Missing My Blog

Since I started doing Floss Tube in January I have let my blog languish.  After fumbling around for most of the year trying to learn how to speak clearly about concepts I can write pretty eloquently about, it renewed my NEED to write.

I have updated my 301 Reading List, and have been doing so here and there all year.  This evening I updated My Stash list and My WIPs so everything is current.  One thing that irritates me is that I haven't changed any of my progress bars project names in a very long time.

I am working through my WIPs, getting them done one by one.  By the end of the year more of those progress bars should be fuller or filled or gone entirely. One has disappeared!

Photo courtesy of The Mucha Foundation

Starting January 1st I'm going to start stitching "Spring" which is a Mucha painting from his 1896 Seasons.  Ashley Mae of Make It Pink has been granted permission from the Mucha Foundation to create the patterns and sell them for a time at her Etsy shop.  I'm hoping others will join me in this endeavor!  I'd love a SAL! Soon, "Summer" will be released and so on, but how beautiful is it to have Mucha at your fingertips that is not only a well made pattern but originally created from one of the most interesting artists of all time?

She is beautiful and I cannot wait to begin!  As I have said, I really need to quit messing around and get some of those old WIPs finished and out of the way. 

Hopefully you all aren't taking it as if I'm complaining about those WIPs and asking "Why don't you just put them away and do whatever?"  My answer is this:  I would like to see them finished!  I love them all.  Very rarely do I not like a project, and if I remember correctly there was only one that was pure torture to stitch. Looking at it now all I can say is that it is lovelier as time passes and I'm pretty glad I finished it.  So, let's get some stitching done!

Currently I'm working on prizes for the Stitching Pirates Words of Wisdom Contest.  My friend Leah had made some lovely little bags for me last year when I was downsizing my fabric so I've been making biscornu for each of the bags.  Since these are prizes, I'm thinking about  what all needs to be in a travel bag.  Biscornu, needle book, scissor cover and scissors.  Sounds about right, am I right?

Recently I completed five Halloween patterns.  I have never done more than three and have always felt that having one  per year was good enough.  Because Leonore and I created an FB group Carla and Leo's Halloween Stitch Along we had many more people join us.  This has been an annual SAL on DeviantArt for a couple of years, but since making the group on FB we have expanded.  This year Leonore chose Satsuma Street patterns and HOW FUN!

Happy Halloween was my first project for the SAL and all of the lettering was done in Kreinik's Blinding Black #4 braid.  It's beautiful.  The fabric is Fabric's by Stephanie.

Then, before I could finish that one I ran out of the Kreinik, ordered more and while I waited I started and finished Sorry We're Dead.  28ct Lugana that I hand dyed myself from a piece of fabric I had in my stash.

Once that Kreinik came in, I finished the two H's and that was done and on to Halloween Cat.  This was the pattern almost everyone else who joined us chose to do.  I have to say that Halloween Cat is such a fabulous pattern that no matter what kind of fabric you choose, the pattern looks great on ANYTHING!

While all of this is going on, Magical was busy creating a fun pattern for our Neglected Floss Stitch Along on DeviantArt.  We have a model stitcher now who creates the most fun from all the patterns, but I squeezed in a few days to stitch the October pattern as well.  

A little haunted house that was so fun to stitch up.  I used flosses from Colour and Cotton and those flosses were a delight to stitch with!  If you don't believe me, order a skein and give it a try.  Smooth sailing and I don't remember if there was any knotting or twisting.  I'm thinking there wasn't.  Delightful to stitch with! Also a fun pattern to give them a try.  I mean, I'm doing the five flosses per month club so trying the floss had to happen sometime.

Finally, and in keeping with my evil plan, I grabbed up Wacky Witches in Stitches by Cloudsfactory that was part of the 2016 Carla and Leo's Halloween SAL and FINISHED that one with a few days to spare before Halloween.

I did change a few things.  Hair on a few witches, changed the called for DMC to as many WDW flosses as possible which means 6 skeins of WDW Kohl!  The two owls were changed to a Raven and a black Cat.  This piece was a monster to stitch as it should be...it's Halloween after all!  I went in to full berserker stitching mode for a week and a half since I was stitching after work every day.  

FIVE.  DONE.  Quite a feat for me who doesn't usually finish anything on time or by any self made deadline.  The downside to all of this is that I was OVER Halloween.  That has never happened before.  Exhausted.  I have surprised myself by completing all of these in a short amount of time.

Now that my work contract is finished, Halloween is finished, I've caught up on things, I'm tired.  Been sleeping quite a bit, but the healing has to happen in order to get back in to my personal schedule of get up, coffee or tea, check emails, chores, stitching and so on.  Yesterday and today I have spent more time sleeping than anything else.

What's next?  Those prizes I told you about which are too cute! I had said on my last floss tube that I was going to use patterns from the Floss Box Biscornu pattern pack 1, but when I sat down to figure out which patterns to use I almost threw the patterns across the room in disgust.  I was tired and hated everything, ha, ha.  So I spoke to Magical and asked (it was more like a bit of whining, and complaining and begging) if she could create special, just for this patterns.  She graciously, and patiently, took time out of her busy schedule and created patterns that MATCH the fabrics of each bag!  I was just sluggishly having that thought when up pops the first pattern!  I squealed with glee and even giggled....ADORABLE!  The first pattern she created from two pictures on the first bag and I could not be happier.  Tell me that's not ADORABLE??  You may know her as Galdra Stafir on Facebook and she has started a group called Weavers Tapestry Band Samplers SAL.  The woman is busy, and yet took time out for me.  Crabby, I hate Everything, me.  Let's not forget she is doing a Friday Freebie on her blog, she does the monthly patterns for NFSAL on dA and during all of this...SHE STITCHES like a mad woman.  

I may be babbling at this point but I feel I have to point out that my THREE, the top THREE designers for me are Magical, Ashley Mae and Jody.  Any time, day or night, these besties are there for me.  I love EVERYTHING they create.   Next year these three will dominate my stitching.....prepare yourselves for that onslaught!  These three designers are so completely different from each other in personality and style it makes me laugh.  I love them so very much.

My floss tube videos have been quietly successful.  A small following.  Turns out my Grandma watches me....MY GRANDMA.  She's 94.  I don't think the You Tube analytics have a section for that age range ha, ha!  She's in a special group all her own.  I am loving the interaction with floss tube watchers and other stitchers there and love to find out that the person I'm watching is someone I've been blogging along side and follow here.  It's nice to put a face to the wonderful writing.  It is all just happy stuff to watch.  If you haven't given Floss Tube a peek, try mine or just go to You Tube and type in Floss Tube.  It's a magical world that is so enjoyable and better than anything on TV.

Now it's time for me to say goodnight, still pretty wrung out and need that rest!  I hope everyone who stops by here is happy and healthy and stitching!

Until next time.....KEEP ON STITCHIN'!