A Quick but Happy Finish

I wasn't expecting to be blogging again so soon, but I couldn't resist a quick update.

I finished this on Saturday:

This was such a quick finish, no where near the 15 hours the magazine suggests. I really enjoyed it, even though I found an error I'd made and left it in there.

I expect to make it into a cushion, though you never know, it may end up framed. I'm really happy with this one.

I'm planning on going watermelon hunting later this week. Who knows, I may try a watermelon milkshake this year! I'm working on the actual day so we will celebrate on Friday.

Happy Holiday this week to those in the USA! I'm wishing everyone a great time this week even if it isn't a holiday for you.

Happy Stitching!

Here In The Real (stitching) World

There are only so many hours in the day.
After being a bit injured I'm able to stitch again this last week or so, but having less time and still working on recovering I realized I just didn't want to work on some huge project with 100 colors. Wow, did I say that?
The smaller projects I've done in recent months have been satisfying my stitching urge without overwhelming me with detail, and I've come to a place to realize that is ok, for the moment. Not that there isn't a part of me that misses and longs for confetti galore, but at the moment I'm really enjoying my lazy stitching and seeing some completions of things for the home.

In that vein when I was able to begin stitching again I didn't pick up anything major. In fact I did a few stitches on my new kit, just to put my hand in. This is the little I've done.

A bit of umbrella, nothing too exciting.

But then last week-end I was able to pick up only my second issue ever of The World of Cross Stitching. You just can't hardly find them here.

It was issue number 201 and I found a little chart I couldn't resist.

Not the best pictures but it is rainy and cloudy so the best I could do.
I'm loving stitching this up all in one color, though I picked a different color of red than that in the magazine.  I can see this as a pillow much like in the magazine, and I may add our names at the bottom, also a suggestion in the magazine that I like.

So I'm busy, and tired a bit 'till I get used to working full time again. It is a good feeling and I'm feeling mostly satisfied with the little bits of stitching I am having time for. I feel like I should feel guilty about all of this but I really don't. It is just too good and relaxing at the moment. Very freeing to change things up.

What about you? Are you enjoying your stitching? Having fun with your present projects, or do you need to shake it up for a little while? Summer brings so much in the way of change and shaking up routine, have you done anything different? Do you want to?

Happy Stitching my friends! Have a great weekend!

First Day of Summer Update!

But not much in the way of stitching!
I hurt my wrist and arm shortly after my last post. It is nothing bad or serious but has taken a little time to start to feel better.
I began my new job full time on Monday and was in training for the two weeks before that so there would have been little stitching anyway. I am happy to say I'm feeling better now and will hopefully have a more interesting update about stitchy things soon.
I plan to work on my new kit that I showed you in my last post. Hopefully I'll do some stitching on the 2013 HAED SAL since I am feeling it needs the attention. I also plan to begin Fantasy Blue. After that we will see. I have too many WIP's and I don't know what will come back.
Meanwhile I've been enjoying everyone's WIP pics on the HAED BB, on Facebook and on their blogs. If you haven't checked out my links you've been missing out!

Happy First Day of Summer!
Karen

Only a Little Bit of Stitching, and Stash Enhancement!

Wow! Lots of tired after my first full week of 8 hour work days in years (My last job had cut us to 32 hours a week several years before the cut backs). I am in training for my new job so hopefully things will settle down in another 2 weeks. Also still doing home repairs with the DH so crazy busy. But I'm at home, which is my favorite place always so I'm thrilled and happy about it.

The few minutes I have found time to stitch I've put in on the HAED BB(Bulletin Board) SAL(Stitch a Long) piece and in a week I doubt if it has been more than 150 stitches. Still, progress is progress and I'm content enough with it for the moment while life is demanding more of my attention elsewhere.

Today I made the mistake of going into Hobby Lobby since it is right across the street from another store I need to visit. I don't go there often since it is a good 30 minute drive. I bought some 18 ct. aida I've been in terrible need of. And then, as a treat for myself for getting a job and working hard all week DH and I picked out a kit. They were on sale of course, this is me after all! I'll try to find a pic or link for you.

