Happy dance Happy dance...

***

Have you ever hunted for a pattern for, like, ever???... and then, after multiple failed attempts to obtain it, luck shines down upon your face, and suddenly, you have it in your hot little hands?  YES, your heart sings... And then, after many a family drama involving a stray kitten and/or an 18 day hospital stay, you find time to stitch it?  And then, there is that feeling of unbridled joy when you finish the finishing?  Yes, it feels like a Christmas miracle..  My little Italian Christmas sewing set is complete and I couldn't be happier.

Design:  Christmas Sewing Set

Designer:  Guilia Manfredini of GPA Designs

Stitched with Belle Soie silks (Cranberry and Steamed Broccoli)

on 35 ct. "parchment" linen

Now I'm off to bask in the glow of biscornu.  :-)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all,

Christmas Stitching

Happy September 25th!  I'm overjoyed to be sharing my progress on my GPA Christmas sewing set with you today (please click on pic):

design by: Giulia Punti Antichi

cross stitch in Belle Soie silk: Cranberry and Collard Greens

tassels and cords in various shades of olive and burgundy DMC and Anchor cotton floss

thread board by Bloom Woodworks

That's the scissors case on the left, the thread keeper in the center and scissors fob on the right.  Since taking this photo, I've added the rouched ribbon to the center of the thread board for holding a thimble, made and attached the tassel to the scissors case and have only a small bit of construction left to do on the slipper itself.

HOOOTIE HOO HOOT!!!

I learned something very interesting about finishing from Carolyn Standing Webb at National.  Something I never expected to learn.  I learned that I can get paralyzed by the FEAR FACTOR.  I will allow projects to linger in purgatory (stitched but not finished) much longer than necessary because I'm afraid of screwing it up.  She had a very carefree, cavalier approach to her finishing and I was shocked.  She produces some of the most beautiful smalls and 3D pieces I've ever seen.  I imagined that she painstakingly slaved over the construction of her pieces with tweezers and a microscope, all while wearing white gloves.  WRONG!  CSW is an excellent finisher (and designer) and I'll do well to coming close to finishing things as beautifully as she does but I'll never again fret over, "but what if I ruin it"?  Well then, you'll either stitch another one or throw it in the garbage!  Thank you Carolyn for teaching me to Get over it and Get ON WITH IT.

I also (re)learned the importance of trial and error.  So many times I'll decide not to bring home that button or ribbon because I'm not sure it's the right size or color only to return home to find that it would have been fine.  Returning to the store days later to find the button or ribbon gone.   If I'd only bought the thing and then returned it later if it didn't work out.  I'm also guilty of staring at a display of thread for hours trying to decide which colors would be "perfect".  WHO CARES?  Just pick a starting point and jump in.  If you hate it, pick other colors and do another one!

The pile of thread I bought to find the right shades of burgundy and olive green was impressive!  If fact, Ken and Barbie are planning an expedition to summit it's peak next summer.

I didn't even bother writing down which greens and which reds ended up being used in my tassels and cords.  They are truly unique, one of a kind, never to be reproduced tassels.  Now, do I still fear that I'll regret that decision someday?  Like when the dog decides to chew a tassel off something?  Absolutely.  But, for now, I'm thrilled to be getting so close to completing the whole set.

Christmas will indeed come early if I can finish the slipper today.  I'm sure you'll hear a big WOO-HOO if I do!

Blessings!

Happy Happy Joy Joy

And the gang's all here.  I finished the fifth part of the GPA sewing set on Memorial Day.  If you squint and use your imagination, you can see (clockwise from lower left) the scissors fob, the slipper top, the slipper bottom, the scissors case front and the little weird strip that goes down the center of the mini thread keeper, which fits into the slipper.

With a wave of my magic wand, said parts will become:

I would be more excited but........I started reading the finishing instructions earlier tonight.

  Ugh!

Yikes!

Ay caramba!

I'm sure (wink wink) it will be MUCH easier than it sounds.

Dios Mio!

  (Somebody remind me to double up on the therapy.)

