Crafty Meme

Gakked from Anna at the Stitch Bitch:

What are your hobbies? stitching, cooking, reading, travel, beading, paper crafts, photography

What crafts do you do? see above

What sounds do you craft along to? whatever is on the telly, though I am moving into audiobooks

First Project You Ever Made: probably mudpies

Favorite Project:  the next one, whatever it is

Favorite Items to Make:  This seems like an easy question. But I'm having difficulty coming up with an answer. Let's say:  my favorite items to make are connections.

What's your favorite...

Color:  purple

Movie: The Bandwagon  with Fred Astaire!

TV Show:  The Big Bang Theory

Band:  Old school - Led Zeppelin

Book:  Little Women (apparently the previous questions have me living in my childhood)

Food:  PIZZA

.

Favorite Craft:  stitching

And you? What are your favorites?

A Very Fine Place to Start

Actually. Not a very fine place to start.

I have obviously eaten something that I shouldn't have. Mild case of food poisoning. Yesterday I did not leave the house. Today hasn't begun so well either. Stomach says hungry, intestines say don't eat. I think I know who to listen to...could it have been the bread pudding? Glad I only took a couple of bites.

Here is another WIP. I haven't posted any of these since the beginning of February and my notebook has migrated to my stitching bag, so I am unsure exactly what number this is. Somewhere around #30 I suspect. Will try to make a true count sometime this week. Obviously I like color! Hardanger isn't all white for me. The fabric is a Crossed Wing overdye. 

I did make some true progress yesterday on my Stars. And I have taken to humming the Japanese "Sakura" song under my breath while stitching. The colors perfectly capture my photo of the cherry blossoms and some how it seems fitting because that's all I'm hearing on the TV right now.

Progress on my "Little Green Acorns." I'm finished through Area #7. Squirrel still looks like a Kangaroo Rat to me. LOL

My colors for Luan Callery's "Summer Dream." All colors are the same except the Watercolours. Instead of Peach Sherbet, I am using Lilac. I have everything except the batiste and one other color of beads.

So that's all for today. Will be staying close to home again today. And hope that tomorrow's better.

Stashing Once Again

Okay. I stayed out of needlework stores for an entire ten days. That may not seem like much to some of you who live far away from your local LNS. But I came back from Regional Seminar with a few things I needed and I'm amazed that I didn't go shop last week.

This means that Blueberry Torte is completely kitted. And Rainforest Crunch only needs one skein of Watercolours - #273 - Blonde - to be completely kitted.

For the Nan Euler class - Strawberry Needle Roll - I wanted threads to compliment a Glorianna silk that I had in green. When I picked three other colors they amazingly were all on my list for kitting up another Pam Darney piece. I didn't get all the Glorianna I needed for sampler, but the three remaining colors are on order.

Also picked up two skeins of Threadworx that I think will compliment some lime green Aida I have for making bookmarks for Stitching for Literacy. Now if only I can relocate that little robot pattern I found online. Maybe I saved it on the laptop because I don't see it here on the desktop.

All for now. While the sun is out (according to the weather this morning, it shouldn't be) I'm going to go stitch.

Stumpwork Dreams

In more not happy news, Carriage House has announced that the business is closing. Read Kathy's post here. Bummer.

Yesterday we had our first meeting of our intrepid little group of stumpwork stitchers. Our Region offered Luan Callery's GCC, "Summer Dream" and some of us took them up on the offer. I also have the companion piece to this, "Fantasy Remembered" and am looking forward to these projects. There are five of us in our chapter and three have either worked on or finished "Fantasy."

The directions appear to be extremely well-written. Now I need to go find batiste and fibers. I've got everything else.

After the meeting I came home and drew in all my lines on Stars. I feel better now. And made the ultimate decision to remove the inner border and restitch it with one more strand. Three just doesn't seem right to me. This means I will have stitched the beginning of this border five times. Let's hope this is finally right.

Stitching Update Sans Photos

We're back to gray and dreary. I'm apologize for not getting out my camera yesterday. But I was busy. First I absolutely had to finish Stephen King's "Under the Dome." If you are a King fan, you understand. I woke up and about 300 pages to read. Finished by 10:30 a.m. and started a week's worth of housework that I had been ignoring while my hubby was in Germany. Got everything finished before he landed and even made Hungarian Goulash for dinner.

So to my friends, Kathy and Anne, if you happen to be reading: I'm down to area #5 on my "Little Green Acorns." But still have not stitched the squirrel with its colonial knots. I am loving this sampler more and more as I stitch. A huge part of my stitching is spending time admiring my work. Well, someone's got to do it.

