Feb 7 2013

2012 Stitching Year in Review

Posted on 7 February, 2013 by TheDailyMel

As I’m sure many of my long-time readers know, I’m an avid needleworker. It’s definitely my “go to” hobby of choice. So, I thought it would be great to do a recap of all of my stitching finishes for 2012 as sort of a stitching year in review. Ok, so I realize we’re already a quarter of the way through February, but better late than never, right?

The bulk of my stitching year was taken up by participating in a Mirabilia round robin. For those who aren’t familiar with the concept of a round robin, each participant selects a theme for their piece which is then mailing in a rotating fashion to each of the other participants in the round robin. By the time your piece returns back home, all of the participants have stitched on your piece. For my round robin, I selected a theme of pixies. I stitched the design in the upper left-hand corner and the other seven participants each stitched one of the other pixies. Here’s how my piece looked when it return home at the end of the year. (Click image for a larger view.)

As I mentioned, most of my stitching time for the year was filled with stitching on the pieces for the other seven participants in our round robin group. Here are thumbnails of the various pieces I stitched for people. Again, feel free to click the thumbnail for a larger view.

- My square on my piece. My theme was pixies. (Finished 13-Mar-12)

– My square for Tracy. Her theme was mermaid tails. (Finished 21-Mar-12)

- Square for Tracy. She didn’t have time to stitch hers, so I did it for her. (Finished 26-Apr-12)

- My square for Tanya. Her theme was angels. (Finished 25-Jun-12)

– My square for Sophia. Her theme was mermaids. (Finished 18-Jul-12)

- My square for Stephanie. Her theme was ladies with roses. (Finished 4-Sep-12)

- My square for Jocelyn. Her theme was internal peace. (Finished 10-Oct-12)

- My square for Julie. Her theme was fairies. (Finished 20-Nov-12)

- My square for Debbie. Her theme was stitcher’s choice. (Finished 5-Jan-13)

On top of all of the round robin stitching, I did manage to get in a few more finishes during the year, too. Here are the photos of the other pieces I finished:

A Stitcher’s Box by Margaret Bendig – This was a class that I took through the El Segundo Blue chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America (EGA). This is the stitched top for a silk covered box that will contain several stitching smalls. It’s stitched on 32-count cream Zweigart linen using DMC and Anchor cotton floss. Completed 12-Mar-12

Lady Alexandra by Mirabilia – Stitched on 32-count Ice Blue linen from Wichelt using DMC cotton floss and Mill Hill beads. Completed 31-Mar-12.

Petite Christmas Angel by Joan Elliott – Stitched on 32-count Marbled Lilac Jobelan from Polstitches using recommended DMC & Mill Hill Beads. Substituted Rainbow Gallery Petite Treasure Braid PB01 in place of recommended Kreinik #4 Braid. Used Mill Hill 40252 in place of the French Knots on the dress. Completed 2-Apr-12.

Hannah Beeby 1816 Sampler from Gitta’s Timeless Designs. Stitched on 36-count Tundra Lakeside Linens using Snoqualmie Falls cotton floss by Needle Necessities (now defunct). Completed 9-Sept-12.

Moonlit Garden by Blackbird Designs. Stitched on 30-count Broomstick Brown from R&R Reproductions using recommended Weeks Dye Works floss. Completed 14-Oct-12.

By the end of the year, I had quite a nice collection of orts to show off all of my stitching throughout the year. Now it’s on to see how many I can accumulate during 2013!

On the health & fitness front, I’ve been testing out a new online video streaming service called FitnessGlo. Be watching my blog soon for more information and a giveaway.

Until next time …

Oct 4 2012

Long Overdue Stitching Update

Posted on 4 October, 2012 by TheDailyMel

I have been very remiss the past few months about posting not just stitching updates, but my monthly updates for the 2012 WIPocalypse challenges. I have been doing some stitching over the months, but just haven’t seemed to get around to posting any updates here on my blog. I guess it’s time to rectify that. Since it’s been a while, this post will be pretty photo heavy, so please bear with me.

