My first 2009 finishes

I am always forgetting to update my blog with my stitching photos! I have been posting some on the Let's Stitch blog and then neglecting to add them to mine. Gotta get more organized!

I stitched up this little Shepherd's Bush sheep kit a couple of weeks ago. Not sure how I'll finish it. If anyone knows anything about me, you'll know I tend to "not finish" which is one of the main things I want to overcome this year. I like SB kits, but this one had me disappointed. Not enough of the brown thread (the swirls, the hive door, the bees) and it wasn't very dark anyway. I had to substitute a little. SB sheep have such character...

And, I finished my first ornament of the year for the 2009 Christmas Challenge. I have a couple of days to finish it up into something (help help). I know I don't want to make a pillow ornament, so I think I'll try a pin keep type thing. Wish me luck!

For some reason, I just adore this whimsical skater.

Yule Rejoice, Primrose Needleworks
2008 JCS ornament issue
32 ct. Belfast platinum linen
used GA lancaster red instead of the suggested mulberry and
white DMC for cream

Speaking of skaters, an Ohio skater won the US title the other day in Cleveland. Way to go Alissa Czisny!

I've been tagged!

I was tagged by Golden Angel. I have never been tagged before! I have only been blogging (and reading blogs) since the summer, so this is kind of new to me. All of you stitchers are fabulous and I love your work! I am so inspired and motivated by your blogs.

I am to list 5 of my addictions and then pass this award on to 5 other bloggers.

My addictions, in no particular order:

1. strong coffee!
2. cross stitching
3. a good dark beer (in moderation, of course)
   
4. the internet (can't live without it!)
   
5. last, but not least, my son, daughter and husband and our 2 kitties

I am passing this award this on to these lovely women.

1. Lee
2. Jeanne
3. Lynn
4. Laura
5. mj
   

Me and Barack, a stupid mistake and a stitching update

I was fortunate enough to have my photo taken with Barack Obama on Tuesday. Friends of ours hosted an inauguration party on Tuesday morning, complete with champagne toasts and lots of red, white and blue party stuff. It was a lot of fun sharing this occasion with like minded friends. It was painful listening to the swearing in though. Ouch! How could that happen?

Now...for my stupid mistake. Look what I did to my new R&R overdyed linen. See the nice white splotch? How did I do that? Don't ask, it's too embarrassing. Depending on the light, I sometimes can see the splotch from the other side. Don't know if I want to use this fabric for its intended purpose now. I have to give it some time so I don't feel so bad about what happened.

Because of this, I didn't start my new piece and decided to stitch another ornament. I did several ornaments in December and they aren't "finished" yet, so I decided to stitch my January ornie for the 2009 Christmas Challenge. Maybe I can finish stitching it today.

Chose this one in honor of U. S. Figure Skating Championships, being held this week in Cleveland.
Wish I could make it up there to see some fantastic skating! Watch for TV coverage this weekend on NBC.

The interview game

This game may be harder than I first anticipated. It's not so hard answering questions, it's hard coming up with questions because it's easy to get all heavy and meaningful even if what you want to be is funny.

If you want to be interviewed, comment on this post and I'll get your questions off to you. Rules are below.

I asked Lee of Lake Stitcher to interview me so here are her questions and my answers:

1. When you were growing up, what one meal do you remember as being your favorite?

I remember Sunday dinner as the best meal. These were meals we had early in my childhood, before things got really nuts for my parents. They had 6 kids and I think in time, the Sunday dinner after church just disappeared.

Roast beef, green beans, potatoes and rolls and milk. I don't even remember a dessert! To this day, pot roast remains one of my favorites.

2. Today, what is your IDEAL meal?

Well, the ideal meal is one that I have not prepared of course! I love to go out to eat at a good restaurant, but that doesn't happen too often here in this little town. The meal has to include a good draft beer, maybe pasta or good Mexican food. Once in awhile a steak is great. No dessert please, even though I am sometimes tempted. An ideal meal can also be something simple like a breakfast souffle and coffee from Panera Bread.

3. When you were growing up, what ONE thing did your parents always remind you of, when it came to meal time?

"Think of all the starving children and finish your dinner!"

4. Is there anything you "specialize" in cooking, that people actually ask for?

Hard question...It seems like the few things that I specialize in cooking are not things that people ask for but are things that I want to eat. Vegetarian chili and ratatouille come to mind. I tell you, I am not an enthusiastic cook!

5. Are there any weird "food rules" you have? Feel free to list as many as you like.

Umm...let me see. I don't think these are particularly wierd, but this is what comes to mind.

Lunch meat has to be fresh. I only buy what we can eat in 5 days.

Meat cannot even be a little pink on the inside. I'm the one asking for well done steak at a restaurant.

No raw food for me please, unless it is veggies. And no mollusks!

The Rules:
1. If you want to participate, leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” (And your e-mail address if I don't already have it, please.)
2. I will respond by e-mailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Thoughts on reading...

