Once Upon a Time

I've been writing about my Once Upon a Time project for a couple of weeks down. I started this back in May 2014. I worked on it straight for six weeks and then sporadically since. 

I lost my stitching bug ( eagerness or willingness to stitch) for a long time...mostly when I was working a retail job and I would come home completely exhausted. So from the end of September until the end of December I hardly picked up my needle. Once Christmas was over and I wasn't constantly running around to work or to spend time with family I picked up my needle again. 

Besides having my loving (and rambunctious) puppy, Sprocket, my needle and thread has kept me sane. It is really hard living so far from Andy right now. I wish I was home in Minnesota. Ok, ok I'm definitely getting sidetracked!! Back to my project. 

I worked on this for 20 hours not being able to put it down. When I did put it down I had finished the castle portion of it. There are more more done on it now. 

The only reason I had put it down was because I had started the rotation schedule. This week I went back to this project for the first time in six weeks! I had a lot of trouble with it this week. I just couldn't get into it and there was a mistake in it that needed to be reverse stitched. 

I worked on it for ten hours and it is being put aside until the next round. If I decide to pick up again before this rotation is complete im ok with that, if not that's ok too. It will get done! I think I'm almost halfway done. Once I've finished the regular stitching I'll have the back stitching (with the dmc floss and kreinik) and beading. 

This is where I leave Once Upon a Time:

~M

My stitching bug has gone and left me

I finished my first rotation of my projects and I'm struggling with round two. I can't get into my Once Upon a Time. It's by my most favourite designer Joan Elliott. I'm not sure why I am having so much trouble with it. I love the pattern!! I have since the first day I saw it!

Maybe I should just pick up a project that it calling to me? As long as I don't start another project until I've completed one then it would be ok right? I usually need structure and a set plan in place but perhaps I've structured this too much. Or maybe it is because it is a project that I have a deadline on and that's why I am feeling 'meh' towards it. 

 I'll get through this little funk, I always do. I'm more than halfway through my ten hours on Once Upon a Time so I will push through it and move on to another project. 

So I'll clean up my house and maybe play with my cross stitch stash (procrastination I know!) before getting back to my stitching...maybe my stitching bug will return to me today and I will find some peace in stitching. 

~M

Organising and then what happens?!

I decided to organise some of my cross stitching stash on Monday this week. It all started when I was cleaning out the garage. I still have a bunch of boxes from my old life with my ex husband. A lot of the stuff is trash now since he wrecked it and I'm slowly making my way through the boxes. On Monday I got rid of three more boxes of stuff.

I managed to salvage a box of dmc floss and a couple of dmc floss boxes. After I came back into the house is when I decided to try and organise my stuff.

In the process of organising I found two more WIPs! I thought I was making progress but it sure doesn't feel like it when I am back up to ten projects on my rotation schedule. In reality I have made progress because I have finished two projects this year! Can you believe it it? I know I can't! For all those that know me in person you know that I am a serial starter and last year I didn't complete a single project! I started a few but I never finished any. This will be the year of finishes, of that I am certain!

The WIPs are now on my schedule, they are small projects so they will stitch up quickly! The WIPs are at the bottom of the rotation schedule and I'm starting at the top instead of continuing at the bottom. 

I am having trouble concentrating on my current WIP and I've thought about working on another but I'm going to try and keep with the schedule.  On the plus side I think I'll have three finishes next rotation!!...More accomplishments!!

Happy musings my friends!

~M 

Plum Pudding

It's been about a week since I last posted. I was working like crazy on Plum Pudding. I couldn't put it down!! 

It's being done on 28 count linen with dinky dyes hand dyed silk threads. There are only six threads. I love how the colours are changing as I work my way through a section! 

I couldn't put it down all week, I was on such a roll I couldn't stop! Total amount of hours last week was 41.5! 

Here is the last update picture I took. There was a little more done but I took it off the qsnaps and its with the rest of the WIPs in my stitching basket. 

This project was the last project in my rotation schedule so now I'm back at the top. I put it away because I kept finding mistakes and I had to keep fixing them. I knew it was time to put it away for awhile. 

This is what it will look like when it is completed. 

I haven't picked up any stitching in four days. Once upon a time is begging me to pick it up and stitch it and maybe today I'll finally listen and pick it up. 

Happy musings my friends, it's time to pick up the needle and create little kisses on my fabric. 

~M

Rotation schedule? What rotation schedule?

