SB Question of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by Kim(http://knitterinprogress.blogspot.com/ and is:

What do you use to hold your fabric while you stitch? A hoop, a Q-Snap, a scroll frame, something else, or do you stitch in hand? Have you always used just the one thing or have you tried one or more of the others? Which do you like best? Why?

I have to say that I am an avid hoop stitcher. I have always used a hoop to hold my fabric. When I first started stitching I used a 4 inch hoop all the time. In the past year I have moved up to a 6 inch hoop. I like the hoop because I can keep my thread tension even and since I tend to stitch by areas(like an arm, a hand, etc.) it helps me keep focused on that particular area.

I have tried to stitch holding the fabric but I can't seem to keep the tension even. My attempts were only small projects that couldn't be held by a hoop. I envy the people who can stitch holding the fabric because sometimes it is a pain to keep track of my hoop and it takes a few minutes to set the hoop on the fabric and tighten it down.

Going Postal

I finally got my RR sent off to Renee in Germany. That was an ordeal getting it mailed. I had everything planned out and should not take but a few minutes. Boy was I ever wrong. It all started yesterday. I called ahead to see if they were closing early due to the hurricane and found out that they would be open. Mike had to get some paint from the paint store which happens to be right down the block from the PO so Mike dropped me off at the PO and came back when he was done. I was still waiting in line when Mike returned to get me.

Finally it is my turn and I take my baggies and address up to the clerk and told him I would like to send this Registered Global Priority Mail(GPM). Sounds pretty simple doesn't it? At first the clerk informs me that you know that is going to cost a lot to send it. I said yes that I knew and I still wanted to send it registered GPM as I wanted to make sure that Renee received it. After a few minutes he asks me what is so special about my package that I want to send it like that. By this time I was getting irked because he was starting to get snide with me. I told him I wanted to make sure that it arrived safely. I got a big "HUMPF" from him. That is when he decided that the PO could not send it to Germany registered. I simply asked "Why?" and this man started throwing a fit like a two year old. He turned his computer screen to me and yelled" You do it then!"

By this time I was ready to go postal on him but I managed to keep my cool. About that time is when another clerk tried to help me but she still couldn't get it to go into the computer. Finally I asked her what are they ways I could send it and still have it registered. She gave me two options, one being I send it air mail and have it registered that way or just send it GPM. By this time I had been there for over and hour and the weather was starting to get bad outside. So I took my stuff and went home and emailed Renee and asked her how she wanted me to send it to her.

After reading the email from Renee I headed back to the PO this morning. We had decided to send it GPM. I went in there thinking that I would be in and out in a minute. Wrong, again. First of all the same two clerks were working. I stood in line and waited for my turn. I had told the person behind me that if the male clerk came available before the female one did they could go before me because I was not going to deal with that man. So it was my turn and I stepped up to the female clerk and told her that I wanted to send it GPM. The lady scanned the bar code for the envelope and it would not take it again!!

I had been asking the past two days if I could be a bad code on the envelope and maybe I could try another one. That is when they told me they didn't have anymore large envelopes and I would have to go out to the PO on campus. First of all I avoid driving thru campus at all costs so I was not going for that idea. Finally they did let me see the small envelope and guess what?! My RR fit into the envelope and when she scanned the bar code it worked!! Before I left I told her I would be mailing packages about every other month so please keep the envelopes in stock because I don't want to go through this again. EVER!

I feel much better now that I ranted about my local post office. I have to file it with all those other lovely things about living in small town Mississippi.

The Worst Is Over

The worst of the storm is hopefully over. Right now the winds are about 60 mph and is still raining. Earlier this evening the winds reached up to 80 mph. We have been lucky and still have power. My boss lost their power around 5 pm and have not been restored.

To keep me from being a complete basket case I worked on Checkers. It is so much prettier in person than this scan. I am waiting on the last color of Kreinik to arrive. Hopefully I will get a call from the craft store this week telling me that it has arrived. If that happens then I will probably pick up my 32 count linen for SBRR(2).

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina is making her presence known. It started raining about 6:30 am and has not let stopped. The kids got out of school today and more than likely won't have to school tomorrow. Allie's school had some roof damage today. It is ugly looking outside. The parking lot is flooded and the wind is blowing pretty hard. I hope this all passes quickly with little damage.

SB Round Robin

I have joined a second SBRR. The theme for this one is seasons. The pattern I chose is Four Chair Seasons by Diana Thomas. It will be stitched on 32 count Belfast linen but I haven't decided on a color. I probably will go with white or antique white. I still have time to choose since the first post date isn't until November 15. The other stitchers in this robin are Renee, Nicki, and Laurie. I can't wait to get started on the RR!


As for my first SBRR (all my SBRR's could get confusing!) I got up and moving around early Saturday morning so that I could go to the post office to mail my package to Renee. Here is where it all went wrong. I called the post office that morning to make sure they had the envelopes. A lady answered my question which was "Do you have the envelopes that I need to mail international packages or did I have to purchase one from Wal-Mart?"
She replied that they had the envelopes and it wasn't necessary for me to purchase another one. I thanked her and hung up and proceeded to gather my stuff and run to the bank and then mail the package. When we (Allie and I) get there I thought the parking lot looked a little bare for a Saturday morning. I really didn't think anything of it UNTIL we walked into the post office and realized they were closed. I looked at my watch to discover that it was about 10:30 am! So, I look to see what the working hours are only to find out that they are not open on Saturdays. I was not happy about this. I had ASSumed that they would be open until noon at least but lady I spoke to on the phone could have told me they weren't open for business!

So now I have to go to the post office tomorrow and mail it to Renee. However if the weather is too bad I'm not going anywhere tomorrow. Vash sent her robin to me late last week. I can't wait to get it and start stitching on it for her.

Odds and Ends

This morning I started a new pattern called Checkers the Pumpkin by Pam Kellogg of Kitty and Me. I am stitching it on 28 count EW that is dyed golden yellow. I am going to give it to, Dayzia, my neighbor's 17 month little girl for Halloween. I am going to finish it by sewing it into a treat bag and I will have to fill it with goodies for her.


Last night I framed November Cherub by Dreamsicles. I will have to post a picture later since I had to use my camera with film. It turned out really pretty and is currently one of the first things you see when you walk in the front door.

I haven't been stitching much on Collecting Shells this week. I do like Carol's idea on using the blending filament and hopefully I will be able to try it out this weekend. Thanks, Carol! :)

SB Question of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by a Melissa(http://www.measi.net/blog/) and is:

What's the largest project you've ever done? What's the smallest?

The largest piece I have stitched was The Bride. She is 10 inches by 16 1/2 inches. I stitched her on 14 count Oatmeal aida cloth. ( that was before I discovered that I liked EW) I stitched her for Renee when she got married but I am holding onto her until Renee can come visit.

The smallest piece that I have stitched would be my first stitched piece and those were little sailboats. They were about 1 1/2 inch by 2 inches. Generally I don't stitch small things but since I joined some Exchanges and Round Robins I have re-discovered the fun in stitching the small designs.

I have ran into a small problem with Collecting Shells. I shouldn't have used tan fabric! I noticed this when I was
stitching with DMC 738 for the sand on the right side of the pattern. Oh well, it is a minor problem that can be adjusted some way I just have not figured it out...lol.

Finishing

I figured since it is getting close for me to start on the finishing of my Halloween Exchange I had better get some practice in so I don't messing up the end result. I worked on this early this evening and stitched this together in no time at all. It turned out fairly well or at least I think it did. My daughter, Allie, decided even before I was completely done with it that she wanted it for her door to her bedroom.



I didn't get any stitching done today as I spent most of the afternoon doing that dreaded task of laundry and cleaning house. At least that will give me some stitching time tomorrow afternoon before the kids get home. After I post this I am heading in for a long hot bath and if all is quiet when I get out I might do a little stitching on Collecting Shells.

Road Rage

I got a call from the craft store yesterday telling me my order had arrived. I was on very happy as I had been waiting for the last 2 weeks. I think I have said this before my little craft store is off of a busy highway literally in the middle of nowhere. The speed limit is 55 mph on the highway but the turn into the store is a complete mess. There are holes in the ground big enough to swallow my truck! There is no way to turn off the highway quickly you can only be going about 15 mph if you don't want to rip the entire bottom off of your vehicle.

