Incoherent Scribblings

Today’s SBQ was suggested by Jan and is:

Do you ever get to a point working on a project that you’ve had for so long, you start to wonder what possessed you to start it in the first place?

Oh yeah!

However, when I reflect on the projects that make me think this I usually find that I don’t really have trouble remembering why I started them. Instead the question becomes, “Why don’t I want to work on X-Project anymore?”

I have had short-term projects that have raised this question and the answer usually has something to do with the fact that after I started the project I decided that I didn’t like it that much after all.

However, for this question we are talking long-term projects (i.e., projects that have been in my rotation for over a year… your definition of “long-term” may vary) and for these types of projects I typically find that the reason that I don’t want to stitch them anymore is because my stitching style and tastes have changed enough since I first started them that they no longer hold my interest.

Although my needles haven’t exactly been smoking lately, I have been stitching.

First up is my progress on “Fairy Flora.” I still enjoy working on her and every time I put a few hours into her I know that I am that much closer to finishing her. BUT… Every time I work on her I also know that I still have a long way to go.

As a matter of fact, according to my records, it won’t be long before I hit the 200 hour mark on her! That’s right… I said two hundred hours! I have never in my entire life put so many hours into a single cross stitch piece! I guess when I finally finish her I will know that I have earned the mark of a true Mirabilia stitcher.

These days when I am not working on Flo I am working on “The Bookshelf.” I find it to be a soothing stitch and with its minimal color changes, it will be done in no time. As of this evening it is 50% complete.

Tomorrow is my SAL day with Dawn. Since she is still waiting on her Kreiniks for “Harvest Witch” we have decided to go ahead and start our next SAL piece, “Summer’s Magic” by Dragon Dreams.

I am not exactly sure what fabric I am going to use for it, but I am leaning towards something in brown/tan to represent sand (the dragons are on the beach) and have three or four possibilities in my stash.

And finally, I want to wish all of the mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day tomorrow. May you get breakfast in bed, flowers, a card, and plenty of time to yourself for stitching!

I know that Dawn didn’t work on “Harvest Witch” this past weekend, but since it was SAT weekend and I was about a week behind, I did. Now, with the exception of a wee bit of backstitching, Dawn and I are basically at the same juncture concerning Harvey: We are just waiting for our Kreiniks to arrive so we can finish her!

According to a couple of blog posts I have read today, apparently I wasn’t the only stitching hermit this weekend!

Yesterday I worked on “Fairy Flora” and after deciding to fudge instead of frog an error I discovered, she now has a wing!

I have to admit that the decision between fudging and frogging wasn’t the easiest to make. Fudging meant that I would leave the mistake and although no one else would probably ever know it was there (unless I broadcast it on my blog ) I would know… Was it a mistake that would haunt me for the rest of my days?

On the other hand, if I chose to frog I would have to rip out almost half the wing and all the nasty blending filament that went along with it. Since I didn’t foresee the blending filament being in any shape to reuse it once I had removed it, I also faced the distinct possibility that I would run out of BF before I finished Flo’s other wing.

After weighing the possibilities, I decided I could live with the knowledge that there is a slight imperfection in the wing so fudging won out over frogging.

* * * * *

Today was my “Harvest Witch” SAL with Dawn and I managed to finish the skirt and get started on the “harvest.” I probably could have gotten more “harvest” done, but I have found that stitching while watching Lost: Season 1 (Yes, I am behind the times… I am still trying to catch up from living abroad!) isn’t the easiest thing to do. Luckily, I was watching it on DVD so whenever I missed something because I was looking at my stitches instead I just backed up a few frames.

Anyway, I was reading Dawn’s post and she was saying that if her Kreiniks don’t arrive this week she won’t have much more to do on Harvey until they get here. To be honest, I kind of hope they don’t arrive, that way I can catch up with her next Sunday! hee hee

And speaking of the Kreiniks for Harvey… I ordered mine (along with a special order for a friend and the beads for “Spring Queen” and “In Cupid’s Garden”) today. Hopefully by the time they get here Dawn and I will have nothing more to do but use them to fill in the blanks.

Today was my “Harvest Witch” SAL day with Dawn and, as you can see, Harvey is coming along swimmingly. Her dress is almost finished so I suppose I better get my rear in gear and order the Kreiniks and the charms pretty soon, eh?

Although I spent today working on “Harvest Witch,” I was focused on “Poet’s Heart” last week. I have finally reached the last band and have been working on it diligently in the hopes of finishing it up soon.

In fact, I think I can go out on a bit of a limb and predict that by this time next week (barring any sort of natural disaster or incapacitating sickness) I will have a happy dance and be able to check another of my BAPs off my list… Sweet!