I started working on the last project on my rotation schedule and do you think I have been able to put it down? I've worked on it for about 21.5 hours...two x's in my schedule...that's not the point though...I put a rotation schedule in place so I make progress on all my WIPs. I promised that I wouldn't have any UFOs this year, so far I've worked on every single WIP that I have.  

I'm really loving the pattern I'm working on (Plum Pudding). I know that as soon as a) finish the pattern or b) get bored of the pattern I will move on back to the top of the rotation. For now I think I will continue working on Plum Pudding. At the rate I'm working on It I think I'll be done by the end of February! I don't think I have ever stitched a large pattern that quickly before. 

The WIP is beside me on the couch as I am writing this and my fingers are itching to pick up the needle again. I'm not minding the linen at all and I'm loving the silk threads too! I guess that saying 'never say never' comes into play here. 

Since I have one space available on my rotation I was going to add one of the patterns that Andy got me but since I'm concentrating all my attention on Plum Pudding I think it would be wise to finish another project (besides plum pudding...if I am still able to put it down) before adding another one.

For now my rotation schedule has been put aside, although I am marking my progress (every 10 hours) on the project I am working on. We shall see how much longer I work on this one before moving on again.

Next entry I will show you all plum pudding. 

Happy Musings!

~M

Linen, linen, linen

I think I found what the problem is with my supposed hate for linen.

I was using crappy linen for that Jacobean design!! I've picked up projects with linen since getting rid of that project and it isn't that bad! I still have to say that I prefer evenweave BUT if I have good quality linen then I like working on it. 

I'm working on a project called Plum Pudding (project post to follow) and I groaned when I realised that the fabric I had was linen!! The work I have done on it so far seems to be even. The crosses look good and I'm happy with it! 

It seems to be the case as well with my Spring Queen and the H. There are only a couple of crosses that look a little wonky. In the greater scheme of things a few wonky crosses aren't going to make that much difference and unless you are specifically looking for the wonky ones you won't be able to find them!

Time for some stitching therapy!

Happy musings!

~M

Spring Queen

I started this project seven years ago...I picked it out when I went to my first stitch and bitch (a 12 hour gathering of fellow stitchers where we stitch and bitch)...we don't always stitch, there was the yarn and fabric store, the candy store and the ice cream shop!!

Anyways...it was my first project on linen. I started the project and I brought it over to my babi's house to show her. She said I would never finish it. I was disappointed and a little hurt that she thought I would never finish it. That being said though when I was little she gave me two projects to do and I didn't finish either. So I promised her I would finish it. 

I worked on it straight for a few months but you know me...I get bored easily and I'd find new projects and work on those. This is where I left the project:

Babi passed away a few years ago and I put the project away. I didn't have the heart to work in the project, so it sat in a box untouched for years. Occasionally I would see the box and think about working on the project but I couldn't bring myself to work on it. 

Needless to say the Spring Queen was put on the rotation schedule. I was almost dreading the project. I thought it would be too emotional for me to work on the project. I wasn't emotional like I thought I would be. I plugged through my ten hours.

I finished the ribbons, the bouquet (minus the back stitching), and some of the dress. 

I'm happy with this way that this has turned out so far. It will not be going back into a box.

Another x on my rotation schedule! 

Happy stitching and musings!

~M

Summer Ball

TSince it has been a few days since I last posted anything I thought I should update you all on my cross stitching.

Over the weekend I worked on Summer Ball. 

When I first started the project in 2013 I had it on my floor stand and because it is nearly three feet wide I had to work on it sideways. Friday I took it off the floor stand because I didn't have the fabric clips for it. 

This is where I left on in 2013:

When I started working on it on Friday all my stitches were wrong and I couldn't figure out why. Instead of stitching top right to bottom left and top left to bottom right it was completely opposite. I had to reverse stitch often in those ten hours! I had been doing my stitches right when I was working on it sideways but now it takes that extra bit of concentration! 

Here is where I left off on Sunday:

I have moved on to my next project but I am anxious to pick this one up again. Perhaps the next round I'll work on it for more than the minimum 10 hours. I can't wait to start stitching some of the people!

This project reminds me of Pride and Prejudice. It's only my most favourite book and movie (the BBC version). I've read P&P so much and I've watched the movies until no one but my best friend will watch it with me. I have to say that I have a 'slight' obsession with Jane Austen and almost all her books...no where near as bad as the girl from Austenland. It's a healthy obsession and besides...there are worse things to be obsessed about!

