Stitch Class November 2013

Stitched exclusively on Margaret's Monochrome Madness, and am now down to just the outermost border and the beads in the outer border.

Last Monthly Stitch Class of 2012

And, as has been my habit these last several stitch classes, I worked on Margaret's Monochrome Madness.
Here's the status at the beginning of class today:

 And when class was done:

The box in the lower left is now about half done...after stitching and frogging and stitching and frogging and stitching and frogging and getting new "string" because the old "string" was starting to look pretty shabby and stitching and frogging and stitching.... 

The light-colored border is now done up the right side and across the bottom, and is about a third of the way up the right side, and after trying one kind of "string" on the outermost border, I consulted with the teacher and tried another "string"--the same "string" used for the innermost border.

I had hoped to get that block done, but accomplishing what I did manage to get done took about 3/4 of the class time!

Stitch Class September

Stitch class this month was today, which is also BFF-N's birthday, so first the card for her.

The front. This was an experimental piece. I have a background stamp of cupcakes by the same artist as the main image here (also the same artist responsible for the cupcake-tower stamp I sometimes use), which I stamped with watermark ink, heat-embossed with clear powder, then ran through the dry-embossing "happy birthday" folder. I matted that with a sage green. The center horizontal panel got the folder treatment, but not the watermark/heat-embossing treatment, and was also matted with the same sage green. The cupcake was stamped with two colors of VersaMagic chalk ink on white card stock, cut square-on-point, and then matted with the sage green. The heat-embossing didn't work as nicely as I had hoped; maybe a touch of color in the embossing powder would have helped.

And the innard, where the sentiment square-on-point was also run through the embossing folder, then matted with the same sage green as the card front.

BSF-T (that's Best Stitching Friend) had a finish today:

This is her Mary Wigham, done on a much finer count that my own MIA Mary Wigham, and a most beautiful piece. Congratulations, GF!!!

I worked on Margaret's Monochrome Madness again. Here's MMM at the end of last month's session:

I started by frogging a bit of that green block I finished last month and then re-stitched the off-by-one-thread mistake I'd make on the last row. It's the green block at the top right corner of the (incomplete) center medallion. I also added a bit more (almost finished) to the block to the right of the green block.

 

And started stitching the border:

There's another section of border that will be stitched around the outside of this one.

10:30PM Update: Hannah Beeby is done. And getting a back.

Stitch Class 1208

Once again I worked exclusively on the piece affectionately known as "Margaret's Monochrome Madness."

Progress at the beginning of class today:

And at the end of class:

Now complete is the greenish colored block to the right of the center block. Unfortunately, I made a placement error in the top row, and it's obvious I'm going to have to do some frogging and re-stitching next month. I also added to the center block.

Yes, it looks like I'm getting close to a finish, but there's still a couple of rows of motifs for the border yet to be stitched.

April 2012 Monthly Stitch Class

Today was the monthly open stitch class at my LNS, Needlepoints Ltd. As usual, I had no idea which piece (or pieces--I've been known to stitch on more than one piece in the course of a class) I'd pull out until I actually pulled one out to stitch on. I'd had tentative plans to work on the piece lovingly known among its stitchers as Margaret's Monochrome Madness, and that's the one I chose to work on again this month.

Progress as of the start of class:

Detail shot of the area I chose to work on this month, start of class:

Detail shot of the area after class:

As you can see, I finished the left block and started and finished the Utah-shaped block.

I also stopped by the LSS, Stamp Fever, before stitch class because the first Saturday is Card of the Month day. I learned another new technique, this time in the card base itself rather than stamping/coloring techniques.

The front (above) and the inside (below).

TUSAL March

Another pathetic month. This one contains both Margaret's Monochrome Madness, from the stitch class earlier this month, as well as a few token bits from Beatrix Potter Quaker.

Third Stitch Class of 2012

Today I opted to give some attention to Margaret's Monochrome Madness, a counted needlework piece that's been neglected for quite some time now.
Progress as of start of class this morning:
The block I worked on today is the second up from the bottom left corner (above the partially stitched diagonal motif).
The large eyelets are done; and we tested several different shades and colors of fibers to use to fill in between/among the large eyelets, but didn't have time to test what we hope is the last choice. Maybe next month.

I also went over to the LSS, Stamp Fever, to pick up some special orders and for the Card of the Month, but I haven't taken a picture of that card.

