Prize!

My book arrived. It is so cute. There are places to put all your important lists on the right hand page and the left hand page has funky illustrations. The list headings include "Favorite TV Shows of All Time," "Pet Peeves," "American Cities I've Visited," and "Jobs I Have Had."

I think this shall be the book I write about my life. Some people write their lives in letters; some in narrative form. It's just very appropos that my life should be written in a list.

Photograph from Listography.com

Beading Class!

See what I did?
What fun!

Of course, the dude said, "You need a class to show you how to string beads?" Harumph. Next week we make earrings; then we do pearl stringing; then spiral rope stitch; ending with a wire wrapped donut. Mmmm ...donut. This is going to be good!

The colors aren't quite true in this scan. The purplish beads are definitely all pink. The rosette is more chartreuse, definitely lighter. And the funnel shaped beads are closer in color to the rosette.

The woman I sat next to totally independently chose the rosette as her focal piece too, only hers was an icier blue color. Do you think we'll be friends?

Boo Hoo Hoo

I'm not going to Hershey again. This year, I have to go to my alma mater for volunteer training. It's my reunion year next year, and I have to try to squeeze money out of my classmates. They're going to tell me the best way to do it. (I have the fear that it involves the telephone.)

I really wanted to look at things the French Needle has in person. There are so many books on her website I would like to flip through, fondle, touch. I want to say "hey!" to the gals at the Silver Needle booth. I want to sit and stitch with my blogging friends and meet more of you in person.

I have an idea! One night, you all should just pile in the car and come see me. The dude won't mind. It's only about an hour away...

Applique

Last night I snuck out of work early so that I could go home, change, eat, and get to my class by 6:45. I got home at 6:10, made dinner, changed, scarfed down the homemade "individual California pita pizza" getting sour cream both up my nose and on my shirt. So I changed again and raced out the door. It was back to school night at the high school so traffic going to the middle school where my class was being held was a nightmare. Fortunately, I was able to clean my nose while I sat in traffic; who knows what they would have thought of me otherwise. I was late, but not as late as I might have been.

When I introduced myself, I had to admit I couldn't really sew even though my mother had not only owned a quilt shop, she had taught applique classes. The women wondered why I hadn't learned from her. What do you say? Am I the only one in this predicament? (No. See "ease a sleeve.") Another woman said, "she must be so proud that you're taking this class." Granted, she was older, but probably not nearly as much older than me than she thought she was. Really, would you say something like that to a 40 year old? I had no idea how to respond to that one because 1) I don't even think I told my mother that I'm taking the class and 2) my mother is not so easily impressed and 3) as my boss pointed out, I've done a few things that she might be prouder of. At a loss, I just sort of stammered out, "My mother is difficult to impress." Someone else replied, "I was never able to impress my mother." So I didn't feel like a freak, and we could continue to meet the other people in the class.

It's about 50/50 older women and 25-30 year olds. I figure I'm about in the middle with maybe two other gals. The most interesting aspect of the group was that about half of the students have taken classes together before. There was real potential for them to be cliquish, but they were so nice. When one woman came late and said her roommate would be even later since she was parking the car, the women collected the handouts for the roommate. They were all very friendly, which bodes well.

Our first project is placemats. We have a choice of cherries or a party set (one with cake and one with presents). If I were smart, I'd do the boxes. Instead, I'm going to dive right in and do the cherries. Because if I can make an easy project difficult, I am all over it.

The Weekend

I know I said I was going to try to relax from all those stressors. But I forgot that I agreed to watch the kids overnight so that my cousin could go to a wedding in Philadelphia. Here are some tips: don’t forget to give hyperactive children a single dose of their medicine. In fact, you should set an alarm because it’s just that important. And don’t wait too long to eat when you’ve got kids in tow. In fact, it’s probably best to carry food and water at all times, even if you’re only going for a little stroll at the local college. It took the dude and me a looooooong time to get going on Sunday.

I was able to get the last of the pearl cottons this weekend. I only had to go to two more stores. The cross-stitch section of the Joann’s in Springfield doesn’t have a great selection, but it is extremely well cared for. I ended up going out to Frazer, and they had everything I needed and more. (I love needlepoint stores; if you ignore the costly canvases, it’s like a candy store of fiber!) I also got two new pairs of shoes and a pair of boots, because when you find boots that fit your fat calves, you have got to buy them. And inevitably a couple of pairs of shoes will jump in your basket. (I really needed the new brown shoes.) Anyway, that helped with the work thing. And my boss is taking a little off my plate. Whew!

