Plaid Trousers - Happy Dance!!

I just finished putting the last of the beads on Plaid Trousers.  I’m so happy to have this UFO completed.

Plaid Trousers - update #6

I just finished all the words on the poem Plaid Trousers.  I’m not a fan of french knots, so I still need to go back and add all the beads for dots on the letter “i’s” and periods at the end of the sentences.  I’m so happy to have this project almost complete.  I hope to finish it tomorrow and take a photo in the daytime showing the whole poem.

Plaid Trousers - update #5

Here is my progress from today.  3 1/2 lines (including the authors of poem) until I’m finished.  Then I still have to stitch the words PLAID TROUSERS in different colours.  Still hoping for a Happy Dance tomorrow, keep your fingers crossed.

Plaid Trouser - update #4

Here is my progress from last night before the weekend starts.

Plaid Trousers - update #3

I only stitched a few words on Plaid Trousers.  

Today I continued to work on my theatre scrapbook.  I stuck programs, tickets, and photos from 5 more theatre plays onto coloured paper.  I only have 23 more plays to go.  Then I will stick them all into the scrapbook.  Tomorrow I hope to finish the last 3 plays from 2017.

Plaid Trousers - update #2

I am so happy with my progress from yesterday.  I was able to stitch for several hours.  I finished 3 full lines of text, along with 3 half lines of text.

I need to go back and finish the line that says PLAID TROUSERS in coloured floss, still deciding what colours to use for stitching those words.  I will continue stitching with the blue hand dyed floss.  As you can see in the poem below, I am starting the last paragraph.  I need to frog the letter “P” in the last line I stitched yesterday ... Be proper and p, because I miss counted and it is too high.  I hope to finish stitching this project by the end of the weekend.

Plaid Trousers - update #1

Yesterday I started working son Plaid Trousers again.  I only got 2 1/2 lines completed.  I had to frog the first line because it was up to high and touched the line above it.  It is slow stitching because I wasn’t using a scroll frame.  It is a big piece of fabric to hold onto while stitching.  The fabric is also not serged and keeps fraying on the edges, so today I will reattach it to my scroll frame (floor stand) then I can use both hands to stitch.  Even with all these issues, I’m still very happy with my few lines of progress.  The line I’m working on is the half way point in the poem.

UFO's

I’m a one at a time stitcher most of the time.  I will sometimes have a huge project and a very small project going at the same time.  In the past, I have also put a project aside to work on something that has a deadline.  I have always tried to finish every project that I start, but I do have 2 that I put in the UFO pile over the years.

UFO 1 (my oldest)
Cabin Fever -  Started sometime in 2009.

I have already decided that I will never finish this project.  I bought it as a kit at Michael's.  I don't usually buy kits.  I should have used my own fabric, because I prefer 28ct evenweave and this kit has 16ct or 18ct aida.
Here is a photo from the last time I stitched on it August 2009.

Last year, I found a puzzle of the same picture/name I bought it right away.  After all these years, I will enjoy building the puzzle more than stitching it.

UFO 2
Plaid Trousers - Started December 20, 2012

The project is being stitched on 28ct light blue evenweave, and I'm using Caron's Watercolour called Twinkle.

I stopped working on this project because I disliked the chart/pattern.  It is supposed to look like handwriting, so every letter looks different.  I like things uniform and symmetrical, so it bothered me trying to stitch the pattern.  I tried to rework each letter as I was stitching, but it got confusing and wasn't centered on the fabric.  I pulled out almost every stitch I put in, so I put it aside in 2013.  

This is what it looked like in 2013 when I last worked on it.

Should I continue?  

Should I frog and start over?  

Should I rework the pattern in Pattern Maker by HobbyWare (cross stitch program I use on my PC). 

Every year I think about finishing it, but never get around to it.  Well this year, I made a decision.  I really want to finish it this year, so this week I reworked the pattern in Pattern Maker by HobbyWare. I'm only stitching the poem words not the decorations around it.  I will try to find some plaid golf pants (stickers or scrapbook paper) to decorate the mat around the cross stitch when I frame it.  

No stitching tonight ... Just planning

I didn't get any stitching done tonight.  I have always been 99% a One-at-a-time stitcher.  Having too many projects on the go stresses me out.

Here are my big projects to work on at home using my floor stand.

1. Finish Snowman Wisdom.

2. Decide what to do with I Shall Wear Plaid Trousers (UFO started 3+ years ago).

This is my progress ... but I'm not happy with the chart (letters/words are not always the same).  Do I continue or frog and rechart the words.

3. Paradise - start and maybe finish.

I will bring small Just Nan projects to my Tuesday Night Stitcher's Club.  These are not in any particular order.

1. Miss Witchy Mouse 

2. Witchy's Sister Mouse

3. Juliet Mouse

4. Gingerbread Reindeer Mouse

5. Gingerbread Angel Mouse

6. Emma & Eliza's Christmas Tree

7. Romeo Mouse (not released yet)

8. Fifteen Floral (15 sided Biscornu)

Twinkle and coffee?

