Our Souls are Procrastinators

Those who know me know that I stitch an anniversary sampler as a gift for the dude each year; this is the sampler that I intended to give him in {shock, horror} 2014. Well, it's done now! Phew. Don't worry, there have been anniversary stitches for the in-between years, some more on time than others: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.

Midsummer Night Designs, Our Souls
Stitched on a fabric I didn't record, nor do I remember
Called for Anchor flosses.

Me: That was supposed to be your anniversary present in 2014.
The dude: 2000?
Me: 2014
The dude: Whatever, it doesn't matter. I appreciate it, it doesn't have to be "on time."

Reader, I married him. 💗💗

My Floss Came!

When we last visited I had started working on Our Souls even though I knew I would soon run out of dark pink floss. While watching Endeavour, I completed all of the light green and medium green stitching.

As you can see it took about a week but I received the replacement floss and I'm ready to complete the flowers. I still  have to figure out what to do about the initials since the original pattern didn't include an alphabet. {hard eyeroll}

This is Our Souls
by Midsummer Night Designs
stitched on a random piece of linen
with the called for Anchor floss

In the meantime, I picked up an oldie but a goodie, Ladybug Ladybug by Rabbit Works. This is stitched with WDW Ladybug and, you may recall, I had a bit of a worry when I had to do the whole piece with not very much floss. I was able to get replacement floss, but it doesn't have the sharp black that the original floss had. (It goes from red to very dark maroon.) But I'm now stitching every third (or so) letter with the original floss, and it's going swimmingly. I'm having a hard time putting it down to get back to Our Souls.

We've finished the part of Endeavour we have available in the US, and have moved on to Fortitude. Apparently we're just going to watch shows with one word titles that imply moral strengths. Any recommendations?

Another (Small) (and Late) Finish

Always You (from the Maroon 5 song?) was stitched for our anniversary (July 14, 2019) but I started September 2. After all this time, the dude knows my limitations. 😉

You saw it in November when I optimistically thought I'd get it done last year. At last!

I've picked up Our Souls, which was our anniversary sampler from...(checks watch)...2014. (Sigh) I like how optimistic I was in 2017 that I'd finish it as soon as I got to the shop to pick up more floss...which I ordered yesterday.



Always You, Wee One from Heart in Hand
Called for Sampler Threads and WDW except for Wood Trail which I couldn't find. Used the recommended DMC conversion.
28-count Cashel Linen by Picture This Plus in "Haunted" 

Maybe There's Been a Bit of Stitching...

I lied a tiny bit. I have done a small amount of stitching. One day, months after our anniversary, I picked up a piece to stitch for the dude.

This is Always You
Wee One, Heart in Hand
Stitched on Haunted Cashel Linen
with the called-for flosses.

Not finished yet, but I'll probably get it done before the end of the year. I picked a small one; a girl's got to know her limitations.

I've also started ornaments for the girls. I'll show you later, I don't want to spend it all in one place.

I worked on "Always You" on the way to visit the aquarium with the girls. (Thank you. Yes. Twins. Five.) (None of us found Shark Bridge even a little scary.)

All of Me

The other day I realized it was November, and I wasn't blogging every day. I felt a little sad that I had so gotten out of the blogging habit that I didn't even realize November had any special meaning for this little blog.

Yesterday, I went on my Feedly for the first time in a long time. I unsubscribed from a bunch of blogs, mostly those who hadn't published in three to five years (!) but also ones that I couldn't easily identify the person who was writing. I figure if I couldn't remember who you were, I probably wouldn't miss reading you. I really pared things down and I think that will increase my desire to connect. In part I was kept away by the number of people whose blogs were in my feed but I wasn't really reading; I also think the I was being weighed down by the old abandoned blogs in my feed.

Interestingly in reviewing those "dead blogs" I saw how many had returned after an absence. The last post was usually brimming with new optimism for future posts. It made them seem especially sad. None of that for you! Though if things had ended, that Maggie post would have been the best way to go out.