I’m not sure what we’re going to be able to do about the club, but one board member did just write to me and suggested we form a cabal. Intrigue! How can that not help?

When I got back to stitching on Sunday, I was able to finish several sections of the stocking. I do think I will have it completed this week. Of course, that doesn’t bode well for the other monthly goals…

Christmas Delusions

The other day, I noticed on a blog that someone was doing a project a week in preparation for Christmas. She had ten projects planned. Then I counted the weeks until Christmas. I don't want to freak you out, so I won't tell you how many there are but I will say this: there are more than ten.

So I looked at my stitching list:

1. knitting for mom
2. "beer" for dad
3. skull girl for sissy
4. something big for people who read the blog
5. Elisabeth's stocking for Lala
6. Jillian's stocking for Yay-o
7. caterpillar eyeglass holder for MIL
8. Fancy Work ornie for BIL
9. 60th birthday gift (due 12/27)

What part of me thinks *any* of these projects only takes a week? (Oh, okay, beer, knitting, and eyeglass holder probably take less time...) Add in that I only have until November 1 for the stockings, if I want them professionally finished, and November 21 for framing--you know what? That's only four pieces. Also, another deadline--December 5 for the English gifts. At first, I thought this would freak me out more, but now I am thinking...

Five weeks to finish two Shepherd's Bush stockings? Maybe, especially given that the pictured stocking is one of them. Three weeks after that to finish #4 and #9, which are 50% and 25%stitched, respectively. This may not be so bad. Or has the delusion begun early?
And, yeah, I start my beading and applique classes Monday.

Frustrating!

Last week, I started stitching the Fancy Work ornament for my BIL. I got the outline done, and started stitching the border pattern. It didn't come out quite right on the sides, but I could fudge it. Then I started stitching the top border. It is so way off! Argh! Must begin again...

Other short whinges:

1. In gathering the pearl cotton for the Shepherd's Bush stockings, I've now gone to three stores. Still need four colors. Will try store #4 tonight.
2. I know stocking shelves isn't fascinating work, but you'd think someone could bother to put the #3 and #5 pearl cottons where they belong. If you go to the AC Moore in Broomall, I fixed them; go before someone screws up my hard work. (Fortunately, I was smart enough to look for the #5 in the #3 area, otherwise I would have left with only two of the seven skeins I needed.)
3. I took my stitching out of my work bag in order to make the pearl cotton list, and forgot to put it back. No stitching on the commute. Very frustrating.
4. I am working for a drama queen (in this case, he's a man, but I like how it undermines him to call him a drama queen). He sees a piece, yells about how he hates it, then changes one phrase.
5. I hate those little cliche work aphorisms, but your lack of organization doesn't constitute an emergency on my part. I'd like to stamp that on some one's head.
6. Yeah, work's getting me down. People here operate on the putting out the biggest fire theory of work. Every time the wind blows, the fire shoots up somewhere else. So I'll spend a week writing, say, a president's message, only to have the wind blow. Then I only have a day to change it. Then someone tells me he hates it. And changes three sentences. I might be too good for this.
7. I'm too lazy to look for a new job. Laziness, not as bad as you think. As the dude said to me just this morning, "It's hard work to be this lazy. It takes ingenuity, planning, and a strong sense of self." Something like that.
8. I'm a volunteer executive board member for a club I'm in and, well, it's a disorganized mess. I'm a little tired of the people who never come to meetings telling us what we should do. I have an idea: if you want to be heard, show up.

Okay, not short. Will try to perk up this weekend...

Lancaster County, PA

On Saturday, we--and everyone else in southeastern Pennsylvania--headed out on Route 30 to visit the Amish. We went to Intercourse (you just have to) and visited the People's Museum to see the quilts. Then we looked around the gift shop. There was a lovely piece (squares of wool felt--half inch piled on one inch--and topped with a button) framed, on sale for (hold on to your hats) $895. All it is is squares stitched to a ground fabric through the button--no piecing, no quilting, just a one inch squares topped with a half inch square topped with a button and sewn to a ground fabric. Ten across and ten down, or so. Slapped in a shadow box frame. Eight hundred ninety five dollars.

