Jen's Mental Scribblings

A few months ago Elli comes up to me while I'm knitting and says

"Mommy! I wanna do that thing you do with the pointy thing"

I think about this.

"Do you mean you want to knit baby?"

"NO! The other thing. With the circle thing"

*lightbulb* I had been working on Gray's Christmas stocking a few weeks prior.

"You want to do some stitching?" " YES!" "Okay baby, I'll have something for you tomorrow"

I went to my stitching stash, pulled out this cheap evenweave I picked up years ago for doodle cloth, whack off a good size square, put it in a 5 in hoop. Grab some red #3 pearl cotton and use my water soluble marker to draw a small snowflake pattern.  The next day we sit down together in my rocking chair and "stitch" my hand over hers and talking her through the process. She lost interest about halfway through and I put it away.

She finally remembered it again about 2 weeks ago. We pulled it out and finished it. Yea Elli!

Ike and Gwen then decide they want to stitch. First, we make a trip to Michaels so everyone can pick out their own embroidery hoop (I only have 1) Everyone picks a different color, so there will be NO arguments about whose hoop is whose. A couple of nights ago I whack off some more fabric and load the hoops.

This afternoon, we sit down while Gray is napping and stitch! Ike is sitting on the kitchen table and working pretty independently. He understands the push from the bottom, pull from the top thing. He only needed the occasional "What do I do now Mommy?" instruction. His independence was actually really useful, as Gwen needed her needle re-threaded after every pull. He was kind enough to help her. This allowed me to divide my attention between the two girls. Elli didn't need me to guide her hands anymore, but she did need me to point out exactly where she needed to go. Gwen, touching a needle for the first time, needed my hands to guide her.  Helping all three through this process was actually pretty intense. But I have to admit, pretty cool.

And I have to admit, I was VERY happy to hear Gray wake up when he did. After an hour I was wiped!

Both Ike and Gwen finished their snowflakes, and Elli got a good start on her next ornament a Christmas tree in 3 colors using backstitch. Ike also started his tree too. He kept stitching for awhile in my room after Gray woke up.

I am really liking how much Ike is enjoying handwork. He gets very calm and centered and (YES!!!!) focused. The only downside I could possibly see is that someday some other friend might make some disparaging comments.

I also need to come up with some more projects for them to work on...must do research. =)

I'm posting this for themusecalliope 

I'm a geek, but Wow...

I totally want to write the person who did this and say "Can I have a copy of the pattern? Pretty Please?"



Its a cross stitched Tardis, finished as a Christmas Ornament. Ut!

Here's the link to where it was originally posted. The Worlds Largest Collection of Smalls.

I finished Kei's Parfait last week. I think it came out spectacular. I can't wait to show it to her. (The designer is a member of my local EGA Chapter). The Color choices are mine, it was originally designed for two tones of one color. But I saw it and said to her "This needs to be done in black, red and gold." Its a little stretched, but I haven't removed it from the frame yet...ironing will fix it.

Here's the picture.

I just hate it when I get all excited about a new project, sit down, start stitching...and realize the fabric isn't working.

Grrrrrr.

So. The floss toss looked great, but I'm stitching pale colors on a pale tan linen...1 over 1. The floss is getting lost. I think I'll invest in an chunk of Antique White and stitch on that...the pale colors should contrast against the soft white easily.

But still...Grrrr.

So, last November (I think) I set up another 10-25-50 Challenge List, here it is as it currently stands.

1 Simple Elegance by Just a thought WIP
2 Cat Redwork by Bird Brain
3 Imagination by Szulet WIP
4 Dragonal Seasons by Dette
5 Poinsetta in a Pot Stumpwork
6 Swirly Sampler by Bent Creek DONE! 6/8/08
7 3-d Paper Basket EGA Monthly project
8 Blah by Monsterbubbles DONE! 1/12/08
9 Bouquet Table Runner by Bird Brain
10 Hen Party Table Topper by Dutch Treat
11 Chicken Run by Nadel Faden DONE! 12/7/08
12 Mermaid Canvas by M. Murphy
13 Easter Bunny Ornament Canvas
14 Sewing Bee Pin Cushion by Bird Brain
15 Carnation Sampler by Aion Designs
16 Rose Sampler by Aion Designs
17 Flower Sprinkles-Sissors Fob
18 Flower Sprinkles-Needle Book
19 Castle Sissors Fob DONE! 4/27/08
20 Acorn Harvest Thread Keeper by Historic Stitches
21 New Beginning
22 Fleur des anges by DKS DONE! 5/28/08
23 Garden Plot Thickens by Amy Mitten WIP
24 Star Maiden by Stitchy Witches WIP
25 Thimble Creek Ornament (1 of 4)

I wanted 10 off the list, I got 5. But I also added in the caveat that for the 10-25-50 challenge that if I stitched something that I kitted up completely from my stash and spent less than $5.00 to get going, it counted for something else and I could strike off one item on my list. With that in mind I kitted and finished 6 items completely from stash. Woo HOO! Stash reduction is a wonderful thing.

