Stop the presses!

I have some exciting news!

I am weak… so weak!

Why is it that when all your unfinished projects weigh you down, the only logical solution is to start a new one?

For no particular reason my hands were itching for a new start (Hah! Like you need a reason anyway!). The joy of sorting through fabrics, figuring out measurements, deciding on colors and finally putting that first stitch in. Yes… I was itching for a new start. It was a buzz that simply would not go away. And so with gleeful abandon I gave in. Here is the tiny progress I made on Day 1 (30 July) of my latest start.

The project wound up looking quite different from what I first envisioned. But when inspiration knocks you simply have to answer, don’t you?

The piece is being stitched on 28 count count Graziano Linen in Milan-Savannah Rose. It is a delicate, blush pink and the DMC I’m using is a vivid 154. I fell in love with this deep, rich purple when browsing the DMC range at my local store. I snatched up a skein having no clue that I would find a project for it in less than 3 days.

Can you guess yet what the piece will be? I’ll give you a hint. It’s a freebie and quite a popular quote.

I’m really enjoying this piece so far. Hopefully it has quenched my thirst for new starts for a while. But only time will tell…

Until next time… stay blessed!

WIP Introduction – The Quilt-batross

It’s WIP introduction time again. And, I tell you, this particular WIP is out to defeat me.

In July 2014, a friend of mine (let’s call her C, shall we?) was due to have her first baby. Two months prior to that, yours truly had the splendid idea of stitching her one of the Dimensions baby quilts as a gift (Note to self : Future such splendid ideas should immediately be discarded). On pitching the idea to two other common friends, M and B, they were sufficiently enthusiastic and wanted to be a part of the project too. So we spent a couple of days browsing on 123stitch.com and eventually picked out a pattern that we all liked – The Baby Drawers Quilt.

Baby Drawers

The pattern we chose was perfect in that it could easily be divvied up into 3 sections, one for each of us. We placed the order and the parcel was shipped to M who was to work on it first. And thus began the Quiltbatross’ reign of terror.

Suffice to say life events at M’s end meant she could not complete her part and so it passed into the hands of B. B also made a valiant attempt but eventually had to admit defeat and so it came full circle back to the originator of the idea aka Moi.

The Quiltbatross in progress

Needless to say, the quilt is a gigantic project and I really wish now that we had opted for a smaller baby sampler. Why oh why did we not choose a baby bib instead?! It would have been just as functional and a fraction of the size! But of course I can never settle for something small and I really wanted something special for Baby C (the little marshmallow totally deserves it!).

Ever since the quilt passed into my hands, I have been setting myself target dates for completion. The vain hope was that a deadline would motivate me to work on it in earnest. Baby C just celebrated his first birthday (another self imposed deadline that whizzed by with a cheeky wink and a jaunty wave) and the quilt is not even half complete. My new deadline is now mid-August.

Logic dictates that with such humongous stitches I should be covering a large area with every stitch. Logic dictates that I should be making fast progress. This quilt laughs in the face of logic.

Here is my phenomenal progress as of date.

Current progress

I feel like I have been working on that elephant for YEARS! It is now dawning on me that I will not get this done by August (Quit chuckling and commiserate… I’m talking to you M!). In fact C is now convinced that she will only get it in time for her baby’s wedding day. Or perhaps HIS baby’s first birthday (both estimates don’t seem too far fetched at this point).

But I will soldier on. I will not give up. I will NOT admit defeat.

Now if only I could finish that wretched elephant.

WIP Introduction – HAED #2

A couple of weeks ago I introduced you to the first HAED I ever purchased. Now although Serenity was the first one I purchased, it was not the first one I started stitching. Within 5 days of having bought my first HAED, I was forced (yes, forced! Shame on you HAED for putting out such irresistible baubles!) to purchase 2 more patterns. What sucked me in was one of HAED’s uber generous 50% off sales.

WIP Introduction – Heaven and Earth Designs #1

I had mentioned earlier that HAED was the primary cause for my steady decline into the cross stitch cesspool. Today I’d like to share with you the first HAED pattern I ever purchased.

For the longest time I have admired the work of Dona Gelsinger on the website. Her work to me is ethereal and carries a touch of magic.

The piece I fell in love with is, to me, the epitome of perfection. It has a child angel, pure and innocent (I believe we’ve already established my weakness for angels). It is set on a beach at sunset (Come on… that’s got to sell it for you right there. Who could possibly complain about a beach sunset?). It has a lighthouse of sorts (Can this piece get any better? O yes, it can!). To top it all off, the artwork features one of my favorite prayers of all time.

Okay enough buildup… Here is a picture of my very first HAED.

A Little Serenity by Dona Gelsinger (Picture Courtesy : HAED website)

Those warm, autumnal tones, the golden glow of the setting sun, the delicately bowed head, the charming ruffled robe and those strong yet gentle feathers. My heart simply sighs in ecstasy every time I look at this.

I started stitching this on 01 January 2015 as part of a Facebook group SAL for the New Year (This was one of 4 large WIP’s I started that day. I know… worthy of being committed right?). I’m stitching it on a piece of 25 count evenweave I picked up while on holiday in Thailand. Talk about another reason to love this WIP. Every time I work on it I will be reminded of that wonderful trip. I am doing it 2 over 1 tent stitch and so far the coverage seems okay. I might have to increase to 3 strands for the darker colors but we’ll see when I get to those areas.

Once I had put in the required stitches to meet the SAL target I set the piece aside to work on other WIP’s. Here is a picture of where I stopped.

Progress as of 13 June 2015

Just writing this post makes me want to pull it out and put in a few more stitches. I can’t wait until I can get back to this piece again. Do you have any tucked away pieces that are demanding some attention?