The Fair

My entries went down to the county fair yesterday. I entered the Autumnal Abstract Bag, Alchemical Symbols and Sunny Day Cat for this one. *fingers crossed*

I was able to wrap up a small that I started over the weekend while I was chillin in the parking lot before work this morning. I have a photo of it, but I need to get back to my computer before I can post it since I accidentally left my SD card in the computer. I made it for a friend and am trying to decide how to finish it. And I'm trying to decide if I want to show it to them tonight when I see them or if I want to wait until it's completely finished. Tough decisions!

Its not looking good for the La-D-Da Free-Bee I've been working on for a while. I'm just about to run out of thread. I think that I'll use up what I have left tonight and then try to figure out what the heck I'm going to do about that. I'm pretty sure I pulled that stuff from the discontinued bin. Either way I have lost the tag that was attached so I have no clue what manufaturer the cotton is, let alone what color. I suppose I could just grab another color and bull through acting like it's what I meant to do. *shakes head*

Little Steps

I've been meaning to post some progress photos for some time. I promise... soon. I haven't gotten a lot done, but I have made some steady progress on a few of my projects. There's something about May that makes it hard to find time to stitch. The weather is getting nicer and everyone whats to do everything _right now_ because they have been cooped up all winter ;-). Now that we're heading into June my schedule clears out since everyone else seems to be getting burned out on doing things. Now I can start to concentrate on more stitching.

I am happy to note that I have been able to get my Christmas stockings almost fully assembled. I'm hoping to get them completed by this weekend with some finish photos. I'm super happy with how they are coming out. I have one more project that needs to be assembled. *fingers crossed*

Bad?

Is it bad if one is looking through one's stash inventory and starts panicking? I'm sitting here trying to keep myself from starting another project right now. I have the following going: abstract, nova, x-mas stocking, angel, st. petersburg, co-worker gift, free-bee. OK I think that's all. Oops, no - also the sampler book. And I'd like to start the blackstone fantasy garden, fire and ice, a needle keep, an accessory box, seasons of the trees, and about 30 different little projects.

Then of course there are the projects I need to finish - some soon.

I wonder when someone is going to stage and intervention! Sheesh!

Oops I Lied

I didn't get the "B" section of my sampler book done yesterday. I did end up having a very good time though! I took off to deliver the cake in the late morning and got hung up there chatting. Then I went into the city and to my LNS :-). I spent an hour at the shop picking out colors for the rest of the sampler book and then realized I was going to be late to my doctor appointment. I quick paid for it all and sped off for that. After the appointment I returned to the shop for another hour of color picking. I accidentally kept my buddy Gail a little late at the shop - she's a gem!! Then it was off to dinner with some friends and returned home late.

I can't wait to get going on the rest of this project! The colors are wonderful. Sadly I think I'm in the process of ransoming my first born. I hope whoever it is that's taking him doesn't realize he's a dog and not a people :-).

Day Off...

I have the day off of work today in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr's life's work. It's one of the few non-holy holidays in the US that promotes peace and caring. Now that I think of it, it may be the only one.

Calls are out around the nation for people to spend the day engaged in community activities. I'm a little bad in that I won't be doing that today. I don't feel too awful about it though because I visit nursing homes with my dog twice monthly and coach a kids sports team regularly, among all of my other charity activities. If you're not already volunteering on a regular basis, think about it - it's very rewarding and is so wonderful for the people who need help.

This morning I did some baking and then settled in to work a bit on my sampler book. I'm hoping to have a photo of my completed 'B" square up by the end of the day. It's very close to completion.

I also motivated to hang my framed Sunny Day Cat project that I got back from the framing shop on Friday. It looks great in my sun-shiny guest room.
I didn't put in any time on my Abstract this weekend. Between the skating meet (all day Saturday) and messing around the house on Sunday I just couldn't find the time. I'll be putting in some hours on it during the week though. It's so close to completion!

Stitcher's Panic

Earlier this week I was swimming in the morning and strained the index finger on my left hand when I overdid it a little on the breast stroke. It was rough stitching that night (I'm a lefty). I was worried that it would be out of commission for longer. It's funny how something little like that can make one worry.

I've been stitching like mad on the Abstract. Since I've been getting out from work a little earlier than usual I can get in a walk with the dogs and spent a couple of hour stitching at night. It's made a huge difference in how I feel in the morning. The dog walk gets me out in the sunlight and the stitching is so relaxing and productive.

