Some Stitching

I managed to sneak in a few stitches on the HAED Challenge SAL this weekend as we made a quick trip to see my parents and and step-dad. Sunday was my Dad's birthday and he had not seen Kian since Angie's birthday party before Kian's procedure. Kian had not met my oldest brother at all as he has been busy with Tina. We packed a lot of family time in a very short visit when my other brother decided that he could make it over to see Dad and us on Sunday.

I did not finish the first page as I had (unrealistically) hoped, but I did finish a few more squares. The second page is far more complicated than this one, so I expect my progress to slow down once I actually reach it. Sigh. It's a lovely design even if I don't complete it until I'm fifty.

Some HAED artists are being discontinued. I'm not sure if I will treat myself prior to reaching the halfway point in the 25 project challenge.

I stitched a tiny bit more on Midi 1 last night (you could have guessed this if you saw my posts updating the Materials, Tips and Errors section at the Chatelaine BB yesterday). I just need to put a few random stitches in and finish the lady. The I will only have the beading and special stitches to do and I might have a larger Chatelaine finish this year.

We're travelling again on Thursday to see Chas's parents and I've compiled my list of projects to take along for the six hour drive. Midi isn't on it, but that may change by Thursday morning. Do you think five projects is excessive?

I'm trying to work on my Love Quilt project a little each day in hopes of getting it done by the due date. I'm also remembering how much I dislike stitching on aida. I understand the need for uniformity though I don't enjoy that part of the stitching. I still plan to meet my 101 Things goal and stitch at least one Love Quilt square each year.

And to answer some questions from the last stitching post:

Val--the worst part is that the previous list only focused on one designer (and not all of her charts that I want--just the most pressing). My actual wish list is enormous and grows larger every day.

Nicki--I originally thought about a lilac fabric. I don't have any suitable fabrics in my stash. I'm also thinking about Ashes of Roses or Butterfly Kisses by SMF. I don' have enough in my stash to do the whole Leporello. I may stitch the inside on different fabric or maybe I'll just order more.

Random Bits

Chas is holding Kian while he naps so that I can play for a few moments. Since I don't think I have time for a lengthy post, you are stuck with the following burst of random thought experienced over the last few weeks.

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Kian gave me his first real smile two days ago when I went to retrieve him from the changing pad. I think he actually gave me the first smile when he was two weeks and six days old (big smile when Chas handed him to me for a feeding), but I'm not sure. Oh heck. I'll count them both.

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Angie told me that she still likes to cuddle me. I'm so happy because she is getting to be such a big girl. She's always seemed so tiny, but I am certain that she had a growth spurt after I was released from the hospital.

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Does anyone else just love the Old Spice Commercial with Bruce Campbell singing "Hungry Like the Wolf" in his best lounge act style (you can find it on youtube--my computer shut down so I lost the link[sorry])? I adore it. It makes me smile every time I see it. It also intensifies my desire for the Adventures of Brisco County Junior on DVD (one of the first shows I adored that was cancelled prematurely).

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I have completed project number 7 in my 25 project challenge: A Black Lab Angel Puppy from Vermillion Stitchery. I started it three or four years ago for my brother's girlfriend and put it aside because I didn't like the colors used for the puppy. I still don't, but it still turned out rather well. I'm not much of an angel person (well I'm not much of an angel either come to think of it), but I thought that Tina definitely needed a guardian angel while she is starting this new round of cancer treatment.

I'm going to stitch a blackwork cancer awareness design and then finish them in a sort of fold open book for her. I plan to modify Judy O'Dell's Instructions for the Grape Threadkeeper Book. I'm hoping I can do this before Tina's Birthday in June. Yes I'm crazy with ambition again.

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I very often have no idea what day it is. I've been confused going backwards and fowards for weeks now. I suppose that is to be expected since I'm up around the clock and I'm on leave from work. I don't know how I'll adjust when I go back.

Looking at that last sentence I realize that adjusting to proper days is the least of my concerns upon returning to work. I'm really going to miss spending all day with Chas, Angie and Kian. I still have several weeks of leave so I'll just enjoy them while I can.

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Chas and I both took a quiz to determine which character from Coupling we were most like. He was Steve; I was Susan. How perfect is that?

I was quite relieved because I'm actually afraid that I more closely resemble Jane when left to my own devices (the absolute lunacy of her character anyway).

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We've done so much walking that I've almost reached my third shield at the Eowyn Challenge.

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I am really missing my Chatelaines, but I can't find a way to stitch them currently. They are so thought intensive and I can only grab a few minutes of stitching each day so I'm doing simple projects.

Mind you, that does not stop the Chatelaines from calling to me. Japanese Garden and Midi 1 beckon frequently and Polar Lights, the Stitching Leporello and the Japanese Box are begging me to start them. Even Water Garden, the Amethyst Mystery, Medieval Town Mandala, Taj and Convent's Herbal Garden pipe up every now and then.

I think the Chatelaines will be my at work projects. Unfortunately, that means Midi won't be done before the new Midi starts.

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I've been trying to grow plants from seeds with Angie this spring. The bad thing is that each time we put them outside, they die. The watermelon seedlings look as though some animal went through the pot and destroyed. First the Beans, now the melons and the pumpkins. Angie is going to be so disappointed. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I could find some established plants?

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I have put a few stitches in QS Ballet Pigs during every Wednesday SAL at the HAED board this month. I am hoping to finish her in time for me to sew it up for Angie's Birthday in June. Yeah. I don't know how I'm going to do that either.

