Stocking Treasure Dragon Update

Wow, has it really been two weeks already?

I started a new job where I am now working 12 hour shift work, so needless to say, my stitching time has suffered, but I've made good headway and have an update for you.

Reminder of what it will look like...

And the update.   I've discovered that working one grid at a time was beyond tedious, and I literally spent the majority of my time changing colors for one single stitch, so I am doing a line of grids at a time.   As you can see, it's going quite quickly.  I'm 80% finished page 2, and 20% done the project!

Of course this will get more difficult the lower down I travel, and I'm sure I won't be making such huge strides when I get down to the dragon's treasure, but as always, I will plug along slowly and steadily.

That's all for now!

~Rai Rai

January TUSAL

Oops, I forgot that yesterday was the 11th and that was the first date of my TUSAL.

So, here it is... 

Not the clearest of pictures, I'll admit.  I think next time I'll put a solid background behind it.  IPAD's aren't exactly known for their high quality photos either.

Speaking of photo's, I finished page 1 of my dragon.

You want to see the update now, instead of waiting a week, you say?  Well ok!

Remember, this will be the finished product....

And this is page 1 so far.

Page two has been started, and I'm trying the style of doing a block at a time.  We'll see how it goes.

~Rai Rai

First WIP Update of 2013

I realize that WIP updates are actually pretty boring.  That's why I missed posting last Sunday.  Maybe I'll do bi-weekly blogs so you can actually see some completion of the project.  With Heaven and Earth designs, the weekly completion can be so subtle that you can't really see a difference in a weeks worth of completed stitching.

That being said, I'm still waiting for a chart and supplies that I ordered several weeks ago.  I know I could have gotten the chart and afghan way sooner had I just ordered it myself online, but we have a lovely little store here in town, and I don't mind buying locally, and maybe paying a touch more in order to support my local store and being a part in its success.  I realize that not all of us are lucky enough to have a x-stitch supply store readily available - I know for several years I didn't.  So I don't mind purchasing locally. It's just the waiting that kills me.

I think I mentioned in an earlier post my love of the Gingher Designer 4" scissors.  Over Christmas, I saw a set that I had been wanting to collect for ages now. No, they aren't the "Leah's" I so desperately want, but the second on my list of wants - the "Julia's", which have a lovely blue floral print to them.  Well usually when they pop up on Ebay they go for hundreds of dollars.  So these scissors popped up on Ebay for about $50.00.  I watched as the price steadily climbed and considered putting in a bid or two, but being that it was the holidays, money was understandably tight and I didn't really need them.
It turns out they went for $69.00.  D'OH! Now I am KICKING myself for not fighting for them.

Crap, crap, crapity crap!

Oh well, I'll just keep watching the site and hopefully I will see another pair go up for a fairly reasonable price.

Anyway, here is my latest update.  I am nearly finished the first page. I think I have under 2000 stitches left to go.  I'm averaging around 200 stitches a night, which is pretty good, considering with Heaven and Earth designs, the stitches tend to not be together in clumps.  But you can see one arm of the dragon and his horns and part of his face starting to take shape.

Reminder, this is what it will look like when done:

This is page one, nearly completed:

I hope you all had a lovely New Year, and I'll see you all in two weeks!

~Rai Rai

WIP Update

Not much to report at all.  I've been slowly plugging away at this stocking, and I'm starting to see some design.  The next page is quite a bit smaller, so I'm going to give the stitching a10x10 square at a time thing a go again.  My first attempt was a dismal failure, but I'm willing to get back on that horse.

I have a feeling my daily quantity of stitching will likely go down a bit with this strategy, but who knows, it might actually be faster.

I don't really have anything more to report at this time, other than I am knackered from working 6 day weeks for the past 6 weeks, and I'm looking forward to Christmas, just so I have 2 days off in a row.

Bliss!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

~Rai Rai

More tricks of the trade

I forgot a couple of items last week, so I thought I'd just wait and post them this week.  Give me something more to share with you than just my weekly wip update.

So, here are my final two little tricks that I rely on so much.

This is my Tacky Bob.  These are BRILLIANT for beading.  On the outside they look like a pretty little CD case, and on the inside, they are sticky.  When they are brand new they are REALLY sticky, and using metallic beads should be avoided because the stickiness can pull some of the metal off.  I keep my old Tacky Bobs around for when I have to use them metallic beads. Like everything, they will lose a bit of their stick over time, but they should last a few years at least.

What I find dead handy about them is I can put several colors of beads in little piles for when I'm working on Mirabilias, where several colors can be used in a small patch.  When I'm done for the night I simply close the lid.  Those little beads sit snugly inside until I'm ready to use them again.

Clever, clever, clever little device.

This is my wax. It's excellent when you have a thread that just keeps knotting on you.  Just slide it through once or twice and voila, no more knotting.  I hear beeswax also works, but I've never tried it.

And there you have it. The final two items of my list of tricks.

If anyone who reads this blog wants to list tricks of their own on their own blog, please feel free to leave me a link to your blog in the comments section.   I always love seeing what other people do. And who knows, I may steal a few tricks to add to my own collection!

Re: the Dragon stocking....  I slightly strained my hand this week and it's been twitching and smasming, so I've been taking it easy. I haven't gotten as much done as I would have hoped for.   But it's starting to take shape.

Behold, week 2 of the first page of the project.

I find it's so much faster with the Magic Cloth.  I'm really enjoying working on it.

Well, that's all, I guess.  It's snowing hard outside, so it's perfect weather to sit in front of the TV and just stitch the evening away.

~Rai Rai

The tricks of my trade, and a new jazzing up of the diggs.

I changed it up a bit and added my own wallpaper.   I think it looks a lot better.


So, like every stitcher out there, I have slowly collected "things" over the years that make my stitching easier, organized and overall, more enjoyable.

