The first stitching I've done in almost two years

Just had to post this as proof that I've actually begun a new project. Amazing how time gets away from one! Let's hope that this very brief beginning is followed by lots and lots more stitches. :)

Endings and Beginnings

Amazingly, it's been almost two years since my last post here, so I intend to remedy that right now. :) I simply haven't been doing ANY stitching in the intervening time, which is why I've had nothing to blog about.

Frankly, after my mother's death in February of 2010 I lost the motivation to continue with any of my hobbies. You could say that I took a sort of sabbatical from crafting of any kind. I did run across my charts every once in a while, but didn't have the heart to work on any existing projects, or start any new ones. Since there was no point in pushing myself, I decided to just wait until I felt ready again.

It was just last week that I finally felt an urge to get back to my stitching. My big sister, who is also a crafter, is planning to visit at the end of the month. In preparation for her visit I started straightening the guest room, and found one of my many boxes of cloth neatly tucked away up on a shelf. This started me thinking about how I had shelved my current project basket those many months ago, and when I dragged it out I saw several envelopes full of charts that I had ordered back in 2010. Charts that I had so longed to work on once upon a time, but had abandoned. Loose charts that I had never even filed away for later. This made me sad.

So I took my big binder of charts from the shelf, dusted it off and started flipping through its pages. I suddenly realized that it needed a good deal of organization now, and that was something I felt I could probably handle. Adding the new charts to my log, slipping them into their plastic sleeves and sorting them into the book had me reminiscing a bit about all of the work I'd stitched in the past, and all of the wonderful designs I had yet to do. Something inside of me flickered a little, and right then I decided to begin something.

In my entrance hallway on one side of the large oval mirror hangs my Prairie Schooler "Welcome" blackbird. It used to reside in a glass topped tray, but didn't look quite right there to my eye, and so migrated to a frame I'd picked up on the cheap from Tuesday Morning. There exists a matching and still empty frame for its companion piece, which I'd always planned to hang on the other side of the mirror, but never quite got around to choosing or starting. Family issues and all that getting in the way. But now I've selected "Home Sweet Home" from the Prairie Schooler "Welcome Home" booklet #92 as my very next project. By stitching up this old design I can complete the hallway display that I planned so long ago, and in a way bring that chapter to a close. Perhaps then I will be ready to start something completely new. :)

But before I could begin I had to locate some matching cloth, and found to my disappointment that I had no more Fiddler's Cloth left in the correct shade. Not to worry, though, as I did have some left in a lighter ivory tone which I proceeded to tea-dye to the right color.

This experience was my first time ever tea-dying something, and I must say it was an easy exercise which took only a short time and gave me an excellent result. Now that I have my matching cloth ready, I must merely choose floss from my large supply and I can begin. :) Off to pick colors now.

It's been a few months since I last posted

Due to my mom's death in February I haven't felt much of an urge to stitch recently. However, lately I find I have been thinking about cross-stitching now and again, and I even ordered some long-desired patterns from 123stitch.com last week to try to tempt myself into picking up a needle. I don't know when I will start something, but you can be sure I'll post about it when I do.

And I have some good news to share, this month I became a great-auntie for the first time. :) Meet my nephew and niece-in-law's baby Natalie.

Dear friends

My elderly mother became ill and passed away earlier this month. I just haven't had the heart to do any stitching for ages. I hope to take it up again later, but for right now a break is probably the best thing for me. My best to you all.

The never-ending story

My progress on the Mary Wigham sampler has been very slow, I just haven't had much time to stitch, or when I did my hands would not cooperate. Ah, the joys of getting older! lol I knew that this would be a lengthy on-going project when I started it, but I had no idea that I would still be working it after all these many months. Long ago I had to abandon my original (and what I thought quite achievable) goal of stitching just one motif of the chart each weekend, and merely fit in stitching on it when I can. But I decided to no longer obsess over getting this sampler finished by any self-imposed arbitrary deadline. I am still quite appreciative that Needleprint.com offered this chart online for free, I only wish that the time I spend working it could equal their generosity.

Tiny treasures

Bought myself a teensy present at the crafts store this weekend: four gold-plated DMC embroidery needles. I've always wanted to try this kind of needle and since they were on sale for $1.99 it seemed a cheap treat. :) They are supposed to "slide easily through fabric and be more resistant to rust", so I shall see if this is, in fact, true. :)

Happy New Year!

Welcome, 2010! May this new year be the start of many lovely things for all of my friends!

Christmas thoughts

These past few weeks before the holidays I've entertained myself by perusing other folk's stitching blogs. While I was looking for ornament ideas and admiring all of the fabulous trees and decorations that people created in their own homes, I realized something very surprising – I haven't a single ornament that I stitched myself on my own tree! All of the ones I have made over the years I have gifted out to others. So I decided that next year I would choose a design and do one just for me! :)

My own Christmas tree is decorated with a variety of things that I have collected over time, and changes very little from year to year. I could never seem to stick to just one "theme" for a tree, and so have amassed inexpensive old-fashioned glass ornaments, wind-up musical boxes shaped like instruments, simple wooden toys that evoke childhood memories, a heap of santas and snowmen of every variety and manufacture, and even some tiny sparkly jeweled shoes! Not to mention all the lovely package and floral decorations that were just too pretty to throw away that now nestle happily within the branches, adding glamour and glitz to the greenery.

But I think my favorite decoration is still the "walnut". This little item, inexpertly painted red to look like a strawberry and adorned with a green felt "leaf" and a simple twine hanging loop, was made long ago in an elementary school art class by one of my sister's kids. I had always thought that my nephew made it, but during her visit last month my niece claimed all of the artistic credit. :) Regardless of its origin it has always represented family to me more than any other bauble. It is the first thing I place on my tree each year – right at the top next to where the star will go, and the last thing I take off the tree when it's time to take everything down. Once all of the other ornaments are safely wrapped in tissue and packed into their compartments I make sure to place the walnut on the very top before the decorations box is sealed. That way each year when I open the box I once more remember what Christmas is all about for me. :)