Day 1 of my first rotation

Today was Day 1 of my new (and first) rotation list. (I planned to start yesterday but I wasn't able to motivate myself to do some stitching). Kipper was first on the list and this is what I did. I stitched a little of the blanket that lies around his legs and feet. I know it doesn't look like much but it is about two hours' worth of stitches. It was a very relaxing stitch as it is all the same color, so I am happy and ready for bed :)

Marie is having a give-away

Happy birthday Marie - may you have a wonderful year ahead. Come see Marie's blog and take part in her give-away. We just love being part of the celebrations!

EDIT: Congratulations Lisa!

Urgghh, hated this week.

I made some changes on my blog again. Hope you don't mind finding a surprise now and again. I just love trying out all the nice goodies out there in web-land. It seems just a shame not to test them for a little while. I also took some of my border-pictures down. Trying to slim down a bit till I get the urge to make it more "girly" again. :)

I had a amazingly terrible week. My arthritis flared up and even a visit to the doctor didn't help with the pain and swelling. Then halfway through a load of washing, the washing machine gave up the fight. I was stuck with a wet load of half-washed clothes, and hands that couldn't get it out. Urgghhh. And then, lucky me, I had to do some computer programme testing at work
yesterday morning. Things went better than expected and I was home before lunch (are things turning around for me at last?)

Luckily Mom-in-Law isn't too far away, so she let me use her washing machine last night. While she and hubby watched the rugby (Go Bokke Go!), I baked some pancakes and did some stitching. Here is where I am at the moment (no stitching done today).

I am starting a rotation tomorrow, so I will be putting a few stitches in all my different pieces. Hubby should be happy. Here is hoping I will be happy.

Bev is celebrating

Bev is having a give-away on her site to celebrate her 100th post. Congratulations Bev - may there be many, many more :)

EDIT: Congratulations Lori!!

At last the end of a terrible work week.

I had a terrible week - thank goodness I made it through in one piece. Well, mostly one piece . . . it might be debatable. Luckily at night when I got home and finished all the necessary hooray of the evening, I had an hour or two to sit and try to erase the day in my mind. This is what I did this past week. Such a fun stitch!

Kate's blogaversary

Kate's blog is almost two years old! (only 8 days to go!) To celebrate, she is giving the gifts this year (shouldn't it be the other way around? Let's not tell her okay?). All you need to do, is visit her blog and leave her a note. Go on over . . .

EDIT: Congratulations to Cindy F. who won this fun give-away.

TUSAL

Here she is, my jar is getting full quickly. I might have to get a second jar before we reach the end of the year. Who would have thought!

There is just something

about this pattern that tickles me. I just want to stitch on it all the time. I wanted to start doing a rotation this week but at the moment I am enjoying it too much to put it down. Since I started it on Friday, I have managed to stitch a little on it every day. Here is where I am now . . .

Thank you for all your kind and encouraging words after my "interesting" weekend. I will definately give the eavenweave a try again - soon.

At last it has gotten though my hard head.

I learned an important lesson this weekend. For the past two months, I have been like a stubborn child. I just didn't want to acknowledge the fact that I am only a beginner. I wanted to believe that if I really put my mind to it, I could just leap from newbie to advanced stitcher. But it just doesn't work that way. At last I have had to admit defeat and slow down. What happened I can hear you ask - well, I tried to get started on my big "eavenweave" project (Cove Haven Inn) on Friday night. I tried three times and three times I had to frog it all. I am just not up to the "over two" stitching at the moment. My eye is just not tuned in to it yet. I need a little more stitching on the much easier Aida. I have to be patient and do some more practising.
So that is when I started the "Princess Palace" later that night. It is done on Aida (some of the RAK that Meg sent to me - thank you again Meg!). It is a much larger count that the other Aida's I have worked on, so the stitches are so nice and small - it makes it look so neat. I just love it.
Today was not as easy as yesterday though - my mind kept on wandering I lost my place a few times and had to re-count. Even had to frog a few times too. Here is where I am now (a much clearer picture than yesterday). The aida is actually a beautiful khaki color - I need to learn how to work with this camera!

