April 1, 2009

I tell ya, it was just another day full of stitching for me! NOT! I don't know what's going on, but I just don't seem to have enough time in the day to stitch, especially on dialysis days.

Today was April Fool's Day. I almost forgot until I noticed an article online about ESPN playing a joke on NASCAR fans. They said right in the title that the article was a joke, but obviously some people are selective readers. Apparently ESPN reported that President Obama was going to make Chevy and Dodge pull their sponsorships of the NASCAR series and people started screamin' bloody murder. ESPN pulled the article from its website and apologized, saying they went too far. In my opinion, it's not their fault some people are too stupid to read an ENTIRE article before they start raising a fuss. I don't think it was funny, though, because it very well could come true if GM and Chrysler need that sponsorship cash for their "trimmed down" operations. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

Oops, sorry. This isn't a sports blog, I know! Back to the stitching! I did almost a whole leaf on The Sweetheart Tree's Don't Bug Me. I found TST in the 2007 fall Online Needlework Show and fell in love with the look of their designs. I especially like the purple band samplers and the Teenie Kits. The problem is, I thoroughly dislike the feel of the fibers included in all their kits. They're stiff somehow, and they don't improve much after applying Thread Heaven thread conditioner. With my dry hands, running these fibers through my fingers is very unsatisfying. What's mystifying to me is the fact that they use DMC and Weeks threads for the most part. I'd really like to know what they're doing to them to take them from soft cotton to a stiff hunk of thread. Has anyone else noticed that?

I apologize for digressing again, but I think it's the feel of the fibers that is slowing me down on this project. I also think that it's the reason I have at least four more Teenie kits in my UFO pile. Since I've started them, I have to get them finished, but I really don't enjoy stitching with the threads like this. I'm seriously considering using my own DMC and buying the Weeks needed to complete these, it's that bad! Only problem is, I really can't justify spending money on the fibers when I have enough on hand to stitch the project. Am I just being too picky?

You may or may not have noticed, but I've added a new logo to the sidebar of my blog. It's for The Stitchers' Village. This is a new "global needle arts community" courtesy of Jo and Janie, owners of Dinky Dyes & The Cat's Whiskers Design Studio respectively. If you haven't visited, I highly reccommend. TSV is just getting off the ground, but there are monthly newsletters, contests, classes, and even a forum to chat with other stitchers from around the world.

As I was clicking on the different buildings to see what each contained, I was directed to Janie's Site The Cat's Whiskers Design Studio and saw the information for a fund-raiser she created for victims of the Austrailan bush fires. It's called Bushfire Kitty. For a donation of US $3.50, you, too, can recieve a .pdf of this cute fireman kitty. Please consider stopping by Janie's site and making a contribution. The kit to stitch Bushfire Kitty is available from any of the stores in TSV.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox and done typing for now. Have a great day tomorrow!

February 26, 2009

You might think I'm boring, but I slept for thirteen hours today! Obvoiusly I needed the rest. My theory on sleep is that I go to bed when I'm tired and I wake up whenever I wake up. I know this doesn't work for alot of people, but it's how I ensure I get all the rest my body needs. I only set an alarm on dialysis days and don't feel guilty if I sleep for an exorbitant amount of time. Since the body needs sleep to recouperate and heal, and I know there's alot wrong with mine, I sleep til it says I've slept enough. I think if more people did this, instead of constantly on the go-go-go, they'd be less prone to alot of the nasty "bugs" that are out there. As long as they keep their germs to themselves, they can keep on rushing through life but I'm going to enjoy mine while I have it!

For the fourth day in a row, Mr Mailman brought birtday cards and floss! Cards from Debi, Teresa, and CJ arrived. CJ even sent a piece of Fairy Blush 18ct Aida when my card was returned to her. I don't mind late cards, CJ! It extends my birthday fun! Thank you for the thoughtful gift!

If you've stayed away from joining a birthday card and floss exchange in your groups, you should certainly give it a go! It's the easiest way to increase your floss stash! I belong to three BFC's and look forward to them each year.
I was determined to complete Lasseter's Reef today! I forbade myself from turning on the laptop until the last stitch was in. It took most of the afternoon and evening, but at 10:00pm on the dot I did it! Lasseter's Reef is my fourth Dinky Dyes quilt square finish and my seventh in the Year of the Sampler.

I was on the telephone with Debi and I finished LR and we discussed my next project. I'm not allowing myself to start anything else until I finish the stitching on A Stitcher's Companion and my BRD gameboard. I honestly don't like having more than one project on the go. I like working on one thing until it's done. I complete things faster that way, rather than spreading my stitching out over several projects at a time. Later this year, I may work on a smaller project to take a break from whatever BAP I decide to work on, but not right now. I might switch back and forth between my two projects if I get bored, but NO NEW STARTS! Here's my progress on the inside cover of A Stitcher's Companion by Enchanting Lair. All I need to do is to put in my personalization and stitch the corner motifs.

I'm also very proud of myself for adhering to my stash diet! I've spent a total of $14 in the month of February for stash. Has anyone else cut back? For me, it made a huge difference this month! I haven't been scrabbling the last week of the month, making do with what's in the pantry. I still had money to go get a few groceries and other things. Being on disability, there isn't much left after I pay bills, so I honestly do live "check to check."

Next month I will have another car repair bill, this time replacing the rear tires which are showing the wear bands. That's not a repair that can be put off so my diet continues! The only thing I'm allowed to pay for is the auto-ship of My Stitching Album. I'm hoping to be able to trade for anything else if the need arises. Right now, there is nothing I need. To fight temptation I haven't even looked at the Nashville new releases. They'll be there when I have the means to purchase them. If not, it just wasn't meant to be.

Back to my question about cutting back, has anyone gone a less-expensive route when kitting up a project? Using a less expensive substitute to the reccommended fibers? I've opted to offer my Soie d'Alger silks for trade. I'm not going to buy the rest needed for my Just Nan projects. I can't afford them so I will use the Vikki Clayton Hand-Dyed Fibers. So if you need/want any of the silks I've already purchased, just let me know. They'll be on my trade blog soon. My wishlist is in the sidebar of my trade blog, too.