I have never been good at keeping lists of books that I have read. I mean to do this every year and it never works out for me. Reading has always been a very important part of my life, but for some reason, not so much in the past few years. Maybe I have gotten lazy, or maybe the computer or tv has taken its place, or maybe the library never has the new stuff...whatever it is, is. So many of the books I have read I have forgotten, remembering bits here and there about a novel maybe, but not remembering the plot, the author, the feeling of the book. This upsets me because books used to be my refuge and escape and I prided myself on reading so much. When I was little, my mother had to make me turn off the light at night to get me to stop reading and even then, I stayed up way too late and was always late in getting up in the morning.

I have become an impatient reader. If something doesn't tug me in and keep me there, I will give up on the book. And if it seems too pop or has too much gratuitous sex or violence or whatever is the popular theme for the day, I will skim through to the end and call it a day. I wonder what is wrong with me if I don't like the current best seller or if the current popular book club selection turns out to be something that doesn't thrill me. It doesn't really matter, it's just that once in awhile, a friend will say how much she liked a book and I will find it hard to respond, because that was a book that I put down.

Well, enough with the pondering. I just thought that I would create a book list in my sidebar that lists all the books that I remember well and that had some kind of effect on me. I'll keep adding to this list as I recall books or as I read new ones that I like. I don't think I'll include books that I don't like.

Happy reading everyone!

Yippee! Stash enhancement updates!

I received my order from Needle In A Haystack today. I was so looking forward to this! It doesn't look like much for all I spent. It adds up very quickly doesn't it? Good thing I pay the bills in this household.

I got 2 pieces of Belfast, Laguna with gold and white metallic threads for ornaments, and a piece of lambswool. Stitching with this Wichelt will be the test as to whether I can stand it or not. So stiff! I do like my fabrics to have a little more body.

Also got a variety of Crescent Colors (which I have never used), WDW and GAST, a couple of Kreinik threads, some beads and Wisper.

I didn't work today, so I holed up at home, enjoying the snowy weather from inside. I managed to get some post Christmas cleaning done, but I am so ADD when it comes to cleaning! I can find a million reasons to take a break. That is why the vacuum cleaner is still sitting in the middle of the room and one bathroom is half cleaned.

When I clean, I tend to get distracted, and start to organize instead of just straightening. I also get bummed out because I know that a room really doesn't just need a cleaning...it needs to be painted and generally "fixed up." I'll leave now with a photo I just took from an upstairs window, looking out over our back yard and into the neighborhood.

Some thoughts on stitching and blogging...

Vonna brought up a lot of questions on her blog today that I want to comment on here. I don't mind if people count their finishes or what they count as finishes if that is what works for them. I'll probably end of counting my finishes at the end of 2009 as well! I haven't stitched for years and I really regret not keeping better track of my projects, since a lot of them aren't in my possession anymore. I want to keep a stitching journal with photographs, mainly so my kids (daughter probably) can have it when I'm gone.

I am in awe of some of the stitching blogs and amazed at the amount of stitching some people do. Ornaments and other smalls may not take long to stitch, but there is also the time involved in finishing them. It takes me forever to do this and that is why I have so many little projects stuck away in a drawer.

I just want to be proud of what I stitch and happy that I finish something. Prolific stitchers are inspiring to me and I don't think there should be any negativity towards people that are able to do so much. It's not a race...there is no finish line. That funny little feeling we stitchers get when we see a chart we want to stitch is something we all share and and we all know that is why we all collect so much stash!

Happy stitching,

Barb

Goals?

I really didn't want to set stitching goals for myself but I have had to make some kind of plan since I needed to order supplies. I started a list of Christmas ornaments to stitch and have ordered some of the threads I need for those. Most of them will be with DMC, which is no problem since I already have almost every color they make! I'll be using bits and pieces of fabrics that I have for most of them.

Other than ornaments, I'll be working on charts that I have had for quite some time as well as The Prairie Schooler charts I just bought. And, I must not forget the Me, Myself and I RR that I joined. I am going to be so far behind if I don't get my butt in gear and figure out what I want to do! I had been thinking that I would design my own (of my town), but the more I think about it, the more I think I'll never get that done.

As much as I love smalls, I know that I fear the finishing. One of my goals with doing the ornaments is to learn how to finish well, and hopefully I'll be trying out different ways of finishing. I am a sewer from way back, so I don't know what the problem is, maybe it's just a fear of failure (???). I guess I could always send them off for finishing if all else fails.

Does anyone have experience ordering from Wyndham Needleworks?

Happy stitching,

Barb

Some new stash from DSL

It's been a long time since I bought cross stitch supplies, so it was both thrilling and scary at the same time. I know that sounds silly, but too much stash to me means too many unstarted and unfinished projects, which can feel overwhelming to me. I am going to moderate my purchases and just keep working away and trying to keep it all enjoyable and relaxing.

Here's what I got from Down Sunshine Lane. My package came so quickly I couldn't believe it. And it was all on sale!

2 Prairie Schooler charts and 1 by Cricket Collection

My first Blackbird Designs piece, to be stitched on RR Reproductions linen (sheep's straw)

Little SB kit, Busy Sheep

Not sure what I'll do with the CC piece, but I really do like the acorn motifs.

I have another order to place, probably from Needle In a Haystack, since they are having a good sale. And I have a gift certificate for Christmas from 1-2-.3 Stitch that I'll be sure to use up quickly.

Things are getting back to normal at work and slowing down, so I'll have more time (and energy!) to stitch. Looking forward to Friday night SAT tonight.