  Here is a pic of the chart from the Design Works website.

She is a pretty little thing and I love the lavenders and blues and soft greens. More importantly it is a kit and I don't have to go and buy a thing, it is all there, which is kind of giving her a lead in the new start category.

The 18 count I bought is for starting Fantasy Blue, when time allows, as it was all kitted up except fabric. Since it is a Tilton Crafts chart I will probably join the SAL they have going on facebook. I think it will be fun and the group there is full of amazing stitchers.

Now the other SAL I really wanted to join this month is for a HAED chart (well, charts actually) I was gifted and would also be with a facebook group. The stitchers there are great and fun to chat with, and it is beyond doubt my favorite group. No, I didn't mention the name of that one. Yes, the home body here actually gets social with the stitchy folk, who are a great bunch of people. That one I now have enough 18 ct. (I used the famous 40% off coupon) to start but it isn't kitted with floss because A. I haven't had the time. B. Haven't had the money really, and C. I haven't decided which one to do yet! I mean, if you saw my last post then you know my dilemma here.

So there you have it, not the most exciting of stitching times but I love my new kit and I'm pretty pleased with myself for managing to get any stitching done this week.


I hope all of you are having lots of stitching time, or at least some fun stash enhancement and day dreaming about stitching!

Happy stitching everyone!

Karen

Busy As A Whole Hive of Bees plus a little Stitching

Remodeling and rebuilding on the house and now the excitement of finally having begun training for my new job! This has been such a busy time I sometimes feel as if I scarcely have time to think about stitching, much less do any.

But I did manage to finish a small piece during the HAEDless SAL. I do enjoy this stitch along because it helps me to focus on what I need to be doing.

Here are before and after pics of my little kit A Family is a Circle of Love from Dimensions.

Reviewing the kit:
I enjoyed stitching this, even though at the end I realized that the light blue and the dark blue strands provided were off. It appears that the two were mixed up as far as amount goes. I could have written and asked for more of the dark blue to do the writing but I just used the light blue. I could also have pulled some from my stash. It actually shows up much better than in this pic so I'm not bothered by it.
The kit came with everything needed, including the black frame to hang the pic with and a needle. In the future I will remember to check the strands against the supply list before I begin. I almost always do but this was such a small kit I skipped that step and didn't realize until the end that there was too much lt. blue and not enough dk. blue. Other than that it was a fun kit and I like the result. The directions were easy to follow. I will probably hang it in our bathroom if the bathroom is ever finished!

I've received a couple of great charts lately that you haven't seen so I'm going to share pics here. I usually don't mention names because I never think to ask if the person gifting it minds until I'm sitting here typing.
One is SK Spider Queen from HAED.

Isn't she divine? And very hard to resist I might add!

Another is QS Treasure Quest:

 

 I hadn't thought I would do a Spangler any time soon but he is just so cute!

 Now this next one was a surprise from Prunella Puddlejump:

I have no words to say how Much I want to stitch this one! And there is another, sort of a companion piece that I would love to have as well.

Now this last one may or may not be a new start for me at the end of June as part of a SAL. Owl in a Poppy field. Depends on finances really, and time. But it is a cutie. What do you think?

I may ask if I can stitch the smaller and less expensive to kit up QS Treasure Quest instead, finances allowing of course. But I just love the colors and the owl is captivating.

So, I'm basically saying I have almost no time to stitch at the moment and all of these beauties tempting me on!
I should also note that all of these are Heaven and Earth (HAED) designs and are available here if you are interested in any of them for yourself.

No sewing since I no longer have a sewing space and I'm unsure when I'll be able to set something up again, but I've several pieces I'm looking forward to sewing when I do. There is a dress from the Colette book and I still have that retro pattern and the purple denim waiting for life to settle down again.
Don't you just love having things to look forward to?

Happy stitching until next time.
Karen

Happy News and Stitching

I've had the happy experience of being hired to a job I very much wanted! Super excited about that and will begin training at the end of May.

