Category Archives: Sewing

Still working on organizing my life

Another Christmas is history.  It was extremely low key for us yesterday.  Harley had a rough Christmas Eve so I got very little sleep.  I crawled out of bed at 8 and by the time I had enough coffee in me to be awake it was almost 10.  Mister was in a little better shape since he crawled out of bed at 5, started a pot of coffee, then he and Harley crashed in the living room until I got out of bed.  Some time in there we took turns sitting with her while the other showered, exchanged our gifts, finished that pot of coffee, and then I started cooking.  My brain was muddled enough that I didn’t do a good job of time management and it was 4 before we ate.  It was good though, and this morning’s leftover cornbread dressing was perfect.  This is the first time I have ever cooked an organic bird, and it was so tasty, and moist!

Last post I talked about what I am doing for my stitching.  I finished “cleaning out” those buckets and now I just need to put things away.

Here is my mess, and the last bucket before I cleared it out. The last one was mostly kitted items and WIPs.

I have pulled out a few new starts for 2018, but I still have not quite decided how I am going to “handle” next year’s stitching. Oscar’s Corsage will be my Jan 1 new start. I need to go through my stash for fabric for Let Freedom Ring since it will be coming to Vegas with me.

I have started my final post for the 2017 Year of WIPs Challenge and will have somewhat of a plan by the time I post it.

Today I am dealing with my quilting.  Ugh! I have only done a paper sort for now to include the dates (if I know/can find them).  I know there are some things missing off my list, and they will be added as I touch them.

I have more than 30 with so many of them going back to 2013.  That freaks me out, and I need to spend 2018 getting a handle on them. There are large, medium, and small pieces, and those all have various degrees of difficulty.  Several of them just need a small amount of work to get them to completion and as I touch them, I am going to prioritize them. The list at the top (there are 2 pages) gives me the opportunity to mark what stage I am at and I plan on doing a few everyday for however long it takes me to get them all sorted.

I have updated my list in the upper left column to reflect what I need to start with, and will adjust as I go along.  Until I get everything sorted, I am going to leave the RÅSKOG cart alone, except to make a list of what all is in there.  They have just been tossed in and I really need to know what there is.  Frightening prospect though.

My main hurdle is there are so many quilters out there doing some fun things that I want to  join!

Now to come up with a time management plan so I can do all the things!

Looking forward to tomorrow since I will be sending time with my BFF.

It’s that most wonderful time of the year…

where I make a post saying I am going to be a better blogger.  Haha!

I decided this morning to just sit down and do a brain dump here, so if anyone is reading be prepared for a jumble of thoughts.

The sewing blahs I posted about in my last post (March!!) never went away.  I do not think I even touched Mister’s quilt after that post.  The sewing blahs also took over my stitching and I had a 4+ month hiatus from that too.  I picked it back up in November and have had a couple of finishes.  I had a bit of a freak-out moment a couple of days ago when I realized that December is here, 2017 was a bust on so many levels, and I need to get some things done!

I have been going through my stitching and pulling things out that were just tossed willynilly in a bucket (or two) over the past year or so.  I was actually looking for a chart and a couple of kitted items that I want to work on in 2018 so I could start making my plans.  I did start a tab at the top and have added things as I sorted.

I have 2 oval galvanized beverage-type buckets in my room.  One for quilty things and one for stitchy things.  I should add something somewhere to keep reminding me that I need to put things away instead of tossing them on my cutting table or in a bucket.

While I will not officially be participating in the 2018 Year of WIPs Challenge, I am going to continue the way I set up for 2017.  I am super happy with the progress I made while I was actively stitching, so I am going with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude for 2018.  I had 5 finishes in 2017 from that list (which I need to update). The big stitchy news is that I finished And They Sinned and it is framed and hanging on my bedroom wall.

Right now my guest room bed is almost covered with various stacks. I recently told a friend I would not have anywhere to put her when she asked if she could stay a couple of nights (we are traveling out of state together next month).  I know that if I pack it away it will just languish again for whoever knows how long and I am tired of shuffling so much of it around.  I am taking a serious look at my stitching stash, so I will be posting things on here and eBay in 2018.

