My Week In Stitches

Sorry I'm a little late this weekend.  I'm not one for crazy-busy Saturdays - I like to really take a day off, sleep in, get some things done around the house.  But yesterday my church hosted the annual Community Block Party, and I'd volunteered to help.  So that was a long hot day.  I also spent a good portion of the day waiting for the cell phone store to call me and tell me I could pick up my new phone!  Their computers were down in the morning, and they couldn't process purchases unless they were with cash.

So after the block party I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening playing with my new toy serious electronic device used only for communication. ;)  I'm not really into gadgets.  I had a smartphone for a little over a year, and it died tragically when I was talking on the phone to the bestie while making pizza dough.  No, I didn't drop it in the dough, but I did manage to get raw dough in the charge port.  Smartphones don't work when they can't be charged.  I got an inexpensive replacement, but it didn't even have a camera!  This one has 2!  It's nice to feel fully connected - I can get back to Instagram and tweeting more often.  And I can use Evernote on my phone again - I think I've told you before, I put my knitting and crochet patterns in Evernote, that way I don't need to carry paper patterns with me every where I go.  Love it.

Back to stitching!  I finished part of the baby gift, and I've met all my stitching goals for July!  Yay me!

Fairy Sisters - I was able to get some work done on the wings - all this shade of navy blue is done for both pages.  And I started on the black wing.  Next week I'd like to finish all the black wing and start on the big sister's hair:

Irish Blessing - the blackwork border is done.  Now I think it's time for some words!

I really need to stop photographing this in natural light - it washes out the colors.  From now on, ugly-harsh lamp light for this one!

My Week In Stitches

Thank you for all the nice comments on my posts last week.  You're all so supportive, I love the crafty blogosphere!

It's strange to think that at this time last year I was in Las Vegas with my friends, knitting poolside during the day and going out and having fun at night.

Most of what I worked on this past week was the baby gift for my friend, so there are no pictures on this.  But there's a little bit on Fairy Sisters and Irish Blessing!

Irish Blessing - I pulled this out and worked on it Tuesday night during the All-Star Game, while tweeting (I also worked on it some on Wednesday).  So if you follow me on Twitter, yes I was really stitching and tweeting at the same time.  Here's proof:

I was able to do quite a bit more of the blackwork border, and I'm glad I stayed with this moss green color - once I did the return trip it stands out quite a bit more.

Fairy Sisters - I was able to finish the edge of the moon.  I was hoping to finish all of this color, but my mom and I went to a movie Friday night, so I didn't get as much stitching time in.  But this still meets my July goal of "weekly progress"!!  All that's left of the current color is one of the wings.  I think next week will be all about wings!

Okay!  I'm off to get my hair did - I'm getting highlights for the first time ever.  I've always been a box-color girl.  But my friend has talked me into an even more updated look, so I'm going to do it!  Have a great week, and happy stitching, everyone!

I Told You It Would Be Celtic!

Welcome, Pinners!  I'm blown away every time I see someone has pinned this design - I'm glad you like it or are inspired by it.  If you stitch it, will you share a picture with me?  I may feature some in a future post.  Thanks! - drea

It's less of a sampler, I think.  Although it does feature several different kinds of stitches, it's really an embellished Irish blessing.  And here it is in .jpg - I think you can right-click and "save as":

I've left it at symbols so you can choose your own colors.  But if you want to use the colors in my original design, here's a little help - (I can't figure out how to show the symbols with the color numbers):

Blue (upper left corner) - 820
Green (lower left corner) - 701
Red (upper right corner) - 321
Gold (lower right corner) - 167

Hopefully that will help you match up the symbols to the colors I used.  Or you can choose your own!

Edited!  I figured out how to turn it into a pdf AND share it here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Click here to access the pdf file, which includes a real symbol and color key!

Specialty stitches - in the center, the red is a Smyrna Cross (large X with a + over it) and the green is a Double Leviathan (you could also do a large eyelet here).  The blue is Crow's Foot - Montenegrin would be pretty as well.  And the long stitches cover 5 threads.  You should note that the points where the red and green run together is 4 long stitches!  (I'm working my way into Bargello.)  The blue border is blackwork.

Grid is 100x160 - actual design area is 92x154.  If you stitch this, I'd love to see your finished piece.  I hope I'll have time to stitch it myself soon!

Enjoy!

Last week in stitches

I'm not sure I like the picture upload changes Blogger's made.....I still can't move them around the way I want, and now it won't add them all at once.  Hmmm.  Whatever.  But I did notice the "strikethrough" font option at the top, and that makes me happy.  Now if they'll just add it to the "list" gadget, it would be perfect.

