veteran – On Beads and Needles

As the World Turns – an Update

Well, I don’t know about you, but I have been busy, busy, busy since I last posted. Aside from the 10 hour days at work, there are lots of other things going on, including welcoming another sailor into the family:

Seaman Rife is the tall one with the red eyes, 3rd behind the flag. I swear he grew inches... — Seaman Rife is the tall one with the red eyes, 3rd behind the flag. I swear he grew inches…

His RTC Ship was the Arizona:

He’s now off to Virginia for his schooling. He’s on a great adventure, just like his big brother 🙂 The world is literally wide open for both of them – I hope they make the most of it! Meanwhile, mom & dad will just stay here and play with puppies, I guess…

In stitching news, I am not entirely sure where I left off last time, so I’ll just jump in with – Celtic Banner! I am 3 bands and the remaining border from being done! I worked on it for 3 weeks, so I could make sure I got the compass rose & the directions done. Here is the overall – on 36ct Days Gone By, instead of the Glenshee called for:

MLI?Told in a Garden Celtic banner - on 36ct Days Gone By, using DMC and Caron Waterlilies. Almost done! — MLI/Told in a Garden Celtic banner – on 36ct Days Gone By, using DMC and Caron Waterlilies. Almost done!

And here’s a detail of the area I worked this time – the compass rose and the directions, and of course, loads of border…:

CB_Detail_7-25-16

It’ll be good to get this one done – one more rotation ought to do it. Then I decide if I frame it or make it an actual banner; since I live in the land of heat & humidity, probably a frame just to keep it protected. But who knows? Since I used the Caron silks in it (I think it called for cottons), I can’t wash it, so banner might not be the best idea. This is one of the very first designs I found on the internet all those years ago – it’s the only MLI I own.

I did actually pick up a side WIP a couple of weeks ago and jammed to get it done in time for a Finish-fest last weekend at Jackie’s house 🙂 I think I posted my impulse start of the bonus design on the back of Prairie Schooler’s When Witches Go Riding a few months back; I thought it would be a quick finish, so I did:

PS When Witches Go Riding back pattern - on 28ct Lambswool jobelan, using DMC. — PS When Witches Go Riding back pattern – on 28ct Lambswool jobelan, using DMC.

And then I finish-finished it into a flat fold – I found this great paisley fabric at JoAnn’s, and actually Jackie wanted some, too, so grabbed another yard for me for…

WWGR_Bonus_8-3-16_FlatFold_Side

We made scissor fobs that day, too, but I haven’t taken a picture of mine yet, since I am not sure where it ended up – I kind of brought all my stuff home, and put it in the craft room, and haven’t sorted out since I left for graduation a few days later. I’ll find it later today when I do some more finishing of my Fall exchange 🙂

And lastly, I’ve been pushing to get my Vickery Dragonflies done, too – I want to get it done because it’s one of the oldest kitted-up projects I have, and also because I am debating on going to a fair this year, IF I can get stuff framed in time, which is not that likely. Mostly I just want to get it done 🙂 I am about 1/2 done with the 3rd dragonfly & flower – have started the miles of backstitch, just to break up the monotony:

Dragonflies by Mike Vickery - on 32ct jazlyn, Silkweaver solo, using DMC and a random assortment of metallics for the dragonflies. — Dragonflies by Mike Vickery – on 32ct jazlyn, Silkweaver solo, using DMC and a random assortment of metallics for the dragonflies.

I can’t see this jazlyn at IHOP, the holes are just too small in the less-than-great light we have there, so I think I’ll just keep this out on the stand at home and see if I can get it done this week. I’m probably screwing up my whole rotation with all this side stuff – which reminds me, I need to show you another impulse start that I forgot I worked on since I posted last… Some bad person posted this on FB, and though I did my best to ignore it for several days, I finally caved, and got this Blackwork Jellyfish from Ajisai Designs – I ordered a fat half of 28ct PTP Mystic (BEFORE their Christmas in July sale, so I KNEW I’d get it), and also ordered beads and sequins – yes, sequins! Here’s my start:

Jellyfish blackwork - usinf DMC Variations & Light Effects. To come - beads & sequins! — Jellyfish blackwork – using DMC Variations & Light Effects. To come – beads & sequins!

