Obsession... Confessions of a Serial Starter

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Cirques des Cercles = Insanity

This design is driving me nuts! I have started it SEVEN times so far and am still not happy. The interaction between the thread colors, fabric colors, and fabric counts are just not popping. I've given up on using Fraises du Bois. It's just not dark enough. It would probably be okay 2 strands over 2 on a black 32 count, but I ordered 40 count. I also tried it on 36 count rue green, the coverage is better, but it doesn't jump out. I then decided to use Havana waterlilies. I tried it on a greyish-purplish opalescent which looked great, but it's a 28 count and I wanted the design to be a bit more compact. Then I tried it on the rue green. Which looks okay, but again doesn't have that WOW factor I'm looking for. Will I ever find it? I don't know, but to that end I've gone and ordered Silkweaver's Precious Metals on 32 ct Lugana. And now I'm wondering if Poltergeist might not have been a better choice.

I despair. And I just know the men in the white coats are waiting just around the corner.

Labels: Cirques des Cercles

Posted by Dede at 10:01 PM Comments (0)

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Whoops! I wanted to delete the code for a hit counter and somehow or other ended up deleting my entire template. Fortunately, I had a not so old copy saved and was able to restore it fairly quickly. I hope no one was reading at the time -- but if anyone was. No, you're not crazy. It's only meeeee!

Posted by Dede at 11:17 PM Comments (0)

Updating WIP list

I've decided to pull some things from my WIP list.

These I'm setting aside for now because I already have another WIP by the designer: Alpine Seasons, Angel Procession, Celestial Dragon, Egyptian Garden, Fairy Dreams, Polar Lights, St. George and the Dragon #2 (Character Creations), The Dreamer, Watergarden, and Woodland Faerie. Once the current WIP by the designer is finished, I'll add one of these back in.

I've also removed Gibson's Beauty and the Beast since I don't like the way it's coming along on the Jobelan and have decided to restart it on Lugana.

Lastly, I've removed Sistine Chapel. I'm not sure if that will be a permanent removal or if later on it might appeal to me again. But let's face it, I really only wanted it because it's so HUGE.

And I added Night back in.

Labels: Rotational Theory

Posted by Dede at 10:19 PM Comments (0)

Flower Power Details

Thank you for the lovely comments! I was going to include the details when I updated, but since you're asking... The pattern is from Crossed Wing Collection. The fabric is 32 count Lugana from Sugar Maple and is called Garden Princess (scroll down a bit for the thumbnail). Mindy dyed it specifically for Flower Power.

Labels: Flower Power

Posted by Dede at 10:47 AM Comments (0)

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Flower Power

Another project that has been sorely neglected. I'm getting ready to put it on the q-snaps and thought I'd post a pic of how far I've gotten.

Labels: Flower Power

Posted by Dede at 3:56 PM Comments (0)

Selena Fenech Victory

A bit over four pages done on this one. Of course, page four was totally blank, but it was included with the chart so I'm counting it! I worked a few extra days on this because I wanted to make sure I had counted over correctly on page 5. Big sigh of relief when I found I had!

This particular piece of artwork has spoken to me the moment I first laid eyes on it. I feel that I have won a major battle, but it seems that I had to reduce my life to rubble in order to achieve it. I see in her face the same joy in victory mixed with sorrow for what had to be lost that I myself feel.

Labels: Victory

Posted by Dede at 3:02 PM Comments (0)

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Amazing the things that make me happy

I get excited over the simplest things sometimes. I'm not sure if it's sad or uplifting! I ordered the entry-way bench I saw at K-Mart last night, threw in 4 tops, 2 sweaters, a skirt, and a velour jacket for ridiculously low prices, added a Brita faucet filter (also on sale) since I am sick and tired of nobody filling up the pitcher and somehow or other managed to get free shipping on the whole lot. I really wanted the bench because I'm also sick and tired of coats, shoes, and backpacks strewn about my living room. I was wracking my brain trying to figure out how to get it home, though (Ha to my children! Another reason why I need a van!), since when I looked on-line last night I was unable to find it. I don't know what possessed me to look again, but I'm glad I did.

Now the only challenge will be actually putting the thing together. I should manage to get to it fairly quickly, though, since it is an additional not a replacement and so won't require cleaning anything off first. Unlike the computer desk I bought a year ago, that still sits in it's box propped up against my kitchen counter. That box has come in handy, though. The cats have been using it as a scratching post. If I ever do manage to get the thing put together I imagine they will have to start scratching up the furniture again. Oh, who am I kidding, they scratch the furniture anyway.

Posted by Dede at 11:36 PM Comments (0)

Sunday, March 18, 2007

A Rose Among Thorns Update

Again not alot of progress, only 1900 stitches. I've almost got the first page done, though.

Labels: A Rose Among Thorns

Posted by Dede at 1:21 PM Comments (0)

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Angel of Frost update and next rotation iteration

First, here is Angel of Frost. It doesn't seem like I got all that much done, but every little bit is a step closer to the end. I've forgotten how incredible Teresa Wentzler's designs are. The blends are a pain, but the effect is SO worth it.

I'm already looking forward to working on her again at the end of my next iteration.

The projects for iteration number 6 are:

Anything goes: A Rose Among Thorns
Favorite: Victory (Fenech)
Non-HAED: Flower Power
HAED: Luna, Sol, and Stella
Favorite: Goblin Tree
BAP: Beauty and the Beasts
Finish: Angel of Frost

Labels: Angel of Frost, Rotational Theory

Posted by Dede at 10:49 AM Comments (0)

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Requests?

