Month End

During March, I set out to:
Finish Sissy's laptop bag
Complete Souvenir Sampler
Stitch two more ornaments for family gifts
Complete Hardanger Napkin Rings from Stella Bjerg's class at SOX, VF, 1996.
Complete camp projects, so they don't linger in the drawer for ten years! (see above)

I've fallen down a bit on the family Christmas gifts. (Imagine, I can't keep my focus when the event is 260-something days away...) The PS Fishing Santa is done, but it was so densely stitched, and I had to do it on a small count to make it a good ornament size. I think I'll plan to do some very quick and easy ones this coming month.

At least I finished the camp projects. Gosh, camp seems like so long ago. I guess it's easy to forget that you relaxed when your job is totally stressing you out. I've been here for six months, and I don't know much more than I did the day I started. My boss thinks he is protecting me--from what I don't know--by not really telling me what's going on. I used to think he hadn't managed anyone before. But he makes a great deal of having "managed" free-lancers. I've come to realize that's how he treats me, like the full-time freelancer. I raised some objections to work flow the other day and now he's being all obsequious, but he still doesn't get it. Time to meet with his boss again...and maybe start looking for something new.

This job stuff is distracting me from the rest of my life. Suddenly I realize Marmy's birthday is coming up Tuesday. Yikes! How did I miss this? I seem to have lost my date book which doesn't help. I need to go to Joann's tonight and pick up a small shadowbox for the project I am making for her. Then I'll fedex it Monday. It will be there for her birthday. Poor old girl is laid up after foot surgery. And she started being bored Wednesday! Let's hope I can manage to negotiate this weekend and cheer her up.

A Fine Finish!

I finished stitching Drawn Thread's Souvenir Sampler. I can't believe it. I finished a day before my goal. That is just so unlike me. I have to bring it to my cousin's on Sunday so that I can iron it before I attach the buttons and charms. (My iron is caked with gunk.) Then I'll roll it into a tube, cross my fingers for luck, and send it off to my framer in NH. I'll pick it up the day before the anniversary party.

We finally got the party nailed down; invitations to brunch went out the beginning of this week. The vast majority were handstamped at Ben Franklin's old Post Office (the guy at my regular post office told me to go there to make it "special"). I should start receiving RSVPs soon. We still have 4 people to find/get addresses for. Do you know how hard that is to do when you can't ask your parents? Sissy and I keep fighting over whether or not someone's dead. So far she's 0-1 and my dead guy's still pending. [G] We have a daisies theme. My mother carried calla lillies, but she keeps getting calla lilly tchotchkes from my grandmother and mom has had enough. Her original wedding colors were blue and yellow, so were' going with that. We found the cutest blue and yellow daisy cake, et voila! Now, I hope people can come. It's going to be a great surprise!

Oh! I just noticed that I missed stitching four stitches on one butterfly. Forgive me, but I won't take another photo until the charms are on.

Design on a Dime (or Two)

Thanks Lelia for the link to Von who had just bought Jo Packham's Where Women Create. I went to Amazon to check it out and they had paired that book with the even more delicious Organizing Your Craft Space. I'll have it Friday.

Still, that doesn't give me much time to act on the fabulous offer from Home Decorators. This table is on sale and it's large enough and tall enough. Unfortunately, the top is grooved--not so good for stamping. I could get around that by having a piece of glass cut, but do I get it cut for the table with or without the leaf? Am I getting ahead of myself? Neither is this table white enough. I just don't know how I'm going to like the "terra cotta." I could always paint it. I mean, I'm getting a table for 1/5 of the price of the PB project table (you have to include the outlandish shipping). Of course, the matching bar stools are $200 each. I guess I'll work standing up for a while! (Okay, I probably don't want this to be all matchy-matchy.) I think it may be time to bring the dude in on these negotiations.

Press

Stitch World--or whatever it's called now--aside, The Detroit Free Press has decided to review Subversive Cross Stitch. They found a way to talk about it in such a way that they didn't have to drop any f-bombs. Imagine! What I like best about the review is it is right above the announcement about a memorial rose for the late pope. Irony is not dead.

While I'm thinking about the craft room, any ideas for storing yarn and fabric?