Anyways I was driving out there and I got to probably about a half mile before my turn and I turned my signal on and started slowing down. Meanwhile a very big semi is behind me I swear he was going about 70 mph and wasn't slowing down at all!! That wasn't the worst part. The driver was talking on the cell phone!! I managed to make the turn without killing the truck but the truck driver had the nerve to give me the one fingered salute and I was called a not so nice name.

I can see the guy being upset if I had just turned with no warning however I had my turn signal on for at least a half mile before. There are no other right hand turns from the point I turned it on and I made my turn so there was no way of being confused as to which turn I was going to take. Grrr!! At least it was made a little better when I got inside and found out that all but one of my colors of Kreinik had arrived. One is on backorder and hopefully it will get here soon.

So last night I worked on my SBHE. It is turning out really pretty! I can't wait to finish it and send it on to my person. I think she will like it. I can't post any of the picture until after she gets it. Believe me it is killing me to not write anything about it yet!

I am about halfway done with Collecting Shells. Last night I managed to finish up her dress and I started to work on her arm this morning. I got a good laugh from Mac last night. He had a rough day so he decided to sit with me in my stitching chair and while I was stitching away he asked me "Mama, why did you stitch her skull?" It took me a moment to figure out that he was referring to her bow in her hair. I tried to tell him that it was a hair bow but he insists that it is her skull. I will have to show him the bow after I have it all finished so that he can see that it is really a bow.

SB Question of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" is was suggested by a Dawn(http://crafterscreations.blogspot.com)/ and is:

How often do you wash your fabric for each project? Do you wait until the very end until to wash it or do you wash it more than once?

I like to "prep" my fabric before I start to stitch. By "prepping" I mean that I finish the edges so they don't unravel as I am stitching then I rinse my fabric in lukewarm water with a mild detergent. Instead of drying my fabric with an iron I simply hang my fabric on a clothes line to dry. After it is dry I iron out all the creases and begin my stitching. If I get something does get on the fabric while I am stitching I will wash it but I like to wait until I am completely finished with the stitching before I wash it.

The only thing special I use in my washings is an infant toothbrush. If there is a spot that I can't get out by simple rubbing the fabric together I will gently scrub the area with the toothbrush. Occasionally when I get a stubborn stain I pre-treat it with Shout and then wash the fabric.

I didn't get a whole lot of stitching done last night but she is slowly coming alive. I am stitching her on 28 count Charles Craft Monaco evenweave fabric that I hand dyed using tan Rit dye. It is all Carol's fault. :) I really didn't stitch on anything other than white fabric until I started reading her blog. She has some of the most beautiful fabric that I have ever seen! Then after seeing Renee's and Christine's hand dye jobs I decided to try it myself. I found that I really like to dye my own fabrics. It makes me feel more like an artist.


The kids are back to their normal school routine. Krissy is waiting for her clarinet to be delivered from the music store in Jackson. She is excited and I am stocking up on cotton balls! Allie is getting all geared up for her VIVA/ARTS class. Mac has not got into trouble (yet) at school. He did bring home his first spelling test and got a 102%.

Things have been hectic at work lately. My boss finally clued me in as to what is going on and it is definitely a good thing. I can't say too much because nothing is definite and I don't want to jinx myself. :) Hopefully, I will find out for sure in the next couple of weeks but until then I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Progress At Last

Yippie! I made progress on Collecting Shells and no mistakes this time. I will stitch on Collecting Shells until I get to the backstitching and then set it aside for a little while and work on something else.



I have signed up for a couple of exchanges and another round robin on Becky's Board. I am in the Halloween Exchange which is moderated by Jo, the Birthday Exchange is moderated by Nicki, and a Round Robin moderated by Renee. I think these will keep me busy for awhile! I have already begun my stitching for the Halloween exchange but it isn't final until I get my person's name(should be in the next day or two) and make sure they will like the design.

Rotation Problems

I am beginning to think that I am not supposed to stitch Woodland Faerie! I pulled her out this evening to work on her when looking at the fabric I thought something didn't look right (again!) The first thing jumped to my mind was something Renee had asked me earlier today about how many strands was I using one or two. I had used strands and once I read the directions(when all else fails read the directions!) I discovered that I was supposed to use one strand for stitching over one thread!

Now I know that non-stitchers wouldn't notice the mistake but to me that is a HUGE mistake. I was lucky to discover it right away but I still considered cutting the fabric up into a million little pieces! I am going to put Woodland Faerie back into my stash pile because I really like the pattern and don't want to end up hating it and just letting it become a UFO.

With all that happening I had to ask myself why have I been making some big mistakes lately on my stitching. My only answer to this I could come up with is I recently went from stitching one at a time to doing a rotation with 3-4 projects going. I think my problem is I can't focus on more than one or two big projects at a time. Coming to this conclusion I have decided to toss out my rotation system and go back to stitching one at a time. I might try a rotation system again later but for now I am going to stick with what works the best for me.

Woodland Faerie

Here is what I have accomplished on Woodland Faerie. The whole area of her skin is worked over one thread and let me tell you that is straining on the eyes! I will be glad when I get her face and arms stitched and can do the rest of the stitching over 2 threads!

Here is my latest dye job:



It is called Vivid Turquoise. I really like how this color turned out!

A New Start

Yesterday I pulled out Woodland Faerie by TW and started stitching on her. It was only after about 4 hours of stitching I realized something was wrong. I had been working on her arm and the size didn't look right according to what the finished size should be. It was then that I realized on the faerie's arms you are supposed to stitch over one thread and not two. Agghhh! So I spent the rest of the afternoon ripping out stitches. I would have just tossed the whole fabric but I hand dyed this fabric golden yellow and don't have anymore in my stash. Since, I got off to a bad start with the pattern I have already decided that I am going to keep this beauty when she is finished and frame her for myself. I even have a spot already picked out for her above my sewing/stitching corner.

Mike and I have agreed to let Krissy start babysitting with some conditions. First and foremost is that she has to maintain her grades and keep up with her homework. This year she has joined band and has been put in an accelerated math class. I just hope she isn't putting too much on herself. She babysat last night for the first time and did great. I checked on her a couple of times and everything was fine. The little girl lives right across the street from us so if anything should happen Krissy knows to come and get one of us. Krissy was on top of the world when she got home and had six dollars burning a hole in her pocket.

Thanks to all who commented on if she was old enough to start babysitting or not. It helped ease Mike's worries. Mike is VERY protective of his kids and is not ready for Krissy to be a young lady any time soon.

Discussions

Last night Mike and I had one of our "discussions". When I use the word discussion it usually means that Mike is being unreasonable and I am trying not to lose my temper with him. I have to say that Mike is a wonderful dad. However, since Krissy hit puberty it is like he has lost his mind.

We are disagreeing about if Krissy(she is 11 soon to be 12 in Oct) is old enough to babysit. Last night Krissy was offered a regular babysitting job. It is 2 nights a week for about 4 hours a day after school. Mike doesn't think Krissy is old enough to watch the little child. I, on the other hand, think that Krissy is old enough. I was babysitting my neighbors children when I was that age and if anything it made me more independent than I was before I started babysitting.

Krissy is a good person. She has been on the honor roll for the last 3 years and has gotten several awards for her grades. Last year in early 2004 she even was accepted into the Duke University TIP program. I feel that if she can accomplish all that, she can handle watching a 4 year old girl a few hours. Most of all is Krissy wants to babysit so she can earn herself some money.

Am I being to laid back as a mother or is Mike right that Krissy is too young?

SBQ of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by a reader of my blog and is:

What do you do with the framed stitching that you keep? Do you hang it up and leave it in one place, never to move it? Or do you have a rotation, where you have one place for stitched pieces and switch them out according to mood or season? Maybe a mixture of both?

