Holiday Cheer

I know I've been AWOL for quite a while. On the downslope of my mission to complete one handcrafted item for everyone on my gift list. Things were going really well until I started these fingerless gloves for oldest daughter. I've seen them on a couple of blogs & their real claim to fame is that it should only take a weekend to whip up a pair. I've never knitted gloves or socks but sheesh - it can't be as difficult as I'm making it (Am I really supposed to knit with 3 needles?). I've read through the directions countless times and have started and stopped just as many times. Gonna go to my "how to" books to decipher what I'm supposed to be doing. Hopefully in time for DD to get these at Christmas (lol).
In the meantime, got some great stash this weekend. First, I'm at my favorite Dollar Tree store and there on the bottom shelf is Lion Boucle!! I cannot pass up $1 yarn but I did limit myself to 8 skeins (how's that for willpower?). Next stop - Michael's - where I was supposed to be just grabbing a small circular needle to make hats for the grandbabies. But the Bernat Matrix was shouting at me: 2 skeins for $4.00!! What's a girl to do? Of course, buy it.......
I know it looks like I've forsaken my favorite pasttime - cross stitch - but don't be fooled. The cold weather here in VA has me hibernating so there's a little bit of everything going on. The new year of course will bring new projects and I've decided to tackle "The Baptism" from Green Apple Southern Roots series. It's 239 x 140 stitches - large by my standards. I'm looking for the just the right linen cause the colors are so muted & it's definitely one that I'll keep for myself. Happy stitching, knitting & crocheting to all. Be back soon........

Hi - I'm Deb & I'm a Craftaholic!!

You've met Deb - the cross stitcher; Deb - the knitter/crocheter; now meet Deb - the painter. A few years ago I discovered that the Pottery Factory in Williamsburg, VA offered tons & tons of unpainted figurines. There are santas for every month of the year, and angels, and Buffalo Soldiers & Tuskegee Airmen, and lots of children. All of them just begging to be brought to life with an imaginative mind and a bit of acrylic paint. I travel back to Williamsburg often to restock my stash but I thought I'd share some of my holiday works. Yet another craft jockeying for attention, but true to the crafter's creed - I can do it all........

BTW, finished 'Skip Rope' and crocheted 1/2 dozen more caps but that's well short of the 30 I planned to finish by the end of November. Oh well, deadlines were meant to be broken. I'll have pics tomorrow.

My Soul Is Fed By Needle & Thread

Doesn't that title just sum it all up? I saw it while blog hopping & quickly jotted it down (Would love to have it as a bumper sticker!). Can't believe a week has gone by since I last blogged. Trying fiercely to put a dent in my holiday stitching "to do" list. This Twisted Threads design has always been one of my favorites so I completed another one on a pillow cover. Left off the words and used a metallic gold for her earrings instead of the yellow-fill of the original. Amazing what a few changes will do. I like them both but the mocha sistah seems to have more attitude...... I'm sure it's just my imagination. I have the next four days off from work and I'm looking forward to finishing both "Skip Rope" and "Spiritual". I started Spiritual at the beginning of the year as a gift for my friend's mother. Unfortunately, she passed before I could finish it so I sadly put it aside. But she deserves to be finished and plans are now to give it to my friend as a Christmas present that will always honor his mother.

Fall in Virginia

I love Virginia in the fall. The leaves changing colors are gorgeous!!! I've added a few minutes to my commute so I can drive down the parkway along the river everyday. So of course, my mind is full of thoughts of knitting sweaters, afghans, hats & scarves. My stash of knit/crochet patterns rivals my stash of cross stitch charts but I'm always on the lookout to add a little something. Yesterday I came upon this Berrocco pattern that I love. It's a swing crop sweater called Charlize. Thankfully, the fuzzy yarn has been discontinued, but I'm loving the shape and can picture it knitted up in something very soft. This weekend I'm headed to the Stitches East Knitting Expo in Baltimore to shop at the marketplace. I had contemplated going for a couple of classes, but honestly, if I learn any new techniques right now I'll be distracted from finishing all the holiday cross stitch projects I have going. But if I happen to fondle just the right yarn - you can bet that Charlize will become my next WIP.......

