Purple Garden update

Page 7 of Purple Garden came off the q-snaps about 6 last night. 

Which is about the same time as my DH got home from Oklahoma.  Don't ask my why he thought he had to go.  Originally, he was going to take part of our play set down to be set up at his parents "farm".  First problem.  Dang slide was way too big to fit in the car.  Ooops!  So he went anyway.  That was ok though.  Gave us a quiet weekend.  Or as quiet as 10 8-9 year old boys could make it.  Yikes!  I don't think half of them knew how to close a door though.  This morning at the bus stop, one of the other moms told me that her son told her that I was the best mom ever.  What a compliment!

After I took Purple Garden off the q-snaps, I went looking for fabric for the Sticklounge new start.  I had pulled out Petit Sampler and looked at it and thought about it...just couldn't do it.  Don't ask me why.  I'm still debating on what color I'm think of for the new start.  I have a piece I got off e-bay last year called Chocolate from Silkweaver.  The more I think about it though, I think this will look better on a piece of plain white.  I'll have to dig through my stash some more.

So, after much deliberation, Lust came back out and I actually managed to put 100 stitches or so into it.  My goal is to at least finish page 9 and start page 10 before I move onto something else.

Andrea, in answer to your questions

Jewelweek is Jewelweed.  My fingers are dyslexic sometimes.

Gandy Dancer 1141 is actually OMG Red 1141

Wattle & Daub Premium is Wattle and Daub in premium weight.  You can find it in the drop down box for size.  I think it's the third option in the drop down box.

Custom color for Jade.  Vikki has a custom forum where people twist custom colors.  If you can get people to purchase 10 minis, Vikki will dye it.  It's cheaper to buy minis this way.  This one would cost $4.50 in the mini forum.  I did post in the main forum asking if anyone else would be interested.  I'll send you an e-mail and let you know.

Winter Watergarden update

I just finished part 8 of Winter Watergarden as far as I could.  I ran out of beads in the middle of the third set of gates so after an e-mail to European Cross Stitch, Cindy is sending more since it seems their old scale was not as accurate as one would wish.  They got a new scale and I get more beads.  It's a win-win situation.

 I think I'm going to pull out Purple Garden for part 7 which shouldn't take too long and is fairly easy.  We're having Jakob's birthday party this afternoon and the house still needs to be picked up.  After that, I might pull out Frosty Knotgarden for another little bit or Lust might come out and have another page finished.  My full year goal for Lust on the HAED BB is to finish page 10.  My half year goal is to finish page 11 (full page) and 12 (maybe 15 stitches wide) to finish the second row.  Very doable!

For now, I'm going to go unload the dishwasher and pick up my house so I'm not horribly embarassed that I'm the only one who picks up my house and I'd rather be stitching!

North gate

Here's the north gate.  Its so pretty and sparkly!  I'm so glad these stitch up quickly.  My goal is to be all caught up by Sunday night.

Caribbean, Winter Watergarden and pepto

I finally got Caribbean in it's frame!  I've had the frame for months and the glass more recently and finally decided Sunday afternoon to just get it done!  For some reason, I had to fight with this one a lot less to get it stretched and laced.  It only took a couple of hours and it was on the wall.  Sorry about the picture.  I took it with my phone and it refuses to rotate so the flamingos are at the top.

Today, I finally got done with the never ending corners of part 7 of Winter Watergarden.  I started part 8 and already have most of the outline of the top gates done.  The jessica stitches of the posts and the interior of the top gates will hopefully be done tonight.

Now, I've got to stop by the store to get some pepto for the dog.  For about the last week she's been a little constipated and the things I've been trying have not worked.  Called the vet a little while ago and they suggested pepto which sounds really weird, but at this point, I'm willing to try anything!

Purple Garden and 15 Project Challenge

I am finally getting caught up with this one!  I took a little break from the repeats in Winter Watergarden  to return to the repeats fo Purple Garden.  This is parts 1-6.  There are just three more parts to go which are similiar to the very bottom.  I got part 7 in my e-mail this morning so I'm set to go. 

After I finished this part of Purple Garden I put Petit Sampler back on my q-snaps.  I had to finish making supper and it was getting dark so I didn't work on it last night but I did bring it to work this morning.  After the boys went to bed I did put a few more stitches into Winter Watergarden. 

Andie at Stitchitandie is doing a 25 project challenge.  She's not buying any more stash till she has 25 projects completed, with exceptions.  I've decided to join.  But, I've got a few changes.  Since sooooo many of my WIPs and kitted projects are BAPs I'm going to do a 15 project challenge.  No more stash till I finish 15 projects! 

I do have a few exceptions though.

1.  HDF FOTM and VFOTM. 

2.  Fibers needed if missing from kitted projects. 

3.  Missing beads, treasures, etc that are needed for kitted projects.

So, here's the beginning of the list.