February 25, 2009

I didn't go to dialysis today because I could feel that headache trying to come back. I knew if I went to the clinic and sat under those fluorescent lights with the machines alarming around me I would be a goner. I've already toughed it through more than a week but today I stayed home with the lights and television off and stitched on Lasseter's Reef.
Today's mail brought more birthday goodies. Debi surprised me with the complete silk pack of Vikki Clayton's Hand-Dyed Fibers for Maw Maw's Quilt by M Designs. The chart arrived from Wawanna last week. Lynn in TX sent "February" Amethyst & Violet from The Monthly Birthstone Sampler Collection by The Sweetheart Tree and the card and floss are from Laura. You all are too much! I am very grateful for your generosity.

I forgot to include these in yesterday's post. Cards and floss arrived from Sue, Chris, and Kim W. Chris also included the birthday confetti in her card. More fibers to feel and fondle...mmm! Thank you, ladies!

Since Carol was going to be there, I went to the stitch-in at Borders. Kasey and I went up in the elevator without mishap. I think the main reason I had a problem last time is because I was looking down, so I made sure to keep my eyes on the ceiling to see if that would help. I'm not sure if it was that or something else, but I felt fine after getting off the elevator.
Kim W joined us tonight and we had a great time talking and stitching. Carol worked on her BRD gameboard and Kim was working on Comfort & Joy. I'm closer to finishing LR than I was this morning, but I was hoping it would be complete. There's always tomorrow!

In order to avoid another possible issue with the elevator, Carol took Kasey down in it and I used the escalator. As soon as the elevator door opened, Kasey came running at me. Carol said said Kasey sat when she told her to, but all bets were off when the door opened. I didn't do any stitching after returning home because exhaustion seemed to just come out of nowhere. After reading a few emails and talking to Debi I went to bed.

February 23, 2009

This morning I was awakened by a knock on the door. Since we get very few knocks at our door, I was hesitant to answer but when I looked out the window I saw a delivery van in the driveway. I was completely shocked to receive a second flower arrange-ment with a "Happy Birthday" message. I hardly ever receive flowers, and then only from my mom or my father and stepmother.

The card simply said "Happy 34th Birthday Beth!" There was no signature, but a telephone number was on the card so I called it. This beautiful arrangement of purple lilies is from Daniel. They're exquisite! Calla lilies are one of my favorite flowers. Thank you for remembering my birthday, Daniel! Yes, we will have to meet up for lunch sometime.

As you can see, my needles were smokin' today! Maybe I should complain about not being able to stitch at dialysis more. I say that because today I did stitch at dialysis! For some reason the machine didn't alarm and stop when I bent my elbow to hold my QSnaps. This is the result of my dialysis stitching and a couple hours at home. Yep! I even stitched at home this evening!

My headache started coming back towards the end of my treatment so I didn't turn on my laptop once I got home. It afforded me alot of stitching time after I ate dinner. I completed the top right corner border and varigated motif, the top left corner border, filled in the eight-pointed star, completed one four-part motif, and started another. I feel so much better now that I've put a major dent in this project.

February 22, 2009

At last! After not stitching for the past two days I put needle and thread to fabric this evening! I slept in today, watched some movies from my DVR, and spent time on the phone with both Myrl and Sue, but I stitched, too!
I completed the diamond-shaped border of Lasseter's Reef and am working on the corners now. My hope is that I can get in some more stitching time before going to bed tonight as well as tomorrow upon returning home from dialysis. I've been very bad about stitching at home lately and that needs to change.

Myrl and I were discussing that on the phone this evening. She mentioned that she gets grumpy if she doesn't get to put in a few stitches each day. I've noticed lately that I start feeling very frustrated with myself if I don't stitch every day. It's just like my reading; even if I only read for a minute or two before my eyes close I'm okay. I need to apply that mentality to my stitching and make a better effort to get out of my laptop trance and pick up my current WIP.

If you're wondering why I've only stitched three of the smaller eight-pointed stars around the center motif I will let you in on my reasoning. There is a method to my madness! It's as simple as this: the unevenness tells me which side is the top! I had to frog two separate times while working on the center because I turned my QSnaps a quarter-turn one way or the other. By leaving one motif unstitched, I now can see in a glance which side is the top of the design and all my stitches will face the same way.

I'm very happy to report that Myrl gave me permission to have guests in the Ocean City apartment, so Sue and Laura will join Kasey and I for the weekend of the Stitcher's Retreat! We're all looking forward to having two full days to stitch to our hearts' content. I'm also considering the possibility of having my dialysis treatment done in Berlin on Wednesday and Friday so that Kasey and I can go down early to enjoy a couple extra days of peace and quiet, as well as more time with other stitchers. Myrl told me her EGA chapter gathers for dinner and stitching each Thursday evening and it would be wonderful to meet up with these ladies. I'm so excited about the retreat and the time I'll get to spend with my stitching sisters!

February 19, 2009

I know I skipped the post for yesterday but nothing really happened. I didn't stitch at all, either. I watched my "Space Buddies" DVD during my dialysis treatment. It was definitely a cute movie! I had a very nice email chat with Marc Davis of Needlemania. I look forward to meeting him when I go visit Mom sometime. Marc lives about ten minutes from her and knows all the local and not-so-local LNS's. Can you say "field trip!"?

Carol is lobbying for me to go to a Stitcher's Weekend at Salty Yarns in Ocean City, MD from May 1 to 3. If I can stay with Millicent in Berlin, it's doable finance-wise for me. If not, I don't see myself being able to attend. This may be my birthday present to myself, in lieu of the cancelled day trip to Salty Yarns that I was trying to arrange.

Today was the first day I spent headache free! I was okay for most of Tuesday but it starting coming back last night with a vengeance. I took two Aleve and crawled into bed at 6:00 this morning.

I had a biopsy done on a mole today. I noticed a pink mole on my forearm a couple weeks ago and was concerned because I don't have any pink moles. In addition, it was also itching so I called the doctor for an appointment to have it checked. I'm not sure of the time frame for results but I'm guessing it'll be about a week. In the meantime, there's a hole in my arm the size of a pencil eraser. I've also scheduled my yearly checkup for March, where we will go over all my bloodwork and make sure there are no other supplements I'm missing. I plan to discuss my eczema and seborrhea because the flaking is bad this year. I'll let you know how all that turns out.