I went shopping last Tuesday night at my LNS (Stitcher's Place) the Carrie's Creations Twinkle floss arrived. I guess I have no more excuses, I need to get Plaid Trousers finished. I bought 2 skeins just in case, don't want to run out again.




I also received my special order 28ct Coffee Lugana (evenweave) and Santa's Stockings for my Santa's Village. I want to start this project after Plaid Trousers, hopefully at the beginning of May (remember I'm a One At A Time Stitcher so too many projects make me stressed).




I did start a small project to take back and forth to the Stitcher's Club. I am designing a Needlebook cover that I'm stitching in purple (my favourite colour). I will design each page as I go.




I haven't had time to stitch at all this weekend. We spent all day Saturday and this morning putting in the Dri-Core (subfloor) in our basement renovation. The only room left to do is the laundry room. That will be another weekend. It is hard to take out the washer and dryer when I'm doing laundry.
Time to make a cup of tea and sit and stitch.
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IHSW update

I didn't get much stitching done on Sunday either. I spent the day doing laundry, sitting in my hot tub and a trip to Costco. Here is the little bit I did get done.




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IHSW and Canada Blooms

This is IHSW (International Hermit Stitching Weekend). No time to stitch today. Sunday I will be working on Plaid Trousers. Haven't touched it in weeks. I'm waiting for more hand dyed floss (Caren's Creations), my LNS has it on order. I will stitch as much as I can with the floss I have left. That's why I had time to work on Honey Bunny without guilt. Before photo below.



Dave & I are driving to Toronto to Canada Blooms (huge flower/garden/landscape show at the C.N.E.). It started yesterday March 15th and runs until Sunday March 24th. I remember going once before, a long time ago when our boys were very young. I'm looking forward to spending a day pretending that it is spring/summer.


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March Goals

March Goals
Finish Plaid Trousers poem for my husband's 50th Birthday on the 24th.
I won't have time to stitch on anything else this month.

February Goals Review
Stitch an ornament - yes, my 3D miniature house
Stitch a few lines on Plaid Trousers - yes, two rows
Plan my ornaments for the year - no




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Theme-a-licious and IHSW

It is International Hermit Stitching Weekend. If you would like to learn more or to participate in IHSW and/or Theme-a-licious, you can follow the links on the left hand side of my blog. This weekend I will be working on Plaid Trousers and/or 3D Miniature House.

It was also the Theme-a-licious mid month update yesterday. Figural February is the theme, I'm pretending that there are people living in my 3D Miniature House, so I can continue working on it.

Here are my before photos. Plaid Trousers, I haven't touched since December. 3D house, I have almost finished stitching the walls.








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Plaid Trousers update

I started plaid trousers on December 20th. Here is a progress photo so far. I'm not really enjoying this project, I don't like it when a designer doesn't keep the letters consistent throughout the design (each letter A should be stitched exactly the same way and they are not). This drives me crazy, so I spend more time stitching and taking it out trying to make them all look the same. I'm only stitching the title and poem for this one. I will add charms and hoping to find a plaid mat when framing it.




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Happy New Year!!

Well it is the start of a new year, so I think it is time to post my stitching goals for the month and the rest of the year.  I only stitch one project at a time ... but I'm going to have two on the go.  One big project for at home ... Plaid Trousers, then Puple or Garden Chair.  I will have small ornaments (travel projects) to work on at the Tuesday Night Stitcher's Club.  When I have too many projects I feel overwelmed and nothing gets accomplished.

2013 Stitching Goals

When I am an old man, I Shall Wear Plaid Trousers

I want this completed for my husband's 50th birthday (March 24th)

When I am an old woman, I Shall Wear Purple

This is for me, it is the companion piece to the Plaid Trousers.

• Garden Chair (Miniature chair by The Cat's Whiskers)
• I bought this a few years, I love it ... but it scares me (I only stitch on 28ct over 2) and fascinates me at the same time (I love dollhouse miniatures). 
• I will be using 32ct Ecru evenweave (stitched over 1), with purples/green/beige colour scheme. 

• 3D Ornaments (Biscobud, Biscornu, Pendible, Humbug and anything else I can find)
• I have a tray that I'd like to finish (stain), just need to find the perfect cross stitch pattern to fit inside it.

January Goals

• an ornament (or maybe two) with a tree or wreath theme
• stitch a few more lines on my Plaid Trousers poem
• plan out the placement of garden chair parts on the 32ct ecru evenweave (start backstitching the shapes on the fabric)

IHSW, TUSAL and a new start

My weekend was so busy ... We finally got the basement painted. We did some Christmas shopping, wrapped all the presents, put up the Christmas tree, then we put all the presents under the tree (our sons are adults now). I had more trouble trying to keep our turtle from climbing on the presents. She just wanted to be under the tree. Here is a photo of our tree.




It was IHSW this weekend and the only time I had to stitch was an hour on Sunday night in between laundry. I don't have much to show because I started. New project. When I'm Old I Shall Wear Plaid Trousers. Most of my time was spent preparing the fabric on my scroll frame. Here is a progress photo.




And here is a photo of my December TUSAL.




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