Saturday, December 26, 2015

WIPocalypse, December 2015 - the Cold Full Moon (and Christmas Day, 2015!)

The final WIPocalypse post of the year has the theme "Recap your accomplishments for the year! "

This will be easy because this is one of the least productive stitchery years I have had in ages. Travel, a series of nasty respiratory infections and just general malaise pretty much dominated...

At the end of 2014, I set the following goal: "I hope to make 2015 a year of catching up and maybe even re-organizing my crafting space (which is currently a hot mess!). So my stitching goals are to finish what I call the "makable WIPs": the "Roll Your Own" mandalas and the blackwork sampler;  and keep up with Take a Stitch Tuesday and Crazy Quilt Journal Project. If I feel motivated, Bead Journal Project will also take it's place in this list. I will limit my goals to these, and if anything else inserts itself into my schedule, I should have the time to work on it..."

Well, I didn't do so awfully well. Let's go over this goal, point by point:

1.The "Roll Your Own Mandalas": "Bride" (the third of nine mandalas) had five colors' done and a sixth 25% complete P1010004.jpg and since January 5, I have completed "Bride" and three more mandalas ("Spawn" which consisted of "Jan", "Cindy " and "Marcia") and nearly finished the seventh, "Revenge", and the piece now looks like this:



Two to go. Not even close to a finish so that is a NOT DONE.

 2. The "Save The Stitches" blackwork sampler: On January 5, I had the outline of the sampler complete and 9 of the "blocks" "filled" Completed Outline.jpg and since that date, I have completed three more blocks Blocks 1 - 13.jpg. Not touched since April 9, 2015! Again, a NOT DONE 

3. Take a Stitch Tuesday: I didn't stitch TAST in 2015 --- it started over from the beginning and I stopped at that point. NOT ATTEMPTED

4. Crazy Quilt Journal Project: I merged this with the Bead Journal Project and completed all 12 beaded crazy blocks CQJP2015: COMPLETED (but some assembly required)

Other projects stitched on during the year were: 
  • Two Habitat for Humanity blocks for a friend's EGA charitable drive (April 16): COMPLETED
  • An embroidered quilt block for a memorial quilt for a dear friend (May 15): COMPLETED
  • A plastic Canvas butterfly ornament for a swap, started in September (September 17)  and mailed September 22. COMPLETED 
  • Three placemats for the quilt guild Meals on Wheels holiday drive, started in August (August 17) and handed in November 5, 2015: COMPLETED
I also did some border stitching on my "traveling" needlepoint project "Palm Tree Elegance", starting in mid June (June 18) and continuing, off and on, through October (October 15): NOT COMPLETE (by a long shot!)

Dare I even set goals for 2016? I know of at least one three-week road trip in the coming year (although the exact dates aren't set) so that means I may get in more stitching on the traveling needlepoint. Otherwise, it seems that there are those two massive WIPS staring me in the face: "Roll Your Own" and "Save the Stitches". Should I continue plodding along on "Roll Your Own" in hopes of having it ready for the county fair mid-summer 2016, knowing that a single mandala has been taking me, on the average, four months to complete? Or should I take a break  set up a rotation with "Save the Stitches", aiming for both to be ready for the 2017 fair? Or maybe start something else altogether and let these two BAPS go the way of UFO-dom? 





Thursday, December 24, 2015

Week Fifty-One, December 24, 2015

Only two stitching days since reporting in for International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, but I am on the last color *number 12!) for “Revenge”! 


So it’s looking good for having this part of “Roll Your Own” completed in 2015. Only two more mandalas to go! 

Now the question is, in 2016, do I try to finish “Roll Your Own”  or do I switch back to “Save the Stitches” and try to make some progress on that one. I do know for certain I will not be joining either the Crazy Quilt Journaling Project or the Bead Journaling Project Challenges. They just take up so much time and effort with little to show for it any more… While International Hermit and Stitch and WIPocalypse  don’t take away from stitchery, per se, they don’t really seem to be benefiting me any more. True, I get a few visitors to my blog as a result of them, but I don’t really like how much time it takes ME to blog the results for them and the time it takes to surf others’ blogs is time I COULD spend stitching *or* paper crafting! 


We shall see if these become New Year’s resolutions or just random firings of a holiday-exhausted brain!

