Nine Days into the Month and I'm Stitching Slowly

 Nine days into January and here in Florida the weather has been quite nice so far, a few chilly temps in the evening in the mid forties and mostly sunny days after the dense morning fog passes.

I have been slowly stitching the piece I began on January 1st. I have a few other designs I need to transfer to fabric once I chose the fabric I want to use for each project.  Here is a look at my progress so far.

She is the first of three figures in this design, I am using an older 100% cotton fabric that I love it has a paisley design in the palest natural tone, if I am not mistaken it was 108" fabric sold as quilt backing. I've use the fabric for several pieces and just love the look of the design when stitched. So far I am using DMC floss 603.  I don't often use so much pink but for this it just felt right.

A friend of mine in the UK recently sent me a few issues of Love Embroidery magazine, oh my I was in thread heaven when I opened the package. So many patterns and only two hands to work with.

I was quite happy to find out I could subscribe to this magazine through a US vendor, the magazine includes patterns for projects in each issue and if you are lucky enough to be in the UK you will get the little extras included.  My friend sent me those along with the magazines.  Her eyesight isn't what it used to be so she isn't doing as much needlework, she still knits and crochets and I swear she can do that with her eyes closed and produce a perfect garment.

For today I am linking up with Kathy's Quilts here:https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2022/01/slow-sunday-stitching.html

Oh here is a photo of my 2021 orts, the ball next to the orts jar now empty and ready to fill in 2022, lots of lovely colors. The balls of orts under the jar are the orts from 2019 and 2020.

I am once again taking part in TUSAL the Totally Useless Stitch Along where stitcher's post photos of there orts on the New Moon of each month.  I'm in the Facebook Group again this year, I didn't keep up in 2020 or 2021 due to illness so it's good to start again this new year.  My little calendar page for the new moon dates.

New Moon and TUSAL Time

 Well her it is the New Moon for April and it's that time once again for the TUSAL(Totally Useless Stitch A Long) report. Here are my Orts for April so far.  The current project I am stitching is for my personal Goddess a Month project. This is the goddess for March I need to finish.  The pattern is from Urban Threads, I wasn't too crazy with the pattern I designed and truth to tell I not so crazy about this pattern either.  Originally I was going to alter the pattern to elongate the figures as they look squash to me, but as I am stitching further I am liking the pattern more. 

Not sure what a TUSAL is you can click the link to It's Daffy Cat's blog https://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-totally-useless-stitch-long.html

UPDATE: I'm late posting this I thought I had it posted but it was still in draft mode. Ugh! one of those days.

Sunday Slow Stitching and September's TUSAL Report

Well here I go again with a big bout of bronchitis and coughing so hard it feels like I'm choking to death. If it's not one things its another.  It hit me Thursday evening out of nowhere I just started to cough and feel tired no warning like a sore throat which my son had at first. My son keeps passing me these bugs and I am just about ready to lock him out, he's 37 he should know better.

On the Slow Stitching front I made a little progress on my Greenwoman and will be moving the hoop hopefully later today. I will be linking up at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday stitching today here is the link  https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2018/09/slow-sunday-stitching.html

Greenwoman

Here are my orts for this months TUSAL report and right on time with the New Moon, there isn't much in the pile this month. https://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2018/09/totally-useless-box.html

September Orts

As you can guess most of the threads are from the greenwoman and a few snippets of yarn from my crocheting.   The Shell stitch crochet blanket throw is coming along nicely I decided to keep using just the Wishing Well colorway.

Shell Stitch throw

So I picked up 3 more cakes for a total of 6 which should make a nice size throw for the cooler weather we do get some cool evenings here the yarn is fairly lightweight which makes it perfect for a Florida throw.

Speaking of the weather I have noticed the mornings this week are quite foggy with the nights getting cooler fog is usually in the forecast until about 10 a.m.  Well that's all for this post now its time to see what other bloggers are stitching today.