1. Chatelaine's Winter Watergarden

2. Chatelaine's Spring Knotgarden

4.  Chatelaine's Watergarden

5.  Petit Sampler (with Sticklounge)

6.  Purple Garden (with Sticklounge)

7.  Bygone Stitches One Nation

8.  Chatelaine's Frosty Knotgarden

9.  Mirabilia's Garden Verses

10.  HAED Mermaid of the Deep SK

11.  Chatelaine's Summer Knotgarden

12.  Stained Glass Window (Sticklounge)

13.  Adriana B (Sticklounge)

14.  Christmas tree skirt (kit)

15.

Several of these are so close to being finished!  By the end of the year, I would love to be able to cross at least three or four off my list.

Winter Watergarden and other updates

It's been a busy week since my last update.  Last week, my baby started Kindergarten.  Isn't he cute?  No his hair isn't red and it isn't in a mohawk.  My photography skills are what's lacking there.

Then you've got handsome big brother. who started third grade and is ever so protective of his little brother.

Don't they look cute together?

 

Friday night I finished painting my cabinet and added my hardware.  They're just simple chrome.  The drawers are painted the same color as Joshua's room.  I still have lots left so this will probably be the paint scheme in the office.  The white isn't white white, it's a color called silk lace.  It's just the slightest shade of gray.  I like it.  I sent a picture to my dad who has all the woodworking toys in his barn.  I was complaining that I couldn't make straight cuts with the saws I've got...that I want to get a table saw.  He offered me a table saw he got at an auction several years ago with a new fence that he put on.  He hasn't used it in a few years since he bought a bigger and better version that currently resides in the barn.  Only catch is I have to be very careful and make sure all my fingers and thumbs stay attached.  Not a problem...all my hobbies require those digits!!

Sunday, Ed picked tomatoes.  I tried roasting them, then canning.  Just making tomato juice year after year gets old.  These are just Roma tomatoes that were washed, halved, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with some salt and pepper and put in the oven under the broiler till they looked just like this.  I've got six and a half quarts we're going to have to try now.

And finally, Winter Watergarden.  I got behind last month.  The border is part 7 which I'm half way through.  If I can get this part done in the next week, I'll move onto part 8 which is the gates.  Otherwise, there are other things starting to call.  Thankfully, Herbularius isn't an option...yet.  My silks haven't shipped yet and Vikki is away getting her daughter ready for school.  She'll be back Thursday and it is a few days from there to here even if she ships right away. 

Questions...answered

I thought I would try to answer some of the questions that have shown up in my comments.

Andrea, you can see what I converted on Frosty Knotgarden here

Julie, I start off with pulling up the website for Waterlilies or Dinky Dyes or whatever the fiber is.  Some fibers I have from kits I did purchase and can just compare.  Others, I have to look at the on screen pictures.  If the fiber looks pretty solid, I just convert to HDF from the DMC suggestion provided by Martina.  If it is varigated and I haven't converted it before, I'll do a search on the HDF forums to see if anyone has every asked for help converting that fiber.  If there's nothing there, I'll scroll through the catalog to see if there's anything that compares just by looking at the pictures or I'll ask for help in the forums.  Vikki is really great with helping with conversions as are the other members of the forum.

Joyce, my willpower is still good.  I just placed an order for the silks yesterday.  I redeemed some points off a credit card for $$ so I was waiting for them to show up.  Today, I ordered the PTB.  I'm hoping for a little time to contact the Thread Doctor later today for the NPI.  After everything gets here, willpower might be in short supply!

Herbularius conversion

Hi!  My name is Sarah and I'm a Chatelaine addict!

Not gonna change it either...just don't tell Ed!  I don't think he'll understand.

I've been asked to share my conversion for a new Chatelaine...The Medieval Cloister Herbularius.  So, here it is!

I left the DMC.  It keeps the price down.

Eterna Silks Mini Twist
ET 4220 - DMC 700 - HDF Popinjay 3309

Needlepoint Inc. Silk.  I debated about this one.  I did the conversion from the DMC conversion that Martina provided and just don't like how the colors work together.  So, I'm going to bite the bullet and order the NPI.  I'll probably get them from the Michigan Doctor and the Lil Thread Shop on e-bay.  Just contact the seller (sorry, I can't remember her name off hand) and she's great to work with.  She'll work with you independently of e-bay too.

Caron Waterlilies

Fir WL 112 - DMC na 926 poss - custom HDF Twisted Chrysocolla

Jade WL 066 - DMC na 3815 poss - custom HDF2467/3139/3305 This was dyed specifically to match     WL Jade!

Budding Leaf WL 201 - DMC na 704 poss - HDF Popinjay 3301

Rye WL 223 - na 743 poss - HDF Examplar Firethorn

Honeydew WL 228 - na 369 poss - Willow Withies 3219

Caron Wildflowers

Burnt Toast WF 062 - DMC na -  HDF Burnished Bronze Premium (it's not in the catalog, but ask for it, it is available.) 