Happy stitching and musings!

Second Project Done!

I have accomplished more in the past two weeks than I have all of last year!

Percy the penguin was completed at 1130 last night!

I am now down to seven projects on my rotation chart and I will be adding Plum Pudding to the rotation after I'm done the first round. (I'll post pictures of the project once I get started on it).

Percy was the first project on my rotation that I continued to work on after the first ten hours were up. It took about 19 hours to complete it.  I was very excited when I completed it! I texted everyone a picture and posted it on a couple of the facebook cross stitch groups I belong to. 

Sprocket even wanted in on the action! He jumped up on my lap and was trying to help me with the last few stitches. I think he wanted to go to bed. 

Happy musings and stitching! 

Project Rotation Part II

I have come to an interesting part in my rotation, (other than taking a dreaded project off my list), what do I do if I'm really on a roll with a project? Do I put it aside after ten hours and try and race through the ten hours on the next projects so I can work on that project again? Do I continue to work on it until I've gotten bored with it? What should I do?

There was a project that I had nearly completed and if I hadn't put it down to go to the next project I am convinced that I would of completed it within the next couple of days. Alas, I put it aside for the project that shall not be named. It was definitely a mistake, I should of just kept going with that project. 

I created the rotation chart so I would make progress on my WIPs (Work In Progress). I refuse to have any UFOs (Unfinished Objects) this year. I want to complete projects. If I only complete three projects then great if I complete more than three even better. 

With taking the project that shall not be named off the rotation I am down to eight projects. During this round I've completed one and will complete one other so it will take me down to seven. So I could technically start two new projects but do I really want to keep adding? I've set a personal limit of nine projects any more than that and I think I would be overwhelmed. 

Perhaps I am taking this rotation chart too seriously. I know that I get bored with projects, (that usually hits at the 20 hour mark), and that will just lead to more starts and no finishes!

So here are the rules then...(with the understanding that as I am new to the rotation environment and I am allowing myself to change the rules as I see fit)

1. Always have a minimum of four projects on the go with a maximum of nine 

2. A minimum of ten hours is required on a project before I am able to move on to the next. Each ten hours will be marked with an x. If I am on a roll I can continue to work on the current project until I get bored. 

3. Always have a small project in the rotation so there is a completion every couple of rotations. 

4. No starting a new project until one is completed

5. Have fun...stitching is there to be enjoyed! Not to feel like work! 

More musings to follow...for now I'll sit, stitch and muse. 

Percy Penguin

Since I put away the project that not be named I've picked up this one I started over the summer. When I realised I didn't have dmc 3747 I put away until I had that colour. I looked at three different stores (with the help of Heather)  and none of them had them! I had friends from the States offering to send me the colour. Another friend in town had it so she sent it to me. She wasn't sure if I had the old  dye lot or the new one so she sent one of each!!!

I have done about 45 minutes on this project so far. I love penguins, especially since seeing them at the zoo!

My girl guide friends and I are taking our sparks to a zoo and we are having a penguin sleepover! I am so ridiculously excited! I get to meet the penguins! We don't go until April so the excitement will just build from here! I'll have Percy done well before then and he will be a reminder for me about the great time we will have at the zoo!

More musings to follow! 

Project Rotation

I have a confession to make...I'm not sure if I mentioned this in a previous post or not but I'm a serial starter. I start projects all the time but I don't seem to be able to finish them. I posted on one of the forums that I am a serial starter and one lady showed me a rotation schedule. I had also said that I had to finish my four favourite projects before I started anything else. When I found out about this rotation process I jumped at the chance to finish projects that I was no longer excited about.

I took what I learned in that rotation process and created my own. 

I bought a notebook of grid paper and took all my projects that I had going. I couldn't believe that I had ten projects! Only three of those projects are small so that means seven big projects or BAP (big ass project)!

So once I created the chart I started stitching. I work on one project for ten hours and then move onto the next. I haven't made it through the whole rotation and I've already completed a project! (I'll post more about that project later...I'm awfully proud it!) After I've completed ten hours I mark the project with an x, if I complete a project then I mark it with a c and with the amount of hours it took. 

Once I've completed a project I allow myself to start another project. I always have to have a minimum of four projects with a maximum of nine projects, it's a personal rule so I don't get waaay overwhelmed with too many projects. I've gotten more done in the past three weeks than I did all last year! I completed nothing at all last year. 

