Did Someone Say "Rotation"?

I guess I did.  

I've decided that I need a periodic break from all those quarter-stitches in my TW, so... I've put together a new project.  It's "Zippy's Favorite Flavor" designed by Terrance Nolan.  I'm doing it on a piece of 32-count hand-dyed Jobelan, a light blend of pale blues and pale pinks called Sailor's Delight.  I got the fabric from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie.   I do find many of the hand-dyed colours to be far too busy, as I've said, but this is fairly subtle and I hope it will enhance the design instead of overwhelming it.  

Oh, to be noted, my son Michael picked this design out of a handful of bird designs that I showed him.

It's Been a Bit...

Where did the time go?

So, I've finished up my database.  Added a page for magazines and one for WIPs.  Yes I have a BUNCH of those.  *LOL*  Some I'm even pretty far along and should really finish, but you know how a stitcher's attention span can go.  Like a dog catching sight of squirrels on a regular basis.

I've done a lot of internetting around a bunch of cross stitch sites and even done a bit of stitching.  My shoulder was giving me some grief so I never stitched for long at any given time, but I have made some progress.

The damned picture is upside down and even if I try and rotate it and save it under a new name with my paint program it STILL uploads incorrectly.  Blogger is a pain in the ass at times.   Anyway, this is where I am as of this afternoon.  I plan on stitching that upper (or bottom as it looks in the pic) corner and then do the backstitching on it.  Doing all the backstitching at once on a Wentzler is just asking for a breakdown.  *LOL*

So I Have a Beef

I love Miribilia designs by Nora Corbett.  I think she designs the most beautiful ladies out there.  The colours are amazing (although maybe too much yellow and white for my liking at times.) and the faces are beautiful even when done over 2.  BUT... BUT.... These days she uses so many beads and specialty threads that A) I can't afford them and B) I don't like to bead that much!  I find it starts looking cheap.

This her latest design, just came out today.   The Raven Queen.  And she is TO DIE FOR!  I would love, love, LOVE to stitch her, but...  I'd need 10 packs of beads, 3 skeins of Caron Waterlilies, 2 rolls of Kreinik cable and 6 spools of Kreinik braid.  I cannot afford the at least $50 expenditure on TOP of the $20 for the chart and the $20 at least for the fabric.  And that's not counting the normal floss either!  I really wish she'd give normal floss alternatives for all the fussy stuff.  

My other beef concerns Miribilia too, but that's just because that's what came up today.  It can be any design, really.  See, one of the lastest things in stitching is marbled/dyed fabric. I have some.  When it's done right it can really be lovely, but it can also be overdone and I think, my opinion, is that one has to be careful what design they decide to put on a piece of this stuff.  So...  today this came up in one of the FB pages I follow.  I think  first off, the colour choice is wrong, but also, the design is lost on that busy busy background.

This is the design done on the original suggested fabric.  Honestly, doesn't the design pop more on this?  Isn't the main focus the design itself and not whatever's going on in the background?  I just don't get it when people go gaga over something like the above.  

I Have a Database!

Today I was wondering if I had a Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum chart and was pretty sure I didn't, but I went digging to check to make sure and lo and behold, I did have it after all.  So that's when I fired up Excel and decided it was time to create some type of database.  

I've made it through my first box of charts which includes my Wentzlers, my Miribilias, my MLIs.  I didn't list the charts in some of the bigger books, just the book title itself... like Cats Galore etc...   I have another box somewhere that has all my flower, castle, house etc charts.  I'll maybe try and hunt it down tomorrow.  

And I also managed to finish the cross-stitching on the part of the border and vines for the Fall Carousel Horse that I was working on, the bottom right-hand corner.  Tomorrow the backstitch!  

So it was an accomplished stitching day.  

Oh.... the chart that I was sure I didn't have but I did?  MLI's Celtic Spring.  

A Little BS

That's backstitching!

I took yesterday off because I was getting a sore wrist again.  I have to find the most comfortable way to position myself with the new chair, the stand and all.  Anyway, I've backstitched the bottom corner and I think I can move the q-snaps now.

2 Days Later - A Quick Update

So I snapped a picture tonight - after 2 days of working on those leaves and grapes.  I think tomorrow I might do some backstitching.  Which means I'll have to put the new ink cartridge in the printer.  Fun times!

Progress - Grapes!

So, while I haven't been stitching for long hours at a time, I've been doing a bit every day.  Things are starting to take shape.  I have grapes and a vine and some leaves and they are actually beginning to look like what they are.  I also bought an ink cartridge for the printer so I'll be able to print out sheets just for the backstitching which will be a great help.

And I just have to say, I have a craving to buy fabric.