 

A couple of you have asked about the Garage Majal.  I'm happy to report that all constuction is complete, the fridge is cold, the tv is large, machinery is up and running and hubby is a happy man. 

Pretty much exactly like I said it would look:

 

And lastly, the shower is water-tight again. :-)

Like I said, Happy Happy Joy Joy.

Life is good.

Memorial Day Weekend

Big Plans?  Not for me.  Just the usual plus a little extra.  The D.O.G. must get the B.A.T.H. today.  Oh what fun.  I wish I could begin to explain the ordeal in words colorful enough to paint an accurate picture, but I'm not that smart.  You'd just have to see it.  Needless to say, from the moment I start the bath water to the moment she's freed from the evil torture chamber that we call "the tub", it's an adventure we like to call the Big "B".  Or maybe that's just what I overheard her calling me after her last bath. 

Oh well.  What's a few extra chiropractor appointments?  Right?

I sincerely hope (and plan) to have the stitching finished on the GPA Christmas slipper set this weekend.  It is very close and I think a couple more hours will do it.  A small happy dance will be in order, but I'll save the full tilt 'get my groove on' happy dance for when the set looks like a slipper.  Going to swing in to Jo-Ann's today to see if they have any fabric that will match the Crescent Colors Belle Soie Cranberry and Collard Greens I stitched it with.

Other than that, all I can think about is the oil in the Gulf.  I can't stand the thoughts of what this disaster is doing to our planet, wildlife, eco-system and people of the Gulf region.  At this point, I'm praying for a miracle.  I'm heart sick over the whole thing.  Why no disaster plan?  Why so long? Why? Why?  Make it stop.  Please Lord, make it stop.

And on that depressing note, I bid you a fond three day weekend.  Let's all take a moment to remember the men and women who fought and continue to fight for freedom.  

Freedom is not Free.

Christmas Stitching

The 25th totally snuck up on me today.  But this evening, as I was busily and blissfully stitching away on PART 5, the FINAL part of my Christmas slipper set, it dawned on me -

AHA, IT'S THE 25TH AND I'M CHRISTMAS STITCHING!!!

- and I began humming "It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas.." 

Although there is only a tiny bit of actual stitching left to do, there is a METRIC TON of finishing to do before these parts will become the set.  I'm excited to start shopping for just the right fabrics for the slipper sole and lining.  I'm nervous to begin the construction.  I'm always one hand and three fingers short when it comes to finishing.

It's been a real motivator to have a friend working on this piece at the same time.  It also helps that said friend is a Fabulous Finisher.  While some people still call her by her first name, she also answers to Yoda.  (Now do you see the method to my madness?)  I love it when a plan comes together!

The Retreat Report (pictures added)

Nothing like a little three day stitching retreat to reset your compass. 

Amazingly enough, I was the first to arrive on Friday around noon.  After quickly unpacking and setting up my stitching area, I anxiously awaited my friends arrival.  It was not long before everyone began to stream in.  It is so much fun greeting each one as they come through the doors.  You'd think we only see each other twice a year!  Each and every one is happy, really happy, to be there and happy that you are there too!  It's a wonderful feeling to hug and be hugged, with such love behind each hug.  We are all drunk on joy juice just to be there.

After a quick trip to the antique shop and grocery store for supplies, I stitched all afternoon and evening on my Christmas slipper set.  Turned in early, around 1:00ish.  Sleep like a log.

Antique finds:  Fenton hobnail glassware and tatted edge Irish linen napkin

Saturday - up and at it fairly early, eager to get back on my slipper set.  It was a gorgeous morning followed by a perfect-weather day so I had to take a couple of healthy walks around the conference center lake with the camera or I might have gotten a little more stitching accomplished. 

Finished Part 3 of 5 and decided it was a good time to start my black and white Promise Piece.  Much to my dismay, when I opened the tube of black fabric and unrolled it, SOMEBODY had already been into it and I didn't have enough fabric to begin my piece.  Don't cry for me Argentina.  I was only slightly disappointed since I was in the mood to move on to Part 4 of my set.  I did manage to stitch a sample Ironwork motif on the remnant just to see how the white floche floss would get along with the Monoco black.  I like!

