Assessing April Goals, Setting May Goals

APRIL GOALS:  

2013 BAPs: continue work on TW Woodland Angel Christmas Stocking.

2013 Challenge: WIPs and UFOs: finish stitching Midnight Moogies and resume work on The English Band Sampler.  Finished Midnight Moogies but The English Band Sampler will have to wait till May.

2013 Class Projects Challenge: continue work on Mystic Smalls, this month's project will be the tuffet.  Finished frogging and restitching the scissor case and stitched the needle book.

2013 Start: continue work on Cedar Hill's Berry Patch Rabbit.  Finished on 4/14/13.

Town Square SAL:  finish The Cross Stitch Shop and stitch The Fiber Shop.  Finished The Cross Stitch Shop.  And have gotten a third of the way through with the Fiber Shop.

Sewing and Assembly Finishes: Complete three. The Cross Stitch Shop as a flat ornament. One more La-D-Da Cardinal Christmas ornament.  A bookmark.
Off goal stitching: a bookmark designed by self and one La-D-Da Cardinal ornament.

MAY GOALS:  

2013 BAPs: continue work on TW Woodland Angel Christmas Stocking.

2013 Challenge: WIPs and UFOs:  resume work on The English Band Sampler.

2013 Class Projects Challenge: continue work on Mystic Smalls, this month's project will be the tuffet.

Town Square SAL:  finish The Fiber Shop and stitch The Frame Shop.

Sewing and Assembly Finishes: Complete three.

Mystic Smalls

Again, no camera, so photos will have to wait till Wednesday.  Being the eternal optimist, when I packed for this retreat I filled my rolling overnight case with the minimum amount of comfortable clothing, the necessary medications and toiletries, my usual prayer book/aids, one book for serious  and one for light bedtime reading, and five different stitching projects.  They were Midnight Moogies [which had maybe an hour's worth of stitching left when it went into the stitching bag and was finished last night], the Mystic Smalls class project, one more La-D-Da cardinal ornament, a bookmark, and a name tree for my son Sean.  I packed the last three small projects are meant for discreet stitching while attending lectures and workshops.  I can listen perfectly well while stitching but some presenters are offended if you don't give them your full attention!  Only two books and five stitching projects!  What does that say about my priorities?

The current project is the Mystic Smalls.  I have to admit that I've skipped over this class set for the past two weeks.  The scissor case I had just "finished" had a serious miscount which requires frogging one of the stitching ladies and restitching her four threads/two stitches to the right.  I'll have to attend to that before I move forward on the needle book that I had started.  Maybe then, I'll be able to stick to my rotation schedule.  Even so, I haven't been too bad.  I have worked on at least three of the five pieces each and every week. The scissor case and the needle book will be my projects for today.  Tomorrow, I hope to start on the biscornu.

Finally, A UFO Finish!!!!

I forgot to pack my camera, when packing for the retreat ... so photos will have to wait till Wednesday.

Midnight Moogies is done.  A process that started back in 2006 is over at last.  And a strange process it has been.  My first mistake was using the recommended 14ct Aida.  If I were starting over again I would use a 32ct or, better yet, a 36ct linen.  My next mistake was starting at the center and working outward ... after making a rookie mistake in the orientation of the fabric.  I ended up lopping off sections at the top and bottom and sewing them to the sides to correct this error which I didn't discover until well into the project.  At that point I had already stitched the two right side cats and all the houses and shooting stars on the right as well.  I really should have started over again at that point but I just didn't have the heart to do so.    All I can say is I do not recommend stitching through three thicknesses of Aida even with the sturdiest of needles.  I dislike Aida at the best of times but this was such torture that I put this piece away sometime in late 2006 and didn't resurrect it till October of 2012.  It was one of my very oldest UFOs.  I do like the individual cats though and I can see myself someday wanting to stitch one of them again: maybe as a cell phone case or a TV remote pocket.  Not any time soon, mind you, but someday.

So, it is with great joy that I mark this project as DONE on the UFO sidebar.  I am a little too old and arthritic for a happy dance but I can manage a few bars of the Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.  Please sing along with me.

