To brighten a gloomy day

Yesterday I had to have a pesky cavity filled at my dentist's office...and then my exhaust pipe and muffler fell apart as I pulled out of the parking lot.  So it was quite a joy to be able to pick this up from my framer!

I'm sorry about the glare, but I wasn't in the mood to fuss with it last night.  This is "Dark Sorceress," by Claire Crompton, published in a book titled Magical Cross Stitch.  I finished the stitching last year, and finally got motivated to have it framed.  I LOVE it!!!  The mat and frame combination works perfectly - the gold scrolls in the frame accentuate the metallic flosses in the stitching, and the frame also has a touch of purple to it.  My framer, while he is not cheap, is awesome.

Belated Recap and a Finish!

2015 wasn't a terrible year for me stitching-wise...I finished more than 20 projects, but a lot of them (a majority, really) were smalls. But hey, a stitched thing is a stitched thing, right?!?!?  And here is my ort jar as of 12:00 AM 1/1.

You might notice that there is a lot of orange toward the top there....and that is because......

DARK SORCERESS IS FINALLY FINISHED!!  Yes, that's right, after almost 6 years as a WIP, she is done.  The pic doesn't quite show the bluey-purpleness of the fabric, but suffice it to say she is lovely.  I'm contemplating contacting Jill Rensel for framing, in part because the sides are pretty thin and I trust her to know what to do with it.  We shall see what the budget holds.

As for 2016, I have no big plans.  Right now, I'm getting started on another small, since I think I will join hte next round of the Smalls SAL.  Other than that, who knows...  May your 2016 be floss-filled and frog-free!

mid-March progress

(And yikes, phone pics are crappy.  Sorry...)

First I've been working on Nan's section of an older freebie Collaboration sampler for this month's SAL piece.  As of today -

 

I think I will leave the border off...I started stitching it, but it just felt too busy so I frogged it out!

I also pulled the Dark Sorceress out of the WIP bin, and have made a bit of progress.  She now has 2 arms!  I suppose I ought to do her eyes, hmmm?

WIPocalypse 2013 and another small finish

For my first WIPocalypse post of the year, I decided to dig out the Dark Sorceress.  I started on some of the flames above her head...

 Maybe by my next update she'll have 2 arms!  I've stitched a bit on Labyrinth, too, but it is currently in my stitching bag at work and therefore unavailable for photos.  LOL

When I start to feel overwhelmed by the big projects, I often feel the need to whip up a small...so here is Theresa Wentzler's "To Everything There is a Season" pattern (from an old issue of Just Cross Stitch).  I stitched it on a piece of Lambswool jobelan using the DMC colors listed.

I figure I can "cheat" and put this in my seasonal smalls basket whenever it is looking empty!  It is about 4 inches square, and I'd like to find a 5" square frame somewhere.  Maybe this weekend will find me stopping by the thrift shop....

Wimpy WIPocalypse posting

I've been so consumed with smalls the past few weeks/months, I've totally neglected my big WIPocalypse pieces.  Oops.  But here is the Dark Sorceress, making her triumphant re-appearance with the bottom half of her gown and wrap completed.

(I was so skimpy with my fabric...there is barely an inch on either side of those purple tendrils.  I may have to send this one to Jill Rensel for framing, just because I'm concerned that none of my local options for framing would know what to do with that small a margin.  Sigh.  Guess I shouldn't have been quite so concerned with trying to maintain a "standard" cut in my piece of fabric.)

Harvest Moon WIPocalypse

(Did you know that this month's full moon was the harvest moon?  The things I learn listening to NPR...LOL)

No work today thanks to Sandy - although here in western NYS we saw very little action, just some wind and rain - so here is a WIPocalypse update of the Dark Sorceress.  I'm afraid it has been quite a while since I posted one of her!  But as you can see, the bottom is almost done, with the exception of the curly tendrils of her purple wrap that extend on either side.  Soon I'll be moving the Q-Snaps up to finish the top!

I'll try to be back later with another pic - I also finished and ornamentified Santa's Helper, but right now the glue is drying.  And finally, I started The Little Stitcher's Tea Time freebie.  I have plans to modify the finishing and make something a bit different with it....I'll post pics if it works!

Exchange received and bit of progress

Last week I received my Autumn Exchange piece from Roberta.  She made the sweetest little scissor pocket!

She didn't give me any details about the design, but I think it a modification of a freebie found at Cross Stitch Happy.  I really love it!  It is already hanging from my stitching lamp, and I've been using the scissors.  Plus, she wrapped it in the fabric in the photograph, so I need to find a nice Halloween-y design for that orange evenweave.....

I've also been inspired to work on the Dark Sorceress a bit (poor DH, Wee Bit is quite enamored with the Sorceress, and is now requesting more "piddy ladies."   As he said, maybe I'll finish his Labyrinth....befor he retires...  LOL).

Most of what I've done recently is the yellow background, and a few lengths of purple floss for her wrap.  Getting close to the bottom!  Then I'll have to go up and finish the top.

April WIPocalypse

Sadly, I don't have much to report this month.  I started and finished the little baby gift from my previous post, but other than that I didn't get a lot of stitching time in.  :(  Not sure why...I suppose I could blame work?  Anyway, here is what I DID get done - just a bit of progress on the Dark Sorceress and the "Mom's Tea Room" towel.

