Dani's BIrthday Gift

Dani's birthday exchange gift has arrived. I love how the post office tells you 3-4 days, which is what you pay extra for, and then the package arrives whenever it arrives. Of course, foreign post offices haven't contracted for it to take 3-4 days, and custom's offices don't give a crap how much you paid for on-time delivery. Ah, the vagaries of "overseas" shipping.

Here's the secret stitching I was up to.

Oh, blogger, you're like an ornery 87 year old who won't do the things people ask you nicely to do. We just have to roll with it. Two bags of WW candy for the WW goddess--she's done a pretty good job on that program, so I didn't want to derail her. I have enjoyed these candies on occasion, and I am really sensitive to "fake sugar" flavors. I especially like the toffee...but I digress. A set of variegated DMC floss, Dani mentioned that she liked that. The purple scissors were supposed to go with the fob but that fob did not stitch up 2x2". You've seen it before, but this time I used a lime green. Dani did mention once on her blog that her favorite color was green. You gotta be careful what you say out here.

I chose to stitch the Ink Circles stuff because Dani has completely different stitching taste from me, but I think this is something we could both agree on! You may remember this from last month's giveaway. I love how this came out. And I found that backing fabric in the Joann's fat quarters. How awesome is it? I love how the tassel looks like fat sausage curls. That's what happens when you use all the green to make the cording (after you buy two skeins of the wrong color). Anyway, I repurposed the extra cording, and I love how it looks.


Here's the pin keep--my first ever. Just a tip: when they say it is easier to do the ladder stitching with a curved needle, get one. I was going out of my mind until I switched to the curved needle. This is also an Ink Circles freebie from June 2007. I used the recommended colors except for the large square. The colors called for were too minty, so I brightened it up. And since I couldn't get enough of that fabric--and clearly, it's all about me--I used it to back this piece also.

Happy Belated Birthday, Dani!

A Different Mermaid

So, my mother's birthday is next week...um, this Saturday. But I will see her Monday. This is where her mermaid stands:

I have done some work on this since the Great Unstitchening.

As you can see she won't be finished on Saturday or even Monday. So I've turned my attentions to another mermaid, Teresa Layman's A Fish Tale. Here's where she was, um, almost three years ago when I put her away. I took this picture earlier this evening.

I've already finished the waves. Next I'll fill in the background. If this progresses well, I'll bring this with me to Florida. If not, I'll run out and buy something for my mother on Saturday.

Because one of my New Year's Resolutions was "Make sure that I am always happy stitching on a project. This means that if deadlines are stressing me out, I will change the goal. No more panicking."

Words to live by, people.

Anna Van Schurman Online

When people find out that Anna van Schurman is not my real name, they often wonder why I chose it. At long last, the Brooklyn Museum has put Judy Chicago's "Dinner Party" online! You can read about the real Anna van Schurman here. If you've ever seen the Dinner Party--and if you haven't you should try--you may remember that Anna's place setting is the only one that uses cross-stitch. That's because she was vehemently opposed to it during her lifetime. She believed, rightly, that cross-stitch was a substitute for real education. (I'm using that term because I believe it.) So, yes, it's really overdetermined, but would you expect anything else from me?

I'm sorry posting has been spotty lately. It's complicated and not, you know? Also, I am working on the tutorial I promised. They are harder to put together than you would think. More on the tedious side than complicated. And also, I have to fake some photos that I don't have. But the dude is going to be gone part of this weekend and all of next, so I will be able to dominate the computer.

Finishing Frenzy, Picture 4

Ange's prize has arrived and I can show you how I finished it. The pattern is a 2007 freebie from Ink Circles. I used the colors called for but not the fabric (calls for a purple fabric). I backed it with a blue paisley, I couldn't find a color closer to the periwinkle of the pattern. I actually found a fabric with Celtic knots on it at Joann's, but it was light blue and brown. (Maybe someday I'll pick the backing fabric first and choose floss colors to match. No, where's the fun in that? Then you couldn't search through yards and yards of fabric for a (near) perfect match.) I made and attached four small tassels as well. I think it came out pretty cute. Ange claims she won't be able to use it as a pincushion, but I am of CA Wells's opinion that you should use your needlework. Use it! Wear it out! Don't save it for "good"!

Oh, who am I kidding? I can't even get my pieces out of the finishing pile. (Except when I can.)

There is no verdict yet on the Irish Potatoes. She claims to have been too sick to try them, but I know she's just chicken. ;)

There has been even more finishing--I finished two pieces for my birthday exchange partner. You won't be able to see those until they arrive. But soon.