So Cute

Here's my progress on "Skip Rope". She's gonna be a cutie. Trying her out on a towel but I'll definitely do another - probably on a small pillow. Also started on my personal goal of 30 crocheted caps for Save the Children's "Caps to the Capital" project. I read on one of the Yahoo boards that the latest count is 7,403 caps from 820 participants. The program only runs until January 2 and this count falls well short of their target goal of 250,000 caps. Hopefully, there are lots of folks like me who are working to get their caps together. Here's what I managed to crochet this weekend in between cross stitching. As you can see, quite a difference in size depending on the yarn type. The pattern calls for a 10 inch cap (since most of the newborns are undersized). Boy oh boy are they tiny!!! Guess I'll become a public stitcher & work them on my daily metro ride & lunch hour. I hope to exceed my goal & mail the contribution by the end of November.

Sharing2

Here are a couple more patterns I'd like to share. The first is a 1994 chart called "African Rainbow" from Jakki Dukes Cultural Stitches, Shaker Heights, OH. I actually only stitched the four figures on the left as a pillow. Wasn't one of my favorites to stitch but the final product was nice. I got bored with the lack of facial detail but it was still a lovely piece highlighting the different shades of african ancestory. Gifted it to my aunt without taking a pic. During my last visit, I spotted it still on her living room sofa.
The next chart is the Gemini zodiac chart from Julie Hasler's Fantasy Cross Stitch book. Found the book on ebay and it has some fantastic designs. The Aquarius piece is a current WIP. To me this one has a look of Egypt meets Africa. So cool...........

Life is So Good.......

Wow - what a fantastic week I've had. Charlotte, NC is a lovely city. Gawking at the landmarks, the houses & the skyline made you forget you were walking 39.3 miles (well, almost). No blisters, but plenty of joint & muscle aches. Just reminds me that I'm not the spring chicken I used to be. My Weight Watcher buddy, Priscilla, was a perfect walk partner and a reminder that angels come to you in all sorts of ways. Who would have thought that meeting someone in cyberspace on a message board would start a great friendship. Which brings me to my other fantastic achievement this week. I am the "Blog of the Week" in the current edition of Black Purl Magazine - WAHOO!!!!! To get recognized for doing something you love has to be the ultimate compliment. I started this blog in May when I officially became an "empty-nester" to get connected to other stitchers and crafters to learn, share, and socialize. I've gotten all that and so much more. Knowing that I wanted to stitch more than just the popular samplers, teddy bears & flowers, I made it my mission to find the more unique charts. Now that I get a chance to showcase them, it's wonderful. I'll stop short of thanking the Academy & making my acceptance speech (lol) ............. Be back soon with updates of WIPs and more previews of charts. Thanks everyone!

Walk, Walk, Eat, Walk, Walk, Sleep

Headed to Charlotte, NC tomorrow for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. Two days - 39 miles......... raised $2,466 for the cause. Take care & I'll have pics next week.

I've Been Tagged!!

I have been tagged by Sharon. The rules; List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether or not they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to. These are my current favorites:

Looking For You: Kirk Franklin
Imagine Me: Kirk Franklin
DejaVu: Beyonce
In My Mind: Heather Headley
Alright: John Legend
Can't Let Go: Anthony Hamilton
Money Maker: Ludacris

Now I'm tagging:
Vera - Vera's Crafty Blog
Renee - Sticky's Little Girl
Carol - Garden of Stitches
Nasheikah - Black Purls
Nik - Nik's Knits
Deborah - Daily Dilemmas
Lauren - I'll Cross That Stitch When I Come To It

Heavenly Comments

I have been truly humbled by the comments I've received here. I love all my stitching & it brings me joy to know that others admire or appreciate the final pieces. Thanks to all who have reached out to send those heavenly comments my way. Last week Michael's had another of their 50% off coupons. I love these bargains cause it gives me a chance to buy a kit that I usually bypass & this time I lucked up on this beauty. It is "Three Yoruban Women" by Dimensions. Aren't the colors gorgeous?? Not sure I'll use the black Aida that's provided - it screams to be done on linen (you taught me well Sharon!). With so many holiday gift projects vying for my time, I'm setting this aside to be my first project of the New Year. In the meantime, I started this small project on a Charles Craft Showcase Huck Towel. Found the chart on eBay in a booklet from Cross My Heart called "Shoo Fly Pie". This adorable little girl looks like she could skip rope right outta the picture. I've broken Stitcher's Rule #1 by starting at the bottom instead of the middle. The stitching area is gonna be tight & I figure it's better to have the top of the jump rope outside of the area instead of her feet. Haven't gotten too far along this weekend but she should go quickly. Maybe I can finish her before I leave at the end of the week for the Breast Cancer Walkathon.

