What's up for May?

Here we have the May goals list:

1: Finish Day 2

2: Start and Finish Day 3

3: Start and Finish Day 4

4: Finish April Bookmark

5: Finish May Bookmark

6: Ornament of the Month

7: If there is time and energy...work on something else :D

8: Get back into my Sunday Stitching

It's in the sidebar as per usual and I know I said 8 goals were too many but last month I did manage to delete things off the list and there was a bit of satisfaction so why not stick with 8?

I've also been slightly naughty.  I put myself back on the pattern fast, but Ashley had released her Mucha Girls patterns called Princesses Mucha Style patterns and I had to get the set.  It was pre-planned and I knew about the limited 50 pattern sell (there are still some left so if you like them please note that once the 50 are sold they will NOT be released again)....and did not want to pass it over simply because of a self induced restriction.  I'm going to start Merida first.  Once I have everything I need, Merida will be my Sunday Stitch project. 

If you are interested in the original artist, Hannah-Alexander, then by all means please head on over to her dA page and be prepared for beautiful artistry...and COLOR!  The girls suggested I start stitching Merida simply because she is the one that took the longest to get "just right" and as we had all assisted with quality checks throughout her pattern making, it is just as important to us as it is to Ashley, and quite possibly the original artist that it be stitched perfectly. (oh, I'm not saying I'm a perfect stitcher, but darn it I'm going to try and be!)

Trying really hard to stitch from stash, I dug around and ended up hand dying some fabric (my first time...the No Drama fabric doesn't count as that was spray painted dye and the book mark scraps were food dye drops and/or watercolor paints) using some Dylon fabric dye (Dylon being what grownups use when they are dying things). 

  

I started with a small swatch of 28 ct Antique White Evenweave which came out beautifully.  I liked that so much I then went and dyed my largest piece of the same fabric and that too came out beautifully.

Even though I read the directions for the Merida pattern, Ashley did point out that the pattern called for 18 ct fabric and using the 28 ct might make the beads in the pattern look too bulky or not sit right.

THIS is important.  Not only do I want to honor the original artist, I also want to honor Ashley: creator of the pattern.  If anyone knows about beads it is this woman!

All is not lost since I now have a beautifully dyed piece of light pistachio green fabric.  If it turns out that fabric will be perfect for one of my girls , then so be it.  I loved the experience of dying it to get the right color.  I'm going to have to play with other colors and see what I come up with!  I know Nancy likes black fabric, and there was some black dye I almost picked up to play with.....

Finding the right 18 ct evenweave will be the challenge, but I'm thinking we may have a few choices after the girls went hunting.  Once all ingredients are acquired...the start will begin on the following Sunday.

Here is hoping I can start Merida in May!

For now, I'm going to finish the current B.O.F. and Ornament of the Month and then maybe the April bookmark this weekend.  

Until next time.....Keep on Stitchin'