September 3rd

I am still working a couple of days a week at my LNS. Right now, special order canvases may take 4-6 months. Wow. That's a long wait.

We have missing threads all over. Every thread order has back orders. I'm talking about normal colors like white and black and red and gold. 

Our new normal isn't pretty, but it's working. People are stitching who haven't in decades. Brand new stitches are discovering us. Our regular customers are grateful for the ability to come in a pick their own threads. And we are grateful to see them. 

I won't lie. This isn't easy. Or normal. We're hot and tired behind our masks.

So I'm off next week for a little bit of time in the country with my DH. He's been working hard from home since March. And we both deserve a change of scenery. 

Maybe I'll discover some ancient needlework treasures. Or at least work on creating some new ones. 

September 2nd

Yesterday I showed my Kathy Shenkel Easter background piece.

Today, I'll show the companion pieces. I have an extra girl bunny. I'll change her colors. The carrots are two different sizes. 

These were such fun little pieces to stitch. 

September Reset

It is September. 

Wait. How did that happen? Where did August go? 

I'm here now on the first day of the month to announce an intent to do thirty days of stitching and blogging for September.

I've been stitching right along through our current interesting times. Had some finishes. Been distracted by new, shiny things. Been organized and made a mess again. 

This is a Kathy Shenkel Designs Easter background canvas. I have several small figures done that are part of this set.

The house is mainly pearl cotton with Silk Lame windows. The jelly bean roof is padded Flair. The fence is pearl cotton in #8 and #12 with interlocking stitches. I've figured my grass and am auditioning sky stitches. 

I hope that some of you are able to follow my September journey. 

 

Yes. I am still here. I've just been a very bad blogger. I have been working in the needlepoint shop thru the lockdown. We were very busy, just two of us, answering the phone and delivering via curbside pickup and mail. It was literally exhausting.

We've been open to a limited number of shoppers at a time for about a month now. Happy to have people back in again. But still exhausting. And a lot less fun than it once was. Not to be a complainer, but some shoppers are just too much. Don't get me started on the one who told me over the phone that this "isn't the bubonic plague and we all needed to get over ourselves."

Anyway. Locals, if you come in, I'm still smiling behind my mask and will gladly assist you in anyway I can.

I briefly put down my needlepoint for some detours. First up, crewel work.

This is an Anna Scott design called Scarlet Glory. Look up Fine Stitch Studio on Etsy. She's got some beautiful kits. It's nice to sometimes play with a sharp needle on fabric. Crewel is the first needlework I ever did back in the 1960s. And I take great pleasure in a how easy wool is to work with.

I also detoured into a quick bracelet. A simple peyote pattern with size 11 delicas and two sizes of triangle beads. Pattern and kit from Caravan beads. Just a couple of hours and it's a bracelet!

I Als

April 2020

We all know what is going on in the world.

But here's what's happening in my world.

March 20th, my daughter, boyfriend, and cat moved in with us all the way from California. We are much relieved to have them here.

At the LNS where I work, we've been adjusting. We are currently just doing mail order. I've been going in 2 days a week. Though I've always been against it, maybe we do need headsets as it seems that most of my time is spent answering the phone.

I have a good size painted canvas that I'm working on which I'll come back this week and show.

But last week I got tired of it and literally picked up the first thing on the floor that needed putting away and decided to work on it.

It's Give Thanks from Nancy's Needle.

I'm pretty sure I kitted and started this in 2011 or 2012.  I had like 20% stitched. It's on a dyed canvas that is way too soft.

But I always meant to stitch this one and its many companions From Nancy.

Uh huh. Five kitted and four more charts. 

I'm prepared to stay here for a while. 

February Finish

 Look it's a ladybug paperweight! 

Husband says I need 11 more. For a ladybug picnic.

It's a Lee canvas. 

February Progress

 I finished a Kathy Shenkel mini sock ornament. This is one of many that was begun by my friend, JoAnn. She did like 9 stitches in the middle of the ribbon. So I had her threads and had to figure out what to do with them. I did end up ditching the #5 pearl cotton for the dolphin and used an overdyed #8 pearl cotton from the House of Embroidery. And I added some beads. 

And this is another JoAnn project. She'd be so happy to know someone is finishing what she started. I did the steps and the grass. She had stitched all building except the roof which she had barely started. 

This makes 3 out of 20 finishes for 2020. 

Still can't see well. It'll be a while before we take care of the eye problem. 

January Update

 So if it's January, it must be Camp Wannastitch time. We had our usual grand time stitching, visiting with old and new friends, shopping, and eating, and more stitching.

 Right now, I apparently need lots of pie.

 Sunrise in Ocean City is beautiful. I miss the ocean in my regular life.

 Not my desert. But I did get a taste.

Booze. Because.

The real news buried here at the end is that I've been losing vision in one eye. Even had a brain MRI done to rule out a tumor. Fortunately one old school doc came to my rescue. I have what is called an oil drop cataract. Regular cataract surgery should restore my vision. And my mood. Because I'm miserable without stitching.

First Finish

One Heirloom Santa from Willmaur Crafts Corp. This is the Artic Santa. 

Yes, I have a huge backlog of these. 

And I am having eye issues that are keeping me from being more productive. So a finish is a finish even if it took a whole month. 

Welcome to a New Year

New Year. Time to reset. I've decided to do my version of 20 in '20.

I'm aiming for 20 finishes. And I will list the first four now. I don't have complete access to my studio at the moment, but our houseguest departs tomorrow.

Thus 4 of my 20 will be:

1) The Artic Santa, a Sandra Cozzolino paper Santa from the early '90s.
2) my Or Nue Bee, the winter version
3) my first Kaliedecycle - I have 8 of 24 triangles done. We have an assembly class at the end of January
4) a Kathy Shenkel mini-sock. It's 50% done at this point.

I will not be limiting the acquisition of new projects. I know myself.

Here's a December finish. This is my own design which got named Holiday Frost. It was designed for my ANG Chapter.

Happy New Year!