Being greedy.

If you like me, even just a little bit, could you please go to this nifty blog and post a comment that I sent you ( Holley at anotherwip.blogspot.com ). I promise I'll do the same for you if you like.

I seriously desire this fabric line in the worst way and I am trying to be so very good with our move hopefully happening by the end of this month. My clicky finger has added it to many online baskets only to be unceremoniously dumped when another inspection/insurance/tithe to the realty company has appeared.

I'd ask dear hubby to do it, but he would probably ask me how I would fit in sewing on the new fabric if I won when I still have piles of fabric laying around.

Silly man.

Sounds like my kind of place...

I just found this link at the Dinky Dyes BB. I will be very interested to see what happens when it opens.

I'm at a bit of a loss tonight. The kids are in bed. I was in the mood to play Civilization with the discs I bought at a closing Circuit City, but I discovered that I bought the expansion pack which will be really cool, when I actually own the game it expands. {sigh}

I should work on the first grade quilt for a bit (lots of cutting to do), but I kind of want to cross stitch. But I don't know which project is calling me.

I'll go cut for a while and if the kids stay down, maybe I'll find a small project to stitch.

And a query for you quilters: Do you always pre-wash your fabrics? I know I should, but our basement is so cold. If you do, do you throw the fabrics in the dryer?

I Start, Therefore I Am.

I have attempted a new start everyday of this new year. The serial starter in me is giddy with the joy of multiple new projects.

January 1: Hope Perches by The Sampler Girl (Love it)
January 2: Colored Pencils by Scandinavian Stitches (my first use of Danish Flower Thread--nice) I figured that I should start my teacher gift now so that it is actually finished by the end of this school year. I want to avoid the stressful debacle that was the ornaments.
January 3: Polar Lights by Chatelaine (I try very hard not to squeal with delight every time I put in a new stitch I'm so excited to start this project finally)
January 4: Have a Cup of Cheer by the Sampler Girl (I think I'm going to frog it and start it on a different fabric--so two starts for the price of one!)

And no guilt yet!

No scans as I haven't had time to operate the scanner (unclutter it really). I'm sneaking this post in quickly before Chas has to start working in a few hours.

I attempted to start Autumn by Chatelaine on my lunch, but I've never done a nun stitch and the chart doesn't seem to have a diagram for it. At home I searched for nun stitch diagrams on the Internet, but after looking at several, I still don't fathom it at all. Since I'm not actually finishing this as a bellpull, I may just use a satin stitch instead and be done with it.

I have a few other new starts lined up and I'm contemplating a HAED start but don't know which project I want to use. Nothing is really screaming at me to start, but I'm generally thinking about either Found or Pirate Dragon by Lisa Victoria or maybe the QS for Fireflies on Parade by Stacy Tippin. Or maybe if I want to start a big HAED, I'll go with Bedtime Tales by Lisa Victoria. I'm tempted to start a new Teresa Wentzler and maybe an M Designs chart, perhaps a few other big things. We'll see--I don't think it is possible to have 31 new starts this month.

I'm having a good time. Can you tell?

Contemplating a Guilt-Free January...

I'm trying to be oh so good and not purchase any new charts this year.

So I think my guilt free January will involve new starts. Serial starter me did not actually start any big projects last year so I may just go wild and start bunches of things. Bunches.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Done and Dusted.

I am pleased to announce that Midi 1 is complete as of December 25, 2007. My beloved husband allowed me roughly 42 minutes of stitching time last night to finish the final jessica windows, bottom border beads and all the bi cones.

I wish I could say that I am thrilled at the moment but it feels a bit anticlimactic at the moment. Maybe because I've been struggling to finish her for the last three months. I just have an overwhelming sense of, "Finally!" and a deep sigh of relief that at least one of my big projects will not be carrying over into 2008.

No photos right now. I didn't take a picture at work today (it's usually too dark when I return home in the evening for a decent picture so I take photos on my lunch break. She is lovely and I am looking forward to showing her to you.

I'm working on a few ornaments at the moment (well obviously I'm typing now but your get the idea). They are for Angie's teachers--how tacky is it that I didn't finish them before the break (be honest, I'm actually soliciting your opinions). We did contribute to the group gift for the teachers so we didn't completely ignore them, but I just wanted to make them something as well to show how much I appreciate their work with my daughter. I'm also trying to stitch ornaments for Kian and Angie. Right now I feel that I'm in ornament purgatory and stitching is losing my love at present.

