Showing posts with label Newton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newton. Show all posts

Saturday, October 17, 2009

I Totally Forgot...

...what a PITA it is to attach beads on with "invisible" thread! Wow, I think the last time I beaded anything, other than the trim on an ornament, was a couple of years ago. I'm at the beading part of Gigi and on Wednesday night I was so excited because I thought that maybe...just maybe, I'd finish Gigi that night. Whoa...was I wrong! It took me a couple of hours to attach about 30 beads! And I had to get all the tricks out...lap stand, Mighty Bright light, magnifier plus turning on all the "flood lights" in the living room. Yep, still couldn't see a damn thing. And this is how far I got. She'll be the focus tomorrow when I have the time to stitch during daylight hours.
So, since I had to put Gigi on hold, I've been stitching on Newton. He is basically a complete restart and since I decided to start with boring Blanc this time, I don't have an interesting enough picture. Newton is for my friend Claire who actually had the baby yesterday! Welcome to the world Baby Andre! And Happy Birthday to both of them! Baby Andre was born on Claire's Birthday so they both share the same happy day. And thus, I am super behind on this baby announcement project! I need to haul ass on this.

Well, if you've gotten this far, I am once again looking at floor stands. I really want to buy myself a streamlined recliner (i.e. small and non-poufy) and a floor stand so that maybe I can stitch more comfortably and faster. After a quick search, the Artisan Designs (Gazelle and Ergo) and the StitchMate floor stands stand out to me. If anyone has or had either of these, I'd appreciate hearing the good or the bad. The Artisan Designs stands seem a little more cost effective than the StitchMate so I am leading towards that but am willing to spend the money on the StitchMate if it's a superior product. Let me know your thoughts!!

Well, it's time to haul my laundry downstairs and to my parents so I can multi-task my visit. Parents to visit, laundry to wash...it's a two-fer and yes...I know I sound like I'm still in college but be soothed in the fact that I actually do my laundry...not my mom. With only one washer and dryer in the building for 21 units, it's tough getting dibs on the laundry room here!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday...go out and enjoy!

Until next time...

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Tuesdays Are My Stitchy Night

This week has started on the wrong foot. As an example, yesterday started off with me forgetting to set the alarm and waking up at the same time I should be at work! Total scramble to get to work and from there it was ok until after work. I was all gung-ho about trying out a new recipe and went to the grocery store to get the ingredients. As I walked back to my car, I realize that I had a flat. So I give AAA a call and a very nice tow-truck guy came and helped me with the tire. But by the time I got home, it was late and I didn't feel like chopping or cooking anything. So I scrounged around the fridge to find something to eat.

I hate dealing with car stuff! So now I am trying to figure out where and how to get my flat fixed where it won't take a lot of time or money. If I didn't feel so "omg, I am running out of time", I don't think I would mind the inconvenience but lately, I just feel like I don't have enough time to get everything done and I feel so unaccomplished...and then I feel all frazzled and stressed out.

So even though it's Tuesday, I'll be dealing with tire repair more than stitching. This may be good seeing as stitching has been feeling a little stressful and annoying lately. First, there were the Snappers...again...and the second border mistake...which I have yet to rip out. Second, there was the whole being unsure about my Mary Wigham fabric and my "oh my gawd, the sky is falling" reaction and now...now there is Newton.

Newton is the baby announcement I am making for my friend Claire. It came as a kit on aida cloth and I switched out the fabric for a cream lugana. I started working on this Sunday night...just as a little diversion and to say I made a start. But as I was working on it, I felt as though the colors might have been mixed up because Newton is coming out lighter than how he shows up on the picture. Here's how he is turning out so far. I haven't put in too much time and he's going to be small at 8"x8".
This is how he is supposed to turn out. I didn't like the white since you are supposed to stitch the bubbles and the tub in white and what's the point if you can't even tell! Hence the creamy lugana. But I kind of feel like Newton is a little more on the yellow side than on the brown side.
So I wonder if I should continue stitching and see how he fully looks. Or if I should just go pull some DMC, make a start on the other side and see which one I like better. Scrap it and find something else. Stitch it and offer it up as a giveaway to someone else. And the last two options are only because I saw a better-suited design. But that other design also comes as a kit...from the UK...and is supplied with the same Anchor thread and can get pricey considering the conversion plus shipping and the fact I would switch out the Aida fabric anyways. It's a lot to spend for essentially just the chart and the cheap thread. I suppose I should go with my original choice and work with it considering it's pointless to have so many birth announcements especially as I would only go to the trouble for very few people and I don't forsee me having children to keep them for myself! *sigh* Anybody have any thoughts on this one?

So...you can see my stitching dilemna. Nothing seems to be going according to my stitchy plan. The only thing that is behaving is my ABC Lessons. Here is how it stands as of Sunday. Excuse the poor picture. I took it off the Q-Snaps and it was so wrinkly.
I only have two more rows to stitch! This is probably good though because even though it's behaving and coming out beautifully...I am getting a little tired and bored of stitching letters. I'm ready to see a picture transform in front of my eyes! Maybe it's time to pick up a Mirabilia.

Thanks to everyone who offered a positive comment about my Mary Wigham fabric freakout. I went to NiaH on Sunday to have a look at other fabrics and I decided that Fawn was good to go. I think I'd prefer the lighter threads to pop on the dark fabric than darker threads to pop on lighter fabric. I knew this when I originally picked it out but apparently I forgot! But now, fabric is cut, serged and ready to go!

Tonight...I think I will pick up a book instead of stitching...once the whole tire dilamna is straightened out.

Hope everyone has had a better start to the week...

Until next time...