Stashification

The same day I got the beads posted earlier, I found several mercerias along the same street farthr down.  This first picture is from one particular place that had a lot of stuff left in the back of the store, untouched for years and years.  I found perle cotton, floche, and ribbon.  It was fun looking through everything. 

The lower picture is from another merceria.  I found some lovely locally made perle there too.  Sincce I love variegateds, I went ahead and bought three kinds.  If you look at the receipts, you'll see dollar signs.  The Uruguayans use dollar signs, too.  Their peso is approximately twenty to the dollar. 

Putting on the Glitz

I came to an area where I needed to add metallics this week, so I did.  It was about all I did.  They're the leaves/buds on the wreath at the bottom, which means I'm getting sooo close to being done.  I think the change from all brown all the time did me some good, too, since I feel better about going forward with this.

Another Part Done

Three more squares done on the Kaleidoscope Mandala.  I think I'm actually beginning to make ground on it versus how many squares have been released.

Third Belly Started!

The third jellyfish is officially started, since I've decided to go in the order of the directions and not complete each jellyfish as it comes up.  This third one has a wave stitch throughout it on the bottom.  Easy enough to do, except that it is made up of one filament of silk and two of Accentuate or Bijoux, depending on color.  I like the way it looks so far, though. 

Five Squares

I've now completed five squares of the heart design.  It looks really good in person; the colors are more subtle.  After this, I started See the Stars again.  Slowly, I'm catching up on my stitchalongs.

Shutter and Sidewalk

This week's work was on the upper shutter, the side of the middle window, and the gray sidewalk on the bottom.  Definitely visible progress, and about to turn a page in the chart!

Butterflies, Anyone?

This is the second of two blocks I made for round robins this month.  This one's an insect round robin, so I found butterfly fabrics to put on it.

Beadiful

I went back to the bead shop yesterday and bought more.  Some are being sent to the States for an exchange, but I'm keeping some, too.  Some of the nicer finds: small coins with Elizabeth II on them, colored wooden beads, some twisted manganese blue bugle beads, and star shaped glass beads.

Back to Quilting

Well, I've finally joined some more crazy quilting round robins.  This block is for an Asian round robin.  I decided to ask for an Arabian theme again, then perhaps I can do something with the two blocks - this one and the one from the previous Asian round robin.  I'll have to see what they do with it!

Yarn Stash

The same day I bought the magazines, we went to the yarn shop.  I got alllll this!  It was only about $30 US.  Not bad at all.  Uruguay has several yarn manufacturers, and the quality's very good.  Now to start making something.

And while we were at the Port Market, we found this kilo of spun wool for about the same price.  It's nice and fluffy feeling.  I'm going to make something and then dye and felt it.

Bagging It

And here's the Bargello Medley from TGOSM again.  Progress, but I'm still not done with the second band.  On the other hand, the first rectangle is filling in nicely.

New Year, New Start

This year, I decided to join the crowd and start something new with the new year.  I'd bought this project, Winter White by Indigo Rose, from Stitches and Spice during the Online Retail Needlework Show.  It was calling to me.  So I started it on the first.  My rotation's temporarily a bit larger, but I'm glad I did it.

Working on Weihnachtsmysterie

I'm close to being done with this.  Only the bottom part to go, now.  The end is near.

Three Lines, Three Eggs Done

Yay, real progress!  I have only parts of one egg and one line to go.  I think the line will be finished first, then I can finally go on to another part ... after I do all the specialty stitches in the lines.

Got It at the Market

Last week, I got all these ribbons and buttons at the local market.  It's still a bit odd to me to purchase ribbons outside, but it's neat too.  She has such a selection, and I've become a regular.  Not only that, she speaks English.

Line by Line

Still get this done at a snail's pace.  It's two more lines down from the last picture, at least.

Working Outward

I got the third set of bands done now.  It's filling up fast!