I have to be honest and say I don't have any of my projects that I have framed up on my walls. The main reason is that when I do frame a project it is because I am giving it to someone special. However, I do have a few wall hangings on my walls. Once my wall hangings go up on a wall they are pretty much set there for life. My throw pillows I do change out according to the seasons but not because I want a different decor. It is simply because I finished a new pillow and want to show it off to people.

Weekend Stitching

As luck would have it I was able to work on Collecting Shells on Saturday evening. Normally I watch PBS from 9:00-10:30 pm but this week they decided to show a Bruce Springsteen concert. So instead of watching May To December, Are You Being Served?, and My Hero (my all time favorite shows) I stitched.

I have put C.S. away for awhile and have been working on the SBHE. I really wish I could post a picture but I won't until the person I send it to receives it. I can't ruin the anticipation of waiting now can I? :) The stitching on it is coming along great. I am almost to the point of where I need to start stitching with Kreinik floss. However, they are on order at the craft store. After losing my last order, I explained to the owner that I had a deadline with this order and to please make sure it gets placed. I hate playing the wait and see game!

Normal Day

I did get some stitching time in yesterday before the kids got home from school. So far I really like this pattern. My only snag is since my digital camera died I won't be able to show the whole picture right away. I have a really nice Cannon camera that I use to take the final pictures. Then I have to get the pictures developed and bring it home to scan them to the computer.

The kids' first day of school went okay. Allie did manage to rip the entire sole apart from her shoe. They were a brand new pair of shoes too! It was obvious once I looked at the shoe that it wasn't Allie's fault. So this morning we went and had them exchange them for a new pair. Krissy tried to wear a white tank top with a blue bra showing to school so we had the normal "Why can't I wear?" argument. I won that small battle and she wore a denim shirt instead. Mac got his stick moved (they have 3 to pull before I get a call) for talking out of turn. Basically everything went normal here...lol.

TGIF!!!!

This just wasn't my week for stitching. I figured that after losing Geisha it couldn't get any worse. It didn't dramatically get worse it just slowly slid downhill further. I had ran out of 310 that I am using in my SBHE so I started working on Collecting Shells and was running low on white. I made a quick trip to Wal-Mart to pick up some floss. Wal-Mart was out of both colors I needed. That didn't surprise me too much so that is why I was planning on a trip to the craft store this week.

The first sign that things weren't going to go well was I had to wait 30 minutes in the drive thru at the bank to get my check cashed. I decided to go out to the craft store to pick up some Kreinik floss that I had ordered over 3 weeks ago and to order some more for my SBHE. When I arrived and inquired if my floss arrived I was informed that my order had either got lost or not placed at all. The only reason I wasn't totally upset was that they were for Krissy's pattern that she is stitching and not mine. The owner was very sorry about the incident and said that she would reorder them for me. I gave her a list of all the floss that I needed ( a total of 9 spools!) and she promised me that it would placed and should be back in about 3 weeks. We will see.

After that minor let down I went to go get the 310 and white I needed for my projects. Can you believe that they were out of 310?! I double checked because she usually has 2 slots full. Nope, both were empty. Agghh!! So far I had not got one thing that I needed for my projects. That is the very moment that I decided that I was going to buy a new pattern. After the week I had, I deserved a treat for myself. I knew immediately which one I wanted. It is TW's The Fortunate Traveler.


I can't wait to stitch this one!

Back To School!

Tomorrow is the first day of school for the kids. Whoo hoo for me. I will get some peace and quiet even if it is only a few short hours. I spent most of the afternoon at Open House for my son's second grade class. The teacher he got this year is a good teacher. Allie had her when she was in second grade and we didn't have any problems with her. Allie got the same teacher as Krissy had last year. Her teacher is also a good teacher. In case you are wondering, the school allows for the parents to choose their child's teacher. You get to choose 5 teachers and they will try to place them in the class you choose first. We have always gotten the teacher that we have choose as number one. My kids have had all the same teachers for every grade so far. This year Krissy gets to switch classes so I don't get to choose her teachers anymore.

Since Geisha got ruined I have had a hard time getting motivated to start stitching again. I did manage to get some stitching in on Collecting Shells this morning at work. I was going to work on Geisha for the next 2 weeks but since she is gone I am not for sure what I will work on. Maybe I will start TW's Woodland Faerie, I do have some fabric I dyed Golden Yellow that it would look great on. It is something to think about but hopefully tomorrow afternoon before the kids get out of school I can make a run to the craft store. Since I will already be there I might just have to browse around the patterns and see what treasures I can find.

SBQ of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" is:

Have you hand-dyed your own fabric? Why or why not? Would you like to try to do so?

I have recently started to dye my own fabric and I love it! Unfortunately, my little craft shop here doesn't carry anything but white, off-white, and blue colors of fabric in evenweave. I don't have a credit card to purchase from online shopping which of course doesn't help matters. The owner of the craft store will special order stuff for me however, it takes them 3-6 weeks for it to get it back to me. I have said before that patience is not my best virtue so I began tossing the idea around about dying my own fabrics. After I read Renee's and Christine's blogs about their attempts at dying I was ready to try dye my fabric.

My first attempt was a Lime Green and a Deep Purple. They turned out great so that was all it took for me to get hooked. Since then I have dyed fabric Rose Pink, Golden Yellow, and Tan. I have some other colors in line to try like Teal, Turquoise, and Wine. I can't wait to see what they look like when they are done!

A Very Bad Afternoon

I have had better stitching days than I did today. After I posted earlier I went out to my stitching chair and began to work on Geisha. I had been working at a pretty good rate when all of a sudden my cat, Kitty, jumped directly on top of my fabric and wanted me to pet her or so I thought. I was trying to get my fabric out of the way when to my horror Kitty starts having a seizure on top of me and my fabric.

I am used to her having surprise seizures however, this time Kitty lost all control of her bodily functions all over Geisha! I did not notice it until later when I was done comforting Kitty. Agghhh!!!! Yuck!! I did attempt to try and clean it but my queasy stomach could not handle doing that. I want to scream at some one or something and I can't. It isn't the cat's fault that she had a seizure but she doesn't normal jump on me when she is going to have a seizure.

I am so frustrated that this happened as I had planned on giving it to a friend when it was done. I think I will just look for another pattern to do for her. I like the pattern and really would like to have it displayed in my apartment but right now I think I will lay it aside until the memory of this little episode fades.

Halloween Exchange

I have never been a patient person when it comes to doing things. Once I get something in my head I am ready to start it right then and there. The same is true when it comes to stitching. When I finally choose the theme for the SBRR I didn't waste anytime getting started. My only hold up was waiting for the Kreinik thread to arrive. Once the thread arrived I had it whipped together and ready to be sent on in a couple of days.

The same thing is happening to me with the SBHE. I had been trying to wait until I received my name before I picked out a pattern to stitch but I found one that is screaming to stitched for this exchange. I instantly new what color would look good for the fabric. I have some 28 count evenweave fabric that a had dyed deep purple.

After those two things were decided I could not do anything but think how neat it will look. Last night I finally could not take it anymore and I had to start on my exchange. Since it does require some Kreinik threads I will have to order those this weekend and wait for them to arrive.

Here is the fabric I am using.

July/August Goals

It is hard to believe that it is already August 1 and that means I need set some new goals for this month and to see if I made my goals or at least most of them for July.

July Goals:

1. Stitch at least 8 letters(if not more)in ABC Bears.
**Stitched 6 letters, lowering it to 3 letters per week instead of 4.

2. Finish the cross stitching on Geisha and start the backstitching.
**Finished the girl but still have the background to stitch.

3. Finish the SB Round Robin.
**Finished my little dragon and is ready to mail.

4. Start either Collecting Shells or Four Seasons Chairs
**Started Collecting Shells

August Goals

1. Stitch at least 3 letters on ABC Bears
2.. Finish stitching on Geisha and frame.(August 17 is when I would like it completely finished)
3. Mail SBRR to Renee.
4. Work on Collecting Shells.
5. Start Stitching Blogger's Halloween Exchange (SBHE).