I only did a little stitching at Barnes & Noble today. I made sure I had Lasseter's Reef in my stitching bag! I continued working on the border and will try to do alot more this weekend. Since Saturday is my birthday, I'm hoping I get an uninterrupted day of stitching! I don't plan on turning on the laptop for most of the day, so be warned!

I received a box from Wawanna in today's mail. I have been expecting a sourdough bread starter, so I eagerly opened the box. Inside was tissue paper, but the weight felt right to be a dried piece of bread dough. I took out the red package and found one of Wawanna's newest Dazzling Creations, a scarf she knitted for me! Tears came to my eyes! She's just begun knitting and this is gorgeous. I wore it around the house with my pj's, Wawanna. You told me it was going to be a while before you got around to knitting something for me, though, you sneaky lady! Thank you!


Next, the lavender piece of tissue paper came out with a card. I read the card and then opened the tissue paper to find a chart from M Designs called 'Maw Maw's Quilt.' You were paying attention when I mentioned my mini quilt square addiction, weren't you, Wawanna? I will work on kitting this up soon, I promise!




I was still in sourdough starter mindset and expected to find it wrapped in the last piece of tissue paper. So I was stunned to find this cute little wrist bag. Look at all the goodies she packed inside! From the top center are two needleminders Wawanna made for me, 5 yards of 2.5mm white pearl strand, packs of size 24 and 26 needles, fun heart-shaped rhinestones in shades of purple, 23 paper floss tags, a froggie thread picker (I think), some 6-strand cotton in bright colors, and the wrist bag itself.

I took this picture of the froggie to show you in better detail. Wawanna, he's sticking his tongue out at me! What is up with that?! It's bad enough that he attacks my stitching on a semi-regular basis, but does he have to flaunt it? This is too cute, though! I love everything! Once again you caught me unawares and I am floored by your generosity!

Because I didn't sleep enough last night I took a nap when I got home. I woke at 9:00 this evening and then made dinner and chatted with Debi and Frishawn online. I meant to get to my stitching but I just felt tired and think it'll be another early night despite the nap.

February 16, 2009

I did some stitching just after midnight. I also squeezed in a little more before dialysis this morning. I've worked my way over to the border and am going to complete it before going back to the individual motifs. I find that's the way I usually do these geometric patterns.

I feel most comfortable starting a design in the center of the fabric and then work my way out to one of the edges. Maybe it's because I'm left-handed and like to stitch the way I write, but I usually work left to right. Once I get to the right side of the design I stitch the remainder in a counter-clockwise fashion. I don't plan it that way, but more often than not that's how it goes.

Many of you will be glad to know that I dropped my truck off at the shop tonight and the brakes will be done tomorrow. Now I just have to cross my fingers and hope that it will be ready for me to pick up when Uncle Wes comes through Annapolis tomorrow afternoon on his way back to Baltimore. Otherwise I have to wait til he comes home for the night. If that's the case, I may be late for my Heirloom Stitchers meeting.

I've already had to miss two stitching groups in the past week because of my lingering migraine but I especially do NOT want to miss Heirloom! I'm sure Kasey is wondering why we haven't gone anywhere in so long, too. I haven't left the house except to go to dialysis, and a quick grocery store run this morning, since last Monday when we went to Borders Books.

This was posted on one of my groups today. Since many of my readers share the same addiction, I knew you'd enjoy this.

I thought this was a 12-step program:

1) Join a group

2) Introduce yourself

3) Buy some patterns/kits

4) Buy some fabric

5) Buy some floss

6) "Oooh" and "Aaaah" at everyone's accomplishments

7) Post pics of your progress

8) Ask if anyone knows where to find a particular pattern

9) Ask another stitcher where he/she found that ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS BAP that you saw on his/her blog ('Cause ya know you just HAVE to do it some day!)

10) Scratch your head and wonder "How did I get so much stuff?"

11) Declare that you will go on a stash diet

12) Repeat steps 3-11 for the rest of your life

Scary, but true!

February 13-15, 2009

I know I've been a little lax in my posting the past few days, but this migraine won't go away. Well, it goes away while I'm sleeping but the pain increases the longer I'm awake. Thursday night/Friday morning, I continued stitching and completed
"Stitching Nut" by Handblessings at 12:30am. This is the 6th finish in the Year of the Sampler and the second Handblessings design I've done. I love how quick they stitch up! I apologize for the charm being off kilter, but as you can see it's a hoop with fabric in it. I'm also adding this one to my pile of unfinished finishes.

I have alot of finishing work to do when I get around to it! The problem is that I don't want everything framed. Somehow that seems boring, or in a rut, to me. Besides that, I can't hang anything here in the house. The walls crack when you put nails into them, so what's the sense? I've got to come up with more innovative ideas to display my work.

Before going to sleep Friday morning I decided to stitch another Dinky Dyes quilt square. I fray-checked the fabric and made a working copy of the chart but I didn't actually start it until Saturday afternoon, after getting through all my email. I spent the day Saturday watching movies on the Hallmark Channel. Some of my favorites were playing. By midnight, I'd gotten this far on Lasseter's Reef. Once again, I'm using Yallingup (varigated) and Saltbush (green) instead of the colors Jo calls for.

My head was just hurting too much for me to keep looking into lights, so I've spent the majority of the weekend sans laptop computer. By the time I finished reading email today and Saturday, I couldn't stand the pain anymore. Having the laptop off allowed me to keep moving on Lasseter's Reef, though.

I stitched into the wee hours of Sunday morning and didn't wake up until 1pm. Then I remembered the Daytona 500 was on this afternoon and turned the tv on so I could see that. After about an hour I had to turn off the television and went back to bed. Kasey and I slept from 5-8pm. Here is my progress as of midnight tonight, Sunday.

Once again, the pain is increasing the longer I'm awake. I'm hoping I only have another two days of this! I can't take any of the migraine medications because of side effects and the fact I have kidney failure, so I have to muddle through with Aleve.