Slow Stitching, TUSAL and More

Well the month of June is just moving right along our summer thunderstorms have moved in so everything gets a good soaking most days.

I have been taking longer morning walks and much earlier pretty much a long with sunrise. I have made an effort to get to the library weekly again so I always have something on hand to read, which is silly since I have hundreds of books on my shelves I could read.  So a task for the upcoming weeks is to purge those books on my shelf I know I won't read.  Does that happen to you? you find a book that sounds like a good read buy it, take it home then put it in the to read pile and never get around to reading it.  I happens to me quite often then when I get around to it I find I am no longer interested so I put it on the shelf and then it goes in the donation box when I realize I'm never going to read it.
Here is what I am reading this week:

I finished Queen Anne's Lace which I really enjoyed last week during a rainy day while my fingers were resting from too much stitching.

And speaking of my stitching, I finished a little piece from the DMC Stitch a long group, it was one of the first pieces possibly as far back as January available free I think it was in the Girl Power set of patterns, I printed the pattern, traced it and put it aside for one of those between projects I like to have on hand. I finished it about a week ago experimented a bit leaving loose strands of floss for the ends of the hair.

My latest project piece I am working on is a new piece coming along nicely, so far I've used Weeks Dye Works floss and oh how it loves to knot while stitching so I am keeping the length of threads as short as I can and still put in a decent amount of stitches.

There is knot work, spirals,leaves and an acorn or two most are being stitched in shades of green, though a brown or two will be tossed in. 

These are the colors I will be using, I love the over dyed colors with names of herbs and other fine greenery.

all those greens

While I missed posting my June, TUSAL report on the new moon last week here it is better late than never.  I will link this post at Its Daffy Cat if you are curious jump on over and check out what the TUSAL is all about. https://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2018/06/totally-useless-sneak-up.html

Most of the green orts are from my current project The Green Woman which is progressing quite nicely despite the annoying knotting of the Weeks Dye Works floss.

green woman in progress

I did the eyes in a variegated amber DMC floss 111 and not one single tangle or knot.

close up acorn and eye

 Here is a close up of one of the acorns, her eye and some leaves. Despite the tangles and knotting I do love the colors of the Weeks Dye Works floss.  I will be linking my post today over at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching feel free to take the link and check out what Kathy and other talented bloggers are slow stitching:
https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2018/06/slow-sunday-stitching_17.html

The last Slow Sunday Stitching for 2017 and a little peek ahead

Once again we are find ourselves on the last day of the year and hopefully looking back you have all had more good times than not. I looked back on my January 1 entry for 2017 and I'm happy to say most of the goals I set for myself were met. The most important one however still eludes me and that is getting better control of my health so that once again becomes my main goal.

I will say I did rather well on the Be More Creative goal I am avidly pursuing my love for hand embroidery perhaps to the point of ignoring everything else so I do need to remember I have other interest that shouldn't be ignored. During the week I worked on a few little embroideries the hand I plan to work into a larger project in the coming year. I will be linking to Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/2017/12/slow-sunday-stitching-new-years-eve.html

Bruja

The little Goddess with the candles I made for a friend, I just need to press and finish it with a hem.

Goddess for St. Brigid's Day

I'm once again going to be more creative in 2018, to start the year off I have the first block for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project ready to embellish. 

January block

My blocks won't look like the usual crazy quilt blocks you know those very lovely recognizable blocks that I see all over Pinterest, Facebook etc.  I'll be using this book as my guide and perhaps a few of the block layouts too. I'm also going to be using fabric from my stash of scraps. 

