Zentangle Part 1 Done

I got part one done in plenty of time and I still like the colors. It will look autumn-ish. Now to wait for the next bit.

Started Filling In

I added some more of the specialty stitches and the gold, then did a bit more on the edge this week. I really like the colors on this.

Still on Specialty Stitches

Parts three and four of the gardens have their specialty stitches started in this picture. Since it was taken last Friday, I've finished all the specialty stitches for part three. Yay! Now I can go on to part four. I think I've been working on parts two and three for nearly a year now.

Old is Back...

This is the last of my pre-Christmas rotation to be added back into the circle. It's Tiramisu and it's a correspondence course from EGA - one which I, of course, didn't finish on time. I'm on the eighth of twelve bands now. The middle of the eighth band is upside down. I accidentally had the picture upside down when I started stitching it, and well.... it doesn't look bad upside down.

Stripy Progress on Poirot

Since I started working on it daily, Poirot's progress has significantly increased. Odd correlation, that, yes? I hope to finish this by the end of the week, and I might actually make it. Still love the colors.

Rounding it out Again

The medium green scallops are toning down the measles some. Once I'm done with these, it'll be time to start another circle, I think. Round and round it goes...

Building from the Bottom Up

A bit more of two lighter colors this week and some red roof tiles. I like that I'm able to work with a variety of colors and different shapes now. After all four of those huge corners, I needed a change.

My Fourth Finish of the Year

Surprising myself, I've gotten a lot of things finished so far this year. I just hope it continues. This is Orna Willis' Midnight Garden, and I finished it just over a week ago. The main problem I had with it was the French knots. They tried to pull themselves out even after I was done with them. I like the look of it still and might stitch it again in another colorway in a couple of years.

Another Mysterie

This is the third German stitching group start of the month. It's by Tam of Tam's Creations and is in nine parts. This is the first, and once again I switched up the colors and used Vikki Clayton's fabric and floss. I'm really trying to stash stitch this year. I think the colors look pretty good. This one's going to be quicker than the other two because a part comes out every ten days.

Last of the Light Red

Managed to stitch on this and some of the other things twice this week. The light red of the flag is done, and more of the skirt. Like everything else, when I work on it, I can see progress. I think I'm just at the blah stage of the project. I'll get over it.

Last of the Asian Nights

This is how I received the block from the previous person. I was disappointed that half the patches were completely bare, and same with the seams. Why? Because I'm the last person to work on it. I added a lot, and it looks almost full now...

This is the block after my work. Since the theme is anything Asian, I added noshi ribbons (for good fortune, a Japanese tradition) to the top left. They came out better than I thought they would. I used colors already on the block for the ribbons and tacked them down with beads. On the far right, and it's a little hard to see, I added a bead seam treatment; its inspiration was the simple geometric designs found in Asian art.

Here's a close up of the noshi ribbons. Yes, I did thread them through each other.

And this is a closer view of the golden vine I added, along with the other seam. Its inspiration was also the geometric designs of oriental art, but this time the more complicated ones. I hope the recipient likes what I did.

Back to the Man

Time for some more outlining and filling in. The outlining goes so much quicker because there's less of it, but the filling in is just that - no having to count or anything.

New Group Project

My German stitching group has started a new project (again). Yes, it's the second of three! projects they've started this month. This one is called Zentangle and is designed by Elke Reiss. I have the complete outline of part one done and just neeed to fill in the middle with blackwork. I went waaaay outside my normal color choices on this, using a piece of Vikki Clayton's linen I had around and yet another mystery spool of hers. I like the way the colors go together.

Playing in the Middle

It was time to start the middle motifs this week, and you can see they're a lot different color-wise from the edge. I'm kind of surprised at how long this is taking me to do, but I really shouldn't be by now. Things always take longer than I expect.

Second Inside Done

The inner specialty stitches of the right garden are done! On top of that, some of the flowers in the bottom and on the left are complete too. Since it's one ply and in every intersection, it takes a while. I think I'll be able to start part 4 (finally) by February.

The Wheels on the Ornament

go round and round, round and round... yep more Jessica. This time it's the big dark one. I finished Midnight Garden last night, so this piece is the next on my accelerated stitching list. I'm halfway done now and I just need to finish it. Considering that it's so small, if I work a little on it every day, I should have it done in a couple of weeks. The counting can be frustrating sometimes, but I do like the look of it.

It's Got Measles

At least, that's what it looks like to me. I stitch over one in a modified continental, so it's very hard to frog. Guess I'll just work around mistakes as I find them. It's coming along pretty well, I think.

Gardening on Winter Days

The Midnight Garden is coming along quite well, I think. It stitches very quickly, but you need to remember to use a laying tool. Hardest part so far? The bullion knots.

Peeking Out the Windows

I made lots of windows to peek out of this week. It's coming along fairly quickly for me, and each bit brings out a little more character in the buildings.

White's Done

All the white is done until I get to the bottom banner now. That's a sign of real progress, I suppose. I also did some of the brown, again. Brown's going to be a theme for a while, but the skirt is growing.

Round Robin Complete

This was the last block I had to work on for the My Favorite Things round robin. It's so far out of my taste realm that I had a hard time figuring out what to do. I was also kind of shocked that it was sent to me with three patches naked even though I was the last person. I added the tea charms and butterfly included with the block and did some seam treatments. The only part I did that I like are the little asters blowing in the wind on the yellow patch.

A Face

completed! Even if it is one only a mother could love ... Bibendum's coming along. He's so easy to work on it's calming, especially when I have all the black done and just need to fill in the white. If anyone finds other Bibendum needlework designs out there, please tell me.

Half a Frame

I've got about half the frame done now. Yay! It's progress. I'm hoping to start in the middle stuff soon, so it looks less bare.

Oh Say Can You...

see the star? This is the first part of a design from my Marquoir German language stitching group. I changed up the colors somewhat, as usual, and used Vikki Clayton's silks. There was a lot of blackwork in this first section. We're being given 24 sections over a year to finish. Before you get a new section, you have to show them you've finished the previous. It keeps me motivated to keep up and not let it linger as a UFO.

Guess Who? Jessica

Yes, even more Jessicas this week. I told you there were more coming. Once you get the beginning done, they go quickly at least - especially the big ones.

Gardening Along

I completed the February portion of the stitchalong for Cyberpointers this week and found out something really valuable - never, ever snag your thread or let your dog jostle your elbow when you're doing those swirlies under the purple. It pulls and you never get them to lay flat again. That's my story as to why some of them look distinctly - odd. I'm having fun with this. It doesn't have a lot of repetition, so there's no boredom.

A Little Red

It doesn't look like much, but I added some red to the flag and some more filling out of the sashing on the side.

Little Cherries

So I'm still working on this over one, and it's going okay. The big thing is clipping ends and stopping and starting so the colors don't show through the back. It's especially important with the red and dark green. A lesson in being careful!

Handy

Bibendum has a hand! This is almost mindlessly easy to do when stitching the white, as it's just filling in the outlines. It's going fairly quickly, though, and he gets more and more personality with each stitch, so he's fun.

One Garden Done

I'm sorry this post's so late in the day - I had a busy, nonstitching one.

One full garden motif is done and a second one on its way to completion. The Rhodes stitches take a lot of floss because they're huge and fat - two strands of floss in every intersection. It's good to have a part of it truly done, at least. I could, I guess, do this one quarter at a time and get to other parts more quickly, but then I'd have to go back and do it four more times. Better, in my mind, to do it all and get it over with.

The Road is Cobbled

Yay, another finish! I got it done on Tuesday. Not even two weeks into the year and two finishes. Not bad. This, if you remember, is Cobblefield Road by Jean Hilton, taught by Ro Pace as a cyberclass oh ... a year and a half ago? The major thing I did wrong with it - and no, I'm not going to change it - is misplace the upper/lower border. It's off by one thread. I'm not going to let it cause me anxiety and redo the whole border, though. I think it looks fine. This piece stretched me with a few of the stitches, and the Edmar threads were awful to work with. They kink and twist no matter how careful you are. They did add some shine to the finished product, though.

A Couple of Colors

I'm still not to the fun part (the specialty stitches) yet, but the outline is coming along, if slowly. One day, maybe, I'll start finishing things more quickly when I get fewer than ten pieces in my rotation. On a bright spot, that's -all- the pieces in my rotation at the moment. I've let it balloon up to as many as fifteen before. Talk about feeling like you've made no progress!

Circles in a Line

This week I started the first of a whole bunch of Jessica stitches. The two lines didn't take long to do, and they have smyrna stitches in their centers. A lot of what's left is little Jessica stitches, so it'll look like I'm making comparatively less progress than I have been recently for a while.

Stitching Along

I'm leading a stitchalong for CyberPointers, and I chose this piece to stitch for it. Orna Willis graciously gave us permission and is even taking part in the Yahoo group! I'm so grateful for that, and everyone in the group is benefitting from her expertise. The design is up on the Caron site as a promotion for their Waterlilies line. I like the way it's looking so far. Others are trying different color combinations. I'm interested in seeing how they turn out.

Midi Framed

I believe this is the fastest framing job my husband has ever done. He got it done on Monday. The frame was one he'd ordered for a different project that didn't fit. It looks perfect with this, though.

Adding Some Windows

This week I added some windows to the upper left. They add a lot of character to the area, and I've started filling in the rest of the building. It feels good to see actual progress on this.

Lightening Up a Little

All brown this week, but all the lightest color. If you look, you can see it on the lower ribbon and just under the flag fold. All the blank spots in these light areas are for beads, since I do the beads last.

Yes, It's Tiny

This is another new start after all the end of year finishes. It's called Petite Monogramme aux Griottes and is a kit from Rouge du Rhin. It was in my stash and on top, so it got grabbed. What's special about this one is that it's completely over one. I'll probably finish it into a pinkeep when I'm done, though I think the initial in the middle's going to be a charm instead.

Centered

The big center motif of the last band is all done, and I'm itching to finish this. When it comes up in my rotation later today or tomorrow, I'll work on it until it's done. Now that I have it this far, I really like it, even though it's been frustrating at times.

Honey, Your Curves are Showing

This week, Bibendum got a lot of outlining. His eyes are all set in place now and his personality's coming out. It's going pretty quickly, and the more I work on it, the more I like it.

Summer Song Framed

I finished this over the summer, and my husband finished framing it yesterday. He did his usual excellent job. My daughter wanted this, so it's hers. I hope she takes care of it.

No Longer a Mystery

It's all done! I finished this New Year's Day. It will become a pillow in a week or two, I think. The pictures don't show the glittery bits of the fabric. I think it came out pretty well, though if I knew the design beforehand, I probably would have picked something else.

Every New Beginning is Another Beginning's End...

This is the beginning of Chatelaine's Workshop 01, a specialty stitch tutorial. The stitch to be done - Jessicas. I just started, so haven't done any yet, but there are a lot on this small piece. As I've been finishing pieces, I've been able to start new ones. It's great to get something fresh on the plate.

Tuscan Update

The first 'garden' is almost complete - all that's left is the Rhodes stitches around the outside. The part that takes the longest are the little Algerian eye stitches in the squares - it's sixteen passes in such a small space, but it looks good. Only three more to go, then finally to part four.

Goals for 2009

I wonder if I can be a bit more realistic in my goals for this year. I hope so! Anyway, here they are, in no particular order:

1. Finish Medieval Town Mandala. Doable, probably.

2. Make significant progress on my other Chatelaines, including finishing Workshop 1.

3. Complete Diamond Iris, an ANG Chapter Project Book project - this MUST be done by July 1, as I'm teaching it for CyberPointers.

4. Complete Midnight Garden by Orna Willis - the stitchalong I'm leading for CyberPointers. It starts Saturday.

5. Finish Bibendum.

6. Make 20 ornaments. These will probably be mostly temari.

7. Complete Cobblefield Road - this should be quick, as I'm about nine tenths of the way there.

8. Make a stocking for my husband.

9. Work The Traveler by Teresa Wentzler and the house by Barbara and Cheryl into my rotation.

10. Complete Lady of the Flag.

11. Do one crewel piece and one goldwork piece.

12. Make myself a purse.

13. Keep my rotation to ten pieces, no more.

14. Finish at least two UFO's and old WIP's.

15. Reduce my stash significantly.

I hope I can do all these!

So Close!

I'm almost done with this, and will probably finish it this week. Since this picture, I've finished the squares I had and received the final four. Oh, and we're starting a new project today in the group! It's a quaker sampler called "See the Star", really pretty. Look for it soon here.