Turtle Trot Progress April 2014

March

 

Once again this month I have been concentrating on 2 project that are gifts: the Leopard pillow and the Heron.  Moreso the Leopard, as I am anxious to see it given.  The grin on the recipient's face should be spectacular!

April

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress on the Great Blue Heron:

March

April

 

Aigrettes are complete, and a little more of the neck filled in.  I am tweaking the backstitching as I go, to make the lines a little smoother.











 Have had to restart one of my Turtle Trot projects.  The "Larissa" bracelet  became damaged and I've started again, even making some changes to the colours to make the knotwork pattern stand out a little better.



Speaking of Big Awesome Projects, this month I have been helping a friend with one of a different kind: preparing for her wedding.  It is amazing what this lady is doing with a shoestring budget and a bit of time.  All the flowers and decorations are being prepared by her and I, she is printing the paperwork herself from originals I calligraph, favours and guestbook of course, and so on.  We scoured consignment and secondhand shops for clothes for months, knowing that we could make the dresses and suits if we have to.  Her favourite approach is to go through all sorts of books, sites, and pictures, combining different details she likes and then turning to me and saying: "sure we can do that!"  Usually she's right!  It means a lot of hours puzzling out exactly how, and it's a grand lot of fun.

May your needles be ever ready and your colours never run.

March Update for WIPocalypse 2014

So this month`s theme is `Where do you stitch?"

I have lymphedema  fairly significantly, especially in the legs, so I spend a lot of time with my feet up to drain.  My favourite stitching spot at home is here. At the other end of the sofa is a small end table with a lamp that has an Ott-light bulb in it.

A slightly longer view at my favourite spot.  The place is a lovely old Edwardian building with original mouldings and some original woodwork, including the original thick hardwood floor.  Got to love living in a town with mostly old housing stock!


Sometimes when the weather is good, I`ll go out to one of the public seating areas to stitch, like at the local library.  In summer, I enjoy stitching outside, and since my place has no yard that means the waterfront or here:

Turtle Trot Progress March 2014

Ok, so a little late...

Spent most of the month sick, so progress is limited.  Still, the leopard pillow is now about 3/4 finished the center panel,

Before

Now

Eventually!

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and progressing at a reasonable pace. 







The Great Blue Heron is also well started.  Adding in the backstitching as I go along really helps bring depth.  Hard to believe there are 17 different colours already.

Done page 1 of 12

Before

Still trying to figure out the mechanics of this blog thing.  More research ...

February update for WIPocalypse 2014

So this month's topic for reflection is how many projects at a time.

Generally, I'll have at least 3 on the go.  One big one, that stays home - this is usually a high stitch count too, and I'll work on it when light, hands, and eyes are all cooperating.  I enjoy the detail of miniatures and the way colours blend from a distance, plus stitch counts over 35 per inch let me do the intricate pictures I love in a scale that I can afford to frame!

A second project with a lower stitch count - usually 16 to 22 - is for those times when I'm not quite up to the big one.  I find this second piece rotates between another big one and a smaller one to carry around. 

The third project is something I carry around all the time, for all those times of standing in line and waiting.  On the bus, in lineups, waiting rooms, all those times.  So this is smaller, often a larger stitch, maybe fewer colours; overall a small enough packet to fit in a purse or briefcase.  Pulling it out gets some strange looks, sometimes, but it's also a great conversation-starter.

Of course, this does not include the many UFOs I have whispering "finish me, finish me!"  I keep a basket of the ones closest to done near where I usually stitch, to work on when I want a change or a quick gift - or when I feel guilty for wanting to start yet another project before finishing any. 

WIPocalypse at ThreadNeedle House

Today I came across the WIPocalypse 2014 stitch-along challenge at Measi's Musings blog and decided this might be just the thing to help with my goal of less WIPs/UFOs by the ewnd of 2014 that I have at the start.

So, the deal goes: sign up, pick ufo projects to work on - adjust list as needed throughout the year - and post progress pics approximately each full moon.

This could get very interesting ...

I have way too many UFOs and need to get them finished. These include, in no particular order:

A lot of emotion in this one

Only the wolf "Silent Night" by Kayomi

This one is older than some of my children :(

Anyone know how to get boot polish out of aida?

