New Stash

Well over Super Bowl weekend, a LNS had a 20% off the entire store sale. Being that I'm compulsively shopping in a failing attempt to deal with personal issues, I came home with a lot. I already had the Lizzie*Kate Halloween ABCs and had ordered the recommended fabric but hated it. I bought 2 options at the sale

Which is better?

And here is some of the rest from the sale plus a few things from a 123 Stitch order. I also ordered two charts from the sale - Ink Circles Circles des Cercles and Plum Street Samplers Olga - they weren't in stock so I'll still get the 20% off when they come in. There are also purchases from eBay on their way as well. Oops.


Lizzie*Kate Winter ABC with Light Blue 32 ct Linen and mostly recommended thread. The lighter green, lighter blue and darker red were changed slightly from the recommended listing.



Stash from 123 Stitch. Lots of Halloween - I think that Tricky Treat Cats will go on whichever fabric doesn't get chosen for the Lizzie*Kate Halloween ABCs



Lizzie*Kate Halloween ABCs fabric option #1 - "Valor" hand dyed 32 ct linen



Lizzie*Kate Halloween ABCs fabric option #2 - "Haunted" hand dyed 32 ct linen



Ink Circles Metamorphosis - will be done on 40 ct Tarnished Silver Linen with changed threads to move from purple through blue to green instead of rainbow order

WIPocalypse for February

The only project I've worked on has been BATB. I'm almost done with the first quarter of the chart and will need to finish gridding the other sections. Should I back stitch now or wait and do all of it at the end?

Testing ....

Seeing if I can post from my phone. It'll make it easier to update if I can! And trying to figure out posting pics this way. If it attaches, this is my stitching buddy Zoe, whose fur is intricately woven into every project.

WIPocalypse picture post #3

P1000970, a photo by argyle24 on Flickr.

The biggest WIP I have, Disney Dreams Beauty and the Beast Falling in Love

I need to figure out how to put multiple Flickr pictures in one Blogger post. Maybe next time...

WIPocalypse Picture Post #2

P1000969, a photo by argyle24 on Flickr.

Frank Lloyd Wright window WIP
Miscellaneous small kits
Stitched Tinkerbell that needs to be pressed and framed

WIPocalypse picture #1

P1000968, a photo by argyle24 on Flickr.

Various highland dance cross stitch projects & finished stiching that needs to be made into useable items

WIPocalypse

In an effort to find something to district me from the crumbling shambles of the life I thought I knew, I've decided to participate in Measi's WIPocalypse. I picked cross stitch back up over Thanksgiving after discovering the Disney Dreams Beauty & The Beast kit. I started cross stitching small things when I was 7 or 8, and while thankfully most of those projects eventually found their way to the dump, I have a few leftover items that either need to be turned into something useable or completed or kits that have sat there for 15-20 years. Guess I'll use this as a means to get those all taken care of and moved along.

I took pictures yesterday of the various projects, but will get them up some time this week. It's amazing that such a small thing is taking such effort for me right now, but I'm finding it really hard to accomplish much of anything at the moment. But I'll get there....

List in no particular order:

1. Disney Dreams: Beauty & the Beast Falling in Love - WIP
2. Frank Lloyd Wright Stained Glass Window - WIP
3. Tinkerbell Sketch - stitched, just needs finishing
4. My Tartan Clan Dancer - wanting to adjust this pattern to update the costume styling and reverse it so I can do two that will face each other, one in the tartan I danced in when I was younger, and one to match the tartan I wear now
5. Tartan Thistle Needlebook: stitched, just needs finishing
6. Thistle bookmark & 6 small highland dancers - all stitched, just need to finish them as ornaments or framed items or something
7. 5 mini-kits of Scottish elements - stitch and put into small frames or one lenticular frame with multiple slots
8. Lizzie Kate Halloween ABCs - this will arrive this week and I hope to start, finish and frame it before Halloween 2012

I really just want to clear out all of these old projects. Most of my craft stash is fabric and quilting related and I have several quilts in various stages that I need to complete this year as well. But I am hoping to move in September and would like to decrease the overall amount of stuff I have just sitting around.

Australian Wildfire Relief

Hey everyone

Stephanie ( http://www.loftcreations.blogspot.com ) has created a great list of people or places that you can go through to help out with the wildfire relief. There is a wonderful shop on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6902734 where artists are donating items for sale and all of the money will go to the Australian Red Cross - not just the profits. I picked up a gorgeous owl print (and also found an equally gorgeous peacock print at the artist's individual store as well) There is a wide variety of items there in a wide range of prices - definitely something for every taste and budget and it helps a great cause, so go check it out.

Australia is definitely in our thoughts and prayers.