There is still my quilting to sort out. In the back of my mind I have been thinking of just starting at the top of my RÅSKOG cart and randomly picking one thing to complete, then a WIP, then another item on the 2nd shelf, then a WIP, and so on in a bit of a quilting rotation of sort.  I have so many little kitted things I have picked up at shows, shop clubs, etc., that I want done, I just need to make a plan and get it done.  Some are mini quilts, some are little zipper bags, and other smalls.  Right now the only quilt items I have listed in the 2018 tab are large items and WIPs.  I probably will not add any of the small items to the current list.

I also have several stitching things that need attention at a sewing machine, so there’s a little crossover there.

Dear Diary

I’m sorry to have been neglecting you.  It’s all this boy’s fault.  I have had an amazing summer hanging out by the pool with a cold beer, going to the movies, out to swanky restaurants, socializing with all the new friends I’ve made, but now he’s gone back to school and I have time to catch up with you and get all my summer secrets down.

Back to my regularly scheduled schedule!  Yay!

Over the past several weeks I have been spending a shit-ton of time in my Lady Lounge, Woman Cave, Sewing Room, whatever the heck everyone’s calling it these days.  Lately I have felt like calling it Dungeon.

Since I moved here almost five years ago, during the summer I normally sew until the air conditioner kicks on then I head downstairs to spend the rest of my day sitting on my rear end stitching and reading.  This summer, nope!  We really have had time out of the house, but the time in has been spent on daily chores, stitching, and reading.  I can’t remember the last time I unpacked my sewing machine.

Because….

I have not been able to settle in since I painted and reorganized!!!  I feel like I have stuff spread out all over the place.  I have tons of shelves and boxes and buckets, so I have plenty of storage space, but I evidently haven’t been using it wisely because I feel like things are lost, forgotten, and hard to put my hands on.

I had all these plans to start selling excess cross stitch over the summer – that I sorted out when I pulled everything for painting – that I know I’ll never get around to stitching because I’ve either lost interest in the item, it’s no longer something I like, the designer pissed me off, etc.  I am my own LNS.  Here’s proof positive of how much I don’t need.  Boxes, boxes, and piles of stuff to be sold.  Trust me when I tell you that is just a drop in the bucket.  😀

2016-09-12

This past weekend I had dinner out with my partner in crime, Annette, and we talked about stash diving because there was something we knew we had but couldn’t find it.  I have started bullet journaling and wanted to add in my WIPs and get back to some type of rotation, and I was sharing with her that I was procrastinating listing them because I couldn’t decide whether to just start writing them down, or to go through each one and sort them by either how old they are, or how close they were to being finished.

When we started talking about retiring I knew I would have no where near the funds I would want to kit up certain things with all the lovely silks there are out there so I gradually began doing that.  I have 2 large fold-back-top Rubbermaid containers that contained some of my WIPs and some of my kitted items (either by myself, or purchased that way).

I finally bit the bullet and started digging through them today.  Here’s what I found in the WIP department

  1. Peacock Tapestry – Teresa Wentzler
  2. Letting Go (Lusk) – HAED
  3. Ann Holewll Sampler – The Examplarery
  4. Quaker RR
  5. Dimples Bugs RR
  6. French Alphabet Sampler (I forgot I put it in there!)
  7. Castle Sampler – Teresa Wentzler
  8. The Fortunate Traveler – Teresa Wentzler
  9. Earthdancer – Butternut Road
  10. Tapestry Cat – Teresa Wentzler
  11. Sleeping Beauty – Mirabilia
  12. Patchwork Pieces – Nutmeg Needle
  13. Asian Garden – Odds n Ins
  14. Lady of the Flag – Mirabilia
  15. Tsunami Sampler – Stickideen von der Wiehenburg
  16. Christmas Elegance – Mirabilia
  17. Peace – The Silver Lining
  18. Christmas Wreath – Teresa Wentzler
  19. Topiary – Teresa Wentzler
  20. Garden Trellis Box – Linda Driskell from Just Cross Stitch magazine.

In one box!  I know there are more because I have a beautiful chest downstairs that my friend Kathy gave me and I’ve started storing some WIPs in there.  In fact, now that I think about it, all of the above 20 may also fit in there!  Oh, and then there’s the ottoman I prop my feet on while stitching…you can store stuff in there and I know I have at least one WIP in there, ’cause I was just looking at it the other day.  Geesh.  Oh wait!  Don’t forget my stitching bag that probably has 2-3 in there, too.

