Update 8-20-08

It's been a busy couple of months. I had 3 Renaissance Faires/Highland Games within a 4 week time period which means no stitching for at least 4 days each time. The last one was a whole week! There's been birthdays and wedding receptions, visits with friends, my daughter starting her senior year in high school, and car repairs. I was also found by a friend from high school that I haven't seen in over 20 years. Wow!

And yet, I've been doing my best to find time to stitch out of all this, between it, despite it all - whatever. So here are my updates.

Castle Ridge - stitching this for my sister. I would say it's about 95% done. At this point it's all confetti and backstitch. I don't mind the backstitch, it's the confetti that's driving me nuts. (N V T S - nuts!) I need to make myself pick it up at least once a week to finally get it finished.

Book of Ink Circles - last night I finished part 3 or the May 27 square. Yes, I'm a little behind but I think it's going to stay that way.

How Does Your Garden Grow - I finished part 7 and started part 8. Something is off and I need to go in another direction on this one in order to find out if I need to frog or if I can just fudge it.

A Sampler-ette - I'm loving this little sampler! I started it last week while sitting in the hospital waiting to see my daughter's boyfriend. (Car accident)

Carnation Sampler - This thing is huge! And only two colors. There's lots to stitch and it's going very slowly.

TW Days of Christmas ornaments - nothing has been done on this since last month. I'm having a hard time getting excited about this even though I WANT to stitch them. They will all get done eventually.

New Things:
Model - I said I wasn't going to accept a model for a while, well, I was wrong. This one is from X's and Oh's and is fairly large though not solid stitching. It's going to take me some time to do so I will be reporting on this for months.

Contest - There's a contest through Country Woman magazine for original cross stitch designs on any medium you can come up with. I've been thinking about a drawing I did as a teenager and I'm working it out to see if it's something that can be adapted to cross stitch. I've got it started and have some ideas on what else I want to do with it. I have until (I think) the end of September to get it entered. First prize is $300. That would come in handy.

Autumn Pinkeep - I thought I knew what I wanted to stitch and then I changed my mind. I may be using part of the design for the contest (above) if it turns out like I want it to. But I have to design it first. The mailing date for this is the same as the contest so I have some time to work on this. I think I found the backing fabric that I want to use regardless of which design I choose to stitch, just need to pick that up from the store.

And that's what I've got going on right now.