My biggest finish recently has been my Hannah Beeby 1816 sampler. I started this piece back in 2008 when I was in Hawai’i on vacation with my BFFs, Terri and Tracy. We all started it together as part of a SAL (Stitch-a-Long) group with a few other stitchers. Several of us have finally finished our samplers this year, including me! My version is stitched over two on 36-count Tundra linen from Lakeside Linens using one strand of Snoqualmie Falls overdyed cotton floss from the now defunct Needle Necessities (Rocky Mountain is the suggested conversion from ThreadworX) Here’s pic of my finished sampler. As always, you can click the photo to biggify.

I’ve also been plugging away on pieces for the Mirabilia round robin in which I’m participating this year. After the round we’re in right now, I think there are only two rounds left, so I should have my piece back home around the first of the year. Woo Hoo! Here are the pieces I’ve finished since my last stitching update.

Tanya’s Piece – I stitched a portion of Archangel.

Sophia’s Piece – I stitched a portion of Bluebeard’s Princess. (She requested no beading.)

Stephanie‘s Piece – I stitched a portion of Ashley’s Roses.

I’ve also started a couple of new pieces since my last update. Yeah, I know. I need new starts like I need a hole in my head. I just can’t seem to help myself, especially when it comes to Mirabilia designs.

The first new start is Santa by Mirabilia. I started this piece in April, but sadly haven’t worked on it since. I got sidetracked by the round robin pieces and the other new start that I’ll take about in a minute. I’m stitching Santa using the recommended fibers on 32-count Platinum linen from Zweigart.

Next, I finally got around to starting The Stargazer recently. It’s also another Mirabilia design. Tracy gave me the chart and a gift certificate to Needlecraft Corner for my birthday back in February. She’s definitely been a fun stitch thus far! I’m stitching her with the recommended fibers on Angel Dust Jobelan fabric from Polstitches. A lot of people tend to stitch her on darker fabric going for a nighttime look, but I wanted to go for more of a first light of morning dawn for my version.

Lastly, I’ve also done some work on Plum Blossom counted canvas piece from designer Margaret Bendig. I always forget how much I love this piece until I pull it out and work on it! Here’s the progress I made on it last month:

Before (20 March 2012)

Current (9 September 2012)

Well, I think that’s it for now. Of course, I’ve probably left something out since I’ve had such a long lapse since my last update. I’ll try my best to get back to the routine of posting monthly stitching updates, but time will tell whether I succeed.

Until next time …

Aug 15 2012

Wednesday Weigh-In {August 15}

Posted on 15 August, 2012 by TheDailyMel

Hey gang! I know it’s been a while since I posted a weigh-in update. Please don’t think my lack of posting about means I’ve been off track, because I’m not. Between work, school, and my recent vacation to Alaska (I still need to post about that!), I’ve just been busy.

I was actually a little concerned going in to my weigh-in on Sunday. I was teaching a workshop last week at work which meant catered breakfast and lunch multiple days. I made the best choices I could from the options presented, but it was still pretty much a toss of the dice as to how accurate I was counting those meals. I guess I must’ve calculated things pretty well because I was rewarded with a two pound loss for the week! Woo Hoo!

The topic at this week’s meeting was all about beverages and how to sip smarter. According to a stat we received during the meeting, did you know the average person DRINKS 400 calories per day?! I was amazed by that fact! Once you think about it a little bit, it’s really not that difficult to do. Check out just how easy it is to do by checking out the average stats on a few of these common beverages:

Fruit orange juice (8 oz) - 110 calories
Apple juice (8 oz) – 115 calories
Fat-free milk (8 oz) – 90 calories
Regular soda (12 oz can) – 150 calories
Starbucks Grande Caffe Latte (2% milk) – 190 calories
Starbucks Grande Mocha Frappuccino Light – 130 calories
Starbucks Grande Mocha Frappuccino (2% milk with whipped cream) – 390 calories
Wine (5 oz glass) – 125 calories
Beer (12 oz bottle) – 150 calories
Light Beer (12 oz bottle) – 100 calories
Margarita (6 oz) – 275 calories

See, much easier than one might have expected, right?! It can add up really quickly if we aren’t paying attention. So, consider this your friendly reminder to sip smart!