Monday, December 21, 2015

International Hermit and Stitch Weekend December 18 - 20, 2015

Happy first day of winter!

I finally got back to stitching on "Revenge" after completing my last block for the 2015 combined Crazy Quilt Journal and Bead Journal Projects! I finished color #10 (of 12) and started #11!



Christmas holidays will be getting in the way of completing this mandala, I'm afraid, (although it does look like it would be doable otherwise): Christmas dinner and gift exchange at one brother-in-law's on Friday (which means cooking Wednesday night and shopping for food before that --- once husband has determined what we are supposed to bring!) and another brother-in-law and family coming up for Sunday evening/Monday morning (beds to make up! AAACK!). Still awaiting call from yet another in-law as to whether they will be able to come this weekend or not. And then there is the big bowl game for our alma mater on Wednesday night... I know I won't be able to resist watching it on the telly, and it's hard (nay, impossible) to stitch when football is on! SO it may be the New Year before I get any significant stitching done. 


Thursday, December 17, 2015

Week Fifty, December 17, 2015



This week was pretty much dominated by gatherings (meet the new coach, quilt guild holiday brunch, University President's holiday reception, lunch with my two best friends) and decorating the tree. No pictures for the gatherings but here is the tree, before and after ornaments: 



Our first ever purpose-build artificial tree (we've made do the past decade with a tree meant for outside decor).

The only stitching I did was on my Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal block. I finally finished it last night. A little Christmas greenery (is it a branch of a tree with leaves or flowers? Maybe a blooming Christmas cactus? Or maybe a deconstructed holly branch?  Who knows --- it evolved) and some snow (which we haven't gotten yet in this unseasonably warm December): 


That completes both challenges for 2015, and all I need do now is assemble the quilt/wall hanging... Right --- ALL! Considering that I have two previous years' wall hangings in various stages of assembly, finishing is easier said than done! LOL


I hope you all have a happy holiday, whichever one you celebrate, and that all your days will be merry and bright!

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Week Forty-Nine, December 10, 2015

I decided this week to try to get my December Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal block finished. I was slowed down by holiday prep and gatherings but I did manage to get all (or most of --- I haven't decided yet) the seam treatments done. Here it is, hooped and ready for beads and buttons:

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Week Forty-Eight, December 3, 2015

While I kitted up my December Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal Project block, I didn't actually do any stitching on it. 

I did, however, finish a few fill colors on "Revenge", the seventh of the "Roll Your Own Mandalas". I now have a small amount (maybe 25%) of color nine (of twelve) stitched...



What else was accomplished? Well, Thanksgiving dinner as at brother-in-laws. I was sou-chef to husbands chef as he made four pumpkin pies and two casseroles of oyster dressing to contribute to the meal. 

Then it was rivalry weekend for college football and both our master's and doctorate alma maters were playing big games. One lost, one won, both will be in their conference championship games (as will our bachelor's alma mater, which clinched the right to play weeks ago).

 In between watching football games  I put my Christmas mailing list in order (it seemed to have lost it's formatting over the years) and, together with husband, printed out mailing labels and signed, addressed, stamped and mailed 128 cards! 

Husband had never removed the lights from the tree in the front garden or the railing on the dock, so they are now lighted up at night. Next up,  interior decorating (while I love the result, I hate the work involved... so I tend to put it off but this year...).


Add to all this, prepping for the 2015 tax returns and this is a busy month --- hardly conducive to stitching. But I will try...

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Week Forty-Seven, November 26, 2015

After reporting in on WIPocalypse, I managed one more night of stitching on "Revenge" and completed color seven (of twelve):



I composed this in the morning with Thanksgiving dinner next on the agenda... dressing was in the oven, pies were done and we needed to get our act together if we were gong to be at brother-in-law's by noon! After stuffing ourselves on a traditional menu, we came home and went to bed! Three hours later, I'm awake, groggy but awake, and neither husband nor I wish to discuss food! Why do we ALWAYS overeat at Thanksgiving? 

Anyway, if you are a citizen of the US, I hope you had (are having) a Happy Thanksgiving with family and/or friends and I wish you well for the coming holiday rush.


Next up for us? Christmas cards! AAACK!