A stroke of luck hit my "Not-a-Box" when the extraordinary Miss Anna pulled out a piece of green marblized fabric that might even be more perfect than the multi-colored marblized fabric I bought for it. 

We traded half my multi-colored piece for half her green piece.  Now, we have options people!  Danger Danger.

We stitched into the wee hours and I nearly finished Part 4. 

Parts 1-4

A late night thunderstorm made for fabulous sleeping conditions.  Lights out around 2:45.  Again, I slept like a rock.

Sunday - enjoyed a lazy morning.  Cleaned up, checked out, ate lunch and said our goodbyes while slipping in those last few stitches.  We parted company around 3 pm, already looking forward to October.

We've decided that the only thing we were missing was a 'cabana boy' to fetch our drinks and snacks from the kitchen, massage our hands and necks, do our ironing, adjust the theromstat, and do the back stitching.  Maybe next year.

I feel relaxed, recharged and ready for the work week more stitching. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, hubby kept busy all weekend on a "little" tile repair in our shower. 

Yikes!

Hope you all had an equally rewarding weekend!

The Reason...

freebie design found here

by Giulia Manfredini of Giulia Punti Antichi

"Chicca's Christmas House"

a mild case of startitis

Fall always does it to me.  I get "in the mood" to start stuff.   Do you think at 38 years old I can still blame the school year for this phenomenon?   At any rate, I've started two small-ish projects to work on between now and Christmas.

The first is this terrific little sewing set from GPA:

Giulia sent this pattern to me as a gift when I had ordered some other things and I've been dying to get my needle in it ever since.  The stitching will go fast;  the finishing, well, not so sure...  We'll see.   This is the first time I've stitched on Weeks linen, 35 ct in "Parchment", and let me tell you, it is super nice.  I'll be using this color and count more often.  Instead of cotton overdyed thread, I picked out two Belle Soies for this project, "Collard Greens" and "Cranberry".  You can't tell much about the thread in this photo, but trust me, it is gorgeous. 

Secondly, a seasonly square from Indigo Rose:

Again, I'm going with Splendor silks for this piece.  I love all the blackwork in it.  This piece finished out to be fairly small (5 5/8" square), so I think it will look nice framed and on an easle on my desk at work.  The richness of the color palette hooked me the minute I saw it. 

And I'll leave you with the first published photo of our family friend, Fred: 

I was beginning to get worried about him because it has been a good while since we've run into him.  I think he was on his way to check out the man-cave construction this morning.

Have a great weekend folks!

The Retreat Report

My sister and I have an inside joke about vacations that if you aren't limping home, broke and exhausted on the last day then, by definition, you must not have had a good time. According to those standards, I am happy to report that I have had one very successful retreat this weekend with my stitching family, or as I may start calling them, the Needle Work Enablers Society (NWES). I love them all and/but you've never met a better bunch of enablers in all your life. You know exactly what I mean so I won't elaborate much except to say we could probably keep the shrinks of the world busy for a very very long time. However, stitchers are the best people on the planet, I'm convinced. When one of us has a problem, we all collaborate together to fix it. When life gives one of us lemons, another one grabs the lemon squeezers and vodka. Oops, TMI! I forgot what happens at Retreat, stays at Retreat.

Spending time with these ladies always renews my faith in humanity! And, occasionally, we actually get some stitching accomplished.

The Stitching Report

Thursday: Arrived around 2:30, checked in, unpacked, power napped, drove to town for dinner, stitched on thistle into the evening. Watched two hour Grey's finale and was pretty devastated with what they did to George. I mean, why should such a horrible thing happen to the nicest character on the show? Tragic. I certainly hope they don't kill him off too. Losing Izzy is bad enough. My head is still spinning from it. Aren't Major Hunt and Yang just perfectly perfect for one another? Uh, sorry, back to the stitching report.

designer: Marion Scoular

fabric: 25ct. hardanger

threads: DMC and floche

Pattern cover photo on the left; mine on the right.