I've had some mental bandwidth for these tasks because things at work are starting to right themselves. I believe I told you back in July that there were happenings--my boss left and I was "interim" director which basically meant I couldn't do anything meaningful but had to keep everything running. I've been promoted permanently--so I can do the meaningful things including hiring a new associate director. Nevertheless, mentally, I'm more present. Still extraordinarily tired at the end of a day, but present.

I finished stitching the dude's anniversary gift in August, but last night I put on the button so it is officially done! This is the 2018 Collector's Heart from Heart in Hand; it's stitched with the kitted fabric and the called-for colors. The dude was especially pleased by it because he likes John Legend. Not for his music. Rather, Legend is a Penn grad and spoke at a graduation the dude attended. (Go on, read it; commencement speeches are one of my favorite genres.) The second anniversary sampler I finished this year! And it's not the first Collector's Heart I've done for him.

Well, I have plans, including bringing this computer in to be looked at. If it were as fast as it should be it wouldn't be so painful to blog. See you soon.

Anniversary Presents

Forty-seven Hearts is complete! This is last year's anniversary sampler that I finished on this year's anniversary (yesterday).

By Silver Creek Samplers
Stitched with the the called-for threads
on Vintage Country Mocha 32-count

I finished it on the way to my niece's high school graduation party. This one. The one I wrote about here. Well, that post was prescient because she is heading to Temple to go to Tyler School of Art! We're so proud of her, and we know she will accomplish great things!

We adore her so much, that we were happy to put off our anniversary dinner until next weekend and instead eat chicken nuggets and pizza. (I guess her little girl self got to choose the menu!)

I signed this one not with the year, but with the anniversary number. I thought that was a better way to sign it than to admit I've dropped the ball on this project. Maybe we'll be married long enough to forget this little hiccup! 😉

The good news is I started this years sampler yesterday as well. It's Heart in Hand Needleart's 2018 Collectors Heart. I probably shouldn't say this, but it's 60 x 60 so it shouldn't take that long. (I've cursed myself, haven't I?)

January in the Books

In January, I set out to work on the following pieces.

1. Nunavut Santa--got pretty far along
2. Lapland Santa--a modicum of success followed by an unfortunate amputation, which has been scheduled
3. Four Fat Friends--no
4. Elizabethan Rose--no
5. Deruta Biscornu--no
6. Special K's Ornament--no
7. Sweet Baby Ray's Ornament--started (to the left)

I seem to have fizzled after a strong start.

Books may be the reason. The dude and I signed up for Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge this year. There are 25 categories of books to read to get you out of your reading comfort zone. I haven't gotten that far out of it yet. I've completed #3 a classic of genre fiction, Death at the Vicarage (Miss Marple) and #12 celebrity memoir, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. I'm working on 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created for #14, a book of social science. But it does take some time away from the needle and floss!

In February, I hope to figure out a way to balance the reading and stitching. Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I plan to stitch some anniversary pieces:

1. Forty-seven Hearts
2. Our Souls
3. To Thee My Heart
4. 2018 Anniversary Sampler 

Trip to DC

I've been trying to get back here since the second weekend of December when the dude and I took the train down to DC to visit the Vermeer exhibition at the National Gallery. But between being sick (pretty much up until Christmas eve) and preparing for the holidays, well, you know how things get.

On the train down, I worked on 47 Hearts. I made some good progress despite the fact I kept nodding off. (The last time I stitched it.) I think February might be the month I try to finish the anniversary pieces I have going, and start a new one for 2018.

Biscornu (Did I really not stitch this in 2017 until now? Previously.) I'm getting there!

Even though we went down to DC to see the Vermeer exhibit (we have now brought our total of Vermeers to 20/35) and were lucky enough to get tickets for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, I only have this photo of a stumpwork mirror for you (1650-1690, silk with silk and metal threads). I always love trying to find a fiber-related photo for you!

