Happy Halloween!

Well, I have not posted in quite some time, and it is certainly not because I am too busy stitching, even though I have picked up the needle again. I got in the mood to do some finishing. I made a few ornaments, and it got me excited and wanting to make more, so I set down and kept stitching on the little ornie projects I had picked out for this year, I have about 18 in all, right now I am at #5. You know? I don't think I will be finishing them any time soon! Just like my Halloween pieces, I wanted to have them done by today...didn't happen! I have been sidetracked by WIP's. If I could just shut them away in their cubby,and work on the things I need to work on,(like Christmas stitching) but alas I hear them bumping around and their muffled little shouts, "Work on me, work on me!" "It's dark and crowded in here, take me out into the sunlight and love me! I will look so beautiful on your wall, and the only way you will see me there is to WORK ON ME!" Yes, I hear them, and I succumb to their sad little voices. And my "need to's" get shuffled away, and forgotten. If only I had more hours in a day! Someone once said "I'm glad there are only 24 hours in a day, if I had any more I wouldn't have a good excuse for not getting everything done." But when it comes to stitching, I do wish I had more time. I know alot of stitchers who are like that! I mean, just look at our piles of stash. And we have ONE life?! Geeze, why couldn't we be like cat's and have 9 lives? Then we could get it all done! Oh well, enough about that. and moving on...

On the stitching note...I have picked up my needle and worked on an ornament, that had gone by the wayside for a bit, and I just pulled him out. A cute little snowman sitting on a sled holding a Christmas tree. He is very cute, and I had started him maybe about a month ago, and then set him aside for aforementioned WIP's that were bumping around in the drawer trying to get my attention(they succeeded!) and So, this weekend I decided I needed to work on him and try to finish him this week. So while I am doing good in that, my Halloween projects have suffered.

Well,tonight, I was at work, and it being Halloween, it was quite slow in the store once the sun went down, (at 6:30, might I ad- waaah!) and so I got to thinking about a rotation. Here I go again, trying to figure out a way to get my stuff done. I do want to be more systematic about my stitching, maybe my things will get finished faster that way. And I have decided to allot 14 hours a week to it, that would be 2 hours a day. I will have five projects in my rotation. It will look like this:
Primary focus piece= 7 hours a week (1 hr/day)
secondary focus piece= 5 hours a week (1 hr/work day)
3rd= 1 hour a week (1 hr on off day #1)
4th=1/2 hour a week (1/2 hr on off day #2)
5th= 1/2 hour a week (1/2 hr on off day #2)

I don't know if that makes any sence to anyone other than me, but I will do 2 hours a day. I will work on my primary focus piece everyday for an hour. My secondary primary focus piece will be worked on as the second hour of the days that I work 3rd in line will be stitched the second hour on my first day off from work, and the 4th and 5th pieces will share the second hour of my second day off.
Are you totally confused?
oh well, as long as I know what I mean, that is all that truly matters, right? Now all I have to do is figure out just which pieces are going to be going into my rotation. Right now I know Paula Vaughan'a November quilt from her quilts of the year book will be #1 because it is my mother's birthday gift, and I need to finish it! I was going to make it for her for Christmas, but I think I doinked around too long on my selfish WIPS that I don't know if I now have the time to finish it by Christmas. #2 will be my father's birthday gift, which was supposed to be his x-mas gift also, except once again, I think I have run out of time. Third, fourth, and fifth will be pieces for me. And I don't know quite just what to put in there. When I know I will let you know. But for now I am tired, and I think it is time for bed. Good night.

getting over a slight stitching slump

well, for about aweek, I have had no motivation to stitch, however, yesterday I made myself sit down and work on the "Home, Love,Joy" sampler. And I actually feel like I want to stitch today, what on, I can't tell you, I have no clue. I sorta have the starters itch. I want to begin a new piece, however, I don't think that will be happening. I really need to fight it, and keep plugging away at WIPs. Hmmm... Well, It is early in the morning and I am going to go back to bed. I live 6 miles from an Air Force Base,and they for some reason enjoy flying their bombers over my house in the dead of night. It sounds like thunder! So, I decided to get up and do some blogging and catch up on reading some of the ones I enjoy reading. alrighty, good night.

fall...finally (sigh)

Well, just this weekend fall has fallen, with a bang! Saturday it was beautiful out, high 70's low to mid 80's sunny, a little breeze, felt like the late stages of spring. Then Sunday was dark and windy and cloudy and we thought it might rain, felt really like fall. Yesterday we woke up to frost on our windows and this morning as well. I would say fall is here. I hope I don't jinx it, as this is my favorite time of the year, and I love lighting the fire place,and the crisp coolness and the colors, it just gets you in the mood for the Holidays, doesn't it? Well, it does me!