There is still time to join the CQJP 2018 the deadline to sign up is December 31st here: https://crazyquiltjournalproject2018.blogspot.com/p/crazy-quilt-journal-project-2018.html

This year I plan to read at least seven new to me authors rather than my usual 5 this year and to read more, I don't know what happened this year I have plenty of books to read and I started off doing quite well then after my vacation I seem to have not only forgotten I have books I forgot to open those books to read them because hand embroidery was all I wanted to do in my spare time. I bought the book The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman, I waited months for the book to be released, pre ordered it and when it came I had planned to start reading right after Halloween, when that nasty flu hit me and I could barely keep my eyes open for days, I didn't get any embroidery done during that time either. So the first book I will read in 2018 is The Rules of Magic.

first read in 2018

And to be sure I do more reading this year I will join the 2018 Library Love Challenge. http://angelsguiltypleasures.com/2017/12/sign-up-open-2018-library-love-challenge/

Also I have joined the Try Something New Challenge to be sure I keep my goal of trying at least 7 new to me authors in 2018 here is the link for this challenge:
https://theherdpresents.blogspot.com/2017/12/try-something-new-challenge.html

Another goal for this year fell short so I'll try once again to take monthly hikes in the some of the Florida State Parks. I did so well in 2016 I don't know what happened this year. I will take part tomorrow morning in the First Day hike at Silver Springs State Park, these hikes are nationwide so if you are up early and near a state park check one out.

A few other state parks I plan to visit this year are:

Crystal River Archaeological State Park

Crystal River Preserve State Park

Big Talbot Island State Park

Honeymoon Island State Park

Falling Waters State Park

There will be other parks to visit but these were on my list last year and I didn't make it. Big Talbot Island and Honeymoon Island both have beaches. I love hiking and really need to do more of it this year here is one of my favorite quotes:

“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” -Thoreau

For most of these hikes I will be going solo, but for the Crystal River parks my sister and little grand niece Tessa may come along.

I would like to take a few crafting classes this year, not quite sure what at this time. I also want to try my hand at Gold work embroidery, try a larger Sashiko project, and let loose with my artistic side and really immerse myself with those things that interest me that I never seem to have time for. 

This year will be about making the time and taking the time, I have so many ideas in my head that need to get out, not to mention all those sketches and notes in my journals. I did make a little beaded scissors fob and needle nanny this week too.

scissors fob and needle nanny

Here's a photo of my orts for 2017, not as many as I thought but I use my thread until I can't pull the needle through most of the time. There is even a few strands of yarn in there from a crochet project and some plain sewing thread from hemming my pants. 

January to December 2017 Orts

This is the fullest my orts jar has ever been I am really pleased at how much stitching I did in 2017. 

orts jar 2017

I thank all of you for your comments throughout the year and wish all of you a safe and Happy New Year!

New Moon and a TUSAL report for December Orts

It's been another busy week here with very little time for stitching, the weekend went by in a flash and here we are with another Monday under our belts.  Last Friday morning while taking out the trash I snapped a photo of a beautiful sunrise as seen from my driveway looking into the backyard.

Sunrise 12/15/17

Saturdays are usually reserved for me time but with the holiday season keeping up with shipping demands I sacrificed my me time to print shipping labels, three hours in finally I was done with the labels.

I did get a few stitches in Saturday evening but my hands were so dry from the shipping labels the skin on my fingers was cracking and it was painful to hold the needle so I put it aside, I did manage to get the first leaf of the greenman stitched.

Saturday afternoon I ventured down the driveway to bring in the mail which included a package from a friend that I had been waiting for since early November, it was one of those packages that gets to take a tour of our nations post offices until it gets on the right truck and makes it to my local post office. This particular package visited 7 states all north and west of Florida before finally reaching me.  I don't know about you but I have noticed each time the post office increase the postage cost the service get worse but that is a story for another day.

Inside the package my friend sent me some embroidery goodies she didn't want and knowing how much I love doing embroidery thought I would like to have them.  A few months ago she decided she really doesn't like hand embroidery, she prefers knitting, (I often send her my had to have it and bought yarn that never gets used).  Any way she sent me a package of the discontinued DMC linen embroidery floss. I had told her I had found some about maybe a year ago and she went searching the internet to find some because she thought she should have some too. It's hard to find though every now and then a few skeins or a pack will show up.

