An Update? So Soon!?

Hi all!

Just had to do a quick update, because I have finally finished my fourth page on Scale! So happy to have all that white done. Here's how she looks:

I wish I could say I was done with all the swaths of white stitching, but there's more on the pages beneath, though not quite as much. I was actually sad to put her away, but I think it's for the best. I've met my goal on her this year, and I want to spread the love to my other wips before I'm occupied with moving and unpacking. Next year I'll start the two pages beneath these and work on her lips. Lots of color there! :)

I've also managed to get a bit of progress going on Flora, which I haven't touched since August. I worked on her 4 days last week, and it's already made a difference:

I've finished the yellow flower and the berries (cranberries? holly berries? I dunno.) and some leaves in the middle. I'm almost done with the grapes and the rose. Then there's a bit of her shawl and the bottom of her elbow, and a bunch of easy background on the left, and this page will be done! Hopefully I can accomplish that very soon. The end of the month maybe?

Today I pulled out Luna for the first time in a long while. I've really missed my rotation, and it felt really good to get some stitches in her, though it was only about 300. I'm not sure if I want to use the rest of the year to catch up on some of my goals (Cassiopeia and Kabuki are really close) or if I should relax and enjoy what little stitching time I have for the moment and stitch on whatever screams at me. (Probably a bit of both.)

Have you started planning for 2017 stitching? :) I did a bit of "shopping" in my stash and pulled the charts I really want to start next year. I know I have somewhere around 25 wips going at the moment (crazy!) but so many are screaming at me, I thought a few more wouldn't hurt. I was trying to be conservative, but somehow I ended up with 33 charts waiting to be started! I blame Floss Tube and Facebook for enabling me, but the designs are so wonderful, I'm not complaining too loud. I may whittle down my list, but here's a few that I definitely want to start:

I hope to start Angel of Grace on New Years Day. I bought my first piece of hand dyed fabric just for her, though it turned out a little darker than I hoped. I want to test the darker reds and greens to be sure it's okay, but I think it will be fine. I wanted something to really show off the skirt and wings, and those colors looked great in a floss toss. As for which fabric I'm using? That will have to be a surprise! :)

That's all for now. I'd like to hear which charts you can't wait to start. Until next time!

Birthday Stash!! (Plus a tiny bit of stitching)

Hi everyone!

Yup, I just had a birthday, and boy did I get some stash! Actually, I bought most of it myself, on impulse, but birthdays make the best excuses. :)

First I'll show off the one that was a gift, from my mother (darling woman, she really spoils me sometimes):

This is called "Pastoral." It's a kit from Riolis a Russian company, and quite expensive by my standards. The Stitchery was the only place I could find selling it, though I've since seen it on ebay (more on that in a moment). I really love this pattern! I have a patent weakness for anything Rococo, and it's so sweet and romantic too. Those oranges in her dress are so vibrant, and the background is beautiful and serene. I think those roses will drive me to distraction with confetti, but I love all those vines that kind of drift into the background. Not sure when I'll start this, but I'll probably get in a few stitches this year. It's too good to leave it alone.

The kit has a special kind of floss that's not DMC or Anchor, so I hope there's enough of it. I've already bobbinated most of the skeins, which are labeled with numbers. The color sorter came with a sample of each color attached to its assigned number, so differentiating 6 from 9 was no problem. :)

It has a full color chart, which I actually don't like. Color charts seem more difficult to me. Harder to make a working copy of, can't highlight without distorting the color... But I'll manage.

There were a bunch of other kits from The Stitchery that I really wanted, but thought were pricey -- I've noticed before they tend to charge more for stuff, so I went hunting for a better deal, and wound up on ebay. So I found a few more kits from Riolis, straight from Russia and without the mark up.

Yeah, I know, I'm crazy. Guess I was on a flower kick. I was actually only looking for the basket of lavender, but the Sweet William was just too sweet, and the Lilacs wouldn't let me say no. Tulips are actually a favorite flower of mine, so I had to have those, and then that Rose... I think it both simple and elegant. And I love those colors. :)

As for celebrating my birthday, I did that the best way I know how: with a new start! :) This one I've been saving since last year, back when I was too sick to do much stitching and spent most of my time drooling over new charts. This is another HAED, called Ginger Nova by Gracjana Zielinska:

Just look at those colors! I am partial to stitching ladies anyway (my favorite subject, I think) but it was all those bright pinks that got me, and I don't even like pink that much. All that light behind her is going to be a blast to stitch, and I love how the light clings to her and shines through her hair. I've only got one column done on page one so far, but I am already loving the color spectrum. So far it's purple and mauve giving way to gray, then blue violet, though the colors are rather muted in the picture. But my project box makes me think of candy and bubblegum with all those pinks and purples. :)

That little star had 10 colors in it! I'm hoping to get a page done on her this year, wishing I could do so much more. That's the downside to having so many wips going, but I'm still enjoying each one. :)

Speaking of which, I did manage to get a little stitching done on Cassiopeia last week:

I focused on the border at first, as I need to roll it up a bit, but I also managed to get the edge of the dress in, as well as the foot of her couch and the first two stars. That's my favorite feature about this pattern: her constellation is part of her, stitched in glow in the dark thread. There's one star in her dress by one of the black motifs, but the obvious one is just outside her dress, on the lower right. I was surprised that the couch has a lot of variegated silk in it, as the color used is a gray-green-red, the same one used in the border. I'm not sure how that will look against the other colors, but I don't plan to change it. Maybe it's just that I never stitch with variegated threads, but the stripey effect seems a bit strange to me.