-Abby

Time for the monthly update ...

Maybe a once a month update works for me .... I really don't know how people do it! I just can't manage to blog more than that. If I really pushed it, I might be able to handle once a week, but seriously! I work full time, I have 2 90 minute dance classes + home practice and workouts, my quilting and Lord knows what else .... blogging really has fallen by the wayside!

Anyways, I have been working on a project, a quilted wall hanging for one of the dad's in my dance studio. He's a bagpiper and wanted a wall quilt with shirts from some of last year's highland games.





The middle row features 2 quilt blocks of my own design - I loosely replicated the tartan that the band wears for their kilts and the middle square is the band logo. It just needs to be sandwiched, quilted and bound. Then I'll also put a hanging sleeve on as well.

After that, I have 3 baby quilts - friends of mine are expecting triplets. I have the fabric and have started cutting. I'm using the 5 funky monkeys line moda came out with a while ago - I was able to score a ton of it on eBay, so here's hoping those go together quickly. The babies will probably arrive in Mid-April.

I did break my resolution of not buying fabric without purchase. I wandered into a new quilt shop over the weekend and they just happened to be celebrating the Super Bowl weekend by offering 10% off EVERYTHING. A layer cake of Urban Couture by Basic Grey and a yard and a half of matching yardage (I got 20% off of it for finishing the bolt) came home with me.

Anyone know any good layer cake patterns? oops!

Happy New Year!

At least I hope it will be. 2008 won't really go down as my favorite year, though there definitely were some highlights. The biggest highlight for me was definitely my trip to China in March.

Craftiness-wise, I finished 3 quilts. I also bought a Cricut Expression on Black Friday - which is now getting some use as the Christmas sewing is done with.

2008 will also mark the year of my return to highland dancing. I will be returning to competing this spring after a 14 year "trial retirement", haha. By summer, I will probably start studying for my teacher's certification. It's nice to be back in something that was such a huge part of my life ... I guess you really CAN go 'home' again.

I wasn't particularly smart with my money in 2008, so my goals for 2009 will mostly be related to rectifying that! I have 2 student loans (one big, one little), a car loan and a credit card balance. I will be posting their as of 1/1/2009 balance on my fridge. This is a small way of keeping me honest, but I also want to be able to gauge my process through the year and have something to compare it to come December 31, 2009. I'm the type of person who needs to see progress :)

Sewing wise, I will be buying very little this year. First and foremost this is for money reasons - I don't need to spend an afternoon loitering in JoAnn Fabrics and buying fabric with no purpose or intention. I have a "stash" that fills a 3 drawer sterilite container and a couple photo storage boxes - in a small one bedroom apartment, that is PLENTY! I have enough supplies for projects to keep me busy for at least a year or two. I am not going cold turkey - if I am working on a project and need something to finish it, I'll buy. I am sewing 3 of my dance costumes and will need to make some purchases for those and am working on a comissioned t-shirt quilt that will also need some additional fabric. Beyond that, I am quite sure that I have a pretty wide variety of things to keep myself entertained. This school of thought is also going to apply to my scrapbooking items - I should really only need to buy adhesive this year. I have a lot of supplies on hand!

I'd like to get to the point where I don't really have a "stash." I know this goes against most crafters' instincts, but it has been bothering me lately to have this much STUFF just sitting around. Granted, I do think that it is in part due to being in a one bedroom apartment. My craft storage and work area is also my dining room alcove and kitchen counter. There isn't space for a whole lot, so the amount I have makes the situation even more cramped.

So we'll see how I do.

I am also resolving not to go to Target this year. I can't seem to get out of Target for less than $20. If you think about it, there really isn't a reason to go to Target specifically. Mine don't have grocery and all the other items are non-necessary. So no Target for me this year (hopefully) - and that should help with the money saving as well!

How about you all? Any major resolutions to share?

Happy 1 Week 'Til Christmas!

Things have been very, very busy around here. Most of which I can't post about or just haven't had time to post about.

My big project is in the final finishing stages .... I'm on the last side! Unforunately, that's all the info I can reveal. If you have other blogs on your list, you've seen it. Otherwise it'll be posted here after Christmas. Not taking chance on this one.

I took yesterday off of work to bake cookies. My dance teacher hosts a cookie swap party each year and it's tonight. I had 10 dozen cookies to bake and decorate, so that's what I did yesterday. I also started and finished a quilted wall hanging for her from a pre-printed panel kit I picked up at Keepsake Quilting. Yesterday was very busy.

Apparently my heat also decided to crap out yesterday too - I must not have noticed initially because of all the baking, but when I went to bed, I saw that the temp was a good 15 degrees below what I had it set for .... I thought maybe it still hadn't kicked on because of the oven, so I gave it til this morning and called my complex's maintenace. A couple hours later, it was all fixed and I was able to head off to work. Oh heat, how I love you!