Cedar WF 136 - DMC 3861 poss - HDV Wattle & Daub Premium

Gloriana

Purple Night Sky GLO 025 - DMC 820 - HDF Deep Purple

Winter Brook GLO 071 - DMC na - HDF Examplar Salty Sea

Delphinium GLO 085 - HDF Alpine

Elizabethan Green GLO 117 - DMC 934 poss - HDF Examplar Spinach Delight

Crimson GLO 149 - DMC 321 poss - HDF Gandy Dancer 1141

Sage GLO 150 - DMC 926 poss - HDF Mountain Shadow

Coffee Bean GLO 166 - DMC 838 poss - HDF Jackalope 5271

Leaf Green GLO 200 - DMC 906 poss - HDF Wrasse 3315

Chocolat GLO 208 - DMC 801 poss - HDF Kodiak Bear 5137

Gloriana Florimel

Schoolhouse Red GLO Flo 162 - DMC 498 Poss - HDF OMG Red 1145

Peacock Blue GLO Flo 192 - DMC na - HDF Indigo Ocean

Olivine GLO Flo 206 - DMC 936 poss - HDF Imperial Green 3335

Dinky Dyes silk

Raspberry Ripple DD 01 - DMC 603 poss - HDF Phlox 1337

Swan Valley DD 69 - DMC 501 poss - HDF Jewelweek 3167

Mystic Pools DD 105 - DMC 333 poss - HDF Lilac Mist 2143

Gidgee DD 142 - DMC 166 poss - HDF Qing Ding 3417

Nashi DD 168 - DMC 165 poss - HDF Qing Ding 3413

Gentle Art "Simply Wool"

Cidermill Brown - DMC 3045 - HDF Oil of Amber 4115 Premium?

I haven't ordered my silks yet to see how they play together, but they should be lovely!! 

Vikki's also got some lovely 36 and 40 ct linens that come in some great colors!!

Just so you know, I have no affiliation, just a very happy HDF customer. 

My weekend...

The following picture is one I'm not proud of.  This is one of the desks in my office.  Since we moved back into our house after the tornado, this desk has been in this space.  I've meant to finish stripping the old finish off and restrip it but life has gotten in the way.  So, this desk has become a dumping ground for books I've read and just haven't gotten taken downstairs to the book shelves, bills that have been paid, etc, etc, etc. 

My to do list that I wrote this spring included this desk.  I was going to build a cabinet for everything that needs to be filed.  You can see my plans here.  I had planned on refinishing the desk and putting it in Jakob's room for homework.

Enter my husband...

He's decided that he needs to start doing his plastic models again.  So, he needs a desk to be able to them on.  Which is going in the spare bedroom so he can close the door and the cats won't be able to get to them. So we made a trip to Menards (a local home improvement store) and I bought a bunch of lumber.  By the end of yesterday, this is what that lumber looked like.

 Then I decided I was done for the day.  It's hot and sweaty in the garage! I much prefer the a/c!!

Purple Garden was still up and I finished part 5 last night.  I really like those darker flowers around the center!

This morning, I stitched on Winter Watergarden this morning and started some laundry while I wondered if it was going to rain again.  Can't hang laundry outside if it's raining, you know, it kind of defeats the purpose!

This afternoon, at Ed's prodding, I started putting my little cabinet together.  Here's what it looks like right now.  It needs a little tweaking so the drawers open all the way.  Ed helped me figure out how to install the hinges, but I need to change where they're installed to make them work the way I want.

I still need some paint after my tweaking is done, but I haven't decided what color to use.  I have some white, which is easy.  The walls in my office are called Seringetti Sands (that name has stuck with me for 6 years!)  It's kind of a tan color.  So white would definately work. 

Anybody in blog land have any suggestions?

What did you do this weekend?

Petit Sampler

Look I am awake during the day!!  haha!!  Here's part 1 of the Petit Sampler stitched with the Sticklounge group.  I'm even done before part 2 comes out.  There's a big motif that overlaps from left to right and a smaller one at the bottom of this page that overlaps to the bottom page I haven't done yet.  I'm trying to decide if I want to do them in another color.

I've been stitching Petit Sampler during the day and Purple Garden in the evenings.  I'm hoping to finish page 5 in the next day or so.

The countdown continues...

Oh, look at that.  It's after midnight again on a Sunday night and I'm just now getting a post here.  Funny how that works.  I guess today I can chalk it down to taking a long, very nice nap this afternoon.  Screwed me all up.  Jakob had a birthday party at one of the local pools that the birthday boy's mom called and asked if I was interested in having her pick up Jakob.  It upset Joshua, but I jumped all over that offer!  So, instead of spending my afternoon poolside, I got to stay inside with my summertime favorite, the air conditioner. 

I did get some stitching done around my nap schedule today though.  I've just finished another 1/8th of the border of Frosty Knotgarden.  I'm now 1/2 the way through all the repeats of the piles of snow.  At least I think that is what makes up the border. 

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, I've also made a start on a new piece from the Sticklounge group.  This one is called Petit Sampler.  It's being stitched on 40 ct HDF fabric in the color Mermaid Blue with a custom color whose name escapes me right now.  I could go find it but I'll have to post that information next time.

There are a couple of pieces that will be started with the Sticklounge group in the near future which will interfere with some of the new Chatelaines that are starting.  It's a good thing I haven't placed a new silk order for them yet or I would probably be downstairs cutting fabric instead of working on current WIPs.  Hopefully my willpower can hold out a little while longer!