August Rotation

August 1-6 Geisha
August 7-13 Geisha/SBHE
August 14-20 ABC Bears
August 21-27 Collecting Shells
August 28-31 SBHE

Here is my progress on Collecting Shells for the week. Last evening I posted that my camera was on strike. It wasn't on strike it was dead. This wasn't good news as I have already spent way too much money on getting the kids ready for school so there was no way I was going to be able to buy a new camera this week. We have at least 3 scanners in the house and since I am no computer whiz (that is Mike's area) at getting the stuff installed and hooked up so I have been asking him to do this for me ever since I started my blog.

Today I went to Wal-Mart and priced a scanner that is compatible with my PC. I did not purchase it but went home and told Mike that he had to come up with the money. Would you believe that 3 hours later I have a scanner hooked up to the PC?! Push came to shove and he just hooked up one we already had but I am not complaining. I will have to play around with the scanner to get it all figured out. So in the mean time, please bear with me if the pictures look funny.

Count Down Has Begun....

The countdown has begun! The kids have one week(Aug 5) until they return to school. Whoo hoo! This however, means I have been doing a lot of back to school shopping and since I have two girls that means we have had to endure a fashion show every night of their new clothes. I find it hard to believe that they are going to be in 6th, a 5th, and a 2nd grade.

I have been stitching on Collecting Shells this week. I got her face stitched and working on her hair right now. However, I can not decided if I like the colors of the hair of not. As it is right now it looks awful funny or at least I think it does. I would have put up a picture but my camera has decided to go on strike.

I started using a rotation about a month or so ago and I am not for sure if I like it or not. I am getting about the same amount of work done but I feel like I haven't accomplished anything. Before I started using a rotation I had 2 categories for my stitching......Stitching and Backstitching. I would work on a piece in 2 separate phases but I didn't place a time limit or goal for my self. I guess that was kind of a rotation itself. I don't know if I will stay with the rotation or not but you can be sure that I won't quit stitching!

SBQ of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" is:

What is your most unique/interesting stitching quirk? (This could be something concerning the way you stitch, how you organize your stash,etc.)

This was a hard question this week! I would have to say my "quirk" would be when I stitch I sit Indian style. It doesn't matter if I am at home in my recliner or at work in the office chair I sit Indian style(with a blanket across my legs) with my floss and chart in my lap. Another little "quirk" I have is when I push/pull the needle with thread thru the fabric. When I push the needle thru the fabric I use my index finger and thumb but when I pull the needle thru the fabric I pull it out using my middle finger and thumb. I probably have a lot more but those two really stick out or at least I think they are a little strange.

Quick and Easy Snack

After getting off work this morning I was hungry for something sweet to eat. It is extremely hot outside and didn't want to be hot myself so I knew I wanted something simple and quick. Cinnamon Coffee Cake!! My mom gave me this recipe a few years ago and it is delicious! I don't know where she got it from but I am pretty sure it came off of the back of a box somewhere.

BATTER
2 cups Bisquick
3 TBLE sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 TBLE shortening or oil ( I use oil.)

TOPPING
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 TBLE Bisquick
2 TBLE butter(works best if chilled)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 in pan. Mix all the ingredients for the batter. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Pour the batter into the pan. Mix the dry ingredients for topping. Cut the butter and add to the dry ingredients. Sprinkle the topping mixture onto the batter. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Let stand for 10 min before serving.

So while I am reading some blogs I will eat my coffee cake and drink my Cherry Coke.

Starting Collecting Shells

This weeks' rotations schedule was to work on and finish SBRR. I knew that I would so I planned to stitch on ABC Bears as the back up. I managed to stitch almost 4 letters for a grand total of six letters stitched this month. My original goal for the month of July was to stitch 8 letters( 4 letters each week), however after stitching for 2 weeks regularly I decided that my goal of four letters per week was pushing myself to hard. So for next month I will lower my goal to 3 letters per week.

Today I am starting a new pattern that I got from my kids. It is called Collecting Shells by Nancy Cole. The finished size will be 12" x 16 1/4". I am stitching it on tan evenweave fabric. I dyed the fabric myself using Tan dye from Rit Dye. This pattern has a lot of 1/2 stitches so I will have to double check my work often to make sure I get it right other than that I don't foresee a whole lot of trouble...but you never know!

SBRR is Done!!

Here is my square for my piece in the SBRR. I have been going back and forth about putting our names in our squares. I really wanted to since this is something that is going to be special to me. Once I put my name on the left side it was lopsided and I did not consider that before I started to stitch my name. I quickly came up with stitching the element the dragon is representing.. I used the Kreinik VFB #4 thread to stitch and the backstitching. I really like how it has turned out so far. So it is all ready to be sent to Renee to stitch her dragon. That is not the impressive part. The impressive part will be when I actually get it mailed to her.

SB Question of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question was suggested by Zohrah:

Have you ever done a color conversion? If so, what did you think about your results and would you do it again? If not, would you like to try someday?

I have done simple conversions of two or three colors but I have never attempted a complete pattern. I do not have the patience to try and visualize how I want it to look and to have it come out like I want. I am not for sure if this would be something I would be interested in doing or not. I think I would consider it more if I designed my own patterns.

Snow White is Complete!

When I went to the craft store the other day I finally found some fabric to finish Snow White! The picture does not even come close to showing how pretty the fabric really looks. I made it into a pillow for Dayzia, my neighbors' 18 month old daughter. Dayzia loved it! She instantly picked it up and has not put it down since Saturday when I gave it to her. The smile on her face and not to mention all the kisses I got was worth the time it took to make it for her.

This morning I finished my square on my SBRR. I am still deciding if I want all of us to stitch our names in the squares that we stitch. One minute I do then I put it away and look at it again and I change my mind. I choose the 2004 Generosity/Elemental Dragons from Dragon Dreams. I am stitching The Dragon of Fire. The post date isn't until September 1 so I am confident that I will have it in the mail on time.

A Good Afternoon

Yesterday was a good day for me. My floss that I had to order for the SBRR-dragons finally arrived. I was starting to worry that it wasn't going to arrive in time but it is here now and I am going to start stitching on it tomorrow evening. It has been killing me to wait until tomorrow to finish the stitching and backstitching but I won't get a free moment until then. Tonight I have 2 extra girls spending the night with Krissy and Allie. Mac is spending the night at his friend's house tonight and then we have to go out to his house at lunch time for a birthday party/cook-out. So I don't foresee a quiet moment from now until then.

While I was picking up my floss I was looking at the cross stitch patterns and I found a new pattern that I just had to buy. I bought Teresa Wentzler's Woodland Faerie. I was having a hard time choosing between that one and The Fortunate Traveler. I probably will end up going back and buying The Fortunate Traveler when I pick up some more floss that I ordered.

I wanted to thank everyone for commenting on Allie's piece. She is giving stitching a break and is now making some pillows. When I went shopping I had to buy some fabric and Allie saw some Bratz fabric and bought it with her allowance. She has one finished and is working on another pillow. She has me running to the craft store more for her than I do for myself.

I worked on Geisha this week and am pleased that I finished the girl. I would like to have her completely finished by August 17. That is when Anna will be back from her trip and since Mike and I are taking care of her puppies while she is gone I would like to have it done as a surprise for her when she comes home.

Drum Roll Please.....

I am proud to show to every one Allie's(she's 10 yrs old) very first (completed) stitching project. I am extremely proud of her! It's not only because it is something we have in common and can do together but that she actually sat still to do it. Allie can not sit still for more than 30 seconds most of the time without doing something that involves some kind of jumping involved. She is a very energetic child. I have to admit she is the spitting image of me physically and in attitude. Poor child not to mention poor me during the teenage years.

Allie has already finished another small piece and wants me to post it. I think I have created a monster! I will have to post it later as I have to go pay bills and maybe make a quick trip to the craft store.

SBQ of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" is:

What do you do when you have some sort of obligation stitching to do, but don't want to do it?

Normally when I choose a pattern to stitch it is mainly because I like how the pattern looks and seldom have a problem finishing. Once in awhile I do get asked to stitch a design that I just plain don't like. For instance, my brother loves eagles and had me stitch him a bald eagle and make it into a throw pillow for him. It took me 4 long months to complete it. When it was finally finished I told him that he had better like it as it was such a pain in the you-know-what to stitch. However, within 2 months of completing the pillow his dog shredded it into a millions pieces of fabric.

