moving along nicely

Well I decided to work on the ram next. After about 6 or so hours of stitching, it's done. Well that portion, not the whole stocking, of course.


Next, I will go onto Mary's veil and then the halos. Hopefully, it will stitch up quickly, even tho I know it's a not insignificant portion.

outlining

Ok so I finally got all the black on the toe of the stocking done. o . . .mg . . . that much black background is super boring. Like "is it ever going to end?!" boring. But I eventualy did get thru what I wanted to and can move on to stitching the ram and then Mary's veil. I think I'll also do the halos on her and Joseph, that would be a nice place to take a break for a bit while I do my monkey bib. I'm thinking it'll take me at least a day or two to get that far. This really is coming along pretty quickly. :)


And I did start the pattern I have for Dad's Christmas present. This one may take a while, I'm glad I started it now. Cause it's 75 x 200 . . . so 15,000 stitches. And I'm only 102 into it . . . . ah well I'll get it done.

Elegant Geisha

Ok I finally can put up a picture:


I gave her to my friend today and she was just tickled! :)


I'm starting to think the black on the stocking is a bit boring. It will be nice to get done with it tho.
I'm still looking for monkeys. I'll figure it out tho.

Stocking is coming along!

Ok, so I've been working pretty steadily on the stocking for the past 4 days. Well a bit less last night, since I did a lot of sleeping yesterday, but still steadily. And yeah, this hacking/coughing is not helping. I had bronchitis (saw the dr Tuesday before last) . . . I was doing ok with the antibiotics and the cough syrup, taking the last of that Monday morning. So then Tuesday morning I am trying to go to sleep . . . ok gooood . . . hack/hack/cough/hack/gag!!! I took some of the blue vaporub cough syrp, and crawl into bed. Eventually, that spell subsided . . . I driiift off . . . and bam! nearly 3 hours later it's back! Gah! So mom tells me I need to go back to the dr. So I do, and the nurse practitioner tells me it's not more infection/pneumonia, so that's good. However, it's a bunch of irritation in the lungs/bronchial tubes from all the coughing. Soooo . . . my coughing is making me cough, greeeat. So she hooks me up with advair and some cough pills (I had a bunch of giggles when I was thinking to myself "if I come down with cultrasine poisioning, I am so kicking your butt" (from that House episode)). I did do some stitching, but decided to take a nap about 3 or 3:30 . . . and I woke up at 9 . . . some nap!

Buuuuut I did get a lot done either way! And here's a picture of how far I've gotten:

From what I can guesstimate, I think I'm close to 1/3 of the way done with the cross stitching, which is great! I do want to get at least the back up to the veil where Mary is looking back (so outlining the ram), the ram, and Mary's veil. I think that would be a bit over halfway done.

I'm still looking for monkeys . . . wait, what I can picture you saying, you're looking for monkeys?! lol I mean I need to find cross stitch patterns of monkeys! I need to find monkeys for that baby bib I'm going to stitch for a fb friend who's friend is having a baby (and the momma likes monkeys, hence the I need to find monkeys). I have a loooot of cross stitch magazines, so I'm looking in there to be sure I don't have to do more work than I need to. lol

In other news, I made turkey meatloaf today and it was rather tasty. I realized when I was making that glaze bit which goes on top that I had ketchup, check, brown sugar, check, mustard . . .wait, oh crap we have no mustard. Dammit. So . . . ranch dressing and garlic powder to the rescue! And when mom gave the dogs some for their dinner, it was quiiiiet! lol They did not just gobble down their food like they normally do, they were interested in it.

I wish I knew where that Mystic Stitch pattern I have is, it's the one called House Work. It's of this witch in a very short pair of shorts and she's got a broom. I have the fabric for it (a gorgeous piece called "voodoo" which is orange and maroon) . . . and I KNOW I've got the pattern, but where it is, idk . . .