And here’s what was in the kitted box:

  1. Autumn Queen – Mirabilia
  2. Random Thoughts – Drawn Thread
  3. An Expression of Gratitude – Blue Ribbon Designs (which I pulled out)*
  4. Victorian Pearls – Sew to be Seen
  5. Victorian Pearls 2 – Sew to be Seen
  6. A Christmas Sampler – Midsummer Nights
  7. The Book of Spells – The Goode Huswife (which I pulled out)*
  8. The Spot Sampler – Margaret Bendig
  9. Shakespeare’s Garden – LaBroderie
  10. Queens Rule – Enchanting Lair
  11. Castle Ridge – Teresa Wentzler (bought overdyed fabric to exchange)
  12. Damask Rose Scissor Keep – Textile Heritage (gift)
  13. Above the Clouds – Teresa Wentzler (bought overdyed fabric to exchange)
  14. Mermaid of the Pearls – Mirabilia (special overdyed fabric)
  15. Toccata Three – Drawn Thread
  16. Cattleya Orchids – Terrance Nolan
  17. A Token of Friendship – Merry Cox (an OOP which I could probably sell to pay off my house)
  18. This is the Day – La-D-Da
  19. My Son – Indigo Rose (should have pulled this one and may go back and do it)*
  20. The Dreamer – Mirabilia
  21. Quaker Diamonds – Rosewood Manor
  22. Toccata Two – Drawn Thread
  23. Toccata One – Drawn Thread
  24. Quaker Samplings  – With My Needle
  25. My First Sewing Box and Scissor Fob – Stitching Parlor (which uses a Whitman’s Chocolate Tin I’ve tried to throw away a hundred times)
  26. Souvenir Sampler – Drawn Thread
  27. Village of Hawk Run Hollow – Carriage House Samplings
  28. The Song They Sang – Carriage House Samplings (I even bought the frame for this one!!!)
  29. A Parrot, A Leopard, A Lion – Scarlet Letter
  30. Norwich Marianne Wren
  31. James Wilson
  32. Voice of the  Shepherd – Told in a Garden
  33. Teeny Hardanger – Sweetheart Tree
  34. Brilliant Plumage – Teresa Wentzler

So, I evidently have a thing for Teresa Wentzler.

*I will be very unhappy in Heaven if I die and don’t at least start The Book of Spells and An Expression of Gratitude.  Guess they’re getting added to my WIPs list next month.

Now, lest LNSs around the world freak out, all of the above does not mean I won’t be buying more as evidenced by the deliveries my mailman has made since my last post.  I give you Exhibit C:

2016-09-04-16-28-14

A new small portable stitching lamp, and needle organizer (can you say Teresa Wentzler?).

2016-09-03-09-14-20

28ct Brash Jubilee for Ann Pegg 1877.  Yep, I found some.  I emailed the dyer asking advice for a replacement and she told me she had 2 FQs left.  Miss Annette snapped up the other one.  Partner. In. Crime.  I tell ya.

2016-09-03-09-17-18

2016-09-03-09-15-55

Pattern, fibers, stretcher bars, and canvas for this lovely.  I have had my eye on it for a bit and found out it was discontinued so I snapped it up.

2016-08-23-18-36-30

I also purchased these cones of DMC from Joanns.com for Death by Cross Stitch by Long Dog Samplers.  I’m leaning toward the copper on the right.  I need to check my fabric stash and do a floss toss.  I’m very tempted by the beautiful turquoise in the back but I’m afraid it’ll burn my eyeballs out stitching on a sampler this large.  I do have a backup plan for it though 😀  If I don’t have a good piece of fabric in my stash for the copper I may use the red and order some 40ct white.  Not to be worried about now though as I cannot start it until next month at the earliest because I am going out of town next week.

I am stalking my postman for Brooke’s Books Wizard of Oz.

So see, shopping when I shouldn’t be, or don’t need to be.

And I have quilt stuff coming in too.

