World Embroidery Day

In honor of World Embroidery Day, I decided I was going to stitch all day.

I didn't quite make it--I unpacked another box and did some very necessary laundry and cooked dinner to bribe to request technical assistance from BDE as our old DVD player didn't know how to play with our new TV.

However, the framework is all done, and I'm going to start planting forget-me-nots and roses this evening.

I need to figure out a good place to take pictures that won't get my shadow as well. It appears I may have to go out on the deck in the late afternoon for photography. Or just let the shadow act as my watermark.

 

Framing Up

 The needlebook for Gardenesque is one of the prettiest pieces in the set. I can't decide if it looks more like a tapestry or a beautiful woven French ribbon.

The design requires a framework.

It is incredibly fiddly to work with everything worked over one thread. This much took three evenings to stitch--might have taken less time if I hadn't made a number of counting errors. Ripping out backstitches over one thread is not particularly easy nor pleasant. But the framework for both sides is now complete and I can go on to the fun stuff in the middle.

Please excuse the shadow. In the new place, I don't have the same kind of light I had in the old place--instead of facing east, we face northwest, so I don't have my lovely morning light to stitch by--in fact, we have to use artificial light pretty much all day. And we're in the midst of tall trees, so most of the light is blocked anyway.

I'm counting this as an asset since I discovered some of my fabrics have faded after years of exposure to direct sunlight. And I have both Dazor and Ott lights, so I can see to stitch. It's just something else to get used to with the move.

And, in moving news: I am now searching for my slow cooker and the box with the cookbooks I use most often. We are also wondering where the plug for the electric frying pan could be. We have the pan itself and the lid--they were carefully packed together--but the plug is MIA. I have no idea why it didn't get into the same box. It remains a mystery.

Oh, well, every day is like Christmas, since you never know what you'll find when you open a box.

National Thread the Needle Day

 I took the day off from unpacking boxes to thread a needle. After all, it is a national day--not sure who started it, but any excuse for a day of stitching is a good one.

And since I already had the needle threaded with green, I went ahead and did the needle pages for the needlebook for Gardenesque. Since that's now completed, I'll go back and do the rest of the design for the book.

We had to take a day off from unpacking over the weekend. The bin where we're supposed to take cardboard was full.

I can't imagine how that could have happened.

Leafing and Budding

 I was involved in about four hours of Zoom meetings today, so I multitasked.

I finished the buds on the needlepage for Gardenesque's needleroll:

And I started the leafy border for the needlebook for the same set:

I would very much like to continue working on this, but apparently the kitchen boxes are breeding. Dearly Beloved has found more of them. 

In my next life, I may live on take-out, rather than cooking.

As Ye Sew, So Shall Ye Rip

 I sat down to stitch yesterday afternoon, and decided to finish the needlepage to go in the needleroll for Gardenesque. Easy stitch, I thought, since I've done this same vine or a variation of it on several other pieces in the set.

Not so fast.

I had to rip out almost all of the first vine because I made a mistake close to the beginning.

Then I had to rip out again. Actually, two more times, with the exact same mistake. That's just embarrassing.

Anyway, I finally got the first vine finished, then the second one stitched, and I've started the rosebuds.

I'd say, so far, so good, but why tempt fate?

What's New, Pussycat!

 I have a new project to start!

This sweet, small sampler was designed by Barbara Jackson to memorialize a four-year-old Pilgrim, Mary More, whose father stuck her on the Mayflower by herself (what a jerk!)--and, sadly, she died shortly after arriving in the New World.

As we all know, I am a fangirl and am drawn to everything Barbara Jackson does, so this is the first of my new projects to start.

As soon as I find 6" stretcher bars.

Maybe I should have ordered a set . . . 

Anyway, I've decided to continue with Gardenesque--it is, after all, my moving project--and start a handful of new things, and to assemble some others that are stitched but not finish-finished.  The general consensus from comments and private messages was to do what I want to do and feel like doing.

That seems to be my usual M.O., so I'm going with it.

In unpacking news--amazing what 10 hours of sleep will do for a person--I have already unpacked six kitchen boxes this morning. There may be an end in sight, at least in the kitchen.

Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May

 We have now been in the New Place for a week.

I have located the silverware, the box with the towels, and the toaster. Luckily, I had packed a box with enough of my everyday dishes to get by, because most of my everyday stuff is still MIA. I do, however, know where all the china and crystal are, so we can dine elegantly--or could, if the dining table weren't covered in boxes of books.

Basically, we're still camping out.

We have paths through every room.

I think we're both still recovering from the last couple of weeks, when things got down to the wire. In short, we're tired. So, we're taking our time to unpack. And we're giving ourselves leeway to get organized.

It will be awhile before we are ready to entertain.

However, I have stitched a bit, and the stitching on the needle roll for Jackie du Plessis' Gardenesque set is done.

I think I may be about halfway through with the pieces for this set. I'm almost afraid to look to see what's left to do.

And now it's time for some input.  I have been thinking that I'm in a new place, a new stage of my life, and maybe I should start all new projects to commemorate all this newness. In fact, I even made a list of the things I would like to do. And I'd really like to do that.

But I also have a lot of WIP's. Shouldn't I finish them first?

One of my online stitching groups is in the finish-what-you've-started camp. Another group thinks I could alternate a new project with an old one. I have realized that both groups are largely made up of monogamous stitchers, so that may be reflected in their opinions.

So, what do you, gentle readers, think?

The Moving Experience, Finale

 We are in the new place with about 500 boxes, some of which did not get placed in the places that were designated--so I'm still looking for all of my everyday silverware and the box of bath towels. 

My sister made the point that it took almost four months to pack those 500 boxes, so I could plan to allow at least that long to unpack them. And we seem to have a plethora of chairs, more than I knew we had.

However, we found sheets and pillows and slept in our own bed in the new place last night. We have been connected to the internet again, and we've found the grocery store and bank and a gas station, along with Tar-Zhay and Wally World.

We have to make a final trip on Friday back to the old place. There is yet one more Goodwill run to make (we ran out of time before the movers arrived) and a few odds and ends that we couldn't get into the cars to bring to the new place. And then that chapter will be at an end.

With any luck, I'll be back to regular blogging in the very near future--so, if I have any readers left, please stay tuned! I plan to be back in my happy little rut sooner rather than later.

The Moving Experience, Part Ten

We are in the final push. One more week before the movers come and haul everything that we haven't already hauled to the New Place.

I have not stitched in over a week. I have craved stitching, thought about stitching, even dreamed that I was stitching. I realized that I have one needle stuck in the Gardenesque project that goes to the weekly stitch-ins with me.

Only one needle.

If I misplace it, I won't even have the possibility of stitching.

The rest of them apparently have been packed. 

I cannot wait to get back into my happy little rut!