The Christmas Rush...

...is almost over for one more year. It's almost time to sit back, relax, and enjoy time with family and friends. Okay so maybe not relax, there's still cooking, and visiting, and, and, and... but I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

One more day of work and then I get to enjoy 3 glorious days off. Mom and dad are hosting Christmas again this year, so I can de-stress and not have to worry about the turkey. Just dishes. lol

Happy Holidays everyone!!!!

A new journey begins

Kirsten emailed me last week to tell me that My Mother's Garden II had arrived safe and sound in Australia. PHEW! So excited for February now!! I still have a few letters to finish charting over the next couple days to complete the companion alphabet, but I'll work on those while I take stitching breaks. :)

I'm slowly on the mend from the bronchitis that has plagued me these past few weeks. Everytime I start feeling better for a few days, all of a sudden the sore throat and cough return for a visit. But I'm feeling a whole lot better over all.

I told myself that I would work on Sabrina only until I had a few days off work to get a good start on Daffodil, since one day here or there wouldn't make much of a dent. Well that time has come. After I finish my morning coffee(s) and play a few rounds of Zuma Blitz on Facebook (which btw is extremely addictive!!), I'll be pulling all my materials and getting started on Daffodil, which is printing as I type.

I was sort of putting it off as well since I have materials on the way for several other models, and if they got here before I was ready to start, I'd have to make a decision. I suppose it's good they didn't get here yet, it saves me the confusion of having to choose which one!

Sabrina had a good run - I finished the top half of the chart, and have only the metallic, white and light blue left to do on the bottom half - and of course all the beads. It's a lot of stitches yet, but they're big blocks and will go quickly. I might even pick her back up as soon as I finish Daffodil instead of something different. I'm so pleased with how she's turned out so far.

I'll try to post some pictures of her next post, along with progress pictures of Daffodil - my camera is dead, but I suddenly remembered that my son's phone has a camera on it. We'll see how that goes. Saving up for a new camera after Christmas!!

Waiting, waiting, always waiting...

I'm waiting with baited breath for my model to reach Australia... it was sent a week ago and of course I'm checking the tracking ten times a day. lol

After I finished it, I started a couple new pieces, but quickly tired of both. I think I was just burnt out to be honest, because they're both lovely, and both are normally something I'd really enjoy. I had started Rosewood Manor's Spring Quaker, and while it looks lovely (doing mine in Belle Soie on 40 ct Desert Sandstorm from Sassy's) I just wasn't feeling it. So then I started Ink Circles Turkish Delight and again, it looks lovely, but between the 55 ct Kingston linen (which isn't evenweave so the piece is slightly skewed and while it's okay for this one given it's not a square design, it still irks me a bit) and the SSR HDF threads I used which are a pretty colour but they're tangling and knotting like mad (I swear, something has changed in the past year, cause these aren't nearly as wonderful as I remember them being and they're really, really, really thin). So I put both away and figured I'd take a break from samplers for a while and pulled out Mirabilia's Sabrina that I had picked up at the LNS not so long ago. This was last Thursday. I'm almost done the top half of the chart already. Mind you the top half isn't as densely stitched, the bottom will take a little longer I imagine. I forgot how quickly these worked up!! Big blocks of colour, not a ton of counting, solid colours for the most part, so no having to follow dye patterns... I'm actually having a blast stitching her. I had intended to change her hair to dark brown, given she's supposed to be Audrey Hepburn, but I've been sick with bronchitis for the past couple weeks and just couldn't be bothered. lol Makes me kinda glad I kept collecting Mira's and Passione Ricamos these last few years even though I wasn't stitching them - now I just might finish a few of the dozens I have.

And if that wasn't strange enough - me stitching something other than samplers that is - I'm stitching it in DMC. I did convert the colours to NPI, but I really didn't want to order them and wait 2 weeks to start her so I just started (given I have tons of DMC here anyway). I know I would enjoy her more in NPI, but honestly, the DMC isn't driving me nuts yet. Suprised? I know I am. I think I just needed something totally different to combat the burn out. I'm giving her another week or so and then I'll be starting my next one, Daffodil, to get it ready for Nashville. By then I'm sure I'll be craving the feel of silks again. :D

While I'd love to post some pictures, at the moment I can't. My camera is suspiciously broken. It worked fine last I used it to take pics of the model for the Gift of Stitching piece, and the next day, Nate asks me if I had any problems with it (which of course I hadn't) so I'm guessing he dropped it and didn't want to admit it. The lens cover is all dented in and won't open or close so that would be the obvious answer. I don't know why he is so afraid to just say to me "mom, I dropped the camera, I'm sorry." I'd be upset, but I'd have a lot of respect for his honesty. This is annoying. I was planning on buying a new one after Christmas anyway, so it's not a tragedy so much as being a nuisance not having one for now.

And now off to work. Counting the hours until I can come home and stitch again. :)

Some updates :)

Well I'm stitching my little heart out on the piece for The Gift of Stitching magazine. I've got 3 more pages to go and then it'll be winging it's way down under. I figure I can tell you what the super secret project is now as Kirsten posted a peek on her blog!! I have to admit, I'm totally stoked about this! I can't give you too much information, given it's a mystery design, but I can tell you that it's a huge, colourful band sampler.