I have the computer turned on long enough to upload pictures from my camera and make this post; then I'm turning it off again. I hope everyone is having a great President's Day weekend! Enjoy the holiday!

January 23, 2008

It's done! I put the last stitch into the "Survive & Thrive Scissor Slide" at 6:10pm. This is my second finish from The Cat's Whiskers Design Studio and for The Year of the Sampler.

I completed the back of the slide at dialysis this evening.

But I had a very rough night. At around 3am I woke up to use the bathroom and almost lost consciousness on my way back to bed. I knew I lost alot of fluid earlier in the evening but I felt fine when I went bed. I made it back into my room by touch, because my vision had gotten to the point where I was getting ready to black out, and flopped on the bed, putting my feet up to get the blood flowing into my head.

I felt better in a few minutes and went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water out of the fridge and immediately returned to bed. I took a few drinks and then fell back asleep. I felt okay when I woke back up this afternoon, but I was under my target weight when I arrived at dialysis. My pulse was soaring at 159 so it was very apparent I was dehydrated even though I didn't feel it.

I received extra fluids during my treatment and drank almost an entire half-gallon of lemonade tea but my blood pressure and pulse still weren't great. I'm going to take it easy this weekend and hopefully make some good progress on 'A Stitcher's Companion.'

January 22, 2009

I still haven't gotten back on my usual nocturnal schedule. Being at my mother's for a week and then getting sick right after I got home just threw me off. Because of that, I was up at 10:00 this morning and went out to run errands. Since I was in Severna Park anyway, I stopped by Partners In Care to say hello to Linda and drop off some books to the Boutique. They were taking up room and I knew I wouldn't read them a second time.

From the PIC office I went straight to Barnes & Noble for the afternoon stitching group. I was the only stitcher, with everyone else knitting, but I enjoyed the camaraderie. It was nice to sit and stitch with others around who enjoy similar pasttimes. Slowly everyone left except me and one other lady, another Linda. She was having some trouble with her knitting project and went to find a reference book to help her. I worked on "Love, Laugh, Survive & Thrive" from The Cat's Whiskers Design Studio and Dinky Dyes. This is the second time I've stitched it and it is coming right along. I was able to almost complete the entire front panel by 4:20pm.


That's when I looked at my phone and saw how late it was! I was planning on leaving at 4pm because I needed to get home to let Kasey out. Linda also had things she needed to do an didn't realize how late it had gotten. The time just seemed to fly by. Lucky for me, Uncle Wes was already home and he'd taken Kasey for a walk. I would have felt bad that she'd been in so long because she didn't have to go out before I left the house this morning.

This evening I continued to work on LLS&T, completing the front panel and doing the ribbon and heart on the back.

January 21, 2009

First, I have to thank Dee for the trade. I received five skeins of GAST in exchange for a Mill Hill kit. She also included a skein of Kreinik Silk Mori. Thank you very much, Dee. These colors will be very useful for upcoming projects.

Second, a thank-you goes out to Kathy Y for the wonderful Vicki Clayton silk she gave me at last night's Heirloom Stitchers meeting. I received a skein of "Old Maid of Liberty" which is Vicki's version of a patriotic varigated. I can't wait to try this on one of my many patriotic pieces!





Last, but certainly not least, I want to say "thank you" to Virginia D for the Tacky BOB she sent me in trade. I'm hoping I'll get alot of use out of this. I've heard many good things from people who own them. Thank you Virginia!




Kathy uses Vicki's silks for alot of her projects and I've figured out why: They COST LESS than Weeks & GAST! Can you believe that?! ...and HEL-LOOO!! They're SILK!! Silk is WONDERFUL to stitch with!! Check out http://www.hand-dyedfibers.com/

I still love my Dinky Dyes but I think Vicki's fibers are going to be my new over-dyed fiber of choice! I plan on purchasing her sample albums with my February stash allowance. Then I will be able to do my own conversions and floss tosses. I'm also looking forward to seeing Vicki in person at the Stitching Jubilee in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, next October.

On a completely different note:
Something I don't talk alot about is that I, myself, am a cancer survivor. The genetic condition I have is called Gardner's Syndrome and is the rarest form of Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). I was lucky because my condition was found in its earliest form, before it became cancerous (Stage 0 according to the American Cancer Society website). But I had somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 polyps that had a 100% chance of becoming cancerous. I was told by the doctor that I "would be lucky to see 21 without radical surgery." That's not something you want to hear ten days after graduating high school, but that's what happened.

I had the surgery and the Gardner's syndrome caused growths in the tissue around my intestine that eventually blocked off my kidneys, which is the reason I'm on dialysis today. (that's the short version, anyway) Suffice it to say that the first five years were H-E-L-L and I don't like going back to that time. Now I live!

That being said, I've decided to donate my stitched "Love, Laugh, Survive & Thrive" to Donna for her Stitching for a Cure Auction. I will be including the 'Pink Snips' from Kelmscott Designs that Amy gave me in the CSE Advent Exchange. I pulled out LLS&T and found that the pins are stuck in the glue and I can't get them out, so I'm stitching it again. I had put this piece away after cursing at it because it stabbed me three times as I was trying to get the fabric wrapped around the backing. Now the joke's on me because the pins will NOT come out. I pulled the heads off two of 'em and stabbed myself another two times, so I chucked the whole thing!

I was honest with myself and admitted that I won't use the 'Pink Snips' or the scissor slide. I'm just not a pink girl. Sorry Amy! I want them to go to someone who will enjoy them, though! What better way to ensure that than to donate them to a cause where they will raise money for a cure?

While I did work on A Stitcher's Companion at dialysis, I plan on stitching LLS&T tonight and tomorrow. I'm hoping to wake up in time to go to the Barnes & Noble afternoon stitching group.

I don't know about you, but when I have to concentrate on something, I can't have the television on or the radio playing. Words seem to distract me when I'm reading or writing. For that reason, my television isn't usually turned on when I'm working on my blog or concentrating on a difficult piece of stitching. Tonight, though, for some reason, I actually listened to the Classical Masterpieces music channel on Comcast. I'm still listening to it now, as a matter of fact, as I'm writing and it's not distracting me. I guess because it's strictly instrumental, but I find the music very soothing. I soaked in the tub for about an hour earlier and didn't even pick up my book. I just soaked in the warm water and the soothing music. It was very nice.