Patti, I'm going to keep kitchen islands in mind. I think we might go to Morgantown (PA) to the furniture outlet mall this weekend. I know I've seen many kitchen islands there in the past. Finger's crossed, they have something good. The bar tables I've seen have been too small. I want room to spread out. That's what makes the PB project table sooooo appealing. (It's 12 feet square!)

Home Decor

I haven't had a chance to work on any crafts for a few days, but I'm still thinking about how I'd like my craft room to look. I've been thinking about amy!'s suggestion that I check out Ikea to replicate the Pottery Barn project table that I lust after. None of the Ikea bookcases were counter height. Then I thought, "counter height!" and started looking at the kitchens. Building an island costs as much or more than the PB project table! I was shocked. I searched a bunch of art supply stores for a table I can stand or sit at, but I want something that looks like furniture, not an architect's office. So I resigned myself again to desk height, and started looking at desks. I like this one at Target and this one at Home Decorators. (Do you know about Home Decorators? It's like a step up from Ikea. Much of their stuff is solid wood. I have to recommend their outlet "item(s) of the week" list. I got a storage bench, perfect for the bedroom for $70 and a console table for the living room for $80. Their specials are awesome, and if my husband had more taste, we'd have more things from the outlet.)

I envision a cottage style craft room. A good strong asparagus-type green with white trim, white furniture and pink accents. (It's my room!) And lots of crystal knobs. I also want one of these for paper. This for scraps and patterns. This for stamp storage. I'll also need a couple of bookcases. I'm still trying to figure out storage for yarn and fabrics.

Here's the thing. I recently came into some money. The kind of money where I could buy the PB project table, no sweat. The thing is, there's still so much to do in the house. I can't figure out what to do with the money--I'm being pulled in so many directions! I know I need to get to the craft room soon or the paper will become brittle with age, the fabric will rot, and my very soul become corrupted.

SBQ: It's a Mystery!

Have you ever participated in a needlework mystery (i.e., a design that you started before knowing how it will look in the end and by which you receive parts of the design via the internet, magazines, or leaflets at spaced intervals)? If so, why did you decide to do the mystery? What appealed to you about it? Did you enjoy it? If you have not done a mystery, would you ever do one? I have never participated in a mystery. I don't think I would. What if I did all that work and I thought it was awful? That would be such a waste. The mysteries I've seen people do so far are a little too much for me--so sparkly and elaborate. I like to know what I'm getting myself into, and I have to know I'm going to like the design.

I have, however, participated in a challege--where everyone gets the same pattern, but chooses their own fabric, threads, and purpose. That's fun because the same pattern can turn out so many different ways.

Stamp of Approval

Last night, Sissy and I went to our Stampin' Up! demonstrator's house to stampastack. For a low, low price, she spends 10 hours cutting paper into the sizes we need, so that we can concentrate on stamping and assembling 12 cards. I'm very pleased. You can see the four designs here. I don't think the "heartfelt thanks" shows up well...there is "diamond dust" on the top of that pink flower. I also got to use my favorite color combination of brown and blue! Sissy had never been to Amy's house and she was on fire, cracking jokes, talking to everyone. For the first time in our lives, I'm the quiet one!

I like stamping at Amy's because there are nice open spaces (clean tables). Not like my house with the crappy craft room that is stuffed with boxes. Maybe I should make this a priority... I have been thinking of buying this table for the room. Of course, the price is outlandish. Maybe something like it.

Souvenir Update

I am well-positioned to complete the Souvenir Sampler by the end of the month in time to ship it to the framer for an April 29 presentation. I just have to put some leaves on the bottom border and do a little stitching near the "N," "S," and "Y." I think for the dedication I will write something like "Stitched by me for my parents' Ruby Anniversary" if that would fit in the space below the "Y."

