Incoherent Scribblings

SBQ: Pride and Joy

Before I get to this week’s SBQ, I would like to put out a call for SBQ suggestions as my supply is running rather low again. If you have a question, please send it to blondelibrarian at gmail dot com. Thanks!

This week’s SBQ was suggested by Ish and is:

Which project (finished or in progress) are you most proud of? Explain why.

Hands down, the project that I am most proud of is “Passing Admirers.”

The piece means a lot to me because it changed my entire outlook on stitching. Not only is it an absolutely gorgeous piece, it was my first project on linen, it was my first BAP, it was my first beading project, and it will be the first BAP that I have professionally framed.

…And did I mention that when I started it I wasn’t sure if I would ever finish it?!

All-American Holiday

Fireworks - Flame
Originally uploaded by blondelibrarian.

I know my first Fourth of July back in America since 2001 was almost two weeks ago now, but I just got around to downloading the pictures and videos off my camera tonight.

Though I saw fireworks a couple of different times while I was in Germany, it had been quite a few years since I had celebrated The Fourth of July in proper Small Town America Style and I was really looking forward to spending my first Fourth back in the States with my niece and nephew.

It was a fairly typical Small Town Iowa Fourth of July Day: The weather was hot and humid by 10:00 am, but we toughed it out and went to see the parade anyway. The parade consisted of much candy-throwing by the participants of the parade and much candy-gathering by me my niece. The high school marching band played and the veterans from the American Legion did a Twenty One Gun Salute. There were also plenty of horses and Uncle Sam walked down the brick streets on stilts. There was a second parade a couple of hours later, but the heat drove our little party indoors until evening.

I was quite excited about attending one of the largest fireworks displays in this area of Iowa, but I had to work the night before the Fourth and the night of and as a result, I almost missed the fireworks display entirely. My sister called me around 7:30 that evening to remind me to bring a chair and woke me from a dead sleep. I didn’t want to wake up very badly and almost told my sister to go without me, but when I heard my niece in the background excitedly chattering about the fireworks I dragged myself out of bed.

The fireworks display was quite beautiful and I used the opportunity to practice my nighttime photography skills. I think my attempts at photographing the fireworks were pretty successful, don’t you? (P.S. There are more fireworks pics at Flickr and a little video on YouTube. Enjoy! )

A Little Retail Therapy

I put the finishing touches on my Monochromatic Exchange this evening. I really like the way it turned out… I hope my partner does too. I will post some pictures after it is received in a month or so.

And with my final exchange finish, I am now ready to focus on stitching for myself for a while. Along with “Spring Queen” I decided that I was ready to start “Kitty Cat Row,” so I took the liberty of ordering some stash from a couple of ONSes last week. (I would like to remind you the purchase of this stash is not a violation of my 26 projects list as I only purchased fabric and floss in order to stitch these projects.)

The floss I ordered, GAST and WDW for KCR and 4 skeins of DMC 746 for SQ, arrived today from Picture This Plus. I have to say I was quite impressed with the quickness of their service. They have lots of other pretty things too… I imagine I will be ordering from them again.

As I was getting low on fabric, I also ordered a fat quarter of 32 count flax (for KCR) and a fat half of 32 count cream (all-purpose) from Criss Cross Row. Of all the ONSes that I have been scouting out lately, it seems to me they have a very good selection of neutral linens. I hope my order from them arrives soon so that I can be as happy with their service as I was with the other ONS.

However, I am not in a big hurry to start “Kitty Cat Row” since “Spring Queen” is next in my rotation anyway. Hopefully it will arrive before the end of my 10 hour rotation on “Spring Queen” though: I’d like to start “Kitty Cat Row” before I start over on my other WIPs!

And finally, I would like to thank Erin for a Semi-Random Act of Kindness. I got an email from her one day telling me that she had Mirabilia’s “Midsummer Night’s Fairy” and was looking for a home for it. If I was interested, she would send it to me. As it was on my wish list, I was obviously interested, so she sent it to me. I don’t remember if I sent her an email thanking her (Note to self, check email archives), but I quite appreciate the thought. If you are reading this Erin, thank you so much!

Small House Sampler

In a small departure from my regularly scheduled rotation, over the past three days I have stitched up Little House Needlework’s “Small House Sampler.” This is my third LHN design and I must say that after every one that I stitch this designer charms me a little more.

When I first acquired this design it was my plan to finish it as a flat-fold once I stitched it. However, I don’t believe I want to finish it in that manner any longer. I like the flat-fold finishing method quite a bit, but I have made enough over the past few months that I have become somewhat bored using this finishing method.

Instead, I am contemplating other finishing methods. A scissors pocket is at the top of the list of finishing choices, but I have not yet tried using this finishing method. Therefore before I make the final decision I need to examine the tutorial more closely and see if this design is suitable for such a finishing technique.

And with that, I am off to see what I can do about finishing this piece!

SBQ: Love and Hate

Today’s SBQ was lifted from a couple of threads over on The Wagon and is:

What do you love to do that many people hate? What do you hate to do, but do anyway?

Call me crazy, but I love to do French Knots! Like many stitchers, I had problems with them when I first started stitching, but then one day I came across a really good diagram in a kit that my mom gave me. I will admit that it took some practice, but ever since I found that diagram, I have actually enjoyed making the dreaded French Knot.

I think the thing I probably hate the most though are Lazy Daisies. No matter what I try, I just can’t make them correctly. Maybe someday I will find as good as a diagram for Lazy Daisies and I did for French Knots and then I will have to find something different to hate.