After I bought the DMC Coloris line of embroidery floss back in the summer of 2016 my friend bought them too, you guessed it they were in the box too.

She also sent me two packages of Mesh for embroidery, she was telling me about it a while ago I was picturing tulle fabric or something in my mind.  It's more like a piece of very light weight screen fabric.

DMC Mesh

I don't know it you can see the mesh in the photo it comes with the free pattern pictured, one side is gold and the other side is silver you can use either side.  You can bet I will be messing around with it in the New Year.  I checked the DMC website and they do have it for sale.  She sent me a few wooden hoops, some needles and a few skeins of embroidery floss.

She was so relieved when I called her Saturday to let her know the package arrived and to thank her for all those goodies. She was just finishing up the last of 3 wool hats she was knitting for her daughters using some of the wool I recently sent her, yes one of those I was at Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool festival and had to buy some wool that I never used,  heck I live in Florida it hasn't been cold enough to need anything made with wool, but oh those colors, that texture if you knit or crochet you know what I mean.  My friend and I have known each other most of our adult lives, we were neighbors when I lived in NJ,  friends since high school, she has lived in Vermont nearly as long as I have lived here in Florida, we have been sending each other our unused crafting supplies for two decades. 
While putting away the floss and mesh I pulled out a few old issues of Stitch Magazine, this is the UK's Embroiderer's Guild publication though you can purchase single issues of subscribe.

Here is a link if you would like to look around. https://embroiderersguild.com/   Speaking of Embroidery Guilds, last month I finally join the Embroiderer's Guild of America and ordered a few items from the sites store.

This nifty tote bag to lug stuff around, I have a weakness for tote bags and seem to buy them from all sorts of places.  I also purchased the Logo pin and a few stickers.

EGA Logo Pin

I am sorting through my fabric scraps to plan my crazy quilt blocks for the 2018 Crazy Quilt Journal Project, I have a few ideas rolling around in my head but nothing set in stone.  I like this book for block ides

maybe the first block

The blocks in the book are constructed all wily nily rather than the few shapes I usually see.  I haven't decided whether to make 1 block a month or make a few or all 12 so I can just concentrate on the embellishing.  There is still time to register if you are interested the deadline is December 31, 2017 so here is the link:
https://crazyquiltjournalproject2018.blogspot.com/p/crazy-quilt-journal-project-2018.html

It's the new moon today too so I am going to post an ORTS report something I haven't done in quite a while.  The orts I am posting are from June to December 2017

I worked on quite a few projects in the last six months and have gathered quite a few threads, I hope to have a few more to add before the last day of December. I'm going to post over at It's Daffy Cat for the TUSAL Totally Useless Stitch A Long.  http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2017/12/last-2017-ort-report.html 
On Sunday evening I attempted to do more stitching but my fingers were still quite sore I only managed to get a few bees stitched on another project I'm working on.

I think the adhesive on the shipping labels irritates the skin on my fingers and combined with the drying effect the paper has on my hands I will need to find a solution so for the next few days I will be reading through those Stitch magazines.  I found a cute little project to consider.

TUSAL Report for August New Moon

The time has once again rolled around to the New Moon of the month so its time to post my orts for the August TUSAL ort report. Read all about what a TUSAL is here and how to join in the fun: http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html

This month my orts are very scarce and almost all of one color thread, the off-white threads are from the fraying edge of a project I am working and the blue thread is from some mending I did recently.

I have finally begun the hand embroidery on the Hocuspocusville quilt which is where all the black threads are from.

I have had some fits and starts on this project, for the last week my allergies have been so bad my eyes have been watering so much my vision has been quite blurry so I haven't been able to do much stitching since I began.

For the last few years August seems to be one of the worst times I have with my allergies with each year getting worse.

Any way that is my ort report for August and hopefully I will have a big pile of threads by the next New Moon.