Good day and other niftiness

Ok so I probably won't be doing many Christmas presents this year, as I'm unemployed. But I do still have to give presents to Mom, Dad, and my sister. That last one was easy, bit expensive, but easy. I had done the mardi gras mask for her for her birthday and the frame is for her Christmas present. And I got that done before I lost my job, so all paid for, yay. But I did still need to find one for mom & one for dad. I found a sweet tiny kit which mom will like at AC Moore for get this - $1. Yup $1. Of course, I got it. I think I might add some blending filament to that, sparklies are always pretty. Then that brings me to dad. What to do? Well I found a free pattern which I think will appeal to him. (I'm not saying what it is, in case he reads this, I'll post pics of both after Christmas.) I decided to go with earthy shades, like his mitten/hand warmer from last year, rather than the black/white/grey of the original pattern. I had a bit of trouble at the store today picking the floss out . . . who decided to buy all the 434 - 437? Like seriously, grr. So I went with 3862, 3864, and ecru. There was only 1 skein with the papers on and what appears to be another full skein with no paper, but it's the same color. (I like to get all the floss I need at one time). So that's that. I think I might add backstitching (so to speak) between the colors, maybe in that sparkly black #4 braid. I think that might make it look kind of like stained glass, and maybe even more so if I do 3/4 stitches instead of full crosses where there are angles. So (not counting any sparklies as I've already paid for them and for those projects shouldn't take too much) . . . I think my Christmas projects left to do cost $5 with my time.

Sooo I got this nifty idea the other day when I was cleaning up a bit/organizing my patterns in the crate I keep them in. (They've been out of the order I had had them in ever since I let an ex-best friend look through them back in 2009, what can I say I'm lazy.) Sooo nifty idea . . . right. Ok. So I started this picture years ago called The Astrologer, by Joan Elliott. And yeah that would make a super cool picture. But then I came across 2 leaflets I had gotten years and years ago (like not long after I started cross stitching). They're both of the zodiac - one is for mug inserts and the other is supposed to be done on waste canvas on shirts. I did the Aquarius one from each, because I'm Aquarius. I did the mug one on a mug insert and the waste canvas one I did on a piece of 14-count aida. I think I wanted to turn that into a pillow eventually. That was in 1996. I know I did at least 1 of the other mug ones - Virgo I think. But that was long ago. So my idea is what, you ask. It originally was to stitch each of the waste canvas ones and then sew them into a quilt. Ok I thought to myself, when I get a chance, sounds nifty. But then when I was wandering around my AC Moore, I thought to myself . . . wait . . . what if I do patches of all the waste canvas and all of the mugs and combine that with The Astrologer? !!! wait no . . . yes wait . . . that could work!!! So that is what I want to do. I'm thinking of doing the Astrologer, then strip(s) of fabric, then the row of mugs, then more strip(s), then the shirt ones, then maybe more strip(s), then a border. Tho now I'm not sure if I want to do little, then big or big, then little. Or even how much fabric/how many strips/etc. I think I might add a border to the mugs as some are more "blocks" than others.

To remind you of what the Astrologer looks like:

And this is what the Aquarius of the waste camvas leaflet looks like:


And the Aquarius of the mug:



Oh and have I mentioned I think it would be super cool to have a cross stitched map of Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings). Well if I haven't, I do think that. I would then be the envy of both cross stitchers and gamers everywhere. Cause, you gotta admit, a cross stitched map of Middle Earth would rock. Plus, it might encourage people who wouldn't ordinarily think of picking up a needle that it might be kind of neat to do so. Plus . . . it would just be awesome!

Ok ok I know I just did a post

Ok, I know I just did a post, but then I took a pic of how much I'd gotten done on this go-round of the stocking. And yes, it's for me (can't remember if I said that or not, but it is). So this is like 6 or so hours of stitching - 4 or so last night and about 2 today. I'll be doing Mary's shoes, then the rest of the blue on her robes, then the black on the bits between her and Joseph. Then I'll see about maybe doing the back around up to her head. Then maybe the ram. I don't know how long this will take, but I'd love to have this for this year, wonder how much I can get done. I'm guessing a month and a half or even 2 months. We'll see!


