Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Have you ever wondered .....

.... how fabric and threads can be so addictive? I mean we have plenty, right? And yet we buy more. Then once we have them in our clutches we MUST start them. (Small counter fact: once started we do not feel compelled to finish them with any alacrity.) Once started, we tend to get on a roll and the next thing we know it's dawn and we've stitched all night. It's not like dinner isn't my friend and last week I caught myself putting it off for "one more stitch" for round about an hour... despite the fact that I really wanted dinner.

So, you can probably tell I'm in one of my stitchy-phases. I almost skipped dinner. I pick foods based on what I can eat quickly and get back to stitching. Heck I even get grumpy about things like trips to the bathroom interrupting my needle! You'd think for all my obsessed phase, you'd think I'd get more stuff done. Sigh. It's just not the case.

So here's what I can show you of what I've been up to lately --
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That's Ursula Michaels' We the People -- I've actually made it further than this picture, but I haven't got that picture yet. It's remarkably fast to stitch, but I gotta say that that long blue line was really boring.

I finished up a group of things I can't show you, so to celebrate those finishes and my progress on WE the People, I started.... say it with me ... something new!'
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Heart in Hand's Spooky which our friend Kathryn gave this to me and I've been itching to start it. I've changed it up for Belle Soies and over one --
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So far so good. I'm really enjoying working on it. Thanks, Kathryn!

Oh and I finally found the picture for my 4th of July squares for Susan P:
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It's a modified version of an LHN pattern.

You'd think I could settle in to stitching and not feel compelled for more stash, but nooooo. You see we had this trunk show at the shop...
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Aren't they cool. On weekend one of the sale I fell for this little darling--
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So, that's on stretcher bars in my bag as we speak.

I also almost fell for this series:
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But then I looked at the whole set and some of them were too weird -- the lords a leaping were Santa's boots in the chimney. Thus I was saved from that pile of stash. Alas, on weekend two I fell for this:
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I was just really fond of it -- after all, what did I need with a pear? Anyway, I was fine with just commenting to everyone how cool it was and how there was a whole set of pears and apples and strawberries and citrus fruit. Then someone mentioned the term "fruit bowl" and it was all over but the shouting. I inherited a large Steuben glass fruit bowl... you see it now right? I plan to order over time 2 pears (the one above and a red one with paisley patterns),
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2 apples (red and golden),
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2 strawberries (just plain ole strawberries),
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a lemon,
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a lime,
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and an orange
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It may take me years, but I'm sooo looking forward to my fruit bowl.

Ok, before I go I have to share a recent humor with you. I came home one night to find out that my manager had had all the hall doors painted (no wet paint signs though -- those would have been handy) and had even had the numbers removed from the doors. A few days later I'm home to hear hammering moving around the halls. I think, "A ha! We're getting our new numbers." After they finish my hall I go out, check, and fall out laughing.
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Yes, they carefully removed the old numbers to avoid getting paint n them, then reinstalled them. Only they are the same number plates they've used for probably 20 years and they've been painted over repeatedly already. lol My pretty fresh door with it's antique paint-encrusted number plate! Such a sight!

9 comments:

Maureen said...

OMG thosse fruits are so adorable - no wonder you couldn't resist.

I love your door sign - that made me chuckle. Would it really have stretched them to pay for new numbers lol!

CJ in OK ;-) said...

Lots of good progress and those 4th of July squares look great. I love the fruit bowl idea it will be amazing one day. CJ ok;-)

Kathy A. said...

Oh my goodness girl. You are going to have to live to 200 to even get close to stitching the stash!!
Some beautiful new things there and all because of a Steuben fruit bowl lol.

Cindy said...

I sure wish that I could figure out why acquiring and starting projects is so much fun, yet the urge to actually finish them isn't :)

You are going to have the most awesome fruit bowl ever!

I can't believe that they reused the door plates. At least they could have cleaned off the old paint drippings LOL!!

Cindy's Stitching said...

Those fruits are so nice. Who could blame you for buying them. I have so many favorites in the new cross stitch ornament issue. I have done a bunch.

Chris said...

Wow, what a haul of new stash you have there my friend. Can't wait to see progress on the fruit.

Mylene said...

Good progress on both projects and wow! great new stash!

Siobhán said...

Oh wow, what a cool idea about the fruit and the fruit bowl. I've wanted to do that with stitching but the needlepoint fruit would be so dimensional. Love it!

Beautiful We The People, too!

Cyn said...

Hi Ruth,

Love the needlepoint fruit and yes I have fallen for these. DH gave me the Fortune Cookie club that Fireside Stitchery is offering for my Birthday. So, I will be receiving one of the Fortune Cookies each month next year.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should also add that he also gave me the Candy Cane club! :-)

Loved all of the other pictures!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow