Halfway through 2006

1. Finish the anniversary present "My Sunshine" Finished 11:00 pm, June 30
2. Ten hours on the Nutmeg Needle's tulips I didn't get to this, but I did pick it up and look at it a couple of times this month...
3. Finish A Room for Ewe Done! 6/3
4. Make Prairie Schooler Two by Two my new travel project I stitched the camels, zebras, lions, and tigers (oh my!).
5. Stitch another Santa for my nephews I didn't get to it.
6. Work on Anna's Bird I am nearing completion on the center box and just have to work on the penny rug on the outside.

Avoiding the Flood

Yesterday, I played hooky. I thought I deserved it since I had to drink 32 ounces of water and hold it while a radiology technician pressed a wand into my lower gut. I can hardly hold my urine until I get to the bathroom; this was just too much.

I thought about going to the stitching store to pick up a frame for the anniversary present on my new day off, but decided instead to go to Staples and get a labelmaker so that I could organize the study. While I was driving over, I heard that streets were closed all over my area because of the flooding. I felt really good that I had decided against a trip to the LNS because Rt 1 was closed at Rt 202. Strawberry Sampler is off Rt 202 and I take Rt 1 to get there. I would have been really disappointed...

Cloudy Day

The dude has swept himself off to the left coast with the computer, so I will have to post from work and sans pictures, unfortunately. Before you feel more bad for me than you do him, he sat on the runway in PHL for 2.5 hours (thunderstorms) and missed his connection to PDX. So he was held hostage at LAS. They gave him a new ticket that would get him in precisely 24 hours late. He told me he knew he was getting old: instead of saying, "Woohoo 24 hours in Vegas, baby!" he was cranky about not getting to his conference, spent two hours on the phone getting new tickets--to get in 4 hours earlier--and stayed in a hotel with no casino.

I'm working on My Sunshine while my sunshine is away. And today I'm roughly in the middle of the design, stitching the clouds apropos of Philly's crappy weather.

And, Isabelle, the dude doesn't disapprove of my stash acquisition habit. In fact, he recently went to the LNS to pick up the stash I had ordered. It's just that I sometimes look around at the stacks and stacks of projects in my craft room and wonder, how the hell much money have I spent on things I may never get to? Don't you all have that feeling too?

Why am I Allowed to Go Online?

I think I shouldn't be allowed to buy any of the new Theresa Layman designs until I start the ones I already have until the Dude leaves for his conference tonight. I woke up early so that I could work on the anniversary present, and while I could get my hands on the computer, I poked about looking at new designs. Bad idea. I've already got stuff I won on ebay winging its way to me. I'm just hoping it all arrives while the dude is out of town. It's not that he'd be mad; it's that I would have to admit I have a problem...

I have reordered the Netflix list, so I should have lots of quality stitching time over the next few days.

SBQ: I Don't Know How You Can Do Such Fine Work

Have you ever used a magnifying glass while stitching? If so, did you find it helpful? The very first time I used a magnifier was in a silk gauze class. I didn't think much of silk gauze or the magnifier. I found it difficult to find the "right" spot--being able to get the fabric magnified but not getting a distorted picture. So I resolved not to do silk gauze so that I wouldn't have to buy a magnifier.

One day I found a Dazor magnifier for $20. So I bought it. I've used it occasionally, especially for stitching over one on 40 count at night. I needed it for two samplers that I can think of, a wedding sampler that I did for my SIL and my cousin (pictured). (I went all out for my SIL and did just the middle portion for my cousin.) That was a big help.

I think I might have used it a little for Miss Mary Mack. So there you go. I almost always definitely use it when I stitch over one on 40 count fabric.

As Ye Sew...

Yesterday, I whiled away the afternoon tearing out about a third of what I had stitched on "My Sunshine." What had I stitched? The whole box with the decorative border and "You are my...only...me happy." When I fetched the gold floss and started to stitch the sun, I realized something was very wrong--the fact that the border design had to be fudged hadn't tipped me off for some reason. Duh. I did manage to replace the outermost border of the box.