Linen Finish

Drum roll, please........ I finished my first linen piece - the Better Homes & Garden's Alphabet Heart Sampler. Chose the DMC verigated floss in shades of gold & brown that I'm very pleased with. A perfect beginning piece for linen cause I could concentrate on the technique instead of color changes, etc. O.K. on to the next project.

For My Lil Spiderman

Here's my oldest grandson last Halloween. He's 6 (and a half - he'll tell you). He's probably the biggest Spiderman fan in the world. He loves to jump from tall buildings (o.k. the swing set) in a single bound. We have to constantly remind him that even Spiderman has a web to hang on to. Anyway, when he started first grade in September I promised to make him a Spiderman mini-blanket for his cot at after-school care. Believe me not a day went by that he didn't ask how much longer until I finished his blanket. Today he's all smiles cause it's finished. I found the Spiderman duplicate stitch chart online and used a navy blue acrylic (I know - but he's a kid) yarn from my yarn-fairy stash. I was so worried that he wouldn't recognize the character in stitches so the sound of "Memaw, that looks great" made me jump for joy. This is one of those Ah-Ha moments that reminds me why I love to stitch. Of course now the 4-year old wants to know can he get Elmo on a hat. Off to find another chart.....

Sharing

My love of art depicting African American (AA) images flows directly to my quest to find cross stitch charts bearing images that mirror my heritage. Some designers are progressive enough to provide skin tone alternatives with their designs. But sometimes it's nice to find a chart that reflects the heritage. Over the years, I have built up a stash of AA charts that I'd like to share. Someday I will have stitched them all (post retirement) but in the meantime I'll feature those charts here on the blog from time to time for those that may be interested. The most popular ethnic charts are the Green Apple designs, which are widely available, so I'll skip those & focus on some of the more rare charts. I'll start with "African American Father Christmas" from Alma Lynne Designs. It's been around since 1993 but hard to find. The stitch count is 195 x 126 and actually has about 4 dozen colors. My idea of a definite challange.........
One of my other favorites (and not so challenging) is this simple chart from Designs by Judith Lynn, Inc. Stitched completely in black , it also was released in 1993 and has 154 x 104 stitches. Will definitely give you lots of practice in backstitching.
Thanks for letting me share. I'll probably feature a couple more each week. In the meantime, back to WIPs.......

OMG - It's October Already?

I can't believe we've slipped into October already. I had such big plans for handmade Christmas gifts plus Holiday Craft Shows & I feel like I'm just crawling along. On October 21 & 22, I'll be walking 39.3 miles in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This is my 5th year walking & I'm parterning with one of my Weight Watcher message board buddies in Charlotte, NC (instead of my usual D.C. walking). We have never met face to face so I look forward to meeting & talking all 39 miles. The training has really eaten into my stitching time but judging by the aches & pains in my joints, this may be my last marathon walk.

Meanwhile, I only have 5 letters left to stitch on the Alphabet Heart - that will be a gift for my best-sistah-friend. I've finished the knitted afghan for my grandson & started the duplicate Spiderman stitching. Just hoping it truly resembles Spiderman when I finish & not just a red & blue blob. I've done well on completing several art projects (plates, tiles, & figurines) for my table at the next few craft fairs but need to finish the stitched pillow, pot holders & other UFOs. In other words, can somebody make a few more hours in the day? By the end of the week I should be posting pics of both the Heart & the afghan.........

Just A Quickie!