I would have liked to have completed my twenty five project challenge this year, but I suppose I will endure if I don't finish the last few projects until the new year. Poor Amethyst is languishing for the want of a few crystals. Perhaps she'll be the first finish of the new year. With Midi complete I am pondering a new start, or should I just focus on another WIP and knock it out as well?

It's the end of one year and the start of another so I'm contemplating goal setting very soon. 2007 was very successful as I can see many finishes in the sidebar--especially when compared to my paltry three finishes in 2006. The goal setting and this blog have been enormously helpful in motivating me. I'll try to maintain both in the coming year.

I'm wondering if I should add other tricks to my stitching repertoire to fool myself into finishing more projects:

Should I use some variation of Nicki's one motif per week?
Should I have a focus piece?
Should I try a regular SAL on one project (yes Nicki is a huge inspiration to me)?
Should my next challenge be larger or smaller?
Should make 2008 my Stitch from my stash year?
Do I craft a new rotation? (and can my serial starting ways allow me to stick to it?)

I have lots of ideas tumbling around in my brain, we'll see where I land in a few days. I might try to mix it up a little bit to maintain my excitement about stitching.

December Stitchy Hopes and Ponderings

Well I had high hopes for November, but Thanksgiving and then being ill really took a lot of time from stitching.

But I did manage to stitch on Taj, WG, Midi, and the Christmas Mandala. I don't think I stitched any other Chatelaines. It was nice to focus on them for a bit. I'm disappointed that I didn't finish any Chatelaines this month, but I'm more bothered by the fact that I didn't start anything new. I love starting things.

I'm back to a more varied stitching regimen this month.

1. Finish Midi 1
2. Finish Amethyst Mystery
3. Stitch a bit on WG
4. Stitch a bit on Stealing Oats.
5. Stitch a bit on Taj
6. Stitch a bit on Tree of Hope
7. Stitch a bit on Christmas Tree Mandala (freebie)
8. Start and finish the teacher gifts. (I hope I receive the materials soon).
9. Stitch a bit on Japanese Lady

I think I'll hold off on new starts (except for the teacher gifts) until the new year. And by typing that I realize that I will probably give in to temptation and have multiple starts this month. Maybe I'll just hold off until Christmas. I'm also hoping to do an out with the old/in with the new year SAL at the Chatelaine Board. And then I'll try to do another Lenten SAL there in preparation for the Chatelaine Olympics next summer.

Midi would go faster if I would just stop tinkering with the design. I keep trying different things, some of which don't work and then I frog. I changed the dress, which I love, but then it caused me to change the roses in the archway, which led to a change in the beads serving as the buds on the arch, which caused me to think that I should change the beads in the bush immediately to the left of the arch. But I didn't like it (too bright--it drew the eyes away from the center of the design) so I frogged the beads and re-beaded with the original beads. I didn't like the color used for the sheaf stitch so I went with a different color silk, which caused me to re-think the greenish bead used on the vines. I've selected a substition for the original bead, I hope. Then I decided to go with Martina's original chart for the partial jessica windows, but I don't like the way it looks. I'm not sure I want to use the substitution offered by another stitcher because it moves the center of the window by one square. I think I'm over thinking this design. Sigh.

I just can't believe it's December already.

November Goals

Because I really want to:

I declare November to be my Month of the Chatelaine(s)!

1. Finish Midi 1
2. Finish Amethyst Mystery
3. Stitch a bit on WG
4. Stitch a bit on JG
5. Stitch a bit on Taj
6. Stitch a bit on Tree of Hope
7. Stitch a bit on Christmas Tree Mandala (freebie)
8. Stitch a bit on CHG (finally picked up the Tapestry Green--Yay)
9. Start Autumn
10. Stitch a bit on MX
11. Start JOB or Polar Lights

Wildly ambitious I know, but these designs are so neglected overall. I'm ridiculously close to finishing Midi and Amethyst Mystery that I will be seriously disappointed in myself if I don't buckle down and finish them this month. I didn't list MTM because, as much as I love the design and the fabric I chose, it is my lowest priority Chatelaine.

I also plan to stitch during the HAED challenge SAL and the Ornament SAL so I won't be exclusively focused on Chatelaines. Let's face it, even at the best of times my stitching focus is a bit blurry.

In other stitching news, last night I finished the top of my tuffet, but since I haven't assembled the whole thing, it doesn't count as a finish. I'm focusing on it until it is stitched. It may be put aside while I search for the perfect bead or button though. I'll post a picture of it soon--it is so cute (but my computer time is very limited tonight so no scanning for me).