Well, again nothing got done in the stitching arena yesterday, even though I said I was going to sit and stitch, it never quite happened. Well, let me rephrase that, "stitching" didn't happen, prepping did. I had to put all those new flosss colors onto bobbins so I can put them in their rightful places in my color boxes, so that is what I did! So, more of the mundane "chores" of stitching. I really ought to look into hiring someone for these things, anyone interested? Please e-mail me your resume'! =)

Have a great stitchy day everyone, and as always, happy stitching!

Not a stitch!

Yup! two days, and not a stitch did I stitch! well, yesterday me and hubby went to Micheals crafts, and I got a few more flosses on my list, as well as a book with three patterns in it. That is all I got for myself. This morning i have meant to pick up my needle, but it hasn't happened yet. I have been busy doing laundry and other house chores, and now I think it is time to get comfy on my couch and get to work. I am tired of cleaning up. And doing chores, my needle calls, and I am going to answer! bye!

New stash...sorta

Well, since we haven't had a car for the past few months, and was just able to get one, my DH told me that one of the first things he wants to do is take me to Hobby Lobby. which we did yesterday. I was a such a good girl, too! I only bought 30 skeins of floss, a few packages of needles, and a few stitch rippers, as I like to have one in each project I am working on, that way I don't have to go searching for one when it is needed. I bought no new charts, and no new patterns or kits, no new fabric, and now I look back and wonder...what was wrong with me?! Plus they were having a sale! I guess, I just know that right now my "To do" list is quite full. I have stocked up on fabric til i'm blue in the face, and for now all I need is new flosses. I am working on getting all the colors of DMC. Even though I need to be buying the colors needed for some of my "to do" list.

You know my biggest fear? Well, not my BIGGEST, but a large "fear", or concern? Is that I am a military spouse, and what is going ot happen if (when) we get shipped overseas? Will I still be able to find all the things I need for my favorite hobby? and will I have to pay an arm and a leg for them? What if I am working on a project and run out of a color, and they have discontinued it in the country I'm in? So! That is why I am tryign to get all the floss that i need, because that way I won't need to worry about it while I am over there. Plus, I have heard that in some places the post is really strict on what they will allow to come through, so it's not like I can call a US stitching friend and say send me this or that, how do I know I will be able to get it?

I know, this is a weird entry, but that is why I am trying to stock up on whatever I need, but of course I can't just do it all right before I leave, I need to stock up a little over time, or it can become expensive! Hmmm...

Well, so lately I have just been putting alot of time into "A country mile." and it is going faster than I thought it would. I am having a hard time putting it down. I think today I will go back to the Home Love Joy sampler. We shall see.

Hurting for a friend

I was just reading my long list of stitcher blogs and I got to one of my very favorites, infact it is by a woman who inspired me to blog myself. She wrote about a terrible incident that had happened to her where someone was mean and cruel and said some very hurtful things to her, for no reason. It has sickened me. She is so sweet, and she doesn't deserve to be treated that way. I don't know if the person who reads hers reads mine but if they do, I wish they didn't. I hope they don't.

Well, after that said, I do have some stitching news to report. After yesterdays rant about how I could be lazy not to kit up a project when I start, I sat right down with the aforementioned project and stitched away for a good three hours! AFTER I did pull all the floss I needed for it! I have a confession to make, though, I didn't bind my fabric, well not yet. myabe eventually.

Well, I don't have much to write- oh! Yesterday my hubby caught our hungry house guest, AKA Mr. Mouse. so, that is good! Now I don't have to worry if I will come nose to nose with him when opening his favorite cupboard. Well, off to get some more stitching in on "A Country Mile" ( The project I worked on for three hours yesterday.) It is proving to be one of those pieces you just don't want to put down.

Laziness? Or just too darned excited?