I have another notebook with lists of projects that I want to do. Some of these projects are already kitted up. My notebook also has lists of different floss colours I need or projects I want to buy. 

Off to do some more stitching! Will post more later!

Happy musings!

Rose Fairy

Well she's finally done!  I finished her on Monday morning this week.

I completed the stitching and all the beading in her dress, the flowers and hair in September 2013. I had thought the extra beading around her would over power the design so I put away for a year an a half to make a final decision. I have other fairies in the collection so I wanted to make sure that if I didn't put the beads on her but decided to do others in the series I couldn't put the beads on those. 

Putting her on my rotation chart made me really think on whether or not I was going to do the rest of the beading. I thought I would do some of the beading and if I didn't like it I could always take them out again and there would be no harm done. 

It turns out that I love how the beads look so I completed it. It took 6.5 hours to complete it!! all the beading took 16.5 hours. This was my first large project with a lot of metallic thread and beading. 

I am very proud of my project to say the least!

Happy Musings!

Life is too short to work on a project you hate!!

I have given up completely on the Jacobean project that I was working on. I started working on it Thursday night and I had to tear out all the work that I did.  I was procrastinating yesterday and ended up writing three blog entries (obviously only posting one...but I promise they will be posted). 

After stopping at Starbucks and the grocery store I sat down and tried working on the project again in a different area and there was another HUGE mistake after working on it for another hour and a half. 

Life is too short to work on a project that you hate or have a project that makes you cry! I decided that I will no longer be working on it. I was ready to trash the project but I have fellow stitchers that are willing to take the project off my hands and work on it and fix it. They are willing to adopt it. 

I don't even want to look at the project right now. So even though there are stitchers that would gracefully take it off my hands I am going to hide it in a drawer for now...I think mostly because I don't want to part with the magazine it is in. 

So I have crossed the Jacobean design off my rotation chart and I have moved on. 

Onwards and upwards!!

Happy musings and stitching!

I will never stitch on linen ever again!

I have to say that I hate working with linen. The weaves are uneven so it makes all my crosses different shapes and I'm struggling with one project in particular. The linen I'm using seems to be lesser quality than some of the linen I've used.

Right now I have three projects on linen and I can't wait to get through all three! I've been so spoiled since I discovered evenweave fabric. I can't even work with Aida cloth anymore.

The above is the project I'm working on right now. I don't like it anymore. My best friend loves it so I think it will go to her when I'm done. It's a Jacobean design and I really liked it when I started it...5 years ago!

I'll do my ten hours on this project and then put away until next rotation. Sometimes I'm sad to put down a project but this one I'm dreading stitching. 

It's cloudy and looks miserable outside today but there's a chinook blowing through. My head hurts so I'll grab some starbucks and get something for supper before I start stitching again. 

Happy stitching and happy musing!

New Adventures Await!

A lot has happened over the last three years.

 I've gotten engaged to a wonderful man!

We are now planning our wedding for August 2016. I never thought I was going to find real love and happiness, let alone get married again! Finding a wedding dress seems like a daunting task but I have a year and a bit to find one. We have decided to get married in the mountains where I love to be.

I'm going to be a farmer's wife. I always knew that I would marry a farmer or a rancher. 

I'll be moving to Minnesota and will miss the mountains but I won't miss the elevation/pressure headaches I get every time the weather decides to change. 

Something else that is new in my life is my puppy Sprocket. I got him in July and he has been my constant shadow ever since. He is either getting into trouble or cuddling at my feet. 

He likes to steal my yarn or my dmc floss bobbins. I think he must have been a cat in a past life!

Those are the major changes that have happened since I last wrote. I will be better at writing and putting my thoughts and adventures here. 

I'm off to put together my stitching corner. I'll post pictures later!

More musings to follow!

Forgive me for disappearing again

Please forgive me for disappearing again. I used to be so good at blogging and keeping up with everything but lately...I have found other things that have occupied my time, both good and not so good. I don't want to concentrate on the bad but instead we shall concentrate on the good.

Good things that happened were that A. and I met in person in Vegas with one of my best friends and her sister and the four of had a great time. A. and I spent a lot of time together and I feel that we have something to work for in the future. Our next trip is to Hawaii in January and I can't wait to go! A. and I talk all the time and skype too. I have had to change my phone plan so that I have unlimited calling to the US so that we can talk without having a $200 phone bill!