The only was I know how to deal with not wanting to stitch a pattern is just to dive in and force myself to get it finished. I don't like to force myself to stitch a project but if I don't it will never get finished. I have been fortunate and can count on one hand how many times I have stitched something that I didn't like. I have been even luckier with the SBRR and that I love all the patterns every one has chosen. Maybe it is not luck, maybe I am just not a picky stitcher.

I saw this meme on Zorah's blog and I thought it was neat.

A is for age: 30

B is for booze: Strawberry Daiquiris

C is for career: Full time wife and mother of 3 kids and part time office manager

D is for dad's name: James Maurice

E is for essential item to bring to a party: camera....you got to love those candid shots :)

F is for favorite songs at the moment: Baby Girl by Sugarland, Some Beach by Blake Shelton, and What's a Guy Gotta Do by Joe Nichols

G is for goof off thing to do: go shopping

H is for hometown: small town, Iowa

I is for instrument you play: Flute

J is for jam or jelly you like: Strawberry

K is for kids: Krissy 11 yrs, Allie 10 yrs, and Mac 7 yrs

L is for living arrangements: A 3 bedroom apartment

M is for mom's name: Virginia Elaine

N is for name of good friends: Renee and Mike

O is for overnight stays at the hospital: 2 times for natural childbirth(one night each), 1 time for C-section(two days), 1 time for torn placenta and to be given blood(one week), and 1 time for viral pneumonia(one week)

P is for phobias: Heights and flying

Q is for quotes you like: You can not out run Death but you can sure make the Bastard work for it.

R is for relationship that has lasted the longest: Currently been married for 12 years and have been together for almost 14 years.

S is for siblings: one older brother

T is for Texas: Went and visited some friends when I was 12 in Garland.

U is for unique traits: I can "tune out" my kids and Mike when I want.

V is for vegetables that you love: potatoes and lettuce are about it for me

W is for worst traits: I hold grudges for a long time

X is for x-rays you have had: Way too many to list.

Y is for yummy food you make: Homemade Lasagne

Z is for zodiac sign: Scorpio

ABC Bears was in the rotation to be stitched on last week. I didn't get as far as I had planned which isn't too big of a surprise as it is summer break for the kids and they have me running here, there, and everywhere.


Allie is still working on her cross stitch project. I have to admire her determination. She has ripped out more stitches than are on her Aida cloth. Her main problem is keeping the tension even. She was happy to find out that I had dyed some of the Aida cloth for her to use on her next project. She is already looking at patterns to decided what she will stitch next. She is a cross stitcher at heart!

Another Dye Job

I wasn't in the mood to stitch last night so instead I decided to dye some more fabric. I had finally found some Rit dye and chose the color Rose Pink (the one on the right). They also have a teal and a turquoise that I think will look good, maybe I will do them next weekend.

I stitched on ABC Bears this last week. I did not make my goal of 4 letter stitched by the end of the week. I only got 2 and a half letters stitched. Last week was a busy week for me with getting the kids off and home from all their trips and camps. Things should slow down as only Mac leaves for camp tomorrow that is if Hurricane Dennis doesn't blow us away.

This week I will be stitching on Geisha. I know that in my goals I wanted to be finished with all the cross stitching this month but I will be happy if I just finish all the cross stitching on just the girl. Meanwhile I am starting to get annoyed at the craft store. When I ordered my floss they told me it would be in by last week. Well, it is Sunday and it still isn't here. Grrrr! I absolutely hate waiting!

Star participants

Okay I know that this is not cross stitch related but I am extremely proud of my two daughters,Krissy and Allie. My girls have been participating in NYSP,a 5 week long day camp (7:30 am to 1:30 pm), and both of my girls were chosen as Star participants and their reward is that they get to go to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville Alabama!! They are leaving Friday morning and will be back late Saturday night. The best part is it is an all expense paid trip for them.

There were a roughly 300 students that attend and only 50 got chosen as a Star Participant. Out of those 50 students they will choose 11 students as Ambassadors of NYSP and they will get to go to Disneyland (at no cost to me!). However, I have told the girls to not get their hopes up about the Disneyland trip. It would be awesome but our luck just doesn't run that way.

SBQ of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" is:

Do you think that you stitch neater on Evenweave than you do on Aida cloth? If so, why?

I started stitching on Evenweave(EW from here on) a few months and had only used Aida up till that point. I think I stitch better on EW. I have several reasons why I prefer EW over Aida and they are:

1. Aida cloth is a lot more stiffer and harder for me to work with in a hoop.
2. Sometimes it is hard for me to get the needle thru the aida when doing a 1/4 or 3/4 stitch.
3. The holes on Aida are more visible and a non-stitcher can easily see them where on EW the holes are smaller and not so noticeable.
4. I think that EW looks more "professional" in my opinion.
5. I just like it!

I have not used Aida cloth since I converted to EW. I have lots of Aida in my stash and I don't know if I will use it or not but I will save it for my daughters to use in their stitching adventures.

Update on Geisha

I worked on Geisha last week in my rotation. My goal for this month on this project is to finish all the cross stitching and (hopefully) start on the backstitching. I have decided to give this to my friend, Anna. From the first time she saw what I was stitching she has commented on how pretty it looks. She does not have any idea I'm going to give it to her when I finish it.

This week I am stitching on ABC Bears and I already have stitched one complete letter. My goal is to stitch at least 4 letters each week I stitch on it or 8 letters stitched by August 1. I feel pretty good about achieving this goal.

I am patiently waiting on my thread to arrive so I can work on SB RR. I am making sure that I have it all ready to be mailed a little early so that I won't forget to take it to the post office. I am terrible with mailing stuff! I have marked every single one of the calendars with the post dates and when I should have it mailed by to arrive on time.

Hand Dyed Fabrics

The dying bug caught me! After reading Christine's blog and seen that her fabric turned out great I decided that I would try my hand at dying some fabric. Yesterday, I went to Wal-Mart and bought some fabric dye by Dylon and of course since it was Wal-Mart it was a hair pulling trip. They only cost about $2.00 a package and one package does a 1/4 pound of fabric. The fabric I dyed was a 28 count white 20" x 24" white evenweave fabric by Charles Craft.

The whole time I was dying the fabric everything was going smoothly. I did feel like a witch stirring her brew in the sink. I went to hang them up in my bedroom. I have a mini clothes line in my bedroom for my crafts to hang on and dry. Mike was trying to be helpful and placed the two fabric right next to one another so that the deep purple bled on to the lime green fabric. I was able to save it by cutting about two inches of fabric off so that the purple is gone.

I really love how the fabrics came out. I almost don't want to stitch anything on them. I guess I will put them back in my stash pile and wait till it calls out to me. I am definitely going to dye some more fabric.

July Goals

Since I have started using a rotation for my projects it has become apparent to me that I am going to have to start setting some goals.

July Rotation Schedule:
July 3-9: ABC Bears
July 10-16: Geisha/*SB Round Robin
July 17-23: Start new project/*SB Round Robin
July 24-30: ABC Bears

*SB Round Robin will be stitched when the floss arrives.

July Goals:

1. Stitch at least 8 letters(if not more)in ABC Bears.
2. Finish the cross stitching on Geisha and start the backstitching.
3. Finish the SB Round Robin.
4. Start either Collecting Shells or Four Seasons Chairs.

A Treasure Saved

First of all, let me tell you that I am a pack rat when it comes to special things of mine. I have always kept a "treasure box" of sorts all of my life. In my box are things like: letters from friends, pictures, awards/ribbons, and special mementos.

Last weekend I decided to look and see exactly what I had in my trunk. After spending the afternoon sorting out items and memories I came across this cross stitch piece. This piece is special to me not because I stitched but because my best friend, Renee, stitched this for me. She came for a visit once and while she was visiting she asked me to show her how to cross stitch. I was more than happy to show her how to cross stitch.