In other news... my model stitcher sent me a progress update on Tulip. This is another in the flower series, and I'm so pleased with it so far! This one is being stitched in Belle Soie silks, again on Magnolia fabric. Not the greatest pic, but it's done with a camera phone. lol

I have to admit something. It's incredibly weird seeing my stuff stitched for the first time by someone else! The is the first time I've not stitched the model personally, and even though it looks lovely, and I totally trust that my model stitcher will do a beautiful job, I'm having a hard time with it. Not sure how to describe the feeling. I'm a bit of a control freak, so I guess that gives you an idea of what I'm feeling.

Once I'm done stitching the model for TGOS, I'll be starting on another of the flower designs, probably Daffodil, since I already have all the materials for it. I'm getting together a rather large thread order for the rest of them though. In all, there will be nine designs. Yes, nine. I'll be a busy girl for a while I think. ;)

And I'm off now to make some dinner. Stuffed peppers tonight, been craving them for ages!

Online Needlework Show

The fall 2010 Online Needlework Show is now open!!

Forget Me Not and Hearts Entwined are featured on the European Crosstitch page, and there are lots of lovely new designs from many designers!! You WILL be enabled. :)

If you do see something you just have to have, take a look at the retail shops area to see what shops in your area are participating - pick your favourite shop and they can order anything you see featured in the show.

With Regard to Copyright

I've read a lot of brouhaha about this blog: http://needleworkcopyright.blogspot.com/

What I don't understand is, why?

No one is asking anyone to police the internet for us. We're asking that if you see an infringment in your travels, drop an email and tell us about it. You don't have to give your name, an anonymous email is fine. If you don't want to use your current email address, create a free account on gmail or yahoo to do it. That's fine too. We can't be everywhere all at once and see every site that this happens on. Point us in the right direction, or tell us about a site we didn't previously know about. That's literally all we're asking.

Please point out to me how it is a bad thing for needlework designers to want to protect their hard work? We put a lot of time, effort and money into designing, model stitching and producing a chart, so of course we're upset when we see people stealing what we've worked so hard to create.

If you were in a needlework shop and you saw someone stick a chart into their bag while they thought no one was looking, you'd tell the shop owner wouldn't you? How is this ANY different? Theft is theft. Period.

I've seen some things posted that made my brain hurt trying to work out how they'll help the problem. A centralized distributor? Sure it would make charts more widely available and from that standpoint it would be a great thing. But to stop copyright infringement it won't do a bit of good. Why? Because people will still take their freshly printed chart home, scan it into their computer and upload it, just like they do now. Going to encrypted electronic files? Again, what will change? Nothing. People might not be able to upload the pdf or pattern file directly, but there's nothing to stop them from printing it, blacking out anything they don't want anyone else to see, scanning it back in and uploading it anyway. Not to mention that selling only electronic files only is a sure way to put needlework shops out of business, and that is not something I'd want to see happen.

The best way I can think of to combat infringement is that all designers start selling print only charts, and that all charts are printed on copyproof paper. Yes it exists. It's watermarked and when scanned or photocopied the watermark shows up black, clear as day. This nullifies the ability to scan and upload any printed chart as the chart itself would become unreadable. Period. It also nullifies the ability to make a working copy, which would anger a lot of stitchers. Of course there are still work arounds, someone patient enough will re-chart the whole thing and upload that - happens all the time - but at least it would slow it down a bit. Infringing in this manner is a lot more time consuming. The downside of copyproof paper is that it would dramatically increase the cost of the printed chart. Some investigation into this technology shows it to be about 10 times the cost of plain paper. So is it really a feasible option. Probably not.

Other suggestions? I'd love to hear them.

What a relaxing week!!

So nice to not have to get up early!! Stay up as late as we want, sleep as late as we want... that said I'm still up by 7:30ish every day, but it's a far sight better than getting up at 4:30!! And I've noticed this past few days - no headache, no backache, no sore knees, no sore feet, shoulders don't hurt as badly... obviously it's all due to work. Concrete floors and flourescent lights and repetitive motion are bad. Relaxation is good. Not that I'm sitting about all day every day, we've been quite busy actually.

Had a quick visit at the LNS earlier in the week, would have like to stay longer, but I always feel guilty when I'm not alone and others have to wait for me. lol I did pick up a few things - the new Rosewood Manor charts from market - which are gorgeous btw - and some Kingston linen. Everyone thinks I'm nuts but I really CAN see it just fine!! I of course brought Forget Me Not with me to show off, though I stupidly forgot to bring the new one I'm working on. Will do so soon. I'd really like to be able to visit sort of once every couple weeks - even bring a piece in with me and work on it for a little while while I visit. Must start making time to do so. I also got to meet a couple more stitchers, though with it being such a quick pop in, I didn't get a chance to chat for long. :(

Also did a bit of shopping this week, and got new shoes!! Just have to post a pic cause they are sooooo cute. The great thing - also very dangerous to the bank account - about having a hubby who works in a shoe store is that I can get the latest and greatest of just about anything I want for basically wholesale price. :D Aren't these fun? I know my mother will roll her eyes and tell me I'm almost 40 and shouldn't be dressing like a teenager, but hey, it keeps me young! Gotta have fun in life right? Also picked up the new Doc Marten catalogue - the company was sold and they haven't been produced in a while, but they're finally making a comeback. Since my oxfords and boots were retired a year or so ago, I think I shall need to invest in some new ones. :)

I've also been working away at the new design and making wonderful progress. First two pages complete and I'm trying to use this holiday time to get in lots of stitching. Sort of one day to stitch, one day to wander about with the MIL. :) Today is my stitch like mad day, just thought I'd ramble a bit while I take a coffee break.