Focus?

Hello Gentle Readers.  Welcome to July.  I for one would like to know how *that* happened!  It seems like I only just finished opening Christmas presents.  Possibly we could start a petition drive for longer minutes...... especially those minutes between Friday at like 6:30pm (after the commute home) and Sunday at midnight.  Who's with me?

I have been focusing in as much as my fuzzy little brain can on my engineer nutcracker.  The goal is to be able to turn him in on Saturday for finishing.  I am making decent enough progress, but those little "x" filler stitches of Petite Sparkle Rays are slow.  Memo to self:  on the next nutcracker, please have fewer filler stitches and there's no need to cross them.

Last weekend the "country club" (aka needlepoint group) met to stitch a little and lo and behold, but my special order of the next nutcracker is in, and why, yes, I did instantly put it on bars and pull threads.

Also in the order was this little darling -- he pops up into an Easter egg.

He makes me think of growing up when my mom would decorate for Easter.  She always did this one table in the living room for Easter with fancy sugar and paper eggs, fluffy chicks in all sorts of colors, and candles shaped like bunnies.   The only other non-Christmas holiday we decorated for was Thanksgiving, and that was an elaborate cornucopia on the kitchen counter and a bunch of themed candles.  Halloween we ignored, and to this day I still don't really get the fascination with decorating for Halloween.  If it takes a village, mine was apparently not into Halloween.

Go forth and have a peaceful day!

****************
Pratchett thought of the day:

What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge

of a major branch of government?—apart from, say, 

the average voter.

Going Postal – Terry Pratchett

Diddly Squat SFS June.

The SFS June Report of Extreme Laziness:
Month:  June
Spent:  $30.00  (I believe that last month I mentioned this was inevitable)
Allotted:  $25
Earned:  $0.00   (embarrassing -- not even a single flipping ornie!)
Holdover from last month:  $31.60
Ultimate June total: $23.40  
   
**************
Yes dear friends, diddly squat.  That's what I've been up to.   Not much of anything.   I've been busy working (very busy actually and very annoyed too) or busy napping or busy changing channels in search of "something" on TV.   I have forgotten the joy of needles -- this could be due to the onset of summer which always makes Maison du Hovel too hot to feel like doing anything other than staying assiduously withing the fan's sweet spot.

I even had a couple weekends off from working at the shop so the perk-up factor of being surrounded by potential stash, inspiration, and air conditioning hasn't had a great impact on my month's output.  On my couple of shop days I did make progress on my nutcracker.  He now has a shirt and shoes (heee heee -- I guess now he can be served at most restaurants in the U.S. now).  And I just noticed that I didn't bother to take a picture AFTER the shirt was stitched.  Sigh.  I am such a loser!  Put you can see the background which is Impressions and Petite Sparkle Rays.  All he needs now is a completed background, a mouth, and hair and he's good to go for finishing.

While I was at the shop I made the fatal/fortuitous mistake of looking int he 80% off bin (remember the Badger's Playpen?) -- there was this piece that talked to me and then there were these threads that looked so pretty together.  Did I take a picture of anything?????  Noooooo.   Once again -- brain shut down for summer apparently.  The Playpen find may go back because while cute and possibly a "perfect" present, it's not like my life isn't full of cute, prefect presents just waiting for me to stitch them.

My bookshelves got new friends too courtesy of a signing party at Houston's Murder by the Book.  Yay!  I ***had*** to have the latest Kate Carlisle.  You understand, right?  It is essential.  And Hannah Dennison's Honeychuch Hall volume sounded intriguing.  Now I just have to find a place on the shelves.  Argh!  It's definitely too hot to make book space.

The newest bookish problem I have is that I'm going to WorldCon this year and I need to get reading on the nominations for the Hugos so I can vote as an educated citizen.  Do I own any of those books, novellas, short stories, etc.?  Nope.  Sigh.  I need more time in the day.... every day.

Have a peaceful weekend -- may you all be more productive than me!

*********************

Pratchett thought of the day (for my Supreme Court):

Words have always had the power to change the world.

Soul Music – Terry Pratchett

Yippie! Progress AND a Finish!

I know it doesn't seem possible, but I've made progress.. just remember:  Baby Steps!   [Some day I will attend the seminar that teaches me to be a speedy stitcher, or teaches my needles to stitch while I nap.]

Here is the corduroy stitch in place in Mr. Engineer's overalls -- it has worked out far better than the t-stitch in my humble opinion:

Please note, just because I love you all, I *forced* myself to put in several rows of the corduroy so you could really see how it looked in place.  No, of course it wasn't because I was obsessing about stitching it... noooooooo---- not me.  It was all for you, gentle reader.

And lookie here -- Massachusetts has arrived in Ellen's flag!   All the letters AND the little bobble at the end!  I was so overjoyed that I actually started the border on the next stripe.  I tell you it's the little things.   I should not that I was *not* overjoyed enough to start more of the stars in the blue field.  There are limits to my enthusiasm.   But I do know I need to get them done -- this weekend... yeah, that'll work.  I have a weekend of "peaceful" hockey viewing and audiobook listening time scheduled -- that should give me ample time to ignore the stars err, I mean crank out several stars.

And here is my glorious finish!   Done done done!   He just cracks me up.

The fabric is an overdyed jobelan from Wichelt and the threads are all DMC save for the black which is Splendor.

On behalf of Sir Terry Pratchett and Lady Vimes, please enjoy your St. George's Day responsibly:

About time?

Yes, I know I have been derelict in my duties, but apparently that is the story of my life.   Want a summary of what you have been "missing?"  Well ok then.