Okay, I think that’s it for now… I knew I was forgetting something, since it’s been a while since I posted. I’m not even going to pick from the Project Randomizer until I get some of this other stuff out of the way, so like I was saying above before I distracted myself, I’m not sure how the rest of my rotation is going to get touched by the end of the year 🙂 Oh well…. I still have a Christmas exchange to finish (though it is past the 1/2 way mark, so should be done w/time to spare). I need to spend less time at work – it’s cutting into my schedule 🙁 Until next time, Happy Stitching! And just because I couldn’t fit an Olympic update in here like I usually do, GO USA!!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy – an Update

So – exit old boss, enter new boss. It took less than 2 days for someone to DEMAND that I do something that they KNOW my old boss did for them many times in the past, and DEMANDED that I get him on the phone IMMEDIATELY and get it done (as opposed to them doing it CORRECTLY the first time). The person in question (who is also the same psycho who hung up on me a few weeks ago and nearly caused me to stroke out) was so busy sending e-mails and misinformation out to a host of people who I assume she thought would all come scream at me, she didn’t bother to see that my ex-boss (who isn’t completely gone yet, but is no longer there in a CM capacity at all, just basically a contractor working through our 2 system upgrades only), who was supposed to be on vacation last week, actually responded back and told her it couldn’t be done. It took 24 hours, but I got her off the ledge and did what needed to be done (which was still a NO on one item, and a No Big Deal on the other that she tried to apply my NO to – f’in idiot), and no blood was shed, but it was damn close, and the freaking headache I had for 3 days because of the blood pressure spike was totally not worth it. Add to this that fact that I am now, for the first time in my working life, part of an all-female group – and I absolutely hate it. I do not diet, I do not go to work to socialize and discuss parties and shopping. I go to work to WORK, and if I am not working, I will go home and get other things done. It’s complete bs, and the new boss seems to be okay with it. This whole new dynamic is going to be very hard for me to deal with; does that mean it is time for a change? I don’t know. 14 years is a long time, and because I am FINALLY getting the training for what I have been doing for 20 years (CMII), I guess I’m committed for a while. But there is going to be a meeting of the minds at some point – I cannot deal with the constant non-work related chatter, but I’ve got no one here to complain to, since the new boss does it as much as the others. I am hoping she’ll get down to business at some point, but I also feel the precedent has been set – I’m the group workhorse, so while they have a good time, I’ll continue to do all the work. It’s horse shit, I tell you….

Shamrock in bloom... — Shamrock in bloom…

So… on a lighter note, the PINK NIGHTMARE is DONE!!! And in typical Charles Craft fashion, it is totally not square once it’s not stretched – they have a lot of nerve calling any of their fabric EVENweave 🙂 Here it is in all of its gory pink-ness:

Ink Circles Roll Your Own Mandala #1 - on el-cheapo CC "linen", using DMC - 310, 915, 3607 & 3609 (including some blends). It will probably be made into a pillow if I find black fabric I like. — Ink Circles Roll Your Own Mandala #1 – on el-cheapo CC “linen”, using DMC – 310, 915, 3607 & 3609 (including some blends). It will probably be made into a pillow if I find black fabric I like.

Thursday night stitching is still classified, but it is now easier, with the addition of the K’s Creation Z Lap Stand to my stitching bag – purchased from my home-away-from-home, Walmart, using my funds from Savings Catcher 🙂

K's Creations Z Lap Stand. There is also a Baby Z, which is the same, just a slightly smaller base. Works GREAT on the tables at IHOP :) — K’s Creations Z Lap Stand. There is also a Baby Z, which is the same, just a slightly smaller base. Works GREAT on the tables at IHOP 🙂

I got Samplar 4 Saisons back out yesterday to work on (once I go done with the Veterans Day stuff I had to do in prep for tomorrow’s breakfast, which I have also had on my plate at work). I didn’t get much in on it in one day, but I feel pretty confident I’ll have it done in a couple of weeks 🙂 I added another row of alphabet to the winter quarter, and have begun the big letter D in the bottom left corner – that shows only about 6 rows short of the bottom border, so that’s how much I have to do on these last 3 pages across 🙂 And can I mention how NICE this 35/36 ct HDF fabric is, especially after working on that awful CC stuff? 🙂

Anagram Diffusion's Samplar 4 Saisons - HDF regular silks (all Examplar colors) on HDF linen. — Anagram Diffusion’s Samplar 4 Saisons – HDF regular silks (all Examplar colors) on HDF linen.

In other news, my friend Jackie got me an early birthday present – you know that one color that I used yards and yards of the last couple of years, that dark brown color that is Prairie Schooler’s favorite color? Yeah – this:

Cone o' 3371 - I shall never want for 3371 again, even if I do actually finish all of the PS Halloween/Autumn charts I have or want :) :) I recommend these for anyone with high-volume single color usage :) — Cone o’ 3371 – I shall never want for 3371 again, even if I do actually finish all of the PS Halloween/Autumn charts I have or want 🙂 🙂 I recommend these for anyone with high-volume single color usage 🙂

I also found a new toy at Michaels – somebody somewhere posted an article on FB one day a few weeks ago about coloring books for adults, and of course, straight to Amazon I went; I have several on my wish list now 🙂 BUT, while I was out exercising my Veteran discount at JoAnns, I ran into Michaels to get the poster board stuff for my breakfast decorations for tomorrow that I completely spaced at JoAnns, and found THESE:

Paisley Patterns and 36 colored pencils!!!! YAY ME!