In travel project news, I have stitched four of my PS Two by Two animals. I am currently working on the zebras. I had intended to use this as a round robin, but it returned to me hardly stitched. (The flamingos and penguins were the only ones completed.) At least it came back.

I Love Lists

The dude is going through MBTI training right now. He recently told me that he has to "show sympathy for my listmaking." He's an INFP to my INTJ, and so he also realizes I will never have sympathy for his inability to organize.

Just to revel in my listmaking, I've set up a list of 101 thing to do in 1001 days. You can see it here. Some of it is crafty, so related to this blog. You'll be the first to know when I complete those items.

You'll notice that I'm only up to 80 or so things to do. Maybe I should separate some things out to extend the list a little. But that feels like cheating...

SBQ: Library

How many cross stitch books do you own and how often do you use them?

So few that after a quick trip to the craft room this morning, I was able to list them all:
Subversive Stitch, Exotic Miniatures in Cross-Stitch, Dictionary of Quilt Designs in Cross-Stitch, Needlework Antique Flowers, Two-Hour Cross-Stitch, Two-Hour Country Cross-Stitch, 4 Seasons Cross-Stitch, Patrick Lose Whimsical Cross-Stitch, Mill Hill Beautiful Cross-Stitch Treasures, Art Nouveau Cross-Stitch, Cross-Stitch a Country Garden, William Morris in Cross-Stitch, Sampler Motifs, Alphabets and Borders, Cross-Stitch Christmas by Better Homes and Gardens--two years, Mary Engelbreit Cross-Stitch, and Mary Engelbreit Cross-Stitch for all Seasons. Those are the hard backs. I also have two Blackbird Designs booklets--with more than just one or two patterns: A Fine Collection and Peppermint and Holly.

Now for the hard part. Do I use them? I'm going to have to say no, Bob.

I don't know; I'm not allowed to watch tv in my own house

DIY is debuting Uncommon Threads designed to showcase the latest trends in needlecrafts. Will this bring us to the heights of popularity experienced by knitting and scrapbooking?

We're on day 5 of the 10 day British invasion. My nephew is cute, but his parents are starting to drive me insane. I came to work early because I had to get out of the house.

I Want

How did I miss these? Maureen Appleton at her best. Okay, jumping on the White Pumpkins in Crafting bandwagon, but doing it over one and making it look amazing. And then channeling Mary Englebreit.

But I also want Lumbajac's "2Gs" for my ringtone, so wtf do I know?

I Have the Best Friend in the Whole World

My best pal sent me a surprise. Perhaps a housewarming gift? Whatev. It was amazing.

It's a framed bookplate of two pre-Rafaelite ladies sharing a cushion and sewing a fine seam.

I love it.

And if I can manage to point the camera away from my adorable nephew (it's like Christopher Robin has come to life in our house!) this weekend, I'll see if I can share it with you.

Getting to the Bottom of Things

Is it a competition? Is it the sincerest form of flattery? Does the mistress of SBQ even know that she is being duped by her loyal followers?

This week's SBQ suspiciously follows on the heels of a Stitcher's Meme.

As you know, your favorite bitch won't show her backs. She thinks looking at the back of people's work is tacky, tacky, tacky. So there.

Stay tuned for another exciting episode of As the Blog Rolls.

And Just Why Can't He Take Up Cross-stitch

I was reading Christianity Today, and I came across this article. What? What was I doing reading Christianity Today? Yeah, well, I blame google. Let's move on.

So, I'm reading this article, and I get to this: "My pursuits of cross-stitch, gardening, and reading didn't lend themselves to drawing us closer as a couple." Personally, I think it's the time I spend alone that does the most for drawing the dude and I "closer as a couple." Really, if I didn't spend my days doing things without him, what the fuck would we have left to talk about after all these years? I'm wondering what part of the wedding vows says you have to share a hobby? I can see pledging your love and fidelity, but your free time?