Friday: Up early, quick trip to town for last minute "retreat essentials", picked up a few things at the antique store (pics another day), hurried back, ushered the "hookers" (rug hookers) out of the meeting room, set up camp in the stitching room and selected dragonfly checkerboard out of my Big Ol Bag o'WIPs. My XSDNs will be pleased to know they might get to play with this checkerboard before they are taking their college entrance exams. Late in the evening, I switched to my peacock. Turned in around 2ish.

design: Dragonfly Sampler by Sekas

various Caron Wildflowers threads

Saturday: I knew Saturday would be a full day of cutting, unweaving and reweaving the last remaining drawn thread band if I had any chance of finishing it, so I didn't dilly dally. Up early, shower, quick breakfast and coffee and then POWER STITCHING. I did stop for lunch and another very quick trip to the antique shop for wooden spools, but made up for lost time by skipping dinner in order to bring this baby down the home stretch before bedtime. Speaking of home stretch, how about that Preakness winning jockey Calvin Borel and the horse he rode in on? What a story! Love that little man and the filly he made rich and famous, Rachel Alexandra!

My victory was won around 12:38 am after a bit of "broken thread" drama. I think it's safe to say that the last thing you want when working the high tension twisted clusters of the drawn thread bands is for a thread to snap. But, thank goodness, even though my silk did snap with only about three inches to go, I lived to tell the tale and still had enough silk on the needle to finish the band. And yes, there was a happy dance which will not be described here or ever reinacted IRL or on YouTube. My apologies to those who were physically present and subjected to it. Exhileration powered my engines until 3ish.

design: Assisi Peacock Sampler by Giulia Manfredini

Various silks on hand dyed linen

Sunday: Still walking on air from my late night finish, I floated into the stitching room a little later than usual. Then, after packing up, checking out and eating lunch, I selected an Art Stitch design for my Something New Sunday project. It's been in my TO DO stack for a long time and deserved some sunshine.

As you can see, it was a very productive long weekend and I couldn't be happier with my stitchy accomplishments. Now it's back to life, back to re-al-ity time.

Next UFO/BAP*= Statue of Liberty tribute (gift) Photo updates soon.

Wishing everyone a great week!

*UFO/BAP = unfinished object/big a$$ project

Punto Gigliuccio and a cautionary tale

Let's see...I've been searching the internet for months for more instructions on the Punto Gigliuccio stitch. Yep, months. The instructions in the pattern were clear but my results were not looking like the model, so I just knew I was doing something wrong. I believe I gave up last weekend and posted here that I was moving on. Doing what every self-respecting stitcher would do; making something up to go in that space. THEN (you knew that was coming, didn't you?) I was innocently surfing Piecework magazine online tonight to see what they were up to and WHAT DID I FIND THERE, you ask!!??!! Well, have a look for yourself: http://www.interweave.com/needle/projects/Punto-Antico-Biscornu.pdf

Yes, you guessed it. Instructions. Even better - they were slightly different than the instructions I already had, so I was able to work the upper band of drawn work on my Assisi Peacock!!! Hip Hip Horray! The fine print: my punishment for giving up and taking things into my own hands last weekend was that I had to frog the stuff I had made up and stuck in there instead of what was supposed to go there. My band definitely looks like a first attempt, but I'm just thrilled to know that my Italian sampler will actually be a sampler of Italian stitches and not "mostly" Italian stitches and one thing Marnie just made up because she couldn't do the punto gigliuccio stitch.

So, the moral of the story is, don't give up, and something about patience being a virtue would fit in there too.

WIP update

It's been a "recovery" kind of weekend here at Marnie Manor. A nasty sinus/upper respiratory infection has had me sidelined for about 10 days. However, I am feeling nearly human again today. As for Carmen, we are pretty sure she had a few friends over Friday night while her Dad and I were out to dinner. This is what we found when we returned home:



We've told her lay off the bottle, but some dogs just have to learn the hard way.

