Confessions of a Floss Licker

Thursday, April 20, 2006

April 20th confession

I didn't stitch at all last night. I mowed the lawn then took myself to McDonald's for dinner as a reward for getting the front and most of the back done. I then got on the computer with the intent of posting a blog on myspace about mowing the lawn and ended up in a conference IM with two girlfriends - for hours. Tonight I'm going to try to avoid my computer so I can stitch.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Stitching progress and new stuff!

I've been working on Realm of Wishes - now normally I jump all over the place to keep from being bored, but I've decided to work on one color at a time and it's been working out. Last night I moved from the first color to the second. It's bringing another dimension to the project and making it come to life. I like this aspect of stitching! So this is moving right along.

I was gone most of the weekend and didn't get much stitching done.

Onto the new stuff! I got a model in the mail over the weekend! It's something that's already been designed, not something the designer is still working on or just recently finished. It's also something that's already been to a model stitcher and returned unfinished. Why? I haven't a clue as it seems pretty easy and straightforward to me. I'm going to try my hand at it and see if I can learn something new. It is going to be challenging because it's on black fabric.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

My Las Vegas Report!

Friday
CATS was being held in the Riviera. I was in the shopping mart for only about 10-15 minutes I seen Ann (Whizgidget) and Stasha who are gathering the followers to go to Stitcher's Paradise. I ditch the folks (who weren't staying long anyway) to go with the girls. I met Stasha and Margaret for the first time, and the others on the trip were Ann, Debi (my birthday twin) and Suz. Plenty of time to shop at the lns and I got a few things on my shopping list. (Stash acquisition to follow.) We got back to the show in enough time to have cake for Sandra Vanosdall's birthday and the anniversary of The Sweetheart Tree. :) I spent the rest of the afternoon going back and forth between the stitcher's lounge and the shopping mart. (They were right next door to each other.) Highlight of my day: I got to meet Marcia Manning of Cross Stitch Wonders who I've stitched about 5 models for. She's based out of Michigan and I thought I'd never meet her in person so I was very excited. One of the reasons I wanted to go to this Las Vegas show was the design that Laura of Enchanting Lair was going to have ready for the show. I got the Dinky Dyes threads for it and a piece of Picture This Plus fabric (Willow 28 ct Cashel linen) and started Realm of Wishes in the stitcher's lounge. I went to dinner with the girls (all from the trip above and Darla) but the folks were going to pick me up so we could go to Diamonds International and Fremont street to see the light show and go souvenir shopping, so I apparently missed all the fun with the waiter, pictures and the balloon man.

For the first time I won a door prize! It was a bag (clear plastic w/zipper & handles) from Heaven Lee Creations that had: 4 various size tins, 2 bead containers, a bottle of "Angel Wash", a fat 1/2 of Wedgwood 32ct Jobelan, an unmarked piece of 10x10 needlepoint fabric?, and the following Heaven Lee charts - Strand of Pearls, Bloom, Friends, Happy Boo Year, Half Breed.
I bought from:
The Sweetheart Tree - Blackberry fob (including the beads)
Simply Old Fashioned - Ever So Little #12 Turtles, #14 Cow Moon
Picture This Plus - 13x18 28ct Cashel Crystal Highland, 13x18 28ct Cashel Willow, 13x18 32ct Belfast Willow (plus one more piece that is a gift)
Dinky Dyes/Enchanting Lair - silk: Desert Sands, Kayla's Rose, and the thread pack/chart to Realm of Wishes
Stitcher's Paradise (booth) M Designs Las Vegas Tree Ornament (store) M Designs Snowflake, Bent Creek Snapper July Sings, 1 pk gold needles, 1 pk curved beading needles, 2 pks beads, 2 skeins Anchor, GAST Brandy, Thread Gatherer Medieval Mulberry, Phoenix Rising, Doodle's Frankenstein (Frankie is so cute, and he came with a spider button. Gotta find a piece of scrap fabric to start him on next.)

Stitching progress

I have made some stitching progress. I've finished the Castle on my Castle Sampler including the backstitching and I also finished the border around the castle including the backstitching on the inside of the border. The last thing I need to do is finish the sky/clouds and that part is done. (I want to do the viney part around the border before I finish the backstitching on the outside of this border.) Lately I've been concentrating on the large outer border. There's a lot to do and most of it is pretty mindless compared to the confetti that makes up the castle. There is also the viney part and the people. (more confetti) Right now I'm enjoying working on the border and watching how large it's getting. I'm slowly working on the viney part as I don't really want to be stuck doing that much confetti at the end of this project. However, I'm only getting about one needle's worth of the viney part done with about 3 days of border. sigh

I did start the Rhodes Butterfly scissors fob but have only done 2/3's of the border and have pretty much lost interest. I'm sure I'll pick it up again soon, as soon as I finish Realm of Wishes that I started at CATS. It's a 3 parter and I only have the first one yet. I don't know when I'll get the second part.

Other than that, I have a model coming to me this week. According to the designer it will be here on friday. This one's going to be interesting because I think it's the one started on dark fabric that she wants finished. It'll be good to update my stitching resume with this.

So that's what I'm working on right now.