Also on this list of UFO/WIP goals:

• Finish unto framing all of DSs dragons; unless he'd rather have them quilted, in which case finish quilt by fall.
• At least half of the smaller UFO's finished and placed.  Call it a dozen.
• Finish that blessed bracelet!

  

  44spi on 22ct hardanger

• Embroider period-appropriate finish on the 15th century Irish leine and gown still hanging on my dressmaker's form.  I need the form back.
• Complete a useable yubinuki at least neat enough that the cat stops laughing at me.
• Stitched gifts done in good time.  Including the leopard pillow currently working on.
• Beadwork pieces Victoria's Garden, Alexandra's Tears, Mother's Son, and Joyous Love.
• Stitch from stash.

Yes, I know it's a little vague.  Pictures as I go along should make it clearer. 

On the other hand keeping to the goal of stitching from my stash is much easier while I'm focusing on finishing up projects rather than starting new ones!

Turtle Trot Progress Feb 10, 2014

February Turtle Trot Progress Update!

I've joined BAP Attack's 2014 Turtle Trot, which involved choosing 10 projects to work on over the course of the year and posting updates on them monthly.  Managed a little progress this month on the leopard pillow and Great Blue Heron, while working on other things.

This one is for a gift, and the recipient was hinting to find out if it would be ready for a birthday gift this past month.  Sorry honey, not this year!  I am concentrating on this one, though, to get it done and gifted - maybe namesday or Pascha.  A little discouraging when I think of how much time I've put in vs. how much remains, but it's moving along.  Hup, hup!

Made a start on Great Blue Heron, and it's working up better than expected.  This is on lugana, over-1, and having a lot less issue with stitches slipping under the threads than the last time I worked on a linen-type fabric.  Only the bill and a bit of the face so far and really enjoying it.  Love the clarity of Crossed Wing Collection patterns!  So easy to read!


 I think this one will get it's backstitching as I go along.  Usually I'll wait till all done then backstitch all in one go.  This bird has several different colours of outlining, though, and I'm curious to see how they'll look together.

I've also been experimenting with patterns uploaded to an ereader and/or phone in an effort to find something a little more portable.  So, that's working out fine and led to further experimentation.  My new cellphone has a great camera, so I discovered that I can take a picture of the pattern segments and enlarge the section I'm working on to whatever size I need.  Yay!  No more carrying around books (eg Leopard) or fussing with huge sheets (eg GBH) or losing lines of symbols at the creases from repeated folding!  No more headaches from squinting at tiny little symbols!

Now I just need to figure out how to link this post ...
Well, time to get a stitch on.

May your needles be always sharp and your colours never fade.

Lamp comparisons

Have been trying out full-spectrum lights and discovering some interesting side effects.  Checked a sunlamp type thing, an LED Ott-light mini, and a full size fluorescent Ott-light bulb.  Each of these I gauged against actual winter daylight, both full sunshine and (more usual here) bright but overcast, as well as a standard mini fluorescent fixture.

The sunshine-type lamp just does not cut it.  The light is decidedly yellowish and surprisingly dim, barely showing up against overcast morning light.  End up getting sleepy under this light, and trying to do needlework is a lost cause.  Just can not focus clearly enough.

The Ott-light folding mini LED starts out very bright when I open it, then fades somewhat over about 10 minutes.  Still bright enough for reading, but I end up having difficulty reading colour charts.  On the other hand, found it passing strange that the actual stitching is fine, and so are black-and-white charts or books; it's just the colour chart that is difficult.  The light itself I find is a clear white, brighter than overcast but less than full sun, much better than regular fluorescent, with what I can only describe as a "wake-up" quality.  I stay more alert under this LED than under a regular lamp, and the effect is stronger if the light is shining on me rather than in front of me onto my stitching, even when the overall brightness is not much different.

The full-size Ott-light fluorescent is really helpful.  Lighting levels better than overcast, similar to sunshine but whiter.  Stitching is going much faster and easier, with less eyestrain.  There is none of that irritating background noise that standard fluorescents produce, so none of the slowly-building headache either.  It's bright without glaring, clear white light shows true tones, and it wakes me up nicely.  In fact someone who seems to have a mild case of SAD has been sitting under it a couple of hours a day and is a lot more civilized. 

