Half Year Goals - July to Dec 2015

Its been 6 months! On the HAED BB it's now time to post half year goals for the challenge. I'm sort of tip toeing around the edges of participating in a forum, so I think I might join this. Besides, if you meet your goals, you could win charts. Who doesn't like free stuff?!!?!

To help hold myself accountable and have a reference to look back on, I'm posting here as well. But with full size pics and more explanation!

Goal 1

Lily of the Valley (No BG) - Rachel Anderson - Regular Format

Complete the last 6 partially stitched pages to finish this piece, for my first HAED finish!

Stitched 1x1 full crosses on 28 ct antique white linen

"Start" Pic

WiP 22-Jul-2015, stitching portion view

WiP 23-Jul-2015, full picture

Goal 2

QS THB Once Upon a Time - Aimee Stewart - Regular Format

Finish one partially stitched page to have 1/20 pages completed (some number here!!/85,800 stitches)

Stitched 1x1 full crosses on 28 ct lugana

"Start" Pic

WiP 23-Jul-2015

Goal 3

Portal to Anywhere - Jena DellaGrottaglia - Regular Format

Start and finish one page to have 1/63 pages complete (7840/415,275 stitches)

Stitched 2x1 tent stitch on 28 ct lugana, for my first attempt at tent stitching!

Goal 4

Request mini's of HAED Designs that I want to buy the next time there is a sale.

Dreams of Unicorns by Steven A Roberts:

(reminiscent of the story Morgan Morning by Serendipity) - to eventually stitch for Morgan

Rainbow Corn by Karen Middleton:

(because Erin loves ponies and uni-ponies!) - to eventually stitch with no BG for Claire

Cheating?

Is doing a "no background" pattern cheating? I'm not sure how I feel about it. Maybe?!

Lily is coming along. Over half way there now. I've rolled the fabric for the last time. From here on out finishing is just filling in the fabric left showing. Tiny little bit left to stitch on pages 7 and 8, with minimal stitching on 10, 11 and 12.

Overall I am happy to be looking at the finish line. But I still second guessing some things - like the white (B5200) I used instead of Kreinik on the dress and more noticeably on the Fairy's arm. Or the cream/off white fabric. This would have looked really good on pale green. Or a nice hand dyed. Live and learn I guess. Certainly can't fix the fabric now!

WiP 22-Jul-2015

Since it's looking like the puppy plans for Sept are falling through, I'm just focusing on my stitching in the evenings right now. I've also brushed off my reading addiction for watching Net Flix, which is helpful for stitching! Instead of reading for hours which is very unhelpful for stitching.

I've gotten a little desperate about no progress and started bringing Lily to work with me to work on at lunch hour instead of Wreath. I have told myself that I need to finish up one of my current WIP before starting another - although I don't know which "another" I intend to start. Sadly I've also "found" more patterns that I want - this lack of time to get everything done is bad!

Wreath is likely to become more a UFO and less a WIP, but what can you do?! SO. MUCH. CONFETTI. I don't think that Wreath is "cheating" because it doesn't have a background, the entire thing is terrible confetti. I honestly think it might take longer to stitch than a more solid piece twice the size!!

This weekend marks the beginning of camping for a week and a half. I am so ready for a break from the daily grind! Dogs, lake, beach, hiking and swimming. Hell Yes, Please. With some stitching thrown in if I feel like it.

Lets see if I can get this done by the time I get back from holidays in Aug!

WiP Wednesday I

More Lily updates. I don't get a lot of work done on the weekdays with all the dog stuff going on. 

Monday - Teaching 

Tuesdays - TA Class every second week

Wednesdays - Class

Fridays - Barn Rental

Saturday Morning - Teaching

Little exhausting. But Lily is coming together, which is good. Since I am not going to start another until she's done!

Happily, the remainder of the flower is mostly greens and in blocks, so there is significantly less confetti. Page 5 is complete and Page 6 is well on its way to being complete as well. Once they're done I'll have to roll the frame again and then it will be on to the last set of pages!

WiP 24-May-2015, must remember to stop using cell phone pics ...

I also discovered one of my House Mouse pieces given as a Christmas present that someone was going to sell in a garage sale. Its been rescued and re-homed with my Mother (she's got a kids room for the grand kids and has her House Mouse up on the wall in there. I assume the new one will join it.)

Lily likely won't be going to my sister for a birth announcement. I might lose it completely if I frame her and find her in a garage sale bin after I spent WAY more time and money on her than I did on Sweet Dreams. Somewhat disappointing.

Sweet Dreams - stitched Fall 2009

Addicted?

There is a HAED group on Facebook. Which is awesome. There are so many pretty pictures to look at; finishes, work in progress pictures and who can forget people posting all the patterns they've bought (especially if there is a sale.)

Some people say that the group is "enabling" by being supportive of people buying 5,6 or more patterns per sale. I am beginning to wonder if there isn't a touch of "keeping up with the Jonses" in there as well. You know, where you have to show the internetz how hardcore (or whatever) you are because you have 20 patterns, many already kitted to stitch while someone else only has 2! If you only have 2, obviously you're missing something, so get with the program!

I think I have 6 patterns not including current WiP and I have decided to cut myself off. No more buying. These things are going to take YEARS to complete and I've spent way more than enough money on stitchy related stuff already!

Just the patterns, but OMG pretty;

Love, love, love the colors, but I don't know where I would put the finished product.

Foxglove Ball -"Only" the pattern

Road to Oalovah - "Only" the pattern too

I also like to have kits of stuff, so of those 6, 2 are complete material packs that I bought the fabric for;

Treasure Hunt Bookshelf - HAED Material Pack & Fabric

The Dreaming Tree - HAED Material Pack & Fabric

Mini Enchanted Christmas Reindeer - Floss & Fabric

Then I have the ones where I have purchased the floss and fabric, so essentially they are kitted as well ...

Portal to Anywhere - Floss and Fabric too

So now I don't know which I want to start next.

I found HAED because they showed up in a Herrschners catalog and I fell in love with Treasure Hunt Bookshelf (THB.) But Once Upon a Time (a quick stitch portion of Treasure Hunt) is a work in progress right now. So do I want to start Treasure Hunt, or not? Maybe I should start after I finish Once Upon a Time?

Portal would look amazing in my living room, which is why I kitted it up. But which to start? And when?? Do I save Portal for the January Stitch A Long (SAL)? I've never done a SAL before, I assume it's pretty much the same as posting update photos, but everyone starts from scratch.

Also, just to comment here. I only bought 3 patterns during that sale. One of which was the Julie Fain for my sister. The others were Portal and Road!

WiP Weekend!

Since I have a bit of stitching on the go at the moment (3 WiP and 2 more that I really would like to get a start on.) I decided that I should bring a piece to work with me to work on at lunch!

I used to do this with my old job. In fact, I started Wreath during lunch breaks. Makes for a nice mental break from work. I had even bought a 11" square QSnap frame that I could put the piece in. Perfect!

So instead of starting another piece, or moving Lily or Once Upon a Time off of their scroll frames, I put Wreath in the QSnap, tucked it in my stitching bag and off to work we went! The 11" frame fits perfect in the bag, and since I bought the floss for Wreath it's on bobbins in a case instead of in a baggie like the material pack for Once Upon a Time is (so in theory it will stay cleaner and not get lost.)

Wreath is NOT easy stitching and I am attempting to work more using parking with it, to hopefully speed it up a little. I don't mind how detailed and intricate it is, I just wish it would go faster. Right now I'm fighting with the mice and have given up on the orchids for the time being. The faces of the mice were blocks of color, I needed a confetti break. 

I haven't made a lot of progress on it. But at least it's running to and from work with me and I feel better about not ignoring it!

I made significant progress on Lily over the Long Weekend that we just had, since I've made myself a deal that I will finish her before I start on either of the new projects. Pages 4 & 5, the Fairy wings/head/hand is nearly complete with just a few confetti stitches missing.

WiP 19-May-2015

... and rewind ...

Krenik   /scowl

Sometimes it may be better to go with your initial, gut instinct. I left Lily for a little bit to start on THB Once Upon a Time.

I'm not sure if it was a coincidence or not that I was stitching with Krenik on the fairy at that time. I don't mind the Krenik in the flowers. There isn't a lot of it. I like the effect.

On the fairy's body though, I didn't like the effect. But did I let that stop me? Nope, sure didn't. I did her forearm, then I did her upper arm and then it was time to stitch her face, and I balked. Hmmm. Really not so sure that looks good the little voice in the back of my mind whispered.

Sometimes the little voice isn't right, like when it told me to buy the Lily of the Valley pattern WITH the background because this one, without the BG isn't as pretty. Or when it told me that the stitching was looking stretched and I might be creating a mutant Fern Gully x Avatar fairy.

This time however, it was right. So I got to cut out all the tiny, delicate stitching of Krenik on her body. And I've replaced it with DMC B5200 "white" I'm still not sure about what THAT looks like. The white is a little stark, but at least it is the same thickness as the other stitches instead of looking "puffy."

This pattern likely would have looked a little better on a pale green fabric instead of white/off white. But I'm not starting over!

Close up, fairy w/ B5200 10-May-2015

 I'll finish the rest of the piece and hopefully that will dirty the white up enough that I do like the look of it. I'm thinking next time I might go with blending filament instead, I think it's thinner.

WiP 10-May-2015

On the up side though, I picked up some more patterns that I absolutely LOVE during the HAED Mothers Day sale when patterns were 45% off!

I also grabbed a Julie Fain pattern for my sister. Then I printed it, proceeded to kit it for her, got her a QSnap frame and took everything over so she could start while she was still excited about the idea! The madness that is HAED cross stitch loves company! Mwhahaha!!

Sister's stitching!

Because, why not?!

The Internet is a dangerous creature.

You can sit online, on Facebook, on blogs and see pictures of other people's stuff. So of course you want it too! Or you think, heck, yeah, I can do that. Look! EVERYONE is doing that!

Especially when there is a sale on and people are buying up patterns left, right and center and then posting them. Oh ... shiny!

Step right up folks, plenty of space on the band wagon here ...

Or. OMG. I. NEED. THAT. So you buy it. Which might be tomorrows story. Today's story is this:

Now, in my defense, I did purchase it a while ago. Months in fact! (Dec 2014)

So I'm going to make a go of actually working on a rotation and ROTATING what I am working on (that last empasis is for me, so I do it!)

WiP 30-Apr-2015 (starting bottom left)