When I was at the Silver Needle, I picked up a bunch of silver charms. I got a Mom heart and a Dad heart. Those will go by the "M" and "D." I got a pair of flip flops that will go near the sandcastle. I got an engagement ring that will go next to the "W." I got a pair of stork scissors (they really open and close), a seven sisters quilt block, and a swirly Christmas tree. I spent a fortune, so I am going to get buttons to put in the floral borders. I have ordered a couple of horse charms from an online source (for the space near the "H" since my father owns a share of some racehorses). These charms were about half the price that charms sell for in needlework stores, so I am anxious to see the quality. If it's good, I'll let you know where I ordered from. I bought two horses from one place and from another, I got a spider and a heart in hand. The latter are for old JCS ornaments--a Lizzie*Kate and a HIHN. You know, while I had the credit card out anyway.

I'm nearing a finish on the PS fishing Santa too. But I won't finish either of these tonight. Tonight, I stamp.

Happy Spring!

Designs for Your Surly Side

My copy of Subversive Cross stitch #@%&!! has arrived! It's terrific, if you like Julie Jackson's work. About a third of the designs are from the kits--if you like those, you'll love this book! All of the patterns pictured in the first row on the website--"Go Fuck Yourself" through "Beeyatch"--are in the book, but wait, there's more! The book jacket says there are 20 new designs, but I'm not counting, I believe it. There's a whole section of "workplace expressions." My favorite is a little teddy bear that asks, "Please kill me." But I probably will only do "Is that all there is?" because I would like to advance my career. Other sections include "Everyday Sentiments," "Gifts that Keep Giving," and "Special Occasions." Each has a standout design: I have to do "Boo Fucking Hoo" for my friend Michael who practically single-handedly revived the expression. "Bitchin' Kitchen" (actually charted as "Bitch in Kitchen") for my super-culinary-skilled cousin. And "Baby's suck"--won't that just rock on a sippy cup? Of course, you need the right gift recipient for that one...okay, for all of them. This is a book for stitchers of a certain temperament.

The Dude thinks that I shouldn't have bought this book because I could just chart these things myself. This is true. But I feel like we have to support that which we appreciate. The cross-stitch industry needs Julie Jackson. Without our support, she goes leaving us to stitch twee little bunny designs and irony is dead.

Pleasantly Surprised

The latest issue of Needlearts arrived from EGA along with the catalog for the EGA Seminar "Gentle Pursuits" in Richmond, VA in October. I wish I had a week of vacation and funds available. Yes, I want to go. The projects look really good. No more of that 70s crapola. There are a few clunkers but so many things I might actually stitch! "Dye it, Stitch it, Finish it!" is the project I most want to do, but gosh the price. $454 just for that one class, with registration including banquets and swag. The other classes I'd be interested in are Elegant Silk Crazy Quilt Purse and the Mermaid Pendant. (I'm totally into the mermaids lately.)

I sense a little change in the EGA. I saw an ad for them in Piecework and it was so cute! I took a second look to see what it was for. And some of the local chapters have started listing ways of getting a look at the things they are selling in the EGA Marketplace. You'll remember I wrote about that. That is the power of criticism.

SBQ: Over One

Do you stitch “over one?” If so, describe your experiences. If not, have you considered it? Gosh, I've been stitching over one for as long as I've been stitching, I think I'd overwhelm myself--and you--if I tried to describe all my experiences. Since I read on Renee's blog that her first over one experience was on 22 count, I have to say that my very first cross-stitch project was over one! I did a wedding sampler for a stitching friend. Had no idea what I was doing so followed all the directions. It said use "Hardanger 22 count," so I did. It said to stitch over one, so I did.
The next over one experience I had was when I took a silk gauze class with Maureen Appleton. Screwed up. Didn't finish the project. Stayed away from silk gauze. But I did buy her Spirit of Cross Stitch video about working over one. Her biggest secret is to stitch loosely, so your floss doesn't roll under the fabric threads. I'm a pretty loose stitcher, so no troubles there.
I also took a class with Ruth Sparrow in the late 90s/early 00s, and she had us stitching "her way" which is over one, involves starting in the lower right hand corner and working up and left. So that screwed me up and didn't stay with me (she claims that it's less stress on your wrists). Those are probably my standout over one experiences. I switch patterns to over one whenever I think they should be smaller--like for ornaments. So many come out too big for my little tree.