So what's left then, as the final panicky countdown to the big day speeds on?

Finishing an ornament wreath in pink and purple for a coworker
Finished aforementioned "big project" in first paragraph
Possibly try to finish a project for my mom, but thta's not a huge deal - I managed to pick up more for her through the year than I thought and when I pull it all off of the "present shelf" I was surprised. So that can be rainchecked for her birthday if need be.

I also have to make my friend Eren's presents, but I won't see her until the weekend of January 3rd, so that buys me some time.

I have a busy weekend ahead of me as well, I have plans Saturday night to go out with some people from work as kind of a going away party for a coworker who is also a good friend and then on Sunday I'm going to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra with the guy I'm seeing. I'll probably end up with plans on Friday as well. Busy, Busy, Busy!

Hanging in there ...

Apparently I only blog once a month now ..... sorry! Work is just now winding down to the point where I'm only working 40 or so hours a week and I've been feverishly sewing on a top secret Christmas project in my "free time" I am please to report that the sewing is complete and boxed up and will be on it's way to Sharon www.redgeraniumcottage.typepad.com for some quilting :) I can't post pictures because I don't want to risk the intended receiver coming across them. That'll have to wait til after Christmas I'm afraid!

I did start cutting out my next project - a small wallhanging for my dance teacher from the Scottie Christmas line. Highland dance teacher + scotties = good idea!

I have a few things left to make for my mom's Christmas present and have to start in on my friend Eren's. Eren and I made a deal that we would buy for birthdays and make for Christmas - so I stil have a lot of work ahead of me! I'm also trying to clean out things and eBay to try to bring in some extra money to go towards bills, so life is keeping me running for the moment.

Hope all of you are well!

-Abby

Another year older ...

Well, my birthday was yesterday - the big 2-5. Here's hoping that this is the year for cheap car insurance! I'm on the phone right now to see if my rate will go down *fingers crossed*

Other than that, I've just been working. A LOT. Very long hours means not much time for quilting or much of anything else unfortunately. Hopefully as things begin to wind down in November I can have some more time to work on the fun stuff.

In turn, no time for fun equals no pictures, though I'm getting my hair cut this afternoon, so maybe I'll take a picture of that!

The down side ...

Wow - where have I been, huh?

When I last left off I was on cloud nine over the bag swap, but alluded to some bad news. I've been having computer problems not of my own doing. If you know someone living in an apartment complex, please pass this on.

The memory was stolen out of my laptop. I started having computer problems immediately after maintenance had been in my apartment and couldn't figure out why. I waited until the weekend and took it to my parents house. My dad is extremely computer knowledgeable - has even built his own computers - and when he opened the memory compartment, there was nothing there. Just the memory that was sodered to the motherboard. What's more is that there are 2 little metal clips that hold the removeable memory in place. One was damaged by whoever stole my memory and now won't hold the new memory securely in place so my computer still doesn't function correctly. The only person other than me who had been in that apartment was maintenance. I spoke with the complex, they assured me that their maintenance staff wasn't smart enough to know how to turn on a computer (pretty much her exact words) and told me to file a police report. I filed the report, but they weren't going to finger print the computer or anything since this was a low price point crime. (tell that to my bank account)

So I'm trying to tell everyone I can - and hopefully other people can avoid having this happen to them. If you're in a complex, don't leave anything out even though it's technically your "home" - don't ever allow maintenance in if you or a designated person are also present. My dad came the next weekend and installed a new locking door knob for me, so I'm feeling a bit more secure, but talk about feeling violated. They are also loaning me one of their desktops so I do have a computer and internet again, but will probably need to see if my renter's insurance can do anything for me because I definitely can't afford a new laptop right now.

In other news, I fell down the stairs at my apartment complex on Friday (their stairs have raised metal edges to keep the carpet from fraying and my shoe got caught) My left shin is bruised literally along the entire length and I have a smaller bruise on my right shin. They're still surfacing ... once they get dark I'll take a picture and post ....

Let's hope this week is a better one ... though my work schedule is crappy.

Sorry I haven't been around much - now that the desktop is set up I should be able to do more.

Abby

Annie received her swap package!

Well, I can now say that my partner was Annie from Australia. She has received her box o' goodies and posted about them on her blog - go check it out and look at her beautiful cat too! She also has gorgeous pictures of her garden and projects, so take a look around her blog

http://annie-flowergarden.blogspot.com/

Linda organized a wonderful swap and it's really neat to see all the postings start going up as the bags are arriving.

Now arriving from England ...

