:)

Ok . . . so tonight's blog entry is a much happier one! Michele got back to me this morning and Healers Touch was waiting for me! Yay! There are a looooot of black threads, like it says it needs 35 skeins of black. Um . . . couldn't I just use black fabric? Oh wait, I do dislike black evenweave and I don't think Hardanger comes in black . . . hmmmm will take a bit of thinking . . .

But I finally decided this was a good stopping place to take a pic of Tannith. So here she is:


I do need to work on the other monkey, I've been so very bad . . . just procrastinating because it's hard to stitch. But I really do need to do that tomorrow, no matter what. And I really should get up in the am, not 11 am either.

:(

*sniff sniff* I just tried to download the large chart version of Healers Touch and the HAED website told me that it had already expired (well ahead of the 14 day mark) - I just purchased it like 10 minutes ago. And when I emailed Michele, it didn't go thru (I did contact them on the HAED site and Michele on fb). :( I really wanted to get my chart, even tho I know I really probably shouldn't have bought it, it's been like forever since I'd gotten anything fun/new (well ok other than the 2 reward charts) and I've just been very down lately, I was looking forward to getting that one. Plus, it just makes me think of my Tannith's beloved husband, Corsaire, so it'd go in my collection of character charts. Hopefully, she'll get back to me tomorrow.
I reaaaally want this one.

Update/rewards

Well I got a lot done on Tannith - I found her butt as well as the lower right corner of the picture! And #336 is kind of hard to see on 25 count over 1.


So I did decide to try submitting both the Alien Cat SK and the Fragile SK. I made sure to let Michell at HAED know that I had forgotten to take a pic with my name and got my friend to send me a pic with my name.

Her response:
No worries and your work is lovely, thank you so much for sharing and I have attached your charts here, enjoy :-)

Yay!

I had well ok, more than just two on my wishlist, but these are what I picked out for my rewards:
Dragon Moon:

Artist: Nene Thomas
100 by 309 stitches = 4" by 12.36" on 25 over 1 or 5.56" by 17.17" on 18 count.
There are 90 colors, including 3,488 which are 032 #4 braid on the moon. I like the #4 braid, so I'm good with that.
This will be 30,900 stitches . . . kind of big for a SK, but the design is soooo pretty with the colors.

Logan SK (there is a full picture as well):

Artist: Carrie Hawks (same artist as the alien cat)
75 by 262 stitches = 3" by 10.48" on 25 count over 1 or 4.17" by 14.56" on 18 count.
Only about 50 colors, some of which are 023 #4 braid, but unlike the other one, I don't know how many stitches of which specific color there are. I got this one to do for my mom, she loves ladybugs.

Latest update

Well, I'd been kind of depressed lately due to the whole job situation. I got my hopes up and they were dashed since I didn't get the job - I'm like a backup in case someone quits or screws up. Ugh. But I did get more done on Tannith.

Nearing the right side

Ok I didn't get quite as far on the big blue dots as I had wanted to. They extend above the section where my needle is, sort of filling in the ledges, as well as quite a few in that beak-like section to fill in her abdomen below her arm/sleeve. But the good thing is that the part I did work on last night did get me halfway across the right-most page, so yay!


Ok so today is game day, so I will probably leave her at home, I took her last week but didn't even take her out of my bag. Plus I sooo need to work on the monkey bib or the Christmas present for Dad. I think I might just need to think about that for next Christmas. It's not . . . well, very interesting and has a loooot of stitches in it. It looked like a good idea, I just didn't realize how much work it would be.

Not quite as far as I wanted to get

Ok so I didn't quite get as far as I wanted to, but I did get close to being done with the H's . . . which is where I wanted to get, so not that bad. I do want to do the large black dots next (#158) because that's a nice big patch. Also it will get me closer to the right side of the picture, as well as you'll then be able to see where more of the dress is. I'd love to be able to get this done by my birthday for the reqard program. Rather than being like "oh I need to stitch this amount per day", I'm taking it one bit at a time, like the H's or the large black dots or things like that.

New update!

So I had originally decided to work mostly on Tannith through Saturday, neither on Sunday, and then back to Heart of the World on Monday. Yeah . . . that didn't happen. I just kept finding more to work on on Tannith. But I got some really good progress done yesterday and today!

well I am teh ossom

as the lolcats would say. ("I am the awesome" is the translated version.)
Why? Because I think I've gotten more done in the last 5 days than I had since I started the pattern September of 2009. Plus . . . this evening, I had a migraine. Yup. I took some meds for it (otc stuff) - one and then waited half an hour or so and took another. The only bad thing was the aura where I couldn't see very well but somehow in a way, it was almost easier to stitch? I mean not really, but in a way, it almost helped me to concentrate on my stitching. Tho this time, I got kind of dizzy and nauseous, which doesn't usually happen. :(
Buuut I did still get a nice bit done

I worked until 8 am on 8/13/11 - I had a tiny bit further than this, but just didn't feel like taking another picture.