I had a very emotional few days at work and to my delight, I came home and discovered that I am one of the winners of the Sampler Girl Tea with Jane Contest. Funny because a few days ago I stumbled across a perfect finishing technique for the design and was convinced that I wasn't going to win (even though I was drawn at random). I may need to stitch it again. Anyway, I get a free chart! Chas was teasing me that this means I'll next be saying that I need to buy more supplies. Who Me? Seriously, I'm in awe of the other talented stitchers who also won charts. Their finished stitching is lovely.

There are some great sales right now and I've been good for a long time. I think I'm due for a little retail therapy--just supplies--I promise no charts. Do you see how close I am to reaching my 25 project challenge? Which reminds me, my October ornament can be found here. If I do well this month, I should have four happy dances just before the holidays--the tuffet, Midi, Amethyst and an ornament. Maybe, just maybe, I'll complete the 25 project challenge this year!

Bits and Pieces

The biggie:

We had our follow up cardiology visit today. This was the big one. The one that would give us a good look at his response to the valvuloplasty. I have been anxious for two weeks about it, but today I woke feeling strangely calm, like I was in a haze (of course that could have been the Zyrtec I took last night). Chas was tense and I heard him tell Angie that she really needed to behave today because Mommy and Daddy would not be as patient as usual.

The good news: Kian's pulse ox was at 100% and his blood pressure was great. No ECG today. No Ultrasound. The doctor could hear that there was no significant change between the previous visit and today which means that the stenosis is minimal compared to what it was prior to the procedure.

We still must watch him carefully but she doesn't need to see him until the end of November. Depending on how he sounds at that time, we may need to schedule a sedated ECG at the hospital. She said that he might still need another procedure in a year or two, but she thought there was even a possibility that he won't need further intervention.

We can hope right? Thank you everyone for your support, thoughts and prayers. They have helped us immensely.

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They found some masses in Tina's brain, but I have no idea what that indicates. My Dad didn't mention it when I spoke to him last night. For those who don't read my blog regularly, Tina is my oldest brother's fiance and she is battling lymphoma. Treatments have, thus far, been unsuccessful in stoping or controlling the cancer.

I finished Tina's book Wednesday night! Tina has been moved to an apartment near the hospital so I am waiting for someone to give me her new address. It's cute. I decided against ruching ribbon around the edges because it finished better than I imagined it would. Judy Odell writes wonderful instructions. The only part I'm not pleased with is the ribbon tie. For those of you who work with ribbon embellishment, am I correct in assuming that silk ribbon just rests better than the satin stuff JoAnn's sells? The colors match the fabric perfectly, but they don't make a nice bow.

I'll try to post a picture tomorrow.

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Pompeii is officially out of reach now. Both of our cars need repairs so I can't justify buying another chart at the moment. Surely I will finish JG before Pompeii is released in a year or so.

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I'm happily stitching Snowberries for the Christmas ornament SAL. I have another ornie lined up to start if I finish Snowberries. I just need to find the conversion from SJ beads to Mill Hill, though I suppose it won't matter if I just pick beads I like. The frustrating part is that I had written a conversion when I started 'berries two or three years ago. I'm certain I saw it recently, but I can't seem to find it now. Most likely, I'll find it once I've finished beading.

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Angie is struggling so much right now. "New and different" is very upsetting for her. I ache for her. She never threw tantrums as a baby, but this summer she has pulled out all the stops. I know she just wants and needs attention, but that doesn't make it easier. I really hope that she'll be okay with Kindergarten next week. Tonight we go to the school to meet the teacher and attend an ice cream social.

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I'm trying to finish a tuffet for the Just a Thought board. I wasn't going to do it, but I found a chart screaming to be stitched. The photo deadline is next Friday and I think I'll need every free minute to complete it. I was foolish to start something new, but I'm enjoying stitching it.

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Do I dare join the Seasonal SAL? I like seasonal designs. I have Autumn Faery by TW started. I have the Autumn bellpull by Chatelaine in my stash. (Can you guess in which season I was born?) Heck, even my HAED SAL Challenge project would probably count.

It's so tempting....

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I hope you all have a happy Friday.

The 1, 2, 3's of Inspiration and Restraint

I don't have photos of Tina's book yet. I needed a few more supplies and picked one of them up today. I'm following Judy Odell's instructions for GTK because I want it to be a book rather than just a flat fold stand up. I find the instructions a little intimidating, but perhaps it's clearer when you are actually doing it. I've read them through a few times and I'm still not sure I can pull this off. Cross the fingers on your non-stitching hand that I'm successful.