And here we are with the national Christmas tree. It was a little disappointing because, as you can see, it's just a scrim over a tree. Cheating! Definitely one of the better selfies we've ever taken!

Our Souls, Round 436

Thanks for your lovely comments on my ornament, and I hope those who visited for the blog hop found a reason to stick around. Hiya! To all the people who've been with me all these years, or even just a few of them.

As many of you know, I stitch an anniversary present for the dude every year. (Well, I start one every year.) I think this was supposed to be the anniversary sampler for 2014. I really need to knuckle down and finish! 

I realize I've been showing you close up shots of the (usually) small amount of stitching I've managed to complete per round on this piece. (ex 1, ex 2, ex 3, ex 4) Since I've stitched quite a lot of the border this time, I thought I'd give an aerial view. I think I might be in the homestretch, maybe three more rounds? The bad news is I don't have enough dark pink to finish it! Oh darn, I'll have to take a trip to the store.

Good news, I'm picking up the anniversary sampler for 2017 next. 

Balance in All Things

Posting later than usual because I had to walk the streets after dinner. I spent all day on my ass stitching with strangers and the Strawberry Sampler crew. I think I had about 200 steps when I got home after stitching 9-5. The dude and I walked to dinner, but that was still only about 2,000. Even the dog walk--shorter than usual because Stella's still not up to par--only brought me to about 5,000.

The good news in that paragraph is that I spent the day stitching. I feel rejuvinated. I finished Tada Santa (just needed a few silvery stitches) and worked on the dude's anniversary sampler. This is Silver Creek's 47 Hearts stitched with the called-for colors on Vintage Country Mocha. You can see the before here.

And if you are wondering how I magically know the fabric name this time and not before it's because the woman sitting next to me today wanted to know, and we asked Molly because I knew she'd know. She took one look and said, "is it plain on the back? It's Vintage Country Mocha." She's a goddess.

Throwback Thursday

When I was in graduate school, and friends got married, I made this little piece. I think I've stitched it six times. I'm not entirely sure because I let the little darlings--all mounted in boxes--go out in the wild without photographs.

One of my friends just celebrated his anniversary and posted this on Facebook to me as a reminder. They still have it 21 years later. There's a little joy knowing.

A Free Heart, Kandace Thomas

Getting There...

Obviously a really old photo of this.
There really are only 40 or so stitches left!

Well, that didn't last long. Just after I posted, I wrote a blog schedule for July and created a list of ideas to blog about. I was going to take the last 40 or so stitches on Wabbit's Wonder and blog a finish! But my right index finger was sore on Monday. The first joint was achy and if I pressed on the side, it was painful. On Tuesday, I woke up with a swollen finger. After the nearby urgent care wanted $105 to look at my finger, I decided to wait the four hours until my doctor's walk in hours. Four hours and $25 later...I have an infection. Don't push back your cuticles! It was horribly painful on Tuesday, but by Thursday I was cured (though still on antibiotics). Phew. But I still didn't take those last stitches!

Today, Bastille Day, is our anniversary, me and the dude. I don't have an anniversary stitch for him. {Sigh} It's not the first one I didn't finish (see Our Souls) but it is the first one I haven't even started.

I need to get my shit together people!

They say if you can imagine it, you can achieve it. Let's all imagine me back on track!

Trade Secrets

Now some have asked what I'll be stitching at the retreat, and I'm not sure I should tell you. Do you all want to know? Should I give you the schedule? (It is written in by BuJo.) Or should every day be a surprise? What will I have for you next? Let me know in the comments.

I did get a chance to work on yesterday's scheduled piece (if only for a moment), Our Souls. I haven't worked on it since September, but I have managed to fill in two flowers. We're thundering like a herd of turtles on this one...

Where the Hell Have You Been?

Dear Friends, I have been away for weeks, and I'm sorry. So much I wanted to do--keep you up to date with my rotation stitching, wish our friend Jo a Happy 50th Birthday (my own is not far behind), check in with the Spinster and our dear pal Stewie, but it's just been busy. (I can't comment from my phone, and this drives me nuts!)