I will have to set it aside for a little while because I need to do a baby bib a friend asked me to figure out - I'll be seeing if I can find another bib, I've got a denim one, but that just has a strip of aida in it. Oh well that's what waste canvas is for, yes? Plus I need to find some good monkeys to be able to stitch on it. But I don't think this will take a long time, so it shouldn't cut too much into the stocking.


I still do want to stitch the Emperor and Empress . . . I glance over to my bookshelf every so often and see the zip lock baggie that has all the floss for them in and think, "oh they should become stitched pieces". One day, one day. If I could stitch as fast as I type, I would have no UFO/USO/wips! lol

Another finish

Ok, let's try this again. My stupid computer went to my dashboard, what the crap?!

Ok again:
I can now add another finish to my total for 2011. I finished the Enchanted Geisha. I started her 6/14/11 and finished her 7/24/11 a little after midnight (12:30 or so). That's just 2 days short of 6 weeks. It wouldn't have been as long, maybe a month, had I not been working hard on Fragile. Oh well at least she's done. I will put a pic up after I put her in a frame. There's one at Wal-Mart which I have an eye on (like $8 maybe at most, maybe I can find a similar one at AC Moore with my 40% off coupon). It's black and has a silver part on the inside of the frame. I think that will go nicely.

Ok and the second bit.
I decided to pick up the stocking I had started years ago. I started it back in 2003. I know this because I remember working on it downstairs and I also remember reading the first 2 Harry Potter novels downstairs at the same time. (I didn't start reading them until book 5 came out and that was mid-2003.) It is this lovely stocking of a nativity scene and looks like it's done in stained glass. This one I am doing for myself.

Dear Enchanted Geisha . . .

your background is totally kicking my butt at being interested in continuing to stitch you. Please be more interesting? I know there is a whole 'nother section of half-cross stitches and I know that's what I lost steam and switched over to stitching and completing the sad pink dragon (aka Fragile) . . . but I really would like to count you amongst my completeds? Please? No, you won't go any faster and it's like pulling nails? Ok . . . then don't be surprised when I pick up the Astrologer . . . she's always patient. And let's not forget the Space Tiger - he's been started once, restarted, sun-dyed when I left him in my car for a couple of years and the sun faded it, and has patiently waited for me to return to him to finish the background.

Finally got a pic

Ok so I hadn't gotten around to taking a pic of that seashells picture. I mean I had one I had taken on my cell phone but it was not a good one! lol So I decided to take a pic this morning.

Ok let's try this again

Ok I thought I had the right picture for the mardi gras mask . . . evidently not . . . I guess I had added the picture from my work computer (which isn't mine anymore obviously). Ok so let's try that again . . .


I am just so unmotivated to finish the geisha . . .

I do think I want to get the turkey napkins I started the first part of this century (maybe 1999 at the earliest, probably 2000 tho) done along with the table runner. That would be great to have for this Thanksgiving. Plus I've also got a stocking I started years ago for myself. It's a beautiful staned glass nativity scene. That would be nice to have for Christmas . . .

Wow I am very bad at keeping up with this, aren't I?

Wow . . . it's been since middle of October 2010 since I updated this blog. And I told Gilee she should update hers . . . irony, yes, I know. I've gotten quite a lot done since then. I did start and finish the Dragon of the Summer Sky as well as the Hope one.

I finished the Hope one near the end of October.


The Dragon of the Summer Sky I started near the end of October and finished it December 14th about 12:30 am. I think the 28 count colonial blue aida was smaller than 28 count on the winter one since this one is so much bigger than this one.


But in the meantime, I finished the cardinal wreath for my sister for a Christmas present.


I did pick the Astrologer back up for a while, but got bored with it again . . . but better than not at all, I suppose.



I needed a Christmas present for my friend, Joe. I knew he was getting me something for Christmas - a lighted d20 and a very cool Big Bang bag, which I use for taking my cross stitch places (it started out as a gym bag, but I just like it for a cross stitch bag). Soooo . . . what to do? Wait, Joe likes Christmas, so an ornament is perfect . . . now what? Oh wait, he loves Ghostbusters! So off I go to find the logo, run it through my cross stitch converter, and stitch it! I used glow-in-the-dark floss for the ghost. When I told him that, he grabbed it and shut himself in the bathroom. A muffled exclamation of "omg it works" or something like that followed. He has since reported that his little boy does the same thing - charging it to the light, then going in a closet. lol Awesome!