This is how far I got tonight:
This is a bit further back, so you can see relatively how far along I am - about halfway or so on the width. There's more length-wise not shown, but it's nice to see I am almost halfway to finding the right side of my picture!


And this is a better picture, more close up of my progress. I found y's and #'s (both greens) which I want to stitch, buuut I did start on a section of h's (#553 - violet) . . . oh so much to do! Everytime I think I'm done, more to go! Plus, I think I'll blame it on the migrane, but a section of the green/gray bit I've had to restitch like twice, grrr. Oh well, I'll just stitch over the mistake. It's not nearly as bad as the mardi gras mask, where I had to re-stitch 3 feathers (left purple, right green I think, and left blue)!

I think my motivation to stitch this is because this is my Tannith picture and we go back to the Hollow tomorrow . . . less than 12 hours from now! (I've been very much looking forward to this!) So I'd like to see her stitched. I wonder if I could get her done by the January deadline for the HAED reward program - I know I won't get her done by August 30, 2011. lol I mean, hey free HAED chart? sweeeet. I think I'll take a new pic of Fragile storykeep with my name on a piece of paper next to it - they don't say I need to have that in the wip pic, which is good since I didn't do that whenI was stitching it. Then I could maybe get either Logan SK (storykeep of a cat who looks like a ladybug and some big, fluffy purple flowers) or SK Dragon Moon (scantily clad chick with a red firelizard (or maybe a tiny dragon) sitting on her shoulder in front of the moon).
Logan SK:
http://heavenandearthdesigns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=85&products_id=1775
SK Dragon Moon:
http://heavenandearthdesigns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=85&products_id=7066
Darn you HAED for having a 30% off sale and me not being employed and wanting certain charts!
This one I really want - The Hatchling:
http://heavenandearthdesigns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=160_416&products_id=7562
it looks like something from an Anne McCaffrey novel and I so would love to stitch that and also that one I got from ShinySun of the chick in the lavendar dress with the green dragon. I think that one looks Mirrim and Path. Speaking of ShinySun, I would loooove to finally stitch the 3 Baby Dragons one I had also gotten. Ok, yeah I know, there's only 24 hours in a day right?

This is the details:
http://heavenandearthdesigns.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=24&zenid=nmr21nm1eaqe65e7vref1pbqb1
Reward Program
For anyone that completes a HAED design we will offer a free chart of equal or lesser value to the finished piece.

Simply send us a good quality picture (see guidelines below) of the finished piece with all the details such as fabric, design name, artist, how long it took you to stitch, any special comments (this is required to get your free chart and essential to giving you proper credit) and we will email you the chart of your choice of equal or lesser value. The following are the guidelines and each of the items must be included with the finish.

The program will be running twice a year with the next session starting June 30 to August 30 2011 and the next will run from December 30 through January 30 2012 and the same schedule for following years.

In order to receive your free chart you must provide the following with your submission:

* Picture of the front of the piece
* Picture of at least one wip
* The picture must be taken straight on and of good quality
* Picture with your signature on a piece of paper placed on or near the piece

Please keep in mind that we do reserve the right to use the image in a catalog with proper credits to the stitcher of course. All of the above criteria must be met in order to receive your free chart.

Have fun everyone!




Ok, so, I'm fairly sure there won't be enough light to work on Tannith at tomorrow's game - I have 2 40-watt (or the equivalent I think) bulbs in my overhead light and also a small desk lamp I use. So, I'll have to pick out something else - maybe the monkey bib? I found I can work on that if I stitch it upside down. Weird, yes, but it works. Strange thing? I can't stitch from the pattern upside down . . .

Tannith/latest update

I did some work on Tannith aka QS Lotus Wood today/tonight. I actually have lost track of how long I worked on her this time . . . probably another 8 or 9 hours. I was able to find a few patches of nice big color and worked on those. All those little x's . . . I think this will be the last HAED I do on 25 count over 1 with full crosses. I do still have The Moon I've not yet started, and yes, the fabric is 25 count. However, I'll be using tent stitch (which is like a half-cross stitch) with 3 strands. I do like how Heart of the World is turning out (granted I've only been stitching it for 2 days . . . I think I might wait until Monday to go back to it) on the 22-count Hardanger. I think that might be an ideal size to do more HAED or HAED-like patterns on.