Daughter asked me to make a scarf to complement her coat. Grabbed this from the yarn-fairy stash & worked it in the carpool & on my lunch hour this week. Looks like the yarn may have been saved from the 70s so I guess it's officially "retro". Well, TGIF!! My weekend goal is to finish the Alphabet Heart Sampler as well as my grandson's knitted blanket featuring Spiderman. The weather's really cooled down just in time for the first day of fall, so this weekend will be perfect for stitching, knitting and football.

Stash and Progress

Took a quick biz trip to New Orleans last week then spent the weekend with oldest DD in Shreveport. She's settling nicely in her new apartment & new job. It's such a blessing that both of my girls are grown & on their own - it brings me joy to see their lives unfold. While in the Big Easy I visited Acadian Corner, a LNS in Metairie, that has quickly become one of my favorites. My first visit was a few months after Hurricane Katrina - the owner said the store faired much better than her home, so they were keeping part-time hours. If I had to guess, I'd say that all the beautiful Mirabilia angels that line the walls of the store had something to do with it.......... Anyway, I ran through one day during lunch break to make sure they were open & to my surprise they're back to regular hours. Of course I managed to do a little damage (to my wallet) in under an hour. To satisfy my new linen fixation, I picked up vintage cashel linen, hand-dyed linen, & jobelan (somebody has to educate me on these fabrics - I just go for pretty). Also added "Emma's Garden" by Lavender & Lace and Lanarte's "Butterfly Fairies" to the chart stash. I'm partial to angels, but the detail and femininity of these angels are gorgeous. Didnt find a LNS in Shreveport, but there was a Hobby Lobby - and they were having a 50% off sale (does it get any better?) Only had one suitcase so I limited myself to their framing mats. Got about a dozen very unique textured mats that will go well with all my finished WIPs. So I better get back to work. Speaking of which, here's my progress on the Alphabet Heart:

The Ensemble

When Terry McMillan's first edition of Waiting to Exhale was published in 1994, the front cover was a painting by artist Synthia St. James called "The Ensemble". I immediately loved that book & that picture. In 1998, I sent Ms. St James a handtowel stitched with the image. She loved it and responded with instructions on licensing her images for cross stitch designs. I hope to pursue the whole chart design concept when I retire in a few years & have unlimited time to commit to my creative side. Last night I came across a tee shirt that I started using the same design. It's still one of my favorites reflections of sistah-friends. I plan to finish it to wear as I do this season's holiday craft shows.

My Own Yarn Fairy

I stopped in my local craft store to purchase the red yarn needed for the Spiderman duplicate stitch in grandson's (almost-finished) afghan. When I got to the register the salesclerk asked if I was a big knitter (Duh, is the sky blue?)? We chatted about knitting, crocheting & cross stitching - thank goodness there was no one in line behind me. She said she had cleared out the odds & ends in her yarn stash with plans to donate it to the store for their classes but the amount that the instructor took didn't put a dent in what she brought. She really didn't want to haul it back home (her husband was soooo happy to have it gone) and would like to gift it to a fellow crafter. She took a quick break & we went to her car. When she opened her trunk I gasped........... we're not talking about a corner stash of yarn - the trunk was full!!!! She said she was embarrassed that over the years she had managed to collect so much & we laughed because of course this was only the odds & ends (1 - 2 skeins) of each color - not her main stash. All I could think was that she certainly had plenty of "Stash Enhancement eXperiences (S.E.X.) over the years. I was proud of myself - I showed great constraint - I did not take all the yarn (to her disappointment) but I've added significantly to my own stash. To celebrate this random act of kindness from the Yarn Fairy I am taking a cue from Renee and setting a goal to make 30 knitted/crocheted caps for newborns for Save the Children's Caps to the Capital Project . I'm tagging each cap with both my name & my yarn fairy's name - without her there'd be no stash.

Progress Pic

O.K. - I have converted. After years & years of aida & evenweave, my first experience with linen is "da bomb"! I've had to make a couple of changes in my stitching style though. My daughters gave me a lap stand for my birthday last year which was gathering dust in the corner. I've always held my stitching in my hands but the stand makes working on linen so much easier (let's face it - these eyes ain't what they used to be & stitching "over 2" can be hard to see!). Took a minute to get used to placing hands in front & back of work but I'm up & running now. Here's my progress pic. Lovin the DMC variegated floss!! I've always believed that stitching on linen looked soooo professional. This spurs me on to finally tackle a couple of the Lavender & Lace charts in my stash. But first let me finish this up. So back to my new best friends - the stand & lamp........ Oh yeah & thanks Sharon for inspiring me - you're a gem!!