WIPocalypse 2015 - November 25 Full Beaver Moon

This month's Topic:  Which designer has inspired you to stitch the greatest number of designs and why do you think that is?

This is a hard one since I "collect" a lot of designers but don't really stitch a lot of them. For example, I have ALL of the little black cats from Calico Crossroads but haven't stitched a one (choices are harder when there are so many!). 

I do have a few Michael Powell designs stitched  - maybe two or three are framed and have won ribbons in our county fair (and I own a LOT more as yet unstitched...). I like them because of his style --- that sort of quirky, wonky, sketchy look. 

And I have stitched a few Elizabeth Almond blackwork pieces (am deep into her "Save the Stitches" sampler right now). I just like blackwork... what can I say?

There was a time when I was REALLY into Prairie Schooler, especially the ornaments. I have a LOT of those (Santas and angels, mainly). 

But mainly, I skip from designer to designer, style to style, depending on what strikes me at the moment, and, when finished, I rarely go back to the same style again. In most cases, it feels like I'm stitching the same thing, over and over, and I prefer variety.

Last WIPocalypse, my goals were as follows: 

  • Start putting in the colors on "Revenge": DONE - there are currently six colors complete and a seventh one about half finished... You can see where I stand on this project in the photo at the end of this post.
  • Quilt those three place mats (or they will have to sit around my quilting space until NEXT holiday season!): DONE, and handed in at the last guild meeting
  • Finish the November Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal block: DONE

Can you believe that? I actually accomplished what I set out to do! WOW! I can hardly believe that!

So this next month...
  • Keep on working on "Revenge"
  • Finish the December block for the crazy quilt/Bead Journal Projects


What with the holidays (and tax season coming up in January - 1099s already arriving in the mail), that may well be all I can hope  to accomplish. Stitching is going to be a bit iffy in the next month or so, I fear and this will probably be one of my least productive stitching years ever.



Monday, November 23, 2015

International Hermit and Stitch Weekend 2015, November 20 - 22

This was the weekend for staying in and stitching. Football on television, snow on Sunday --- what better excuses, right?

But for some reason, I had trouble motivating and didn't stitch every day, so my progress is miniscule.


I worked at color #5 (of 12) on "Revenge", the seventh of the "Roll Your Own Mandalas". It is almost done --- I'd estimate a little less than 50% complete:



Thursday, November 19, 2015

Week Forty-Six, November 19, 2015

Another mixed week... a football game  with our arch-rival Tuesday night (which we lost, AGAIN, sixth year in a row! And we have - had? - the best quarterback in the country and one of the ten best receivers as well! Well, we did. QB threw two interceptions and fumbled once; receiver caught only three passes for a total of only 32 yards...). If it hadn't been for the other receiver (two phenomenal one-handed passes in the end zone for touchdowns), the score would have been even more lopsided than it was! Even so...

Needless to say, that night was a no-go for stitching. And I was still on a downer on Wednesday when the weather-induced sinus headache came back (still sitting behind my right eye) so no stitching last night either. 

Here's hoping this next week fares better, although family Thanksgiving (we are responsible for the turkey this year --- cooked at our house and transported to theirs? Huh? Whose bright idea? My husband and his brother, of course!) so I suspect Wednesday will be a lost day as will Thursday.

Anyway, here is "Revenge", the seventh of the "Roll Your Own" mandalas, with four of the twelve fill colors completed and the fifth barely underway:




Here's hoping I get somewhere further on this...

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Week Forty-Five, November 12, 2015

I can't believe it but I actually stitched this week and I'm making some progress on "Revenge"! I am on color three of twelve:



I also have a completion to report: my Crazy Quilt /Bead Journal Project block for November. LOts of leaves, falling and otherwise, seem to be what is characterizing this warmer-than-usual, but windy, November. Also, it seems to be darker this month, mainly due to longer nights, but also to overcast skies. So my block is darker than the rest of the quilt blocks have been, and has swirly winds and lots of blowing leaves...




Quilt guild meets tonight but I hope to get back into my stitching routine Friday. There is a night football game (with our big rivals) next Tuesday night and there will probably be Thanksgiving planning going on as well, but I still hope to see a lot more color in "Revenge" by next Thursday!

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Week Forty-Four, November 5, 2015Week Forty-Four, November 5, 2015

That pesky cold is back again, along with a sprained lower back… Yesterday morning was husband’s high school class monthly breakfast so we had to get up early to get there.  

