red & white sampler

another letter done...

SBQ of the week 29 March

Do you have a system for organizing freebie charts in your stash? If so, what is it? Do you print out copies of all of the freebies that you find on the web (that you think you might actually stitch) or do you maintain electronic copies of them until you are ready to stitch them?

For freebies I use the same system that I use for purchased patterns: those that I do plan to use in the immediate future I print out and keep in a binder so I can find them easily. For the patterns I find inspiring or think to use at a much later date, if at all, (you never know!) I keep them on file on the computer. Simple!

Darwin

Darwin, originally uploaded by Monkicat.

This shot was taken and kindly given to me by my neighbor, Piet.

8 months and although it doesn't look like it, he's still a pup!
Our Darwin is in full puberty and trying to extend his boundaries. That includes, not coming when called (unless we hide behind trees and he thinks he's lost!) or running way out ahead of us! Commands, well, he does them, but now you'll have to wait half a minute before he does!
The dog owners I come across in the park all assure me this phase will pass...hmmm,...at the moment it's hard to imagine.





Soon we'll be starting the second half of hunting training ( no, we're not going to hunt with this ball of love, just love to see him do what he was bred to do, plus he loves it! ) so hopefully he'll be better behaved. Besides, there's nothing Darwin loves more than chase hares & rabbits (who laugh and even slow down for him to catch up!) falling leaves and carrying around fallen branches. The dirtier he can get, the worse the weather is, the more fun! Not for us of course....

Still, he's beautiful, loving, affectionate, funny, and a wonderful companion and I can't imagine how life would be without him! He's lying at, no, on my feet now, snoozing away after sharing an apple. The sun has finally come out, so soon we'll be out in the park sharing new adventures large and small...

red & white sampler

I've been quiet for a while, didn't know really what to talk about and have been busy stitching away, and learning more and more about cross stich by doing and reading history and reference books (that was a long sentence, wasn't it?).
I finally got round to talking a photo of my red & white sampler. It's quite large, so difficult to get a good photo, that's why it's folded. Excuse the wrinkles - no sense in ironing it, that'll come when it's done and ready for framing.

This is such a fun project to do!
It's really relaxing to work with one color, and the hardest thing of all is to decide wich figure or letter to do next and where. after that, it's just a matter of counting...

SBQ of the week 15 March

If you had $500 to spend on stitching-related items, what would you buy?

Hmmm,....lots of patterns, beautiful hand dyed silk threads....wonderful frames to frame my work in.....

Wait, let me be sensible here: I think I would get a beautiful stitching frame and a good chair! If there was anything left over, then I'd get the silk thread, antique linnens, shaker sewing box, chatelaine, .....

...hold on... think I ran out of money already......

SBQ of the week

Do you use your needle, a seam ripper, or something else when you have to frog stitches? Why do you use the method that you do?

Late again for this question, but here is my answer:

Just the other day I had to frog a letter on my red & white sampler. I began using my needle, lifting the thread slowly and carefully, but then got stuck - I couldn't figure out where the next stitch came from, so I got out my fine little scissor and began snipping the stitches and picking out the cut threads. A bit like surgery it was, but I was very patient and careful not to cut the linen!

I prefer using the needle 'cause that is what I have in hand and find it's a safer tool. But if it's a tangled mess in the back and I can't track my line of stitching, I'll cut. I have seen interesting gadgets on internet that apparently snip and cut wrongly placed stitches,and pick out the bits, but would have to do some more looking into it to see if I would want to try any of those. Mind you, for now I'm only working with one color. My strategy would probably change if there were many colors in the piece!

Basically, I try to use the simplest tool or solution for that situation at that moment, and then work from there. Hey, whatever works, right?