The big monkey wrench

As I have mentioned before, I have not come close to meeting any of the needlework goals I had planned for my 70th year.

And now the biggest monkey wrench of them all has plopped itself down into my list of goals.

We are moving.

We've been talking about downsizing and moving for quite awhile, but we've received an offer that we felt we can't refuse. The problem is that we have to be moved in a little over three months. So, we have to sort through 30-plus years of accumulation as well as decide where we want to go--and find a place to go to--all in a fairly short time.

Blogging is going to take a back seat for a bit while I tear around the house with my hair on fire. I am going to try to thread a needle periodically so I can remember how to do it. I'm planning to go to a weekly update, depending on how things move along.

Anyway, I had already planned a long weekend at Sassy Jack's before all this happened, and I went for three classes with Jackie and Kim in the mountains.

I took my remedial class on Gardenesque. This definitely revived the desire to finish this project.

I started the sampler reproduction for Carmen:

Maybe I should say I barely started. I did get the linen sewn to the scroll bars. Carmen is a big girl--the linen is 19" wide and it's 45 count and it's unlike any other sampler I've stitched in that there really is no clearly defined top or bottom, other than the direction of the alphabet, which means there is a flower pot upside down on the top and an upside down dog in the middle and a sideways table--eventually you'll see what I mean.

I also did a very little bit on Victoria, which is based on Jackie's earlier Ebony and Ivory set:

This is another of Jackie's amazing engineering feats, and I'm looking forward to getting back to it.

As soon as we move.

Ooopsy!

 Apparently, even when you don't have quite enough energy to stitch much, you are capable of adding to the stash.

I was rambling around the inner webs--Etsy is dangerous--and I found a number of smaller projects that appealed to me. I succumbed.  I really thought they would arrive over a period of weeks, which wouldn't rouse Dearly Beloved's suspicions about my disposing of all my disposable income in one fell swoop.

And then the evil cyberattackers hit international mail coming from the UK. The situation was handled, but it meant that everything suddenly arrived together once the problem was resolved.

All at the same time. 

All while I was blissfully siting in one of Jenny Adin-Christie's classes. This meant that I was getting messages from Dearly Beloved about a "package from England?" or a "package from Australia?" or a "package from Jackie?"

I had failed to prepare him.

I will not make that mistake again.

So here's what arrived:

The watch and watchband from Alison Cole may become BDE's Christmas present, since I murder watch batteries.  And the little goldwork kit is just sweet.

More goldwork, and a combined metal and stumpwork project, mainly because that grouchy bird makes me laugh.

And, of course, a project from Jackie du Plessis--a lovely work tray with bits and bobs to accessorize it.

Meanwhile, I am doing my best to learn patience. I'm good for a few hours in the morning before the fatigue sets in. I see the endocrinologist in about three weeks, and I am hoping for better living through chemistry. I don't expect to feel like I'm 25, but I'd be happy to stop feeling like I'm 125!

And, quite obviously, I have a stash to work through.

Day Nine, Ready for Reticello

 I've managed to get the framework done for the reticello panel on Jenny's Stuart Thistle Etui.

I have absolutely no idea why the threads look amber. They are actually a very pale off-white. The tablecloth the pad is resting on is also white.

Weird.

Day Eight, Going Renegade

 So today we started Jenny Adin-Christie's Stuart Thistle Etui. We have a beautiful Reticello pattern that fits part, and an elaborate thistle head on the other part. We started the cordonnet for the Reticello, and some of the patterns for the head.

And that's where I went rogue.

Mainly because I couldn't get the tension on the stitch we were supposed to do to work. So, after several attempts, I went with something else:

The center of that band is supposed to be a delicate fly stitch, worked in silver thread. Mine is not. 

I'm calling it a personal touch.

You may ask what happened to Days Five, Six, and Seven. I was not taking classes on those days. I had planned to work steadily and catch up on my online class assignments. I worked semi-steadily for a little while, then took the rest of each day off. After all, it's supposed to be a vacation.

Unfortunately, I am still tired . . . yes, I would like some cheese with this whine.