Maureen gave me the "Lovely Blog Award" this past week - thank you Maureen. It is very sweet of you :) Passing it on to only seven people is a little tricky - I just love soooo many blogs. I am not even gonna try to make that decision. How about I just nominate everyone on my bloglist!

Happiness is . . .

. . . stitching all day.

I was home alone today (hubby had to work), so I could laze around and stitch all day. I started one of my new projects like I planned. It is "'Cut Thru' Princess Palace" by Bothy Threads (see the photo in my border). It was a very fun stitch and I will probably have a go at it again tomorrow and skip the other new start I had planned. We'll see . . .
I managed to finish page 1 (of nine) but it has little stitching in comparison with the other pages. So I don't think I will be able to claim that again after just one day :)

Spud kept an eye on me all day. He followed me around - every time I got up he walked right beside me. He even protected me by laying in front of the shower this morning :)

He was exhaused after all the stress of the day (being a bodyguard is hard work for a little boy). As soon as hubby sat down for a little TV tonight, he was right under the blanket.

Gonna be a bad girl this weekend.

Yes you read it right the first time - I am planning on being very, very bad this weekend (and I can't wait!). I kitted up some of my other "just cannot wait"-charts. And yeah, you guessed it again. I will be starting some new projects. Don't tell hubby okay? He will definitely have quite a bit to say about that (see previous posts). But I promise after this fun, fun, fun (and very wicked) weekend I will get myself organized into a rotation and start to do some serious stitching.

EDIT: I have contracted "startatis". I keep on starting projects because it just adds something that my other projects do not have!

Jolene is having a give away!

Jolene is having a give away on her site and everyone is welcome to enter. Take a look!

EDIT: Congratulations to FayeRaye and Cari, the lucky winners!

Woodland Enchantress started

This is what I did yesterday afternoon. At least I got a little start - I will do some more stitching tonight.

Hubby is complaining about the new start. He wants me to finish something before I start something new. He just doesn't understand that I want a little variety. I want the opportunity to do something today and then, if I feel like it, something else tomorrow. I don't want it to feel like something that is too structured - don't want it to feel like work. It must stay fun - and if I have too many rules or force myself to stitch something specific, it is just not gonna stay something that I look forward to.

Better not tell him, I am starting the "inn" too. And off course there are these other two that I have my eye on . . .

Funny quote: Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog. ~Franklin P. Jones

Frames or hoops?

I completed gridding the "Woodland Enchantress" at last. It took some time and since it is such a boring job, it made if feel even longer. I think I deserve a little break and am now browsing the internet and reading some of your blogs. The first stitches will happen in the next half hour or so. Yipeeee, I can't wait. :) I am a very excited girl.

While browsing all the different blogs and seeing all your lovely projects, I was wondering . . . "What do you guys use to hold your fabric while stitching?" I only have wooden hoops (the old fashioned ring kind) but have seen some use q-snaps and wooden frames. I am leaning towards those wooden frames. They do not look very complicated - wonder if a more basic kind cannot be made at home? Any ideas or suggestions?

If you can look at a dog and not feel vicarious excitement and affection, you must be a cat. ~Author Unknown

A frog will be skinned tonight

This is what I did this week. And this is what will be frogged tonight. The colour shades are just not working together. The lights are too light and the darks too dark. Even though it will be frogged, it was a very enjoyable stitch for me.


This is some of Meg's Aida and a much smaller count than I have used before. I really loved it because off course the stitches are much smaller and neater which gives such a nice effect (and off course it was the first time that I stitched on a colour other than white or cream).

The frogging is sad but definitely necessary. :)


Funny quote: He who laughs last didn't get it.

Branlaadee's comments

I just have to share Branlaadee's comment on the previous post with you. I know sometimes people do not read the comments on posts and this is just too good not to share (hope you don't mind, Branlaadee). I was laughing here all by myself in the house - someone looking in would have thought me crazy :) Here is her post:

"I have to reorganize my stitching every few months as WIPs become UFOs, UFO's become WIPS once again, and kitten projects become WIPS and so on. LOL

The proper term for having stash that will outlast your life time is SABLE (Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy). Let's not forget about S.E.X. (stash enhancement experience...needlework-related purchases.) This can be done even if you have SABLE. If you feel guilty about the S.E.X. you can always StRIP (Stash Reduction Implementation Plan. Typically, no new purchases are allowed for a set amount of time and/or until a certain amount of stash is used up.) Unless, of course, you are a PRUDE (Person Resisting Unnecessarily Diminishing Existing stash, i.e. someone who refuses to StRIP.) Generally I am a PRUDE. Sometimes my stitching buddies will talk me into StRIPing, but it never lasts long."

