Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Google Images

Our blog has made it onto Google Images!!!!!!!! I searched Rest and Be thankful and after a few pages I saw a picture of the Crone's Tree of Hope with our blog below it! So exciting! The Maiden

Rest and be Thankful



While not the best picture, a post none the less.

My Internet is not cooperating, so this was taken with my picture phone (I recently switched to Metro PCS and can now e-mail pictures to myself!). While blogging at work is probably frowned upon, I am doing it anyway! Completed on Thanksgiving day, I now have the third addition to my Holiday collection. The Maiden

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

WIP Update...and Chloe

Chloe's new found home at the top of the Christmas tree.

Nora Corbett's Letter "S"- not to far off from being finished.

No new progress on "Venetian"

Jimmy's Sgt. Simpson Bear still in the beginning stages.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

OK Ladies, here is the deal. I want everyone to dedicate themselves to finishing one project (MAYBE? PLEASE?) so that our lonely blog can see some work that is being done, or in the process of being finished. I miss our stuff being uploaded (I have nothing to say because this again has been the Holiday of the great quilt making year)...but, I do miss our little cross stitches. I put in two for framing (I must say I am very excited about that). They will be done in January. I am hoping the maiden will post her "Thankful" done...it is amazing. Anyway, let us know when we will resume the round robin so I can get some other things done before my next step to complete shows up. Thanks. I love and miss you guys. The Crone

Monday, December 20, 2010

Eros and Psyche




Another HAED Start, and yes I am out of my mind. This is my first experiment in background removal. The only part I will be stitching is the two central figures. I began the piece on 25ct Lugana, a sparkle-gold, and after a few days I said "I bet this would look great on platinum (a coveted piece of 32ct Lugana that I have been saving for just the right project). After the floss toss I knew it was all over and I began the project again. I am a little nervous about the difficulty of 32ct, but this piece of fabric was made for Eros and Psyche and the idea of experimenting with different variables to effect the outcome of the project appeals to me.

Like all my projects this one found me, the night before it was released in fact. The Maiden

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Glimmer



I have added another HAED to my collection, Glimmer by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law! When I saw this pattern I knew it would go perfectly with my favorite painting by Jada Fire that currently resides in my guest room. This piece is a modest 15 pages (combined it is more like 10 pages) and 78,400 stitches.

Despite my actual postings I am making progress with my current WIPS. I am half way done with the next page on Pretty so I hope to post in a few weeks. The Maiden

Monday, December 6, 2010

HAED SALE!!!




This pattern needed to be added to my collection of Heaven and Earth Designs (it was screaming at me), so how could I resist the sale? This is my favorite Josephine Wall, I like her even more than Psyche's Dream.

So many patterns so little time! The maiden

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Round Robin Extention

I need to formally request a 30 day extention on the Round Robin for this month. I am in an intermediate instructor development class, and have to write a lesson plan and task analysis. Plus we are in the process of rewriting the internal policies and procedures at work (fun stuff-BLAH) and with working a random swing shift/graveyard schedule, to tell you the truth when I am home, it is all I can do to drag myself out of bed, much less get in a few stitches. I hope this doesn't put a huge glitch in the system, but I will have it done by January 15th.
Thank you. Love You. Miss You
~Mother

Friday, December 3, 2010

The Great Tent Stitch Debate

Well my Internet is not cooperating, so I will have to share this posting I have been siting on for weeks without visual aids...

I decided that due to the multitude of HAED designs I found myself purchasing, and having only one life time to complete them, that I would try tent stitching (continental form). This is essentially a half cross stitch. I have seen other HAED stitchers use this technique and it looks nice and allows projects to be completed in half the time! The experimentation began, and I chose moontide as the test subject.

Experiment 1: 32ct lugana, 1 strand DMC, 1 over 1
This did not give me ample coverage and I did not like all the white fabric that showed through. Also, I am slower on 32ct than 25ct.

Experiment 2: 25ct lugana, 2 strands DMC, 1 over 1
Once again I was not happy with the coverage, although my speed was AMAZING!

I thought I had abandoned Tent stitching all together and restarted Moontide for a 3rd time on 25ct full crosses, but today I found a posting with the instructions on how these stitchers are getting the look I could not. Let experiment 3 begin!

Experiment 3: 32ct lugana, 2 strands DMC, 1 over 1
I think this will solve the coverage issues, but I am concerned about the texture and color as well as speed.

I have almost completed the first page of Moontide, full crosses, so I have a good basis for comparison. The Maiden