Really, the only down-side I see is that these bulbs are so expensive.  Otherwise there would be one in every area where I sit to stitch.  Oh well, have to see how long a lifespan they have with the wiring and use here.

Over all, the Ott-light folding mini LED is good for travelling and is proving itself worth the investment.  The full-size Ott-light fluorescent is worth every penny for the civilizing influence alone.

Turtle Trot Progress Jan 9-10/14

Progress shot for time between sign-up (Jan 9/14) and post day (Jan 10/14).   Needless to say, only so much in a day!

This is for "Dragon"

A LOT of blending filament in this one.  Also experimenting with backstitching as I go.

"Dragon" may go back in the bag for a bit, as I intend to focus more on the "Leopard" cushion and the heron piece for a while. 

Current standings:

This one is meant to be worn.

Get this finished to free up the frame!

"Rest" is a peregrine falcon

My goal is to have "Leopard", which was supposed to be a housewarming gift for one of  my kids, finished before the anniversary of moving out!

Turtle Trot 2014 Projects

Joining in BAP Attack's Turtle Trot 2014, and posting 10 pieces of needlework to work on in 2014.  These are fairly evenly divided between new starts and works in  progress.

In no particular order of preference:

"Chivalry Sampler" from "Mythical Moments" Stoney Creek Collection #125, on off-white 18ct aida. Adapting this as a wedding record.

"Bird Song" table runner by Carol Pederson, on 32 ct linen

"Dragon" from "Mythical Moments" Stoney Creek Collection #125, on off-white 18ct aida.  This is take two - lost the first effort while traveling, after 6 months of work, when almost 2/3 complete

"Larissa" bracelet, custom design from Heronries Needlework, on white 22 ct hardanger (2 over1) with silver findings.  Finishing this one should be interesting!

```Rest```by Wendy Jones from artwork by Kayomi, on cream 18 ct aida

 "Leopard" cushion from Cats of the World in Cross Stitch by Jayne Netley Mayhew and Nicki Wheeler, on 18 ct aida

"The Rose of Sharon" by Nora Corbett for Mirabilia

"Great Blue Heron" by Paula Minkelbize for Crossed Wing Collection, #34, on pewter 25 ct lugana linen

"Unicorn" by Jan Brett, on summer sky 28 ct linen

 Last but not least, a pieced embroidered quilt with Dancing Bunnies, from " Ballerina Bunnies Alphabet".  Each block is off-white 14 ct aida

Turtle Trot 2014

I have at last chosen my 10 projects for BAP Attack's Turtle Trot 2014. 

Choosing was a bit of a struggle, between "should" and "want to".  It was also a bit shaming how many pieces I actually found started but unfinished. 

Looking at this full drawer got me thinking about why these pieces had been set aside, and why they had been started in the first place.  Some of them have been set aside for years.  Some had got "lost" in moving - shows what I subconsciously think about where I've been living, that I never got around to fully unpacking - and some had lost/damaged patterns or colour charts.  A few had been started for people who no longer wanted them, for various reasons, and I just couldn't bear completely abandon the hours of work that had already gone into them.  Some just had bad associations.

Time for a little new year's introspection, to decide what I really want out of my stitching, and what really interests me enough to finish.  If these pieces are going to have my name on them, taking up hours of my life, given with love and joy, they better be something that makes my life and the lives of those around me richer.  I choose to work on the pieces that to me mean something good: the wedding sampler celebrating the marriage of dear friends; the housewarming gift for my newly-independant offspring.  A quilt begun in infancy and set aside when I lost the pattern, continued to remind another child I have always loved her, and always will.

The birds are a big psychological step.  In one, I am taking back a bit of my identity and claiming my rightful place in the family.  The other one I started many years ago at the insistence of my husband, and set aside when his abuse got really bad; it hurt too much emotionally, perverting my love of needlework into submission to fear.  It's taken a lot of years to get past the stomach-curdling conditioned fear response to anything associated with him, but I refuse to allow him any power in my life.  That proud, wild bird is now a symbol of me and my individuality that he was too stupid to value.

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