This picture was taken after we saw The Phantom of the Opera on our last night in Vegas. We were outside of The Mirage at the volcano show.

We did so much...I was completely exhausted by the time I went to bed!!

That day we went for a buffet lunch, a gondola ride inside The Venetian, went for dinner with R. and her sister and went to see the show...not to mention all that walking too!!

We were sad when we parted ways and it felt like I was leaving part of my heart behind. I haven't felt like this in a long long time and I am so blessed to have met him and to now be his girlfriend.

 I can't wait until our next chance to meet up. He has promised to show me the ocean. Something I have only seen from an airplane flying over Greenland...but he has promised to take me to the beach and now we are planning our trip to Hawaii....but first I need to make my way to Italy.

Happy Musings!!

Changes

I have changed one thing on my list of 101 things to do in 1001 one days list.

I have been having a hard time remembering how many postcards I have sent out so I have taken it off my list. I have instead added going to Las Vegas. Perhaps it is kind of a cheat since I leave for Vegas on Saturday next week but since I always have wanted to go...I have decided to add it to my list...besides it's my list...my life and frankly I can do whatever I want.

Since I left my ex I have concentrated one me and what I want to do. He never wanted to do anything and it was a fight to get him to do anything over the weekend...usually I went to my bestie's house and we had a great time. Her DH calls me the other wife since I am (or was...we have both been very sick lately) there all the time.

I can't wait until we are both feeling better and we can hang out again. It has been a long while since we've seen each other and I miss her.

I am going to be staying at the Paris hotel along the strip. I am so excited!! This is the first time I am flying anywhere on my own! I won't be in LV on my own though, I will be going with a couple of friends. We're just all meeting there. :)

I feel kind of grown up traveling on my own. I don't ever think I will feel like I am a grown up.  There is part of me that I know is bouncing from one idea to the next, my dad says that I get that from him. The other part of me wants to settle down and stay in place.

I'm itching to be on my way and try something new again...

Maybe I need to do some stitching or pick up a new crochet project...my friend Andy did ask me to make him a blanket like the one I made myself. I have to find the right type of yarn...

More Musings to follow.

~M

I feel like a fraud

I went to Church on Sunday and something kept nagging at me. I love going to the Lutheran Church, a very good friend of mine told me about it and thought I would enjoy it because of the issues I have been having with the Catholic Church. I was raised Catholic and even though I liked going I never felt welcome there.

The first time I went to the Lutheran Church I felt welcomed right away. Everyone was happy and said good morning to me with a smile on their face. It didn't feel like they felt like they had to be there like in any Catholic Church I have been to. I met a wonderful lady and her husband and now we all sit together at Church.

The pastor even recognised that I was new the first time I was there and thanked me for coming. I get a smile from those around me every time I amt here.

I feel like a fraud because I am Catholic but I feel more connected to the Lutheran Church. There isn't any kneeling, there isn't communion every Sunday, some of the things that we say are different in mass but I am comfortable there. I feel at home.

I feel like part of me is betraying my Catholic Faith by going to the Lutheran Church. I feel at home there. Am I turning my back on my faith? I still believe in God, the Lutheran Church is the closest to the Catholic Church. I'm just happier believing and practicing my faith in a different way.

I am going to talk to my pastor about this. I feel very confused.

~M

Out of a Funk

I have been in a non-writing funk for the last six weeks or so. I have had absolutely no ambition to write whatsoever, which is highly unusual for me. I am always writing a story or a skit with a dear friend of mine or blogging and yet...I couldn't of been bothered with  any of that. I have even had trouble with my postcards (again so out of character for me).

Seeing a close friend of mine starting up his blog and reading some of his posts (although the wallpaper on his blog scares me) has inspired me to get back to my writing. Angel has always nudged me (well since I have known him) to write and get my thoughts out on paper. I have even joined a Startrek sim again and have been writing with another couple of friends.


The itch to start writing again has been nagging at me for the last couple of days and I have finally been able to find the time to sit down and start writing again. I have missed writing, and at this particular moment my mood is dark and my characters in my writing have reflected this. Hopefully I will be able to pull my characters out of their (or rather my) funk so I don't have to end up killing them off in the plots. I become attached to them and I do not like killing off my characters in my stories if it can be avoided.

More musings to follow...I am off to grab some breakfast and go to Church....perhaps that I will pick up my mood a bit and let my writing become more cheerful.

~M