Latest update

Well I did a lot of work on Heart of the World today. I actually have lost track of how much time I actually worked on it, but I suspect possibly close to 8 or 9 hours. There's just always something more to stitch. Like oh here's another patch of this color! I did stitch more on the monkey bib, tho that seems to take a long time to stitch a small area because of the whole pocket thing. I really should work on that a lot more tomorrow. I also probably should work again on Tannith.

Heart of the World - started!

I got my fabric today in the mail - it's the 22 count Hardanger I got off of eBay. I worked on it for 3 hours and this is how far I got:

This is what the whole thing looks like so far.

I definitely am hoping it will stitch up fast. It will look totally awesome once it's done. Gilee told me it would look epic. lol

Actually making some progress

Ok so I hadn't worked on the QS HAED Lotus Wood since last September. 9/18/10, actually. So I kinda felt a bit bad for not having done anything on it, really pretty much since I started it in October 2009. Tho that waaas because I had started the HAED alien cat storykeep and I had a deadline to get it done (when Gilee graduated). So this one sort of fell by the wayside. And she's the one I picked out to be my favorite Pathfinder character, Tannith. Due to irl interference, that game hadn't been played since December 2009. Buuuut . . . we are returning to the Hollow this upcoming Sunday! Wooooo! So . . . I probably should work on her, I think. Tho she'll probably get a bit derailed when the fabric gets here for Heart of the World. So this is after about 4 hours worth of work from the last update.

I've gotten some more done on the Tiffany Nativity stocking. I've got about halfway done with the white on the veil, which is the last bit of that before I can go to the halos. The blending filament is being a bit tricky and I'm pretty sure I don't have enough of it. So I was kind of worried that the light gold/filament I was working on the veil on wouldn't be enough. It was barely enough - finished my last 3/4 stitch and had just enough to do my knot/weave in the end.


Last night, I went looking through the red World Wildlife Fund bag I had been keeping the UFOs (un-finished objects) I had started years ago. And then was like, "oh I need to stitch this" and "oh this really should be worked on" and the like. There was one - a tiny little kit I'd gotten years ago as a "traveling kit" which I did start and of course, got bored with. But me being me, I didn't just pitch it in the trash. No I save crap because someday I may want to work on it again. And you know what, more often than not, I will go back and I will work on it and yes, even finish it! Soooo . . . I picked this tiny travel kit back up today when I went to the hair dresser and while my hair was dyeing, I worked on it. It is a little blue butterfly and a spray of pink flowers with green leaves. And I must stitch a lot faster these days becaue I remember that the butterfly (and I only had a little of the backstitching done on the body) seemed to take soooo much longer than the rest of the picture. I think it took me about 2 hours and I was done! And I ironed it and then put it into the little blue heart frame provided in the kit. And now I need to chart out the monkeys so I can stitch that bib and both it and the butterfly can go on their way. See . . . I'm fighting the tendency to hoard all my stash as "my precious" one item at a time. But don't touch my blending filament/#4 braid, or I will sic my gerbil minions upon you for stealing.




Dang it! I still keep forgetting to take the camera downstairs and get a good pic of the Dragon of the Summer Sky . . .

Ok . . . not quite what I thought

I had thought I'd be further along by now with the Tiffany Nativity stocking. I thought I'd be done with the veil and both halos on Mary and Joseph. However, I did not count on the fact I mixed up light and pale gold. Oops. Yeah, I was using pale gold instead of light gold. I took part of it out, but then just really didn't feel like frogging all of it out. Frogging is picking out/removing stitches. I also got distracted by the little kit I got for Mom's Christmas present. (I'll post a pic of that after she receives it.) I'm also a bit distracted by the idea of Heart of the World and even the Tannith one.

I think I hadn't posted the last one for that pattern:

It was actually taken in September 2010 (which I hadn't been updating this blog, so understandible it was missed). Look there's her sleeve! I think I might like to pick her back up and do some so at least it's not just hanging about.

I also decided to look through my red bag I've been keeping the wips in. I had thought one of them, a snowman advent calendar, I had thrown away. It's nice to know I hadn't - since it's really a cute picture and I actually had gotten further than I thought I had. I think I'm a third of the way through? Anyway, I think that is one I should finish. I think I'll probably make it into a wall hanging, rather than a framed picture. It's neat because you put one half of a snap on the back, so the pointy bit sticks out through the fabric to the front. The other half is glued to a snowflake-shaped sequin. Then for each day, you put one sequin on the calendar. I think I could construct a pouch on the backside of this proposed wall hanging so all the snowflake date minders would have a place.