Getting Organized

I am loving this empty nest!! I had really planned to spend the Labor Day holiday up to my elbows in stitching but got side tracked after a trip to Target. Decided I was ready to transform one of the kid's rooms into my office/craft storage room. The office part was easy - just a desk & a couple of tables for my scanner, fax, and laser printer (can't believe I had all that stuff in the corner of my bedroom). The fun part was the craft space - Found this great 2-drawer wire basket, just perfect for storing floss. I've bundled the floss by number so the colors are easy to find. Then bought some really cute flourescent magazine & file boxes and organized my cross stitch, crochet & knitting patterns. Even found a clear storage box for the stash but I'm not crazy about that - will keep looking for something better. It all came together with the wrought iron shelving units I use for my craft shows. So here's how it ended up. I'm on to the next room. Would love an actual crafting room with a big old comfy chair, Ott light, sewing machine and crafting table, but I guess it's only proper to have a guest bedroom for the kids to sleep in when they visit. Oh well, a girl can dream,huh?? Should have more pics to post of the alphabet sampler in a few days.

My First Linen Piece

I love the Heart Alphabet freebie from BHG so much, it's my first attempt at stitching on linen. My LNS - In Stitches - no longer carries the linen floss listed on the chart so I chose a verigated cotton in shades of yellow & brown that compliments the Tea Linen. The pic is awful - will take a better one in a couple of days when I've completed a few more letters. Thanks again Sharon for suggesting linen & motivating me.

Back In Stride Again

It took an evening of going thru my stash to get me motivated again. So I'm cross stitching after work, knitting at bedtime, and painting figurines on the weekend. My goal is to have at least one hand-crafted item for everyone on my Christmas gift list as well as putting together a decent inventory for this season's holiday craft shows (that's why I had to get past my "bored" phase). Just love doing local craft festivals. The spring & summer festivals have passed me by this year (too much going on) but plan to make as many of the holiday craft shows as I can. My showcase website is Stitches of Heritage. Not doing any internet sales; just documenting merchandise, what I've done, where I've been, etc. Lots of stuff is one-of-a-kind so that sight gives me a chance to keep pics of stuff that has sold & stay in contact with the folks I meet at the festivals. Maybe once I retire, I can open my dream arts & crafts shop...... In the meantime, I worked on "Blessings" - from Forever in My Heart Designs. The pic doesn't really highlight that it's on white-birch aida using Silk "N Colors thread. Lovin' it - my first time using hand dyed silk thread & it's wonderful. Planning a trip back to LNS to pick out silk thread for the BHG Alphabet Heart freebie. Of course that's afer I finish the bottom row of leaves on this one. Here's another reason I should visit my stash more often: I discovered this WIP that I forgot about - it's "Going to Market" from Dimensions. Not only did all the colors catch me eye, but the background leaf pattern should be fun to do. So you see I've gone from bored to craft-crazy. If only I could play hooky from the bill-paying job for a while -

R U Ready 4 Some Football???

Yes - it's that time of year again. Since I can't cross stitch & pay attention to the game at the same time, I usually have a knit/crochet project for game time. This is my pre-season offering and it's for my Mom who loves shades of gray....... I realized the last afghan I made for her was over 10 years ago. It was really fun working with granny squares again. Next is a knitted afghan for my grandson. I found a Spiderman duplicate stitch to put in the corner that he's gonna love ...........

Another WIP

Yep - that's right; I'm bored, bored, bored. Keep starting new projects only to put them down after a few days. Don't know whether I should switch to smaller projects (that I can finish real fast) or jump into something really big & challenging. Here's my latest WIP. I'm inspired by Sharon to start working on linen. Maybe that's the answer - something outta my element. Will check thru my patterns tomorrow & make a trip to the LNS (just what every stitcher needs for motivation) for linen that catches my eye.