All sorts of postings

Here are the promised pictures but they have a bit more stitching on them than the last time. Consider this my WIPockalypse and my TUSAL post as well. Pardon the pictures. I had to take them with my cellphone as my computer doesn't acknowledge my camera at this time. I think I may need a new camera and memory card as the computer wants to format that whenever it's slotted into the computer.

First up is the December Fairy that is going to be the birth announcement for the daughter:



There is a sleeve, a wing, and most of her skirt. I changed one of the colors in the wing from Very Light Turquoise to Light Turquoise because I had originally misread the color number on it. I rather like it that way instead of lighter.

Then Oak Island Mystery, the one with the least amount done:



Have most of the rick in the upper left done and did a bit on the ocean at the bottom of the "beard".

And finally, Goddess of the Sea:



She now has a waist, part of her back, and I'm working on the shadows around the bust line. After that, I'm going to fill in the highlight because then it's just filling the whole thing in with a single color.

And finally, my TUSAL jar:



Very little stitching done since I emptied the jar back in March I think. Hopefully I'll be able to get more done in the future as there is now a nice nightly routine in the house. I get Genevieve down for the night and then stay up until around 11:30 (unless I'm wiped and then I go to bed with her) doing stitchery things or screwing around on the computer to unwind from the day before heading to bed. That's usually the latest she will wake up for a second time, not counting the stray middle of the night grumps due to a wet diaper and a bit of hunger. The middle of the night feedings are getting fewer and farther between and she's sleeping more through the night. Doesn't mean she won't get me up before the sun and keep me up however.

And speaking of the Diapered Diva (as a girlfriend nicknamed her), here's a few more pics of her at 5 months old for your enjoyment.

IHAS update

Wow what a week. I did manage to get a bit of stitchery in over the weekend as it was International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, but I didn't get much since Sunday, Hubby and I went out to see "OZ The Great and Powerful" followed by dinner with his parents who had babysat for us as well as got in some grandparent time.

One of my Facebook groups decided to have a WIP toss to motivate each other into continuing to stitch and possibly complete their projects. Here's mine:



They are Joan Elliott's Sea Goddess, HAED QS CLaire, HAED Four Heavenly Beasts, Oak Island Mystery, and Barbara Baatz's December Fairy. Some of them haven't been touched in a couple of weeks while one or two haven't been touched in a couple of months.

But as to what I actually worked on, it is Barbara Baatz's December fairy that I'm turning into a birth announcement for my daughter.



This is her left sleeve and part of her wing. The Krenick blending fillament will be added to the wings after they are all stitched because I think this makes them glitter more instead of mixing the thread and the filament together in the needle.

Also, Leslie at Under the Sea Fabrics finally got in the scissors and scissor fobs that many on her FB group preordered from her in February and I got mine in the mail yesterday.



These are the first pair of "novelty" scissors that I have bought with the intent of using, and they're actually very comfortable to use. The fob is a lovely strand of pearls and clear gray beads on a wire, and the large lobster claw means it can probably be used for something other than a scissor fob if you had a mind to dress something else up.

Snow Day!

This is the current view out my back window



And the view to my right. *grins* The local base closed today so Hubby's getting a snow day.

I've managed to get a little bit of stitching done during the brief naps, so this is also sort of a Wipockalypse update as well.



Oak Island Mystery has a bit more of the gray stone in the upper let corner.



And Sea Goddess has another shade of purple added to her cloak.

Also, I got this absolutely beautiful bit of fabric from Color Cascade Fabrics in Austrailia. She's also introduced a new fabric called Lucky Dips where she uses ice to dye the fabric. The process is facinating and the results are absolutely gorgeous. Between her and Under the Sea Fabrics here in the US, I have all the affoardable, hand dyed fabric I could ever want for my stitchery projects.

A February Update

Yes, I'm a bad blogger. I apologize to everyone who follows my blog about the lack of updates and posts, but I feel kinda silly updating when there's very little progress. As to why there's little progress, well...



Let's just say someone's favorite napping spot is on Momma, and it's kinda hard to stitch with a Sharp Pointy Needle when there's a sleeping baby on your chest.

But I have had a little progress.



Four Heavenly Beasts has a few more stitches in it. SOrry 'bout the blurry photo.



Oak Island Mystery is slowly progressing. Got a bit more of the stone done.

And my TUSAL Jar...



Again, not much in there, and I decided to smash the threads down to see how much I could build it back up again.

Very Little Stitching

One month into motherhood and I'm slowly getting my life adjusted around her requirements and demands. Many days, the ony time she'll sleep for any length of time is when she's sleeping on my chest, or propped against my chest on my desk. But how can I refuse her when she looks so cute?



Of course, that doesn't mean that I don't get some stitching done. It just takes a bit of finangaling as well as a request for the husband to watch the baby a bit while I get a few stitches in. But I have been stitching!



Got a lot done on Oak Island, but that's not that difficult when it's large patches of color, which are wonderfully mindless to stitch when I'm tired or need to relax without straining my eyes or brain.



Four Heavenly Beasts is very slow going, but I now have a fourth color in the group. It may not look it but there's black, dark brown, navy blue, and a gray all in that section.



Sea Goddess is another one that's slow going only because I'm taking my time and savoring every stitch in it. One thing I don't understand is kits like this coming with 14 count fabric when the pattern includes half, quarter, and three quarter stitches. Why not include a 28 count instead to make things easier? I'd be willing to pay a bit extra for such a convenience.



