Stash and POSSIBIL(I)TIES

I owe you stash. I know that. I'm behind. What can I say it's just one darn thing after another. This week I've run the gamut from the fashion industry to field research stations, from stadiums to space tourism, and it's not even Friday yet!

Anyway, on to the stash I promised. And I'll fess up now -- I probably don't have time for all the stash because I've got a billion things to do this morning.... Sorry!
These fabrics came in from my shop's Zweigart distributor last month (yes, I know I'm slow)

That's a light natural, a vintage dark cream on white "overdye," and a white -- all are 32 count.

Remember the star tree topper I ordered at TNNA?--

Well it arrived --

Grin -- grin -- grin. It's not on bars so that I won't start it.... Must finish some already on bars needlepoints first! Sheesh it's getting to be like a kindling factory at Chez Hovel.

I also "rescued" this little lovely from the 70% off bin at my shop:

It's a Danji gate and I see great potential for textured fun..... once I finsih the 6 dozen canvases in line in front of it.

Last weekend I pulled this off the boards at my shop --

The person who got the Catherine Sampler is going to do this with me for another friend. Currently the posey bucket is in my life. I'll be putting the sparkly bits in the flowers and stems --- wooo hoo basketweave here I come! [That's faux enthusiasm in case you were unsure.]

Finally, I picked up these at JoAnns the other day --

Because I *had* to have these:

"American Sampler"

Spring Morning Sampler from Rosewood Manor

Beacon House by Praiseworthy Stitches
I just *had* to have them. Now I just *have* to keep myself from starting them. Hmmm, maybe that's the way to cut down on the stash hoard -- just think of each pattern I reach for as "just another UFO." Would that be enough to scare me into stoppping? Nah, probably not. Would it work on you?

And, yes, dear reader, I have actually gotten some finishing done! I know, I know. It seems miraculous, but I promise you that no photoshop tricks are involved in the following.

Blackbird Designs "Quaker House" stitched in 2007 and finally framed in 2011 in a medium smokey blue frame.

Mirabilla's "Halloween Fairy" which got its final stitches in 2007 or 2008 and finally found a frame in 2011. Now, I must say it wasn't for lack of trying on this one. This piece was a pain to frame-- a big ole stinky pain. The brown's odd, the metallic is odd, the beads are odd, the orange is odd, and the, yes, the green is odd. In short, what frame went with one or two aspets of the piece clashed with others. But lo and behold with a new frame delivery to my shop came this lovely little number --

I just adore this frame. Finally something that didn't clash with anything and yet wasn't boring.
And I even had the bonus that this time the framer did the spacers in black to match the frame --

See? Cool, eh? I always plexi or glass my pieces which annoys him because since I tend to bead he's forever having to put spaces in for me.

Any credit you feel I might deserve for acutally getting around to having something done with these pieces should go not to me but to the crew at POSSIBIL(I)TIES. They deserve the raves for actually prodding me into action--for their encouragement to face up to the piles of stuff I (and let's face it, *WE* all) have of completed stitching just waiting for us to do something with it.

Happy Valentine's!

A Happy Valentine's to all !Do yo uhave big plans for the day/night? Me? I'm working then going fabric shopping for the back of a tallis bag and the lining of a yarmulke. Woo hoo. I sure do know how to party!

Well, party or not, I was quite accomplishful over the weekend. I was little miss xs. First out of the bag was Beatrix Potter:

A whole motif got finished (beaded flower bunch)and another one (little varigated patch under the flower bunch) got started--

I figure Beatrix could get done this year. Since she's on the list of things I really, really want to finish this year, that's a good thing.

Also out of the collection of in process came my newest start (I think it's the newest anyway-- it's either this or the next item), SB's Joy in the Journey

I was working on this at a friend's family house and getting kibitzing help from a 6-year old. You see the heart in the sheep is supposed to be left unstitched but she and I agreed that it could use a little pink. She colored a stunning image of her house and kept an eagle eye on what I was up to lest I needed some more input on pattern adjustments. Gotta love little helpers!

Last week bought a new ornie and a little progress. I must be in a real brid mood. The week before last I finished the stitching on Miss Crescent's Red Bird:

I'm not sure it shows well, but the cranberries in the garland are a burgundy Kreinik and the popcorn is EdMar Boucle. I think she's really quite cute, and since she's destined for that mytical tree of mine my cute-rating is crucial.
Anyway, I finish the red bird to pick up Theron's Berry Bird

Yup, if you remember you JCS issues well you will note that I changed the colors on this. I guess I just can't leave well enough alone.

Also making an appearance in the light of day the end of last week was my Quaker a la Six Mains:

Can't see the Major Work? Well, let's get closer in ---

Yup, That bird head floating there -- I started that motif. Hey, at least I got his little eye showing so he can look around.

And last but certainly not least in the accomplishment round up, Ursula Michaels We the People--

I do so love stitching this! There's something so wonderful about seeing words appear.

Oh, I have to ask. Do you overpack for stitching adventures? I go to the LNS for the day and I look like I'm packing for a year in the Arctic. The stuffed bag below was for an afternoon od stitching with a friend--

Beatrix, Joy in the Journey, 6 Mains, We the People, Berry Bird, and new stash are all in there. Memo to Self: 3 hours of stitching does NOT require you to denude your hovel of WIPs.

Oh wait, you caught that reference to new stash. Welllllllll..... I gotta go. Catch you later with a report. Hee hee.

It's a MIRACLE !!!!!

Yessiree, a genuine miracle. I finished an antique UFO --

This was, as you can clearly read, a 2006 RR. While ignoring the Lakers on Saturday night I accomplished the backstitching in the flowers at the top. Yes, I sent it off to be RRed without even finishing *my* part on *my RR. Be that sorry story as it may be, now it's looking pretty dran nice, imho--

To any Sassies who may be reading --- thanks!

To celebrate this grand accomplishment I promptly hauled out a new start. Behold my progress on SB's Joy in the Journey:

Are you overwhelmed with how far I've gotten? lol Me too.

Oh and last week I started another "new" piece --

Erica Michael's We the People
I haven't decided which blue to use so my 3 options are all present. And, yes, if that looks familiar to you from these fair pages it is becaiuse I have stitched it once already. I did it for my nephew and when my shop owner saw it she wanted one. A year later, off I go! Hey, the woman keeps me in stash--- I can stitch a little (especially when it's such a fun piece to stitch).

I'd have much more to show on those last two but instead of stitching yesterday I let myself fall into "organizing" my charts. They had been organized, then they weren't. They were mostly living in conglomerations on the floor or piled high on one shelf. I flipped though pulling out some categories of like things. The process will have to be repeated 4-5 times to get everything into categories, and then repeated (for instance a foot-deep pile of "samplers" need more fine sorting. Aside from wanting to be organized, this started because I had the bright idea that if I went though and truly got everything sorted that I would be able to ditch a bunch of duplicates. So far I've "sorted" about 2 feet of patterns and been able to ditch maybe 24 pages. Really? Was that profitable? Not even an inch gone. Sigh.

Awww... Yahooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awww:

Big Brother David meets new Little Brother Daniel born early today. Great Aunt appreciates it from the non-snowy coast...... ain't they they cutest?!

How can anybody top that? I mean really. What I should do is leave everything for another day and bask in happy Great Auntness, but I've ogt a couple seconds so I'm going for the extra happy dances--

Yahooooo!!!!:
Catherine is done!!!!

I added a couple spare rows towads the end. Silly me! I could have been done even sooner. What was I thinking?





Woo hooooooo She's done! Let the partying begin.

Sorry-- gotta go-- must continuing researching the fashion industry in Tokyo. I suppose I can't ever claim my work is boring.

Happy stitching!