Busy stitch week and next year's aspirations
Despite having the second worst work week of the year (or because of it...I tend to stitch more when I'm stressed), I managed quite a chunk of stitching this past week. Pea is in the home stretches and she went from here:
to here:
Barring death or dismemberment (or incarceration for a homicidal rampage), I fully intend to finish her this week.
Angel got a bit of work despite a short Needle Club. She went from here (and a better full picture of her):
to here:
If I plan it right with her and take her home immediately after finishing Pea, she could possibly be finished by the end of the year also, or at least during New Years break.
I finally jumped the fence with Tartan B as well as restarted it on Aida. I tried 18ct first, but thought it was a bit too big (that's what happens after years of working on 28ct), so I ended up going to 22ct and I absolutely LOVE it! It's so much cleaner than it was before on the linen (although the material might be just as thin):
I started it in a different area, so it doesn't quite look the same (yet). I also changed the blue color up a bit. I thought it was a bit too drabby to match the bright Christmas Red and Christmas Green colors, but I didn't go with my instinct to go with a brilliant royal blue. I tried to stay as true to my Tartan color as possible, just a bit more on the blue side and I think I found the right one. Time will tell. It's not even looking like a "B" yet anyway. I'm just happy I managed to appease my OCD monster...he was really rearing his ugly head on this one. I will definitely have to think twice about working on linen again.
I've been debating how I will start the new year. I know I will be starting Rainy Wedding at Needle Club for my co-worker:
It's pretty small and shouldn't take too long, but considering Needle Club is only three hours once a week, it still might take the year.
I know that Alice and the Bouguereau's will be my next big HAED:
And it will probably be my big focus piece.
I've been thinking about rotating a bit though and adding a couple of extra pieces. Maybe scheduling one project each day of the week, Monday through Friday with the weekend being spent on whichever of the five I choose (which will probably be Alice). That way, nothing gets left by the wayside, getting at least one day a week's worth of attention, and maybe A Summer Ball (which got left off here):
and 35th Anniversary Celebration (which got left off here):
will finally get finished (and considering Disney World is not far off from it's 45th, that might be a good thing)! Both of these projects I really hate...Summer Ball because of the fractional stitches and 35th because of the dark fabric. Lessons learned on both projects I guess. But both will look great when finished.
I can use the fifth day to start Sleepy Hollow Mural:
It's been kitted out for over a year now anyway. Once Summer Ball and 35th get done, I will keep at least one store-bought kit in rotation.
Needle Club has brought anticipation to Angel In Lilac and I'm hoping that rotating projects at home might create the same enthusiasm. Besides, I stitch a heck of a lot more than 3 hours at home (because I have no life), so they should see more growth than the Needle Club projects do, even if they don't make it into weekend rotation.
If I manage to stay on track, 2015 should see the finish of Tartan B, A Summer Ball, 35th Anniversary Celebration and Rainy Wedding and those will be replaced with my redo of Kitchen Fun (as my kit choice):
Snow White for Needle Club:
Night Wish:
And I say now that Belle of Bonaventure will be my next Jasmine HAED:
but my mood is always subject to change, so none of these may make the 2015 cut!
Kitchen Fun was a project I did many many years ago when I was married, but due to a faulty nail, the frame the original was in fell and broke and tore the old one. I had all the other mice kits tucked away in my stash, future projects that were meant to be finished as a set and all hung together anyway, so why not get started on them? If I remember correctly, they were pretty quick to stitch up and even pretty fun (for a kit). Tea Time as been sitting in a box for far too long now:
Right when I finished Tea Time is when Kitchen Fun broke. Fate was definitely involved, but I'm not sure if it was because she just wanted the frames to match (which can really only happen if they are bought at the same time) or if she was ushering out a project from a bad part of my life with one from a good part. Considering I have three or four of those in my stash, I hope it's not the later because the stages of my life are as varied as the projects themselves and I might end up spending the rest of my days stitching and restitching these puppies!
As of now, I'm also gonna say that I'm going to rotate my projects through IHSW as well, giving each ample stitch time and I say that I'm going to start taking one day off a month (instead of cashing in my vacation), kind of my own little IHSW, so we'll see how that goes. It's hard for me to take any days off, salaried or not, because I'm the only person who does I.T. for my company, so I don't have backup to cover everything. It's just easier to cash in vacation instead of taking it off, but my mood (and my poor battered head) hasn't been the best lately and that's entirely down to stress, so it's time to make some changes. Considering I'll probably never win the lottery so I can stay home 24/7 and stitch, I guess I'll settle with one day a month (or maybe a half a day twice a month, we'll see).
So there it is, 2015's goals and projects! I'm feeling a bit hopeful and contemplative with the upcoming finish of Pea, but I might feel sullen and downtrodden once she's done an all of my thoughts might do a complete 180. You never know with an Asper!
to here:
Barring death or dismemberment (or incarceration for a homicidal rampage), I fully intend to finish her this week.
Angel got a bit of work despite a short Needle Club. She went from here (and a better full picture of her):
to here:
If I plan it right with her and take her home immediately after finishing Pea, she could possibly be finished by the end of the year also, or at least during New Years break.
I finally jumped the fence with Tartan B as well as restarted it on Aida. I tried 18ct first, but thought it was a bit too big (that's what happens after years of working on 28ct), so I ended up going to 22ct and I absolutely LOVE it! It's so much cleaner than it was before on the linen (although the material might be just as thin):
I started it in a different area, so it doesn't quite look the same (yet). I also changed the blue color up a bit. I thought it was a bit too drabby to match the bright Christmas Red and Christmas Green colors, but I didn't go with my instinct to go with a brilliant royal blue. I tried to stay as true to my Tartan color as possible, just a bit more on the blue side and I think I found the right one. Time will tell. It's not even looking like a "B" yet anyway. I'm just happy I managed to appease my OCD monster...he was really rearing his ugly head on this one. I will definitely have to think twice about working on linen again.
I've been debating how I will start the new year. I know I will be starting Rainy Wedding at Needle Club for my co-worker:
It's pretty small and shouldn't take too long, but considering Needle Club is only three hours once a week, it still might take the year.
I know that Alice and the Bouguereau's will be my next big HAED:
And it will probably be my big focus piece.
I've been thinking about rotating a bit though and adding a couple of extra pieces. Maybe scheduling one project each day of the week, Monday through Friday with the weekend being spent on whichever of the five I choose (which will probably be Alice). That way, nothing gets left by the wayside, getting at least one day a week's worth of attention, and maybe A Summer Ball (which got left off here):
and 35th Anniversary Celebration (which got left off here):
will finally get finished (and considering Disney World is not far off from it's 45th, that might be a good thing)! Both of these projects I really hate...Summer Ball because of the fractional stitches and 35th because of the dark fabric. Lessons learned on both projects I guess. But both will look great when finished.
I can use the fifth day to start Sleepy Hollow Mural:
It's been kitted out for over a year now anyway. Once Summer Ball and 35th get done, I will keep at least one store-bought kit in rotation.
Needle Club has brought anticipation to Angel In Lilac and I'm hoping that rotating projects at home might create the same enthusiasm. Besides, I stitch a heck of a lot more than 3 hours at home (because I have no life), so they should see more growth than the Needle Club projects do, even if they don't make it into weekend rotation.
If I manage to stay on track, 2015 should see the finish of Tartan B, A Summer Ball, 35th Anniversary Celebration and Rainy Wedding and those will be replaced with my redo of Kitchen Fun (as my kit choice):
Snow White for Needle Club:
Night Wish:
And I say now that Belle of Bonaventure will be my next Jasmine HAED:
but my mood is always subject to change, so none of these may make the 2015 cut!
Kitchen Fun was a project I did many many years ago when I was married, but due to a faulty nail, the frame the original was in fell and broke and tore the old one. I had all the other mice kits tucked away in my stash, future projects that were meant to be finished as a set and all hung together anyway, so why not get started on them? If I remember correctly, they were pretty quick to stitch up and even pretty fun (for a kit). Tea Time as been sitting in a box for far too long now:
Right when I finished Tea Time is when Kitchen Fun broke. Fate was definitely involved, but I'm not sure if it was because she just wanted the frames to match (which can really only happen if they are bought at the same time) or if she was ushering out a project from a bad part of my life with one from a good part. Considering I have three or four of those in my stash, I hope it's not the later because the stages of my life are as varied as the projects themselves and I might end up spending the rest of my days stitching and restitching these puppies!
As of now, I'm also gonna say that I'm going to rotate my projects through IHSW as well, giving each ample stitch time and I say that I'm going to start taking one day off a month (instead of cashing in my vacation), kind of my own little IHSW, so we'll see how that goes. It's hard for me to take any days off, salaried or not, because I'm the only person who does I.T. for my company, so I don't have backup to cover everything. It's just easier to cash in vacation instead of taking it off, but my mood (and my poor battered head) hasn't been the best lately and that's entirely down to stress, so it's time to make some changes. Considering I'll probably never win the lottery so I can stay home 24/7 and stitch, I guess I'll settle with one day a month (or maybe a half a day twice a month, we'll see).
So there it is, 2015's goals and projects! I'm feeling a bit hopeful and contemplative with the upcoming finish of Pea, but I might feel sullen and downtrodden once she's done an all of my thoughts might do a complete 180. You never know with an Asper!
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Linda