I think the music helped me get through writing that difficult passage up there in this entry, too. I don't talk about that. I can't, really. I just burst into tears. Darn it! Here I go! I'm done talkin' about it.

I hope everyone has a lovely Thursday and can get some stitches in! I'm going to bed early so that I will be awake for the 1pm stitching group. Goodnight, my friends!

January 15, 2009

My, was today weird, schedule-wise. I was up all night again so I went to the post office when it opened. I mailed trades to Jenn, Dee, and Debi. I went straight to bed upon my return home and slept until Kasey woke me up at 4:45 this afternoon. I guess I should thank her because I needed to get up and eat something before getting ready for tonight's ANG meeting up in Columbia, MD.

The Black-eyed Susans' meeting was basically a sit 'n stitch, which I really enjoy. We had show and tell where we went around the room so everyone could show recent finishes. I took Baby Kasey, Eight Pointed Stars, Ebb Tide, Autumn Whispers, and some planned projects for 2009. Everyone ooh'ed and aah'ed over Baby Kasey. They all said she looks so realistic, it's as if you can reach out to pet her. I passed around My Stitching Album, A Stitcher's Companion, and Blue Bayou so the ladies could see the colors I decided to go with.

I also learned about the process of learning Japanese embroidery. I like looking at it, but I don't think I'm interested in learning it from the masters! I'm not very fond of some of the motifs and don't think it would hold my interest. It sounds fascinating, though, as everyone who wants to get their certificate must attend a class in Georgia for a week with the family who runs the actual Japanese embroidery studio in Japan. The ten phases take years and years to complete, so you have to be very dedicated in order to actually get certified

I stitched on my Peacock Chair again tonight but still haven't finished those chair arms! To add insult to injury, I have to frog about two-thirds of the top row of x's on the left panel. I started the row from the right doing one stitch at a time. Since I was using a solid color and realized I was making very slow progress, I decided to do all the stitches going to the left and come back with the other leg of the X. The only problem, which I didn't notice until I was working on the right panel, is that it's quite obvious I changed something in the middle of the row. So those stitches are coming out and I'll complete the row by stitching complete X's.

I received half of my January order from Wasatch Needlecraft yesterday! Chapter 3 of My Stitching Album was released earlier this month so that went right into the MSA binder. This chapter is called Scotch Switch and features one of my favorite easy stitches, the Scotch stitch.

I can't wait to dive into these samplers! They're going to be gorgeous when they're all stitched and made into the album. I hope I'm up to the task! And the colors...so pretty!

Also in the package Karen sent was a pack of marking pins by My Big Toe and my fibers for Home of a Needleworker (Too!), Crescent Colours on left; Blue Bayou, center Kreiniks; Don't Cross Me When I'm Stitching, two GAST farthest left; A Stitcher's Companion, Dinky Dyes on bottom; and Patriotic Wishes I and II, remaining GAST on right. The marking pins were a free gift from Karen's January sale.

I want to thank Jo Mason for helping me choose the colors for A Stitcher's Companion by Enchanting Lair. I wanted to use Yallingup, the varigated I've used in my DD quilt squares, Peacock Stitching Chair, and Medley; but I was unsure of which two shades of purple to combine with it. I emailed Jo (Mrs Dinky Dyes herself) and she got right back to me with Kirribilli and Wild Lavender.

Talk about purple-y-ness! I did a floss toss to make sure these colors will work with my Purple Horizon fabric and WOW! If you don't like purple you're certainly not going to care for my version of A Stitcher's Companion. I'm so excited to get started on this project!

December 18, 2008

I had another horrible night of sleep last night, but I was able to get up and go to the stitching group that meets at the local Barnes & Noble store. I arrived an hour late and yet there were still ladies there! I was the only stitcher; everyone else was knitting. I admired one of the scarves I saw, as well as some of the work being done. I might have to find out from Carol if she can make the handwarmers I saw!
Are you ready for this? I stitched again! I put four whole stitches in Live Laugh Survive & Thrive at the meeting. Over an hour...four stitches...I suck!

Here's this month's total stitches:
16 eyelets
6 Rhodes squares (4 were over-two, meaning tiny)
4 cross stitches

How pathetic is that? I'm thankful I can stitch, but this is just... *Primal Scream* Frustrating!

This is how much I want to stitch:
I arrive at the meeting, sit down and introduce myself. Get out my kit and sewing bag. Listen to the conversation for a while. Put the fabric in QSnaps. Decide to cut off the extra length, so take the fabby out of the snaps. Cut slowly not crossing threads, so it stays square. Listen to more conversation and join in here and there. Put the fabby back in the QSnaps. Opps, take it out to measure the center, mark with marking pin. Put the fabby back in the snaps. Read the directions. Sit and listen to conversation while taking the fabby out of the snaps to mark the center of the left side with another marking pin. Now put in four stitches, s-l-o-w-l-y. Time to go!

Can you get any better at procrastinating? The thing that frustrates me is that my mind keeps telling me "stitch, stitch, stitch." Maybe when that voice is silenced and isn't nagging me I'll actually get back to it! LoL!

While chatting about my slump, Frishawn had this to say:

"well...at least we mere stitching mortals can get a few stitches in while the goddess is down for the count."

I laughed my head off!! Thank you, Frishawn. You made my day! Goddess I am NOT, but thank you for the compliment!

Yet again, my search for knitting needle tip-protectors (for the tips of my embroidery scissors) came up fruitless. I went to the Yarn Garden and purchased stretcher bars for my Purple Passion Butterfly. The QSnap just wasn't working. Unfortunately both sets of my stretcher bars are 9" and PPB is 8". I was amazed YG had them, although I almost missed them because of all the clutter in the store. They REALLY need a bigger space so they can spread out. ADA compliant, they are NOT! No way can a person in a wheelchair get around in there!