Not sure what I'll accomplish this month, either, since I'm going to Celebration at the end of the month!  In theory, of course, that means I'll have an entire weekend to do nothing by stitch...but I'm also taking a class, so that equals a brand NEW project as well...  hehehe

True to my word

I've been working on the Dark Sorceress.  I figure I'll finish out the week with her, then go back to Labyrinth for a bit....or maybe pull out another WIP from the list?  We'll see.

And yesterday I picked up Rosewood Manor's "Happiness Is" from Hobby Lobby.  Overall, I'm pleased....and the price was reasonable.  The only thing I'm not crazy about is the different colored mat cores (the inside one is white and the outside is gray).  I could have sworn the corner samples we used to choose the mats weren't like that....hmmm.  Still, it is lovely, and it feels good to have something else finally framed!

Progress and a bit of "whine"

First, the progress...here's the Dark Sorceress. Yay, the skirt is done! No more blue!!! I actually took her off the scrolls for a while. I need a break! And before I left for Job #2 today, I got all set to go on Cross-Eyed Cricket's The Voyage Home. I've had this pattern in my stash for some time now, and even bought the WDW Aqua floss needed. I treated myself to the fabric after Christmas, at my LNS's pre-inventory sale. So I decided it was time to dive in!

All of which brings me to my whining/ranting session. I'm tired of working 2 jobs. And I'm especially tired of working 2 jobs just to pay the bills -- it would be a bit different if the paltry amount I make at Job #2 was for stash, or going to Celebrations of Needlework, or a family vacation, or something like that. But no, DH and I BOTH work 2 jobs to pay the mortgage, the utilities, and the daycare, and put moderately healthy food on the table. Sigh. Which leads to the second part of my rant -- I've been selling a bit of stash and a few pieces of finished stitching on eBay, saving for a little stash-treat now and then. And it hasn't been going too badly...I have about $20 in my PayPal account right now. However, someone bid on one of my finished pieces and never paid. Grrrr. I HATE deadbeat bidders!!! Even stranger, she's paid for lots of other things, evidently very quickly. So why did she decide to stiff ME???? Wahhhhhh.

Anyway. Spring is coming, hopefully that will improve my mood!

Progress and a gift received

First an update on the Dark Sorceress:It's funny, I keep saying I want to work on (or possibly start!) something new, but there she is every evening, just hanging out on the stretcher bars....and I sigh and pull out some more blue floss and get to work. Some nights there isn't much progress made, but it is always SOME.

Also, I sent this little ornie to Kathy. I was going through my freebie files, found DMC's "Ocean Alphabet," and when I saw that the motif on the K was a lighthouse, I KNEW I had to stitch it for Kathy. She loves lighthouses! And she always leaves such nice comments on my blog...I couldn't resist. I got the backing fabric from an Etsy seller in a grab bag of nautical fabric scraps -- what a great idea, I must say! I paid less than $4 for a Ziploc bag stuffed full of small cuts of about a dozen different fabrics. Kathy said her friend Beatrice wanted to know what I used for the form underneath. It is a finishing form from Flying Needles. It is a lightweight aluminum, and very easy to use. Plus, no fiddling with cutting and such! (I don't know if you can purchase from the website link or not...I got my forms years ago from Nordic Needle, and they no longer sell them.) I'm so glad you liked it, Kathy!

Well, it is *almost* a resolution...

I didn't join any of the stitching "challenges" for the new year, but I HAVE resolved to try and make progress/possibly finish a WIP or 2 this year. In keeping with that, I've been stitching pretty steadily on the Dark Sorceress since Christmas.That's her foot there...for some reason I love working to the bottom of a design first and then filling back up toward the top. (That works especially well for this pattern, because there is a Mill Hill treasure bead that is part of the wand in her left hand, and this way it won't get crushed in my scroll frames.)

A few folks asked about the cording in my last post...I make my cord using something like this. I've heard that there are electric cord-makers (and some people even use a power drill!), but this is what I learned on at the finishing workshop at Celebrations of Stitching, and I like it. It can be a bit fiddly, especially when you have a very long twisted thread and you're trying to get the weight to drop nicely in the middle, but since I usually only make enough cord for ornie-sized things, it is fine.
As for attaching it to the ornie, I have in the past done it was a hidden whipstitch. For this one (and the San-Man ornament I posted recently) I just glued it! I started at the bottom center of the ornament, and let the glue set/dry on each side before going around the corner. When I got to the top I put the braid together and wrapped it with a bit of coordinating thread, then tied a knot to make the hanging loop. Then I cut the braid just above the knot and let it untwist. Does that explanation help??

Croakity-croak-croak, croakity-croak-croak...

Yep, I seem to have lost my voice. :( I've spent the past few days at home, but that isn't helping...and it honestly seems silly, since I FEEL fine, I just can't talk! No fever, no stuffy head, nothing nasty like that. Just no voice.

So, the Wee One went to daycare and I stayed home and stitched. Here is my progress on the Dark Sorceress...
And I did a bit of finishing - this is a San-Man design that I stitched up last winter. It will be a gift for a friend.
The tree fabric is the backing, and I made the twisted cording myself from a pack of that no-name "value" floss.

While the Wee Monkey sleeps...

...I've been working on this. This is Clare Crompton's "Dark Sorceress," from the book Magical Cross Stitch. I'm stitching her on a piece of 28-ct. jazlyn Tanzanite from Silkweaver, all flosses as called for.

Parenthood has been a bit of an adjustment, but we're getting into a groove. Of course, I have to go back to work and take Maura to daycare at the beginning of May... :( Anyway, right now she sleeps for most of the day, so I stitch. Enjoy it while I can, right?!?!?