“Stitching Update” -- June 17, 2008

I was trying to post a new entry on Sunday but our camera decided it did NOT want to talk to our computer. After a lot of sweet talking and some muttering we were finally able to load up the pictures from my camera. Sigh…

School ended last Tuesday and I was hoping to get a lot of stitching completed in the evenings. Well, that didn’t happen. Oh well. We still had a lot of odds and ends to wrap up, our son went “downy Ocean” and back and we’ve had some large storm systems come through Windy Meadow in the last week including Monday night!

This is what I’ve accomplished in the last week or so.

1. Large Project: “Holiday Patches” by Susan Krendt
I was able to finish stitching the one green section towards the top and to the right in the picture. I also started the two sections in the center which are about halfway completed.

2. Medium Project: “Candy Swirl Santa” by Janet Zickler Casey
No progress.

3. Small Project: “Peppermint Stripes” stocking by Joan Lohr
April, 2008 Canvas of the Month Club
No progress.

4. Charity/Teaching Needlework
No progress.

5. Organizing Needlework Stash
I was able to purchase a lot of storage containers which I’m going to use to reorganize my beads. I’ll have a picture of them soon.

6. Household Stitching
Fixed a dining room cushion.
Sewed on lots of Girl Scout badges on my daughters vest. This took a long time as I realized when I started stitching that I was ummmm three years behind (she says while ducking). I’m the leader of the troop and of course like most troop leaders I spend a lot of time advising the girls and I guess I kind of got behind on her patches. Well I was finally able to stitch on the important ones for the Community Bridging night. Now we have to wait for a few important ones to arrive as they were out of them at the Council store. We then have to decide what to do with the three baggies of fun patches that she’s received over the last three years. These will probably go in a binder.

7. Beaded Project: “Moonlight Ghost” (2008) MH188205
2008 Autumn Harvest Pins Collection
I’ve finished stitching all of the white. These are always quick and fun stitches. When I stitch these I absolutely don’t worry about laying threads. I took two pictures. One on a white background and one on a dark green background as I wasn’t too sure which would look better on screen.

8. Gift Stitching
Great intentions on working on a project for Dear Son but ran out of time and
energy!

I appreciate everyone visiting and especially those who comment! Thank you!!!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

“Stitching Update #1” -- May 30, 2008

I did make a lot of progress this past week. Much of it was organizing the rotation system, and writing up a very detailed email about teaching children and teens how to do needlework. I did make progress on my different projects and the pictures are from Sunday night.

1. Large Project: “Holiday Patches” by Susan Krendt
I was able to finish stitching two sections of “Tiny Packages” including the outline stitching. Since these are two small areas, you’ll be able to see these two sections if you compare this picture to the previous picture from the May 11, 2008 post.

2. Medium Project: “Candy Swirl Santa” by Janet Zickler Casey
I have most of the first section of his hat covered in the red ribbon floss but its taking a long time to cover the padding as I need to lay the ribbon on both the front and the back of the canvas.

3. Small Project: “Peppermint Stripes” stocking by Joan Lohr April, 2008 Canvas of the Month Club
This past week, it was put on the stretcher bars and on the table while I’m waiting for the threads for the Santa project. I finished the cuff and the silver band right under the cuff. The picture doesn’t show it well as its white and silver on white.

4. Charity/Teaching Needlework
No progress this past week.

5. Organizing Needlework Stash
More items were moved into the “to be documented/sorted/stored pile”.

6. Household Stitching
Fixed my son’s stuffed crab. One side seam came open. :-)

7. Beaded Project: “Moonlight Ghost” (2008) MH188205
2008 Autumn Harvest Pins Collection
This was opened and organized on the table. About 20 stitches in white were stitched. I’ll share a picture when I have more progress as it doesn’t look like much right now. :-)

8. Gift Stitching
These projects were organized into their own tote so it will be easier to grab them when opportunity strikes!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Canvas of the Month – October, 2004 -- March 5, 2008

In 2004, the Stitching Post in Catonsville, Maryland offered a canvas of the month club. I purchased many of these canvases in 2004 but they were lost in my stash. I’ve found several of them as I’ve been reorganizing my stash. By the way, my goal is to go through at least one storage (40 – 60 gallon) container every month and so far I’m meeting that goal!

The first in the 2004 club that I have stitched is the October, 2004 canvas “Hearts for the Holidays” which was designed by Joan Lohr for Rainbow Gallery. I finished this design this weekend so technically it was finished in March, 2008. Not bad for a four year old UFO! I just noticed that the January, 2008 canvas is also by Joan Lohr!

I am also working on the February, 2008 Canvas of the Month club project which is “Christmas Fantasy” by David McCaskill which I hope to finish this weekend. It just depends on how busy I am this weekend, especially since I’ll be working on Sunday.

I’m also almost done with the Candy Swirl Santa’s face. He just needs his eyebrows so I should hopefully have his face done this weekend and I’ll be able to share a new picture next week.