And then there was last night — a night football game, kick-off at 8PM. It was televised so each 15 minute quarter lasted an hour (we finally gave up and left at 11 PM, end of the third quarter, when our team was leading 48 - 17). It was warm for November (70 at kickoff) and the President’s Suite was crowded with people (there are 35 seats, give or take a few, but there were a LOT of people standing as well) and since it’s a close space, it was HOT in there. With this cold starting up again, I wasn’t too keen on staying for the whole game, however much I love my Falcons, and I surely wasn’t going to take up my needlework when we arrived home around Midnight!  

Final Score 62 - 24!

So I wasn’t very good for stitchery this week.

I did get some work done, however. I quilted (!!!). Those three place mats are finished and ready to take to guild next Thursday night. I know that the Meals on Wheels gifting is currently oversubscribed but some others have stepped up with nursing, assisted living and retirement homes as possible recipients so I will take my poor first attempts at serious quilting in and hope they get good homes…
Here they are, front and back…


Placemat #1 - front

Placemat #1 - back

Placemat #2 - front
Placemat #2 - back





Placemat #3 - front
Placemat #3 - back


I also started the color fill on the Roll Your Own Mandala “Re #3 0venge; color # 1 is roughly 1/4 complete:




Cold permitting this next week looks pretty much unencumbered by events. Also, I’m hoping I can stitch all day long Friday night/Saturday when husband will be off daylily conferencing. 

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Week Forty-Three, October 29, 2015

What a difference two days makes in stitching. despite a new bout of ripping out (upper left corner this time), I FINISHED the outline for "Revenge" late last night!



I even managed to put in a few more stitches on the outline for "Rematch" (I had some black stands left and didn't want to mess with them tangling in my project bag):



Here si what "Roll Your Own looks like as of October 28, 2015:



Now, on to color! YAY!

WIPocalypse 2015 - October 27 - Hunter's Moon

This month's topic is "Are there any fibers or materials used in stitching that you’re nervous to try?" I'd have to say "not really". I think I've tried most of the fibers out there and while I don't LIKE to use some of them (metallics, rayons, even linens), I can use any of them if pressed. I have to admit my favorite is silk, but I can't really afford silk in quantity so I tend to stick with my old stand-by DMC six-stranded cotton.

Last month, My goals were (not necessarily in the order listed):
  • finish outline of "Revenge" ===  75% DONE
  • put some stitches into "Save the Stitches" blackwork === NOT done
  • Design and prepare the base blocks for the Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal Project for October, November and December === DONE
  • Complete the October blocks for the Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal Project === DONE  
  • Quilt three placemats for the quilt guild holiday project === NOT done (but I did load the bobbin!)
Also, while away at a paper crafting class, I put in some stitches into the border of my traveling needlepoint "Palm Tree Elegance"  (I thought I had two night football games last month but I was wrong --- they are in the next three weeks...).

Considering I wasn't feeling that "stitchy" all month, this wasn't too bad.

Next month, my goals are:
  • Start putting in the colors on "Revenge"
  • Quilt those three place mats (or they will have to sit around my quilting space until NEXT holiday season!)
  • Finish the November Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal block

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Week Forty-Two, October 22, 2015

Since last week, there was a Cross Stitch Crazy "Stitchathon" and the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, so I did get in some stitching. At this point in time, I am on page five (of six) of "Revenge"... and the outline is nearly 3/4 complete!




I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I sure hope it isn't the train coming in the other direction!

Monday, October 19, 2015

International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, October 16 - 18

I plugged away at "Revenge" in Roll Your Own. And when I say plugged, I really mean fogged. That lower left corner was ripped out three times due to silly one-off miscounts. But I finally got the third page done and the outline is now half complete!

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Week Forty-One, October 15, 2015

Last Thursday was taken up by quilt guild and the  this past weekend was pretty much taken up with paper crafting classes in Michigan, but I did take my travel bag with me and stitched a little on "Palm Tree Elegance" on Friday evening, which was last touched in June when we were in Atlanta!The leopard spot border now has it's second color half done!