Endings and Beginnings

Yesterday, I needed to visit the LNS to take advantage of the punch card I'd filled up earlier in December, since there's a expiration date on the card. She still didn't have the AVAS floss I still need for Jeannette Douglas' "My Stitching Treasures," but I did go ahead and pick up nearly the complete set of Blackbird Designs' "Anniversaries of the Heart." No fabric, since I haven't decided whether to do them as a hay-uge single piece or as individual pieces. And I haven't decided just what anniversaries I'll commemorate.

Beatrix Potter Quaker is still in the floor stand, neglected pretty much all December long. No changes; there she stays until I decide to work on something else.

On the card-crafting front, after receiving a bonus at work I decided to purchase a CuttleBug embossing/die-cutting machine. I got the most basic version; I don't need anything fancier, since most dies and embossing folders will work just fine with this one.

It's also become time to buy a new desktop computer. No decisions yet, but WallyWorld has a HP with 6G of RAM and a 1T hard drive for a nice price. No monitor, because the one I have isn't that old. Mentally tossing coins now, trying to decide whether to go for it now or wait until later, when the taxes are done, especially since I'll have to buy Office.

Progress

Here's the current status of "Dazzle," designed by our LNS's teacher, Margaret Bendig.

It's Official!

I'm number 202 on the TUSAL list! Unfortunately, I think that means I need to find a moment or three to put the link in my sidebar, as well as keep track of the New Moons, since that's when we're supposed to post our TUSAL progress. Well, it gives me an extra reason to make sure I keep up with posting this year.

It's the beginning of a new year, and a lot of folks on assorted message boards and in various blogs are setting new goals. So what are mine for this year? I'm going to try to blog more, and post more photos of cards and stitchery. I've also decided to join my dear friend Terri in her goal to spend our monthly stitch class time working on pieces for which we're likely to need the teacher's assistance. Today before I left for class I hunted down a piece that's been languishing since before the LNS moved to its new location (a few doors down from an older location!). "Dazzle" was designed by Margaret Bendig, our class' teacher. I didn't think to take a progress pic before resuming this piece today (January 8). The center motif and 3 of the dark-green-and-shiny-stuff arms were done when I set this piece aside. So today I completed the 4th of those arms, as well as the light-colored motifs, and have begun the next segment at the end of each of the arms. For those of you familiar with DMC numbers, the dark floss and the middle value are in the 520 series of sagey greens; the lightest green is a Rainbow Gallery Mandarin floss (made from bamboo). And the canvas is a light sagey green.
I certainly won't be limited to counted canvas pieces in this endeavor, since I also have Margaret's "Spot Sampler" started and have an Ellen Chester class piece suffering neglect, both of which are primarily counted cross stitch.

Needlework!

The most recent progress picture of Mary Wigham, taken nearly a month ago at the LNS' All-Day Open Stitch Class:
This is being stitched on PTP's "Heritage" in 32-count Lugana with overdyes primarily from my stash, 1 strand over two.

The birth piece for my younger niece's older son's son:
This is "Blue Jean Teddy," which is what the mother requested for the layette, and stitched from a kit with the kit floss but with an overdyed fabric I pulled from my stash, 1 strand over two on 32-count Lugana. I personally despise pictures shot on an angle like this, but I was having a terrible time with reflections on the day I photographed this one.

And the wedding piece for my older niece's older son and his wife:
They all get the same sampler, done in the color(s) of their choice. This one is done in a hand-dyed red by ThreadWorX and DMC 304 (for the personalization and quote), on 25-count white Lugana, 2 strands over two.

Finally Done!

No pictures yet, since I finished it about 7 Sunday night, and haven't washed it either, but the birth piece is done.

Saturday was the All-Day Open Stitch Class at my LNS, where I've been working on Mary Wigham, partly because she calls and partly as a relief from the Obligation Stitching. Well, I made a counting mistake in the motif I was working on and Terri and Margaret (the teacher) searched for a half an hour or more, trying to find it. Then Terri looked some more after our lunch break. Then Melissa took a turn at it. And found it!!! Many, many thanks to all three for their efforts! I had to frog only a half a dozen or so stitches to fix it.

What A Weekend!

The big news, of course, is the Angels' sweep of their (historically) single greatest nemesis, the Boston Red Sox. And the beauty of this one is that the winning game was a late-inning comebacker at Fenway.