So I asked about the tip protectors and they didn't have them, just the plastic thing I bought last time that I really don't like. I went to Michaels and saw them, but they're packaged and I wasn't sure what size to get. I need to try them on my embroidery scissors before I buy them. Once they're opened, I can't return them if they don't work.

I also went to West Annapolis to the quilt shop there as the lady at YG suggested. They looked at me like I was crazy and said they don't even sell embroidery scissors, but the ladies were very nice. I guess they were thinking "why would she come here looking for those?"

And folks, I can NOT go back there! The purple-y-ness kept jumping out at me! I WANT! I WANT! Purple quilts hanging all around! I was in heaven! I want those fabbies! They would finish my stitching beautifully!

You may even hear of me taking a quilting class in the future sometime. I need to get better with my sewing skills, and quilting would teach me how to make fabric borders around my stitching for wall hangings and even ornaments. As I was talking to Debi tonight it hit me: the perfect finish for my Dinky Dyes quilt squares! Making them into a quilt and hanging it! It's the only way I'll have enough room to display them all at once. I'm sure I can find a fabric that uses my colors and will look good around the stitched pieces.

After arriving home from the quilt shop I decided I wanted something for dinner that would provide leftovers for a couple days. So I took the corned beef brisket from the fridge and set it to boil on the stove. I called Mom and got her Orange Sauce recipe and drained a large can of sweet potatoes. I added a can of mandarin oranges to the colander. I prepared the orange sauce and poured it over the sweet potatoes and orange sections in the baking dish. I even steamed peas and pearl onions to have along with the Bob Evans mashed potatoes I had in the fridge.

Ohhhh! Did I eat too much! I was more stuffed tonight than I was at Thanks-giving dinner. I just looooove corned beef brisket, though! How easy can something be? Buy a seasoned brisket, freeze it til you're ready to use it. Thaw it in the fridge. Boil with pickling spice (included) for a couple hours (about 1 hr per pound) til fork tender. Voila!

Make your sides and you have a very filling dinner for the family! Just beware: approximately 1/3 the weight is fat. Make sure you get enough. Uncle Wes and I can almost eat an entire 2lb brisket in one meal.

I sat and read email while chatting with Debi and Frishawn this evening until I decided to soak in the bathtub. Aahh! I felt soo much better when I got out! An hour and a half with just me, the hot water, and my book...Heaven.

Once again Amy has gone above and beyond the call of duty in the CSE Advent Exchange. Today's package included both the Winter Quilt chart from Imaginating and Love's Unending Legacy DVD, the fifth in the Love Comes Softly series. I'm just flabbergasted by your generosity, Lady! Thank you!!

I think this chart was on my wishlist at some point. I remember seeing it and saying to myself that the colors are perfect for me.

I also adore mini quilt squares and would like to find a quilt with enough simple squares to make one of the 15-sided biscornus. If you need it translated, look for the Google Translator (Russian? to English) link in previous posts, but I thought she did an excellent job with the pictures. If you know how to make a biscornu, the method is the same. You just need more panels and you connect five of themfor the top and bottom.

These tutorials are on Cameo Roze's site. She shows you how to make bellpulls, tote bags, easels, needlerolls, and several different types of ornament finishes. I think you can get lost in all her pages, so I definitely wanted to point these out to you:
http://www.cameoroze.com/completions/index.htm

I thought this one was great! Talk about easy and fun: make a t-shirt into a tote bag!
http://www.joann.com/static/project/0807/P229646.pdf

Here are some cute tags from Moonlight Inspirations:
http://www.moonlightinspirations.com/free-cross-stitch-patterns.htm

Is there a bird lover in your family? If so, check out X-Stitch Birds' freebies:
http://www.xstitchbirds.com/Free%20Charts.htm

Here's another site of bird freebies. If you like, you can join her Yahoo group to find out when new free charts are added:
http://www.birdcrossstitch.com/

Did you like Ebb Tide? Would you enjoy stitching a similar design by Northern Pine Designs? Look here:
http://www.northernpinedesigns.com/freedesign.html

November 10, 2008

Well, I pulled another all-nighter and completed the medium stars. I finally called it quits when I used the wrong color for one of the small stars. I was able to complete the small stars at dialysis and square off the top one. Now I just have to finish squaring off the rest of them and fill in the black background. Once all that is done I will decide what Needle Necessities color to use for the outer border. With everything being varigated and having to use four plys, the NN is the only floss that has sufficient amounts remaining to complete the entire border.

Hopefully I'll have a finish tomorrow but I won't be online much because I'm expecting to run some errands, go to The Stitching Post to pick up my Ebb Tide kit, and I have the Heirloom Stitchers' meeting tomorrow night until 8:30. It'll be nice to get together with other stitchers to compare progress and see their work.

When I got home from dialysis I found a couple packages of goodies had arrived. The mailman has been very good to me lately! So here's what arrived:

First, I found my October Consolation Prize for the Chatty Stitching Exchangers' NASCAR Game. Glenda sent me ten skeins of DMC in Blanc, Ecru, 154, 158, 163, 166, 371, 471, 554, and 562.

I also found my trade from Frishawn. I sent her two Vermillion Stitchery charts and she sent me these gorgeous fabbies. As a surprise, she included skeins of Dinky-Dyes silks in Mother of Pearl, Gum Leaves, Jacobs Ladder, and Ningaloo. Thank you for the RAK, Frishawn. DD silks are my favorite fiber to stitch with!

I took this picture tonight when I looked over and saw Kasey sleeping. She's been driving us bonkers all day. I don't know if it's the change in the weather or what, but she's been jumping around and being obnoxious. Last night she even got into the trash bag by my recliner and shredded the tissues and trash inside. For that, she did get a tap on the nose. It's the fourth time in two weeks she's done it and it's getting old. The minute she got in from her evening walk with Uncle Wes she was woofing at me like she needed to go out.

Cherie reminded me that it's for times like these that I have Peace & Calming oil. I put a drop on each of her front feet and then let her outside. She went to her spot outside the carport door and laid down to watch the goings on around her. She spent about an hour outside and then came in to sleep on her couch. That's when I took the picture.