Well, I guess that's all the rambling I'll do for now. Think I'll go back to Ginger for a while. :) Until next time!

Stashaholic Alert

Hi again! Hope you are doing fabulous this February. :)

Well, I've had a fairly productive week again (being off work is sooo nice when you can actually do stuff) so I've got two updates to show off. First, I managed to finish that pesky page 6 on Luna. I say pesky because, even though it was mostly one color, it seemed to take forever! Columns go so much faster when there's lots of colors. Going line by line in one color just seems tedious after a while. But it was simple stitching, so here's the finished page!

Only got one more 'til the end of the row (excited!!), but probably won't get to it for a while. I've already switched up the rotation again, with Euphoria on the frame now.

However, I did sneak in another page finish on Wisdom. I don't know why I love the colors in this so much. They are the definition of bland, boring, blended background. But I find them so relaxing and easy to stitch. I think the "trees" aspect will be more apparent after another page or two, but I'm really loving this.

Pardon all my messy threads! This is not my normal way of parking, but I thought I'd try something new. ;) I'll be moving down to finish page 9, which has been bothering me for a while with its barely started state. I think I'll continue doing the two rows at once on this, as it lets me get to her head faster. Plus, there's a ton of black in the second row, and I think the color contrast will keep it from becoming too tedious.

Now, about my stash... Well, I've been waiting forever for HAED to have a sale, and they finally did, so... let me introduce you!

Ginger Nova was already one of my planned starts for the year, even though I just bought her. I almost got her when she was released, but tried to resist. Then I happened to see her again after their website remodel, and that was that. It is so awesome kitting up all those bright pinks and purples! I'm still bobbinating, but will post a pic when complete.

I also gave in and bought SS Ride of the Yokai, which I've also been resisting since its release. (It was actually my mother who convinced my to get it. Probably tired of my whining.) And again, I am in love with those colors! Teals and purples galore (my favorite color combination in high school). This will probably be started this year, as a reward if I get my other goals met. (haha!)

Unusual Specimens was one I knew I'd buy when I saw it previewed on FB. I actually saw this months ago on Everyday Original, and would have bought it then, but it had already been sold. Here's the original, along with another called "Glint" which I would love to see charted.

The other three Stephanie's just kinda happened. I suppose my willpower was weak that day. These are She Sleeps, Remnants of Scent (which I had to get to match the first) and Climbing the Dragon Gate.

The last was one of those I suddenly saw, told myself not to fall in love with, then promptly did so, and then started it! Can't believe how this one took me by surprise, but here are the first 400 stitches of gorgeous green, done just last night:

This is tent stitched on 25ct Lugana, and it's filling in surprisingly well. I don't have any plans to make this part of my regular rotation yet, but hopefully I can pick it up now and again.

Okay, I think I've rambled long enough. Sorry for the enabling, and thank you for reading (or at least looking at the pictures!). Until next time!

New Stash and a Page Finish!

Hello again! Well, seems I've managed to miss WIPocalypse yet again, but at least I've been stitching a bit. Here at last I can show off my lovely Luna (Moon Indigo) with a completed page 5!

I'm so happy to have this done. I've already put in a few stitched on page 6, and hopefully I can get a bit more done before the end of the year. I was hoping to have a row finish for this year, but I guess that's what happens when you don't stitch for a few months... (fuming silently)

I didn't buy as much stash as I wanted during the holiday sales, mostly because I spent a good deal on art sales instead, but I was also a bit disappointed by the meager discounts. (I'm still waiting on HAED's 50% off sale.) But Golden Kite had two 75% off sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so I indulged just a bit.

Some of these have been on my list for quite some time, but the last, "Amour," was kind of an impulse buy. I remember seeing it when it was first released, and fell in love with the color scheme. The blue, the dark blue, and that bit of bright green against a creamy backdrop just makes it so romantic and sweet, I couldn't resist. :) The "Oriental Woman" has been staring at me for some six years, and finally convinced my to buy her. "Daedalus and Icarus" is another of Frederic Leighton's works, and reminds me of Pavonia. But I've always liked that story, and have Draper's "Icarus" as well. As for the conservatory... I've never thought of stitching a room before, but I think it was those vines climbing along the walls, and that arched glass ceiling that drew me in. This one will definitely be a challenge if I ever start it, but fun as well.