I was planning on starting HAEDs Hope by Selena Fenech on the Skye fabric I just got from Silkweavers, but now I'm not entirely sure I want to do that. I was going through my patterns last night and Ballet Pigs, Sea of Roses, Lightness of Being, and Dragon Fae 1 are also appealing. Then I thought maybe I should work on one of my current WIPs - A Rose Among Thorns, Broken Angel, Land of Enchantment, Pirate & Mermaid, Red Witch, Song of the Dead, the list goes on (and on!). Or maybe I should re-start Gibson's Beauty and the Beast??? Decisions, decisions and I am not very good at making them! Any requests?

Posted by Dede at 10:38 AM Comments (0)

Want to see where I live?

This is just too cool:

My neighborhood

I hate living in a trailor park, and really want a house, but every time I see this, I wonder if maybe I should just try to get a new mobile or remodel the one I have (which is in pretty bad shape). The lot rent is pretty high and goes up 6% a year, but there's no way I'd ever be able to get another place on the water.

Posted by Dede at 10:01 AM Comments (0)

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Template is finished... I think

I think I'm done with the template for now. I gave up on figuring out how to do the expandable thingee for the archives and adding the labels. I might continue to make small tweeks here and there, seeing how I'm never satisfied. And I do want to redo some of the content on the sidebars, but that's not really layout, so I'll get to it later.

Any comments on the text in the body? I made it bigger and darker, but I'm not sure if I like it.

I'm sooooo glad this is finished. Once I start something like this I feel compelled to keep at it until I feel done. Hopefully I'll have a couple of weeks to relax and get in a bunch of stitching time before I have to start working on my final projects for my class. One of which is going to be a total redo of my "Witness the Obsession" site. I'm looking forward to getting that done, but also dreading it because I know how obsessed I can get.

I also have to do a business site. Anybody with a stitching-related business want some free web design? Seriously! I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out what I'm going to do.

Posted by Dede at 11:45 PM Comments (0)

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Still Underconstruction... but behind the scenes

It's going to take me a bit to figure this out, so I saved the new thing and switched back to the old. All I really want is to add my labels to the sidebar and update the way the archival index displays. My kids are bugging me about using the computer and I know that if I left the new up as I modified it, I wouldn't want to stop until I was done. Plus I tend to get just a tad bit grumpy when I'm trying to get something done and it doesn't go smoothly.

A side note... my daughter just came up behind me and sees the title. Obsession... Confessions of a Serial...

Yes, she did. Killer. She seems to think that's what it should say. Hmmm... then my son says, "why? because she's so dark?". My son, of course knows what my real troubles are! But it makes me wonder, what exactly does my daughter think I am??

Posted by Dede at 11:29 AM Comments (0)

Under Construction

Okay, bare with me here. I'm still messing with my template and am going to see what happens if I upgrade to the new layout thingee. I want to stick with the webset I have now, so we'll see how it goes adding that back in!

Yikes! Lots of work to do.

Posted by Dede at 10:48 AM Comments (0)

Friday, March 09, 2007

Crown of Creation Update

I've been battling a bit of depression lately, so bare with me on the updates. I haven't even stitched the last couple of days. I spent yesterday evening getting the key for Angel of Frost ready to put on the Loran project cards. I haven't worked on a project with blends since I started using the cards for my threads, and I'm not yet exactly sure how that is going to work. The day before, well, let's just say it wasn't such a good day.

I'm feeling better now and finally got Crown of Creation off the scroll rods and scanned:

The scan really doesn't do it justice. I did a lot of experimenting with the sparklies in this one. I started off with one strand of BF, then switched to two. Then I tried two with the carrier thread removed and finally I tried a half stitch with #4 braid. I figure the final piece is going to be so huge that no one is going to notice a bit of wonkiness!

I'm stitching her on 25 count pink Lugana, full cross 1 x 1.

Labels: Crown of Creation

Posted by Dede at 8:40 PM Comments (0)

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Played hookey and spent the day...

Redoing my blog template. I got tired of that skinny center column and decided to widen it. Easier said than done since the backgound image had the vertical lines on it. I couldn't get the bottom row to line up right, but I just couldn't stand messing with it any longer. I'm taking a class in web design, so that helped with the html. Now I need to find a class on how to use picture editing software and maybe I'll be set!

I finished up with Crown of Creation yesterday -- although I'd like to keep going with her, I'm going to force myself to follow my four day rule. I'll try to get a picture up shortly.

Next up is Angel of Frost by Teresa Wentzler. This is the second project I started, back in December of 2002. I then had to frog the moon and a good portion of her wing when I discovered I had turned the fabric the wrong way! I left the bit of border I had done, which is why I'm working this one from the bottom. Here is what I have done on her so far:

Hopefully she will go faster now that I've discovered parking and working in small blocks.

Labels: Angel of Frost

Posted by Dede at 8:41 PM Comments (0)

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Taj Mahal Update

I haven't worked on this one in ages! Chatelaine's are so expensive to kit up, but certainly worth it working with all the different silks is heaven. I'm using the NPIs on this one, a rare luxury particularly after the price hike. I don't know how much difference they make in the finished product, but stitching with them certainly is more fun than DMC.

I find I'm rushing through the remainder of this iteration a bit. I got my opalescent Skye fabric from Silkweaver the other day and it is gorgeous. I can't wait to get started on Hope! That'll be in the top spot of iteration #6.

Labels: Taj Mahal

Posted by Dede at 9:28 PM Comments (0)

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Broken Angel Update

I didn't get nearly as much done on this as I would have liked -- about 2000 additional stitches. I like the way the Monaco looks, but I had a real problem with pulling bits of red fiber through from the back. I don't normally have a problem with that, so I'm thinking it might be the fabric.

Labels: Broken Angel

Posted by Dede at 10:42 PM Comments (0)

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