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Chas and I are slowly coming to the realization that we may not be moving for at least a year. I just haven't had time to do much with the house search process. We may need to get a realtor at this rate because I can't see how the situation will improve when I return to work.

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Kian is awake and crying (he likes his mommy very, very much) so I need to go rescue Chas.

Ummm. Yay Me?

After the last post, because I seem to flit between serious and whimsy at any given moment, here is the whimsical, completely unimportant goings on:

1. I have made huge strides in the walk to Rivendell at the Eowyn Challenge since I've returned home from the hospital. We try to walk every day, weather permitting (and since it can technically still snow here through June in the Greater Cleveland area, I'm not always guaranteed a good day). I've picked up my second shield there (yes I know it isn't a real shield but I'll take virtual incentives when offered). Some stitchers at the HAED board are starting to have a weekly check in and I'll tag along with them if they don't mind.

2. I have stitched a bit. I'm almost done with the baby sling and I think I only have a few thousand stitches left for QS Ballet Pigs--probably not much more than 1,000 but I refuse to be so compulsive as to count them. Due to the health of my brother's girlfriend, I'm changing some of my focus projects this month. As one of my unlisted UFO's, I have been stitching a freebie black lab angel from the Vermillion Stitchery so I dug that out. I'm also going to stitch a Cancer Awareness blackwork freebie by Kristine Herber found at 123 Stitch.

As always, we'll see what I accomplish.

3. I am being really, really good. Not only have I not purchased the Tuscany garden mandala, or Chatelaine's current Anniversary Sweete Bag or her re-released Five Year Anniversary design, but today I did not purchase any of the new Celtic Designs released by HAED today. You cannot know how much restraint that actually took, especially since there is a sale on. Well, most of you are stitchers so you probably do know how difficult it was to resist a sale combined with new charts. I did add a few to my wish list though so that I can find them when I've completed the challenge.

4. In the midst of the excitement and exhaustion of Kian, this blog turned one year old last month so, ummmm, yay me!

Thanks for reading.

2007: The Year of the WIP

I don't really make resolutions any longer. I did in my twenties when my days were fairly open and all I needed to do was go to work or school and think about the kind of person I wanted to be. I'm still a work in progress, but my days are just packed so I'm not going to try to do anything more than love Chas, Angie and the much anticipated new kid, work on my 101 things, stitch and work.

However, I will post my stitching plans for 2007, just to see how I do this year.

I have mentioned before that I want 2007 to be the year for finishing WIPs.

From my current WIP and UFO lists, I'd like to finish:

Chatelaines:
Japanese Garden
Water Garden
Tree of Hope
Amethyst Mystery
Snow Crystal
Midi Mystery 1
Christmas Tree Mandala

HAED:
QS Ballet Pigs
QS Frog Prince
QS Buttercup Kitty Fae
Bedtime Story

Teresa Wentzler:
Diamonds in Squares
Stretch
Tempest

Others:
Santorini
Japanese Angel
Antique Airplane

I'm crazy with ambition, I know. But many of these are quite far along and would be obtainable goals.

For any WIP or UFO not listed above, I'd like to put some stitches in each design during 2007. I really miss Taj and would like to pick her up again soon. However, I think that I will be removing the Fantasy triptych from the UFO list. I only had a few stitches in her and I think that I would be hard pressed to remember where I actually was in the design, not to mention, what threads were used in it. The fabric was too small anyway--barely an inch on each side. It was started well before my days on the internet so I just used the fabric I could find at the local JoAnn's. I plan to rip out the threads and use the fabric for ornaments, and buy bigger fabric for the design. Now I just need to find it.

I'm hoping to start the following designs:

Chatelaine:
Midi Mystery 2
Midi Mystery 3
Polar Lights
Japanese Octagon Box
Leporello
St Petersburg White Nights

HAED:
Bedtime Tales (Lisa Victoria)
Mystery Project (it's a gift so I can't post it)

Teresa Wentzler:
Millennium (Planets only)
Tapestry Dog (taking out the cat, inserting a black lab)
You Were Hatched

Others:
Graceful Lady
Long Dog Paradigm Lost
Ornaments for each monthly SAL
Sampler for a friend.

Hmmm. Not crazy with ambition, deliriously mad with it.

I am attempting to participate in a few scheduled SALs this year:

HAED BB SAL Challenge on the second weekend
The Christmas Ornament SAL on the fourth weekend

I may pop in on the TW SAL from time to time. I haven't been active on that board in ages though. I saw a gorgeous RR of only TW Dragons and thought maybe I would do some thing similar for the baby. I hope they don't mind me borrowing their idea. And I may, when the spirit moves me, do the QS SAL at the HAED BB. These are both weekly SAL's so I don't need to make a major commitment to either of them.

Additionally, I am designating any non-SAL Friday as a "Finish It or Figures Friday." On those nights, I will either work on the actual finishing of stitched works (GTK, ornies, etc) or I will stitch a human form--Japanese Lady, the Ladies in the Midi designs, etc. I could probably work on some of my HAED's as well.

Yes, my stitching year will be just packed. And with new baby and moving on the horizon, my cup will be overflowing for certain.

I'm excited about working on these various projects. It will be interesting to see in 364 days, what has been done, what has been added and what is still waiting for me to stitch it.

I'm off to have some tea and then finish the stitching on MX. I've almost finished using the silks (just a small bit of the border to do because Hubby would not let me stay up past 1:00 a.m. [we were watching the animated Tick after the ball dropped] to finish it). Then I'll work on the metallics. That should be easy enough to do today (she says with optimism). I don't do the special stitches or beading until the end and there are quite a lot of beads and crystals in this part.