Making Progress

My hands have been doing better. I am happy to report that my employer purchased a great program for me to use that is speech-to-text which is saving me from typing so much. I have to use the braces in order to stitch, but now that I have grown accustomed to them a bit, I am making some progress.

My daughter is excited to see this come to life in front of her - much like she was with the J Fairy. It's funny to me, but she is enjoying my work on this one a lot more than the J Fairy, and she says it's because this one is "about her." I hope to finish it soon, but there is a large bottom portion of this pattern.

TUSAL, WIP update, a Blog Hop and IHSW Weekend

This week has been crazy. The hubby and I left to go to Buffalo, NY in the winter to say goodbye to his grandmother. It was a very sad reason, but she was just shy of 96 - a good long life and plenty of memories to carry us all with. However, this beach chick was unprepared for Buffalo in winter. Wow!! That was an experience!!

So, to get caught up, I missed the TUSAL update for February, so here is my jar so far:

You can see the Valentine Heart that I created - all of the red and pinks. I also put the picture of Grandma and Grandpa behind it since they're together now and the reason that I was traveling.

I also figured since I had so much time on the plane ride home to start Stoney Creek's March pattern. It is a fun stitch, and it took up a few hours on the plane:

Whew! And I have returned home to a Blog Hop. 

This topic is "How many needles have you lost?"

Hmmmmm, I think over the course of my stitching career, I have lost quite a few. An estimated amount is probably 20 or so.  The "best" story is not a pleasant one. I lost a needle about two years ago, and sadly, I found it with my foot. That was VERY painful and I have continued to be diligent in hanging on to my needles so that they don't end up in a tush or a foot ever again. 

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.

And now for the IHSW. It is the Hermit Weekend, and I would love to have time to finish the Month of March from Stoney Creek, the Hope bookmark and get a lot of work done on the Baby Sampler. I just realized I started the baby sampler in August!! I am just not motivated to finish it for some reason despite the fact it's for my own daughter.  What a crappy mom I am about that one!!  So, "finding motivation" is my goal for the weekend.

Baby Sampler Update

I missed the IHSW posting, and I failed to even sign up for this year. That worked out well especially considering we were entirely too busy over the weekend for me to stitch. 

Now that Christmas is over, I have been able to get some stitching done, and I'm happy to report that there has been some progress on Jordan's Baby Sampler.  Here is where it was when I left off:

And here is where I left off last night:

I will state that I no longer enjoy having a kit. I really do enjoy picking my own fabric (usually a hand-dyed), and I definitely noticed the difference in the floss.  This floss is knotting and breaking a LOT, and I am not enjoying all of the time that it is taking to make this. I will get it done so that my youngest has her own sampler, and I'm sticking with the kit to have it match her sisters'.  

I'm not sure what you all got for Christmas, but I am happy to brag say that I didn't have to purchase my own stitching stash. My husband knows where to find my Wish Lists, and he spoiled me rotten.  Of course, most of us have trained our hubby's/significant others to bookmark our Wish Lists on the various websites. He always knows where to find exactly what I want (and, in all fairness, I know where to find all of his). Please excuse my Christmas Morning appearance, but it's the gifts you'll notice anyway.

 Yay!! I finally own a pair of Gingher scissors - this is Ella and a cute sunflower FOB

 The Mirabilia Santa (oh, I so wanted him) and some coffee

 You can't see it clearly, but this is the Fireside Embroidery. The chart is a HAED, but 

the artwork is my aunt's, Kim Jacobs. How cool for me!

Another coffee pattern, and then Mill Hill's Margarita and Sunflower Fields. 

There is more that the hubby didn't get a picture of, the Spider Banner pattern, a Mill Hill Flip-Flop kit, a Kreinik corder, and some project cards and floss.  Oh, I definitely have too much stash, but it's so nice to be able to peruse and decide what to do next!!

