Startitis

Oh, I have startitis soooo bad. So very very very bad. I had my LNS call me last week to tell me that my By the Bay Needleart 13th Colony Bay series were in! I had also ordered the fabric for that project. While I was there, they're in the midst of a JBW Designs trunk show, so of COURSE I just had to pick up the Sweet Dreams Baby pillow design they had. (My boss's wife and best friend are pregnant, which means baby stitching!) Of course, I also had to pick up some thread for the baby pillows. My boss and his wife are having a girl, whereas we don't know what my best friend is having, so I wanted something that would fit for both. I chose Caron Waterlilies's Succotash. It's mainly green with purple and pink. I figure it's the kind of thing that just screams baby, and is fairly gender neutral. Recently I ordered from the Bay of Evil 21 pieces of Charles Craft 32 ct. linen in cream. They're meant for all the little ornaments and gifts that I stitch. I really like working on cream, and I'm ok with 32 count.

So, when I got home from work yesterday, I had the two projects I already have, BBD's Bluebird Thread Keep, JCS's This is the Day, and then now two new projects to start. I must mention that I also have recently purchased my first scroll frame (by K's Creations). I bought it for working on the 13th Colony Series which I'm going to stitch in three pieces, but then reattach using ribbon and decorative surface embroidery before framing.

ANYWAY, where I'm going with this is that I knew I didn't want to stitch on This is the Day or my Thread Keep last night. I knew that I wanted to start something new. I also knew that I really wanted to start 13th Colony, but I also knew that DH would throw a fit if I started another big project, when I've still got This is the day taking up room in my stitching corner. So, I started the baby gifts instead. I'm totally not satisfied. First off, I'm already going to have to frog because I'm not pleased with some of the color variations, and I'm too OCD just to leave it. Second, it's not 13th Colony on my scroll frame. So, I'm getting ready to head into uncharted territory. I'm getting ready to have 4 active WIP's. All the threads are owned and available, all the charts are ready, and I'm plunging in.

I think I'm going to have to start a stitching rotation. Of course, I'm going to have to put up a large wall calendar just to remind myself. Also, what do I do on the nights when DH needs my attention and I don't stitch on anything? Do I just skip that night and move on, or adjust my rotation? I'm probably over thinking the whole thing. But, I'm really looking forward to starting 13th Colony tonight. :)

Vonna the Miracle Worker

I know my stitching isn't the best. I plead the fact that I really haven't been seriously doing it for all that long, just a year or so. But when the finished product looks like below, well I think anyone would like these as a little gift. (It's all due to the finishing, I can assure you.)

I sent Vonna from The Twisted Stitcher Finishing Service a few of my pieces to be finished. They arrived to her last Saturday, and by Tuesday we were discussing what fabrics to use. I ended up going with her ideas, because, frankly, she's brilliant. I had stitched BBD's Bluebird twice, once in Aqua for my grandmother, and once in red for my mother. I asked Vonna to turn them into pin pillows. I wanted the one for my mother to be very plain, whereas I was wanting a more finished look for the one for my grandmother. I also sent along LHN's Queen Bee that I did for my sister in law. I don't have the items in hand yet, but Vonna said that I could share her gorgeous photos with you! (I'm drooling over them, and fully intend to stitch another Bluebird and Queen Bee for myself, just so I can have them in my home too!)

The Red Bird - for Mom. I asked for a more "minimalist" finish, as that's what my mother prefers.

The Bluebird - for my grandmother. I love the buttons Vonna chose.

Queen Bee - for my SIL. The colors are all Vonna, and I think they're perfect!



Don't you just LOVE Vonna's work! The Redbird is for my mother's birthday, in July. And, Queen Bee is for my sister in law, as a just because. So, thankfully I won't have to wait too long to give them theirs. It's going to just KILL me to wait on giving my grandmother her's though. Maybe I could give it to her for Grandparent's Day... I'll probably just send it on a Tuesday, and then have to come up with something else for Christmas. Although, I know that if Vonna finishes it, what I stitch will be gorgeous!

If I sound like I'm gushing, it's because I am. I could NOT be happier with these finishes. There's just no way to put how excited I am about the WHOLE thing.

Bzzzz... A Red House Giveaway

Erynne of Red House is having a contest for a chance to win her latest design. All you have to do is guess what brand of threads she used to stitch her pretty little bumblebee!

DH and I went to see the new Iron Man 2 movie tonight. If you go, stay through the end of the credits for an Avenger surprise. DH and I are such geeks. LOL

Houses of Hawk Run Hallow

I really really really want to stitch the Houses of Hawk Run Hallow by CHS. (Actually, I want to stitch the entire series.) But, I'm a broke newlywed. ;-) My mother mentioned once something about marrying for money first and then marrying for love, but I wasn't listening.