Reading the Thistle Threads blog is inspiring me to continue on my "Pomegranate and Peas Purse." I'm fast approaching the plaited braid with gold thread stage. I've even contemplated Tricia's Tudor and Stuart Gold Masterclass. I just did the math on $36 a month for 18 months. Okay. Still seems like a bargain to me. LOL

I am halfway finished with the background on my "Ravish Me" canvas. I pulled this out at the MAR annual meeting and again the next morning in the lobby/dining room. I may now have a reputation among those ladies. It certainly does make every one smile. And sometimes giggle.

That's pretty much where we stand today. I need to pencil my lines on my Stars canvas. And the ladies who are starting the Luan Callery Summer Dream stumpwork GCC are meeting later today.

Did I mention how much I like the latest issue of Needlepoint Now? This may be the best issue since Elizabeth has taken over publishing. I want to do the cover piece, but on black canvas. And golly gee, if I had the money I'd so be doing this: Bargello Retreats.

Warning: Crafty Advice Ahead

The Wiki How-to-of-the-Day? How to choose a craft project!!!


(Obviously not meant for me. My comments in parenthesis.)


Step 1 - Have a purpose in mind (Really? Not just because you want to?)
Step 2 - Have an audience in mind (My audience is me!)
Step 3 - Experiment and invent (Always when necessary.)
Step 4 - Browse around and be on the lookout for inspiration (Always - can't stop if I wanted to. And I don't  want to.)
Step 5 - Show your crafts to others (Ah. Show and Tell. What a great game.)
Step 6 - Start small (Except when you need to start large.)
Step 7 - Read the directions (Directions? I thought those were suggestions.)
Step 8 - Think it through or sketch it out on paper (Rarely. I'm working on this one.)
Step 9 - Make a sample (Or a sampler.)
Step 10 - Start in your stash or even your scrap bin - not in craft store. (Finally some good advice.)
Step 11 - Obtain any new tools or supplies you need (Oh you can certain I'll do this.)
Step 12 - Begin the project and be persistent


Okay. The last one reminds me of how Eileen Bennett signed my "Little Green Acorns" pattern - "Finish It & Enjoy!)


Which somehow struck me as very funny. Though I suppose a finish is a finish regardless of how long it takes. At least she didn't write "Finish It Soon & Enjoy!)

No. Really. The Final Post on the Weekend

After an afternoon of antiquing in Fredericksburg, we returned to the hotel to try to ease our feet and legs in the hot tub. Of course, those preteens were pretty darn loud in the pool. Fortunately it eventually was suppertime for them and off they went and we had the pool to ourselves. Since we'd eaten lunch so late and weren't hungry, we decided to brave the crowded room and attend the MAR meeting. I'm slowly putting together names and faces as this was my second regional event. It would have helped if the Board Officers had worn name tags. Just a suggestion, ladies.

Grabbed another friend and went out for a late dinner at a very loud place.

And returned back to the hotel and killed time on the 'net. I should have gone to sleep, but for some reason wasn't sleepy. But also wasn't coherent enough for stitching. Oh well. That's what lots of coffee is for in the morning. But it also left me with a headache in the morning. (Honestly. No real drinking involved. Just a beer with dinner.)

Checked out of the hotel and took my stitching basket to the chairs in front of the fireplace and stitched while chatting with friends until it was time for our 12:30 class.

My last class was with Nan Tyson Euler - her "Strawberry Needle Roll" which is a pincushion with a side piece attached for storing your needles. Pins go in the pincushion. This essentially was a design class. We never picked up a needle. But I've got a design that is pleasing to me and just need to change my threads. Original was stitched with Pearsall's silks, but good luck finding those here in the USA. And they are not integral to the design. Any threads will do.

After class we rushed home as best we could so I could drive DH to the airport. At 9:45 that evening you might have been able to find my son and I standing in the kitchen making up a new dish (for us) that started with applewood smoked bacon, included sauteed onions, cabbage, apples, and juniper berries served on egg noodles. That was yummy.

I leave you with three random photos from the Tapestry. I honestly didn't look before I grabbed them.

Final Post on the Weekend

After class, my friend and I went in search of food. Ended up at Amy's Cafe in Falmouth, just north of Fredericksburg along the Rappahannock. Had a falafel pita pocket and sweet potato fries. Yum. Went back to downtown and did some antique shop browsing. Here's what I found, for the most part. Not showing anything non-stitching related.



Okay. Now you are looking at this little porcelain violet cup with three feet made in Bavaria and wondering how is this stitching related? It is because I say it is. I saw it. Fell in love. And see a pincushion. I need to decide in the fabric should be purple or green. Velvet or not. I've already decided not to stitch something because I have a Sudberry pincushion to stitch already.



I found not one, but two of these coffee mugs. The first one is green. And I'm walking around with it saying how I'd like it better in blue, when voila, a blue one appeared.



This particular find thrills me. A Victorian Hair Tidy. I need to polish the silver. But you all know that is a terrific ort container.