The monthly stitch class at my LNS was yesterday, and boy, did we laugh a lot and hard!! Three pieces of mine saw some progress: Hannah Beeby, Beatrix Potter, and "Smell My Feet," the ornament from last year's Just Cross Stitch Hallowe'en issue. It's by La D Da and is a companion of sorts to "Something Wicked," the witch's boot piece I finished on the cruise earlier this year.

Here's Hannah:
Here's Beatrix:
And here's "Smell My Feet," which is being stitched on the same fabric as "Something Wicked," Picture This Plus' "Monster Mash":
I also uploaded all my FanFest pictures to an album and labeled them.

Stitchy Update

I've been so bummed about the camera's memory card crashing that I haven't discussed last Saturday's all-day open stitch class at my LNS. Terri had been sick during the week preceding and wasn't up to the drive, so we missed her. Melissa had been sick, too, but hers is a much shorter commute, so she was able to make it. Thank goodness for that, because even with L and D and K there, it would have been most lonesome without my BSF. So anyway, I took the three in-progress Quakers and Margaret's Monochrome Madness in, but only the three Quakers got any lovin' this time around.

I made a little progress on both Hannah Beeby and Beatrix Potter, and a bit more on Mary Wigham. I'd like to call Hannah a monochrome, but she really doesn't have enough colors in her to call her a polychrome, either, since I'm only using two colors for certain, and only possibly a third (there are three used in the original). Anyway, I stitched a bit more in the predominant color, although I'm a long way from having page one done.

Beatrix is being done as a true monochrome--two shades of a terra cotta. And still on the first page.

Mary is a true polychrome, and I pulled a bunch of overdyed floss out of my stash for her. I finished the off-white half medallion that I'd started at the last class, and chose the blue to use for another half medallion, and got that one all done. And oh! am I happy with the way the blue I chose turned out!! And then I got started on a full medallion in a color called "Conch," which is a pale terra cotta/antique peach sort of thing.

The ongoing project at home is nearing an end, and boy, am I happy about that! I've reached the point where I just want that one to be done! Not counting backstitching and a handful or so of beads (in lieu of French knots), I have fewer than a hundred stitches left on that one. Wheeee!

This weekend is going to be busy as I get ready for NCIS FanFest, or I might try to take new pictures to replace the ones I can't get off the SD card. And no pics of the at-home project 'cause that one's a gift. So maybe I'll get before-and-afters at the October class.

Godspeed, Discovery!

And best wishes to you on your 25th mission. Today's NASA Image of the Day really rocks. If you don't already have that widget on your iGoogle, head on over to the NASA website for a look-see.

And in more mundane matters: today was the first of the new "Fifth Saturday" all-day open stitch class at the LNS and I made a little progress on three Quaker samplers (Hannah Beeby, Beatrix Potter, and Mary Wigham) and on Margaret's Monochrome Madness. I have pictures of the Quakers, but for some reason the MMM picture is corrupted. Oh, well, maybe next time.

Here's Mary, with the upper left half medallion finally complete and the next half medallion, down the left side of the piece, started:
Here's Hannah Beeby, with the tan stitching done today (after going to a slightly darker shade of Anchor floss).
And here's Beatrix Potter, with a bit more progress in a half medallion on the left side:

Why do I stitch?

Melissa (we've "known" each other since the old AOL MBs) over at a three-bedroom ranch was musing recently:
1)Why do you stitch? Because I'd go crazy if I didn't.
2) On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being least important and 10 being most important what is your cross stitch passion level? Variable, but currently, it's a 9-12.
3)If your only option for cross stitch supplies and patterns happened to be the major chain craft stores would you just walk away from the little X? Kiss it goodbye? I'd probably still be stitching, but the point is moot: with an excellent b&m LNS and an online presence, I don't have to worry about things like that. To say nothing of the stash.
4)Also are you so passionate about cross stitch that if indeed your only option was the major chain craft stores, would that inspire you to create your own cross stitch pieces because you have to stitch and you've stitched your way through the whole of Dimensions catalog--because you must stitch and the thought of life without a relationship with the little X leaves you feeling empty? Yep.
5)Finally what do the cross stitch magazines on the market offer you? Do they relate to you as a cross stitcher? Do you look at them and think to yourself, who do they think buys this magazine? I guess what I'm asking, when you see the current cross stitch magazines do they make you feel like they know their readers or do you find it's more of the same? What could they do to be ambassadors for the art of cross stitch other than putting a sampler on the cover with "F-U" on it? What are we missing on a PR level that could change the opinion of cross stitch itself? Not very much. A few of the ornaments have appealed to me, but other than those, there are very few magazine designs which appeal to me, and Mary Beth what's-'er-name who writes those articles in JCS seems to think she's the Queen of All XS Knowledge, so her articles don't often offer much to me. I'm also not seeing much variation in the designs--JCS has their in-house favorites who keep offering variations on a theme (and how many floral pillows do you need?), while others seem to favor the so-called primitives (the simplistic designs), only a few of which have ever appealed to me. I think the magazines are geared more to the beginning stitchers than to those of us who've been doing XS since the days of hand-drawn charts. And Subversive Cross Stitch's designs don't say much to me, either. Can't imagine going to the expense of having one framed. But here again, they're pretty much in the primitive/simplistic style.
6) And finally, finally, do you do other crafts and if so what are they and why do they pull you away from cross stitch? I have quite a stash of quilt fabrics and a massive collection of rubber stamps.