Not that she did that either, Dad was pretty broke when they first married. Grampa sent them money for winter coats one year, and Mom ended up buying a dog instead, so I figure money wasn't too important to her either. ;-)

Anyway, I've seen various HRH's done in the NPI silks called for, but they're out of my price range. Gorgeous, of course, but I'm pretty sure my new husband would murder me in my sleep if I spent $218 on thread. And, to be honest, DMC isn't my favorite. Some of the dyes feel weird in my hands. It's probably psychological, but I can't help that. So, I'm putting a question out there. Has anyone ever used some silk and some DMC in the same project? How weird would that look? Obivously I'd use all of one or the other for each color, but overall can you tell a difference when you're looking at it?

Or, is there another, cheaper solution to NPI?

Frogging

I've been thinking about frogging. I had knitting and cross stitch that all required extensive removal. I had been working on Little House Needlework's Lavender's Blue onver one, but hated it, and realized it should be over two. I completely screwed up on Plum Street Sampler's The Queen's Sampler - Elizabeth I. Apparently counting is NOT a strong suit. I even managed to mess up on a project from Just Cross Stitch (I can't remember the name for the life of me.) I also was taking a motif from the Sarah Moon sampler to turn into a pincushion for my sister in law, but I used a bad thread. I used Soy Luster on a 40 count fabric, and it's just too thick. And last, but not least, I hated the edges on both scarves I have on needles. They were ratty and gross. I needed to re cast them on with an extra stitch so I could slip the first of each row.

It was to the point that when I finally got home last night, I didn't want to sew on anything. I didn't want to knit, purl, or put in an Algerian eyelet. (Actually, it was French knots, and I really hate French knots, so that probably doesn't count.)

So, I frogged it all! I spent all evening frogging my knitting, and picking fuzz off of my linen. I rewound my yarn, and put my stitch markers away. (I also realized that I have only one needle minder, and that is NOT enough.)

I have NOTHING to show for all those hours and hours of work, but I feel REALLY good about it. I cringe a little when I think of the wasted silk, but oh well. It's kind of like starting all over again. I get to sort out which project I want to work on first, and shop from the little stash by my chair.

That said, I will probably start on something entirely new tonight, just to be contrary. I'm thinking Tracy Horner's The Huddle. Unless her Fleur d'Orleans comes in the mail today. (It probably won't, but I can hope.) I'd start that first. DH and I were married in New Orleans (where I was born), and we're starting a Fleur de lis wall. My first piece on the wall is a needlepoint project my mother did for us. It's in my wedding colors of purple and cream, with our "monogram" of a fleur de lis over a Texas star. So pretty. I cry fairly often when I look at it, I just love it so much. (That part sort of terrifies my husband. LOL)

Anyway, so I won't have pictures for a while. It's a little weird feeling, not having anything on needles or on linen at the moment. (I'm NOT counting anything in the UFO pile, because I usually don't admit to their existence.)

Stitching Bloggers Question

Lee from Lake Stitcher has posted this question on her blog. I've actually thought about this a lot in my life...

Suppose we say that there are two types of stitchers.

There are those who enjoy the “process” of stitching. They stitch for stitching’s sake and if something gets finished, so much the better, but it’s not necessarily the end goal. Primarily, it’s the application of needle and thread to cloth that makes them happiest.

Then there are those who are “project” stitchers. They move steadily through their projects, certainly enjoying their stitching time, but finding their greatest joy in the completed stitching.

If you had to pick one to describe yourself, which type of stitcher would you be? I imagine that we could all say that we fall somewhere in between, but really think hard about this and try to pick just one. And once you’ve decided whether you’re a Process or Project stitcher, tell us if your recognize that approach in other parts of your life.

I am a process person. Whether it comes to knitting, stitching, or even my attempts at quilting, what I enjoy is the act of making something, not the finished piece itself. I give you this example. I have often talked about how I really enjoyed stitching Blackbird Designs's Easter Parade. And I did, I thoroughly enjoyed the stitching of the basket, and the bunny. Well, imagine my surprise when I ran across my work the other day and saw that I never finished the bunny. Apparently I didn't enjoy stitching the border. That said, I'm not concerned that I didn't finish it. I will probably get back to it eventually. But, I still find it to be one of my favorite things that I've stitched. With my knitting, it's the same. I have 3 projects on needles, and they're all destined to be VERY long scarves. I love each stitch I make, I love the feel of the yarn under my fingers, and the click of my needles. I even love winding the ball when I begin. I will probably finish these scarves, but I'm not concerned if it takes me three years to actually get to it. I'm having fun after all. :)