The dude is hogging the computer with his "work." (It's actually real work, a second job no less.) (I apologize for the sarcastic quotation marks.) I had to go away for work last week, and I thought for sure I could catch up but I was delusional. So here we are. I'm supposed to tell you about my stitching small, but I fear that will have to wait for Saturday. (It's not quite done. And tomorrow is Stamp Night.)

When we last met, I was picking up Wisteria Snowman from Shepherd's Bush. She was headless then. Not so headless now...This is about the time my parents' DNA results came in, and I was trying to find my mother's father's relatives. We need more Eastern Europeans to jump on the bandwagon, alas. (My mother is a veritable stew of peoples. Including trace amounts of DNA from North Africa, South Asia, and indigenous America. My father is not as French Canadian as we thought clocking in at 57% British and Irish!)

I next picked up Christian's Stocking because I thought I was going to be able to get this done for Christmas. I haven't picked it up since January 2015 when I was in the throes of Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge. Now it looks like this:

During this three day period, I was also attending Cookbook Club (Chasen's Chili from A Twist of the Wrist) and trying to salvage the overload of pears we got from the farm share. (I made pear sauce, which is like applesauce, but we all need to make it more often so pearsauce becomes a thing I don't have to explain.)

I moved on to Our Souls but I was in the midst of getting a flight for my Big Birthday Trip that my mother and aunt and I will be taking in February. More later. I was also attending meetings for my volunteer work and preparing the invitations for my Big Birthday Celebration. This poor sampler got so little attention.

I moved on to Cinnamon Stars but with only one day of stitching, I'm not sure it's worth the photo.

When I went off to Pittsburgh for the conference, I brought a small, Lovebird, and Ladybug, Ladybug (it's been found!), but I only worked on the small...and I'm still working on the small.

So there's been a little stitching and a lot of thinking of you all. I think that catches you up!

Rotation, Continued

Despite the notable lack of time, I was able to fill in a flower or two and complete the white smyrna stitches.

Today is my first half-day (summer) Friday. (Summer hours started last week, but I was off sick.) Despite the fact that I have a doctor's appointment in the city today, my list of gardening chores is loooooooong. Looks like we know what I'll be doing this weekend!

Recovering

I caught a horrible virus when I was at the end of my trip in Britain. I started with a sore throat and ended with a horrible racking cough. Our first weekend home was spent on the couch. Fortunately, that worked out well for Stella. She's been recovering too. On Thursday she had a small tumor removed from her neck. It is cancerous, but they are fairly sure that the surgery will be a cure. I'll know more later this week. She is taking in stride the five pills twice a day and the compresses four times daily that are part of her recovery. We, however, are having quite the time keeping our frankendog calm. (She has a four inch scar on the back of her neck that looks like it's holding her head on, so she has a new nickname.)

The upside is that I finished this year's anniversary sampler!

Mosey n Me
Ties that Bind
Called-for materials

Oh, Hello! Were You Looking for Me?

Sorry I've been out of touch. The dude and I were across the pond visiting the fam. In the flying, train riding, and driving about, I worked on a few projects.

I finished my May small. Unfortunately I'm blogging it too late to join in the Smalls SAL. This is Blackbird's Buttons and Pins Reward of Merit. I used the called-for colors and a random piece of fabric. I made one change; I didn't use chain stitch for the urn. (My chain stitches are kind of crap.) I just need to add the buttons in the blank spot.

 I worked a little on last year's anniversary sampler, "Our Souls" by Midsummer Night Designs using the called for floss and a random piece of fabric. You can see how it looked before here.

Then, I worked on this year's anniversary sampler, "The Thread that Binds" by Mosey n Me. I am using the called for materials. You can see how it looked before here. All that's left is a lot of white on white stitching (upper right) and that snakey bit on the bottom.