And because the UPS guy hasn’t been here for a while, I finally replaced my older-than-me Revere pots & pans with new stainless steel flat-bottom things that work much better on my ceramic stove top:

T-Fal SS set - also got a HUGE 12qt stock pot :) NOW I suppose these people will expect something pretty damn spectacular for Turkey Day.... I do still need new bakeware :) — T-Fal SS set – also got a HUGE 12qt stock pot 🙂 NOW I suppose these people will expect something pretty damn spectacular for Turkey Day…. I do still need new bakeware 🙂

Marching Band is almost done – we have no more football games, as we didn’t make it to the playoffs this year, for the first time, I believe, since our school came into existence. There is a parade this coming weekend, and then another in December. But despite that, the Trombonist has a full schedule, with steel drums, pep band, and 2 concert bands. We also had ensemble & solo performances this past weekend, and our trombone choir performed Sousa’s Liberty Bell March again, and scored Superior, despite basically pulling it together out in the hallway 10 minutes before they ran through it 🙂 IF I can get the video I took uploaded to YouTube, I’ll add it later.

SeniorNight

This week, I will continue working on Samplar 4 Saisons and my other secret stuff. I will also try my best to not go off the deep end at work – but if the estrogen reaches critical levels, I am not taking responsibility 🙂 Check back next week – see if I’m saving up for my defense fund… Happy Stitching to everyone! And tomorrow, buy a Vet a drink!

14poster_highres

Memorial Day Update

Memorial-Day-q

“True patriotism isn’t cheap. It’s about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going.” — Robert Reich

School is out, as of last Friday; this time next year, I will have graduated the Little Kid. It’s anyone’s guess where his path will lead.

In stitching news for the week, there’s not a great deal, since we were doing last performances of the year and other assorted stuff, along with the occasional weed-pulling and that kind of thing. I did manage to finish my first BtB Funky Flower on Saturday; Caroline got worked on Saturday at our May PINS meeting, and I finished it up when I got home Saturday night. I didn’t go to IHOP on Wednesday – all the running around to concert venues and long work days had to give, so I went home Wednesday with every intention of going to bed early (which turned out to be the usual time, by the time I put my book up). Fortunately, these flowers go pretty quickly:

By the Bay's Funky Flowers - Caroline, on 28ct Watrelily jobelan. — By the Bay’s Funky Flowers – Caroline, on 28ct Watrelily jobelan.

I also made further progress on AD Samplar 4 Saisons, and completed another page, most of the next, and a smattering on 2 others, leaving only 1 full page (bottom right) and 4 partial pages to finish. I will be happy to get this tree done, though I think my owl came out pretty cool (I had debated picking some light sections of the Spring color to fill him in with – then decided a simple outline will do the job & fit in with what I’ve done elsewhere).

Anagram Diffusion's Samplar 4 Saisons, using HDF silks in the Examplar line, on HDF 36ct linen. — Anagram Diffusion’s Samplar 4 Saisons, using HDF silks in the Examplar line, on HDF 36ct linen.

Here’s a wrinkly, shadowy picture of the whole thing as of right now (since I had to scooch it over in the Qs):

S4S_5-25-14_overall

That’s it for the stitching updates. I did go exercise my Veteran’s discount at JoAnn’s yesterday and bought the DMC for a Donna Giampa Vermillion piece from an old issue of JCS, a Peppers piece (she did onions, cabbage, pumpkins, and some others, I think, and then a series of fruits, as well; onions is also on my To Do List); now the trick is to find 18ct black aida; if I wasn’t looking for it, I could find it everywhere; now I can’t find it anywhere 🙁 HL, JoAnn’s, Michaels all have a small piece of 14ct – not big enough/high enough 🙁 So I guess I’ll order some at some point; it’s not like I need it NOW, I do have a couple of things to keep myself entertained with, I guess 🙂 Speaking of entertaining myself:

My new Asiatic lilies are going to be as pretty as the irises were... — My new Asiatic lilies are going to be as pretty as the irises were…

I guess the Blue Grosbeak is a permanent resident... — I guess the Blue Grosbeak is a permanent resident…

Bean: "Dammit, human, stop screaming my name across the yard! Can't you see I'm hunting here? You're blowing my cover!" — Bean: “Dammit, human, stop screaming my name across the yard! Can’t you see I’m hunting here? You’re blowing my cover!”