Since I’m talking beverages, check out this idea I saw on Facebook today:

I think it’s an awesome idea for keeping your wine chilled without resorting to using ice. Not only that, it’s a great way to sneak in some fruit to your day, too.

Until next time …

Apr 25 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Gift & TUSAL

Posted on 25 April, 2012 by TheDailyMel

Yay for bunnies!!

Thanks, Annette!

April TUSAL

Year to date TUSAL - April

That’s my April update for TUSAL. Until next time …

Apr 10 2012

April WIPocalypse Update

Posted on 10 April, 2012 by TheDailyMel

I know it’s not been that long since my last WIPocalypse update, but that’s because I was really late posting it. This one is also a few days late, but nearly as bad as last month.

Since my last update, I actually managed to finish one of my designated WIPocalypse finishes on my plan. I finished Lady Alexandra by Mirabilia on 31 March. I loved stitching this piece! In fact, it may very well be the quickest I’ve ever finished a piece of this size. Not only was the stitching fun, but the beading was, too! Here’s my finished piece followed by a close-up of some of the bling on her dress. As always, click each image to biggify. Note: the fabric looks a bit lavender in my photo, but it’s actually Ice Blue linen by Wichelt.

Lady Alexandra by Mirabilia

Lady Alexandra Beading Detail

I also have another finish that wasn’t part of my initial WIPocalypse list. It’s one of the Petite Christmas Angels by Joan Elliott. I didn’t actually start this piece until 15 February and finished it on 2 April, so you can see it’s a quick little project. I stitched it on Marbled Lilac Jobelan from Polstitches. I loved this fabric! It’s so soft and has such a nice hand.

Petite Christmas Angel by Joan Elliott

Since finishing both of those pieces, I’ve been working on my Hannah Beeby 1816 sampler. This is another piece on my original WIPocalypse list that I said I want to finish this year. I’m getting pretty close now and really hope I can finish it before I tentatively go back to work on 30 April following my knee surgery tomorrow. This piece is stitched on 36-count Tundra from Lakeside Linen using Snoqualmie Falls cotton floss from the now defunct Needle Necessities. I’m also including a close-up photo that shows off the fiber better. According to the conversion chart on the ThreadworX site, their Rocky Mountain floss is approximately the same fiber.

Hannah Beeby 1816 by Timeless Designs

Snowqualmie Falls floss

In other news I made a major stitching purchase last week with the last of my tax refund (the rest went to paying for the balance on my upcoming Alaskan cruise). Here are my new pretties:

System 4 Stands

Yes, you’re looking at TWO Needlework System 4 stands — the floor model and the table model! When I made the decision to finally break down and buy one, I was just going to get the floor stand with both the Q-Snap holder and the frame clamp for holding my needlepoint stretcher bars. I knew I wanted the extension bar as well. Thanks to doing a bit of math and a bit of bargaining with the shop owner, it actually wasn’t that much more (less than $50) for me to just get both stands with the two different clamps rather than piecing it out buying accessories. Since the parts are interchangeable, I can use either clamp on either stand. The Q-Snap holder is adjustable, so it will hold anything from an 8-inch to a 17-inch set of Q-Snaps. I’ve been using them like crazy since I bought them last week and LOVE them!

Lastly, my Sunflower Fairy by Nora Corbett is finally home from the framers after a couple of matting issues. The first mat I picked out was discontinued by the manufacturer, so we had to substitute something else. When that one arrived at the framers, it was damaged and had to be sent back. Anyway, she’s finally home and that’s all that matters. She done with double oval mats and museum glass.

Sunflower Fairy by Nora Corbett

Well, that’s it for now. As I mentioned earlier in this post, I’m having my knee surgery (meniscectomy) tomorrow (Wednesday, 11 April). I’ll try my best to post a quick blurb in the next few days to let everyone know how things go.

Until next time …

Mar 26 2012

March Stitching Update (Photo Heavy)

Posted on 26 March, 2012 by TheDailyMel

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been over a month since my last post. This is the longest gap on my blog in a really long time and I apologize for just sort of disappearing. One would think I would be blogging all the time since I’m stuck at home on short-term disability, but the whole situation with my knee has me a bit depressed since around the first of the year. I didn’t want to come on here and just moan and complain, so I just didn’t write at all. I’ll discuss more about that whole situation in my next post which I promise won’t take another month for me to write.