March Winner

Our March winner is Aussie Stitcher! Please send me your address, and I'll pop it in the mail.

Four Points and an Excuse

The title doesn't quite work as well as Four Weddings and a Funeral, but I'm sticking with it.

1. Many thanks for all your kind wishes for my grandmother. What the article didn't tell was what a huge pain in the ass she can be. But, as my cousin says, "she won't be with us forever." So I try to ignore the mean things she says or the exasperating things she does. Like, even though she has been fainting from not eating enough, she didn't eat anything at that nice retirement party. "I didn't know who made what." Like someone who brings something to your potluck retirement party is out to poison you? So sometimes you wish forever would come sooner rather than later, you know. Still I am very luck to have someone with so much verve in my life still. She was also mad that the picture on the cover of the paper was of some guy she doesn't like kissing her. She cracks me up and makes me forget that she refused to allow the paramedics to take her to the hospital after a fainting spell.

2. I want to make sure you see Coni's comment on the DMC floss. Because I almost peed:

I'll have you know that I am currently in litigation with DMC for breach of patent. I already have scented fibers: dog pee, pizza sauce, vodka tonic, and Gold Bond foot powder. All of MY scents are easy to come by. You just keep your pieces within reach of an incontinent dog, forget to wash your hands after dinner, spill your evening cocktail, and then let your man accidentally step on something from your stitching bag. There. Done.

I also like the Glenna's idea that they had jumped the shark. But that's capitalism for you. They have to think of new ways of giving you the same shit, so you'll keep buying it.

3. Questions about the challenge.
-> Debbie SFL asked: Can non-bloggers participate? Absolutely! All you need is the capacity to send pictures electronically.
-> Lee asked: When you say send a photo or two, does that mean we may stitch it more than once and enter more than once? I was thinking that some people might want to send a photo of the back or side--like if you finish it as a cube or a flatfold. But why not. Let's set a maximum of three entries per person, but you can only win once--that way the lazies who only do one entry have a chance. ;)
-> dd asked: Is it supposed to be finish finished into something? It would seem terribly ironic for me of all people to require an entry to be finished-finished. But I did think finishing would be part of the judging. Let's say if we receive more than two complete but unfinished pieces, we'll choose a winner among them. You know, in case time just gets away from you.

4. Recipe clarification: The Irish Potato recipe calls for 2 lbs of confectioners sugar. Cathy's grandmother called it 10x sugar and if you look on the bag of powdered sugar, it does say that. Confectioner's sugar can be 4x or 10x; this recipe calls for 10x.

I'm still working on the tutorial. I've been spending time out there networking, and I have a few more meetings planned for this week. I'll try to get to it, but once I get on the computer, I find myself easily side-tracked. Like I am right now.

Are They Kidding Me?

DMC has introduced scented floss.
fragrances such as Rose, Lavender, Lily of the Valley and Honeysuckle...lemon, orange, apple and strawberry... vanilla, almond, caramel and chocolate.

The perfume for each fragrance is released with your touch!

(Not sure why they need capitalize names of flowers. What is it with world? No one knows how to use language!)

Here's how they're scamming selling you:
Creating projects with DMC's "Secret Perfume" Floss can be quite a soul soothing experience. Enjoy creating a rose and lavender tea towel that will help calm your spirits at the end of a busy day, or present a lemon scented tote bag to your best friend with a pot of healing tea.

Oh yeah, I'm sold.

Irish Potatoes Revisited

I'm not into the whole St. Patrick's Day thing. There are so many things I'd rather eat than boiled meat and cabbage. I was never pinched for my refusal to wear green. An Irish boyfriend's mother once sent a soda bread to our house and boy that shit's the worst ever. It shouldn't even be called bread. There are a lot of cultures with much better food we could celebrate. How do we go about promoting them?

So, it was for Cathy and not the holiday that I made Irish potatoes. When I dissed them--and I dissed them because they're inherently weird not because of the taste--she told me I needed to try homemade ones, and sent me her grandmother's recipe. So I made them. She's right! The homemade are way better than storebought. Even the dude likes them...no loves them, and he doesn't really like sweets.

Cathy has given me permission to share this recipe with you. You should make it.

Cathy's Grandmother's Irish Potatoes
2 boxes 10x sugar (confectioner's sugar, powdered sugar, icing sugar)
4 oz. butter softened
4 oz. cream cheese softened
1/2 cup coconut (optional)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon

Keep a little bit of 10x separate
Mix everything else in a bowl with hands
Roll into bite-size balls
Mix 10x with cinnamon until it resembles the color of potatoes
Roll balls in cinnamon
Chill the candies, but let them soften a little before you eat them

Speaking of grandmothers, mine retired recently and made the front cover of the hometown newspaper (not sure how long this story will be available). You can also hear her--and her wicked New Hampshah accent--if you click on the little slideshow. And you should. You will see that she gets way more into holidays than I do. But that's a bartender's lot. Or a grandmother's. You decide.