Oh, and I have a used car to drive again, and hopefully that will go well.

In not so bright news my dryer finally died. It had been ill for some time.
I've decided to wait until I begin work to get another so it is clothes line time for me again. At least it isn't winter this time.

After a few days of it I knew I needed a better way to carry the clothes pins with me so I made myself a clothes pin apron out of an old pair of scrubs.

It isn't very pretty but I whipped this thing together super fast. I took an old pair of scrub pants with an elasticized waist and cut them off. I cut them down the back and stuck some bias tape on for ties and then just folded under a seam and stitched it all down all the way around. The pockets are full of pins in this pic and it works perfectly since I've been using it these last couple of days. Maybe I'll add a big pocket to the front that I can reach from either side but it really isn't needed. Very happy with this one!

On the stitching front, my new order of stitching seems to be agreeing with me.
Here is All Dogs go to Heaven after a few more stitches of blue.

And here is one of the kits I got back in Feb.

They are really sweet and I'm enjoying them even though I'm not fond of back-stitching.

Now my Mystic Garden BB SAL should be further along, but it was slowed even more when I had to frog part of what I'd stitched on it. Here it is all stitched back up and I am pleased to say I am finally half way through the first page.

There is a little progress.

Now does anyone remember my Mini Eternal Promise? I was supposed to give it one weekend per month, but then my stitching just went south. Well now that it is back I gave Eternal Promise its 2 days. I didn't take a picture to share with you because there just isn't that much to see.

I also put a very few stitches into Mini Cheshire Cat, but again, there isn't much to see so no pic yet.

I hope you are all enjoying your stitching. I'm trying to find time to make the most of mine before I return to working full time.

Happy Stitching Everyone!

Plans, Hopes, Possible Rotation and a bit of Stitching

Lets begin with the stitching. I decided to take part in the HAEDless sal this past week. I didn't get quite as much stitching time as I'd hoped but Frederick has seen a little progress.

I do love Frederick. I wanted his kit for a long time and now that the fabric isn't too stiff to work with I'm enjoying stitching him. With the usual caveat that I still don't care for blending threads and back stitching.

Earlier this week I finished off some coasters I'd cut out a week or so before. These are the quick and super useful kind, and we needed them asap to keep our hot tea mugs from sticking to the table and making rings, so nothing fancy here. I wanted them to reversible so I didn't use any binding, just a couple of old scraps and some poly batting. They are about 4 inches square so they will hold a good sized mug. I whipped up 4 of these but I am sure I'll be making more before long.

If only I could crochet again without hurting I could make a couple of really attractive ones in no time. Still, these are old quilt scraps and I like the colors.

As to a stitching rotation, I think I've got that worked out as well.
Again, nothing fancy here. I'm afraid my stitchy bug will run off again if I try to pen it down to too much! I've simply divided my stitching into five categories.

Smalls-Things not much bigger than my stitching piece. Little kits, etc.
Mediums-Say something like Frederick
Mini's-Thinking mostly of those HAED mini's here, but anything approx. in that size zone.
Large-Bigger than a mini and smaller than a BAP
BAP- Charts sensible people find to large and stitching addicts have a stack of waiting to be worked.

My rotation, or really it is just a goal, is to give a few days a month to each category. I'm not swearing to work on this piece or that, I have too many wips with probably 2 more coming this year, to just pick 2 or 3 to work on. With the smalls and mediums I'll have the satisfaction of having finishes more often and at the same time still be making progress on everything else. I could just stitch on one piece until it is finished, as I did for so many years, but then I'd get bored.

So what do you think? I'd like opinions, as this one is completely new to me.

There is a lot going on right now, I'd tell you about my strange day today but I'm being a good blogger and trying to stick to the subject.

I still haven't taken a picture of my Colette pieces so sooner or later I must get to that, and I haven't cut anything new out. Life is busy and my cutting area is buried in heavy house project junk and a window unit air conditioner. So hopefully soon.

Well happy stitching my friends!

Karen