Isn't it great!! We stitchers have such a colorful language! :)

Organizing is my middle name :)

Not much stitching was done this weekend. I didn't even start sorting the threats for my new kits! Can you believe that?

I only worked a little on "Kipper". I did some of his little legs up to his knees (did you think he was that short?) and some arm and tail. Mostly this was done last night while I spend some time with hubby watching "Wall-E". What a cute little movie!! Pixar is really pumping out the hits! Everything they seem to touch, turn to gold. We really enjoy most of their animations as there is always something for the adults in the dialogue too. And off course every time Wall-E said his name, I was oohhhhh and aahhhh -ing . . . :)

What took up most of the weekend, was sorting charts and patterns. I got a whole bundle as a gift and off course I have loads on my computer that's from freebie sites, etc. I sorted it in a "WANNA STITCH" pile and then all the rest. I have so many in my WANNA STITCH pile that I will have to become 150 years old if I want to stitch it all. And as you have seen, I love all the "big projects" so my pile is full of those - and they take a loooooonnnnggggg time. Now I just have to sort the WANNA STITCH pile. Yeah, you read right - it's the perfectionist sneaking up on me again . . . I have to put all the angels, fairies or rustic homes, etc together or else I will always feel something is wrong. But I just love looking at all the photos and pictures, so it is not "hard" work . . . :)

Quote: Happiness is a warm puppy. ~Charles M. Schulz

Obsessions and collections

I received my packages in the mail yesterday evening (if you scroll down to the post of the 20th, you'll see the pictures). :)
Yes, I have a humungous (just imagine that spelling is right - we will not say anything to the spelling police okay?) smile on my face. Two more stitching projects to drool over. One is going to be done on evenweave (that is the big Inn) . . . mmmm, I am already imagining starting that one! And the enchantress with all those folds in the material . . . can't wait! The pictures in my post do not do it justice - it is going to be beautiful if I can do it well.
I have four projects now. Hubby just can't understand why I just don't finish a project first - why do I have to buy more? How do I try to explain this obsession to just collect more stash to him? I don't think I will ever get to the point where I will say I have enough . . .
And I also bought a little embroidery scissor . . . I seem to be drawn towards embroidery scissors at the moment. I just about go starry-eyed when I see the scissors in the pictures on some of the blogs I read and decided to just go ahead and take the leap. This is the little scissors I bought . . . it is just too cute! The picture doesn't show it too clearly but the bottom part is a sort of marbled effect.

Can two pairs be considered a collection yet? :)

Anyway, enough for this morning - a whole day of stitching lies ahead. Have a wonderful day and Happy 4th of July to my American friends! :)

Where do you find the time?

I read your blogs and look at all your beautiful projects and I wonder - "where do you find the time?" I just don't have that capacity! Weekdays when I get to sit down for the first time and just do something for me, it is already 8 o'clock at night (if I'm lucky). I am soooo jealous of all your free time! It seems that there is always just one more thing for me to do in the week.
I admit, weekends I am truly lazy and do very little in the way of housework and cooking . . . I don't care if the washing waits till Monday evening! Weekends are "me-time". But I dream of stitching time in the week too. Nowadays I get one or maybe one and half hours at the most in the evening. I need loooots of sleep to make me function :) If I am not in bed by 10:30 I am useless the next day! And as you know, I am still a little slow when it comes to my stitching, so progress is slow going.

Anyway, enough complaining - here is what I have done since Monday. I have been working on "Kipper" a bit. I completed the ball in his hand and started on his tummy. :) Not too bad for four evenings, I think :)
I see that some stitchers do rotations, doing a different project every day. At the moment I only have two projects (the angel and Kipper), so I can't really say yet but I seem to enjoy working on one project for a few days in a row and then change. Maybe when I get to have a bigger choice I will change my mind but now I enjoy having a few days on one. This might be "famous last words" - we will see . . .

Quote: There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.~Ben Williams