I have been working, and work has been annoying.  (status quo)
I have been stitching some.  (nothing particularly new in that)
I have been reading some.  (yes, still pretty predictably normal here)
I have been cleaning some. (ok, that I know is shocking)
I have not stashed a bit.  Oh wait, there was some thread, but I think maybe not--- Ethel has such a big bag of threads that go with her that it is hard to remember whether it was stuff already pulled for her or something new to replace a thread that I shouldn't have bothered with in the first place.

Here are some bits of progress -- some especially humorful.  

Leading the rank of the funny stories is my pathetic progress on my By the Bay Serenity Harbor SAL:

If you are doing Serenity, then you recognize this as about 1/4 of installment #1 --- and we are allegedly on installment #4 now.   The fun began with the roses which I wanted to be red like the Mr. Lincoln tree rose which I had bought my mom years ago.  So I picked 3 "perfect colors" and stitched away.  Oh man they didn't work at all once they were actually stitched-- perfect in skeins laying next to each other on the fabric, but not perfect stitched.  Sigh.  Rip.  Replace "the offending color."  Try.  Nope. Rip.  So I pulled EVERY FLIPPING red or red-ish floss or solid silk in the shop (about 30-40 choices), and I sat and played and compared and re compared and arranged and rearranged.  Finally picked the above 3, even though when sitting in the skeins they didn't quite please me.  I once again put the right-most rose in the picture in.  The colors worked, but it still didn't look right.  Looked at the pattern (which, mind you, had been firmly with me the entire time-- and which I had carefully followed and counted and recounted).  Guess what?   While I was VERY careful about my counting.  I was not careful enough about my symbol to thread matching.  Sigh.  Rip.  Replace.   Happy now.  What a dork!

In the last couple nights The Engineering has come out to play -- she's got more jeans now.  But now I'm thinking that the T-stitch which I was going to use for the legs of the overalls is too small to be bothered with.  This weekend maybe I'll find a new stitch for them......  stay tuned!

Ethel got two baskets last weekend.   A miracle!!!!!  This weekend is either going to be the other 3 baskets or more sky.   Probably sky --- what do you think -- I'm leaning towards putting in all the blue of the sky and then laying in the clouds in Whisper over it.  Thoughts?

In other inspirational news, we had art in action in the 'hood this week -- first we painted (sorry, I need to go find out the artist's name):

Then installed "artists" and neon

I liked the effect even though I never saw it at night.  I bet it was cool-- what can I say, I'm a color magpie apparently.

I'm going to close with what I hope will be an inspirational to-do list for the weekend for me.  I'm trying to get my act in gear... dammit stop laughing.  Ok, I know it's funny.  Me?  With an act in gear.  Pardon me while I snicker at myself.

Anyway, right this very moment I want be able to see some of the following accomplished by Monday:

• Ethel progress -- those 3 small baskets and some sky
• Mr. Engineer -- figure out new stitch for the pants
• progress on Boothy -- this should not be so difficult dang it
• a finish
• 2 books completed
• something actually cooked... in my kitchen!  
• the dang pots back in the one cupboard I have in Maison d'Hovel's kitchen (the stovetop is looking like the leaning tower of cookware)
• winter clothes tucked away (rather than blocking my path to the closet of spring-appropriate choices)
• progress on putting stash in some reasonably "away" place (Much as I love my stash I really don't need immediate access to it so it ought to get out of the way!)
• books on shelves ( love them too.... and don't have nearly enough shelf space, but they too need to be out of the way and where I can actually ind them)

 Let's see how I do by Monday.  I would cross my fingers, but I need them for all of the above.


Pratchett thought of the day:

You get a wonderful view from the point of no return.

Moist von Lipwig -- Making Money

Admissions, or How Success Can Be Deceptive

Dearest Reader, it is confession/realization Friday.  

Being ever so shamed by my dismal SFS campaigning thus far, I was about to crow with delight at announcing that I had not spent any stashing money this week.  Only after a moment's pause I realized that it wasn't that I exercised backbone or anything even resembling restrain;  it is just that I wasn't at the shop last weekend.  Sigh.  So much for my glorious "accomplishment."  Maybe I get half a kudo for not doing anything untoward online this week?

What I *have* done since last Friday is some stitching!   I know, a miracle, right?  Two more and someone will have to cal the College of Cardinals.

First off, there's one of Ethel's flock of sheep.   One of my stitching Country Club sisters suggested that I ought to vary my flock's colors so I made this guy a little darker.  I'm not certain I'm sold, but So Many Books, who Ethel is for, likes him so that will have to do.

Hi fellow flock mates look like this--

Since I finished Ho Ho Ho (sorry some idiot forgot to take a finished pic--- I can't imagine who could be that lame!), I started another ornie.  This little guy is called Golden Manse I think.  He's from one of those 365 really cool seasonal things to stitch in a hurry.... I my world that means I'll get it done in under a month provided I don't lose it.

Santa got a red velvet coat in brick stitch and stain stitched red velvet cuffs --

The Engineer got his trousers partially outlined and his eyes put in --

And I completed nearly a whole row of baseballs.  Why is it that basketweave goes so danged slowly?????????

I know it isn't a patch on what I aimed to get done and what I ought to have gotten done, but I'm reasonably pleased that I accomplished this much what with the naps and laundry that interrupted me last weekend.... what's a girl to do?   [Note:  What I didn't do was work on Ellen's flag or Serenity Harbor at all, and they really need attention.  Maybe this weekend!]

I wish you all happy stitching and extra-special-sale shopping!  And a special thank you for your kind (and laughing) comments.  It is heck on wheels at work and it's good to be reminded that there are nice people out there...... probably stuck in a snowbank.