So I went downstairs to the fabric store and bought $22 worth of hand dyed wool felt that you see here. Someone's gonna have one helluva piece of art on the walls!

Sneaking In

Although we had the wrong map for Winterthur on Friday, we did manage to get there on Sunday, the last day of the quilt exhibit. We were disappointed to learn that the exhibit was sold out when we arrived twenty minutes after they opened. It was also the Garden Faire, so the place was packed. We decided just to tour the house and then check out the fair.

Because of the special event, the house was open without tour guides. Each room had a docent, and you could spend as much time in each room as you wanted (unlike on the tour). DD is a curious soul and she comes up with lots of great questions. When we were in the Empire Room talking to a docent, an older woman (mid-sixties) picked up a piece of china that was on display to check out the mark on the bottom. In a museum! She touched something! Everyone noticed and when the docent saw the looks on our faces, her head practically spun off her neck, "Ma'am, ma'am, you cannot touch that!" The woman puts the place setting down and with a flick of her wrist says, "I know." Apparently, you do not!

Later, in the dining room, we were asking the docent about the china (okay, it was all DD). "Is there any American china?" "Why yes," the docent tells us. "Tucker porcelain was made in Philadelphia with Pennsylvania clay for about ten years in the early nineteenth century. We have some in the Empire Room--it's laid out for tea service." "Oh that's the one that woman picked up!" "Someone touched it? I have never touched anything in the museum! That is going to be all the talk in the lounge." No kidding.

When we were disappointed that the quilt exhibit was sold out, they told us that there were over 40 quilts we could see in the exhibit hall. They gave us some convoluted instructions, so we sent the dude upstairs to see if he could find them; "up here," he calls. So we walk through looking at quilts; admiring them all; explaining to the dude the difference between piecing and quilting, how a quilt is made, what a whole cloth quilt is, etc. I kept thinking, "this is more than 40 quilts." Well, it turns out, we snuck into the quilt exhibit! But I don't feel very bad about it at all: we didn't touch anything! You'd think I'd just be talking about the woman in the Empire Room, but no. We also witnessed a pair of women flip up one of the quilts that was displayed on a bed and rub their grubby hands all over it. It was like they wanted to leave their DNA. They were really going to town! What is the matter with people? Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules? You can tell the stitchers, though; they want to get real close, to point with their hands millimeters away from the fabric, but they do. not. touch. Not at all. No greasy finger gets near other people's fabric--even when the other people have been dead for years.

The Review

I picked up my stitching friend DD at BWI on Friday with two Google maps to get us to Winterthur and then to the LNS. Unfortunately, I didn't look too closely at the maps and we ended up at Winterthur Lane in Newark, DE. Which isn't as far off as it may seem, but still isn't a big ol' DuPont mansion. We did drive right by, but who was to know? They don't label anything in Delaware. We ended up at a cute and delicious little restaurant, Pamela's Gourmet, just past Winterthur Ln. Don't go if you're in a rush, the service leaves something to be desired. Anyway, we stopped at the LNS and I picked up the JCS Ornament Issue and SamSarah's Rise and Shine.

Now that I'm back at work, I can review it.

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We begin with stockings and red and green. Well, do try to open at page 10; if you open the front cover, be sure you are wearing your sunglasses--what is up with that Charles Craft stocking? Have they made it that bright to rival the Star of Bethlehem so you'll get the gold, frankincense, and myrrh? That is one neon fabric for Christmas. Anyway, back to page 10: five ornaments feature a stocking and three are miscellaneous. The Prairie Schooler Design matches their Cranberry Christmas. On this page my favorite is Designs by Cathy Jean (new to me); she's done a folk art stocking, but I'd probably leave off the sentiment. Far be it from me to tell Santa what to put in my stocking.

Next, we have the red and green ornaments. Moss Creek Designs is going with the ethnic things again, this time the Dalahast (put an umlaut on the last a). Don't know about the "goodwill horse"? Don't worry; Rae has written about it in breathtaking detail. (I know her; I like her, but still...). Lizzie*Kate has a Lizzie*Kate ornament. Interestingly Scandanavian Stitches doesn't use the Scandinavian dalahast, but contributes a tree decorated with hearts. It's okay. M Designs has a different tree--it seems a little fair isle for my taste. I almost never like Ursula Michael's designs, but she's contributed a pink floral wreath that you could use for a biscornu.

The next set of ornaments are darker red and green. This may be the first time I thought I'd stitch a Brittercup Design. Whe's got a lovely poinsettia done in her "outline" style. This time, it works for me. I like La-D-Da's "Yule Flower" but you knew I would. Fans of the Workbasket will be disappointed to see that they have not contributed a Quaker design. Theirs reminds me of the Brightneedle houses only stitched over two and using horrible colors.

Santa shows up in various forms. From cute and pudgy (Knotted Tree) to um, Santa as one of the Marx Brothers (Raise the Roof, but we expect it of them). I usually love the Heartstrings Santas, but I'm not keen this year with symbols of Christmas growing out of the top of his head. You almost don't recognize the Dragon Dreams ornament because the dragon is secondary to the really otherwise cute Santa. Carriage House has a toy shop sign with Santa on it, and it almost works. Mosey and Me's Santa looks like Frank. Does everything they do look like Frank, or is that just me?

I would have to say of all the photo spreads, the Christmas trees are my favorite. Very even, though I probably wouldn't stitch them all. I love Erica Michaels forest and Charland Designs' Tipsy Tree (though not the finishing...). Brightneedle cannot go wrong; they've finished their cute dainty ornament as a pinkeep. There are also a scissor fob and scissor case from Follow the Leader. I wouldn't stitch all of these, but I really can't complain.

The next group of ornaments is the "random" group. It includes Shepherd's Bush's continuation of their series, "Their sweet baby kept." I'm no Bible expert, but is that opposed to the sweet baby who rotted? DD tells me she keeps trying to read it as "Their sweet baby slept." I would be indebted to the person who directed me to the carol or passage that they are using for these. Especially where it says "wisemen." But I digress. Cross-Eyed Cricket contributes a mitten with a shepherd, and I like it, except that it's a mitten. Forget-Me-Nots in Stitches has "happy Chrismas" and I'm not keen on it. I love Little by Little's Merry and Bright star. And Country Cottage's ornament is cute but a little pink.

Wild describes the next group of ornaments. Imaginating contributes a "Wacky Holiday" and in case you were wondering about the woman on the ornament, you get her full story. I couldn't read it, I'm sure someone can get back to me with a two sentence treatment. Charlotte's Web contributes a slightly demented-looking doll, but the story explains everything. It's sort of sweet, sort of weird. I'm backing away slowly. S&BF's "flakey" ornament is cute, but I'm not ready to welcome flakes into my life (not the snow kind, the annoying person kind). I like SamSarah's "Winter Love" (you got a taste of it in the preview issue) and her story is sweet, but her life is sure gonna change. My favorite (and the dude's) is the Eiffel Tower by monsterbubbles. I don't know why the Eiffel Tower, it just is. Love the green fabric!

We haven't left out the animals this year: four birds, two cats, one dog, and a reindeer. I'm not a cat person, but the blackwork cat from Kitty & Me is pretty. Crossed Wing's cardinal is different--stitched on red. I might do the woodpecker from Jemini for the dude, although he does want to know what the bird has to do with Christmas. (We saw a pileated woodpecker on a hike last spring.) If your kids love Happy Feet, they'll be happy with the penguin from the Stitchworks. And my mom will be happy with the yellow lab.

Angels 'n' things describes the section on page 26. Two scary angels, one primitive angel, and one country. The latter two, totally stitchable. There is a set of bells on this page, ehn. And "Do you hear what I hear?" provides the words for a star ornament that I think is too glitzy, but I've heard it said, you can't be too glitzy at Christmas. Gentle Pursuits Designs' ornament is nice in a sampler sort of way, but too much Jesus for me.

The final collection of ornaments is purple and blue and such. I cannot imagine stitching Still Stitching with Susan's hardanger candle holders for my Christmas lights. And I only put up six of them. Ther's another hardanger ornament, I think it's supposed to look like a wrapped taffy. I like Rosewood Manor's Christmas Lace blackwork and beads ornament, and LHN's Snow Bunnies is too cute!