I also found a little piece I started as a "traveling kit" - it's a butterfly and some flowers. It is about halfway done. I sometimes keep things and not know why I do. I think this will go to a friend, the same one who wants the monkey bib, since she adores butterflies. Plus - it'll be quick and easy to finish. :)

Now I need to find a pencil and then start charting out the monkeys, now that I have found my graph paper book.
I suppose I'll just have to miss the 20% off the total amount at AC Moore this time (I have a coupon good for 8/5/11 & 8/6/11). If I could have found my House Work chart, I might have, but since I still don't know where that darn thing is (I'm really, really, really hoping it wasn't in the pod), I'll wait until I find it.

Ok that's all I've got for now.

Heart of the World

This gorgeous piece is called Heart of the World. It is a Heaven and Earth Designs pattern (charted by Michele Sayetta), artist is Ruth Sanderson. (Evidently I like her since there are 2 others I would loooove to get.) It's a retired piece, but I do have the pattern.

Stats are:
450W by 276H
That makes it
20.45" wide by 12.55" high when done on 22 count fabric

I will be stitching it on a piece of 22-count ivory Hardanger I got off of eBay (yes it is a much bigger piece of fabric).

I've had the pattern for a long time and got the floss earlier this year (I think, or maybe late last year), when I was still employed at my last job. With this large a piece, I'm guessing I'll have to get more of some colors . . . who knows tho. I just put off and put off buying a piece of fabric. Then I decided to see if there was anything that would fit, size-wise for the pattern and still be cheaper than buying the $13 piece of Hardanger from Herrschners. That's not including s/h . . . and cheaper is better, plus still slightly miffed at Herrschners over that 25-count black lugana nonsense. Oh well. So . . . off to eBay . . . and I found one (the one I bought, of course). And so I put it on my watch list and then said, hey what the heck, I'll bid. Then I realized it had 3 1/2 hours to go, even better! Wait, wait, wait, . . . I won! So, while ok yeah, I do feel guilty spending money when I've not got a job, I don't feel as bad. I mean it would have been probably close to $20 had I gone thru Herrschners. Grand total? $7.22. Sweeeet.

Now I just have to wait for the fabric to arrive. Then decide when to stitch. I hope it stitches up fast.

I do feel a little bit guilty at all the other projects, both UFO's and USO's which I'm not currently working on. The main one at this very moment is the QS Lotus Woods one - that's the one I decided my character, Tannith, looks like. Well a blonde Tannith that is - I know, she used presdidigitation on her hair (she did do that in game once). The main reason I feel most guilty over her is we hadn't played that game since early December 2009 for irl reasons, and now we'll finally get to play that game again! *girly squeal!* So I kind of feel like I should be working on her.
But then again, there's always the space tiger which just needs it's background and possibly some backstitching . . . and the stocking I picked back up . . . and the emperor and empress . . . and that berries sampler . . . oh and don't forget the samurai to go with the 2 geishas . . .


I do know that before I go picking anything else up, I will definitely be finishing mom's Christmas present. It's a very small kit - only $1 total. I've gotten about a bit over halfway done with it. I decided to add blending filament to parts, ok ok most of it. There's a blue section and a pink section, so that's the color I picked for the corresponding section. Then I decided to use 032 (pearl/opalescent) for that last bit. I very nearly didn't have enough! So I did get more today. But that shouldn't take long and will be nice to be one less to still do.



Other news:
Ok so I just remembered this. I was looking about on the Gloria and Pat website and found a page where they had pictures of some Angel Quilt Projects finished quilts of Precious Moments stitching. And then I went to AQP website. And basically, it sounds like anyone can participate, you just need a minimum of 12" x 12" piece of fabric in any color/count/type other than black or bright orange (which I hate orange so I wouldn't use that anyway) and a child-friendly pattern. Then you stitch it and then send it to a finisher and they turn it into a quilt for a newborn/premie/etc. I've done small quilts in the past (and have that idea I want to do for the astrologer/zodiac one, but that would be for meeeeee!), I was thinking, I wonder how hard it would be to become a finisher, they haven't got anyone listed from Virginia, which is where I am. So I'm waiting for the person to answer me back. I think that would be a wonderful thing to do. Yeah, I wouldn't get paid, but I wasn't thinking I would. Plus, it'd give a great sense of accomplishment to help people like that. I think the G&P website said the AQP would be up to 50,000 quilts sometime in December, how great is that? I hope I hear back from them soon!