I pulled out one of my older WIP's this morning, and realized I had not fully kitted it up when I started it. There was the Aida fabric and two lengths of thread, two different colors. I have probably about 2 hours in on this piece, before I set it aside and moved onto whatever fit my fancy at the time, and here sits this poor ole project unloved. I must have been very excited to get a stitch in on this piece when I started it, I didn't take time out to pull all the threads I needed or anything! I merely cut a few lengths of the colors I would need first off, and that is it! How unorganized is that? Was it laziness? Or was I just so excited I didn't want to take the time to pull out my color boxes and pull and cut lengths of the needed colors for the whole project? I do this often, and then find that later on in the project I run out of a certain color and am so lazy, that instead of pulling more floss, I set the project aside and there it sits, until I eventually stick it back in my stash collection once again, and then pull it out months later, and wonder why I had not been working on it, and then when I open the bag and realize why, I just go cut the needed floss, and get on with the project, and I wonder why months before it had seemed like such a chore to pull the floss in the first place? I mean it only takes a minute! I need to hire someone to pull/sort my threads for me, as it seems I only like to do the stitching. The prep part is just annoying. Especially when you buy a kit, and you have to sort through all those colors, and figure out which is which and whatnot! Who has time for that?! I want to stitch!! Not sort! Oh another thing I am horrible about is binding the edges of my fabric so it won't unravel. I think I may start just using packing tape or masking tape for that, as I don't have a sewing maching, and have to do it by hand. And, you guessed it! It just takes up way toooo much time! Ok, well, right now I am going to do the sensible thing and go cut floss for this project I pulled out this morning so I can get on with it already!
Happy stitching... and sorting and binding...ugh.

Just another day

Well, it is Tuesday, there's not much going on, just a bunch of laundry and stitching on my Halloween pieces a little bit, not much only about half an hours worth of stitching so far. I always mean to do so much more, but then the phone rings, or I have to switch the laundry, or I notice the sink needs to be scoured, or...I'm sure you know what I am talking about. I always have it in my mind that I will sit down for a few uninterrupted hours with my needle and thread...and then! Before you know it, the day has slipped by, and your stitching is found sitting next to that easy chair or couch, where you had inteded to enjoy a long afternoon worth of stitching, but somehow it never happened. Well, with that said I am going to try to get at least an hours worth of stitching in on Fright Night Friends before I go off to work.

Oh thank you for the post Cathy! Oh and to answer your post of a few days ago, no we have not gotten Mr. Mouse yet, he keep skirtting around the trap we have out for him, this time, hubby put the trap right in front of the hole he keeps coming in at, maybe that will deter him...? Lets hope!

Am I alone?

O.k. i have spent most of today cleaning house. It always seems as if after Hubby dearest has been home for a few days (ie: the weekends) I end up spending much of the day that he returns to work cleaning up and tidying up his messes. Am I alone in this? Do other housewives have this problem? I mean, most of it is just general tidying up, but, I feel like Rob has no sense of putting things away, or wiping up spills, or anything of this nature. Ok! I have decided- that's it! no kids! Cause they probably make even bigger messes than hubby. Nope, not unless he hires me a house cleaner.

Anyway, even with all this said, I must admit, I have found some time in between various chores to get some Stitching in, while watching CSI, which is sorta hard to do, as you really have to watch CSI, so I got more watching than stitching done. But, I decided after much hem hawing around that I would return to "Love Joy Home" a sampler using various shades of purplish/blues and greens.It is by Ursula Michael- oh, no wonder I like it! It was featured in the June issue of The Cross Stitcher Magazine. I have put five hours into it, and I started it September 26th, it seems like a quick stitch, though. so much for Halloween stitching once again! Oops. Maybe just maybe I will set this sampler down and pick up Fright Night Friends, and work ont hat a bit before I head off to work. Yes, I guess I will. bye!

A happy dance!

Well, here it is: The new car! Thank you Suzanne for the comment! Yes, it is very exciting! It's not a bad lil car. I like it. Hot rod red! =) Well, I have a stitching happy dance as well! Kitten Love is finished! I finished her around 2 this afternoon,then me and hubby went for a drive in the car. It was truly a load of fun! So nice to have wheels again!

