"A joy to stitch"

I'm curious, what makes something "A joy to stitch"? Is it the fabric or fibers? Is it the color or where it's used? Is it the pattern or your state of mind? I know there have been a few designs that I've stitched over the years that have been an absolute pain to stitch. Some that have been a chore and that I didn't enjoy at all. There have been some (more than I'd like to count) that I've gotten bored with and some that have overwhelmed from the start. And I know that cross stitch is just "one X at a time" which is entirely true. You know, the designs I find most challenging are the monochromatic designs. Especially if I'm using a variegated or overdyed thread. The challenge is where/how do I want the color to flow. Do I stitch horizontal? Vertical? Diagonal? Or a combination of all three? And that's completely up to me as the stitcher! And mine is going to look different than the next stitcher's because of how I stitch mine. The reason I ask is because the last model I stitched was a band sampler. And it used very earthy colors: leaf greens, yellow golds, terra cotta reds. Very pretty and somewhat true to the Autumn season that we are in right now. It was just very soothing to stitch. It also helped in feeling accomplished. As each band was finished I got that great feeling of "finishing" something, a significant part of the project. I guess I just really like band samplers.

September 2012

I finished the model last night! I'm so happy because it feels like a weight has been taken off and I'm free to pursue anything I want! I know it's just me but whenever I have a model I know there's a deadline to be giving it back to the designer whether it's been determined by them or me. Regardless, I do feel responsible and I take it as a job. And I know the "I'm free!" feeling is all me. I'm the one who decided to take on so many model jobs this year because of the wedding. At least now I've got some time to do some other stuff now. The consignment job. That hasn't got much work this week because I was so close to finishing the model. But today I think I will put it on a larger set of q-snaps and also take it with me to "faire" this weekend. I think I'm going to have some "spare" time (ha!) on Friday so maybe I can get some work done on it. Even if I don't, this will now become my focus piece for my rotation for the rest of the year. The tablet case has still not gotten much love. I've been trying real hard to make my own deadline for the model (end of September) and as today is the 27th I've beat my goal by 3 days. Yay me! Anyway, I talked about a case I was looking at at Staples. I took my tablet there to make sure it would fit and the snap-in part was too big! However I found another one which was red and fit my tablet but they wanted $30 for it. Even though I have a coupon that would cover that amount I didn't buy it. I have to get the most out of my "free" money and that wasn't it. I ended up findng a better case at Big Lots for $8. It has a place for the tablet then a zipper pouch that holds the charger, earphones, the memory card adapter and a couple of flat speakers that we got for free at the fair. So much better than the $30 one at Staples! Now I can take my time getting it done. On the crochet side of things, I still need to make the pompoms for my granddaughter's (K) hat. However, I want to wait until I can get it tried on so I know if it fits or if I need to adjust it. Don't want to run out of yarn making the pompoms then not have enough to finish the hat correctly. Last night after finishing the model I had a little time left. I had started a sweater for K for the wedding. I wasn't sure if I was interpreting the pattern correctly and stopped. Last night I came up with my own interpretation for the sweater and finished it. Need to get that tried on too. I still need a couple of gifts for my wedding "party". I want to give something to my day-of coordinator and my hairdresser. They're both helping me out for free so I want to get them a nice gift. However, my budget is small and I haven't come up with any ideas yet. However, one just popped up today. I have a new pattern for a ruana that I'd love to try. I think I'd have to spend about $20-25 on yarn for it which is about right for my budget. However, I don't think I'd get it made in time. Maybe I'll get it started anyway. I've got a great idea for some colors to use. Hmmm, guess I need to go shopping...

August 2012

I accepted a new model job because I thought it might be quick and it would earn me some good money in a short time. Unfortunately for me it was very frustrating. It was worked on a small count that I had a VERY hard time seeing. I didn't have anything with the right amount of magnification for me to see it really good. So I limped along doing the best I could. I got it done and sent it back and now I'm just waiting for my payment to arrive. The other model that I was working on is still coming along nicely. I now have 3 small bands and two large bands finished. I'm working inside one of the large bands now. I'm hoping to have it done by the end of September. The consignment piece has taken a hit time-wise and not much has been accomplished on it lately. That should change now this week. I was a little behind on the exchange project, but I got it finished and mailed within the time frame and it was received by the intended recipient too. She loved it! I felt bad because I didn't add any goodies into the package. I was just in a hurry to get it done and sent on time. I'll have to do better in my next exchange. The tablet case isn't getting much love. I expect to be working on that pretty heavy in October so I'm actually on schedule. I have a good portion done already so if I can get the model finished on time (my own personal deadline) then I should be on schedule. However, I have a backup idea. I have my eye on one in Staples if I find myself falling behind. FI thinks that's a great idea. I just started and finished a knit/crochet hat for my granddaughter. It's really cute and I still need to make the pom-poms to go on it. I'm not real good with knitting so I knit most of it then crocheted the ribbing that goes on the end. I think it's really cute! But we have to try it on her to see if it fits.