Thursday, February 23, 2012

Hermitting, less stitching!

Hello! Yippee! It seems someone (2 new someones) are now followers! I hope to have something to show for last weekend's IHSW!  All I can say is, everytime I went to stitch the Evergreen (day 5) , the dreaded "frog" was with me and the last time I actually touched it was last Saturday! I understand that putting it down is the best thing to do when the frog visits you.. so that's what I'm doing!  I'm seriously debating "fudging" (I don't know what the technical term is) it, and just actually going on so I can break out the champagne for finishing a square! lol

Okay everyone, I've decided to do SB Santa's Christmas and the PS together..I need a rotation after all.. I mean, when you put down the work that isn't working, for a fresh one ... that refreshes you, too!  The only thing is I am afraid to cut linen!  Everything I have is already pre-cut (except for the Aida of course), and I'm scared of making a mistake!  My LNS is no help either, offering to sell me big pieces, not the exact size I want!  However, never daunted, I have already counted the stitches and all that's left to do is the actual measuring and cutting!  Measure 2x, cut once?  Wish me luck!

Real luck has been in short supply... one week of no internet, having to fiz hacking problems (both mine and mom's), time spent doing things for my mom and aunt, etc etc...  I need a HUGE dose of luck as I am very afraid of cutting wrong!

In the meantime I've picked up a UFO which will soon be a finish.. will hurry up with the posting for tomorrow!

Anyway.. have a great weekend, friends!

Monday, February 6, 2012

hmmm

I have a little progress to show on "evergreen" (square no. 5). I was doing it just now when I hit a snag.. a stray thread from "angel" (square no. 1, which i haven't finished because of the metallics) got caught in my green.  So I am now hunting for my scissors - I know it's here somewhere.  There was a whole week last week where I was missing them; they're a small, utilitarian pair of Fiskars with nice sharp points for getting under thread and cutting.. I was already mourning them, I mean a whole week and they hadn't surfaced!.. when I found them in my little stitching box right beside the bed! Now, I would seriously have been inconvenienced by their loss, because 1. for sure there is not any place to buy them here and 2., I have no other pair of "embroidery" scissors -- I am missing my DMC "stork" embroidery scissors (haven't seen them since the move).

I haven't helped but notice, in many of the stitchy blogs I've been following or visited, that there's this mystique about certain kinds of embroidery scissors - you know.. "Ginghers", "Kelmscott", etc.  I'm curious about what makes them so special (aside from the fact that they have lovely designs on their handles).  Note to self:  visit an LNS (I would, of course!) to LOOK at the different kinds of scissors.

So here I am with a lot of charts to start and for sure I have not kitted any.  I am going to be using whatever Charles Craft, plain ol' no-name Aida, no-name hardanger and MCG evenweave that I have. And good 'ol DMC.  Sometimes it's a relief not to have a choice (of floss!). Just think how much damage I could do to the wallet.

List of charts to start (kitting not sewing, I can't start til I've kitted right)
1.  Prairie Schooler  "Holiday Homestead"

2.  Shepherd's Bush "Santa's Christmas"

3.  CEC Mrs. Claus
4.  Graphworks "The Christmas Shoppe" (from Denise)
5.  plus a whole lot of others that I will post later

Which one should I start first?   PS or SB? Decisions, decisions.  Whichever one it is, I will be sure to post.

Anyway, in the madness of the full moon, I am seriously considering buying a new chart "A Most Noble Pursuit" which is a collaboration of blocks by seriously good designers. Our only problem right now will be the logistics of paying (the logistics of stitching will come later, assuming the logistics of paying get sorted out).