I decided I needed to make myself a new dice bag, to replace the ones which were in the pod which are long since gone :( I could try to re-stitch them, but the Dragon's breath or mist or whatever it was called is from Enchanted Fabrics and they're no longer in business. :(
Sooo I took the January dragon of the Dragon Dreams birthday dragons and the August dragon, but with different colors. I liked this spool of blending filament from the dragon of the winter moon which has more blue in it than the ones produced now by the same number.
January

the gold one



I needed a baby present for a (now former) co-worker. Her theme was jungle and her colors were brown and green. So the 3 peas in a pod came to mind. I started it sometime before this. Got that done mid-January 2011.


And then I decided to work on that scallop kit I got for Mom off of eBay. It stitched up very quickly and I still have a bit of that pink sparkly thread. I think I'll use it one day for the little dragon motiff I did for Tannith's dice bag.


I did finish another shells/seaside picture for Mom, but I have to take a better pic of that before posting it here.

I had started this wolves picture back in 2003 and finished it 2/7/11. One less in the UFO pile! Go me!



I had this kit for the Lord's Prayer and decided to see how long it would take to stitch it. 10 pm Thursday, 2/24/11 - 2 pm Sunday 2/27/11. That stitched up so very, very fast!



I also was working on one of 4 crystal ball views. There is a Joan Elliott pattern which is a wizard with a crystal ball and there are 4 options. I still don't know which I like best, but I did decide to stitch each on a small piece of sparkly fabric. I started with the dragon. There's also a castle, an unicorn, and an owl. I finished this one in February.


I did do some more on the 2 different color variations of the castle in the clouds while I was in NY for granny's memorial service in May.
blue

green


Mary asked me to make this mardi gras mask for her. I had shown her and Mom the pattern at Christmas and said I'd love to stitch it. It took foreeever to get the fabric - it was back-ordered 3 times and finally I just told them to substitute black jobelan for black lugana. Then I got to start it mid-March. I finished it mid-May and got it framed. I think it was the most difficult thing I've done because of all the partial stitches as well as having to redo several big bits of it.

I decided the picture was for her birthday present and the frame is for Christmas.


I had started the sorceress as part of a SAL, or stitch-a-long, with a former (best) friend during the Sunday game. And then she stopped cross stitching during the game and also started playing more WoW. Then there was that whole debacle which ended our friendship. I had pulled it out one day and asked myself "why did you stop working on this? Why did you let her stop you from finishing this?" And I found I had no answer for myself. My next problem was that I couldn't remember what I used for what color. Sooo I made it up as I went along. I think I was originally supposed to use blending filament places where I didn't and added some where I wasn't originally going to (that sparkly bit for the underside of the cape flipped out). And I think she's turned out better than I thought she would. I did start the wizard guy at the same time, but sort of put him down for a while, stitching with velvet is difficult.


So then June 14th I decided to start the Elegant Geisha kit. I decided to stitch this for a friend I used to work with. She's stitched up relatively quickly. I'm fairly certain I would have finished with her if not for being distracted by the Fragile Storykeep and that whole loss of job thing. Well also the half-crosses are kind of tedious to stitch. I do want to finish her soon tho, I only have the wisteria and the remaining half-crosses and of course the backstitching.


I had gotten the pattern and (some of the) threads I needed for this a while ago and asked myself why have I not done this one? I didn't have a good answer, so time to pull out some 18-count aida. None of the background is visible, so aida is fine. Oh my gosh! It stitched up so quickly! 2 weeks and 3 days.

I want to get this framed, but I'll have to wait to have a good job . . . or someone has it framed for me for Christmas. That'd be a great Christmas present.

Plus I've go so much more I want to stitch . . .
I will try not to leave another 9 months until the next blog update.