A couple of months later we moved to Mississippi where she was living at the time and one of the first things she did was to give this cute teddies to me. So not only did my best friend spend time stitching this for me but it was the first stitcher to stitcher gift. After seeing it this weekend was another surprise as I thought it had got destroyed along with all of my pieces I had stitched up until 2001 when my house got hit by a tornado and lost everything but the clothes we had on our backs and a few odds and ends.

I will keep this treasure in my treasure box as that seems to be a very safe place for it and if you knew my luck anything could happen to it if I did not put it in my box.

I stitched on ABC Bears last week. It is one of projects that I have in my weekly rotation. So far, knock on wood, my rotation seems to be working out excellent for me. The only bad part I have discovered so far is that when it is time to switch pieces I don't want to switch but I have to make myself which leads for the anticipation of stitching on it the following week.

SBQ of the Week

Thanks to Karen F. (http://stitchmania.blogspirit.com/) for today's"Stitching Blogger's Question" and that is:

When starting a new project, do you start in the middle? If you do,once you've worked down to the bottom, do you turn your chart and fabric around so that you are stitching the top section downwards again or do you just stitch upwards from the middle?

When I start a project I always stitch from the center outwards. The order in which I stitch really depends on how many pages/folds are in the chart. If there are only 2 halves I stitch from the center downwards and then start from the center again and stitch upwards. If a chart happens to divided into quarters I locate my center point and stitch one page at a time. My method of stitching from center down and center up is still the same. I have tried turning my work and chart upside down but I find that way I have a tendency to miscount more often.

Four Seasons Chairs

This another pattern my children gave me on my anniversary. It is called "Four Seasons Chairs" designed by Diana Thomas.

Starting A Rotation

Lately I have been considering starting a rotation for my stitching. Right now I do not use any sort of rotation, I just stitch away on a piece until I get bored or frustrated with it and then I pick up another one and stitch on it the same way. So my plan is to start doing a rotation of one piece for each week. Currently I have two WIP's (ABC Bears and Geisha) and my RR piece. For the last two weeks I have been doing a "trial rotation" of one piece each week. This past week I have worked on ABC Bears and the week before that I had worked on Geisha. So far it seems to be working out pretty good for me. I have made significant progress on each one during the week that I stitched on them so I think I will keep doing the rotation.

I went to the local craft store to purchase my Kreinik #4 VF braid colors that I need for my RR and found out that they had all but one color I needed. I had planned on working on the dragons this week but it looks like it will be next week before I start on my dragon but you never know I might just go ahead and work the areas that don't use the Kreinik.

Anniversary Gift

Today is a happy dance day for me! Today Mike and I have been married for 12 years.( A whole dozen!) It does not seem that long but yet there are times when it does seem like that long. Anyways my kids surprised me with a gift this morning. They bought me this pattern called Collecting Shells by Nancy Cole. I had seen this one before and had made a comment that I really liked it because the little girl reminded me of myself when I was that age. Since we did not live near the ocean I did not get to hunt for sea shells but instead I would look for clam shells at the lake. This now gives me a good reason to make a re-supply run to the craft store and by more stuff.

I have finally picked out the theme for my RR. I have chosen dragons from the 2004 Generosity/Elemental Series from Dragon Dreams. My post date is not until September 1 but I have a feeling I will be done well in advance. I am really excited about doing this RR.

SBQ of the Week

Thanks to Cathy (http://itwillbefunny.blogspot.com)/ for today's"Stitching Blogger's Question" and that is:

Are there any types of designs that you won't stitch?

I will stitch anything I can get my hands on as long as I like the look of the design. I honestly can not think of any particular designs that I won't stitch.

ABC Bears

I started this piece over the weekend. I was not feeling well due to allergies and wasn't in the mood to work on Geisha. It is called ABC Bears and was designed by . I am stitching it on 28 count evenweave with 2 strands floss. I purchased this pattern over 7 years ago when pregnant with my son and I am finally going to get it stitched! This will be the second time attempting to stitch this one so let's hope for the best.

I have been progressing pretty good on Geisha but I haven't stitched on her since last Friday. I had to put her aside because of all the details on the robe making me go cross eyed. It is one of those patterns that if you look at it up close it seems like a mess of colors but if you hold it out a little you can see the design.

May Your Sorrows

Here is another one of my "oldies". This one was done in 2002 while we were living in Omaha. It was stitched on 14 count oatmeal aida. I used 2 strands(loop method) of DMC floss. I got the pattern out of a magazine called "Cross Quick" from Apr/May 1989. Our library here has a room where all the books are a quarter. I found this treasure there and best of all the lady informed me that all the magazines were free!!

I managed to find three issues of this particular magazine. I have the premier issue, Feb/Mar 1989, Apr/May 1989. The best part was that they all were in great condition. My mother while going garage sale shopping she found an old issue of "Cross Stitch & Country Crafts" from Sept/Oct 1988 and bought it for me for fifty cents. All of these magazines have some great patterns to stitch.

SBQ of the Week

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was borrowed from a bulletinboard (Rotation Stitchers -http://p096.ezboard.com/btwbbrotationstitchers, I think) and is:

Do you feel the need to stitch a design from a specific designer just to say that you've experienced stitching one of their designs?

Since I have brought my stitching online I have discovered several designers that I adore but when I choose a pattern to stitch it is not because who designed it but if it is appealing to me. The patterns I choose literally have to jump out and say "Pick me! Stitch me!" There are certain themes that I would like to stitch but to say that I stitched a piece by a certain designer just is not me.

Bad Bad Kitty

This is one of my "older" works. I got the pattern out of a book of patterns called Cats Galore by Leisure Arts. The book has over 66 designs of different kitties. I stitched this on 14 count aida cloth using 2 strands of floss. I love how the eyes came out. They are so real looking. While I was stitching this particular piece my brother and his Siamese cat were living with us and she was trying to eat our fish in the tank and other horror stories.

RR Areas Ready

Last evening I finished up stitching the blocks for the RR I joined. The blocks are 7 inches wide by 6 inches tall (98 stitches x 84 stitches). I have allowed 3 inches for finishing. I even finished the edges to keep them from unraveling. Which that leads me to my little own stitching question:

How do you keep you fabric from unraveling while stitching?

I have two different ways that I use to keep the fabric intact. I will sew the edges with a zig-zag stitch using light thread. The other way and not so pretty looking is I use masking tape. I will be the first to admit that it looks really tacky but it is a quick and easy way to keep the edges neat.

I didn't get a chance to work on Geisha this weekend but here is my progress on her so far. I will work on her later this afternoon as I have to go in and work at 2 pm. Sorry ,the picture is a little dark but I took it late last night and did not use my new camera. It is pretty detailed but I think it will be worth it.

Catching Up This Week

A person would think that since it is summer vacation time that I would have more time to stitch but so far I have had less time to stitch than I do during the school year! I did start the Geisha pattern this week. I could not resist. The colors that are used are really pretty. I already know that I am not going to get rid of this one. I just have to figure out where to put it.

I have been teaching my two daughters, Krissy (11) and Allie (10) to stitch. It has gone just as I thought it would. Krissy has lost all interest in stitching so that leaves Allie. Allie is doing pretty good so far. She is stitching a small cat pattern. She likes to bring her stuff into the front room and stitch with me. I have told her when she finishes the piece we will post for everyone to see but don't hold your breath waiting for her to finish. Allie is a very active girl. Since it is summer time she is either doing cartwheels across the yard or walking backwards everywhere so I don't know if she will sit still long enough to finish it.

This week I also started getting my fabric ready for the RR I joined. I am going to stitch the border in 3371 DMC floss. I am using a 20"x 24" white evenweave fabric. There will be five 6"x 7" area blocks for each stitcher to stitch the pattern. So far everything seems to be going fine....knock on wood.

Oo-la-la She's Done

Oo-la-la I finished the angel earlier this evening! The final running time on this particular piece is 5150 minutes! Whew, the hardest part of this project was keeping my time. I am going to start doing this with every project so hopefully as I stitch it will become habit for me to write my times down. I had not intended on finishing this project this soon as I was going to set it aside and start another. I had a small problem. I could not decided which one I wanted to stitch first, Geisha or ABC Bears. So, now I have to decide which one I want to start.