PS. If you can't get the link to Swirlygig to work, try clicking here.

Challenge Revisited

Remember that time I suggested we have a stitching challenge? I think it was about a year ago... We'd all take the same freebie and substitute flosses and fibers and use a variety of finishing techniques. Then I found a pattern, but since it wasn't online anymore and I couldn't get the designer to return my e-mails, it just seemed like too much work. Well...

I've found the pattern. Small and straightforward. You can really do something with this.

Bent Creek Swirlygig (This pattern is not hosted on the designer's website, but the creator of this website does have the designer's permission to post these patterns.)

You stitch up your version, and send a photo (or two) to me. Don't post it to your blog, we want to keep these anonymous! I'll post the versions here and everyone will vote.

Let's say entries must be received by September 16th. We'll judge based on overall appearance, color, and material combination--it would be too hard to judge stitch quality from photographs.

Sound good? Get stitching!

Sisterhood, Moving On

Carol is ready for her house guest, the Sisterhood pattern, to depart. Will you be next to stitch her?

March Giveaway

Patti asked, "When is your next giveaway, please." Well Patti, it's right now!

This month I decided to stitch something more primitive since there are so many of you Primitive Bettys and Sampler Girl fans. Unfortunately the Sampler Girl pattern I was thinking of--Mary Lincoln's Tree--was so big I would have been sending this gift in July. For a change, I bit off what I could chew! I found this freebie from Sheepish Designs.

I'm thinking I might finish this as a wallhanging, but I'm also thinking it could be a primitive-style pillow. It'll be a surprise! Won't that be fun!

I'll draw this on my five year seven month anniversary, March 21. Comment on this post only.

I'm pleased to report that I have taken the last stitch on the second present for my birthday partner. Which means I'll be able to show my work again. And have some time to work on the mermaid. I am slowly but surely rebuilding her!

Princess Sews Trim

Whoa. I guess a tutorial is in order. Thanks for the interest! I'll work on that this weekend.

In the meantime, I've been sewing trim on things. These pieces have been nearly finished for a long time. I just had to make and sew trim. Apparently, my princess self doesn't really like doing these menial tasks...I forced her.

This is an EE&F scissors fob. I think I bought it because people kept telling me that bestpal and I were two peas in a pod. She bought it too. She's probably been using hers for years. Anyway, I found that pea fabric--which is brighter than the stitching and even brighter IRL--at Keepsake Quilting, and just had to have it, even though I had to buy much more (like a yard) than I needed. I made the cord the same colors as the checked border. I like how it came out!

This was a camp project from 2005. It's Mary Garry's freebie needlebook. I completed the stitching in 2005; I think I sewed it up last year, but never got around to doing the trim. Now I have! Wow! I can bring it to camp with me next month!

I think this princess and I are going to have some more talks!

So We're Back

I know I referred a while back to our trip to Florida. Well, we're back. It's not that I don't trust you, I'm just a little paranoid since the break in.

My parents are in Venice, FL--on the island for those of you in the know. It's so funny to see them making this new life for themselves. My parents are NH born and bred. Like generations born and bred. Since my people left the old country, I am the first person not to live my whole life in New Hampshire. That's how New Hampshire my parents are. And now after mere weeks in Florida, they've decided they are selling my childhood home and moving. My father has told my mother he'll give her two months in Maine. My mother wants to stay in Maine for a few more months each year. Not sure how they'll negotiate that. Nevertheless, suddenly, my father, who used to make fun of people who lived in Florida, doesn't want to leave.

They have their new routine. Fridays they go out to the Italian American Club for spaghetti supper ($8). Mondays they play trivia at the local pub. They were so happy when we came because their team--Retox*--is in the middle of the pack. They told everyone that "the two PhDs" were coming. As if a PhD makes you good at trivia. Of course, it works out that we're really good at trivia. At the halfway point we were in third place. I was sure we could make it to second. Turns out we won! They were so excited.

So when we were there, we went to a craft show. I bought a really cute pin/pendant from this woman. While we were walking down the main drag, I found Needlepoint Ivy, the local needlework store. (My mother and her friends have shopped up and down that street, and she didn't know it was there!) There, I bought Oberlin Samplers Venice Beach Sampler, JBW's plum pudding, and Hinzeit's Sisters chart. I haven't been impressed by that last one, but the store had done such a fabulous job with the way they framed it--with a picture of some sisters--I had to have it. I know some sisters who are getting this for Christmas this year!