But then I thought, "Oh, right, that bitch Ruth":

Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me.

Since this is Old Testament, we have to remember those people of his aren't Christians. But I've never known a fundamentalist to let the facts get in the way of their interpretations of the Bible. (See, this is where having a PhD in literature comes in handy--it teaches you how to read all documents in context and critically.)

So we're, of course, left with the question why cross-stitch or gardening couldn't have been the hobby that "brought them closer together as a couple." Oh, right, because it's always the woman who has to adapt.

I think I'd better go home and crack open Subversive Stitch and redirect some of this energy.

Collecting Memes

One of the Stitcher's Memes and the SBQ were related recently so here's your answer.

1. Do you have any stitchy-type collections? flosses, fabrics, patterns, gagdets, scissors, etc? Describe any you have.
I suppose I have collections of flosses, fabrics, magazines, and patterns. I only have three pairs of scissors, so I'm unwilling to call that a collection.

2. If you weren't limited by space, money, or time, what type of things would you collect?
Antique stitching gadgets. I truly lack the money for that. I've tried to get my mother to buy me these types of things for Christmas, but she claims not to know what she is looking for when she goes to antique auctions. That woman had a quilt shop. She knows, she's just not that interested.

Do you collect charts by one particular designer, yet have never stitched anything by that designer? If so, which designer and why do you collect the charts but have not yet stitched any of them? I don't know if six counts as a collection, but I do have that number of Brightneedle charts, and I've never stitched one of their designs. I love them! I don't know why the time has never been right to put needle to thread on those.

I also collect patterns that feature willow trees. I've only ever stitched one, for my mom. I don't even have it hanging here. But boy do I love willow trees.

I suppose I do have a tendency to buy what I like even if I don't know when or how I'll use something. I know that there are a lot of designs out there that you may see only once and if you don't snap it up the moment is lost. I was thinking about these memes while I was going through my stash recently and I came across a design--a pumpkin that is "interrupted" by an orange sampler (of letters). It's by Window Box Designs. Try finding it. Really. Go ahead, I'll wait. Some companies don't last, or people retire, or the companies never get big enough to distribute widely. I just feel like I may want to work on it someday, so I should buy it.

Ultimately, I don't spend all that much money on my hobbies each year and even if I had to stop stitching tomorrow, I would still get some pleasure out of looking at the designs I have. I do now. Sometimes I just flip though to see what I have and enjoy the pictures on the patterns. Maybe I'll get to it, and maybe I won't. And if I don't, there's always ebay.

Fluffy Ewe

I finished my travel project, Ewe & Eye's A Room for Ewe. You can't really see how curly and fluffy the sheep is. It's adorable, though I say it myself. First June goal reached!

I'm going to frame this in a shabby chic white frame for the craft room. Coupled with Twisted Thread's My Friend, it should create a welcoming tableau.

Support Your Local Needlework Shop

So I went to the LNS so I could pick up some q-snap extenders, which I really, really need. No, I do need them for beading the Toy Gatherer. No rush, but I thought it would be good to have them on hand for those moments I feel like putting beads to fabric.

Of course they didn't have any extenders. But I couldn't leave empty handed. I really wanted a copy of Cross-Eyed Cricket's Summer Place and Cindy Valentine's The Cape. They didn't have the latter. So I bought the fabric for Summer Place (left) and a piece of BOAF Sparrow (right) which I think I need for Scaredy Cat. Which you know I hadn't even thought of starting until I saw the fabric. I was like a kid in a candy store. Or something.

Just June

My goals for June:

1. Finish the anniversary present "My Sunshine"
2. Ten hours on the Nutmeg Needle's tulips
3. Finish A Room for Ewe
4. Make Prairie Schooler Two by Two my new travel project
5. Stitch another Santa for my nephews
6. Work on Anna's Bird