HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Alex and Michelle. My Nephew and Niece are celebrating their first wedding anniversary today. In case you don't remember, here's a photo from the day:
So, um, yeah, well, stitching....
See it started with an innocent work trip. I had to pack and get everything around the weekend before the trip so not a lot of stitching that weekend. I then had to unpack and do laundry and all the normal weekend stuff the weekend I got back, so no stitching that weekend. I could have stitched while I was gone, but I have learned that I am so tired at the end of a full day of training that I usually have to frog everything I did, so I read instead in the evenings. So, yeah, that's what happened. I am so far behind on all my SAL check-ins that I'm just going to give June a pass and work on making July better which it won't be as I have two trips to Michigan for family reunions - see what happens with trips earlier in paragraph. I do know I won't be doing any more work travel this year. We got our Administrative budget last week (our fiscal year starts October 1st, so we've been guessing for the last 9 months on what our budget would be) and we had a rather significant, unforeseen, reduction - so no more travel or pens, paper or other supplies and don't even ask to take a class or other training.
So what have I gotten done? Well I have been working on Just Nan's Seasonal Gems II Summer.
This is stitched on 28-count Platinum Cashel with the called for DMC. If you are stitching or have stitched this one, mine is a bit different from the chart. I decided I didn't need it to say Summer and it bugged me that the design wasn't really centered in the border, so I am modifying. If you've been reading my blog for any period of time you'll know I am not a pattern changer - I was attracted to the design just the way it appeared on the chart so I don't change things. This is HUGE for me. I haven't done anything really major, just flipped the piece around and stitched the top band of motifs on the bottom. That move changed up the middle motif a little but now it's centered, so I'm happy. I need to figure out what goes in those gaps on the sides. I also need to add beads, Kreinik and eyelets, but there's really not a lot left before it's finished.
This weekend I pulled Chatelaine's Japanese Zen Garden back out. Last time you saw it, it was here:
and today, it's here:
I didn't do all of this stitching this weekend, just haven't updated my progress photos in a while. This is stitched on 32-count Summer Sky Jobelan with Martina's DMC conversion. I am using the called for PTB, beads and two threads that didn't have a good conversion. As usual, I love stitching a Chatelaine and am looking forward to settling in for a good stitch the rest of this afternoon.
To continue my WIP review, I have:
The next one is another Liz Turner Diehl piece (I have several of her gardens in my stash too):
Hannah's Hummingbird Knotgarden. The Hubs gave this kit to me for my birthday a number of years ago - it has a copyright of 2007, so probably not too much after that. It has Madeira and Rainbow Gallery Glissen Gloss threads which are both new to me. I enjoyed working with the Madeira but the packaging caused me a little headache and I still haven't figured out what I'm supposed to do with the leftover bits. The kit also contained all the beads.
Blackbird Designs 2011 Loose Feather's Design is next. I have a start on part one the alphabet bleeds over into part two a little bit
Again, called for fabric and threads. I am pretty sure I got this as a subscription piece through Wasatch Needlecrafts (sadly now out of business). This is the first piece I put on my belt scroll - the fabric mounts on the ends rather than the top for those pieces that are too long for even the longest scroll rods. I did discover that it works best on shorter pieces as you would need arms like an orangutan to reach the top of this one comfortably for those of us with human length arms, turning it upside down also works.
And last for this week is Mill Hill's 2006 Buttoned and Beaded Christmas.
I am stitching all six kits side-by-side on one long piece of fabric. I think the fabric is a 28-count raw linen. Another one that's using the belt scroll - this one fits much better as it's shorter. I really like the Mill Hill kits as a "grab and go" piece but am always worried about mangling the paper, so when I saw them on fabric it was a complete "palm meet forehead" moment - why hadn't I thought of that before? Although I'm sure it goes back to my earlier discussion of "not a changer" or more likely it's "there's a perfectly good piece of stitching paper why should I spend money on fabric?".
And I have been doing some stashing I have GOT to stay off Floss Tube as I have a serious case of stash envy and I go looking at things and then they're in my cart and then, well you know *sigh*. This
is Evening in the Shire from CutePatternsByMaria an Etsy store (don't even get me started on the evil wonderfulness of Etsy). I bought a piece of Twilight Mist Jobelan that I think will work really well. I also bought Sea in a Bottle:
I haven't found the right fabric for this one, but have a piece of Twilight/Silver that I think might work. There are a couple more patterns in her shop that I am tempted by but I am determined to stick to my Stitch from Stash budget for the rest of this year so on my wish list they will stay.A weird work week coming up for me. Independence Day is on Wednesday so I'll work Monday and Tuesday, have Wednesday off and work Thursday and Friday. Friday is my work from home day so only three trips into the office this week.
Stay cool or warm if you're in the Southern Hemisphere. We're in the middle of an early summer heatwave with temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s with "feels like" temperatures into the 100s. Tomorrow's heat index is supposed to be near 105 so not looking forward to walking to and from the train station tomorrow afternoon. I think I will work on Christmas cards on Wednesday - think cool and you'll be cool right?
4 comments:
I enjoyed your catch up post, Susan. Happy anniversary wishes to your nephew and niece! I like your JN piece and the changes you have made. I haven't ventured into floss tube, but Etsy is truly a dangerous place on the stash budget. Stay cool!
Great catch up post - I know how it is when things get a little spiraled out of control. And travel is always kind of a pain.
Funny story - a few years ago, when I was still with the State, we got a budget cut, and yeah, no pens no paper no nothing... only I have to buy a few things to function, so I had to call the state office every. dang. time. I bought something to justify it to some one who had no idea what I was doing for a living. Geesh!
Same here with July 4... My staff has request (and I've granted) that people can come in on Wed. because we have to use our own PTO for holidays. I'll be here, too, but only for a few hours.
Stay cool yourself! I don't know if it's been as brutal up where you are as it has bee down here in the Piedmont, but we've had a number of rough days! I actually enjoyed AZ because it was at least DRY there along with the heat. I thank the gods, every day, at work because I drive from my garage to work's garage and I try to not shop or stop anywhere in the sun... now only if my AC would behave :/
Fantastic to see a post from you, you missed all the commenting shenanigans in June!
I started all four Seasonal Gems for Maynia so now I have to go and check them for symmetry! Thanks for the heads up.
Love the Chatelaine, I worked on mine in June too.
Your progress is lovely, even if it is only a little bit this time. I'm not big on changing stuff in patterns myself, so I'm always very proud of myself if I do it and it turns out nice!
I always enjoy your WIP review a lot. I had never heard of Liz Turner Diehl before, but google shows me she has such beautiful patterns! And I really like Maria's patterns as well. I haven't bought from her store yet (but have lots of them on my wishlist), but I have several of her freebies saved and plan to stitch one soon :)
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