Murphy's Law as Applied to Stitching

The closer you are to a finish, the more likely your professional and personal life will become so complicated as to eliminate stitching time.  This works in direct proportion to the age of the near-finish.  A UFO dating from 2006 complicates life exponentially.

Rearranging the Rotation

At the moment, I am still working on Midnight Moogies and will do so until it is done, done, done ... at which time I will post a last photo, at least until I get around to its sewing finish.

The planned rotation for the end of April was

4/15-17.  Midnight Moogies.
4/18-20.  TW's Woodland Angel Christmas Stocking.
4/21-23.  Sewing Finishes.
4/24-26.  The Fiber Shop.
4/27-30. Mystic Smalls.

Well, my urge to finish both The Berry Patch Rabbit and Midnight Moogies  blew that plan out of the water.  Obviously, there wasn't time for The Woodland Angel this time around.   I'll try to get two more finishes in this week so as to meet my monthly goal of three finishes.  Since The Fiber Shop is on my lap doodler frame it is not particularly portable, I'll have to stitch on that at home only.    The Mystic Smalls are easier to carry since I am using my German spring lock hoop for those pieces so they'll get a little extra attention as my travel project from 4/24-26 and as my focus project 4/27-30.

I'll be abandoning my husband to maintain the homestead all by his lonesome - he is already talking mini-pizzas for dinner every night along with Lonesome Dove and Clint Eastwood DVD marathons on the TV - for three days at the end of the month.  I'll be attending a retreat - the religious kind not the stitching kind - and will pack The Mystic Smalls  to stitch in my quiet times.  I may even pack The Woodland Angel in the hopes that I'll have some time to catch up with that one, as well.  That should put me back on track.

Answers to some comments

I won't be posting a photo of Midnight Moogies till it's actually finished.  The leaves are done and just the checkerboard border on the left is yet to stitch.  But I thought I'd answer some of the questions from the comments.

The stitched area is 16 3/8" wide and 13" high, so the piece is 270 square inches of nearly solid stitching.  Since it takes me roughly an hour to stitch one square inch, I have probably spent 270-300 hours [allowing some extra time for frogging mistakes and stitching/counting confetti] on this piece.

I regret that I stitched it on the recommended 14 ct Navy Blue Aida.   I really dislike Aida.  And, had I stitched it on a 32 ct or 36 ct linen, it would have finished up a much more manageable size.  Perfect for a throw pillow.

The magazine containing the chart is already promised to Linda and will be winging its way to her sometime this week.  A number of people have asked for the chart but Linda was the first to do so.

It was a fun stitch ... not at all my usual style but something about it appealed to me.

Midnight Moogies - Closing in on a Finish

These past three days, I have been focusing on Midnight Moogies with this result.  As you can see, I am very close to another finish.  So close, in fact, that I am going to continue to stitch on this piece until I am done.  I'll pick up the rotation again afterward but for now, I'll be tending to my cats.  All I have left to stitch is a bit of the lightest green in two of the leaves and about 14 inches of checkerboard border on the left.  I will have to do a bit of frogging to make the checkerboard on the left line up properly ... or at least, as properly as may be, given the seam in the middle of it.  Don't worry about those few spots on the bottom of the piece ... I took the picture outdoors in a very light drizzle ... those spots are just raindrops and will dry without stain.

All in all, I am pleased with the piece and will finish it as the back cushion for an old Japanese lacquered bench I use in my bedroom.  I just need to take some measurements so I can buy upholstery quality foam and some upholstery fabric in either deep wine or charcoal grey.  I'll have to see what's available that works with both the colors in the design and in the finish of the wood.