SBQ: Mission Organization

Do you have an organizational system for your patterns? If so, how do you organize them? If not, have you considered organizing them? It's not so much an organizational system as it is... Okay, I'm just not organized in my life. When I was planning events, I had to be so organized. So I let a lot of things go in my real life. Now I have no discipline in the real life or my job! (That's not entirely true.) I have some leaflets in a three ring binder hooked through those plastic doohickeys (pictured). I have chartpacks in plastic tubs. Although all my stuff is in the "craft room," I have no storage furniture, so it's all just stacked in boxes. I don't foresee getting to this room for some time, unfortunately... I don't really see the point of making a database for patterns; I don't buy duplicates. I tend to not buy something I think I may already own rather than getting extras*. On the rare occasions that I do duplicate a purchase, I have stitching friends who benefit from my largesse.

* The exception that proves the rule is the Mill Hill Santas by Sandra Cozzolino. Always buy those, sometimes more than once.

So Much Fun!

I shouldn't travel when Mercury is in retrograde (and here). My return flight on Monday was canceled, so instead of departing on United from Tulsa at 10:41 and arriving in PHL around rush hour, I got on an American flight to Chicago at 3:50 (supposed to leave at 2:52, and after boarding we sat on the runway an extra 40 minutes) and arrived at 6:55 for my 7:00 flight on US Air (hike between terminal 2 and 3 at O'Hare). Fortunately--I guess--that flight was delayed until 9:30. I arrived in Phillie at midnight. They were going to put me on a flight at six this morning, so my trip yesterday was a lot better!

I had a great time. We had three projects:
Tokens and Trifles patriotic needlebook Well, here you go. I have used the perforated paper doohickeys that I sought your opinions on. It's much finer stuff than shows in the JCS party hats and other photos I've seen. The paper is 20 count. I'm still not fond of the frou frou around the edges. And you can tell the wrong side because it looks burnt. (Ah, lasers, just what the Victorians would have used!)
Old Colonial Needlework Garden Thread Pallet Case. This one came with finishing supplies, but I didn't get a chance to finish. But it's sweet, isn't it?
M Designs Bunny in a Basket. Silver Needle made their trademark changes substituting a variety of flosses. Mona (Magic by Mona) showed us how to make a triangle shaped stand up. Too much sewing for me, as usual. It's a little too frou frou for me, but it's finished! Mona really was magic this time. We started the finishing process at about 10 pm, so we had to leave off with the cording half stuck in (the glue was drying) and no bow on top (the feet were drying). When I got up at 8:00, it was finished! Magic.

As usual the projects presented a bit of a challenge. As one of my friends put it, it's like a puzzle: Will we have enough threads? Will we be able to interpret the pattern? Of course, if you do run out of threads, they'll give you more and if you can't figger it, they'll help you. The flag needlebook, for instance, came with a xerox of the original and a hint of a sketch, but no written directions: No help on where to start, no directions for rhodes stitches, no help to create compensatory stitches. Grr. I didn't do badly but my tablemates had to copy from me. That's my biggest complaint. I liked the new setting, beautiful views of a lake. And Edna had ham this year (we go to an Amish farm for dinner).

Of course, stash was acquired. I got Workbasket's two mermaid projects, a LHN punchneedle, a Sister and Best Friends punchneedle (sheep, so many sheep!), Teresa Layman's Sweet Dreams, the Mirabilia Christmas Fairy kit, BOAF spring garden and the pretty pink fabric, and some fabric and floss for the Prufrock mermaids. The boring stuff I got includes some perforated paper, a punchneedle, and metal ornament forms.

If you're okay with dorm-style living, I recommend it!

Camp Countdown

I'm getting regular messages now from my camp friends. Weather reports. Requests for itineraries. Requests for special requests. (What can the driving girls can bring for the flying girls?) I feel like that kid in the Disney commercial, "I'm too excited to sleep." Except I'm not too excited to sleep, I'm too stuffed up to sleep. I think I have a sinus infection. It could be just a cold. I always get sick before vacation. It's like my body senses the trip and then decides to shut down. I'm popping Airborne and snorting Zicam like they are magic elixors.