Yay! Officially on Seven

I'm finally officially on part seven of this piece.  It's only been three and a half years since I started it, and I've worked pretty steadily on it.  Of course, I have a lot of other projects, but still.  I'm slow.  Although they look quite similar, there are differences in the four sides.  The top edge of this side is definitely different from its predecessor.  It's nice to have something different to look forward to on this.

New (to me) Magazines

On the same trip as the bead shop, we stopped into a news stand on the Plaza Independencia.  It had a -lot- of magazines, including a lot of crafts ones.  All were in Spanish, but they're pretty easy to understand.  I picked up these five.  All have projects I want to do in them.

Back to the Kaleidoscope

Another stitchalong in progress, since I completed the other part of the German Group Mystery.  This one's the Kaleidoscope Mandala, and I've made some pretty significant progress in just a couple of days.

Gray and Green

It's taken me a while to get through the rotation this last time, so it's been almost a month since you've seen this.  I did get some of a shutter done, some of the roof, and a bit of the sidewalk.  A looong way to go still, but it'll get there.

Beads!

On Friday, we were walking along Montevideo's main drag - 18 de Julio - and came across this little hole in the wall bead shop.  It had lots of stuff packed in, from strings of polished uneven gemstones to seed beads to novelty stuff.

And this is what I bought, for under eight dollars.  The bag of seed beads is half a kilo, and the baggies had a lot of beads in them - each of the baggies under a dollar.  I'll definitely be going back when I have more time.

A Quick Stitch

I only started this toward the end of December, but I'm already mostly done.  It's only got the outer outline to go.  I just have to decide if I want it in variegated blue or in purple.

Got to the End

This week, I got to the end of the second stripe.  Now to fill it in.  Also finished the second row of the pattern on the first rectangle.

More Banding

I've completed another couple of bands since the picture from last week, except for the far right side.  They've started giving me multiple parts at a time, so I'm zipping right through them a bit more quickly.

Still A-Head

I still have just the head done, but got more red around the outline done.  It's getting there, but not nearly as quickly as when I was working on it daily.

Another Band Done

I got the second set of bands done on Mojave.  It's going pretty quickly because I'm using it as my take-out-when-you're-sitting-talking project.  I'm not wild about the colors, but the way the stitches are put together is neat.

Yet More Skirting

Yup, I'm getting tired of brown, but significant progress is being made.  I even got to add more metallic this week.

Hearted

The heart's finally done and shipped off to Germany.  I hope it gets put to good use.

Second Jelly Bottom

Jelly Bellies, again.  I finished the first layer of the second jellyfish and have decided to go in the order of the directions and begin the first part of the third jellyfish next.  I'll get to work on it in the coming week, I hope.

Three Parts Purple

I finished the third part of the German Group Mystery finally.  I really like the colors I've picked, still.

Showing Off a Pilot Piece

I piloted the Dresden Garden GCC for EGA this past autumn.  Of course I couldn't show it to you at the time, but the course is now released to everyone.  I used 40 count linen and did it in green instead of white.  The technique was fun and fairly easy to learn, and I think I'll make this into a boxtop.  I really like the look of it on green.

Past the Middle

This piece is coming along pretty well, and I'm definitely over the halfway mark now, since I'm starting the bottom curved bit!

Sunflower Temari

This temari reminds me of a sunflower.  It's another interwoven kiku and the colors look so summery against the green.

Smoke and Quartz

Only a couple more temari to go from the great Chrismas present push.  This one used smoke and rose quartz Watercolors.  I think the colors went really well on the ecru.  It's another kiku design, this one interwoven.

The Barbecue Pit

This is the barbecue, or parilla (par-ee-ja) in our back yard.  It even has running water and a granite countertop!  It's also wood fired and works a little bit differently than in the US.  You burn the wood in the basket on the far right then rake the coals under the rack inside the brick area.  It works well, but takes a bit of getting used to.  Needless to say, we're going to have to order more wood.

Eleventh Part Done

I finished all of part eleven last week and went on to the German Group Mystery on my stitchalong rotation.  I'll get back to this one soon.