Wine Charm - almost a set

I have finished three sets of two of the wine charms from the Cross-Stitch and Needlework magazine. I am making two sets as gifts for some co-workers and a set for myself. These are quick little stitches, but the gluing and beading takes some extra time that is very well spent. 

The second wine charm is the ornament. I chose it next because there was no backstitching - the next two will have small amounts of backstitching, so I wanted to wait to do those.

Once again, the felt was stiffened and the beads attached after assembling everything together.

These are coming together very nicely, and I should have them ready in time for seeing these co-workers on Wednesday.

December Prep

It was a long weekend to honor the sacrifice made by our Military this weekend, and with that comes my girls all home and camping out in my living room. They take over control of the television, the dining room table, etc. which makes it difficult for  me to spread out and do the stuff that I want such as working on the large stitching project.  So, I put Netflix on my computer in my office and started the smaller project for the Month of December:

After a few episodes of Frasier, this was what I accomplished:

A really cool plus for the weekend was my middle son has suddenly taken an interest in what it is that I do (step-son, but I usually don't make the differentiation). He was watching me go through some patterns and he started asking questions. After some time, it seems that he realizes now the amount of time and energy that goes into this, and he's seeing everything a bit differently. I was really surprised by the change, and very happy with his interest. I wonder if I can get him to learn to cross-stitch now. Hmmmm......

WIP(s) Update

Yes, once again I have found myself starting a new project in the midst of trying to finish another. It is all for a good cause though! I realized yesterday that I had less than a week before November will be here, and I hadn't completed the November month, so I got it started. I am so glad these are quick stitches, and it should be done quickly so I can get back to the Baby Sampler.

I did spend a few hours this week working on that baby sampler, and here is my progress:

I will apologize to all of the amazing stitchers who participated in the IHSW and posted their work. I have not had time to look at everyone's work, and it's something that I usually love making the time for. Sadly, work is still keeping me very busy, and I haven't had the time to carve out of my day in order to be inspired by you. I hope to have time to get to them during this next week, and as always, I will post the comments for you!! 

Day 2, IHSW & A Golden Opportunity!

Wow! Two days in a row, and I was able to sneak in some stitching. It was a glorious treat, and I'm so glad to be able to get some time in on my favorite hobby despite the exhaustion from work. Yay! The little bear is coming right along!! 

It's also a perfect time to share my status on my WIP because this weekend is International Hermit and Stitch Weekend!! That's right, it's here again (already)! 

If you have not participated in the IHSW, then click the picture and enjoy. There's no stress, and no one even minds if you can't stitch this weekend, but we stitchers always love to see what everyone else is working on, and there is a plethora of blogs listed for you to spend DAYS perusing!! 

Hopefully, by Sunday night, I will have made great strides in the baby sampler that I'm working on. My goal is to at least have the bear completed, and then I would love to start on the Jack-in-the Box in the center. We'll see how my time allows!

Lastly, I have seen a great blog that has a wonderful opportunity for us to share our love. There is an elementary teacher in Pennsylvania who teachers her students to cross-stitch, but like most teachers, there isn't enough money in the district for supplies, so she subsidizes with her own funds. Apparently, there was a post back in June, and this teacher is happily receiving donations, and I wanted to make sure to not only use this opportunity to go stash shopping to donate as well, but I wanted to spread the word. As a teacher, myself, I cannot begin to tell each of you how much money I have spent out of my own meager paycheck over the last 10 years for supplies. Yes, we get to write off our expenses on our income tax, but only up to $250 each year. Um, the average I have spent of my own money is closer to $1500; some years more, some years less. 

So, please go to this link - not only will you get to see a great blog, but you will have the information to help these new stitchers:

http://shakespearespeddler.blogspot.com/2012/09/happy-news-from-pennsylvania-students.html

Besides, isn't is just AWESOME to enable all of these little people into becoming just like us!!  