Finally I worked a bit on the Deruta Biscornu by Giulia Punti Antichi. I last showed it to you when I started it in January of 2014. Do forgive me that I haven't kept you up to date on this one. When I took this out, the three borders had been finished and the first line of half circles were in. (Let's face it, they kind of look like boobs) I thought I'd continue with the dark terra cotta so I could fill in on the plane ride home, but I went with filling in the roses on the 2015 sampler instead. 


I'm way behind in reading, commenting, and indeed blogging. But I'm back, baby, and better than ever!

Getting Back in the Groove

 I always find it so difficult to get back into the swing of things after craft month. I think I've crafted myself out.

Of course, this is compounded by the uptick at work. We have an event where donors meet their scholars in mid April, and we've been expanding it to make the trip back to campus more attractive. So, instead of spending three or four hours at work on a Saturday for a luncheon, this weekend I worked from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm on Saturday after working late on Friday. Standing on my feet all day. I literally crawled onto the couch and under the fluffy blanket on Friday night. (I had to skip stamping I was so tired!)

I did not get into the garden as planned at all this weekend.

I have stitched a bit, while watching Poirot. (Somehow we missed all the later ones (series 10+), the darker (and better) episodes.)

I have been working on my small mostly, and ignoring my rotation. It's a big small packed with stitches. In the past two weeks, I have taken a few stitches on Waldorff (previously) and Our Souls (previously) as well. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? At some point, I'll be back in the groove, and I will stitch on Cinnamon Stars--that was your pick to be added to the rotation.

Also, my rooster has arrived in Alaska. Or the rooster formerly known as mine...

Rotation Rotates

Dear readers, I have stuck to my rotation even if I haven't been reporting in regularly. Every day this past week I thought, "This will be the day I blog," and instead I didn't. You probably realized...

Greenland Santa was going along swimmingly making me think I might finish all the stitches before the end of my three days, but that sheep is made out of confetti!

I didn't do nearly as much on The Thread that Binds as I had hoped but I did get a few words in. I am reading Just Mercy for a reading group at work, and it's devastating. I keep having to take breaks from it. Stitching and listening to Amy Poehler's Yes Please has been a good antidote, but I do still have pages left to read.

Nevertheless, life will continue to intervene. I won a Fitbit at work, but that means I am in a group of about 50 or so that are in friendly competition. Unfortunately this week I am in a contest for the most steps. Since my job is a lot more sedentary than others, I am only aiming to get over 10K steps every day. (The athletic trainer gets as many steps in a day that I am aiming to get during the work week.) So far the only time I've done that this month was when I took the day off to go to doctor's appointments*. (In the city, and I only parked my car once.) So I guess I'm going to have to spend more time walking, less time stitching. I don't think this can be entirely bad.

This past weekend the Strawberry Sampler had a stitch-in. I missed Friday night for stamping (of course!) but I was there from 9(ish)-5 on Saturday and 9(ish)-12 on Sunday. (So much for the step count, right?) I got soooooo much done on Winter Row that I am two swooshes and 12 snowflakes from being done. I'm going to keep on going with this one even though the rules tell me I should put it away to start stitching on my small. {Shhhh. Don't tell.}

*And today. I'm just back from my third walk of the day!

Our Souls, Part II

The Majestic Rooster should be arriving in Alaska today. I know some of you will be horrified by this, and others will think, "I knew her when." But it is a relief, honestly. I'm happy to permanently scratch it off my list. Kristen (craftrat) asked for the pattern but she is that odd duck "the no reply" commenter. (C'mon people, be all in!) Kristen, there's a line behind you so if you want it I have to know where to send it--and soon!

I did keep Watercolor Geraniums, however, because I think my MIL might like it. Someday I'll work that into the rotation...

I've completed another round on Our Souls. You can see how it looked after the last rotation here. I was going to start the initials and wedding date but the designer didn't include an alphabet. I guess I'm going to have to find something suitable. (Am I the only one who thinks it's wrong for a designer not to slap together an alphabet for this sort of thing?)