Yes, I know, I work on multiple projects at one time. This works very well for me as I like to have at least two to three active projects at any one time especially if I’m picking out fibers and stitches for a painted canvas project. I can work on something else while I’m letting my creative brain decide how to stitch a certain section. The other advantage is that since I’m still working full-time and raising children there are some nights where I am more tired than others and I can pick the project that works for me at that moment!

This design is stitched on Victorian Green 18 count mono canvas. The design consists of two Rhodes hearts stitched in Petite Frosty Rays. The other two Rhodes hearts are stitched in Petite Sparkle Rays. The Double Straight Crosses are stitched in Crystal Braid.

This was a fun design to stitch but it does take a while to stitch each of the Rhodes hearts as you need to make sure that the fibers are carefully laid flat. The Double Straight Crosses worked up very quickly.

I keep thinking that I need to keep a stitching log so that I can document how long it takes me to stitch each piece. This has been a stitching resolution for several years but it doesn’t work for me as I’m usually stitching at the dining room table and the family stops by and talks to me as I’m stitching. I’m not complaining but it does make it hard to keep track of the time that I spend stitching!

This project was a lot of fun and it was interesting to see how the two fibers worked up in the Rhodes hearts. There is a lot of dimension with the hearts which I don’t think shows up as well in the photo as it does in person. I’ll probably finish this design as an ornament. As I’m organizing my stash I’m finding many of the pieces that I’ve stitched over the years that I have finished stitching but which I haven’t finished into something. The fun for me is in the stitching and I haven’t taken the time to decide how to finish many of the pieces that I’ve stitched. This is one of my new resolutions. To actually frame or have my finished stitched pieces made into something. I’ll let you know how I do!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Original Comments:

- Good luck getting things finished. I saw two 4 foot artifical Christmas trees displaying ornaments at Woodlawn yesterday and they were charming! You should think about using your small pieces this way. This one is sort of Valentine's Day but it is red and that is a very Christmas color!Way to go, Cynthia.
Jane of Chilly Hollow

-I like this and it would be a great Ornament, box cover, pincushion on a stand, part of a collage of small ornaments.....does that help? LOL Nice job! And, I wish I could say I sorted through a container a month! I always run out of time!
NC Pat – Needleart Nut

- Thanks for all of the finishing suggestions. I actually know what I can finish my different projects into... My comment was that I wasn't exactly sure what I would finish this particular project into! I actually enjoy the stitching process more than the finishing process. That's why I send most of my projects out to be finished. I rather be stitching! :-)

Thanks guys for all of the suggestions.

And yes, the organizing is continuing!

More on the trees in the next post.

Cynthia

Windy Meadow

Originally Posted: March 5, 2008

What Have I Been Up To #2?

Well here’s the second picture of my organized container and the stash that I have had time to organize. Aren’t I organized???

Okay, stop that snickering… I know that the containers are mostly empty! It’s a Work In Progress (WIP)!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Originally Posted: June 4, 2006

What Have I Been Up To? -- June 4, 2006

I can’t believe that it’s been almost a month since I last posted! What have I been up to? Well, all of the activities for the end of the school year. The kids will be out next Thursday so things will get quieter! I also had a head cold for the last two weeks… Sigh…

I promised more pictures so I thought I would show you where I’m currently stitching. Now, the house is a mess now that we are finishing the basement (more on that project later). The first picture shows the corner of our dining room where I found some space to setup my table frame. What is on the frame? Well, that’s for a future post… Giggle, giggle, giggle… Since our contractor started three weeks earlier than planned, I didn’t have the time I wanted to organize my stash at least a little so it was dumped into plastic containers. All of the containers that you can see contain my stash. It’s actually not as much as it looks. At least that’s what I keep telling myself! Since I had to dump everything into containers in one afternoon, a lot of it is shopping bags and it’s not organized very well…

The second picture (I'll post a second entry with this picture) is of the containers that I set up several months ago when I thought I would have time to organize my stash! As you can see they are beautifully labeled and artistically stacked!

The intent was to downsize from boxes in picture 1 into organized containers in picture 2. Preferably before the basement finishing project started! Well, who says that things go as planned… Sigh…

This will be my July, 2006 project. Hear that family? Mom is organizing stash in July!!!

Now let’s see if I can keep that resolution!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Original Comments:

- I love it!!!! Isn't it amazing how much room those shopping bags need? You will be so organized

when you finish your July project. You MUST show the after picture too. Just think, you will

be able to take all the empty containers and fill them with NEW stash.

Kelly W.

- Hi Kelly,

Yes, it's those shopping bags fault! See my stash isn't as large as we think it is, it's all

air and shopping bags! Sigh... Now I don't have to feel guilty... :-)

As if we need a reason to buy more stash!!! :-) Yes, I will take pictures of organized stash, once

it's done that is!

Cyn

Originally Posted: June 4, 2008