I have to go to the basement and see what spring clothes fit me. It's 35 degrees here and it's supposed to be in the 70s in Tulsa. Seventies. I have no idea what I am going to wear. I guess it doesn't matter much. I take off at 6:00 am on Thursday. Apparently I was high when I made those plans. I have to leave my house at half past dark o'clock. That's okay, it's not like I've been sleeping anyway...

Ewe'll Love It!

Tonight, I finished one of the ornaments that I started (and had hoped to finish) last month. This is Holiday Ewe from Holiday Trimmings by Heart in Hand Needleart. It's on some sort of mystery blue evenweave, and I used the DMC conversion. This is one of the family Christmas ornaments I am making. It will wing its way to England for my sil. Actually, it won't wing at all, it will go by very slow boat.

The picture is a little difficult to distinguish, but it's the best I can manage.

I got told off by Sissy today for working on next Christmas's gifts when I hadn't even finished her gift from last Christmas. She's right, of course, to be upset, but there's just so much yarn and fabric to have to lug around. I will return to it as my "at home" project so that she'll be able to keep track. But I will bring last month's PS ornament on my commute.

SBQ: Magazines

What cross-stitch magazines or other publications (as opposed to blogs) do you read on a regular basis? What do you like about them? What do you not like? What would your perfect publication include? I subscribe to Just Cross-Stitch, Piecework, Fine Lines, and The Gift of Stitching. I think people may know how I feel about the first two. I think JCS should rein in Martha Beth. Enough with the bloated articles already! I think the stitchbooking series is dirty. I do tend to like the interviews with designers. But I haven't stitched anything from them in a while. I am thinking about doing one of the dance pillows for my mother, but I'm going to change the colors. The colors are so weird, so wrong. I think JCS is on autopilot. It's the same writers, the same designers, the same, the same, the same. They need a focus group! Or something.

Piecework keeps hounding me to renew even though I just sent them a check. What's up with that? I like their articles on the whole, but I wish they had better editors. They could also use some interesting projects. Maybe I should think of this as a reading magazine rather than a stitching mag.

Fine Lines...are they even still producing this one? I can't remember the last one I got. Not a peep out of them. Their website seems to have disappeared. Uh oh.

I've only received two issues of The Gift of Stitching, a new online magazine, so I'm withholding judgement.

Because I'm a member of the EGA, I get their magazine too. You know how I feel about that! (See September 13, 2005, 14, 16, 17, 18.)

Maybe there's just a point where magazines don't do it for you anymore. I have so many charts that, with the exception of the JCS Ornament issue, I'm rarely excited by the designs in my mags. Am I just jaded? (I have subscribed to JCS for over 15 years.)

What would the perfect magazine include? Let me think about that.

Marching to Destiny

Here's my March plan. My regular stitching plan will be interrupted by...stitching camp! DAYS of stitching! Days, I tell you. I'm really looking forward to seeing our unlikely gang, diminshed as we are by two. We'll make a merry little foursome.

• Finish Sissy's laptop bag
• Complete Souvenir Sampler
• Stitch two more ornaments for family gifts
• Complete Hardanger Napkin Rings from Stella Bjerg's class at SOX, VF, 1996.
• Complete camp projects, so they don't linger in the drawer for ten years! (see above)

---

Last night, I found out that one of my former students died. I'm devestated by this. It wasn't as though we kept in touch, but I did follow his career (he was a professional football player). I can still remember the first paper he wrote for me. He was only 27. Poor kid.

Oh, Are the Olympics Over?

Sorry I didn't post a picture of this sooner. I can assure you I haven't put any stitches in since the Closing Ceremonies.

The only thing of a "personal" nature that has been stitched since my last report is the flag next to the sand castle. I have done my best to make it look like the flag from the state of NH.

For easy reference, I've also added the picture taken at the start of the Olympics below. I don't think I podiumed. (Was anyone else as annoyed as the dude was with that verb? It's not just me, it runs in the family!)

What did I learn as a one-at-a-time stitcher?
I learned that I could take "big" projects on public transportation. But that's about it, I'm afraid. I didn't stitch at all on Saturday or Sunday; I believe my enthusiasm began to wane with such focus on only one project. And this morning, I got out the ornaments I was working on before this experiment.