And lastly, back at the hotel, I acquired one of those items I have been coveting for a few years. Maggie, a member of our guild, has a husband who is a very talented woodworker. Between the two of them, they have a line of elegant products - ort bowls, pincushions, laying tools, laying tool holders, etc. The company name is Sylvan Treasures. My wow purchase for the weekend.



Oops. I lied. Not my final post at all. I still have more to tell. LOL

The Rest of the Weekend

We stayed at a Hampton Inn in Fred-vegas. My car was parked overlooking the Hooters. I know I have a thing for owls, but...



The rooms were very nice. Mine was large enough for a sofa. And for once I had absolutely no trouble with noise. My first foray was to get ice for a glass of water. And when I returned to my room, my key would not work. Worked fine to let me into the vending area, just wouldn't open my door. So I left my ice bucket on the floor and went downstairs for new keys. Never had another problem the remainder of the weekend. I went downstairs to sign in. Got a zinger to attach my scissor to myself, a small tool tote, a beautiful thread winder, and my GCC of Luan Callery's "Summer Dreams." Prepare yourselves to hear my moan and whine about stumpwork later this year. Finished projects are due in late fall. We started by joining in friendship for pizza in what we soon found out was going to be a very crowded classroom later.





At 6 p.m. Friday night my first class met. Catherine Jordan teaching "Sailing Away." This is a keepsake box. We learned how to paint our linen before stitching on it. The top of the box has a three masted ship and a whale's tale. The interior of the box has a whale. We painted the sky, water, land, and sand. Top photo I took in class as I was going to take my first stitch over one. Next photo is a scan of both pieces with my hull and one mast stitched which is as far as I got in class. This would be the last actual stitching I accomplished in class all weekend. Catherine brought many of her beautiful creations for us to view. If you ever get a chance to take a class with her, go for it. Between dyeing and painting, I have no fear any more of altering my own linen.

While in Catherine's class we realized that something had changed in the hotel. A whole bunch of tweens had arrived with their traveling soccer teams for some tournament. No chance of going to the pool on Friday night after class.



I, like always, did not sleep so well. But gamely got up early to get breakfast and lots of coffee. And then it was off to Pam Darney's Quaker class, "Love and Live Happy." Pam has a magnetic personality and is always a joy. The first half of the class was about how to fit your name in the allotted space - many different ideas here, including a terrific tip for me as my last name begins "LaB..." I can fit in my last name by doing my "a" over one above the bottom of the capital "L." We all signed her ledger and have created a register for these pieces if someone in the future is looking for information about these samplers, there will be a paper trail. She demonstrated how she both hides and reveals information in her samplers. We talked about color and manipulation of overdyed threads. She works almost exclusively now with Glorianna silks and it's amazing seeing the 50 and 100 yards hanks of this together. Much easier to judge color this way, than from a tightly twisted skein. Second half of the class was all about color, why this and not that. What happens if you add this color to a palette and take out that color. A visual treat for those of us who love to play the color swapping game. We ended with a show and tell of her work. At this point she's got 26 samplers, including two exquisitely stitched ones that combine two different colors of linen - the joins on these pieces are impeccable. And one she calls her hall mirror sampler as the words are all stitched backwards so you can read them in a mirror.



Did I mention that the National Tapestry was on view? Thank you, Carol Dam, former EGA National President, for lugging these crates around and being the guardian of the Tapestry. I'll post more photos of this later.




I'm not quite finished with my weekend yet. There's some shopping. And one more class. Tomorrow!

Apologies

I brought the laptop to Fredericksburg, but haven't been updating my blog. My apologies. I've only had a tiny bit of free time and thus far have only managed quick updates on facebook.

Time for a photoless recap of the weekend.

I was traveling with a friend and we both found it quite interesting that on our way down, we were came upon a sheriff and a state trooper who stopped the traffic right in front of us. They got out their cars and started talking. Cars soon stacked up behind us. And we sat there trying to figure out exactly what was going on when I remembered that Pres. Obama was speaking at GMU. We sat there for 20 minutes or so. And then they got back in their cars and away we went. Arrived in the Fred and stopped for BBQ at Allman's on Route 1. The amount of work that has been accomplished on the new construction for UMW is impressive. Haven't been back here since picking up DS from school in December.

Drove downtown and first stop was a favorite used bookstore, Riverby. Found a V & A book on Greek embroidery and Piecework magazine's book, "Stitching a Legacy." Called a friend who had arrived earlier than us and amazingly she was in the cross stitch store across the street. And so were some other friends from our guild. Reunion time. And sharing of what everyone's purchasing. More and more EGA attendees were showing up and I'm sure Celeste of Everything Cross Stitch has had quite a weekend.

Thus starts the beginning. I'm off to breakfast now. And the rest must wait till tonight or tomorrow.