Well, now I have the incredible task of figuring out what to put in Kitten love's place in my rotation. To tell you the truth I have a "screaming rotation", as I have a hard time staying disciplined to work on what I say I'm going to work on at the time I say I'm gonna work on it! Alot of stitchers can stick to a rotation, where everyday they work on a different project, or they work so many hours on a project before switching out and working on the next one on the list. I have tried, and somehow it never quite works out! So, I guess the next thing in line will be the Halloween stitching I have to get done. Afterall, I have about 2 weeks until Halloween, so better get the needle to the evenweave, now shouldn't I? Hope you all have a great week!

Oh yes, me and hubby watched "Unleashed" tonight- REALLY good!

Yeah right!!

Well, as it happened, I didn't get anything done on Kitten Love yesterday, that is because....We went car shopping! Yippee! We picked one out and did all the paperwork, and then we had figure out the insurence stuff, which we did and today I think we will be going back to get the car. I am very excited! Of course, I may not be, what with gas prices what they are, but at least we can get around a little bit. Well, I am thinking that today will be a good day to stitch. It looks dark adn cloudy outside. I wonder if it is going to rain...? Hmmm..well, I work this afternoon, so if anything is to get done, I better get on it now! That is why I am up at 7:30 ona Saturday morning. If I stay in bed then I feel like I am wasting my day, so if I get up early, then I feel like the day is longer for me, and i can get alot more done. Well, here I am off to work on Kitten Love. oh I do hope to finish her today.

Hmmm...?

I am not entirely sure what I want to write about today. Except to say that I am REALLY close to a happy dance on Kitten Love. Just some fill in and some back stitch and I'm done, I am hoping to finish it today before I head to work. Not much else going on. Hubby didn't have to work his whole shift last night, and got home by 11 pm, which was nice. the previous night I had a hard time going to sleep because he was gone, last night I knocked right out, but then he woke me up when he came in,and then I couldn't go back to sleep. I was supposed to go with a friend this morning to go yard sale hunting, but I had set my alarm and slept right through it, so called her to let her know that I wouldn't be able to make it. I have been awake for about an hour, and I feel like I could just go right back to bed. but I hate sleeping. I think it is a waste of time. I could be spending that time stitching or reading a good book. Maybe I will lay down just for a bit. I fear for the shape my stitching may be in, if I try to pick it up while I'm this tired!

Finally!

Finally, I got off the computer to get some stitching in last night, at around 11:30. I didn't sleep well at all, with hubby not home, so I stayed up and stitched, I put 2 hours into "Dare to Dream" last night. That felt really good. I need to stitch more and do a lot less web surfing! I spent much of yesterday on the computer reading blogs and looking for ONS's, and then I went through my stash to see what I had. I have enough patterns to last me my lifetime. I just need to keep up with the fabrics and flosses. Last night I asked DH if for my birthday he would give me money for stitching stash, he looked at me like I was crazy! He just doesn't understand. He keeps telling me that i need to finish some of what I have first, which yes, he is right about that, but I'm working on it! Oh, he'll never understand! Well, I was going to work on Fright Night Friends, but that didn't happen, so today for sure I will get some work into that. I don't think I am going to make my Oct. 15th goal on that one, oops. Well, I am going to go make breakfast for DH, as he will be home from his long night shift in about 20 or 30 minutes. Then i will stitch, stitch, and stitch some more. Gotta get that pile of stash down! =)

Marty bell's "The Abbey

Hey! I did it! this is a picture of Marty Bell's "The Abbey" That i was talking about a few posts ago. so, as you can see, it is very detailed, and so I am not thinking i will do it now, as I have so many on the go as it is, but it is definetly on my "To do" list. that is all I wanted to say, haven't done much stithcing I worked on "Dare to Dream" today which i looked all over for a pic of that one, but to no avail. However, I only worked on it about 5 minutes. I think i got maybe 10-20 stitches in on it. I am thinking that tonight is going to be a stitch night, as when Rob got home this morning, I laid down and took a nap with him, and so there went my day. Well, I'm off to get some stitching in! bye!

Can computers go online by themselves?

Well, last night was my first night alone for this week, as DH has to work nights this week. Ah, the joys of being a military spouse! He has war games this week. One night down and two more to go!