The inspiration in three parts:

1. I've been planning something for a dear friend for a few years now. It's gone through some design changes a few times--primarily because I tossed the first color scheme (something about blue...). Now I can't seem to find the parts I drafted (on several, separate sheets of paper) pre-fire. I was daydreaming recently and I realized that this design by Teresa Wentzler almost perfectly matches the colors in my friend's home. I could personalize it and it would be better than anything I could dream up on my own. We'll see what she thinks.

2. I think I've found the perfect Delicas for the Amethyst Mystery. Now I just need to order the Swarovskis and I can finish a Chatelaine.

3. I finally finished the first page of my HAED Challenge SAL piece. That feels like a major happy dance all on its own. Now I just have 14 pages remaining. At this rate, I will finish stitching in 9.3 years. Sad to say that won't even make it one of my longest running WIPs.

Now for restraint:

1. I have not purchased Pompeii yet. AND, I have almost convinced myself to wait until Martina releases it as a chartpack. Almost. I know there is still time for me to cave and join the group, but so far, I'm behaving.

2. The HAED BB is having a new start SAL at the end of this month. I was tempted to the point that I perused the HAED charts in my stash and narrowed my choices to five. Then I settled on Bedtime Tales by Lisa Victoria for Kian. However, I have been finding more WIPS, SWIPS AND UFOS, as I have rummaged through my stash looking for supplies. I think the list on the side is complete and that total is over 40. I can't justify starting another big project until I finish a few of the designs on my list, some of which are so close to completion that I find it appalling they aren't done. I think most of them were abandoned after I erred and had frogged a bit.

The fact that it would conflict with the ornament SAL helped my decision.

And I was really hoping for a background only SAL, which appears to be unlikely, since the bb said the next special SAL would be a holiday SAL. Anyone want to do a HAED background only SAL with me?

3. There are a few really good sales right now in the ons world. I'm limiting myself to just acquiring supplies for Midi 3 and Polar Lights, both will be started likely in mid to late September. It depends almost entirely on when the supplies arrive.

I am allowing myself some new (big) starts (excluding ornaments for the monthly SALs and a few other smallish designs I'm toying with stitching) in the next few months:

Midi 3--because no-one is posting on that forum at the bb or at the Yahoo Group. I love this series and I want to see it continue.

Polar Lights--It's been in the stash too long. If I finish Amethyst, I'll let myself start Polar Lights.

1814 Butterfly Collection--I plan to stitch this for the Houston Holocaust Museum's Butterfly Project once I have completed my Love quilt piece.

Bedtime Tales--Even though I won't be starting it for the SAL, it will likely be the next HAED I start. I'm working on Bedtime Story for Angie so I think I ought to work on a big design for Kian as well. Of course, I really ought put some stitching time on Bedtime Story--see why I don't actually need any new starts?

And do you see why I am the Grand Poobah of the Serial Starters?

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.

February Goals.

I just checked and it appears that I did not post goals for last month. I must have been so happy to have 2006 end that I clean forgot. I posted a few on the Chatelaine BB though:

1. Finish at least one more bridge and Crane section on JG. Start another one. Nope
2. Finish the first over one crane (without the black background until I find my favorite black). Nope
3. Finish Snow Crystal. Nope
4. Finish another side of grey columns in WG. Nope

For February, I'm hoping to do the following:

1. Finish all Cross stitching on Midi 1 and start the special stitches.
2. Finish Snow Crystal
3. Finish the cross stitching in Part 2 of MX
4. Finish another set of bridges in JG
5. Finish another set of grey columns on WG.
6. Stitch two ornaments for the Christmas Ornament SAL
7. Finish the page of my HAED SAL design.

I'd also like to pick the fibers and the fabric for my friend's sampler, but I do need to check out her house first to compare colors.

When I was going over my various WIPS last month, I realized that I am closer to finishing Midi 1 than any other Chatelaine. Well, technically, the Amethyst Mystery is the closest to being finished since it only lacks beads and new crystals, but since I haven't obtained the perfect ones yet, Midi 1 is closest. There is really no excuse not to finish Snow Crystal this month. I have a tiny bit of cross stitching left, half the metallics then the fun special stitches and beading.

Of the two Mandalas, WG is probably closer to being done than JG so I should be good and concentrate on that. I've found that while I loved stitching the blue pool in WG, the grey pillars are dull, dull, dull. It's hard to stay motivated. The HAED goal is a push because I don't think I finished even half a page during the last SAL, but I want to try. The Ornaments should be easy since I have two started already.

I am so tempted to start the Leporello or the Octagon Box, but I am holding back until I actually complete something sizeable. I love my WIPS,and I'll be sorry to finish each project, but there are many more I want to add to my WIPS list.

By golly, I am going to finish some things this year.