October 10, 2008

I put the last stitch into Celtic Christmas at 12:21am. This is my 39th stitching finish of 2008. Celtic Christmas represents my 5th Dinky-Dyes finish of 2008 also. If you've never stitched one of Jo's charts or used her silks, I highly recommend doing so! Her charts are very easy to read and the silks are a joy to work with. I love all the colors that are available.

Celtic Christmas is stitched on 32ct Silkweaver's lugana with Dinky-Dyes silks and Kreneik very fine gold. Mill hill beads were used as the tree ornaments.
Since I completed Celtic Christmas before I went to sleep, I had all day, including my dialysis treatment, to work on Take Time to Stitch Too.

I last stitched on this project on September 24. I was able to make significant progress today so I'm very pleased. I discovered alternate sayings on Jeannette's website and chose a more appropriate "Any time is stitching time." "Take time to stitch too" didn't make sense since I don't have "Take time to stitch." I'm much happier with the choice I made. I did change it a little, however because the charted design said "Anytime is stitching time." That wasn't exactly grammatically correct, so I made "Anytime" two words. It's nit-picky, I know, but I'm a stickler for grammar.

October 8-9, 2008

Wednesday: I was going to go back to either Baby Kasey or Take Time to Stitch Too when I came across another UFO I could fit into my QSnaps. I'd forgotten about the second Dinky-Dyes ornament I started this spring. I put Celtic Christmas in my 8" QSnap and worked on it until I went to sleep. I also worked on it at dialysis and most of the night. I forgot to take a picture at midnight, though.

Thursday: I worked on Celtic Christmas all night, right up until I had to leave for the hospital. This picture is the progress I made before leaving, including yesterday's work.

I know it sounds weird, but when I'm having a surgical procedure at the hospital I like to stay awake all night. That allows me to be able to sleep once I get there to avoid the interminable wait. And sleeping is exactly what I did after I did all the pre-op answering of questions was done and the IV was in.

My no-sleep tactic worked very well for me today. Not only did I doze before my procedure, but I also slept for hours afterwards. No one except Uncle Wes was available to pick me up and he couldn't even make it until after he finished his route. Since he goes all the way down to Southern Maryland on Thursdays, it was almost 4:30 when he arrived to take me home. I didn't even wake up until after 2pm so it didn't seem like that long to me.

I was very suprised to find that there was no pain in my arm following the procedure. However it was ice cold when I woke up so I knew the bloodflow hadn't been restored. My nurse called the doctor so I could speak to him about it. He said he talked to me after the procedure, but I have absolutely no recollection of that conversation. Anyway, I let him know that I was concerned because I had the same symptoms when I woke up.

He told me they got some very good pictures and the bloodflow to my lower arm and hand looked great, but if my arm is still getting that cold the next step is to put a band around the CryoVein. He explained that it's not an exact procedure so it's possible they'd have to do a second one to adjust it. He advised me to make an appointment with Dr M and discuss what to do.

I came home and went right back to stitching on Celtic Christmas. I got all the beads on, stitched the star, and started the backstitched border.

And how cool is this? My work is featured on the homepage of two different groups. Stitch-it-Quick has Stars & Stripes by LHN and Chatty Stitching Exchangers has Charmed Dreams by Heirloom Embroideries. You have no idea how it feels to this relative newbie for my work to be so appreciated. I am humbled.

September 12, 2008

First, I'll let you see how much I've gotten done on Charmed Dreams. I'm very pleased with how this piece is coming along. This is my progress for yesterday and today. I finished the purple star, did all of the half-rhodes stitches in the large circle, and most of the cream x's in the smaller circles yesterday. I completed the last set of cream x's, did all the specialty stitches on the two smaller circles, as well as the cross stitching with Choco Latte today.

I want to apologize for the pictures of this project. Usually I can enhance a picture with my Kodak Easy Share program but I'm having difficulty getting these to look like the project does in person. I used a different option tonight to see if it made a difference. It did, but it still doesn't have that "in real life" look. I am going to try taking it outside to photograph so that you can see those large stars are dark purple (Dinky-Dyes' Native Plum) and the fabric is a mottled tan color. The cream specialty stitches are done in DMC Perle 812, but the x's are regular DMC 812 floss.

I had my dialysis treatment, spoke with the discharge coordinator, and was transferred to the care of Heritage Harbour Nursing home & Rehabilitation Center. I had to go home and re-pack my bags because I need street clothes for HHRC instead of the pajamas and boxer shorts I've been wearing all week at AAMC.

Kasey went bonkers the minute I came inside. She grabbed a toy, jumped on the couch and commenced to rolling on it...sorta like this, although it was a different toy. She would run up to my bedroom door to see what I was doing and then run back into the livingroom and pounce another toy. At one point she was pouncing her tiger, given to her by my friend Tiffany, and Chet was in the way. When something like this happens he looks at her haughtily as if to say, "She's a dog and therefore doesn't know any better. Kasey is just a big galoot, so I will forgive her." He seems to realize when she steps on him by accident and doesn't try to retaliate in any way.

Kasey followed me out to the truck every time I put another bag in it (I'm going to be here for at least 12 days, so I have plenty to wear and to keep me busy!). I usually don't cry when I have to go to the hospital, but I get teary when I have to tell Punky and Bug goodbye to be re-admitted. I hate leaving them!!

And I have to thank Debi M for jinxing me! She asked me on Monday night whether I'd talked to Chet before I left the hospital and I said, "No, just Kasey." Last night, Uncle Wes told me that Chet darted out the door and kept going when he called him back in. Wessy said he had to herd Bug back to the door with his feet because he would not go back in the house. Apparently my boy is extremely ticked off, because Wes told me this afternoon that Chet had done it a second time. Usually Chet only goes outside if a door is left open. As soon as you call him, he runs back inside. We think he's going outside so he can look to see where I am.

For that reason, I made a point to pet him while I was home and tell him that everything was okay. Just before I left, I kissed Kasey on her muzzle and told her to tell her kitty that everything will be okay and I'll be back on Sunday to see them. I hate that the two of them are having all this emotional upheaval with me not being there. That is the hardest thing for me to deal with in this whole ordeal. I don't care about me, but they don't understand what's going on and why their world isn't as it normally is.

