May 2013

On May 1st I finished the most current model. It was a sampler that had 3 colors in it. It turned out wonderfully and I was happy to send it back. While waiting for the next model to arrive, my husband encouraged me to buy my first HAED (Heaven and Earth Designs). I chose Caed Mile Failte (100,000 welcomes in Gaelic). HAED's are huge! Just to give you an idea - the size of the piece of fabric I purchased was basically 2 feet by 3 feet - and it's 36 count fabric! This will be the largest cross stitch project that I've attempted. The largest I have completed so far is probably English Cottage Sampler by Teresa Wentzler that I made into an anniversary sampler for my parents. The next largest is probably Rose Arbor by Mirabilia. I'm still working on Blue Dragon. The page that I'm trying to complete is going well. I've also started stitching part of the bottom. I want to complete as much as I can before I have to move the fabric. I just haven't decided quite yet if I want to finish the bottom portion now or pick it up later and stick strictly with stitching page by page. As much as I would like to get Christmas Mystery done I just couldn't get into it. There was nothing (other than the 10 year time frame) that was motivating me to stitch on it. Maybe when Blue Dragon stops being a draw or I decide to rotate my UFO's will it get more work/done. On the crochet front - I finished the two tams that were ordered. Thankfully those are easy and they get done fast! I just need to remember to take them to faire with me along with the extra yarn (for adjustments) in order to get them delivered. My crochet top is going to be a hybrid. The top as written is very much a tie-on piece over what you're already wearing. I want to make it more like a tank top. So I'm going to make a front and back and then try to attach them somehow to make it more like a tank top. Right now I've run out of the yarn I was using - oh darn, I need a trip to Hobby Lobby! So the project is put on hold yet again. The dress was a little more difficult. The finished picture is darling! But I can't decipher their instructions for the little flowers. They are in the border/bottom of the skirt (and apparently you stitch this from the bottom up) but also make up the majority of the bodice. So I started the skirt although I don't like the bottom up stitching. I mean, how am I going to know how it fits/hangs without going from the top down? And I'm not going to want to rip out the whole thing and start over if it's wrong! Because of that I looked around and found another dress. At least if I have two patterns I can hopefully make one work. I decided that I was really not happy with the sweater and ripped it out and started over with the original idea of a ruana in tunisian stitch. I'm doing really good too. Both front pieces are finished and I'm working across the back. Once I finish I think I'm going to try some kind of decorative edge because tunisian stitch wants to curl at the ends.