One last thing I would like to brag about share with you. Those that have been following my blog for a while may have heard me grumbling about a quilt project that's been taking up too much of my time lately. I've been working on a quilt for a friend since March, and have finally gotten the top completed. I still have to do the backing, quilting and binding, but the top is all done, and deserves some showing off. So here goes:

Mind you, the colors are not represented very accurately, but you get the gist. My mother and best friend are holding it up for you, though they are both short and their arms were getting tired. It's for a full size bed, 96x76. I have never been happy with this color scheme (most of the fabrics were bundled in a kit) but I think I did okay with what I had. And my friend is very happy with it, so that's what counts. I'm taking a break on this for the rest of the year, but will post again when it's done.

Well, that's all for now. Back to stitching. :)

A Bit of Everything

Hi y'all! I'm back to show off another page finish! This time on Moon Indigo. That means four pages done, all nice and neat, and one more to go to meet my goal for this year. Here's how she looks:

Moon Indigo, Sept. 10

The moon is definitely on a downward curve, which means it's getting bigger and much more confetti heavy. I think it'll be tougher work on the sky though, which is down to two colors (mostly one, actually). Easy stitching, but kinda boring, so the moon will be a nice balance.

Also, since things are finally slowing down at work, I've managed a few other little finishes: some crochet critters and another hat.

The elephant pattern is one of my favs, but this is actually the first time I've used worsted yarn to make him. Usually I do a smaller version with sock yarn, which makes him about two inches tall (perfect for my desk at work). This one is about four inches, and sooo cute!  I'll definitely be making more in the future. If you'd like the pattern, he's from Denizmum on Etsy.

 Of course, I love the giraffes, too. I was experimenting with eyes a bit here, as safety eyes aren't really safe for small children. I call them Winky, Blinky and Pinky. :) This pattern is from djonesgirlz.

And of course, there's my hat.

This is a design by Knit Kid. It was supposed to be a woman's hat, but thanks to my laziness (not checking gauge) it's now a kid's hat. But it's still pretty, so I'm happy.

This Friday, I'm looking forward to my New Season, New Start for Fall: Mirabilia's Cassiopeia!

I fell in love with this design almost a year ago. I originally planned to start her in January, but decided to "practice" with Green Fern Fairy. But now it's Cassie's turn, and I'm super excited! I don't think I'll be getting much done this year, as I need to get back to Luna, but hopefully I can make a dent in that gorgeous dress of hers.

But despite all my current lovely ladies, I had to purchase one more. Yup, new stash, though the first in a while (and only one!)

White Queen, by Cris Ortega

This was another instant love piece, though I couldn't say what it is exactly I love about her. Probably the knife. It's kind of gruesome, but it makes her seem desperate, like she's just made a very drastic decision. And there's a lot of little details I like in this piece. The man's palm is bloody, but I don't know if he's dead. She's just cut her hair (it's on the floor) and there's a bit of blood at her nape as well. And then (totally random) she's holding a chess piece. (The White Queen?) It just raises a lot of questions. I've seen on the artist's website that this is actually an illustration from a book called Forgotten 3: The Hills of Silence. I'm tempted to read this book just to see if it matches the picture. (If anyone has, please let me know!) I'm hoping to start this one soon, like this year, hopefully, as I already have the perfect fabric in my stash. Of course, that's if I get another page done on Luna first, and then there's Pavo, and I could work more on Cass....

Wishing everyone abundant stitching this week. Until next time!

New Stash!!

Now we come to my greatest weakness... Buying stash! I know I have too much already, but dangit, these were pretty!

First, some lovlies from Golden Kite. They were having another category sale last week, and it was on my favorite subject: ladies! By the way, for all those wanting to take the GK plunge but hesitant about the price, here's a tip: Save up, make a wish list and buy 3 charts at once. I know it's a lot, but it's the bestest way since you get 30% off when you do that. Plus, if they're already on sale (as my lovlies were) you can save a total of 55%! So it's like getting 3 charts for the price of 2. :) Ok, enough rambling about that (no, I didn't get paid for saying it). Here's the pics!

Portrait of a Young Woman

Lilacs

The Interruption

The first two were "surprise" purchases, meaning they haven't been on my wishlist for very long, but were screaming quite loudly to join my hoard collection. On Portrait, I just couldn't resist those deep blues set against the cream, plus her expression. She seems so naughty and sweet! She must be up to mischief. Lilacs is a calmer picture that makes me think of summer and more refined times, like drinking cold tea in the shade of a tree, or fresh sheets hanging outside to dry. It's that green-purple-yellow combination that got me. The Interruption just makes me laugh. I don't think she minds it much. Probably a boring book anyway. :)

The others you may recognize from my last post. After rhapsodizing about all those samplers, I ended up buying a few, and they just arrived today.

Inspiration

Museum Celle 1826

Dutch Beauty

St. Reatham

These are by Rosewood Manor, Permin, and Long Dog respectively. I would not be surprised if I try to buy all of Long Dog's designs, which is silly. I should save up for thread to stitch one instead. But they all fascinate me. Out of this lot, I will probably tackle Museum Celle first. I love all those intricate motifs and the subtle shading with the red.

Well, that's all for now. Progress has been slow on Scale, as I just realized I had sewn a section wrong and had to frog about 100 stitches. I guess I'm just looking forward to my new start on the 20th. :)

Until next time!