Plumeria

We have a humongous plumeria in our back garden.  Here are some pictures of it from last week.  It's been constantly blooming for the past two months and looks to go on throughout the summer.  Mattie sometimes gets the flowers in her tail.

Secret Santa Thanks!

I got this lovely bit of stash from the Secret Santa exchange on Friendly Stitchers.  Robin sent me all these threads and the lovely fabric.  I can always use more evenweave, and the Madeira is something I don't have much of in my stash, if any.  Thank you Robin!

Surprise, Another Temari

This one is the first I've tried interlocking four spindles.  I think it came out very pretty; the Passion Watercolors on the black just pops.

Not Quite

I thought I'd be done by the next picture, but I didn't quite make it.  I'm almost done, though!

2010 Stitching Goals

After reviewing how I did last year, I'm ready to share my goals for this year.

1.  Get through part 9 of Medieval Town Mandala.  I've only been working steadily on this for four years.  What's one more?

2.   Complete part 5 of Tuscany Town Mandala.

3. Keep up with the Ornament a Month Stitchalong on the Friendly Stitchers group.

4.  Manage my Marquoir group stitchalongs better, in that I don't fall as far behind as I am currently.

5.  Finish Lady of the Flag.

6.  Finish Church Street.

7.  Do the finishing on at least five completed pieces - this would be items destined to be ornaments and soft furnishings.

8.  Stitch a stocking for TImothy.

9.  Continue working UFO's into my rotation, alternating with new starts.

10.  Make myself a purse.

11.  Start and finish the correspondence courses City Walk (ANG) and Plum Blossoms (EGA) on time.

I'm sure I'll have some shift in priorities during the year.  I always do.

2009 Goal Review

These were my goals for 2009.  I'm reporting my progress on them before committing to anything for 2010.

1. Finish Medieval Town Mandala. Doable, probably.

Well, I got two more parts done.  I'm now starting part seven, so progress, but no where near done.2. Make significant progress on my other Chatelaines, including finishing Workshop 1.
I did finish Workshop 1 - and Workshop 2, also.  I also completed the Baroque Midi Mystery.  Tuscany Town Mandala is still only on Part 4, but does have a lot more stitching done on it.

3. Complete Diamond Iris, an ANG Chapter Project Book project - this MUST be done by July 1, as I'm teaching it for CyberPointers.
This one wasn't even started.  CyberPointers and I parted on - not the best of terms.

4. Complete Midnight Garden by Orna Willis - the stitchalong I'm leading for CyberPointers. It starts Saturday.
I did complete this, and Timothy framed it for me!

5. Finish Bibendum.
It's done and in the process of being framed.

6. Make 20 ornaments. These will probably be mostly temari.
I don't think I quite made it to twenty, but the majority were mostly temari and mostly in December.

7. Complete Cobblefield Road - this should be quick, as I'm about nine tenths of the way there.
Finished and framed.
 8. Make a stocking for my husband.
This one wasn't started due to the Chatelaines taking so long.  Timothy will get his stocking, and I will start it this year.

9. Work The Traveler by Teresa Wentzler and the house by Barbara and Cheryl into my rotation.
I managed to work the Barbara and Cheryl house (Church Street) into my rotation.  Still haven't been able to fit in The Traveler.  It's waiting there, though.

10. Complete Lady of the Flag.
Not complete, but about 80 to 90% done.  Getting there.
 11. Do one crewel piece and one goldwork piece.
Didn't manage to add either one of  these to my rotation.

12. Make myself a purse.
Not even started.
 13. Keep my rotation to ten pieces, no more.
This one I accomplished, kind of.  There are ten slots in the rotation - it's just that all the stitchalongs from the Marquoir group take up one of the slots and rotate within it.

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

15. Reduce my stash significantly.
I did reduce the size by quite a bit.
Overall, I did all right.  Not brilliantly, and definitely not as much as I wanted to.  But better than in some years.

Gray and Blue Temari

This is yet another of the gift temari.  I used a Watercolors thread on it, along with some regular perle.  I think it came out fairly well.  It's just an interlocking diamonds design.