Blind Update

I've completed the first two parts of the three-part Double Secret Super Classified Oh So Mysterious Project! Woohoo! I'm really happy with what's been completed, it's a great design and I'm making pretty good progress.

No pictures, of course. :D Just an update.

And, I've settled on what I'll be doing next for my son. Little Man needs a new backpack. He's 4 and in preschool, but he's still carrying around the teeny tiny Scooby Doo backpack he's had since he was 2! So, I think we'll get him a plain colored Jansport type backpack, and I'll stitch a few patches and mount them on velcro. That way he can change up the design whenever he wants! He's picked out a fish that he likes, and I'll find a few other patterns for him as well. I'm looking forward to it!!

The Elephant In The Room

Oh how I wish I could share my Double Secret Super Classified Oh So Mysterious Project pictures, because I'm making a lot of progress on that! But, alas, the wall must be maintained.

So, I'm dragging out this old project which I have been dutifully ignoring for almost 3 years. :) I am very much a project-oriented person. I like to start things and finish them, and I hate a big pile of loose ends. Trying to plow through this enormous project was a big part of why I burnt out on cross stitching and set it aside for years.

This pattern is for my Dad. He actually has this print up on his wall, so I thought I'd cross stitch it for him.

As you can see, it's huge. And it has a lot of very similar colors (the better to go blind with, my dear!) as well as metallic threads (SO hard to work with!). To make matters worse, I stitched this much of it before I realized that the background portion was supposed to be stitched over two squares.

So, I had to scrap it all and start again. I got this far before I neatly folded it back up in it's envelope, put it aside and set about the business of pretending it didn't exist.

Now that I'm embracing the idea of rotation, it's time to start entertaining the idea of thinking about the possibility of maybe someday thinking about picking this one back up. lol

A Top Secret Project

I just started this piece last night. Thanks to an Internet fairy named Wendy for helping me find the pattern. I have to be cryptic because this is for someone who reads the blog. Hi someone! :)

This is my first time working with a 32 ct fabric. Actually, my first time working with anything but 14 ct aida. It took some getting used to! I'm working one over one (thanks tkdchick ;) because I need the piece to stay very small.

I won't be able to post any further progress on this one because it's going to start taking shape very soon. I'll put up the finished pieces as soon as I can!

BackStitching is BS

Ok, not really. But, I couldn't resist. :) I have a few more leaves to backstitch, some curlie-q's and then I need to figure out what color to use to backstitch the perimeter of the A since I changed the color from the chart. Then, I'm done!

I also realized that I'm not the sharpest needle in the pin cushion as it turns out I actually *do* have the colors needed to backstitch the N as well. I was just reading the chart wrong. So, there goes my excuse to buy the full set of DMC. For now...

And, I'm going to start working on a project for my son, who has been patiently requesting something anything just for him. That should come as a relief, since you all have to be as bored of these letters as I am by now!

Big A, Little Progress

I've done a little more stitching on the A. Not a lot as I've been tutoring every night this week. I really love the colors in this one. But, I'm not happy about how the blue stitches in the butterfly look very x-ey. There's no backstitching on that area in the design, but I think I'm going to have to add some to tone down the Frankenstein vibe.

Next, I need to finish up the butterfly, add some leaves, backstitch and then this one will be done! Now, I'm starting to have to think about how on Earth I'm going to get these into a quilt. :P I'm going to try to find a quilter in my area to sew the stitching and other patches together - I'll do the cutting. Any thoughts on what would be a reasonable price for me to offer...?

Two steps forward, one step back.

I finished the cross stitching on the "N"! Woohoo! Then, I went to start the backstitching and realized I had ignored the backstitch column when I went thread shopping, so I don't have any of the colors I need. Boohoo!


So, I put it a little more work on the "A" instead. I'm kind of digging the black. Adds a little edge! Once the butterfly fills in, the two patches will coordinate more as the colors are in both designs.

The Cross-Stitcher's Complete Companion

I've done my share of patterns that just don't work out. In my experiences, the designer usually either picked funky colors that aren't true to the picture, got overly complicated or overly simple.

Every design I've done out of The Cross-Stitcher's Complete Companion has come out beautifully! Of what I've posted, Twinkle Toes and Jungle Love were from this book. I've found the designs and colors very nice and the fractional stitches kept to an absolute minimum without sacrificing detail. And that keeps you zipping through the designs!

The number of motifs are staggering and there are a lot of tips on finishes and technique that are very helpful for a relative novice like myself.

Slowly coming along...

While these patches are for a crib sized quilt for my daughter, at this rate, they may make it in time for a queen sized quilt wedding gift. :)

Haven't mentioned yet that these designs are from Butterfly Garden Alphabet by Carol Schmidt and Leisure Arts.

Twinkle Toes

Just finished this little ballerina last night! This has to be one of my favorites of all the things I've stitched. This was made for my cousin to give to her friend. I think I'm going to have to do another one for my daughter! The only thing I'm not thrilled about is the backstitching on the skirt, which I think would have been nicer in a dark blue. If I do this pattern again, I'll change that.

This is yet another bib to be worn by yet another bear for yet another baby. :) Ah, Spring.

A Little Progress

I've made a little progress on the N for Baby A's quilt. I really love the colors on these initials. I have a book with all 26 letters, and the three I am using (A, N & M) all have very similar color schemes - and one that goes with the colors we already have in her room! I only had to change the color for the actual letter on A, and I pulled it out of another place in the design. It feels very serendipitous that it's all come together like that!

Lauren's Lamb

Today's baby bib is a present to a treasured friend whose baby turns one today. Mom loves Care Bears and stars and this was the perfect combination of the two! The only thing that isn't perfect is this darn lamb, but I couldn't find the perfect white bear to wear this special little bib.

I was also inordinately pleased with my wrapping job, so I tossed up a picture of that too. :)

Jungle Love

The latest projects, leaving the house today. (Hopefully.) These were made for a friend who recently had her second baby and whose first baby will be two next week.

I designed this as a nameplate for a bedroom door, but it could - of course - be hung wherever Howard's little heart desires.

The lion of backstitching fame and the bear who wears him.