My TUSAL jar. I smashed the threads down to make more room 'cause I wanna see how long it takes me to fill the jar up. I'll probaby toss some threads out come springtime for the birds to decorate their nests with them, or I may keep filling up the jar as it. Dunno yet.

and I found a wonderful woman who does beautifu hand dyed fabric on Facebook. It's Under the Sea Fabrics, and the prices are reasonable for both opaline and plain dyed fabrics. There was a gift exchange on one of my facebook groups and these are the two pieces I recieved:



This is called "Mermaid's Sea" and I'm going to be stitching the HAED pattern for Jessica Galbrath's Kwan Yin on it. It's going to look stuning on this sparkling blue.



This was a custom request (and she's already had someone else ask for this color combo since I posted the picture of it.) and Jessica Galbrath's Persephone is going on this one. One of the really nice things that she did was edge the fabric with stitches so I don't have to worry about fraying or trying to edge the fabric myself. I'd highly recomend her fabric for anyone who wants to stitch on hand dyed fabrics.

Last post of 2012

Well, I have to confess that I'm impressed with myself for keeping up with this blog for an entire year. I normally can't keep up with a diary so for me, this is impressive.

As this is the last post of the year, I first thought about doing a review of all my stitchery, but didn't want to flood this post with pictures. So here's just the latest that I have along wtih a few new starts.



First up is my ORT jar. It looks only partially full but it's a years worth of stitchery in there along with memories of each project finished, frustrated with, and started with a smile.



This is a new start that I began before I went into the hospital to be induced. It's Joan Elliot's "Sea Goddess" and I'm looking forward to completing this one as it's for me and not anyone else!



Oak Island Mystery has some more color added to it and it will be (hopefuly) completed this upcoming year so I can send it out to the intended recipient.



I signed up for a SAL on one of my facebook groups and this is my SAL project. I have all the floss and the fabric and I look forward to starting this one as well. *grins* Being a Yami no Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) fan, I'm going to really enjoy stitching the Four Heavenly Beasts.



This is the new stitchery box my hubby bought me for Christmas as Bacchus managed to pop the lid off my old one. It's actually larger than my old one and I really like it.



The inside of my box, all ready to use.



and finally, this is my attempt at getting organized this year with my WIP. Each drawer, minus the very bottom one, is a WIP. In descending order: QS Claira, Kwan Yin by Jessica Galbrath, Four Heavenly Beasts, Map of Middle Earth, and Oak Island Mystery. The bottom drawer has my beads, blending threads, and a couple of hoops right now.

Have to share.

As I have time off from work, I've decided to dedicate a lot of my time to stitchery stuff. So first up is a pleasantly piratical gentleman:



The green will have a half stitch of glow in the dark fillament over it, but at least now you can see what will "glow" and is part of the "mystery" of Oak Island.

Next, I have to share this because it's cute!

See, my little boy Bacchus decided there was something outside the window that he had to see Right Now! when he hopped up on my computer desk. I was expecting him to stel around my TUSAL jar like usual but instead, he stepped in it, resulting in this:



A pawprint among the threads *snickers*. So, my threads have been smashed down by a well meaning kitty cat. Of course, this is the same cat that managed to pull my lid off of my stitching box. The lid was open and he decided he wanted to get up on my desk via the box. So he jumped up on the lid. I was expecting it to close, but he managed to snag it in just a way that it popped the screws holding the lid on that were under the fabric out of the plywood/cardboard-like material it is made out of. I'm just very thankful he didn't flip the whole thing over as it is situated next to a furnace grate. I really didn't want to lose my needle threaders or beads down that.

Half a brain...

If I had half a brain, I think I'd be dangerous right now. *laughs* It's about two weeks before the baby's due and if I can think without lists, I'd be surprised. So once more, a combined WIPockalypse post (two days early) and a TUSAL post (two weeks late).



First up is Pirate Treasure: Oak Island Mystery, and that touch of red in the green is part of the date there. I'm doing all of one color (or as much as I can right now) because all of that is getting stitched over in a half stitch of glow in the dark blending filament.



Next is a bit more of QS CLaire. It's a bit more slow going because despite stitching entirely in black, it's 1x1 on 28 ct and there are days I just don't need the headache even if I want the stress break.



Not much more has been done with the Haunted Mansion, but it's a fun thing to poke at.



And finally, my TUSAL jar. I know you can't see much of the green that is Oak Island and only a bit of black that is Claire, but it's going to start growing again. I promise!!!

WIPockalypse check in

Yes, I'm late, but I've got good news as to why:

1. My dad managed to rescue my files for me

and

2. I found out yesterday that I'm pregnant. So there's a future stitcher/belly dancer coming along in 9 months.

So for the WIPockalypse check in!


First up is Oak Island Mystery. Not much has gotten done on this, but I just recently picked it up as I finished "Zombies". I hope my nephew enjoys this.


Have a row finished in Royalty and am working on a second row. I'm one of those people who has to work from either the center or the bottom right corner 'cause of the way I stitch.


Not a great picture, but it's going to be a kaleidascope for my littlest neice with her name on it. I'm hoping she enjoys it.

WIPockalypse check in for February

I didn't get much done this month due to various stresses that decided to pop up and take over but I got a bit done.

A bit more on Beware of Zombies



and started a new one, Oak Island Mystery: Pirate Treasure. This is for my nephew 'cause he likes pirates.



When it's completely done, I'll show you the 'treasure' that's built into it.