Chained to the Squiggles

Using another shreddy metallic, I put chain stitches in the top squiggles and then outlined more of them around the guitar. This week, I'll be filling them in too. I thought, with this being a small project, that it would go faster than it is. I think it's because I get no joy slogging through the instructions. I know one of you said that's the price of designing genius, but my response to that is - editors.

One Band Done

We didn't have our meeting this week due to bad weather, but I did get band one done anyway. I like the colors on it, and I think the variegated silk adds a nice touch to the carnations. The second band is all in cream and I'm about a quarter done with it already.

You Make My Day

Earlier this week, Pierrette gave me a Make My Day. I'm really really honored to get it. This blog was for my own benefit, after all, to show myself I was making progress when I felt I was mired in stitching doldrums. It seems others like seeing my progress too, and for that I thank all of you who take the time to read this.


The Rules:Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times.

Now comes my dilemma. I don't read other peoples' blogs often. I do browse occasionally, but I know if I do it often, I get so distracted by that that I don't do anything else. It took me a while to come up with my ten blogs that I didn't think have been Dayed. I do read Sharon B's blog and I look at Pierrette's at least twice a month, but they get inundated with these things! So, for something different, here's a list of blogs I visit. Oh, and to share the love ... not all are stitching related.


Wind from the East - a Japanese blog about crazy quilting. She does wonderful work.

GSGuide.net - My other main hobby is playing an online game. I've been playing it for some twelve years now. This is a fellow-player's help guide and information archive for the game.

Blissful Creations - Bliss talks about life and cross stitch.

Lani's Journal - Lani's a good friend and talks about her life as a musician in the Army, her family, and her stitching.

Stitchery Nook - She has some beautiful pieces she's working on.

Rooted in Mississippi - Rissa's got some "pretty impressive stuff" and she's not afraid to show it. She does some awesome work.

Gigi's Blog - Gigi is a great cross stitch designer and is always doing something new and different. Go visit, even if you don't speak French.

Isabelle Vautier's blog - She always has something going, and the pictures are beautiful.

Athena's Thimble - a website dedicated to the neeedlework of members of the East Kingdom of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

CJ Stitching and Blooms - Judy does some beautiful work in both beading and crazy quilting.

It's an Oval

This week, I was -one- jessica from finishing this when I realized I was -one- thread off two thirds of the way around ago. After muttering several curses to the stitching gods and frogging all the way back to the offending jessica, I decided I had enough of this particular area and spent three hours straight completing the oval. Don't you hate when you're off and it's a symmetrical design and would be noticed for placing everything else?

I still need to put the big stitches inside and fill in the jessicas, but I think getting that whole outline done is something to be proud of, especially since it's made with really slippery rayon.

Valentine Exchange

I participated in the Valentine's exchange on Vikki Clayton's forums this year. My post office messed up, though, and kept this buried in their packages section for two weeks, so I -just- got it yesterday. Isn't it beautiful? Tracy from Kentucky made it for me. I have it hanging on my warping board for now until I find a more permanent spot for it. I think it's gorgeous!

Seconds

The second garden piece is done. I think it'll look really good with the special stitches in it. Now on to the third part. I like that I'm making progress on this, and I think the second one went a -lot- faster than the first. Onward, ho!

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.