A very...interesting thing happened this morning. I was awoken by my computer dialing up to go online, (Yes, people, I live in the dinosaur ages, I still have dial up!) as my office is the next room over from our bedroom, and my desk and computer sit against the back of the wall that the head of our bed is against, I could hear it's whirring and whining noises as it was dialing up. It actually woke me up, and for some reason, thought DH might be home early. But why he would be on my computer didn't occur to me, and I jumped up to come check it out. The screensaver was going and it was infact dialing to connect online. I don't know how it did it. It stumps me still. And freaks me out. Hmmm...? I will be turning this thing off tonight when I go to bed, that's for sure!

On the stitching end of things. Yesterday I worked on Kitten love. I am so close to a Happy dance! I like this part of a project and hate it all at once, because you are excited for the finish, but then it doesn't seem like it's close enough. and I also have a love/hate relationship with finishes. especially larger ones, because while you are happy you are finished and can move on, it is like leaving an old friend. You have spent so much time together, and then...it's over. ESPECIALLY if you have stitched it as a gift! Then it really is over! You send it away, and you may see it later on if it happens to adorn a home you often visit, but you don't get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

THAT! is why next year is going to be a Lana year! As DH and i have just bought our own house and moved in there isn't much on the walls yet, and I plan to change this! I have a pile of stitching that will be adorning my own walls, no more obligation/gift stitching for awhile. I have been stitching for 11 years,and in all this time, I only have ONE of my own pieces in my house. And that wasn't even supposed to be for me, but it got lost in some boxes and never made it to the intended recipient. So I hung it on my wall. So, I will stitch for myself from here on unitl AT least 2007...I think!

Well, have rambled on enough, thank you Cathy for the comment! And for reading my blog! I appreciate it! Hopefully by the time I get to "The Abbey", I will have a way to post progress pics. Oh, and I was a good girl! I didn't start it yet! I am going to wait until the first of the year, I think as I have plenty of holiday stitching to do.

until next time, Happy stitching everyone!

A little intruder of the four legged/long tail kind.

Well! These past few days have proven to be interesting as my DH has found we have an intruder. Yes, the kind that likes to chew through boxes and eat whatever it can find. A mouse, we are supposing. We haven't actually seen the thing, I can hear it in the night sometimes, and DH has put out a trap, so hopefully this should do the trick, because I really do not like this little guy- he eats too much,and is not paying rent! Therefore he must go, as I cannot afford to pay for his eating habits!

Well, here we go again! As I look at all the beautiful projects other stitchers are working on, I find myself wanting to start a new piece myself. I bought the leaflet for Marty Bell's "The Abbey", as I enjoy stitching victorian type houses, and am itching to start it. The chart for it is 9 pages long! I am thinking that I will be stitching it on 18 count Aida, I guess. That is my favorite count, but with a piece this detailed you want to go as small as you can, so the detail really pops out at you. Now I just have to go through my stash and see if I have the materials, and Wa-la! I will start...I think. DH will probably shake his head and roll his eyes as he always does when I start a new one, and don't finish the ones I have already started. So what?! Let him roll his eyes! This is MY hobby,and I only have one life to stitch my whole stash collection. so, I will stitch what I want and start new pieces when I want as wel,so there. Humph. =)

Well here I go to survey the stash and see what the damage will be in a trip to the Hobby Lobby.

More fright night friends

Well, all in all i worked about two hours on Fright Night friends today, I was able to give the little pumpkin dude a face! And i started the cat and I worked on the trick or treat bag a little as well. My goal tomorrow is to complete the whole cat. We shall see if that actually happens!

Well, I finally did settle in with Fright Night Friends last night, around 10. I normally don't enjoy stitching so late, as when I am tired I tend to make mistakes. But I just couldn't go to bed without having put any time into that piece. I have neglected it for so long, I don't think I had picked it up in a week or more.

That piece was designed by Christine Hendricks, and was featured in the September 2000 issue of Stitcher's World. I saw it while going through my stash and old magazines, and thought "I think I will do it." It isn't very big, will probably only be around 5x7 when finished, but it is a cute picture of a kid dressed up as a pumpkin with a trick or treat bag and a cat sitting on a fence, with a big crescent moon behind him. and it says "Happy Halloween" on it, oh how I wish I had a way to post pictures. (Maybe for my birthday next month!) This one looks very cartoon like, which is why I originally never thought I would ever stitch it, but I was getting in the mood for Fall and Halloween, and thought "Why not?"

