Ground Hog and TuSAL?

Hey, Friends!

I’ve been working with a bit of stitching thrown in this week!  Oh, and I went to my first Zumba class on Tuesday night.  I was worried that they’d be way ahead of me, but it wasn’t as ‘structured’ as it might have been.  I was pooped when it was over, but that was the intent – to get this ole body moving a little.  Looking forward to next time, but won’t wear fleece again!

They say the Ground Hog predicts an early spring – is there anyone out there who isn’t ready for THAT?  I don’t think so!!

There’s a Pre-Superbowl sale at my LNS – The Stitch and Frame Shop today, and I need to run by the Office Depot to pick up some more tape for the label maker, so… I’d just as well go by the shop, too!  Don’t you think?  Of course!!  I’ve got a few things on my list, and I want some of that Butter Cream linen I’ve seen you all stitching such lovely things on.

This week I finished the BBD Valentine Rose, which I modified to honor my maternal Grandmother, for whom I was named, Rhoda Bell who was born in 1902.  Victorian Sampler’s Button Up Birdies November Chickadee was a quick and fun stitch!  I also did part 2 of the Specialty Stitchers’ Tree of Stitches - the Smyrna stitch that I chose to do in orange.

Last night I wasn’t ready to start a new project, so I went in there and gathered up all that DMC that was hither and yon…  Decided while I was at it, I may as well put some labels on the drawers that I could actually read.  One cabinet is reorganized – half way with the new labels – ran out of tape.  I’ll get the other one done this afternoon while doing laundry.   

So, I’d better get up and out the door or it won’t get done.  DS is coming this evening and we’re going to Nan and Pop’s house for BBQ ribs.  Yummmmm….Thanks for coming by today.  I look forward to hearing your Needler’s Point and checking in to see what you’ve been up to lately!

* Reminder:   TuSAL is in the side bar this year à

PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching
Charlene♥SC

A finish, a start, and a SAL

Hey, Friends!

It has been a busy work week– so much that I didn’t even venture out for Stitch Night this week – not that I didn’t stop by the LNS to pick up the new Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart, Pumpkin Farm, and a couple of BBDs that were in the sale bin! 

What is the finish?  It’s the December Cardinal ornament from Victorian Sampler Button Up Birdies series (I meant to pick up number two and forgot it).  I used HDF silks and some DMC rayon to get the sheen I wanted.  It called for red beads, but I wanted the snow to show up more, so I used beads there.

The SAL is with a Yahoo group called The Stitch Specialists.  Abi is the moderator/owner of the group, and she is offering a SAL that will teach a number of special stitches.  The first in the series, to get us going, is the trunk of the tree in cross stitch.  I’m using 28ct Irish linen in Tea and started with DMC Variations 4140.  Each ‘limb’ of the tree will focus on a different stitch.

And the new start?  It’s the continuation of BBD’s Anniversary of the Heart series, Valentine Rose.  It is a very tiny start - the green.  There would be more if I hadn't had to take most of it out - I missed the change in design along the border there.  I’m enjoying being a part of the BBD Yahoo group - a great gathering of very nice stitchers!

I did set up a new system for my fabric, some graphs, and threads.  They’re now in rolling plastic-drawer bins.  They're not the most lovely things, but they are practical for me.  I can drag the whole thing around, or pull out one drawer and take it along. 

There are graphs in these.  They're by season, holiday, or theme...

 

These are fabrics, and this drawer has the 32ct and higher . 

The top drawer here IS   reserved for BBD graphs (my new obsession)!

And these are special fibers - the DMCs are in plastic tool chests*.

You will note that I didn't say "organized" within the system.  These are Vikki Clayton's silk Hand-Dyed Fibers. Once I asked her about a certain color, and she asked what design I was using it for.  When I said, none, I just like the color, she laughed ... 

These are silk on wooden spools - often called Buttonhole Twist - that I've collected over the years.  I used them primarily when doing embroidery on crazy quilts.  They are mostly Belding - Hemingway, Coats & Clark or Corticelli.

 These are a variety of miscellanous silk fibers.  The ones on the big cardboard spools are what is sold today as buttonhole twist, but it's not quite the same as the fiber on the tiny wooden spools.  The little black spools are Krenikik, Soie Perlee - don't know if they make it any more.

These are again some old fibers that I collected when I was into tatting.  They're mostly cotton, but a few lovely silks on the wooden spools.  They're smooth and so fine to touch.

One of these days we'll have show and tell with some buttons!  I hear your question, and No, there is hardly anything that has to do with needle arts that I don't love!  

*- the DMCs are in plastic tool chests.  Well, they were.  While moving things about the other day I knocked over one of the chests that fell into the other and pushed half the drawers out, and then I grabbed for it, the others fell out, too.  They're still spread out in there, but I'll get over it one day and put them all back in order!  NO, I'm not showing you that but will show you how they did look.

The forecasters are saying we may be in for more snow Monday or Tuesday.  It’s not that I love snow so much, as you probably guessed, but I really do enjoy the extra stitching time if we don’t have to work!  And since I’m not working today, enough dilly-dallying – I’m off to do a little more blog visiting then on to stitching!  

Thanks for coming by today.  I look forward to hearing your Needler’s Point and checking in to see what you’ve been up to lately!

PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching

Charlene♥SC

Stash Organization

I've shared and talked about organizing stash many times, but won't you take a look at this gal's method of organization. Allison has really got it down pat.

Organizing Threads

There were some questions about the storage container I mentioned during a recent post, and someone (Courtney) asked if I'd post a picture of it and the shoe box containers as well. Here they are... I'll post more after I've gone through organizing my sewing room again, probably after Christmas.


This is the 60-drawer unit I got from Northern Tools in which to sort DMC threads numerically.

This is just a closer picture of the drawers that are occupied.

This is the five-drawer rolling cart I use for my 'fancy' threads,

and this is the plastic 'shoe box' to separate colors or make more convenient to carry to the working area - usually in front of the TV.