Both “Woof” and “Meow” are now complete, just have to finish them as ornaments. I changed the floss colors slightly so they would match better, and I didn’t have the charms called for, so I improvised. These Lizzie Kate designs are cute and cheery, I like them very much.
Woof!
Almost done with this little Lizzie Kate Block Flip-It called “Woof.” I found some matching wide green rick rack for the trim when the piece is done. If I have the time, I plan to start “Meow,” its sister piece, later tonight.
Once again I’ve resorted to using ibuprofen gel on my hands during the day and soaking them in Epsom salts at night to help alleviate the discomfort. Along with stitching for only relatively brief periods of time and take plenty of breaks, this seems to be working out pretty well, and is allowing me to get more stitching done than I have been able to do in a long time.
Looks like a good day to stitch
Yesterday I visited our local pumpkin festival which really got me into the mood for fall. Today dawned bright and a little cooler, for Florida anyway, and made me want to begin a project destined to be a Christmas present.
I’ve been taking another break from stitching for past month and a half. My work has me constantly on the computer, so when my CTS/arthritis combo kicks in, giving my hands a rest at night is essential to my being able to type all day long. When grasping a needle becomes impossible, stitching is unfortunately out for awhile.
Taking a break from actual stitching doesn’t mean that I forget about it entirely, though. I sort through my charts and select fabric from my stash for fun designs I have yet to try, or think about all the pretty new charts now available and dream about which ones I’d love to tackle.
Today I think I’m finally ready to start stitching again with something small.
With My Needle
The photo shows the very beginnings of my newest stitch, but this small progress is all my hands would allow for one sitting. At this rate it will take forever, so it’s a good thing I have lots of time for this one.
I stopped at Michael’s Crafts earlier today and picked up a new DMC variegated floss for a different project I’ve long wanted to try, Blackbird Designs’ little freebie sampler chart Petites Lettres Rouges.
I’m looking forward to personalizing the Petites Lettres Rouges design, even though I haven’t quite decided how I want to do that yet. I’ve been collecting little motifs and variations to consider on my Pinterest page, and add interesting ideas whenever I come across them.
Santa & chocolate
Yesterday I had a visit from a sister bearing gifts, including the newest 2013 Prairie Schooler Santa card. She knows that I love to collect Prairie Schooler Santas, so this was a very welcome addition to my charts stash.
She also brought me some beautiful postcards from her recent trip to Russia (foreign postcards are a big favorite of mine) and some delicious Russian chocolate, too! A quick Google search helped me to understand that this yummy fruit and nut concoction was made by Babaevsky Confectionery, the oldest confectionery factory in Russia. The gorgeous red and gold label was almost as impressive as the chocolate bar inside.
Home Sweet Home finish
It makes me laugh to think that I chose to do two charts from the Prairie Schooler “Welcome Home” book for the walls of my new home, and that I’ve only just now finished the second one — 10 years later! The first piece has been hanging in my entry hall for (gulp) four years now, and today I finally framed and hung its companion.
I suppose every stitcher has a stash of unfinished projects tucked away somewhere. I know I do. When I picked up my needle again after a long stitching drought, I promised myself that I would finish one of those not quite done pieces before starting something new. Well, today I can say that I did that.
This was stitched per the chart with a few small revisions. I deleted the blobby-looking cat and added a second bird (sorry, cat lovers), and skipped a few tree branches so that I could insert some of my favorite bees buzzing around near the chimneys. I also added my initials, something I that forget to do more often than not. Lastly, instead of the current year, I stitched the year I moved into my home.
Prairie Schooler “Welcome Home” Book No. 92
“Home Sweet Home”
18-ct. Natural Aida, DMC floss as charted (mostly)
Stitch count: 85W x 83H
Start in 2009 – finish 08/01/13!
Nearing completion
It has been a very long time since I felt like posting about my cross stitching. Real life, work and health issues have been getting in the way of some of my more pleasurable pursuits these last few years. Plus, since my job keeps me at the keyboard all day long, my continuing struggle with CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome) often cuts short the hours I can comfortably use my hands after working hours.
That said, a few months ago I was able to take up an old, unfinished Prairie Schooler “Home Sweet Home” cross stitch, and it’s almost done now.
I changed the design slightly, removing the cat figure and adding another bird. Since I took this photo, I’ve almost finished the second tree and have only the sun, some small window details and a little more customization to go. I plan to add a few bees buzzing around. Bees have always been one of my favorite motifs, because my name means “bee.” It amuses me to sneak in a couple on my projects when I can.
This Prairie Schooler chart is the companion piece for another cross stitch in my entrance hallway. I’ve always found “Home Sweet Home” sentiments a little sappy, but the designs match so well that I couldn’t resist stitching both as a set.
Now on WordPress!
Today I migrated my Sympathetic Threads blog from Blogger over to WordPress. Since I write and maintain several other WordPress blogs already, I decided that it would be easier to just consolidate everything in one place. I’m also hoping that this resulting ease of access will inspire me to post about my stitching more often.
All it took was a quick glance at a help page and a few keystrokes and I was able to transfer all my posts and comments to WordPress. It couldn’t have been easier! Then the fun part started, as I created a few bits and bobs of artwork for the new site. There’s still more to do, but I wanted to go live with it right away so that I could let my old friends know.
In addition, Sympathetic Threads can now be found on Twitter at @SymThreads.
Sympathetic Threads 