I have the fabric for my RR. There are 5 of us in the group so I am going to stitch the borders creating 5 blocks for each of us to stitch a design. I have a theme in mind but I am not 100% for sure yet.

I Just Had To Have...

Today when I went on my re-supply run I found another pattern that I just had to have! It is called Geisha by Nancy Rossi. I really like this one a lot. It may find its way to the front of the line for patterns to be stitched next.:)


Last night I did gather up the floss and fabric for my next project called ABC Bears by Jo Hunt. I have had this pattern for over 7 years. It was originally bought for me to stitch while I was on bed rest with my 3rd child. This was also the very first pattern that I chose to try and stitch on evenweave. It was a very bad thing! A lot of my problem was I was a tad bit cranky after being on bed rest for 6 months. I am going to stitch it on 28 count white evenweave using DMC floss.

After having a few questions answered I think I am ready for the RR I joined. I will be stitching with Jo, Renee, Vash, and Cathy. I am looking forward to getting to know these other stitchers. I have been reading their blogs the past few days and all of their projects are fabulous!

Avoiding A Slump

I finished all the cross stitches on my little angel so now onto the detail work. I am at a good spot to put this piece aside for a little while. I normally do this in order to prevent myself from getting to the point where I do not want to stitch on it. I have considered stitching another cherub but I think I need to give myself a small break on cherubs so maybe tomorrow I will go out to the craft store and see if they have anything that I can not live without which, of course, we all know is true. I do have to purchase a new pair of small scissors. The ones I am currently using and have been using since before my son was born (which is 7 years) and are very dull and do not fold closed anymore. I am also going to look for a bag to carry my stitching supplies to work with me which is about 50 feet from my front door. Since summer is here I think I am going to look at the beach bags and see if there is something that is cute.

I have just joined a RR and got the forecasted post dates. My first post date will be roughly September 1, 2005. I will keep repeating myself I hope that I don't muck it up :)

November Cherub

I have been stitching away on this piece. This is the first piece that I have actually kept track of how long I have been stitching on it. I officially started on this cherub on May 10 and have stitched on it everyday. I am not for sure on how exact my time is because I did not stop my time for potty breaks but I am pretty sure it is somewhat accurate. As of this morning I have stitched for a grand total of 4455 minutes (74.25 hours)! On the average I stitched about 4.25 hours a day.

I have joined a Round Robin and I am pretty excited (and nervous!) about doing this RR. I have not ever done one before so hopefully I don't mess it up to much

SBQ Week 13

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" is:

What do you like *least* about cross stitching?

This is a hard question for me as I love to stitch! The only bad things are that I know I will never stitch all that I would like to stitch and I will never have enough room to display all of my creations!

25 Stitching Questions

25 Most Asked Stitching Questions:

1. How old were you when you started cross stitching?
--- I was 18 years and 9 months pregnant when my doctor put me on bed rest and I needed something to keep myself occupied until I had my baby.

2. Who taught you to cross stitch?
--- I taught myself how to cross stitch thru trial and error.

3. What inspired you to begin cross stitching?
---I was on bed rest and I am not an avid television watcher. Basically I was going crazy.

4. What has been your most difficult cross stitch piece?
--- That is easy. The Bride by far was the hardest for me for a couple of reasons. It was the first time that I had used blending filament but the main reason was that it was for my best friend and I wanted it perfect for her.

5. Do you have friends that stitch?
--- My best friend, Renee, and a some online friends.

6. What is your favorite stitched piece?
--- It changes each time I finish a piece! When I am done with each one I think that one is my favorite that is until the next one is completed.

7. What is your favorite fabric?
---Eavenweave by far.

8. What is your favorite fiber?
---I strictly use DMC floss and Kreinik because that is all that is available around here.

9. What is your favorite needle?
--- Either a #26 or #28.

10. Do you prefer black & white or colored charts?
---I prefer to use colored charts with symbols but I will use a black and white chart if it isn't too hard to read.

11. How many Works In Progress do you have at this time?
---I currently have one project going at this time. It is a cherub angel from the Dreamsicles line.

12. How many UFO's do you have at this time?
---None.

13. How many cross stitch charts/kits/mags do you own?
---I generally don't buy kits so I only have a few of those. As for charts and magazines I have two file boxes full and I still want more :)

14. How much fabric do you have in stock at this time?
---I don't keep a whole lot of extra fabric on hand. Currently I have some 14count aida cloth and 28 count eavenweave.

15. Where is your favorite place to stitch?
---My stitching corner usually but sometimes I sneak back to the bedroom and stitch in bed.

16. What is your favorite time of day to stitch?
---My favorite time to stitch is when the kids aren't around to distract me. Ideally I like to stitch late in the morning or after they have gone to bed.

17. How many pieces have you stitched in your lifetime?
---Hundreds is all I can say. I have been stitching for 12 years.

18. Do you give your stitched pieces away?
---I give an occasional piece away for a gift but I am generally pretty stingy and keep them for myself.

19. How many different fibers do you have in stock at this time?
---I have the ALL the DMC floss and several spools of Krenik

20. How many pairs of scissors do you own?
---I have a small pair of scissors for my cross stitch and I have a pair of good fabric scissors.

21. Do you use stitching enhancers (lights, scroll frames...etc)?
---The only things that I use are a hoop and a needle. I have tried to use a scroll frame but it was way too awkward for me.

22. How many pieces that have been stitched but not yet framed or finished off in some other way do you have at this time?
---Too many to count! Unless I have a paricular way of finishing a project they get put away until I hit a slump and need to do something else.

23. Do you have a craft/stitching room?
---I don't have a craft room but I have what I call my stitching corner. It is in the corner of the living room and is next to the window for natural light but when it gets dark I have a floor lamp to turn on.

24. Why do you stitch?
---I stitch because it helps me relax and I love to create a picture on fabric. It makes me feel like an artist.

25. What is your most memorable time related to cross stitching?
---I would have to say when my son(he was 4 yrs) managed to step on a cross stitching needle. He had it shoved all the way up into his heel bone so off to the emergency room we went. The whole time my son was not crying all he wanted to see was the blood!

I have saw this popping up in some blogs so I figured I would post it also.

Angel Progress

This week I have made excellent progress on my Dreamsicles Angel. I have kept track of the time I have stitched on her but I haven't added up the total time. I felt a little discouraged when I added it up last time and compared the time to my progress so Ihave decided to wait until I am completely finished before I add up the hours. I am about 50 percent done with the stitching. I have the wings, the flower crown, and a small portion of the forehead to finish. I am not to happy with the color of the wings. The pattern calls for a blend of 746/3047 floss however, I think those colors are too yellow and should have been a more golden color. Other than that it is coming along great.

Since summer vacation has arrived my 2 daughters, Krissy and Allie, have decided that they want to do some cross stitching. Now as a stitcher I am happy to see that they are interested in learning but as a mother it is worse than walking across a bed of hot coals. I will be the first to tell someone that it is hard for me to teach stitching to a child and especially my two girls! I know that they will enjoy it for the rest of their lives but my nerves wont last forever.

SBQ Week 12

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" is:

How do you deal a "stitching slump?"

This is an interesting question as I usually find myself in a "stitching slump" about once a year. I have just gotten past one of these slumps in January. When I find myself looking at my cross stitching and NOT wanting to pick it up and stitch away I know that it is time for me to work on something other than stitching.

It is during these slumps when I will set aside my cross stitching and start on some crocheting. I am not good at making sweaters but I can crochet some nice afghans, scarves, and stuffed animals. If crocheting doesn't hit the spot I will work on sewing projects. I always have something to mend or to hem. I am by no means a seamstress but most of the clothing I make is wearable.

Bugs Everywhere!

I managed to get my bugs done earlier this week. Unfortunately, I have been so busy that I had not even sat down to my computer until this morning. I still have to clean and press the bugs but they are pretty much ready to be sewn into a pillow. I have to take my son to the fabric shop to let him pick out his favorite color (his favorite color changes daily!). I did have one small mistake that I just left and that was there is supposed to be 19 rows space in between the bugs on the top right one I miscounted and had 18 rows space. I don't think that it is that noticeable.