Rocking Day!

Stitch class today totally rocked! A truly wonderful surprise: Melissa's and my dear friend Terri joined our all-day open stitch class today!!!!! My face still hurts from all the laughter, but what a good hurt it is!

No progress on Margeret's Monochrome Madness this time, nor any on the Ellen Chester class piece from June, but I did get a bit of stitching done on my three in-progress Quakers: Beatrix Potter, Hannah Beeby (I love love love the colors Terri is using for this one!!), and Mary Wigham (which Melissa just re-kitted for a re-start, and I love the overdyed flosses she chose, very muted, very faded-samplery).
Here's the current progress on Hannah Beeby:
There are three colors used in the chart for this one, but so far I've only chosen two, of which only one has yet seen any use.
And the current progress on Beatrix Potter:
Beatrix is a true monochrome in my version; I'm using two shades of the same color.
And Mary's current state:
I'm stitching Mary as a polychrome, from overdyeds I pulled from my stash. And this half medallion seems to be taking forever.
I anticipate lots of laughter during the Fifth-Saturday class later this month and am hoping for lots of cancellations for the rest of the classes this year, to shorten the waiting list for Terri.

GTG in Alameda

No photos for later blackmail, if you can believe that! But saw the Gidget of Whiz again (for the first time since CATS Las Vegas), and met in person on-line stitching buds 'chelle and RaphaelRay. Made a bit of progress in my newest start, the Mary Wigham Ackworth Quaker. 'chelle is even more enjoyable in person than online, an absolute delight! RaphaelRay (Jill) brought along some pieces to share with us, and is quite the bunny nut, like another bunny nut I know and love. AnnaMarie isn't a part of our little online community, but is also a stitcher of Teresa Wentzler projects and brought along her in-progress "Stretch" and her recently completed "Tradewinds." Needle in a Haystack is a very nice shop, in lovely downtown Alameda, which is chockful of Victorian and Craftsman-style buildings.
Edited to add: I also picked up a few more possible threads for the counted canvas project, since my LNS doesn't carry these.

Godspeed, Endeavour!

NASA Image of the Day is a shot at the T+11 seconds mark. And, of course, there'll be more shots on the NASA website, and rockin' cool video on the NASA channel.

In other news, I got the call from my LNS that my Mary Wigham fabric arrived, so I cut my morning bike ride short and picked up my fabric!

And the 2009-2010 hockey schedules have been released. I'm baffled that the Caps will be in my area to play the Kings but not the Ducks. Seems silly to me. But on this California visit they'll also be playing the Sharks. Can you say "road trip"? Hello, Bay Area!!

Stitch Class Today

It was the monthly all-day open stitch class today. The first project I worked on was the piece from the Ellen Chester class we took at the end of June:
Eventually this will be a ship, which will eventually be made into a scissor fob or something along those lines. Then I made a little more progress on the Hannah Beeby Quaker:
This is over one fabric thread with one strand of DMC (for now; there'll be some Anchor used later), on 25-count Lugana "Vintage Country Mocha." After that, I did some test-stitching for the Beatrix Potter Quaker and completed one half-medallion and got a fair start on another:
Beatrix is being stitched with plain ol' DMC, one strand over two threads on 28-count Lugana, an overdye I've forgotten the source of. And after lunch I put in some time on "Margaret's Monochrome Madness":
I worked first on the far right segment, and put three rows (I supposed they're technically columns, since they're vertical and not horizontal) and then started the block on the far left.