For now, the bulk of my life over the past six weeks can be summed up in four S’s:

Sit
Study
Stitch
Sleep

I tried to figure out a good S word for eating, but the only thing I could come up with was Sup and I didn’t care that much for it. I’ve decided to focus this particular blog post on the stitching part. No, don’t worry, I won’t devote entire blog posts to sitting or sleeping.

Since it’s been so long since I posted, I haven’t done this month’s recap for the WIPocalypse challenge. Given the month is nearly over, I guess I’d better get to it! As always, feel free to click the photos for a larger image. Without further adieu, here are my latest progress photos:

Lady Alexandra by Mirabilia

Petite Christmas Angel by Joan Elliott

Plum Blossom Kimono by Margaret Bending

I have a new work in progress that I started on 16 March 2012. It’s Cirque des Cercles by Ink Circles (be sure to check out the gallery!). Being the geek that I am, the geometric aspects of this design really appeal to me. I’m stitching it over two on black Belfast linen (32-count) using one strand of Examplar Fire Thorn premium silk from Vikki Clayton at Hand-Dyed Fibers.

Cirque des Cercles by Ink Circles

I also managed to get in three finishes this month. Go me! Two are related to the Mirabilia round robin I’m taking part in over at TWRRB (The Worldwide Round Robin Board). One was my piece before it went out for the first round, and the other was Tracy‘s piece which I received for the first round. My theme is pixies and her theme is mermaid tails.

My Round Robin

My Sweet Pea Square

Tracy's Round Robin

My Square on Tracy's RR

Another finish I had this month was following a class I took on March 10. The class was hosted by the El Segundo Blue EGA chapter and taught by local designer, Margaret Bendig. It was for her “A Stitcher’s Box” design which is a silk dupioni covered box with a stitched lid. Inside the box is a coordinating fob and needle book. I still need to assemble my box and make the smalls, but I have the stitching for the box top finished.

A Stitcher's Box by Margaret Bendig

I really enjoyed the class a lot! I’ve always wanted to learn how to make a fabric covered box, and I now I have that information. The chapter really went above and beyond for the class. They actually stitched every attendee a name tag!

My Name Tag Courtesy of the El Segundo Blue EGA Chapter

I also bit the bullet this month and took in a couple of pieces to be framed. I still haven’t received one of them back because one of the mats I selected was discontinued. I was able to go pick up the other one though and love how it turned out! This is my Rosemarkie from Long Dog Samplers (stitched over one on 25-count Monaco using Dragon Blood silk from Vikki Clayton) custom framed with double suede mats, black frame, and museum glass (pardon my ironing board).

Rosemarkie by Long Dog Samplers

As long as I’m posting updates, I should also include my March update for the TUSAL. As evidenced in my photos, I definitely did a LOT of stitching this month! I don’t think I’ve ever stitched enough in a single month before to basically fill two ort jars (these are the small candle jars from Yankee Candle). I’m really amazed by how full my cumulative year-to-date can of orts is getting already!

March Orts

Year-to-date orts and empty jars ready for April!

Lastly, I have a few stash-related updates as well. Part of it was due to birthday gift certificates (Thanks, Tracy & Darla!), part of it was taking advantage of the birthday discount from Drema at Needlecraft Corner, and part of it was from failing miserably at my 2012 Great Stash Diet. Oh well, at least I lasted until the end of February. Here are my latest pretties:

Stargazer by Mirabilia on Angel Dust from Polstitches

Santa's Magic & Christmas Elegance by Mirabilia

Even More Birthday Stash!

Silver Moon Tea by Mirabilia

In case you’re wondering, no, I didn’t buy Water Lily twice. I just accidentally photographed her twice.

If you’ve made it through all these photos to reach the end of this post, kudos to you! That’s some real dedication as a reader. As I said earlier, I promise to not take so long before my next update. I need to bring everyone up to speed on my weight loss journey, my knee surgery, etc.

Until next time …