Then, Monday and Tuesday were taken up by catching up on sleep, visiting the dentist, the optometrist, the grocery store and the gas station and I didn't get around to more stitching until Wednesday night (last night) when I put in a couple of hours on the Roll Your Own mandala outline for "Revenge". I now  have the entire bottom outline at least placed, if not fully stitched:


So how will this coming week work out? Well, I have a papercrafting challenge to prepare, but that should only take a few hours. But today and tomorrow are pretty much marred by very early rising (4:45) so we could make the 6 AM starts of the first two days of the public radio fund-raiser... That in itself doesn't mean much until one realizes that I come home exhausted and crash, sleeping at least four more hours of the day away and waking, feeling groggy. Whether or not I will be able to focus on stitchery those two nights is doubtful.

On the other hand, this week is Stitchathon week for the Cross Stitch Crazy gang, and the weekend is International Hermit and Stitch Weekend for October. These are always always stimuli for my stitchery.


Hope springs eternal, as they say, but I hope I will have a completed out line by next Thursday!

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Week Forty, October 8, 2015

Well, I managed to “force” myself to try to live up to the goals I posted in the latest WIPocalypse: I stitched! Every night! Not sure it was really enjoyable, but I did get a good bit accomplished, despite a lot of competition from various events in out lives.

First of all, over the weekend, I planned out, gridded, and assembled the blocks for October, November and December in the Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal Project for 2015:





That took the whole  weekend working on my sewing machine (which still hates me!). Heck, I even managed to load a bobbin in the right color for quilting placemats! 

Then, I alternated stitching on the October block and “Roll Your Own” (“Revenge”). What resulted was a completed October block (The beading is pretty sparse --- just couldn't come up with more than scattered beads and a few lines…):



and one corner of the outline for “Revenge”  nearly complete:



Tonight is quilt guild  and this weekend a Dyan Reavley Art Journaling class, so I won’t get a lot more done until next week (I may take my traveling needlepoint along to the journaling class to work on evenings)… And next week is further complicated by a dentist appointment (always puts me off anything for the entire day — purely psychological, but…). And the following weekend starts off with two early (VERY early)  morning volunteer sessions on the phone banks for the local public radio station ( have to get up at 4 AM in order to be there at 6 AM, and that ruins the day for this night owl). Maybe my stitching mojo will get a rest and come back in November, refreshed and eager to go. Maybe…

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Week Thirty-nine, October 1, 2015

The best laid plans and all that. I posted for WIPocalypse and had plans to stitch for three straight nights on "Roll Your Own". Well, on Monday, I started and ended up ripping out a lot of stitches, fudging a few more and fighting knots and tangles on the back of my fabric. It ot so frustrating that I only stitched three strands before giving up, and that frustration lasted for the next two nights. Not a lot accomplished (although I am into the third page of six, the first two pages were only partial pages so I'm not even halfway done with the outline...):


and at this rate, this BAP may last well into 2016!

And what is more, my ambition to begin assembly of the base blocks for my October, November and December Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal Project also went by the wayside (need to clean up my work space so I have room to assemble), as did quilting those guild holiday challenge placemats (Need to change bobbin thread --- NOT my favorite activity on the machine which hates me!).  My stitching mojo is just plain NOT on residence...



Monday, September 28, 2015

WIPocalypse 2015 - September

Harvest Moon, Super Moon, Blood Moon, Total eclipse of the Moon! And all celebrating the death of my pizza stone (the stone cracked from side to side, to paraphrase the Scottish Play!) and my birthday! What an event. 

And now it's time to report in for WIPocalypse, where the topic of the moon is "Where do you buy most of your stitching supplies?"

Sadly, online, when I do buy, as we have no local needlework shop and the big box stores aren't very good about keeping what stock they do have up to date. 

I have a fairly large stash of DMC and Anchor which I "shop". so, lately,  I haven't bought much except for the odd skein of DMC when I find I have none of the right color (This shortage, by the way, is becoming more and more frequent.). I try to shop the DMC store online if possible for threads.

I do subscribe to a number of magazines and a few online sites, and, in the rare event that a pattern appeals to me (most, sadly, do not - altogether too twee for my taste), I will use them as my chart source. I rarely buy kits anymore if I can help it as I'm no fan of being shorted on threads or fabric (which has happened all too often in the past) and I try to avoid AIDA  (which most kits come with) at all costs.