Here are some of mine!

My darlings!   I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but I have a bit of a fetish for scissors.  Particularly Gingher Designer scissors.   They have the quality of the Ginger brand and twice a year they release two new designs.  They only release a limited number, so if you want them, you have to jump fast, otherwise you will be at the mercy of Ebay, and trust me, the prices can skyrocket for the rare ones.  I would LOVE to own a pair of "Leah" but they were released in 2003, and when they do pop up on ebay, the seller always asks for some ridiculous price, like $200 - $300.  I'm quite sure "Leah" will forever elude me.  (The scissors I have are "Charlene" - which are the purple ones, and "Alicia" - which have blue peacock feathers on them.)  Both are beautiful!

My little hidey boxes.  These are made by Just Nan. They are perfect for holding needles (Bohin needles are the ONLY kind I use. I know, I know, how the heck can needles make a difference, but Bohin's have a high shine, and they slide through the fabric like buttah!)  Anyway, these clever little boxes contain all the little bits and bobs that are so easily lost.

My needle threaders.  The silver one is the one I use mostly. But the green is FANTASTIC for threading Krenik thread - especially the braids.  It was a bit on the expensive side, but completely worth it.  It works by smooshing the braid flat so you can thread it through the needles eye.

My Q-snaps and ring. I used to have several other rings, but this one is the only one that remains now.
Q-snaps, in my opinion, are much easier to use. They are a bit heavier than a ring, but they hold the fabric much tighter.

My beloved bead box.  Officially, this is a tackle box for fishing, and honestly, it kinda smells like it should belong among dead fish. Something about the plastic here really .... well, to put it bluntly, stinks.  But every now and then I Febreeze it, and the smell goes away.  BUT, this is seriously the best bead box I've EVER had. And trust me, I've had a few.  They are easy to read, easy to organize.  I put a sticky of the number on the outside of the vial, and I also cut the number from the package and place it inside the vial, should the outer label fall off.  And the lid snaps on nice and tight, so no lost beads.  If you can put up with the rather interesting smell of the plastic, then I recommend these.  Just keep that Febreeze on hand.

This is my box of stuff - affectionately called "The Stuff Box that holds my thingies".  When I refer to it to my husband, he knows exactly what I'm talking about.  I keep pretty much everything in there.  Beads, all my threads (and finally, I can brag to you all that I have EVERY SINGLE THREAD that DMC has ever made.  (Checks one item off the bucket list.)

When it comes to being organized about my stitching supplies, I can be a touch ... um ... anal, I guess the apt description could be.  But trust me, it's the only thing in my house that is well organized.  I wish some of this deep down need for organization would transfer to other areas, like my fridge, and my pantry, but apparently it stops at stitching.  Much to the chagrin of my husband.

More boxes where I keep odds and ends that otherwise would be homeless, and likely end up in the belly of my cat.

My current project box.  I have no idea where I picked up with particular plastic box. It would have been sometime in the early 90's, likely in Eastern Canada, but I love the fact that there is no barrier in the middle of it, and I can fit full size pencils and highlighters in it.  The only ones I can find today don't have any such space.  If anyone knows where I could find this exact case, I'm all ears.

Speaking of highlighters, I used to use a mechanical pencil to color in my chart as I followed it.  Now there is an erasable highlighter! Yes, you heard me right! It's a highlighter - THAT ERASES!  It's soooo much faster than a pencil, and it doesn't bleed on to your fabric if you accidentally lay your fabric down onto your pattern.

Of course, the old eyes not being what they were, I need help.  This is my light when I travel.

I also have a big floor stand magnifier.  I love that light, and would be hard pressed if I had to choose between it or my husband.  My husband would only slightly edge it out, and only because he cooks.  But trust me, it would not be an easy decision to make.

One of my pets is a cockatoo, who loves to sit on my knee and look at me through the magnifier, line her eye up with the super powerful extra magnifier, then growl at me.   Normally I wouldn't flood this blog with pet pictures, but this is pretty funny, and kinda, sorta on topic.

What can I say? She's silly.  I've looked through the magnifier to see what she sees, and it looks normal to me, so I don't quite understand the obsession with it, but this happens almost daily.

Silly bird is silly.

Now for the latest project!!!!!  I started a Christmas stocking for the son of a very good friend of mine.  It's the "Treasure Dragon" by Myles Pinkey.

It's been 6 days since starting it and I'm nearly 2000 stitches in.  I know with Heaven and Earth designs that they recommend you do a grid of 10 at a time, but I get waaaay too confused this way, so instead I do a page at a time and a color at a time.

Here's the progress so far....

It's not making much sense yet, but it will eventually.

And I'm also stitching it on "Magic Fabric". It comes with the grid stamped on. OMG, love, love, LOVE IT!  I had to purchase from a lady in the UK because I'm not sure if you can get it in the States or Canada. But my cross stitch supplier is looking to see if she can carry it.

Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed my weekly post. I'll see you all next Sunday with a project update.

~Rai Rai

IT'S DONE!! DONE, I SAY!

Ok, so I'm not the best picture taker. This was taken while it was still in the Q-Snap, so it looks a bit uneven, but it's finished!

The little blue dots in the background that aren't showing up very well at all are 4 beads. THIS is what took me about 4 days to complete.

I love the writing. It was done one over one, so the characters came out really sharp!

I'm really happy with this.  It took about 4 months to complete.  I started it in the first week of August.

Now I'm on to a Heaven and Earth Christmas stocking, which will be interrupted by a Stony Creek afghan that is on order, and that I have a very short amount of time to complete, because my best friend is ready to pop in about 2 weeks!

Boy, I've just gotta say, there is nothing more satisfying than completing a project!  Jes saying.

~Rai Rai