But! This post has gotten so long and my phone is currently charging so I can’t show you what the top of my guest bed looks like.  It’s covered with fabric, patterns, etc., from the quilt side of my room AND fabric, fibers, and fabric from the cross-stitch side of my room while I go through the buckets and baskets mentioned above trying to reorganize and sort into a better working order for me.  I’m slowing myself down because I have to look at it, and touch it, and remember when I bought it, before sorting it into a pile to place it better in my room.  I’m dreading getting to two particular stitching containers because I have lots of already kitted small things that need to be added to that list up there and put into that Rubbermaid container (which is full!).  I know I won’t get it put away any time soon as I still have some excavating to do, so I’ll share a photo next time I post.

I forgot to show you some stitching!

Since my last post I have finished my Sugar Skull by Mill Hill

2016-08-21-11-14-57 2016-08-21-11-13-50

And my version of Be Thankful by Country Cottage Needleworks

2016-08-27-14-46-54

and block 7 of Houses of Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage House Samplings (currently working on block 8)

2016-09-04-20-41-37

Now I’m off to write my WIPs in my Journal and do some stitching.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll dig the rest out of their hidey holes.

Stash enhancement and future projects

I’m still working on my Sugar Skull, but without much progress to share.  The last couple of days I’ve been watching the Olympics more than just stitching to them and looking up every now and then.  We are seeing some wonderful accomplishments from so many new Olympians.

I thought I would share a few of the things I’ve purchased lately, and projects that I have in mind.

While I never really need more quilting fabric, I keep my eye on the Fat Quarter Shop sales page.  Especially the 60-50% off pages.  I usually will buy a half-yard cut of something if I can get it for around $3 and try to be cheaper than that.  At one point I would buy only fabrics that fit a category of color that I was low in.  My non-sewing has not stopped me from buying fabric but it has been awhile since I bought any.

I have some pretty mint and pink fabrics that have sewing themes I plan to turn into project bags using the very excellent video tutorial of Vonna at The Twisted Stitcher.

There was also a really good video tutorial on sewing zipper bags on Fat Quarter Shop yesterday and I want to make some zipper bags.  I don’t know if I’m going to use her pattern, but I do like the tutorial.  As long as I’ve been sewing, making these intimidates me for some reason!

I have had this quilt pattern saved on my phone for almost 3 years.

IMG_20160813_133550_821000 

When I was working in a quilt store, a customer came in with her nearly finished project (she was looking for border fabrics).  I fell in love with the scrappy-ness of it, and that it was done in civil war era reproduction fabrics.  When I first hunted for the pattern I only found a soon-to-be-opened web page of the designer.  I had posted the customer’s quilt (with her permission) on my Facebook page when she first came in and that post popped up as a memory a bit ago so I was reminded to hunt for the pattern again.  The website is active and I ordered it.  I was a little nervous because I received no confirmation of my order, nor any notice of shipping, from the designer.  I had decided to give it two weeks before I wrote her, but it showed up in my mailbox about that time.  Whew!  No idea when I plan to start it, but I’m so happy to have it.  😀

Yesterday I received these two lovelies from Attic Needlework.  I drove over to pick them up, but the store was closed, so instead of driving back over there just had them mail, since I figured it would be cheaper than the cost of gas from here.  It took 1 day for them to arrive.

IMG_20160813_133333_963000

I spotted Ann Pegg during a trip with my girlfriends in June.  It was out of stock, but since the designer, The Scarlett House, is a local lady, it didn’t take long for the store to get it back in.  The design was stitched on 28ct Jubilee Brash by Picture this Plus, however, so now I’m having to decide what I want to stitch it on.  Honestly, the fabric is what first drew me to the design, so I’m very disappointed it’s no longer available.

IMG_20160813_133400_401000
This Is My Happy Place is a new design by The Scarlett House. Coincidence!  When I saw it I immediately started thinking how I could change it a little to reflect both stitching and quilting.  I think I’ve come up with an idea, but we’ll see.  The design is charted to stitch the buttons if you want to do that instead of sew some on.

New on my wish-list are Lizzie Kate’s Pumpkin Pocket (links are to blog pages), and Threadwork Primitive’s Autumn in Bloom.

Off to do some stitching before Mister and I head out on Date Night.

I hope you enjoy your weekend.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...