I got more color done in the middle and some of the variegated edging done, too. I like the colors I've got on this and hope to get it done by the end of June.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Fencing It In
Friday, May 29, 2009
My First Over One Finish
How I Rotate...
I've gotten some comments asking how I do this, so I'll post. It works for me; I don't know if it'd work for anyone else, but... here goes. Everything changes when I travel, too, and gets discombobulated, so that's one reason things get out of order sometimes. This is how I set it up when I got home from Kosovo at the end of April.
First, I get a sticky note pad with ten lines on it. I write down the project I am currently stitching until I have ten projects on the list. Each project gets two needles-ful of stitching done. Sometimes I'll fudge and do a bit more, sometimes a very little bit less. I do try to keep at least that much on each project. It's enough to see progress on it.
So, ten projects that I go through from top to bottom and keep going through until one's done. When one is done, I tear off that sticky note and write a new one with all the same projects except the completed one and then add a new one to the bottom. Adding a new one is my reward. Right now, I'm alternating between adding completely new projects when I finish one and old UFO's.
I also try to work extra on a project every day. Since I've been so behind on the stitchalongs, I've been doing them. I do two needles-ful of that project until it's done, or in the case of the stitchalongs, I've completed a section.
Then there are the crazy quilt round robin blocks. Because they're on a fairly short turnaround, I tend to put aside a day a week to work on them. Usually, that day is Sunday. I tend to work on that until I'm done or until I get too tired of it. When I do, I'll put it aside for the day and pick it up as the daily item until it's done.
I doubt this makes sense to anyone else, but it's how I've been doing things for several years now, at least.
First, I get a sticky note pad with ten lines on it. I write down the project I am currently stitching until I have ten projects on the list. Each project gets two needles-ful of stitching done. Sometimes I'll fudge and do a bit more, sometimes a very little bit less. I do try to keep at least that much on each project. It's enough to see progress on it.
So, ten projects that I go through from top to bottom and keep going through until one's done. When one is done, I tear off that sticky note and write a new one with all the same projects except the completed one and then add a new one to the bottom. Adding a new one is my reward. Right now, I'm alternating between adding completely new projects when I finish one and old UFO's.
I also try to work extra on a project every day. Since I've been so behind on the stitchalongs, I've been doing them. I do two needles-ful of that project until it's done, or in the case of the stitchalongs, I've completed a section.
Then there are the crazy quilt round robin blocks. Because they're on a fairly short turnaround, I tend to put aside a day a week to work on them. Usually, that day is Sunday. I tend to work on that until I'm done or until I get too tired of it. When I do, I'll put it aside for the day and pick it up as the daily item until it's done.
I doubt this makes sense to anyone else, but it's how I've been doing things for several years now, at least.
Labels:
rotation
Browning it Out
Next to the cream colored building, I've been stitching a dark brown one this week. I'll be working on it next time, too. This side is coming along pretty well, and I might make my goal of finishing it by the end of summer - then three more sides. I swear I'll get this done! It's only been in my rotation three years now.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Flag's Done
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
And Another Part Done
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
More Real Progress
It's a Pumpkin-to-be
This is Cindy's autumn round robin block. As you can see, it came to me already three dimensional. I was the first to stitch on it; I think the ones who stitch later will have an even harder time.
Cindy said it was to be The Great Pumpkin, and I'm not really someone who does Halloween, so I put a bunch of harvest-type stuff on it and some copper and natural materials.
My husband really liked the spider on its web, for some reason. That was the part that took the least amount of time, too.
There were eight total sections; I did two and two seams, and chose an edge because it was easier to work on. I don't know how whoever gets the middle is going to be able to gather everything together and get in there to do it. Anyway, it's mailed out to Cobi today and I hope Cindy likes what I've done.
Cindy said it was to be The Great Pumpkin, and I'm not really someone who does Halloween, so I put a bunch of harvest-type stuff on it and some copper and natural materials.
My husband really liked the spider on its web, for some reason. That was the part that took the least amount of time, too.
There were eight total sections; I did two and two seams, and chose an edge because it was easier to work on. I don't know how whoever gets the middle is going to be able to gather everything together and get in there to do it. Anyway, it's mailed out to Cobi today and I hope Cindy likes what I've done.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Blending It
I did quite a few scotch stiches this week, all the same color too. They were the middle color of the five pinks. Although I'm only just over a third of the way through the thirty pages of instructions, I -think- I'm over halfway through the actual stitches. It looks more than half covered to me, at least. We'll see.
Bibendum's Got Bike
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Making a Motif
Friday, May 22, 2009
Romantic Block Done
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Started the Second Egg
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
See the Stars Part Four Complete
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Almost Measled Out
Monday, May 18, 2009
Creamy Building
This week, I made quite a bit of progress on one of the buildings on the left. I added the red above the roof of the stable and a variegated pearl around that. It is mixed with a variegated caramel color, but the part that ended up used there was very light, so there's not much contrast. Maybe the house on the other side will get more. That's one of the things about working with variegateds - no two stitchers will have the same look. I like that.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Dinner in Plovdiv
This restaurant is a two minute walk from the hotel, across a park. We went there the first night we got in - after our twelve hour harrowing drive from Varna. We were exhausted and hungry, and this place welcomed us even though it was late in the evening. These pictures were taken on our second visit, on our last night in Bulgaria. Yes, it was that good.
Here's a picture of the building itself, past the sign. There are fountains and pools and tables all over the front are, and a very pretty garden. It was a bit chilly when we went, so the area wasn't open to sit outside.
And this is a picture of the menu. It's all in Bulgarian, but there are somewhat cryptic English translations below. Most restaurants in large cities in the Balkans have English translations on their menus. They may or may not be correct.
This was our main course, and it was wonderful! It's grilled chicken and vegetables with lemon, served in a wok-like dish. They called it chicken in a pot in English (I told you their translations are a bit off!). Everything had a hint of paprika that went wonderfully with the lemon.
My first course was chicken soup. It was served in its own tureen, complete with ladle. Lots of actual chunks of chicken in a mildly spiced broth. When we took a picture of it, the owner saw what we were doing and gave us free shortbread cookies because we liked the food so much! They were good, too. The check, by the way, was about 25 lev for both of us, translating to about 12.50 euro or less than $20. Overall, don't fear the food in Bulgaria. Most of it's very good. There's only on restaurant we went to where the service and food were subpar. It was a pizza place in Varna.
By the way, if you go to the Balkans - the Cyrillic parts - memorize that top word. It's pronounced "restaurant".
Here's a picture of the building itself, past the sign. There are fountains and pools and tables all over the front are, and a very pretty garden. It was a bit chilly when we went, so the area wasn't open to sit outside.
And this is a picture of the menu. It's all in Bulgarian, but there are somewhat cryptic English translations below. Most restaurants in large cities in the Balkans have English translations on their menus. They may or may not be correct.
This was our main course, and it was wonderful! It's grilled chicken and vegetables with lemon, served in a wok-like dish. They called it chicken in a pot in English (I told you their translations are a bit off!). Everything had a hint of paprika that went wonderfully with the lemon.
My first course was chicken soup. It was served in its own tureen, complete with ladle. Lots of actual chunks of chicken in a mildly spiced broth. When we took a picture of it, the owner saw what we were doing and gave us free shortbread cookies because we liked the food so much! They were good, too. The check, by the way, was about 25 lev for both of us, translating to about 12.50 euro or less than $20. Overall, don't fear the food in Bulgaria. Most of it's very good. There's only on restaurant we went to where the service and food were subpar. It was a pizza place in Varna.
Still More Belly
Beginning the Middle
Friday, May 15, 2009
Puppy Update!
The puppy has a home. As late as Wednesday, we thought she would be coming back to the US. Instead, at the last minute, she was adopted by a Kosovar shepherd. Yes, they still exist in the Balkans. She will be his companion as he works and have a good home. She'll be doing what she was bred to do. I'll miss her, though.
Catching Up on Part Four
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Third Block of the Month
Still Got Measles
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Winding Down the Flutter
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Half Circle
Monday, May 11, 2009
Zenned Part Four
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Pinking It Up
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Another Crazy Finish
This is the second of the crazy quilt round robins I'm finishing this month. It's Bonnie W's, and all her blocks are neutral. I picked this one because it was the only one without a really discernable fan in it, and I'm different.
I spent a while figuring out what to do and then did several things. The gold little appliques are from the Bulgarian fabric. My favorite, though, is the four petal flower seam treatment. I hope she likes it. There were so many small bits that it was hard to work motifs for most of the pieces of fabric. Surprisingly, this also makes my fourth finish of this month. I come home from Kosovo and get productive, I guess.
I spent a while figuring out what to do and then did several things. The gold little appliques are from the Bulgarian fabric. My favorite, though, is the four petal flower seam treatment. I hope she likes it. There were so many small bits that it was hard to work motifs for most of the pieces of fabric. Surprisingly, this also makes my fourth finish of this month. I come home from Kosovo and get productive, I guess.
Friday, May 08, 2009
More Plane Stitching
I started this on the trip from Pristina to Vienna and worked on it some more between Vienna and Paris. Got a lot done! It's the second workshop from Chatelaine, this time focussing on rice stitches. I'm still working on getting the outline done. I really like these colors - I gravitate toward the cool ones. As you can see, though, it's a small piece, so I have a chance of finishing it relatively soon.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Christmas Ornament Exchange Sign Ups
If you'd like to participate in the Christmas in July ornament exchange, click on the Christmas Ornament Exchange link on my sidebar. Sign ups end June 1st and mailing date is July 15th. This has been successful in the past, and all manner of embroidery is encouraged.
Labels:
exchanges
My Favorite Bulgarian City
I really fell in love with Plovdiv. You've probably never heard of it, but it's about an hour or so southeast of Sofia. Skip Sofia. Go to Plovdiv. The architecture is amazing, there's plenty of stash to shop for, and it's the only place in Bulgaria we saw where everyone smiles back. Anyway, this top picture is of the Ethnographic Museum. It's chock full of beautiful things, and the building itself is pretty spectacular. All of it was hand painted.
Here's an example of what's inside the Ethnographic Museum. It's a mural of icons. I just thought it was really pretty. For more pictures of the Ethnological Museum and its contents, go here.
Here's an example of what's inside the Ethnographic Museum. It's a mural of icons. I just thought it was really pretty. For more pictures of the Ethnological Museum and its contents, go here.
Here is a picture of one of Plovdiv's public fountains at night. It's right in front of the headquarters of the local orchestra. I just liked the novelty of it. The weather we had was near perfect, not too hot, not too cold, and not rainy.
This picture is of part of the exterior of the Saints Constantine and Elena church in Plovdiv's Old Town. Both inside and out, the church is covered in hand painted frescoes. They're gorgeous. While we were visiting, there was a baptism going on inside.
I have no idea who the guy is under the pigeon, but it was just sitting there perfectly pleased. There are a bunch of statues and busts in the very wooded public park at the foot of the main shopping road/area downtown.
This picture is of part of the exterior of the Saints Constantine and Elena church in Plovdiv's Old Town. Both inside and out, the church is covered in hand painted frescoes. They're gorgeous. While we were visiting, there was a baptism going on inside.
I have no idea who the guy is under the pigeon, but it was just sitting there perfectly pleased. There are a bunch of statues and busts in the very wooded public park at the foot of the main shopping road/area downtown.
Anyway, I -loved- Plovdiv and feel we didn't spend enough time there. I'd really like to go back. As my companion loads up more pictures, I'll share a few more with you.
One Goes Out...
I actually received this block in Kosovo, but was unable to work much on it while there. So, since I now have a stack of about seven round robin blocks since my return, I thought I'd better get busy! Here's the first one to go out - I sent it today. It's Candji's from the Whatever Goes group. This top picture is the naked block.
And One Comes Home
When I got home from Kosovo on Thursday, I had a huuuuuge stack of mail to go through. One of the things in the mail was my Asian Nights block. I'd actually forgotten about it. Anyway, it came back gorgeous. I'll probably add a little bit more to it then make it the center of a regular quilt. Thank you to the ladies who worked on it!
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Last of the Stash
This is the last of my stash purchases. I got more Alize yarn, including bright cotton and bright bamboo. I just loved the colors. The blue mohair will be done up into another afghan. I wonder if the company has any plans to export to the US. I'd buy it.
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