June Week 2 - Progress, New Starts

Yay, it's Friday! Time to post my update for the week. I've been pretty good about it lately, haven't I? First up is Fragile Heart, from the SAL this past week.

I'm happy with my progress so far. I should have spent more time with her this week, but other duties called. Still have house work, yard work, etc. Aaaaahhhh, if only the world would stop so I could just sit and stitch!

Next, I've kitted up 2 (yes 2!) new starts. I seem to have the new start bug lately. It's weird cause I usually hate the kitting phase, I'd rather be stitching. But I'm excited about Catfish - Rayyan. Let me tell you the story of this. Sheila Rayyan is a new artist that HAED just started charting. Catfish is on the intro page of her website. One of her first pieces to be charted was Cheshire Cat. There were people on the board wanting Catfish, including me, but I didn't think it would be charted quickly (for some reason, I don't know...). So I purchased Cheshire figuring it would keep my mind occupied. I also ordered silk from HDF to stitch him, he's only 11 colors so not too bad. Then, guess what? Catfish was charted. I had to have him immediately! He is only 9 colors, and most are the same as Cheshire, so I ordered the 2 colors of silk I was missing for him. When it all arrived I was just too excited! So without further ado, here's Catfish all kitted up! I chose Opalescent White 28 ct. (I don't know what) fabric and HDF silk. The only silk not pictured here is the off white.

I am all ready for a New Start SAL in July, if I can wait that long.

The 2nd new start I kitted up is for the Freebie SK SAL on the Board, runs Jun. - Dec. I chose Phuan - Lesley Anne Ivory. Here's what he should look like when finished, and my ready to go kitted up piece.

I think the contrast of the soft pink with the blue and golds will be very nice, plus the cats body won't get washed away as it would on white or off whtie fabric. The SK Freebie SAL will start sometime this month.

This week is the UFO/SWIP SAL on the borad. I think that the perfect fit for this SAL is Bewitched. I started her back in Jan. 09 and I haven't touched her since May 09. (See this post from Jan. 09.) I'm stitching her with HDF silks as well, so she will also comfort me in my yearning to start Catfish.

Now for your wonderful comments on my last post. I know what you are talking about saying that Wall charts are scary. I felt the same way. I am always amazed by the beautiful work the Wall Stitchers (that's what I call them in my head) do on the board. Floors me everytime. I too, would never have started a Wall if it weren't for Dragon Charmer. I just couldn't resist her. What's not to love? A beautiful girl, an adorable dragon, and all those wonderful blues! Blue is my favorite color. So I gritted my teeth and jumped in. And you know what? It isn't that bad. Really, it's no different from any other HAED chart. After all cross stitching is just making one little X after another. The thing is... you have to LOVE the artwork. If you love it, it's a tresure to stitch.

Boy! I'm chatty today!

Once again, Happy Stitching, may every X you make bring you closer to Heaven!

June Week 1 Update

Last week was Themed SAL on the HAED board, the Theme was "Sky", I sould have stitched my cat (one's name is Sky). The only thing I had on the go that had sky to be stitched was Dragon Charmer - Wall. I started it back in Oct. 09 and haven't touched it since. (I know, baaad) So here's the before (from 09) and the after:


As you can see I am in the upper left corner where the castle is, in the distance. It was fun to stitch on it again, but it's detail intensive so I didn't get far.

This week it's the Freebie SAL so I'm back with Fragile Heart. It is less intense so I hope to get alot more done. We shall see...

Thank you for your comments. In answer to a few:

anojaa , it may be a while before I start Catfish. There is usually a New Start SAL on the board at least once a year, so I am going to try to wait for that. But Catfish is screaming at me, and the silks are gorgeous, so I might not be able to!

Crafty Princess , I'm not really that close to a finish on Goblin Tree, I really am only a little more than halfway. :-) I think I have at least 10 more pages to go. It doesn't feel slower to me because of how close I am to the finish. I have been stitching on Goblin for a long time (many years) so it actually feels faster. I have the color symbols down fairly straight in my head now, after working on it for so long, so the color changes kinda flow for me now. Also, it feels like an old friend that I love to spend time with. When I get back to working on GT it's like putting on an old, comfortable pair of leather gloves (you know what I mean).

Have a wonderful stitchy week!

End of the Month Update

First, Mrs Dibble you are too funny. Yep, no such thing as "too much wine"! ;-)

Next up, Goblin Tree, last time I touched it was Feb. I worked on it for last week's SAL on the HAED Board.
Here she is before the SAL:
And after the SAL:

I'm really close to finishing the page, but I put her away to work on Dragon Charmer. I haven't touched DC since Oct. 09. The SAL on the board this week is the Themed SAL, and Sky was chosen. The only thing I have going where I'm working on sky is DC, so out she comes. I am enjoying it. I had made only a small start on it way back when, just a small part of page 1. So it's good to work on it for a while.

Michele & Bob (owners of HAED) offered a wonderful coupon code last week. You ended up getting 50% off. How could I resist? I got Sheila Rayyan's Catfish, and Randal Spangler's Reading By Firefly Light and Cruising the Information Highway. I ordered HDF silk for Catfish (it's only 9 colors), and I can't wait to start it!!! I have most definitely reached SABLE! Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy.

Hope you all had a wonderful long Holiday Weekend!

Happy Stitching!

It's Been a While

DH & I went to wine country CA the last weekend of April and into the 1st week of May. Had a wonderful time and bought way too much wine. It's Passport Weekend and we go every year. But now the cellar is up to over 800 bottles I don't think we need to go next year. We always say we're going just for the party, but it never ends up like that. We always end up purchasing, and we really don't need to!

Since we've been back I've been catching up with work, working on the yard and garden, etc. Went to NYC to see Wonderland 2 weekends ago. It was a Birthday present for my neice back in March. My SIL & I took her into the city, it was her first Broadway show. She had a great time and the show was fantastic. A good time was had by all.

Now for my stitchy update. I've been working on Fragile Heart all this time (on and off) so here she is: This shows my progress up to May 20th. I've since put her away (for a while) and brought out Goblin Tree. Haven't touched GT since Feb. I think. So get ready for an update on it soon. I feel like I'm not making any progress on it, but still plugging along. I guess after the big blocks of color on FH the detail stitches in GT are making me a bit nuts. I just have to get used to it again. I'm sure once I have some real time to spend with her, I'll fall in love with her all over again.

The rain in these parts has been relentless lately. It's all I can do to keep up with the yard. We opened the pool last weekend, we had about 8 straight hours iwth no rain. It's so much work, I got up this morning feeling like a house fell on me! We're trying to get ready for a party/BBQ this Saturday. The family and a few friends, nothing big deal, just a get together. But the weather is looking like it won't cooperate. They are saying isolated thunder showers through next week! I swear with all this rain I'm feeling mouldy! Pray for some sun soon!!!!

A FINISH!!!!

Finally! The stitching is complete. Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to bookmarkinize him! ;-)

Chesterton Still Not Complete

It's a good thing I'm not stitching the full size chart, I'd never finish! Here's my handsom boy after the SWIP/UFO SAL for this month. I didn't take him off the rods for the pic. I plan on keeping him out to play this week for the Detail/Confetti SAL. He most certainly fits the bill!

Fragile Heart

Here's my update for the week. I finally got to that mesmerizing eye! I was hoping to have more done, but the week just didn't work out for me that way.


This week's SAL is SWIP/UFO so Chesterton is coming out to play again. I really want to finish him. I'm not holding my breath though. The bottom part of the chart is just so fussy. I stitched on him for a few hours yesterday and I can barely notice the progress....

Happy Stitching!