Back on Track

I finally found some time to stitch!! Well, actually, I had to make myself stitch tonight, but I'm so very glad that I did. Work has just been a bear over the last month, and by the time I shut down my computer, I barely have the energy to fix supper and get the kids to bed. I find myself collapsing from exhaustion, and I am always disappointed to see that I didn't get any stitching done. So, even with being utterly tired, I pulled everything back out, and spent an hour working on my current project - the baby sampler for my not-a-baby-anymore youngest child. 

Not only was I able to mindlessly enjoy watching Mark Harmon on NCIS for an hour, but I managed to get a nice chunk of the bear filled in. 

Just a small amount of time makes such a difference. I slept better, and the knot in my shoulders is down to just a crinkle this morning. I'm going to make sure that I make more time for stitching tonight as well!!  (Fingers crossed!)

A New WIP

I started the last of the boys' Christmas Ornaments. The letter B is moving smoothly, and I'm glad I have finally learned to work with opalescent fabric. I was having a very difficult time with the floss knotting up, but I've learned to untwist a lot more often, and I don't get as many knots as I was getting on the last two ornaments.  Again, I'm really glad that I started with small projects with this fabric rather than one of the larger Miras.

Over the last few weeks, I received some gorgeous fabrics from Stephanie Bishop. I joined her Fabric of the Month Club, and the September fabric was Iris (on the left). Words cannot describe how beautiful it is in person!! I also received three (3) pieces of Opal Lugana in Forest Bloom (right) to have on hand for when I finally get around to creating the Three for Tea for each one of my daughters.  

At this point, I have just as many fabrics as I do charts. Goodness knows when I'll get through it all, but I have great ambition and intentions!

October - almost ready

I have to repeat myself and say that I love quick stitches. These little patterns for the months from Stoney Creek really do not take that much time. Of course, I wish I didn't have to work, and then I would have more time for stitching. However, if I didn't work, I wouldn't be able to afford all of the great stash that I have! Such an evil cycle but a necessary one.

As you can see, I have made some very good progress.  There's nothing left but the backstitching, adding the sunflower beads, and then I will put it in it's frame and be ready for October.

IHSW & TUSAL

The weekend is over, and while I had a great time with friends and traveling, I did not get much time in to stitch during the Hermit Weekend.  I did use the "excuse" to sit down last night and take just a couple hours for my stitching, and I think it went very well.  

Yesterday was also the day for the TUSAL Report, and I am happy to report that my jar is filling. I kept my middle daughter from smooshing the floss down, so you can actually see the last few projects: September's month, a couple of Christmas ornaments and now October's month.

Well, I think that it will just be the two more small projects before I return to the large baby sampler on my scroll rods.  My youngest is just dying to have a sampler on her wall like her sisters.  

IHSW is here

If you haven't already joined, you will want to click the link on the right of my page and get yourself involved in this really fun weekend.  There's no pressure, there's no official membership list - you just get a "reason" to find time for your stitching!

This weekend is going to be very busy for me, and I'm going to have to use the "reason" myself!! Between the eldest girl's 13th birthday party and some theatre tickets for tomorrow, it's going to take some serious dedication to get to the stitching.  Luckily, I have finished one project, and this morning, I kitted up the next one:

It's mid-September, so I felt I needed to work on the month of October so it will be ready to go on the 1st.  

Now, to find the time to get stitching!!!

Another WIP

I absolutely could not find the time to stitch while hubby was gone, but now that he is home, I am back in the groove. I know that I'm still showing the baby sampler as my current project, and I promise that it's still on my scroll rods, but the Christmas ornaments for the boys became a priority. 

So, I kitted it up  and started.  The letter J is next and it's going very smoothly. I have noticed that my floss gets knotted a lot more on the Opal fabric. Good to know on the small projects first.

Oh! And for your viewing entertainment, I did finish the other ornament over the weekend in its entirety. It's only fair to share it:

It's that time of year...

