2014 - Staying Connected, Week Forty-Seven

Since this was an International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, I did a lot of stitching (and a completion) that I reported about Sunday. Since Sunday, however, I did accomplish a few more things...

Take a Stitch Tuesday 2014, Stitch 140, is the last for the year while Sharon B takes a well-deserved holiday hiatus. It wasn't a difficult stitch to do (although my cable chain doesn't look quite right) and so the Threaded Cable Chain is now on my latest "Page" of stitch samples:

Here is the finished page, Page 4 for 2014:

The stitches are #131 Beaded Lock Stitch, #132 Kiko's Flower, #133 Triple Chain, #134 Fern, #135 Beaded Fern, #136 Knotted Buttonhole, #137 Beaded Knotted Buttonhole, #138 Barb, #139 Beaded Barb and #140 Threaded Cable Chain.

I also got to work on "Save the Stitches", frogging a short piece from assignment thirteen's outline (if you look closely, you can see where the linen was distorted from the frogging - I hope that the fill stitches will cover that) and completing outlines for assignment fourteen and most of assignment fifteen:

Only assignments 16 - 21 to go (to say nothing of the remaining five or so assignments that I expect to be in the piece)!

No progress on the November Bead Journal Project and not likely to be in this month of November what with Thanksgiving ton Thursday to prepare for (husband's brother, highly pregnant picky eater niece *and* niece's husband are coming to our house! AAARGH), the last university home football game of the season on Friday (we have tickets in the President's Box --- third time this season!),  a potential house guest this weekend. What is more, I'm starting the year off on Monday with an annual eye exam which means dilated pupils and no close vision for at least 24 hours (my eyes take forever to recover from those drops)! Also, to add more pressure to this pot, in addition to Christmas and all that comes with that holiday (Cards to address and mail; gifts to select, wrap and mail; trees to decorate, and the family Christmas get-together), coming up in December are the December BJP (AAACK!)and the December Crazy Quilt Journal block. It's like one step forward and two steps back!

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Stitches ##138 and 139

This week's stitches were the Barb Stitch and the Beaded Barb Stitch.

I found this stitch easy to do and like the final look of it as well.

2014 - Staying Connected, Week Forty-Three

I did get some work done at guild retreat, although I forgot to take my handwork with me and ran out of things to do by dinner on the first full day! Didn't help that I was so very sleepy the entire time adn had very little focus...

Anyway, here are the pieces I did work on...

November block for Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2014:

Blocks January - September for the 2014 Crazy Quilt Journal Project assembled (blocks for October and November are awaiting December for final assembly):

The 2013 Crazy Quilt Journal Project blocks assembled (needs borders, backing and binding):

The 2013 Bead Journal Project assembled (needs borders, backing and binding):

Also worked on this week were the John Clayton Golfer (one new color added - DMC 321):

the Roll Your Own mandala "Bride" - finished second and third colors and working on the fourth:

and Take a Stitch Tuesday ##136 and 137, Knoitted Buttonhole and Beaded Buttonhole bands (the latter is a little rough given that I kept losing my place):

I also skimmed the fourth, and final, lesson in Pillowpalooza and will be preparing my homework assignment this weekend.

2014 - Staying Connected, Week Forty-Two

Despite all the interference with stitching for the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend,  I did manage to get motivated and get some pieces finished this week:

October Bead Journal Project - "Bat Bird":

Take a Stitch Tuesday #124 - Beaded Fern Stitch (shown here along with the two rows I did for #134, Fern Stitch):

I also made a start on the sporting themed piece I want to enter in next year's fair, a John Clayton golf chart. Lots of colors, lots of vertical and horizontal half cross stitch but no backstitching. Should be interesting! One color (DMC 666) completed:

And I worked on the Roll Your Own mandala, "Bride", almost completing color #2:

I read through Lesson Three in the PillowPalooza class form Funk & Weber but have yet to complete this week's assignment. 

No progress on "Save the Stitches"...

This next weekend is as booked up as last weekend was: dentist on Thursday for the final fitting a a new crown , which probably means I won't be worth much Thursday afternoon and evening! Friday through Sunday is our quilt guild retreat. I need to get something together to work on for those few days and I will probably take my traveling needlepoint with me as well, so th weekend won't be a total loss, stitchery-wise.