I've read all the stories and recipes. Here's what I have to say:

1. You're a cross-stitch designer, not an evangelist. No Bible passages. We have to remember that Christmas is about Santa Claus, people!
2. How funny is it that the first two designers (Angel Stitchin and Bizzi Creations) both sent in no-bake cookie recipes that are virtually identical. Who's going to make them both and tell us which one is better?
3. Our new editor made a booboo. (So mean of me to point out, like I've never made an editing mistake in our magazine.) They forgot to tell us which page the finishing is on xx (see page 47). And could she not edit Colleen Leader's story: "I bought the biggest tree I could find and drug it through the front door"? What kind of drugs do you use to get a tree through the door?
4. If you got divorced, would you announce it in a magazine? You know, if you weren't a celebrity? (Still love her Santa.)
5. No more rhyming recipes.
6. No more recipes for broccoli, no matter how much it's supposed to make us want broccoli. That's just not in the Christmas spirit. Even the people on low-glycemic diets can give us muffins.

Update: Summer Place

I have been focusing on Summer Place. This is what it looks like now.

See the roof? That big blob of dark French blue? 972 stitches of 3768. It made a change from all that soft white (3865)--I've nearly lost my mind and finished the skein with the white. But this is going to be something when it's done!

What Shall I Knit

When I was in Maine, my mother bought me this yarn so I could knit something for her. I want to give it to her for Christmas.

It's Schaefer Yarn "Kathleen." The color is Eleanor Roosevelt (and apparently they think we need edumication about who she is because the romance tag has quite the bio). Well, it pretty much has to be a scarf because there's only 150 yards. It is superbulky weight.

Of course, when I went to Schaefer Yarn, I did see that they have patterns for this yarn, but that scarf just isn't right for my mom. I should have bought the second skein and felted her a bag. Nevertheless...

Any ideas?

(I got a call from the lns: the magazine is in. Of course, I can't get it until Friday at the earliest when I go pick up DD at BWI. I'm debating whether we should go to Winterthur to see quilts or the lns to get the magazine. I shall leave it to my guest.)

One Down

I finished my sil's ornament. I know I said I wanted to stitch Two Sheep for her, and I still do, it's just that I also wanted instant gratification on getting the pattern and was denied. I stitched this ornament from JCS Christmas Issue 2006 instead:

Sheep Ornament

Country Cottage Needleworks

25 count linen

Thread substitutions: blue Loose Thread for the Crescent Colours and WDW Blue Spruce for the green.

So Lelia asked if I got my JCS ornie issue yet. When I read that she had hers last Saturday, I hopped in the car at 4:00 and raced to my lns that closed at 5:00 (40 minutes away). I walked in and asked about the magazine. They didn't have it yet! How annoying. They seemed aggravated that I asked and was annoyed by their answer, but did allow me to reserve a copy. (The internet has really spoiled us, hasn't it?) They'll call me when it comes in. So now we're at 2 days later than they had it in Indiana, and I'm still magazine-less. The dude, of course, thought it was stupid that I didn't call and ask if they had it before we went. But I didn't waste a trip: I got Sleepy Hollow and one of the Cricket Collection Halloween ornament patterns--with the skull--and a few threads. I hope to pick up the mag next weekend, and I'll give a full review. (Though why you need the review when you have the magazine, I'm not sure...am I that insightful?)

We Have a Winner

I know you forgot I offered a contest here. Initially, I said I'd offer a prize (pictured left) to the person who made me laugh out loud with her definition of "countered cross-stitch." And you people made me laugh. And then I felt bad about having to choose one person from the lot. (I also cry when reading children's books.)

So I had the dude pick a name. He chose Michelle--I kept the scrap of paper as visual evidence but I can't find it now that I'm finally blogging. Her imagined subversive kleenex cosy is something that went on my list of things to stitch! Michelle, offlist me so I can send your prize.

Edited to add Michelle's comment: Countered - a verb - To move or act in opposition to; oppose. Needlework undertaken in an effort to push the boundaries of society's view of those who stitch. See also Subversive Cross-stitch. I'm sure she's stitched her share of Kleenex box cosies that say "F Off".