Skipping Around

Friday-Sunday's rotation piece was supposed to be The Mystic Smalls.  But stitching is a joy and a pleasure and it pleased me to skip on over to The Berry Patch Rabbit.  The rabbit had three things going for it: 1] it was handy, right on top of the stitching pile, 2] it was uncomplicated and 3] it was about two thirds of the way to a finish.  All these factors combine to make it the perfect fit for this past weekend.    And the proof is in the pudding: I have a finish.  It's only the second finish so far this year making it all that more precious to me.    According to my list, the next piece in the rotation is Midnight Moogies which is also very close to a finish.  I may be able to add a third entry to my Cross Stitch sidebar before three more days are done.  Extending the rotation interval seems to be working for me.

So the revised rotation schedule will be:
4/15-17.  Midnight Moogies.
4/18-20.  TW's Woodland Angel Christmas Stocking.
4/21-23.  Sewing Finishes.
4/24-26.  The Fiber Shop.
4/27-30. Mystic Smalls.

If I do manage to finish Midnight Moogies in this rotation, in May, I'll replace it with The English Band Sampler which hasn't seen any action since September of 2012.  Even with the expanded rotation intervals, it should take two or three months to finish the remaining bands.  I can't believe I have just typed the word May ... time seems to be flying.  But then this is one of my busy seasons and time always seems to run out faster when you are working against multiple deadlines.

A Change in the Rotation Schedule

I got very little stitching done Tuesday on my  rotation piece, The Fiber Shoppe: just the hour before work.   I have read on a number of blogs that quite a few people are using a three day rotation interval: select four or five projects and work on each one for three days before rotating to the next.  This allows the stitcher to build a little momentum on each project in the rotation.  I tried this and continued to stitch on The Fiber Shop through Wednesday and Thursday with this progress: it's raining outside so please excuse the indoor photo.  The colors are actually a bit brighter than this ... you can get a better sense of the colors in my previous post.  I have reached a point where I will be making a few changes in the chart.  After completing this next row of brick red, the chart calls for stitching the words and date, "Fils.  2006".  Fils being the French word for fiber, I will be stitching the word "Fibers" instead.  After all, these ornaments will be going on a Small Town USA themed Christmas Tree.  I'll also be deleting the date simply because I am not fond of dated Christmas ornaments.  I haven't yet decided whether I will stitch the window glass in Tin Bucket as charted or in Bahama Breeze for a lighter look.  I'll wait until I get all the masonry and window frames and door trim stitched before making that decision.  But my instinct is that Tin Bucket is just too dark and will make the shop look like it's closed for the night.

So now my next rotation will be
4/12-14.  Mystic Smalls
4/15-17.  Midnight Moogies.
4/18-20.  TW's Woodland Angel Christmas Stocking.
4/21-23.  The Berry Patch Rabbit.
4/24-26.  The Fiber Shop.

And once I get The Berry Patch Rabbit done, its place in the rotation will be taken by sewing finishes.

Just Another Manic Monday

Mondays are always toughest after a long break.  And the Monday after a 10 day Easter recess is no exception.  But I won't be bored.  There is a great deal to do at this time of year.  The real challenge will be fitting in some stitching time.

Today's rotation piece was The Berry Patch Rabbit.  Happily, I found the extra skein of DMC 610 I was so sure I had on hand and was able to continue work on this piece without the annoyance of missing floss.  I  stitched on this piece about an hour before work.  Though I had hoped to get in some stitching during my lunch hour and a bit more before bedtime but I ended up working through lunch and was too weary to stitch safely when I got home at 9:00 p.m.  I waited till morning to take photos in natural light.   My limited photographic skills need all the advantages outdoor settings provide.

Today it's back to work on my current Town Square piece: The Fiber Shop.  This is a truly lovely chart with lots of fine detail.  I am enjoying it thoroughly.  But I think it will take me the rest of the month to complete, even though I have 4 Tuesdays left in the month.  This lovely little French style building is three stories tall and will be one of the larger ornaments in the series.  If by some chance I do finish it before the month is out, I'll pick up The Framing Shop, as the next in the Town Square series.  After that's done, I'll finish up the textile arts shops with The Quilt Shop and The Knit Shop.  After that, it will be on to all the foodie shops.  Anyway, here's a shot after morning stitching.  Again, I hope to do a bit more during the lunch hour and after work.  But we shall see what we shall see.