My item from the bag swap!!! My parcel took the long trip from England to make it to my mailbox here in Michigan.

Look! A squishy package!

Zoe checks things out too ... can't be too safe!

Alright - looks like you've got everything out! All clear!

Voila!!! My gorgeous bag from Marianne - the pictures totally don't do it justice either, it's amazing!

But wait, there's more! What could it be?

SOCKS!!!! Fancy socks!

And some Jelly Bellies tucked into the zipper pocket ... yeah, I already ate those ...

And take a look at the lining - totally loving those funky cats :)

And of course, modeling the awesome socks.

Zoe was quite thrilled with the tissue paper Marianne used to wrap everything in and promptly claimed it as her own ... she's actually currently napping on it right now ... so,big thanks from Zoe too!

So, I totally got a bag that is perfect for me - thank you Marianne! And everyone should be jealous, cause the bag and socks are incredible. Stop by Marianne's blog to say hello http://picperfics.blogspot.com/

Sorry it took so long for me to get the pictures up, I had computer problems that started last week and just got remedied yesterday. I will post about that tomorrow, because what happened to me shouldn't happen to anyone and I definitely need to get the info out there ... but we're not going to ruin a happy post with something like that ...

Thanks Marianne! You're the best!

on it's way ....

I did it! I got everything completed for the swap and it went out in the mail this morning. It cost me an obnoxious amount of money to mail, which was a surprise, but I guess it does have to make it across an ocean to reach it's destination and all .... it should arrive in "6-10" days. Now the nervous hand wringing begins .... I do hope she likes it!

I'm not posting a pic here for 2 reasons: 1, I don't want her to stumble on it and see it before it arrives and 2, my computer at home completely died. So, no pictures of any kind for a while. If my dad can't fix it, it sounds like I'll be able to borrow one of their computers. If that doesn't happen, then I won't have a computer at home for a very, very long time. There just isn't that kind of extra money in the budget. I'm barely making ends meet right now as it is.

But it's done and I fulfilled my obligation BEFORE the deadline. I loved being in the swap and can't wait to see my package from Loopy :) but it'll be a while before I can participate in another one. I'm going into the busiest time of the year at work and it'll take a while before I have the funds to be able to do it right! Now I've got to go email my partner and the swap organizer that the package is off and running ....

Hopefully I'll be more cheerful and have better news after the weekend ...

seriously?

Well .... there comes a point where you have to ask "What else can go wrong?" Needless to say things are precariously hanging on by a thread around here.

On the good side, my bag swap items are complete, I just have to mail it out tomorrow. I'll take a picture of the lot to post here after it's received and then wrap it up pretty to be sent out into the great beyond. I worked really hard on everything and am so nervous that she may not like it or may not think it's fancy/good/special enough.

On the bad side, my computer at home died yesterday, so I'm only going to have access at work for the time being. I'm taking a trip to my parents this weekend to let my dad poke around at it and take it apart and see if he can save it.

On the frustrating side, I have to go home on my "lunch" today and change my clothes and such - the media department at work is doing a staff photo shoot for our department today and I ran out the door without makeup and wearing a cream sweater and they've requested that we wear dark colors. Whoever had the brilliant idea to schedule something like this on a friggin' Monday needs to be smacked.

Happy Monday everyone :(

-Abby

Making Progress

Well, I got the main part of my bag swap stuff done - yay! It turned out really cute and I'm pleased. Now I just have a couple little things to complete to round it out and I can get it on it's way. Can't say where it's headed, but it's leavin' the country!

The weekend was mostly good, but was so busy that I'm just drained. GOtta gear up for another week of work though - but thankfully it'll only be 4 days and I'll have dance on wednesday night so it should go fairly quickly.

Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend.

Time Crunch

Ok great. I feel like I'm going to be the last person in the swap done with their package. Stephanie over at Loft Creations already has hers done, nicely packaged, and ready to go.

I haven't started the quilt for my dad for Christmas either. Not good.

Work is crazy and this weekend is going to be as well. I'm going to the Highland Games up in Harbor Springs (MI) on Saturday (I'm not dancing, I'm not back to that point yet, but I just wanted to go) and then I'll head to my parents Sunday afternoon and spend Labor day with them.

Golfed again last night. Improved my score for 9 by 12 strokes (which is great until you do the math and realize that if I could take 12 strokes off my score for 9 and still be displeased with it that it's not a great score ....) but I did par the last hole, a long par 4, so at least it ended on a good note I suppose.

Thankfully I only work til 5 today. I can work on the bag swap items tonight and should be able to get most of it done if I can keep Zoe away from me long enough.

I just hate feeling like I have a million things to do and the fear that comes along with it of not being able to get them done ....