October Stitching

I got a reasonable amount of time to stitch during October. For most of the month I was concentrating on making my ornament for the TW Christmas ornament exchange. I also started something new. It was a fairly small design for Halloween. I picked up a silk called "All Hallows Eve" the last time I was at the lns and it was killing me not to use it! So I found an appropriate (to my thought) design to use it and I rather like how it turned out. I stitched "By the Light of the Moon" by The Primitive Needle. I picked a piece of sparkly fabric that I got in a grab bag at the lns, and I used a combination of silk and cotton.

And now, to get back to my mostly regular rotation. Which means, I need to create it again. So, first and foremost, I'm bringing TW's Castle Sampler out of the UFO pile and am determined to finish it. The second slot will be my Papillon Creations Castles in the Air. Third slot is last year's Advent Kalendar from Chatelaine. Fourth slot will be Rose Arbor from Mirabilia, and the Fifth slot will be a Christmas ornament that has already been started.

A Tribute to Teresa Wentzler

I found out a day or two ago that my favorite cross stitch designer is closing her business and will no longer be churning out incredible cross stitch designs. I can only say that I'm heartbroken.
I taught myself to stitch around the time I turned 16. I didn't get passionate about my new hobby until I found TW's designs. I first saw Castle and bought the chart without thinking. It wasn't until 1998 (when I finally had access to the internet) when I put Fantasy Tryptych, Castle Sampler, and Castle together to find out they were from the same designer. I looked her name up (one of my first things to do ever on the internet) to see if she had a website. Not only did she have one but she also had a bulletin board which I joined immediately! I'm happy to say that through the TW website and bulletin board that I made some good (stitching) friends that I've now kept for years. I was also fortunate to meet Teresa at a CATS show. That is one thing I will never forget.

So Thank You Teresa for your fabulous designs. My life would be less colorful without them. I have only finished 6 of them, but I have a lot more started and plan to see them through to framing so I can hang them on my walls.

I wish you luck in your future endeavors and please know that your true fans will be here forever. (If you so choose to ever create some designs for us again.)

September Stitching

I have good news. I finished the model! And it's back to the designer too. She wants to have it finished for the October Online Needlework Show. (It's an ornament.) She has two weeks to get it done. I sure hope to see it there. Once it's released then I can add a pic to my modelstitching website. www.freewebs.com/ArcheryGirl/

I have also been doing very well with my Challenge. (Not starting anything new for the rest of the year.) I posted that personal challenge on June 19 and other than the model (somebody else's project) I have been sticking to it. That's going to be a little more difficult in the next 3 months as Christmas is looming and ornaments make great gifts. They don't cost anything (because I already have the supplies) just the time to make them. And when you're already on a tight budget it makes sense to make gifts for Christmas because to buy everyone something can be right costly. But like I said, so far I'm doing well. And I'm going to look in my stash and see if there are any other ornaments that I've started that I can finish up for this year.

More big news. I'm on the last box of my Book of Ink Circles! I finished the last fishtail last night and started on the last box. I'm going to make some adjustments to the chart because I'm just not happy with how this one looks. I'm going to make changes as I go along. The last fishtail looks great. Note to self: need to get a pic of that and post it soon.

Still no activity on Mickey Mouse. I got a little bit done on Tuscany scissors fob two weekends ago when we were at my girlfriend's house for her birthday. We were watching the Cal football game and I needed to have something to do with my hands. That project has been living in the truck and the truck hasn't been driven much lately.

Castles in the Air is getting a little more work. I am a little overwhelmed with this one. All the specialty stitches is a bit daunting. So I just keep concentrating on the cross stitch in the border. I'm taking this one slowly, step by step. There's no hurry. Yes, it's a mystery so I can only get so far before I run out of chart as we're only up to part 5. But this is for me, and besides, it's the journey that counts more than the destination.

I've picked up an ornament that I've started. It fits in with the Challenge and it can also be one for the ornament exchange that I like to participate in every year.

August stitching

Life has evened out a bit and my stitching got (somewhat) back to normal. I was stitching a couple of hours most nights which is a good thing.

I have an exemption to my challenge. A model. I was contacted by a designer that I've worked for previously who needed something stitched. I figured it would take a week or so to get the kit so I agreed. Otherwise, I've not started anything new for myself.

Book of Ink Circles was going along great! Even after I received the model, because they usually start out a bit slow. But then I get into the groove and the model becomes the focus piece. So I must admit that I have, for the majority of the last week, been ignoring my Book of Ink Circles in favor of the model. However, the designer wants it done "quickly" so I do need to focus on the model for the time being.

I set a new goal today. I am going to finish my Book of Ink Circles before the end of the year. I'll let you know how that's going when I get another week's worth of work into the model. I'm hoping that a total of 3.5 weeks worth of work will see it finished.

Other than that, everything else that I've mentioned in the last month or so has been temporarily put aside. Mickey Mouse, Castles in the Air and my Tuscany scissors fob have not seen a needle.