We went to the beach, hung out by the pool, and went to the Ringling Museum of Art. We had a nice time. I wish I had made the plans later than I did--you know, after they failed to renew my contract--because then we could have stayed longer. I might go back with my sister next month. Well, if I can find a cheaper flight.

Thanks for all the compliments about my finishing. I could do a little tutorial on the corsage pin cushion if anyone is interested. I took pictures of many of the steps (on the first day, not so many on the second day) and I'd be happy to pass that on.

*Because those really NH New Hampshirites are into redneck comedy.

Finishing Frenzy, Picture 3

At last...another giveaway received. I think if I actually didn't know our fair winner, Lee, I wouldn't have procrastinated so much. Plus she told me she would feel bad if I felt pressure to finish it. Which was kind but maybe not motivational. (Perhaps I should make a resolution to treat people I know better, to work harder to get gifts for friends and relatives finished and in the mail.)

Anyway, I might have used bigger ricrac. Still it came out just like a corsage, which was how I imagined it. Well, it did on the second try...You can't really sew the band into the seam and expect it to work. So I made a belt loop of sorts on the back and the strap has velcro on the ends to make it adjustable.

I'm glad Lee likes it. And I'm even happier it is finally in her hands!

(PS, I know exactly how hard it is to photograph your own hand, Lee!)

Finishing Frenzy, Picture 2

January's winner, Danielle, has received her heart pillow. This finish is based on similar ones I've seen at my LNS, Strawberry Sampler. They usually have a much smaller stitched piece in the corner, but I really liked this pattern. I have for a very long time...it's from the original Cross Stitch and Needlework, August 1999. "Playful Patchwork" designed by Kathy Moenkhaus. The original pattern also had a moon and a star, and three color combinations were suggested. I chose the pink version.

My photo is a little wonky because I didn't have a 12" pillow form for it. I just stuck my bag of polyfill in it to show it off. The backing fabric is the same as the piping--homemade by me, booyah!

I'm glad Danielle likes it.

For all of you who think you cannot finish, I am a slave to Simplicity's Simply the Best Home Decorating book. They show you everything you need to know about making all kinds of pillow styles with all types of trim (and all sorts of other home decorating projects. Some day I will make a slipcover for a chair, too). And if I can do this...anyone can. I am not widely-known for my patience.

Finishing Frenzy, Picture 1

I finished this last night. I was using a scrap of cord, so I had to make it fit which accounts for why it's all scrunched up on the bottom. Still, better to have it on the tree than in the to-be-finished pile another year. Previously pictured here. Written about here. So there you have it. Ten years start to finish-finish. Perhaps I ought to be more ashamed than I am. (Here's some perspective: I stitched it in two days 11/11/99-11/13/99. D'oh.)

Since I finished this so early in the month, I'm going to call it February's finish and try to get another in...or am I flying too high on wings of pastrami?

Heart in Hand Needlework, Woodland Noel, JCS Ornament issue 1998.

Finishing Frenzy

I have finally gotten off my duff and finished some past-due anniversary giveaways. It's totally pathetic, but I had big plans for two of them--a corsage pin cushion and a pillow with a welt piping. Of course, I had no pattern for the first and had never made piping. So, big bite. And today I chewed! I made a piped pillow. I made a pincushion. I made a corsage-style pincushion (after a few false starts). The seam ripper got a workout. But I am very pleased with all the results. I will post photos when I get confirmation that they have arrived.

I even started the finishing of the "Family Matters" pillow for my aunt. Yeah, the one I started last April.

I'm on a roll now. I sewed up an ornament. Now I've settled in to sew on trim. You probably remember how much I love that.

I am going to feel much better when this is all done. I won't have those guilty feelings just walking into my craft room any more. That'll be nice!

March Goals

Given how the mermaid has progressed during February, I'm going to keep my goals simple for next month.

1. Work on mermaid--My mother's birthday is next month, so this is the big push!
2. Finish and send birthday gift
   
3. Finish-finish one project from the to-be-finished pile
4. DD's RR
   
5. Make an anniversary giveaway

New Tactic

Things kept getting worse on Saturday while I tried to figure out where I had gone wrong. It turns out that the upper arm was the screw up. Since I based the body on the lower arm, I probably didn't have to remove it. I just couldn't find the mistake. Even the dude gave up.

So I tried a new tactic. But I came really close to building a special fire for it. Or taking scissors to it.

Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed.