The Wheels on the Blackwork Go Clunck, Clunk, Clunk

Another bit of stuff done on band eight. It's a pretty complicated design and I have two more big flowers to add, along with vining. The four small wheels were pretty easy to put in, though I do think I made the wrong choice in using Elegance for this color - it's just too thick. On the other hand, it adds texture.

I'm getting to another stitching wall, though. Here it is nearly halfway through the month and I've not finished anything so far. Last month, I completed nine things! Next month and the month after are going to be slow finish-wise too, since I leave for overseas again in the middle of next month. I'll be doing other things than stitching and enjoying myself, though, so that should be good!

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.

Fiddly Bits

I'm working on lots of little fiddly bits in this part. The vine-type thing has knots and diamonds in it. Those I'm doing in a separate color. They're the most tedious part of the band, though.

Flower Finished

I finished the big flower in the middle of the band this week. It's pretty much the whole length of the band. There are some vines and smaller flowers to each side that I've started. Blackwork takes a lot longer than people think. After all, it's only double running stitch, right?

One Huge Flower

Band eight has a great big flower in the middle. I started it this week and finished the upper border of the band. It's coming along a bit. The flower is also upside down. I had my paper upside down when I started, then decided not to frog it, so the whole inner part of the band will be rotated that way. Will be ... interesting, yes?

Glacial Progress

Still on the top border of the eighth band, but almost done with it. Not this week, but next, I hope to finish the border. Lots of deadlines before seminar have come up, and I've been working and working on them. Got some stuff done, at least.

Landed in Louisville this evening, and the last thing I needed after a twelve hour car trip was to spend another hour in Louisville trying to get to my hotel. Half of downtown was blocked off and the whole thing was bisected for an Ironman competition. So far, because of that and that there were NO restaurants open for dinner bcause of said competition, my impression of Louisville is less than stellar. Perhaps it will improve when the Ironman competition moves out of town, but you know ... we're to be adhering to a regular schedule on Labor Day tomorrow. Lots and lots of restaurants and shops with notices that they're closed tomorrow in the window. I feel so welcomed. Not.

Still Bordering

I'm still working on the top border of the eighth band. The soysilk is still shredding in single plies, so I'm having to take it really carefully. On the other hand, it's over halfway done.

Band 8 Started

I finished band seven this week and started band eight. Only four more bands to go. Eight is a large one, and I tried something different for the top part - I took apart the plies of one of the colors of perle thread. It's very fragile to work with, so I wouldn't recommend it. It doesn't pill - it just pulls apart unexpectedly.

Roping It In

I'm almost done with the seventh band now; as you can see, it's much smaller than the previous band (thankfully!). I think the perle I'm using is a bit thick, but it's coming along all right.

All Vined

Well, I got the vines done on this band and only have to put the bell-shaped flowers on the bottom. It's coming along all right and it feels good to be working on it again after the hiatus. The colors coordinate pretty well, and I'm happy with what I've chosen as materials.

Left At Home

I'm here in Kosovo now and it's a bright sunny day out. This piece, though, is languishing at home and missing me. I did some more on the flowers and such before I left, though.

Two Out of Three

Got some more done on the insides. The turquoise is done but for a very small piece of the third opening. Just as I'm feeling I'm making decent progress, I'm abandoning it for six weeks. Dang! But I really can't take everything and this was a good project to leave behind.

One of Three Down

One of the vases on this band is done now, so two more to go. I think I'm not taking this with me to Europe. There's no great urgency to finish it, and I think I need a break from it, too. It'll be in my rotation to do until I go, and, in fact, will be what I'm working on today.

Curlicues and Flower Pots

I've started more than the outline of the band now, startng in on the pots. There's quite a bit more to put into the middle of each of the three areas, but at least it's coming along.

Almost Vined

I'm almost done with the vine; just needing to complete the way back. I didn't get to work on it again this week; it's fallen prey to the company I have. I hope to get to it and everything else in the coming week.

Greening the Vine

After correcting a counting mistake, I wound the vine up and down some more. I'm doing the green first, since it's all one contiguous line. Then I can add the other colors and (hopefully) avoid more counting mistakes.

Starting the Vine

I've started the main part of band six. It's a vine wrapped around flowers in pots. Counting is, of course, a biggie in this.

Band Five Done

Done with a band now, and started on another.The next one has about as much stitching. It feels good to make progress, and the last band didn't take much more than a month. Maybe there's hope I'll finish this some time this year.

So Close to a Band

Band 5's so close to being done in this picture, and since it was taken last Friday, is now complete. Considering how wide the band is, it went very quickly. I hope the next one, equally as wide, goes as well.

Tying off the Columns

Most of the work for this band is now done. It will be finished week after next. The next band is fairly wide, too, but I don't know how quickly it will get done. I like the colors on this and my husband loves the way it looks, so he'll have a good time framing it. The background looks a lot better in person than in this picture, bu the way. It's not all grayed out.