After the last few Stoney Creek patterns of the month, I decided I would try a Q-Snap that I have heard so much about. I didn't want anything but the smallest one because the idea was for me to have a frame holder for the smaller patterns so my hands don't cramp while I stitch.  I love my scroll rods for my larger projects, but I wanted something portable, durable, and something to save my hand muscles.

I used my 40% off coupon to Hobby Lobby and I bought the last Q-snap they had. Fortunately for me, it was the 6" x 6".  I had used hoops in the past, but I hate the marks that are left on the fabric, and I detested how my oils and the dirt totally stick to the piece when using a hoop. I was very afraid that I was purchasing a very expensive hoop ($12 was the original price for the small size).

Now, I seem to have become a Serial Starter because I still have the baby sampler on the scroll rods, but I realized that Fall is just around the corner, and I promised myself that I would my make sons a Christmas ornament. They are actually my steps-sons, and while they aren't making actual noises with their complaints that everything I create only has the girls in it or on it or is for the girls, I have noticed that they look around in the house. My only defense is that they are rarely here, so it's hard to include them in pictures, etc. 

But, to correct this, I pulled out a white opalescent Jobelan, and I used the Better Homes and Garden Christmas book I had to take the letters from the bell pull sampler to stitch individually - AND, I started using my new Q-snap. So, in getting ready for The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, I have a Christmas WIP.

What a difference!!! I am able to stitch longer, and I have to say that the Q-snap holds the tension very, very well.  If the fabric starts to slip, just a simple adjustment, and I'm ready to stitch again.

The stitching went so fast on this smaller project that I didn't even realize how much I got done so quickly.  The start of the project was just yesterday, and here was my progress through tonight:

I have to say that I'm really impressed.  I had heard all of the hype about the Q-snaps, and I didn't want to buy into it because I couldn't afford any new notions at this point, but it really has made a difference.  I will totally used my scroll rods until they give out. I love the floor stand, but I do love the tension quality of the Q-snaps, and the ability to keep the fabric clean while stitching. 

If everything goes well, I will be turning this into a Christmas ornament by tomorrow night, and I should be very good to go for the other two boys before Christmas. 

ISHW Update

I finished the Hermit Weekend fairly strong. I would have loved to have spent more time stitching over the weekend, but my hubby had the living room occupied with his backpacking and camping gear to take inventory and weigh everything. I say is was about time, so I left him to it.

For the weekend, I spent the entire time working on the baby sampler for my youngest daughter. I did post my previous stopping point, so here is the update:

Acronym Weekend

It's an acronym weekend.  As a Special Education teacher, I'm used to sounding like I'm from another planet when speaking with my peers, so I find it awesome when both of the Stitching groups fall in the same weekend. 

The first is TUSAL - Totally Useless Stitch Along.  My ORTS have grown considerably, but I have one daughter who cannot stand to see the jar filling. Because the threads just seem to be compiling, she just has to smoosh them into the jar.  Hence, it doesn't seem as full as it did prior to her smooshing.

It is also the beginning of the International Hermit & Stitching Weekend which takes place every 3rd weekend of each month. In our very busy and hectic lives, IHSW is a chance for us to squirrel some time away for ourselves and "Hermit and Stitch." It is a time set aside to take care of us and our love for stitching.

My plan is to work on Jordan's Baby Sampler, so I want to post my current WIP picture for comparison.

Now, here's to hoping that I get a lot done on it!

Well...Almost Finished

Oooohhhhh! I got so very close to being done last night.  Sadly, I was enjoying time in the pool during the day far more than I wanted to stitch inside the house. I spent the evening working on this small pattern, and despite being so close to being finished, I did not work through the night since I knew I had an early morning and couldn't be exhausted.  

So, here is how far I got:

I still cannot believe how quick these patterns go. Just a few hours is all that is required, and now I just need a couple more to finish the month, the outlines and then add the beads.