Well, it's back to the needle, for some more work on "FNF".

Lazy Sundays

Well, today has been a very relaxing day with sleeping in, and reading and watching a movie (Finding Forester), then a nap before taking a walk with DH to Blockbuster to rent movies and to have a late lunch.

So far today I have only done maybe about half an hours worth of stitching. I worked on some backstitching of "Kitten Love" at the beginning of watching Finding Forester. Other than that, no stitching has gotten done, but I think that later this evening I will pick up "Fright Night Friends", one of my Halloween pieces and try to get some work in on it, maybe, just maybe I will be able to meet my goal of finishing it by the 15th. (I think that is the day I said I wanted to finish it by.) So, we shall see how it goes.

Well, I think I will go watch my movie now, I rented my all time favorite: "You've got mail" I love that movie to bits! I used to have it on vhs, but wore it out because I watched it so much, I really aughto go to Amazon and see if they have it on DVD. And while I watch my movie, I will stitch away on "Fright Night Friends" Good idea? Yes, I thought so too!

8 am on a Saturday morning?!

Well, as my title reveals, it is 8 in the morning, and I have already been up now for a good half hour or more. My hubby is still sleeping soundly, as he swore he would kill me if I woke him up before 9am. For some reason, even though I don't have to be up early, I always wake up early in the morning. There is just something about the early mornings that is so peaceful. I feel like I have the world to myself. It is quiet, and tranquil. I get up and brush my teeth get the coffee on and sit to read my list of blogs, which has grown so that I only read about half of the list each day, I read the first half one day the next I read the next half. I also do this because as I read other stitcher blogs, I get the stitching bug and want to work on my own stitching. I become inspired to pick up my own needle and go to work.

Yesterday I stitched for a good 3-4 hours. Today, though I don't think that will be happening, as I have to work a full 8 hour shift today, and hubby is home from work. I never seem to get much done when he is home. I love him with all my heart, but I love it on the days when he goes to work and I am home all day by myself, I can sit and stitch to my hearts content, and do some housework and whatever else I feel like without being interrupted.

When I am done here I think I will do some stitching, before I head off to work. I am working on a piece now by Liesure arts, It is from their "Cats Galore" book. It has the Letters "L-O-V-E" and there is a kitten poking his head through the "O" It is really cute. And! It has proven to be a quick stitch. there isn't a proper name for it, I call it "Kitten Love" I only have the "E" to finish and the cat itself, plus a little backstitch on the ribbon the kitten is holding. My goal is to finish this piece by the end of next week, I think I can do it if I just stop working on all the other pieces I have going. By the way, I decided that the other pieces in my things to do for October, aren't going to get done. I try to set goals, but then my stash calls me, and I go look at the pieces that are longing to be finished and any goals previously set go by the wayside. So,they may get done, but probably not. Well, off I go to stitch.

October goals

well, I think I need to make some goals for the fall, and winter. I have been horrible about my goals this year. I have finished 4 large pieces, but after I finished Em’s baby samplers, I just have not been able to move on and put the time into my stitching that I did at the first half of the year.
So, my stitching goals for the month are:

finish cards #6,7 and 8
finish Fright Night Friends by the 15th
finish The Midnight Watchman by the 20th
Do at least 20 hours on mom’s piece
do at least 15 hours on dad’s piece

that is it. I know I can do it if I work on them every day, at least an hour a day. each piece. Yeah as if that will happen! I can do a few hours a week on my parents I guess, and work mostly on those dumb cards. I want to finish my Halloween stitching as well.

o.k. off to make some progress on my Halloween pieces. bye!

What am I doing?!

Well, I have spent the past few months reading many blogs from other people who enjoy cross stitching, and they have inspired me. I thought I would also write about my stitching experiences as well. I have a journal that I write all my stitching stuff in anyway, so, I might as well try it on here. I doubt anyone would read it anyway. So, I guess I will introduce myself, my name is Lana, I enjoy stitching and reading and that is what I will be writing about the most here. I have been stitching for 11 1/2 years now, and my obsession with it has grown since I finished college and moved to TX to get married and start a new chapter of my life after completing college. I now have much more time to do my most loved hobbies, and while i miss being a student, the time I have now for stitching is well worth it. Well, I will close out now, gotta get back to that needle!