This time HHRCis much better because I have a room of my own. No elderly roommate who can't sleep unless the television is turned up as loud as possible, or has to have the light on. Just me, myself, and I. A Kasey Kay will be added tomorrow night, hopefully. I know, I told her Sunday, but I'm hoping to suprise her tomorrow! I'll let you know how it goes, but my plan is to pick her up tomorrow and keep her overnight and all day Sunday.

After stopping at Wawa to purchase another half-gallon of Lemonade tea and a 10" Italian sub, I arrived around 7:40pm and was shown to my room. I brought my bags in on one of those carts that hotel bellboys use and spent a while unpacking and getting settled in. I walked to the nurse's station for something and saw a familiar face in the dining room. Miss Jane was at the book rack straightening it out. She's been here since the night of Christmas Eve, except for 10 days when she went home in April.

We talked for a long time, me sitting on the top of the game cabinet and her in her wheelchair. My technican came in to take my vitals and the hilarity ensued! First, he took my temperature and asked if I was cold. I said no and he showed me the readout. 95.5! I let him know my usual is around 97.3. He said he didn't trust that reading and took a second one in the same ear. This time it was 95.4! Next, he tried my left ear and got 96.7. Don't even ask me how that's possible, because I was sitting on a big buffet-type cabinet and there were no air vents blowing on me. I wasn't cold at the time; I told him that I was, in fact, prespiring. I laughed and said, "I think your thermometer is broken!" Miss Jane was laughing the whole time and said that "she's an alien sent down to torment us!" I couldn't stop laughing when the blood pressure cuff wouldn't work and my poor tech had to go get another one. To top it off, and to seemingly give some credence to Miss Jane's claim, he couldn't find my pulse!! He tried my right arm, but that's the arm that's had ten surgeries and the neuropathy is still affecting it. He switched to the left and couldn't find anything at first but then found a weak one. The whole time this is going on, Miss Jane and I are laughing uproariously and the alien jokes were flying back and forth.

I'm back in my room now with everything unpacked and in its place. My iHome radio, which also charges and can play my iPod, is on my nightstand. Currently, I'm listening to my classical playlist. Bach is on right now, but Haydn and Ponchelli are my favorites. I wasn't a fan of classical music until I started dialysis. I find it very soothing and relaxing. Also, having it play doesn't distract me when I'm reading or stitching. I don't like to hear voices when I'm trying to relax; that just doesn't work for me.

I feel so much better now that my blog is up to date. I will make every effort to keep it that way, but with the way things have been going lately, don't be suprised if I'm a day late here and there. I have a busy week coming up, suprisingly, but I will tell you all about it as it happens. Have a great weekend!

September 9, 2008

There wasn't much excitement around here today. Still no internet, so I played Spider Solitaire and Mah Jong most of the day. I called Debi and talked to her for a while, just to have something to do. Rachel needed some help with Geometry, so I explained to her how to get the answer and graph it like her teacher wanted her to. At least I can be useful while I'm in here, right?!

I talked to IT several more times during the day and into the evening and finally a ticket was put in for the Network people to look into the problem. They said there was nothing wrong on their end and sent the ticket back to Hardware. Miss Irene from IT came up around 8pm with a hospital laptop to see if she could get connected from here and she did. So the problem is something in my machine. It's just that no one can figure out what that is!!! GRRR I guess you can tell that, by now, I'm ready to bounce off the walls, huh??

To kill some time I did some speed walking around the 4th floor. Picture a big square with a small square on each corner. That outside line is the shape of the path I took. I did five laps around the floor and by the time I was done my legs felt like Jell-o. I did that two separate times because the last thing I want is to get so weak I have to go back to rehab for more physical therapy!

Uncle Wes stopped by this evening to give me the other two half-gallons of Wawa Lemonade Tea I bought yesterday, along with some other goodies for me to snack on. He also brought some movies I asked for, so if I still don't have internet tomorrow I'll be able to stay occupied. I just can't stand for the tv to be on all day.

I did a little bit of stitching on Charmed Dreams while I was on the phone with Debi, but I got frustrated and couldn't concentrate so I put it down. I apologize, but I forgot to take a picture, so you'll see it in tomorrow's entry.

September 7, 2008

Keeping with the trend, here is my third finish in as many days! I'd Pick You is another Doodles for Leftovers by Hob-Nobb Designs. The LNS included some hand-dyed fabric in lilac with the chart pack. I thought it worked beautifully with the WDW and GAST fibers I chose, so I didn't switch it out like I did with God Bless America. This is my 31st stitching finish of the year.

I'd Pick You was done using Weeks Dye Works Plum and Gentle Arts Sampler Threads Shutter Green, Pine, and Royal Purple. The chart calls for the lettering to be black but being the purple fanatic that I am, I had to use the dark purple over-dye! I'm going to keep this handy for a small stitched exchange or a RAK. I may also keep an eye out for a pretty flower embellishment so that I may stitch another for a needlebook or flat fold finish.

I think IPU is a much quicker stitch than God Bless America; I only worked on it for about 7 1/2 hours. All the backstitching certainly goes faster than cross stitching, that's for sure!

My next project is Charmed Dreams by Heirloom Embroider-ies. I purchased this with the thread and embellish-ment packs back in March and have been itching to start it ever since.

I have to thank Kathy Y for making this start possible. Kathy gave me the True Colors sponged evenweave at June's Heirloom Stitchers meeting. She brought some stash to give away and the fabric was among the items up for grabs. When I showed her the chart pack for Charmed Dreams she agreed that it was very close to the Golden Harvest by Silkweaver that was recommended. The model was stitched on 32ct, but I'm using 28ct. That will make the design approximately one inch larger, about six inches square.

I've already finished the stitching on one of the motifs and started another. The design is comprised of four repeated elements in the shape of a circle. There is a gold medallion in the center. I'm especially happy when working on this piece because it uses my favorite fiber: Dinky Dyes silks! I'm not sure if you can tell by the picture, but that's dark purple, DD's Native Plum. The main thing that attracted me to this design was the fact that it's stitched with purple...and the specialty stitches! Specialty stitches go much faster than regular x's, so I'm hoping to have Charmed Dreams finished in seven days or less.