Sunday - BoInk - a little more yellow frame

Tuesday - Fairy Sisters - very little accomplished, but at least I pulled it out this week

Blackwork Biscornu - Secret Sister gift

I'm pretty sure my secret sister doesn't read my blog...if she does, well, her gift isn't finished yet and the reveal is on Saturday, so I guess it's all good, lol.  She does a lot of crafting and quilting, so I'm making her a biscornu for her pins, featuring the blackwork design I stitched for Karina's scissor pocket (although I'm using a different filling stitch in the hearts).  Purple is one of her favorite colors, and she always dots the "i" in her name with a flower. :)

We did get a car Saturday!  Thanks for the thoughts and prayers - we got a 1995 forest green Jeep Grand Cherokee.  It actually had the fewest miles on it of any of the cars we looked at, even though it was the oldest.  There are a few things that will need to be repaired, but the engine is solid, and that's the biggest thing.  And we discovered that an adult and 2 booster seats will fit comfortably in the back seat, so that makes longer car trips for our family much more likely!  And now I can make mid-week post office runs and all those kinds of things, so I feel less "trapped" in my house, lol.

An exchange found it's way to Egypt!

I heard from Karina (via Nita - thank you) that 1) she's received the scissor pocket I sent and 2) she's having computer problems. The computer thing seems to be going around - I think I'll feed mine some extra Vitamin C when I'm done here. If I get done here - is anyone else having trouble posting? FYI - this sat for an hour waiting to "contact Blogger".

So here are some pictures of the pocket I sent her - the design is my own blackwork, inspired by the background fabric. Even thought the portion that really inspired it - longish heart-shaped leaves - isn't showing.

my own design: Blackwork Heart Bouquet

28-count black Monaco

3 shades of pink DMC

(this is a "glue-drying" pic - note the pins)

Here's a close-up of the lace trim - from Kristi's tutorial. Her pictures are much better.

Have I mentioned recently how great it is to be part of an online community? Thanks to everyone who shares new techniques, patterns, finishes - and shares instructions. I think I told you all, I took careful notes and lots of pictures while I was finishing this. So the favor will be returned shortly! :)

Saturday update

So today's update has progress and...a finish!!!

First, BoInk. I completed the upper-center motif - kind of like a phoenix, I think. So the whole upper portion is DONE!!!!!!!!! I also started the yellow frame on the right-hand cross. Hallie was looking at this piece and noticed the large crosses, and I said, "Look at the squares, there are crosses between the stitches." She looked closer and found a bunch of them!

And my finish. #1 of the 3-part snowflake ornie set - a humbug! I decided not to participate in the TTE2 humbug exchange, but the finishes have been so cute, and I like how the large center snowflake wraps around the front. I also finished the biscornu ornie, but I forgot to take a pic. I'm also thinking that piece #3 will be a beaded snowflake, if I can remember where I put them. :)

And in a case of my "best laid plans", I'm also ready to start finishing the minty ornies. So I went to find my Peppermint Oil (we've had it since Hallie was a baby, something about my grandmother used to give babies a taste of candy canes when their tummies were upset...), and guess what. I couldn't find the Peppermint Oil. We've had it for almost 7 years, moved it umpteen times, and THIS time I can't find it when I finally have a use for it. Fortunately, the spiraly-ness and the color scheme are strong enough to convey that it should smell like mint. Besides, peppermint oil doesn't really smell like a candy cane, I need spearmint or wintergreen or something. (This is how I justify things in my real life, too...)

Weekend update

I was cruising blogs this morning before stitching, and found a reminder from Anna about a stitching challenge. I agreed to this and forgot about it. Found the image of the pattern a few days ago on my computer and thought I'd already missed it. I haven't! Yay! So I'll add it to my stitching rotation after the blogoversary stuff is done.

BoInk - you can see that my "fix" will work! I'm a little giddy. Not as much as I was Sunday evening when I finished that "foot", but still. I may cheat and start a motif tomorrow. I think I've earned it.

Blackwork ornament - I'm playing with texture and thread plies. And yes, I'm making a one-sided ornament - I have several scraps of purple fabric that will make a nice back.

Do I have anything else to show? I don't think so. So I'll just show you all a picture from the baseball game from my trip to Seattle - a Ken Griffey, Jr. double. Gorgeous. And I can't believe I caught it. Digitally :)

And a pic from our trip to the zoo on Thursday - this tortoise was hanging out next to his (her?) pool and looked up when I said "Hi, Tortoise!" (I will admit that may have been a coincidence.) So I got a great shot over the fence.

Blackwork attempt!

My first attempt at blackwork. I'm really happy, so far! This is the blackwork "hope" ornament pattern for Stitching for a Cure. It seems to stitch up quickly - I did the outer frame in a couple of hours last night and the inner motif in a couple of hours this afternoon. There's a little more for the inside - stitching and beads. I'm still deciding if I'll add the charted "HOPE" at the bottom. You will be seeing more blackwork from me!

Oh, and because I can't stand not showing things I'm working on, here's a sneak peek at the Blogoversary give-away. Hardanger, again! :)