As for fabric, I've been shopping my stash, although I am running low on the larger cuts and evenweaves so may have to splurge out in 2016. 

When I do buy charts, fabric and/or specialty threads, my shop of choice  is Needle in a Haystack in Alameda, CA (a treasure trove of goodies and a staff without equal! If they don't have it, they will try and find it, and I can't fault them for their service or their quality.).

So, last WIPocalypse, I set the following goals:

  • September block for the Crazy Quilt Journal/ Bead Journal Projects (the block is assembled --- embellishment with stitchery and beads is all (yeah, all!) that is required = DONE
  • Start on "Rematch of Roll Your Own", trying to get at least the outline completed and placement of "Revenge" and "Return" established. = Placement DONE

  • and "Revenge" outline underway. Here is what it looks like now:



I did divert from my goals, however, to complete a plastic canvas ornament which will be
part of a card/gift swap next month, and that meant I didn't stitch much at all on my two
BAPs.


So I will reset those goals, modify them somewhat, and add a few more for next month! My goals will be (not necessarily in the order listed):

  • finish outline of "Revenge"
  • put some stitches into "Save the Stitches" blackwork
  • Design and prepare the base blocks for the Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal Project for October, November and December
  • Complete the October blocks for the Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal Project
  •  Quilt three placemats for the quilt guild holiday project


All this assumes that a weekend away at a papercrafting class and two football games (both mid-week night games) don't chase away my still rather fragile stitching mojo!



Thursday, September 24, 2015

Week Thirty-eight, September 24, 2015

After finishing that butterfly clip on Monday evenig, I didn't stitch a single stitch. We have house guests, and tonight is preview night at public television for "Indian Summers",  so I doubt I will get around to stitching anything at all until the weekend... which will lead up to WIPocalypse September. I'll post again then...



Meanwhile, happy autumn to all in the Northern Hemisphere!



Tuesday, September 22, 2015

A Completion

An ornament completion… Designer - Charlette’s Collections; from the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Issue, 2015, On plastic canvas, using DMC floss, Mill Hill Beads, Beading Wire and one 1/4” butterfly paperclip.



And never again! Never again will I try a finish like this one. Agreed, it’s unusual, and interesting and all but trying to whip stitch such small pieces together around the arms of a butterfly clip, with the thread catching on everything from the edges of the plastic canvas to the beads on the wings, is not something for  my klutzy fingers to attempt. If all the swearing done when working on this little insect attaches itself to the insect itself, then there is some very bad karma associated with this soon-to-be- gifted ornament.

Oh well, perhaps the end result is worth the effort to the recipient, assuming it survives the mailing….

Here is a step by step of it’s assembly and how it looks in various views.

Wings on the clip, top view,side view and with clip arms straight out:




Body and antennae made of beading wire (finally got an in-focus photo that my computer would accept!):



Body and antenna after wire stitched to bottom of body:


Completed butterfly from top, from bottom and with clip arms straight out after body is attached (supposed to be glued but none of my glues held so I sewed it on!):

 



Maybe the substitution of DMC for braid wasn't the best idea for coverage, especially for the whip stitching around the edges but I didn't have any braid of the colors I wanted and, besides, I hate stitching with it so it would have been an even more unpleasant stitching experience!


This ornament/"small flat gift" took six nights of stitching, from start to finish. The card, which is the main focus of the swap, will likely take me only half a day! Somehow, I think I overthought this whole swap thing!

Monday, September 21, 2015

International Hermit and Stitch Weekend 2015 - September 17 - 19

I actually managed to squeeze a little stitching in around university awards events this weekend... and finish up the pieces of an ornament meant for a Christmas swap. 

Here are the pieces I stitched this weekend:



and a closeup of the beading on the pieces I stitched during the week:




I tried to get a photo of the beaded butterfly body but it is so out-of-focus (my camera isn't meant for utra-closeups) that my computer wouldn't load it!. 

Anyway, here are all the pieces of the ornament, prior to assembly (the wings are to be whip-stitched together, wrong-side to wrong side over the arms of a 1/4" butterfly clip and the body is hot-glued to the clip body, covering a pair of wire antennae (which I have yet to construct):




Now back to "Roll Your Own", hoping to get at least some stitching on it done before houseguests arrive Wednesday...