So the Finished list looks like this
1. Blah by Monsterbubbles 1/12/08
2. Apple Ornament 3/13/08
3. Apple Ornament 3/15/08
4. Primitive Hearts 3/21/08
5. Castle Scissors Fob 4/27/08
6. Scissors Fob 5/3/08 (there was enough materials from the Castle Fob, I just stitched another rather than toss the materials.)
7. Fleur des anges by DKS 5/28/08
8. Swirly Sampler by Bent Creek 6/8/08
9. Chicken Run by Nadel Faden 12/7/08
10. Pointsetta Ornament 12/5/08
11. Wool Penny Rug 1/1/09 (I'm still listing it here, I was hoping to sneak it in on NYE, but people still came over knowing the kids were here.)

My goal for 2009? Continue on the 10-25-50 challenge, focusing on those WIPS and the other WIPs I've listed in an Elimination Challenge on the Legacy Guild. Here's the list

1. Star Maiden by Witches Stitches 40% done
2. Garden Plot Thickens (BBAP) by Amy Mitten 25% done
3. Simple Elegance by Judy Odell 40% done
4. Penny Wool Penny Rug 50% done DONE! 1/1/09
5. Imagination 1% done (This is actually closer to 90% done as of this morning. I've got 1.5 letters left to stitch
6. Kei's Parfait sampler 55% done

These things actually haven't been started yet, but I still want to stitch them this year. The rules for this challenge said I could list 10 WIPS. I had/have less than that. So I added

7. Many Years Sampler (HA!)  (This is a BAP, this is lower on my list than Garden Plot)
8. Grayson's Santa Redwork Stocking

And I'm going to add to the list just for fun. (Because I only listed 8 when the challenge was posted)
9. Carnation Quaker
10 A special day gift for a particular someone who actually reads this blog

I also want to finish (either framing or other finishing technique) 10 items in my To Finish Stack I've got frames for 2 things I just need some time to sit down and do it. I've got plans and supplies for about 4 others...again, I need time to just do it.  And just to list them
I have frames for
1. Fleur des Anges
2. Swirly Sampler (a wrench has been thrown into this one. In moving my craft/stitching supplies, I lost the charm that I needed to add to the sampler for it to be done. Its not expensive ($3), but it takes 12 weeks to get my hands on another. I'll search for it later)
3. Cookies Santa (I need to find a fat half cut of some red wool felt to finish)
4. Chicken Run (I have all the materials, I just need to cut the acid free foam core)
5. Anything else in my To Finish Box


And just for a bonus, I just noticed that I didn't list anything in my goals off the 10-25-50 List.

I'll have to fix that. =)

Horizontal over one

( Full Text under cut )


Vertical over one

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For future reference.

And don't want it anymore?

There's a program for you.

Operation Support Our Troops.

What's it for?

They distribute needlework kits to family at Walter Reed and Fort Sam Houston. For the "quiet helpers, the Moms and the spouses, could do to help make the many hours that they sit and wait go by, to help relieve their stress and most importantly to let them know how much we are thinking of them and holding their soldier and their families in our thoughts."

Any kind of complete needlework, knitting, or crocheting kits (or things you kit yourself) are accepted.

I am so going through my stash. I have so much stuff I'll never get to, that I can share.

The SBQ this week is


Do you currently subscribe to any stitching publications or have you in the past? (Either in print or online) If so, which ones?

Oh my goodness. I subscribe to or have subscribed so many magazines its just silly.

The ones I currently get are:
The Gift of Stitching Magazine (online)
Antique Sampler Stitching Magazine (online)
Cross Stitch and Needlework (formerly Stitchers World)
Needlepointers (Official Magazine for ANG)
Needle Arts Magazine (Official Magazine for EGA)

Ones I've had in the past:
Stoney Creek
Country Cross Stitching
Cross Stitcher
Cross Stitch and Needlework (The old one, published by Better Homes and Gardens)

I've also been known to pick up issues of:
Sampler and Needlework Quarterly
Emboridery and Needlework
Inspirations (Now here's a magazine I'd love a subscription for)

Boy that's a lot. No wonder my filing cabinet is stuffed!

So here's some of the pictures I promised.

I showed a picture of Monsterbubbles "Blah" when I finished stitching it, now here's a pic of it in its final form



I also finished Flower Sprinkles Biscornu...its my first one and I'm surprised it came together so easily.



And lastly I finished a project I bought at the Stitching Festival in 2003. It was the official project. What you can't see is that its mounted on a very nice wooden box. (That picture didn't come out and I'm too lazy to snap another at this time of night, and it probably wouldn't come out well anyway.) I think its also my first official Bargello piece. It was fun.

I finished something! Woo Hoo!

Actually I finished several somethings.