I'm almost done!

Lots of progress since the last time I posted. I received the supplies for the model and it has been moving very quickly. It's like a band sampler and I have only a bit more than two bands left. Third band from the bottom - fill in/background stitches left for all of about an inch. Second band from the bottom - border stitches done, fill in stitches left. Bottom band - top border stitches done. I will definitely finish this over the weekend. There are a few other things that the designer is whipping up for this. There is some couching of the straight border lines that I already know I'm to do, the other instructions haven't arrived yet.

Castle - is moving right along. I finished his tail completely and now I'm down to the rocks around his foot. (I posted a pic to my photo album as promised on the TWBB.) Since I'm so caught up on the backstitching, I'm working at least 3 threads to cross stitch before I put in any backstitching. I can't believe I'm so close to being done after all these years! And here I thought it was going to take me another month or so before finishing. NOPE! I'm going to be finished this weekend!!!!!! Getting him framed is definitely going to be a Christmas present to myself. And an early one at that! I can't wait to get him off the q-snaps and get him all cleaned up.

Model #2 is moving again. I got a few more instructions from the designer but will be stalled here shortly as I'm running out of fibers. More are on the way according to an email I got this morning.

Over one - I got started on a project last night that was from a class at The Stitching Festival last weekend. It's a linen basket liner. The design is over one and the border is a four-sided stitch. Very pretty and lacy.

I want to get as much in as I can right now. You see, I'm contemplating taking a part-time seasonal job to supplement my income for my holiday shopping. With the increase in gas prices, (coming down but still expensive) the cell phone bill, electric and water, expected increase on natural gas (ie usage in the house - the heater is gas) and repairs needed on both vehicles my regular paycheck is not spreading far enough. If I'm able to get a job where I'd like (Ross or Mervyn's) then there will be an employee discount at the places I shop at anyway and manage to get all my Christmas shopping done and get my bills paid. But yes, that will cut out a LOT of stitching time and time spent with DD. At least it would only be for a couple of weeks. If not, then I'll probably have to dip into the savings. Not what I want to do but that's what it's there for - kind of.