My boss has decided that he wants me to work everyday(M-F) in the mornings so I was able to get some good stitching time in on my cherub angel. I got to work on the angel for 17 hours this week. When I say it like that and look at my progress it seems so little. I have worked on my little angel for a grand total of 18 hours and 5 minutes so far and I am not even a quarter of the way done! I am stitching with 2 strands(loop method) on 28 count eavenweave. So far I have one pumpkins finished and another pumpkins half way done. I have also stitched the left leg and both of the feet, however I ran out of 3770 so I had to make a resupply run yesterday and I am ready to work on the rest of the legs today if I can. ( I had 2 kids spending the night with us last evening and do not know when they will be going home).

One another thing is I would like to wish my blog mother and best friend happy birthday. So.....

Happy Birthday Renee!!

SBQ Week 11

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" is:

How many strands of floss to you prefer to stitch with? Why?

When I stitch I mainly use 2 strands of floss. I have several reasons for using two strands but the main reason is I use the loop method all the time if I can get away with it. Another reason is I stitch on either 14 count aida or 28 count eavenweave because that is what is readily available where I live and I feel that 2 strands covers the cloth well enough.

Sorry this was put up so late but as my kids got out of school this week it has been kind a three ring circus around my home. It will be like this until Auguest 5 when they return to school as a 6th grader, a 5th grader, and a 2nd grader!!

A Not So Productive Weekend

I have been pretty busy this past weekend so I did not get a chance to get any quality stitching done. First of all we got a new recliner(my stitching chair from now on) and loveseat so that entailed most of Saturday day and evening arranging and rearranging the furniture. Then we had two spare kids spending the night so I did not even get a chance to look at my stitching.

I did find some time to work on the Insect piece Monday and today. I am so close to being finished! All I have left to do is the grasshopper and then sew it into a pillow. I have not worked on my little cherub since last week. With my insect piece so close to being done that I can not really get into stitching anything else.

I have been considering starting another project. It was my very first pattern that I tried several years ago to stitch on eavenweave. I bought the pattern when I was pregnant and on complete bed rest with my son and had all the time in the world to stitch(believe me I did!). It is an ABC bear pattern. This one is definitely a challenge for me as it requires French knots. I will be the first to admit that I used to omit the knots when the pattern called for them. Since that time I have learned how to make them but they are not the best looking knots. This whole pattern is my biggest challenge in awhile so hopefully it will turn out to be a better experience this time around.

Seeing Bugs

This is a big pattern which contains six small patterns of insects. My son loves anything that crawls or flies so I figured this would be a good throw pillow for him to use when watching TV or playing the PS2. I am stitching it using 2 strands (again using the "loop" method) on 28 count white fabric. The best part is it does not call for any backstitching so I should be done stitching in the next week. Well, that is if I can get some good quality time stitching and seeing how next Thursday my kids get out for summer vacation I may not get a whole lot accomplished.

I did manage to start on A Year Of Dreamsicles (November)Tuesday night and I also have managed to keep track of my time so far. I have managed to stitch on it for 85 minutes in the last two days. It definitely isn't the amount of time I would have liked to spend on it but once I get the Insect pillow done I will be able to devote more time to the little cherub.

SBQ Week 10

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was inspired by a mini-poll that Vash (http://vashxstitch.blogspot.com/) has been running on her blog for about 18 months and is:

Given the option, would you rather buy a chart and get the material and floss together yourself, or buy a pre-packed kit?

I always purchase my own floss and material. From past experiences I have discovered that the floss that comes in the kits are usually weaker and break easy. Which this leads to another problem that I run in to and that is I end up using twice the amount of floss (they never give you enough of to begin with) and of course the floss that they provide and the DMC floss that I use do not match. These reasons are why I buy my stuff separately but I have been known to purchase a kit exclusively for the chart.

A Happy Dance Day For Me!

International Buffet is finally finished!! A little happy dance time for me! I think that it turned out great. I managed to finish the backstitching late last night and this morning I was able to clean and press it. As I have said before in my blog this is my "first" good experience with eavenweave. It was stitched on 28 ct fabric (all that is available here) with 2 strands for all stitching except the hair(used 3 strands) and backstitching.(used 1 strand) I don't know for sure how I am going to finish it off so for the time being it will be placed with all the other pieces that I have finished.

This is the back side of International Buffet. Doesn't it look great?! I used the "loop" method versus two single strands. I prefer to use the loop method because if not my backs look horrid. They usually have strands going every which way and just making it look messy.

Keeping Track

Today I completely finished all the cross stitching on International Buffet. I have even went ahead and started the backstitching on it. I am really proud of this one as it is my first good experience with eavenweave. I am stitching on 28 count eavenweave. I used 2 strands on all cross stitches except for the hair which I used 3 strands to stitch. As for the backstitching I am using 1 strand, although I think 2 strands would be a little better. Oh well, I will make my little change it note for the pattern when I do it again someday.

Since I am almost finished with this piece I think I will gather up my floss for my next project A Year of Dreamsicles. I am going to do the month of November which just happens to be the month I was born. With this project I am going to try to keep track of how long it takes me to stitch in hours. I bought a small notebook to help me keep accurate track of the time it takes from start to finish. Since tomorrow is Mother's day what a better day to start a new pattern. We are going out to eat for lunch tomorrow and after that I should get a good bit of stitching done.

SBQ Week 9

Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question is: Do you finish all your finished pieces? (pillow, frame, etc,) If so,how do you finish the pieces? If not what do you do with them?

I don't always finish my stitching pieces. To be honest I have more stored than I have made into anything. I have always wondered if I am the only person who just does the stitching and then stores the piece until a later date. When I do finish my projects I like to make throw pillows or throw blankets. I have done other things to like: framing (hoop and picture) the piece, making into place mats, greeting cards and wall hangings. I have been looking for another way to finish the pieces.


Today's second question is:What is your opinion of Internet "freebies?"

I love the "freebies" from the internet! (That is all I use my printer for is printing out patterns!) I have gotten some of my favorite patterns free from the net. I also like it because I can find simple patterns for my 10 and 11 year old girls to learn to stitch.

A Busy Week

I have not put anything in my blog this past week because I have been extremely busy and not with stitching. I did manage to get some good stitching time but because it was so stressful this week I managed to break three needles. That was the topping on the cake for me I wanted to be like an ostrich and bury my head in the sand. My husband was being thoughtful and went to Wal-Mart and picked me up some needles. He was bound determined to get me the right package of needles. He brought me home four different sizes of needles. I did not have the heart to tell him that I will only use one of the packages. However, my 2 daughters who are beginning to cross stitch will be able to use them for their projects.

I did manage to get some progress on my PM piece. I am almost done with the stitching. I ran out of 310 for the hair but I still have the rest of the table cloth to finish in 819 and 776. I have all the backstitching to do but it will be worth the pain. I adore Precious Moments so you will see I tend do a lot of their patterns. This is my first pattern working with the eavenweave and so far it is looking pretty good to me.


I also got some time to work on the insect pillow I am making for my son. I have three of the six bug squares finished. I am having so much fun with this project because the patterns does not call for any backstitching. These are good patterns for beginners to stitch. My daughter, A., who is 10 years old has done the lady bug pattern and it turned out really nice. I am stitching it on 28ct. white eavenweave. I am going to make it into a simple pillow as my 7 year old son will put it thru a lot of wear and tear.

I am getting the "Stitching Blogger's Question of the week put up a lot late but never the less I am still going to do it. So here it is : Do you set stitching goals?

To this question I have a hard time answering because I really do not set goals for my pieces but if I am doing it for someone in particular I usually have a time frame that I have to have it done. There is one goal I would like to set for myself and that is to actually keep track of how long a piece takes me to stitch. A lot of non stitching friends ask me how long a particular pattern would take me to do and I can give them an estimate in days or weeks on how long one takes me to finish. I would like to be able to know for myself how many hours it takes me to stitch a pattern from start to finish. I will try to keep track of my time with my next project that I will start sometime in the next week or so.