Stitching Up a Storm in Alamo City

You haven't seen this for a while.....

I got it out in January, when I went for a stitching weekend with my stitching buddies.  Jackie actually started putting in the stitch for the cuff - I worked for most of 2 days on the cuff.   The stitch is a beautiful stitch - Curtain Stitch.   So I stitched along and was having a great time.   Then I came home and looked at the stocking in different light.

When I got the stocking to start with, I had the shop where I got it (Yarn Barn of San Antonio) put Lauren's name on it.  For some crazy reason, the area allowed for the name (by Tapestry Tent/Liz) was really small, so we decided to make it a bit taller, and the ladies at Yarn Barn painted over the original top edge of the stocking and drew a new line for the new top edge.

So here I was 4-5 years later thinking I was really cracking on this stocking, and when I got it home, I could see the dark paint line under all of our stitching!!  Heartbreaking.  Actually maddening.  I took it up to Colleen's and she suggested that I pull out the line of stitches and paint the canvas under it with the same color as the thread I'm using.   That sounded like a really smart idea - I probably would have used white paint  - so this week, I pulled out the line of stitches and have now put 2 thin coats of paint over the line.  Keep your fingers crossed.  (Somehow the light really reflects the paint - it's not on as thick as it looks in the picture.)

If you look at the line of stitching going through her name, you can see the line in the lower "heart shaped" spaces.Obviously, seeing depends on the lighting - but trust me, it's there and very obvious.   Nothing I could just overlook.

If this doesn't work, I'll have to pull the whole cuff out and use a denser thread to get better coverage - probably a different stitch, too.   AARRRGGGH!!!!

In the meantime, I got a lot of little areas filled in - so if I can get over this huge hurdle I think I'll be able to meet some sort of Christmas deadline.  I think it's officially October 1, but last year I was told to send in when I could....   So we'll see.  

This stocking is for Mark's daughter.  I doubt that she's going to be decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving so I'm not horribly panicked about the Oct 1 deadline. 

No stitching today.  We're having 3 other couples over for dinner tonight, so I need to get cracking.   Haven't even been to the grocery yet!!

Jane

 

"Where has she been?", you may be asking.

Since I "talked" to you last, I've weathered a 3 day monsoon, hosted a surprise birthday party and had 2 groups of people over for dinner.  I haven't been eating bon bons, trust me.

Last time I posted about stitching I told you that you could be surprised by what I start working on next.  Well, here you go.    The time has come.   Since I started on this (almost 2 1/2 years ago)  I have 2 more stockings - for Maddie and Jake - and I'm not getting any younger.  So it's time to get WITH IT!!

I still have a lot to do on Lauren's stocking, but the end is in sight.

I called Maie, the lady who owns Pacific Needlepoint Finishing in Alameda, CA, the other day to ask what her "absolute" deadline was.  She said that things are slow and that I need to give her 3 weeks to finish it, no matter when I mail it.   So.   I'm not sure what's happening out there in needlepoint land, but Maie is a FABULOUS finisher, and I've found her to be same quality or better and also less expensive than other West Coast finishers.  

If you have things that deserve amazing finishing, I highly recommend:

    Maie Vorp
    Pacific Needlepoint Finishing
    1335 B Park Avenue
    Alameda CA 94501
    510-749-7154

I never tell her what I want - all I say is "nothing froofy".   Just classic and pretty.   So give her big idea direction and leave the details to her.

Happy stitching.
Jane

Inspired, again.

Every time I go up to Austin to see Colleen at The Needleworks I am re-inspired to work on my current project, one that's been "resting" as I heard ladies describing it, or I'm totally inspired to start something new.   I'm having to curb my enthusiasm for something new right now - I HAVE TO FINISH Lauren's stocking.  I promised her I'd have it done for this year, and while I could probably delay it until next year without causing too much angst, I'd just put it off again and be in the same pinch next year, so this is the time!!

One thing I've realized is that working on smaller pieces set me up to need this big fix of accomplishment fairly frequently.   One certainly doesn't get that so often when one works on mammoth Liz stockings.   I have to train myself to relish the small triumphs, even though they're not associated with a finished piece.  As I've told you, too, I have a personal problem when it comes to having many pieces in process.  That drives me nuts - it makes me feel like I'm not getting any place!! 

Before I headed up to Austin, I just pulled the bag out from this project - I didn't sort the threads out or anything.  I barely looked at the canvas.  So I'm sure Colleen stifled a gasp when I overturned the big plastic bag of threads onto the table.  I never use those little floss bags.   I really don't like them at all.  I'm organized - but only to an extent.   I think I'd end up spending 1/2 my stitching time opening and closing those little bags.   Waste of time.

So here's what I worked on yesterday.   I did a bunch of basketweave on this border and then started working on bullion knots for the roses.   I'm using Trebizond, which knotted a lot if I cut a long strand, but if I kept it medium length, it worked just fine.   Colleen adjusted my technique a little and -- we're off.   I'm sure as I keep doing them each one will look a little better than the previous one, but that's ok. 

Here's a close up of the rose.

As you can see it's not finished yet, but I'm liking it already!!

One almost down, 42 to go.  Or something like that.

Happy stitching.
Love, Jane

The lighting wasn't so good, but....I fixed it this morning.

 I've gotten 95% of the robe done, and I've moved on. 

I am headed out of town tomorrow, and so I won't get stitching done for a couple of days (that I can show you) but wanted to show you what I've accomplished so far.

I'm about to talk myself into a March deadline for finishing this piece.   I could let it stretch out until August or September, or whenever the deadline is for Christmas finishing, but there's not much point in that.   In the meantime, I'd be feeling badly about the things I'm not able to stitch because I'm trying to finish this.....I generally have the obsession that says I shouldn't start another piece until I've finished this one.  So there it is.   I'll finish it fast and move on.   Good strategy. 

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Happy stitching while I'm gone.
Love, Mimi

I'm back at it.

In spite of the somewhat marginal weather, Mark is out playing golf today, and so you can guess what I'm doing.  STITCHING!

I've got a decent portion of Santa's robe finished -- so I thought I'd show it to you.

Don't worry about the red that's showing through.  It's not all stitched over yet, I have one more layer to do, and then I'll couch a twisted cord over it, being careful to attach it to the right spots.  When I look at it up close, it looks like it's getting pretty covered over by the stitching, but the camera sees it all. 

That's about it, except for wondering what kind of turkey leftover I'll make tonight.  Somehow my gut tells me after cooking for 2 days and cleaning up after myself, I'd rather go out tonight.  I'm thinking our favorite Mexican restaurant sounds good. 

We can start on the turkey tomorrow.  Sounds like a plan to me!!

Happy stitching.
Mimi