2014 - Staying Connected, Week Forty-One

In the past week, I have completed five 4.5" square crazy blocks for swapping at the guild retreat (Technique taught by Mary Lee G at guild on the 9th of October. I have yet to master working with small pieces so my scraps are a little on the large side..):

the October Crazy Quilt Journal block (I do much better using a foundation and a larger blocks size (these are 6" square finished):

and the Take a Stitch Tuesday Stitch # 134 (Fern stitch). Played a little with adding beads to the "spine" of the fern...:

I have read through lesson two in Pillowpalooza and am preparing the homework assignment for that class for posting this weekend.

I also started the color filling on "Bride" in the Roll Your Own mandala series (One color (very light blue- if you squint you can just make it out) complete and the second nearly a quarter complete)

:

the beading on my October Bead Journal Project ("Bat Bird"?):

and the quilting on my guild retreat challenge block (An attempt at stitching "in the ditch".Missed that ditch in a lot of places! Only the binding to go.):

I am a little more sleep deprived than usual, given the need to be up and ready for the washing machine repairman on Monday (a blocked drain filter) and the house cleaner today. And it won't get any better in the next few days as we have the early shifts on both Thursday and Friday at the local public radio telephone banks (need to be there at 6 AM! AAACK), and there is Legacy Weekend at the University with a football game viewed from the President's Box on Saturday (which means Saturday will be both adrenalin filled/ stressed out and off limits for stitching most of the day). So, even though this coming weekend is International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, it looks like I will only have Sunday for unimpeded stitchery. 

I think I am going to give up on trying to catch up. Trying is jst adding more stress to the mix, and stress makes me avoid stitchery in favor of just about ANYTHING else!. 

2014 - Staying Connected, Week Forty

In this past week, I have completed Stitch #133 for Take a Stitch Tuesday (the Triple Chain):

finished the outline for "Bride" in the RYO mandala series from Tracy Horner:

assembled the basic block for my October Crazy Quilt Journal piece:

and kitted out my October Bead Journal piece.

Not bad, considering my ailing stitching mojo and the ever-present frog on"Bride'! I also completed a can't-put-it-down darn-it-it's-a-cliffhanger-ending book by Deborah Crombie ("To Dwell in Darkness") which I highly recommend (If you aren't current on her James-Kinkaid series, it might help to read the earlier book in the series "The Sound of Broken Glass" to set the stage before embarking on this page turner).

I have high hopes for stitching in the coming week, even though Thursday is likely to be a lost cause (in addition to the October quilt guild meeting which wipes out the evening stitching period, I have a dentist appointment in the AM for prep work on a crown for an upper-left molar that is about to part company with it's antique filling if something isn't done soon. AAARGH! But the weekend is International Hermit and Stitch Weekend and that is a great motivation to get me working on the long neglected "Save the Stitches"!

2014 - Staying Connected, Week Thirty-nine

It's been a very non-productive week. Since last week, I have stitched more on the outline for "Bride":

and the latest Take a Stitch Tuesday stitch (#132 - Kiko's Flower):

But otherwise, what with a make-and-take card party last Wednesday night and out-of-country company since Friday, I've been too busy and too darned sleepy to focus on stitchery. I'm hoping that things will get better this week, although there are several things that will interfere: husband's monthly high school class breakfast and haircut, both on this past Wednesday (the haircut was postponed from Monday due to company); and the security company to see about why their system shorted out our land line and whether or not it can be reconnected without shorting it out again (the Frontier linesman disconnected it last Thursday) and the county inspector to sign off on the new furnace and air conditioning installation (two weeks ago), both coming sometime between 8 and 5 on Friday.

2014 - Staying Connected, Week Thirty-eight

Well, I had hoped for more progress after the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend got me back on track with the RYO mandalas. And I would have done a lot better if that darned frog wasn't still in the house. Oh well, almost halfway through the outline for "Bride":

And I did get in the newest Take A Stitch Tuesday assignment: #131, Beaded Lock Stitch. I rather like the look of this one and tried it two ways, with the beads stacked on the right and staggered on the left:

The expected company hasn't arrived yet and the arrival date is still pretty much up in the air (although departure date appears, now, to be Tuesday. Kind of plays havoc with things previously planned, like my haircut on Monday and DH's dinner "date" with an old HS friend who will be here for university homecoming...) The visiting party now numbers 8, which means I may well have to give up my room for the duration and sleep on the roll-out in the basement. DOn't think I'll be getting a lot of stitchery done this weekend!

2014 - Staying Connected, Week Thirty-six

Not a lot accomplished since I reported in on WIPocalypse on Monday... Just the two Tale a Stitch Tuesday stitches ## 129 and 130: Lock stitch and Double Lock stitch.

That makes another page for my "Stitch Journal" (stitches include # 118 - Beaded Buttonhole Stitch, #119 - Woven Trellis Stitch, #120 - Double Herringbone , #121 - Twisted Lattice Stitch, #122 - Chained Bar, #123 - Woven Chained Bar, #124 - Closed Herringbone, #125 - Beaded Herringbone, #126 - Alternating Up and Down Buttonhole, #127 - Beaded Alternating Up and Down Herringbone, #128 - Interlaced Up and Down Buttonhole, #129 Lock Stitch and #130 - Double Lock Stitch):

Other than quilt guild this week, I should have lots of free evening stitching time this week. Let's see if I can actually get something cleared out of my project file!

2014 - Staying Connected, Week Thirty-five

I didn't stay connected at all this past week. I spent the weekend working on challenge #10 for the Compendium of Curiosities #3 Challenge. I even read a book (!!!): the latest Deborah Crombie Inspector Kincaid novel (and it was wonderful!) and started another - a Victorian era historical mystery Called "The Yard". 

I think my stitching mojo is suffering from county fair aftershock. Nothing appeals to me in my project bag, I don't want to start something new and... so I didn't stitch a thing until Tuesday, and then, only because I didn't want to fall further behind in TAST! The latest stitch (#128) is another variation of buttonhole stitchL the Interlaced Up and Down Buttonhole:

There's a new pair of charts printed out, and not stitched, for "Save the Stitches" by Elizabeth Almond. That makes blocks 14 - 17 to be outlined  and blocks 10 - 17 to be filled!

And I read the final lesson in the third "Finishing" class from Funk & Weber.

But otherwise, this week was a stitchery no-show! I need to get the base block ready for my September Crazy Quilt Challenge and the atc/ornament sketched out for my September Bead Journal Project. My Seed Bead Botany class is languishing, while everyone else is on lesson three, I'm still prepping my fabric and I really need to view the video links before they take the course down in the next two weeks! I have to sort the threads for the two John Clayton golf charts for next year's fair (the threads I was missing arrived this past weekend). And there's a quilt work day coming up where I would like to get something done (let's see, there's the retreat challenge block that needs to be finished, a Meals on Wheels Christmas placemat that needs making, two Crazy Quilt Journal years of blocks that need assembly into wall hangings and that Chinese coin top I started at last retreat than needs finishing as well!). And I have a HUGE stack of bargello ornament fronts that need to be finished as well... 

As you can see, I'm really falling further and further behind, and sadly, not feeling guilty at all! I'm enjoying my papercrafting and have my reading mojo back as well! YAY!  

2014 - Staying Connected, Week Thirty-four

Stitched on and completed this past week were:

The "Dossier" block required of all quilt guild members (it's a log cabin with the "chimney" center signed and dated for when I joined the guild; as you can see, I'm four years late in getting it ready!):

This is the second block I made, since I misread instructions and the first one was too large by far (it came out 7.5"!).  I'm going to use it for my "practice fabric" for the "Seed Bead Botany" class...

Both aren't square either --- 1/2 inch larger one way than the other. Have NO idea what I'm doing wrong here...

My August atc/ornament for the Bead Journal Project:

I think it's a cardinal (our state bird) who thinks it should be summer and he's masquerading as a firebird. Until this week, it never really felt like summer here, and it's not supposed to last. Maybe his fire dance brought on the heat and humidity?

The two Take a Stitch Tuesday stitches: #126 Alternating Up and Down Buttonhole and #127 Beaded Alternating Up and Down Buttonhole:

As you can see, I seem to have lost my place in the beaded version and it stopped being up-and-down in two places! Too lazy to rip it out so I made it part of the pattern (my story and I'm sticking to it!).

I started again on the outline for "Brides" of RYO, but didn't get very far (my stitching mojo seems to have flown):

And I did a floss toss for a John Clayton golf piece which will be for next year's fair entry (whose theme is Get in the Game" - i.e. sports!)

Husband, the golfer in the family, picked the chart! Turns out I was 68 skeins short in my stash for the asked-for floss (John Clayton designs use a LOT of floss, an these two use a lot of dull green floss!) and I also didn't have any cuts of neutral fabric that will fit the charts. A trip to Michaels on Sunday resulted in a remaining missing list of roughly 20 skeins! Looks like an online shopping trip is in my future!

Untouched, and needing attention are:

"Save the Stitches", blocks 10 - 15 (I expect ##16 and 17 will be out next week)

The Funk & Weber Finishing class on piecing - (I've printed out and scanned lesson four of this third class but...)

The "Seed Bead Botany Class - (They are already on lesson 3 and I have only just finished prepping my project fabrics!)

"Biltmore", which is back in the travel bag after the frog attack!