I'm planning to post another progress photo of the abstract this weekend. I have the last portion of the project broken up into weekly goals. I seem to have broken through the blockade on that project. I decided to put all of the smalls on hold for a while so I can get some work in on the projects that were starting to languish.

Death of the Computer

My computer is dying. I can use it for about an hour at a time before it starts to overheat and the hard drive begins to holler at me. I'm hoping to get a new one soon. In the meantime it's difficult for me to get photos uploaded because it's dragging on accessing the file system.

In good news, the county art show went up today. My peacock project got third place in the needlepoint division. I'm a bit confused about which category I entered, but I think the judges were too. *shrug* It was great seeing all of the incredible project everyone entered. I'm planning to get some photos of the show to share.

Over the long holiday weekend I finished the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas ornaments (YAY). I also played around with some left over fibers from a canvaswork project I did over the summer. I have a few little ornaments that came out of that and likely will have a few more. I'm in a cleaning mode, which means lots of little things from scraps will be occurring for awhile.

On the way up to skiiing yeasterday I worked a little on my La-D-Da Free-bee project. That's been swapped in as my new travel/TV project.

I also put in a good chunk of time on the Sunny Day Cat. I'm about to head down the dining room table to get a bit more done on that one. I'm so close to finishing it up.

It's looking like I'll be clearing a number of the open projects out of the queue before the end of the year. This is a good thing. I never did get a chance to do my Christmas stocking. Although my husband's is finished, it never got assembled as a result of my dropping the ball on mine. Oh well - there's always next year ;-).

Another Competition

The office I work at is hosting an art show of the employees work next week. I couldn't resist entering 2 pieces for $2.

I entered the Spring Hat, which got a 2nd place at the state fair:

From 2008 Finishes

I also entered a piece I finished a while ago:

From Pre-2006 Finishes

I just got the last installment on the Mystery Stitch Along. Maybe I'll work on that tonight. I'm not up for anything super exciting - too much exercising this morning.

Missing My Couch and a Contest

It's a boring day at work today. Days like this I'd almost rather not get paid and just hang out on my couch stitching. But who knows when a crisis will need my attention ;-). I should have brought a project with me. Not that stitching here wouldn't be unseemly.

While I was wandering around the stitching-net today I found a contest at Stitch Pink. The Stitch Pink blog is raising awareness of breast cancer screening. Remember, if you have boobs you should get screened - even boy people get breast cancer.

I'm planning to work on the santa stocking tonight after Ellie and I fail our doggy obedience test. I really don't have that much more to do on it. I just can't seem to find the focus to get it done. When I finish this one I'll have to figure out how to work in the one for me. I picked Robert's Stocking for mine because Santa is wearing skates - and he's green. I love green.

Not Much

I was able to get a little work done on the Kitty Cat Row this morning. I need to pick up more in one of the colors so I can finish that off. Sorry no pics, but this is a nifty finishing technique that one of the Fair & Square exchangers found.

GAH!

My plan went all to heck! I didn't work on the stocking, I didn't work on the cats. Instead I started another little free kits I received while chatting on the phone with my neighbor - and offset one of the stitches by one. So away I frog :-P.

Not too much stitching will get done this weekend. My coonhound and I are heading off for a tracking workshop for a couple of days. I'm looking forward to it with a bit of trepidation. But it will be nice to get out of town if only for a short time.

I'm a bum for not updating my WIP pictures; I'm out of sorts here for the moment. I so need to get a wireless card for my laptop so I can sit it next to me while I stitch - aaah the height of geekdom :-).

The Scoop

I finished another project this morning, but I can't post it until I've gifted it. *sigh* Hopefully soon. In the meantime I'm down to just a few WIPs, although I have a ton of projects piling up that I want to work on.

I need to spend some time on the Kitty Cat Row tonight. I don't think I'll have enough of one color and if I confirm that tonight my DH can stop by the LNS to pick up some extra and drop off some finished pieces for display in the annual stitcher's showcase.

I'm hoping I can finish the Kitty project, the Santa stocking and the Letter I before the end of the month. Then I need to decide if I should pick up one of my BAPs that are on the WIP pile or start something new. I really do need to get back on the St Petersburg project that I gave up on last fall - so sad!

Yesterday one of my coworkers and I nipped out of work for a few minutes to check out a coiled basket display at one of the local art houses. It was phenomenal! I could do that - well maybe not to the degree that the artist on display does, but still! I have so much extra thread sitting around that just isn't going to be used for stitching. This would be perfect for it all. I already have just about all of the materials I would need - only the core is missing. I bet I can find something around the house though!