July update Part 2

I'm still doing well on my challenge. I've not started anything new. I haven't had the time! Which really helps.

I did finally pick up my Book of Ink Circles last night. I made some good progress on the frame and started the next part which I believe is part 12.

Castles in the Air has had no progress on it as well as Mickey Mouse. I worked on my Tuscany scissors fob about a week ago when I was getting my brakes done on my truck. Hopefully life will even out soon and I will be able to pick my stitching back up on a regular basis.

July update

It's still early in the month but I thought I would put something out here anyway. So far I've managed to stick with my challenge. I have not started anything new since I posted last. I've been strictly working on a couple of projects. First is Book of Ink Circles. I really want to get this done. I would love to enter it into the State Fair. I missed the deadline for the county fair so I only have the State and local festival to make the entry deadline.

The second project is Castles in the Air by Papillon creations. Lots of color changes, whew! Lots of beads as well. It's going to be gorgeous when it's done, but I'm having a hard time picking it up lately. (It doesn't help that I feel the need to concentrate on it and don't have much time at the moment.)

The third project is my Tuscany scissors fob. There's a bit of color changes on this one too. However it is really cute and I put a needle's worth of thread in it here and there.

The reason I don't have a lot of time lately is that I have someone "new" calling pretty much on a daily basis. Because it's new we talk a lot and are learning about each other. Then there are lots of events happening because it's summer. I don't mind so much setting my stitching down for a little bit while something new and exciting is happening. I know it'll always be there for me to pick up when I feel the need to put the needle through the fabric.

Sad News and Personal Challenges

I am saddened by the news that we've lost yet another Designer. Marc Davis of Needlemania passed away yesterday. He was at home, in his chair with his stitching and his dogs. My condolences to his family. May he rest in peace.

I really dislike reminders of my mortality. It makes me think of what will happen to all my projects that are in various states of being worked on. So this is a wake up call to me. I'm setting a personal challenge to myself. I'm going to try to not start anything new for the rest of the year and just work on already started projects. Wish me luck! (Of course the exception is if I finish Book of Ink Circles so I can start Brambles and the Rose.)

The second challenge is to not buy any new charts for the rest of the year. I subscribed to the Gift of Stitching magazine and have the latest two issues of Just Cross Stitch. (Of course the exception there is the Christmas ornament issue of JCS.) This should help me concentrate better on the first challenge. I'll try to remember to post progress here more often.

June Update Part II

I went to Needle in a Haystack on Sunday. I got the French grape monogram book. Yay! Even better, it was an older copy marked at only $25.00. I got the beads to continue Castles in the Air. I got two packs of needles (one pack of beading needles that I'm continuously losing!) and a new nail file. The last thing I got was a skein of Silk N Colors - Camouflage for the new Ink Circles Brambles and the Rose. The sheen of the silk will give the two shades of green the rose bush look and the small bits of brown will give it an extra little dimension. I'm looking forward to starting this one.

Now, onto the disappointment! I am a self-proclaimed scissors nut. I am collecting scissors and cutting instruments. I have 30 pair of scissors, a pair of nippers and two Clover cutters. That being said, I posted previously that I was hunting the the grape bunch scissors from Uncommon Scissors. Needle in a Haystack had the entire line! I was able to pick up and feel each and every one I was interested in. Unfortunately for me, the grape bunch scissors finger holes were so small that I could only fit my fingernails into them! (I would honestly think they were made for children if I didn't know better. Or maybe they were?) I may be a nut but I'm a practical nut. If I'm spending over $25 for a pair of scissors I want them to be usable. Therefore I was very disappointed that the grape bunch scissors were not usable for me. I then tried the sheep scissors. Nope, the legs stuck out at an angle that hit my fingers when trying to use them. (Scratch those off the list.) Then the primrose scissors. Those too had too tiny fingerholes. Then the clinging vine. Their fingerholes are not round. They feel weird on your fingers. I couldn't see using them because they weren't exactly comfortable for me. So all the scissors came off my list and I left the shop without buying scissors. Sigh I was very disappointed and out of sorts that I couldn't buy scissors! But after looking at my list I found a pair of Ginghers that I don't have and they're on sale at Joann's. Maybe I'll pick them up this weekend...

June update

Castles in the air is going slowly. There's lots of changes of color so lots of starting and stopping.

Book of Ink Circles is moving along well. I've finished a couple of parts. http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/570412802fykkas (I hope that link takes you to my album.)

Tuscany scissors fob is going slowly.

Mickey Mouse is going even slower.

I've at least kept myself from starting anything (else) new.

Plan on going to Needle in a Haystack this weekend. I'm looking for more beads for Castles in the Air, variegated green-something (fiber) for the new Ink Circles - Brambles and the Rose, the French grape Monogram book I've seen the last couple of times I was there and hopefully a new pair of scissors - grape bunch by Uncommon Scissors. (I believe they were released that the online Needlework show. I hope the store has them.)