It's done! I am so happy with it! For the first time in forever I have started and finished something in a timely manner, and did the "finish finish" to boot! I had a whole slew of ideas on the trim but with no stitching budget I got creative and used the rest of the GAST. I took two strands, laid them side by side, and tacked them around the middle of the edges, then used the rest of the two strands as a hangar. It matches perfectly and gives it the low-key but polished look I wanted.

I had a little bit of trouble deciding what to start next as I lost my working copy and original of "I Told You I Was Sick" tombstone by Notforgotten Farms. I had to order this from at least 4 shops before Wyndham Needleworks could finally get it for me, I had really given up on it! This was a good year ago and then I kept losing it. I finally made a working copy to keep in my stitching binder and had it up until a few weeks ago (I guess?). I know it was in there recently but when I got the fabric and threads together I couldn't find the working copy. In looking for something else to stitch I ran into the original copy and finally started it yesterday! Geesh, what a saga and I've barely started it! It's moving really quickly but I am worried about the thread on the fabric, it seems almost bright enough but maybe not...any thoughts???


Bryce went to his first prom last weekend, I managed to catch an accidental smile in with all the other shots. He wanted to ride to and from with his "friend" Crista but I reminded him that would constitute a date. He has grown his hair long to make his father and I crazy, and he loves it in his eyes like that. In church I'm sure when he passes the sacrament all of the congregation is worried he will trip and throw the tray at someone's head ;) However, we are letting it slide simply because we know his intention and really, we'd rather pick a more important battle to win. Anyone have a time machine? I wouldn't mind visiting the past now and then!! Teens can be such a pain in the patoot!

Labels: Bryce, finish, Hallow's Eve Pin Keep Trio, I Told You I was Sick, kids, Notforgotten Farms, Pinkwork Sampler 1837, prom, SNS fabric, Tombstone, WIP, Wyndham Needleworks

It's done!! It's done!! It's done!!

IT'S DONE!

So happy! I'd forgotten that rush of pleasure, I didn't get it when I finished the LHN Stars and Stripes. But this feeling, it's such a part of why I stitch! To feel satisfied with a job well done, to feel as if I accomplished a goal, to have something tangible to feel good about :)

This was such a pleasure to stitch, it's my first Sampler Girl design but it won't be my last. The fabric has just the right feel to it, the floss was the perfect color, every stitch felt good! My needle felt like it knew where to go and all the stitches made sense.

I showed DH last night and he wants to know why the letters in the heart are at different heights. I explained that as a primitive sampler it looks "right" that way. He then wanted to know why I put his initial on the low spot and mine on the high. Geesh, LOL! Because the "T" was already charted in the high spot, not because I have a secret agenda ;) (that he knows of).

I have already started finishing it off, it's going to be a wall-hanging for my living room to remind DH every time he sees it that he is stuck with me for many more years.

What to stitch now????

Labels: finish, Pinkwork Sampler 1837, SNS fabric, The Sampler Girl

(Scroll down for stitchy stuff)


I have had a week! If I was not trying desperately with every fiber of my being to be positive about this #$%$%^@ week I would be saying that the only thing that could make me unwind at this point would be for me to lie down in the parking lot and have someone drive back and forth over me until I'm like jelly (today I've gotten to the point of asking for volunteers, lol). Of course, I'd only be saying this is I wasn't being so cheerily positive (big toothy, lots of teeth grin).


You might guess I did not park sideways to begin with. I was working, minding my own business, when this terrible apocalyptic grinding crash noise occurred. In fact, I'm reminded of the poem "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" where "...there arose such a clatter" they sprung up from their bed to see what was the matter. Just switch "bed" with "discount ergonomic computer chair" and it's the same :) Anyhoo, my poor little tiny car had been smashed to tiny little bits by a monster truck (a lifted Ford F-250, made from titanium steel). Someone lost control of the truck, drove into a brick wall, somehow bounced off and went in the complete opposite direction, careened around light poles and over parking blocks, nailed my little delicate flower at 25 mph, and spun it around 90 degrees, leaving them both locked side by side. It was easy to see my little car was totaled--the back seat didn't used to come to a triangle point in the middle, nor did I have (although admittedly it would be convenient) access to the trunk through the giant void between the back dash and the back seats before.

