:

I've got two pictures of progress because I'm too lazy to bother taking the piece out of the qsnaps.

I'm not sure how much the next one counts, but I'll just throw it in here for good measure.

Chinese Dragon (Pinn) Start (2007):

Current:

I'm really looking forward to next year's WIPocalypse.   Now that I seem to be back to stitching, it's been fun getting back to my old lovelies (though I have to admit, having a new start now and then is nice... they've been my old lovelies for a very, very long time!)

Margaret Sherry Christmas Mouse #3

Apparently I'm rocking and rolling with the stitching this weekend while I binge watch Breaking Bad ;)  I finally got around to finishing the last of the three Margaret Sherry mice from WOCS #220.

These are adorable little stitches.  I just let myself get distracted, but now it's done!  Woot woot!

Here are all three done - washed and ironed and everything.

Chinese Dragon by Pinn - Home at Last

Apparently this is the week of the stitching awesomeness for me!

Several years ago (2007) I was in a UFORR (my third UFO-RR, I believe), and sent off my Chinese Dragon.    Susan, the mod in charge of the RR was just in front of me (I think?)  and she took it upon herself to ask me if she could keep it a bit longer to stitch extra on it.   Of course!  was my reply - after all it was a UFO for a reason.   My aunt had bought this pattern and kitted it up for me, but it's not really my style, so I have a hard time stitching on it.   But, it was a gift, so I really want to get it done.   I suspect that not much stitching got done on it by the other stitchers in the RR when Susan received it ;) .  

Cue a few moves on my part and life and everything, and Susan had it a little longer than either of us planned, though we were never out of touch.  Susan is amazingly responsible, so I never worried about it, I was more worried I'd forget to tell her where I was living.   Well, she finally decided it was time for the dragon to go home, but WOW!  the progress!!!

Here's how I sent it off in 2007

And here's how it was returned to me!
An entire page (of a four page chart) is done, and it's mostly solid stitching, though Susan did warn me about the multiple color changes.

So excited!
I feel like there's an actual chance this guy will get done some day!   I think the hardest part will be stitching on aida, it's my least fabric fabric but I chose it since the design is solid stitching, I thought it would be better.

10 years of dancin'! Wee Beasties RR Happy Dance!

Huzzah!  My Wee Beastie Round Robin is done!
This round robin started in 2004, and took place through the TWRR.   I knew most of the stitchers involved in my rotation group pretty well, so I remember being really excited about this one.

It's stitched on a 32 count PTP fabric, but I'm not sure which one.   I had done half of the Thyridia at the top and had basted out the pattern.   I was hoping for four large bugs and four small bugs, but hey, RR.

I had also basted the center lines in the boxes to make it easier to center.    I managed to not center my own box correctly, which left a big space at the top.   Then I decided to go ahead and make a cute title for the round-robin to compensate.

Error?  What error? ;)

Here's the completed piece:

I grabbed some close up shots of all of the boxes.

Thyridia by me.   It was a freebie that Terry had given away  (later there was an over-one Thyridia print and the butterfly is in blues instead of greens!)  Thyridias are really pretty and include the glass-wings you can see in the tropics.  Love them!

Next is probably my next favorite bug on the piece - the Ailanthus Silkmoth stitched by Dani from Wee Beasties, Part 2:

There's a NineSpotted Ladybug by Jen
It's from the Wee Beasties, Part 3

Jeweled Scarabs from Wee Beasties Part 10, by Charlie and Nicole (father daughter, stitching duo!)

Queen of the Bumblebees by Ann:

Twenty-two spot Ladybug by Annette, from Wee Beasties Part 8!

Blue orchid bee by Charlie!

And last, but not least, one of my other favorites - the Green Orchid Bee by Sherrin!

This was one of my favorite RRs to take part in, because I love Wee Beasties so much.   This was a super easy and fun RR.    I have to admit that I am super happy to have the WIP all wrapped up and done after 10 years!

Belated WIP Wednesday

I actually have a Happy Dance to share - a 10 year old WIP has been completed.  But since it's currently soaking, waiting for a dry and an iron (I want pretty pictures!), I will share this belated #WIPWednesday instead :)

I was waiting for kreiniks (again... this seems to be a theme), and decided to work a bit on Ferret Knot.   I had to frog all of my progress three times, so I started using needles as stitch markers and only stitched 10 rows at a time, triple checked it an moved on, so I would stop making errors, but I got there :)