And of course, there will be the September Crazy Quilt Challenge Block, the September Bead Journal Project ornament, the next Take-a-Stitch-Tuesday stitches, the quilt guild retreat bock (needs quilting and binding) and the Meals On Wheels Christmas place mat... I need some time, LOTS of time! and I don't see where it's going to come from. Oh well...

Take a Stitch Tuesday 2014 - Stitch #125

Stitch #125 is the Beaded Herringbone. 

Once I figured out how many beads to string, it worked like a charm...

Stitches ##126 add 127 are now online so I have to print those out and get cracking!

2014 - Staying Connected, Week Thirty-one

Over the weekend, I pieced the basic block for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project challenge for August and sketched out my Bead Journal Project atc/ornament for the month as well. I also got out the "Biltmore" kit and sorted and identified threads according to the DMC color chart (some were so close in color, I couldn't be sure which was which!). Then, on Sunday night, I finished up the Crazy Quilt Journal piece:

I had a blood draw on Monday for my semiannual check-up, and since I was in the neighborhood, I dropped in at the orthopedics place to fill the prescription for an ankle brace that has been sitting in my to do pile since February. Here's hoping it helps that wonky ankle to heal...

Tuesday was pick-up day for our CSA and pick-up night for stitchery entries in the fair. Kind of wiped the day out. But I did manage to do the weekly TAST assignment - Stitch #124: Closed Herringbone (apologies for picture quality but I couldn't get a proper focus - that is perle cotton, not fuzzy yarn!):

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Stitches 122 - & 123

Stitch #122 is the Chained Bar (on the left in the photo below) while stitch #123 is the Woven Chained Bar (on the right). 

I really like this one --- if I didn't hate stitching with metallics, I could see the chain stitch in gold over a ribbon or even a fuzzy yarn. But I do hate stitching with metallics so I stopped with perle cotton!

International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, July 18 - 20.

The quilt guild "Christmas in July" brunch (rescheduled form the snowed-out annual December brunch) pretty much messed up Saturday as an all-day stitching day. In addition, Saturday was the day that the 7th Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge was issued and I really HAD to look into my supplies to see if I had the necessary stash to work with, to say nothing of an idea to work from. Still. I did manage to catch up a little on my stitchery "obligations"...

Usually, I try to stitch on the Elizabeth Almond "Save the Stitches" SAL, where I am about two months behind, but I am also behind on Take a Stitch Tuesday (four stitches worth) and the July Bead Journal Project atc/ornament. SO this weekend, I tried to spread my time among the three projects...

So, on Friday, I started on TAST. The stitches to be stitched are/were:

#118 - Beaded Buttonhole Stitch

#119 - Woven Trellis Stitch

##120 - 121 - Double Herringbone (top)  and Twisted Lattice (bottom) Stitches

I also did some seam treatments on my partially assembled 6 blocks for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project Challenge - a large lazy daisy on the intersection of the four pink corners of blocks on the left (I also repaired the lazy daisy that had come free in the same location) and an extension of the yellow stem stitch and French Knot flowers on the green, blue and yellow intersection on the right. 

I decided against adding anything to the teal pieces on the far right.

On Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, I started the beading on my July Bead Journal Project atc/ornament. As you can see, my every-other-month Snowy Owl is wrapping himself in patriotic colors for July:

Sunday night was dedicated to the Elizabeth Almond "Save the Stitches" SAL, where I managed to complete the outlines for blocks 12 and 13 (Now I have blocks 11 - 14 to stitch with blackwork fill stitches!):

Not as productive a weekend as I had hoped (it felt more like a rotation than dedicated stitchery and I'm finding I'm not as productive on rotations), but, overall, not a bad IHSW!

Take a Stitch Tuesday Stitches ## 116 and 117

These stitches are the Beaded vandyke and the Bullion Vandyke. I know I can do Vandyke. I've done it before in TAST and I did it here:

But ask me to put beads on it and it goes all wonky:

and as for bullion stitches on it (especially since I hate bullion stitches - I think my fingers are just to big and clumsy to handle all those winds around the needle), even wonkier still:

Still, I completed this assignment (with a lot of grumbling, to be sure - ever try to frog a bullion stitch?) and now have a second page of stitches for 2014:

Oh, and I got stitchy mail this weekend! Back in May, I won the random drawing for a prize on the WIPocalypse blog. This is what came in the mail yesterday! 

Ink Circle's "Blue Morpho" chart, three skeins of ThreadworX and some 28 Needles! YAY! Thanks, Melissa (AKA Measi). I love it all!