Craft Room Progress

Last night the dude and I humped the new project table from the back porch where it was delivered up the stairs and into the craft room. And can I tell you how much I love it? I LOVE IT! I spread myself over it and hugged it. The dude, less impressed, said it will be cluttered in no time. Which, of course, it will. I had even been thinking of moving my crafting mess from the dining room table up to the new craft table. But after a remark like that, it can wait.

So the happy news is that I didn't have to spend $1099 on the Pottery Barn table. Oh, no. Just before I left my mother's beach house, I dug her catalogs out of my car and brought them in. She made me eat breakfast before I went, so I leafed through them. And what do I find in the Grandin Road catalog? Project table; hundreds less. Shipping was still a bitch, but I can only imagine what the PB table would have cost to ship.

I think I'll be doing some decorative painting this weekend. That still leaves the curtains. But we're getting there!

Winning is Everything!

Before the biscornu project took honors, the last time I won something was in the early 70s. At the Elk's father/daughter dinner, I won a radio. Okay, in high school I won a scholarship my senior year for some dumb essay that I wrote, but I didn't see a dime from that so it hardly felt like winning. (The night it was announced, my mother screamed like it was an Academy Award but I guess with two kids in private school, it counted to her.)

I have to report, I won again! Check it. Since I am almost the honorary listmaker of the internets, and I sometimes embarrass myself by making lists of lists to make, none of us should be surprised that by writing a list, I won a book for listmaking. It must have been all that training.

Throw Away Post

Wow! You read me, you really read me. I thought that last post was a little throw-away where someone would take issue with me being mean or something. But no, I speak with the voice of the stitchers! (And just for the record, I have taken a class with the Bent Creek gals--Acorn, with a little squirrel "practice piece" at Needles and Niceties--and they are a lovely pair.)

I've started a new ornament, and I worked a bit on Summer Place, but I've got nothing to show you. It's getting too dark to take pictures when I get home from work. I want summer back!

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Note for Steph and Todd
I don't keep a regular diary and there are some things I want to remember about Labor Day for next year. Don't mind me.
* Next year, Monday not Sunday
* Eat before we go
* Start at the water park
* Bring a change of clothes

Weeks Dye Works linen

Here's the thing. If you make a brand new product, I should be able to find out about it on your website. You want to know why the cross-stitch industry doesn't work? It's because they are out there acting like a bunch of hobbyists and girls.

Marketing is not hard--trust me. Trust me. TRUST ME. You just have to let people know what you are doing and why it is important to them.

If you are going to have a website, you have to--MUST--update it. Regularly. (See what I'm talking about here. Not picking on them: there are a myriad of out of date websites across the internet.) And with the important news. Designing a website might be hard, but keeping it up-to-date should be as easy as typing.

Birthday Update

Nearly two years ago I reported the dude had bought me a ride in a balloon for my birthday. Of course, I wait two years and take my ride shortly after a horrible ballooning accident.

I promised a full report, and I am a woman of my word. You can find it here.

More Old Ladies

But this time the hand that feedeth withdraws with an imagined bite. At the Motley Fool:

For a company involved in boring, grandmotherly-type stuff like sewing and crafts, Jo-Ann Stores (NYSE: JAS) sure does offer a tremendous amount of excitement for its investors. Sorry if I offended all you young, hip cross-stitch fans, but c'mon, my grandmother was a crochet fiend. By the way, did you know September is National Sewing Month? I'm sorry; I'll get on with it. (emphasis added)

Do they get to have it both ways? Hmmmmm... No.
Old Lady Count: 4

September Goals

I know people say this all the time, but I can't believe we're already in September. This month, I'm going to begin to focus on gifts. Fortunately, this year, I do not have to mail everything next month; I am bringing my presents to England myself. Which means my in-laws will get them before February, before Christmas even.

• Finish Promise of Summers to Come
• Work on 60th birthday gift
• Work for 10 hours on the marquoir
• Finish Elisabeth’s stocking, Shepherd’s Bush
• Start (and finish?) caterpillar eyeglass case
• Stitch sheep ornament for SIL*
• Stitch Fancy Work ornament for BIL

* I want to stitch LHN Two Sheep for her. I need a copy of the pattern. Is it still a freebie? Why is it not online? Why is the world against me?