Re-starting point

October 16, 2009
Originally uploaded by Waterloo Fords

I thought I would post a picture of the work-to-date on the "Spring Fairy" I'm working on. Since taking this picture, I have finished up more of the wings, and should finish them up tonight (minus the backstitching).

Yet another fairy...

Ok - one day I'm going to do something with all the completed fairy pieces I have hanging in the closet. Until then, I guess I'm just going to continue adding to the collection.

A few years ago I started working on "Spring Fairy" by Teresa Wentzler as a companion piece to "Summer Fairy". Because of the mistake I made when I did the summer fairy (stitching it on 22ct fabric), to make the pieces match the Spring fairy must be on the same material. These are some of the tiniest stitches! Last night I got it all set up on the stand, and collected all the floss (57 different colours, making up twice as many thread blends). I even had a chance to do about an hour of stitching.

At least now I have a project to work on that I'm interested in doing!

Long time, no stitch!

Hi. My name is January, and I have fallen off the stitching wagon. It's been almost 4 months since I picked up a needle.

Not sure what happened. I finished a great piece, started a new one, stitched for about 10 hours on it, and quit. I started the Michael Powell "Christmas Lights II" piece, and then promptly lost interest. Maybe the pattern just didn't speak to me. Maybe I wasn't in the mood to stitch. I don't know what happened...

Alas, winter is upon us, and that means time spent in the basement doing laundry and watching TV. It could also mean quality time spent with my stitching. I think tonight I'm going to sit down and look at my patterns and see if there is something that gets me interested in stitching again. I sure hope there is...

"Lilly of the Woods" - Mirabilia

"Lilly of the Woods" - Mirabilia
Originally uploaded by Waterloo Fords

I'm done! I'm done! I'm done!

She took forever to do (after a long hiatus in December and January), but she was well worth the time! She is going to get framed, and I'm going to hang her in my office at work...

Here are my stats for the piece:

Stitch Count: 207h x 222w
Finished Size: 13" x 14"

Date Started: July 17, 2008
Date Finished: March 7, 2009
Elapsed Time: 245 days

Total hours: 144.5
Days of Stitching: 45
Average hours/day: 3.07

Decisions, Decisions

Well, I haven't posted in a while, but I've been working on the "Lilly of the Woods" fairy, and she is coming along very nicely. I've just got the wings, some of the branches, and beading left to do. I think I should be done by the end of March, but probably sooner.

Now that I'm close to being done, though, the mind has turned to what is next...? I can't just stitch a piece for no reason. I have to have a purpose for the piece - a gift, a hanging location (real or imagined), etc. So last night Mom and I brainstormed for the next two pieces, and here is what we came up with:

Christmas Lights 2 - by Michael Powell
Secret Garden 1 - by Michael Powell

The Christmas Lights piece will be a gift, and the Secret Garden is going in our dining room.

Now I'm anxious to get the fairy done, and move on to the new piece!