Incoherent Scribblings

A Guilt-Free Start

Keeping my word to have a guilt-free January, I started Mirabilia’s 1997 freebie “In Cupid’s Garden” this weekend. It features one of my favorite stitching themes (watering cans) and I have wanted to stitch this freebie for quite some time but have just never gotten around to it.

I have chosen to stitch it on 32 count cream Belfast and am substituting Kreinik for the metallic DMC since I don’t have the DMC on hand. I haven’t looked, but I doubt I have the beads it calls for so I will have to order some or use something that I already have.

So far the watering can is stitching up without difficulty but I must admit that when I first saw the colors used in the darker areas I was a little skeptical. It calls for a green-brown blend (3023 & 844) and a beige-silver blend (644 & Kreinik 001) that look very peculiar when holding it close and stitching. However, apparently it is one of those pieces where you don’t get a good idea of the effect of the coloring until you look at it from a distance because when I photographed it I was impressed with how good the shading looks.

Even though I was quite busy this weekend, I had an amazing stitching weekend and have already reached 10 hours on this piece. I am not really ready to put it down, but I am committed to moving on to the next piece in my rotation nevertheless.

According to my rotation, “Poet’s Heart” should have followed “Fairy Flora,” so unless I decide to indulge in another of my guilt-free January starts, that is what I will work on next.

SBQ: New Year, New Start?

Today’s SBQ is:

Are you starting something new to celebrate the New Year or participating in “Guilt Free January?” If so, what are you planning on starting?

After considering it for a couple of days, I have decided to participate in “Guilt Free January.” I don’t want to start too many projects, but I am dying to start “Harvest Witch” and “In Cupid’s Garden,” so I will take the opportunity to do so without feeling “guilty” about it.

Stitching Zone

Seeing as I haven’t been home in about 10 days, I had a whole list of things to do when I got home tonight. However, I was pretty wiped out after working all day today and driving all day yesterday, so I decided the cat litter can wait until tomorrow and the laundry can be put off until the weekend.

With the decision to put off today what I can do tomorrow, I sat down to relax the best way I know how: Yep, I pulled out my needle and started on Flo’s wings. There isn’t much there yet, but they will grow soon enough. I would love to continue working on her some more, but I reached my 10 hours on her so tomorrow I will switch to something else.

But what…?

Normally I like to keep my WIPs around 5 (currently 6) but I have some things that I want to start pretty badly so I have been tossing around the idea of having a “Guilt Free January.” After all, with my “Harvest Witch” SAL with Dawn, I am already planning at least one new start this month, so why not a few more to add to the WIP pile?

And speaking of “Harvest Witch…” I have decided that I want to stitch her on hand-dyed fabric and think she would look good an orange/peach color. I am still debating between 4 colors: Silkweaver’s Autumn Sunrise, Tangerine Sparkle, Sundown, and Peachy Keen. I think all but Peachy Keen are also available in opalescent. I usually prefer linen, but I like Autumn Sunrise in Lugana. It is a tough decision. I think I need to study the actual pattern a little more and see if as I do so it calls out to one of the fabrics.

I bought some stash while I was visiting Dawn that I want to share and I finished my last two projects of the Project Challenge into fobs, but (like the SBQ) it will have to wait for another day.