On the stitchy front, I did put the final stitches in the Assisi section of my sampler today. Here are the photos as promised:

Next up is a withdrawn thread band. Six bands down, 7 bands to go. But, as you can see here, I have the majority of the cross stitching done. Lots of withdrawn thread to go. Onward and upward!!!

P is for...

PEACOCK, of course. Now, you are probably saying to yourself, "Not this chic with that stupid peacock, again!". I know it's hard to believe, but YES, it's me with this peacock again! It is the WIP I love to love so much. You may remember when we left off last, I was frogging and re-doing lettering because I felt it had too much pink in it. So as you can see below, lettering back in place with nicer, kinder, gentler color scheme. I'm leaving the pink in the plume, just because.


"Old Stitches of

Italian Embroidery "

When I complete the Assisi section, I'll post an overall shot, but not a minute sooner. I do want to share the progressive "top to bottom" with you but I figure I stand a better chance of getting some stitching done if I incent myself to stop typing and start stitching. Boy o boy, some days I'm more trouble than I'm WORTH!!!


I'm making great progress on my away game, the Dragonfly checkerboard. I'm within about an hour of finishing the horizontal rows, and I have two of the 9 vertical rows already done. Basically I stitched the outside perimeter, then started stitching left to right, right to left, so on and so forth. So, maybe after tomorrow, I'll just be stitching verticals. I know I'll be excited to see each square come to life as I stitch the verticals. Each block gets either a dragonfly or a filler stitch, so I still have a lot to go, but getting the grid done is, for me, the hard part because it's the boring part. Boring is the kiss of death in my WIP/UFO pile.


I've also had a lil' something something going on down in the stitching room. (Peacock lives upstairs). I wouldn't ordinarily be splitting my time so generously, but this lil' thing is committment stitching, and I'm enjoying it, and it's small, so it'll be done soon. As soon as I clip the last thread on it, I'm not looking up until I'm standing over this peacock at the frame shop!!!


Weather has taken another turn for the worse. They say more snow this weekend...Nice. Perhaps some quality stitching time will console me.


BTW, Lake Dave is down to two inhabitants. We are bummed.


Consider yourselves warned: there are going to be lots of boring peacock update photos from now until it's framed. I'm on a mission!

quick check in

It's been a week since I've returned home but it feels more like 15 minutes, and tomorrow is the beginning of a new week. Short week for me, as I'll be going to Chicago on Friday to see Tina Turner in concert! Sister and aunt are coming along for the fun. I think I've covered the essentials this weekend like visiting the Dad, laundering the unmentionables, feeding the husband a couple of "honest to goodness" meals, and making a showing at church. I think they were about to plan a memorial service in my honor. Figured the husband had had enough and finally buried me in the backyard!

I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me when I got home last week. My new Italian friend Giulia Manfredini of Giulia Punti Antichi, gifted me with her Christmas sewing set pattern. I couldn't believe such a nice gesture from someone I've never met, so far away! Little did she know that I've been longing to stitch one of these little slippers and now I have no excuse! She can expect a little surprise from me in her mailbox sometime in the future. Thanks so much Giulia!

What do they say about confession?

If blogging is like therapy, then I guess it's "fess up" time. I have way too many PIGs, WIPs and UFOs on my "To Do" list. I hope by posting regular (monthly?) updates on my progress that it will help me to move them from the "To Do" to "Done" list more quickly. I hate to say it but my good intentions list has turned into a joke. This is my last ditch effort to restore my faith in my ability to get a Christmas gift done before Valentine's Day and maybe even stitch a few baby gifts up in advance!

So, here are the two WIPs I am splitting my time between right now. I'll have to switch gears soon for EGA National Seminar (Medici Vase class) and also for a GCC I've just registered for (Finishing with Flair), but for the next two weeks, I'm dedicating my stitching time to my GPA Assisi Peacock Sampler and my first monochromatic (thank you Tantes Zolder/My Aunt's Attic), which I'm stitching to create a wine bottle gift bag. And by the way, the wine bottle gift bag is two years overdue. Ha!