No one was hurt, which is why I am entitled to be annoyed that the person who did this was not insured. We had a rental car through our insurance for a few days and I am glad for that. The blue book value on a 9 year old Kia is enough for a dinner out in the Circle K microwave breakfast sandwich section so we will not be able to replace the car. Add to that, we've officially run out of reserves this week and have no more money, actually about to be at a negative balance. Fabric and chart sales have been down a bit with this economy and our ebay/jewelry sales have also been in a slump. Will we starve? Doubtful, just not sure how to get from this week to next. We purposefully don't keep an actual credit card so we have nothing to fall back on. Very scary. What we do have is faith, so I know we'll get by :)


On the good side, stress = stitchy for me! I just have to fill in the heart and I am done with this beautiful design (although I may have to rename it Cherrybark Sampler 1837)!

Labels: car smashing, Pinkwork Sampler 1837

Chugging along, having a great time! Thanks Harmien for pointing out speed doesn't matter, the enjoyment does :)

Labels: Pinkwork Sampler 1837

I've been thinking for awhile on stitching speed. I always read that the "average" stitcher can do a one-colored 10 x 10 block of stitches in an hour, or 100 stitches an hour. Then I see all these blogs (not just one, but MANY) where they do an incredible amount of stitching every day and I think, even if I could sit and stitch all day, there is no way I could do that. Am I a (gulp) slllllllooooowww stitcher? I think I must be. If I had more mojo I'd clock myself doing that block of 100 and see. Anyone time themselves? Have any tips? The double ended needles are beyond me, other than that and pre-threaded needles, I don't know of anything to go faster!


Here is my progress on The Sampler Girl Pinkwork Sampler 1837. I've worked on it for two nights for a total of 2.5 hours (while watching the Japanese Ninja Warrior gameshow --who knew there were female sumo wrestlers??) and am probably about 1/5 done with it. I really love the dark red of the Cherrybark on it. I was thinking for the initials inside the heart I might go for a brighter red as a little contrast, not sure yet. I'm really enjoying the fabric except 28 count seems so big. Guess I'd better get used to it, my eyes are getting O-L-D!

Labels: fabric, Pinkwork Sampler 1837, The Sampler Girl

Another weekend, no stitching. I did manage to fall asleep in the laundry room on a mountain of clothes (no lie). I'm starting to wonder if that mountain should stay, best sleep I've had in awhile ;)

I know I'm not stitching because I'm battling with whether or not to toss Simply Angelic into the UFO pile (never to be seen again because that's where my UFO's go, I guess to Mars). However, Tanya at the Sampler Girl has changed this for me. I was finally able to buy the Companion Books 2 and 3 and I know what my next project should be. I keep seeing giant projects I want to start and yet I know that my mojo is too fragile to face BAP, or even a SMAP (small-medium), and so I know:

Pinkwork Sampler 1837 from The Sampler Girl Companion Book 2 (pink one on bottom right)

I'm thinking to use my Attic Antique fabric that went wrong (I only used part of the piece for Simply Angelic) and some murky colors to compliment my living room decor and other stitching hanging in there. This will be a nice tribute for my husband and myself, I don't have any wedding samplers or anything like that to force us to stay together if only for the sake of the threads ;) Any bets on if I will get started tonight or not?


"And now, world domination is MINE! Mwahhhh-haaa-haaa" (evil laughter)


This photo was texted to me at 3:37 this morning by my husband, who is on a different sleep schedule, and was in the living room watching TV with evil puppy. Now, 9 nights out of 10 evil puppy is less evil and more cute, but on the 10th night we are forced to muzzle evil puppy in an effort to get through the night with some of our possessions partially intact. Keep in mind, evil puppy gets plenty of walks and play throughout the day, plus giant meaty bones to gnaw and assorted rawhides to boot. So on that 10th night, she's obviously channeling the outer circles of hell rather than needing more play or chewies. The muzzle makes her look like something out of "Silence of the Lambs" so when you add the glowing alien eyes and the freshly conquered box, you get scared--very very scared! On the bright side, I was curled up with sweet Beanie man sleeping at 3:37 am, so who's laughing now???? (pointing and laughing at DH)

Labels: evil puppy, Pinkwork Sampler 1837, The Sampler Girl