Weekend Progress Report: August 12, 2012

It's been a interesting  and varied stitching week:

I got started on my latest Teresa Wentzler project: the Woodland Angel Stocking for my grandson, Liam.

I have made some headway on Part II of The English Band Sampler from SANQ.  I worked on finishing up the cross-stitching of the first band of Part II but didn't get very far.  But I hope to finish the cross-stitching by Tuesday evening and spend the rest of the week [sans Wentzler Wednesday] on the satin stitching.  I've never had to do so much satin stitching at one time and have no clue as to how long it will take.  And it won't be mindless repetition, either, since the satin stitching has many changes in color, size and orientation.  The second band of Part II is equally elaborate, with lots of complex floral motifs done in a mix of cross stitch, satin stitch and blackwork.  I hope to finish Part II this month and set Part III as my goal for September..  

And I have been sewing a fair bit, making a nice dent in the contents of the finishing basket ... which, by the way, is one of those fairly substantial rectangular laundry baskets.  I am enjoying the new sewing machine and feel like I finally have a handle on getting all this finishing done.  This week, I finished work on several ornaments, a knitting tote, and a pillow.  I have gotten started on another five projects: a candle mat, another tote, another pillow and two more ornaments.  Once I clear the dining room table of these five projects, I am going to bring one project down and work on it for an hour each morning until it is done, then bring the next and the next, over and over, until the laundry basket is empty. 

I even did a little off-goal stitching on Primitive Needle's Thy Needle.  And I have spent some time researching variations of the cobweb stitch since I want to use some dimensional embroidery on my Encrusted Crazy Quilt Square.

I've mailed out a long overdue exchange and sent on a recently stitched chart to a blogging friend.  There is one exchange still left on my agenda and on my conscience but after that I can say good-bye to a practice that I once loved but now don't seem to have the motivation to handle responsibly.

I've done a giveaway or two ... nowadays, that's more my style than exchanges ... I get to set my own parameters with no guilt, no fuss and no deadlines.

I also reorganized my living room stitching area.  The theory was that if I cleaned up and sorted and put away all the stuff I wasn't using, I might actually find my cording drill which I haven't used since I last put together some Town Square SAL ornaments in June of 2010.  Currently, I have three ornaments that require cording: Star Theater, Holly & Hearts and Full Moon.   I found the drill in a clear plastic zip lock bag that I must have handled at least a dozen times in the past week as I searched through the tote hanging from the arm of my stitching chair.  I'd just never flipped it around to see that my drill was hiding behind my Crop-a-Dile.

The month is nearly halfway over and I still haven't pulled out the 2007 Mystic Hideaway projects or worked on my Fertile Circles Needlebook, the two remaining August goals.  But there is still ample time for those pieces in the next two and a half weeks.  There seems to be a good chance that I will meet my monthly goals two months in a row.