The Peacock's Feather

No New News, but a Question...

I hope I am not too boring these days, or no one will want to come and visit here anymore!  I have to be honest--this past week I got in very little stitching in the evenings.  Either I was having problems with Typepad or just messing around on the computer in general, or I was completely immersed in a book.  You might know I also love to read, and sometimes I will get so into a book that I have to just sit and read it until I am finished!  Maybe tonight I will get back to stitching.  Since I have nothing new to share otherwise...I thought I could answer this weeks "stitching blogger's question":

Do you have an organizational system for your patterns? If so, how do
you organize them? If not, have you considered organizing them?  I posted this photo a while back.   As you can see I have quite a sophisticated filing system--a big plastic bin--LOL.  These are just charts.  I keep charts that are kitted up in other plastic bins.  It works well enough, since I have limited storage space and just keep the bin in my closet.  In a perfect world where I had my own luxury stitching room (please let me win the lottery someday...), I would have some sort of filing cabinet perhaps (though not the unattractive metal ones you see in offices) where I could alphabetize everything nicely.   I do at least try and keep all the same designers together, though they are in no particular order.  I have gotten to know just about where everything is more or less, however.  It would be nice to have some sort of colored dividers between the ones where I own quite a few charts to make them easier to see.   I like things very organized, though at times I feel quite disorganized! So...perhaps not the most elegant way to store my charts, but they are not squished and stay clean and flat this way!

Stitching Blogger's Question

I haven't been keeping up with the Stitching Blogger's Questions much lately.  Here is the most recent:

What's the largest project you've ever done? What's the smallest?  So far the largest project I have completely finished is Sanctuary by Drawn Thread.  I finished this several years ago and I just love it.  I really enjoyed working on it, as I love learning new stitches.  Sorry the photo is on the dark side, it is really much brighter than it appears.  It is stitched on Lambswool with NPI silks.  I have it hanging in my living room, which has no over head light hence the dark photo.  I have loads of Drawn Thread projects all kitted up and ready to go.  I would love to stitch Toccata 1 and also Souvenir!  Really the largest project so far that I have worked on is And They Sinned by Examplar Dames.  I admit, however, that I am still on the first page!!  I would love to finish it someday, though!!

Here is my smallest project to date.  I finished stitching it earlier in the year around Easter time.  It is by Bent Creek called The Littles: Bunny.  This is not a good scan of this--too bright or something.  I still have not done the finishing on it, but I plan on making it into a little fob.  I like this little series they have come out with.  I was given Black Kitty. They also have a couple not in this series, but they are also small that I want to stitch: Jig of the Ladybug, and Dance of the Bumblebee!

Squeezing in Stitching

Wouldn't it be great to have an extra day in the week?  It could go between Saturday and Sunday, and definitely be a nonworking day!!  I could finish my errands on Saturday, and do the regular Sunday stuff, but the extra day would be just for stitching (well, in my case).  Alas, that is quite the fantasy.  In reality I have to "squeeze" in all my stitching.  I don't even have any children.  How in the world do people with kids find the time to work on their hobbies?!

As for me I get in stitch time before work (about a half an hour) and during work breaks (not nearly long enough, but I can get in a few stitches anyway).  If I am lucky I can stitch a little before I go to bed.  And of course I try to stitch as much as I can on weekends.  Tonight that may not happen as I had to water my waning flowers outside, and I talked to my sister on the phone, plus all the regular evening stuff.  Already it is nearly 9:30.  I want to go read everyone's blogs, but I guess I will save that for tomorrow and the weekend.  And I still have to get my clothes ready for work (just like going to school when I was a kid), as I need every extra snooze minutes I can get before dragging myself out of bed in the morning!!

For the last few nights I have been working on my CHS: Houses of Hawk Run Hollows!  I am only working on house #3, but I am enjoying working on it again.  I am also making progress on my exchanges.  A couple I am halfway finished with, but I have materials all ready for everything else!  And I cut the material today for a sweet bag I am making for Halloween.  Now I just need to squeeze in more stitching time! :)  I am looking forward to sharing photos of them eventually!!

It has been ages since I answered a Stitching Blogger's Question, so since I have no photos to share, I will answer the latest one.

How often do you wash your fabric for each project? Do you wait until
the very end until to wash it or do you wash it more than once?

I know I should wash my fabric--at least the fabric than can be washed, but to be honest I am usually in such a rush to get started that I don't bother.  If I have used regular fabric and colorfast floss I will try and wash it when I am finished stitching.  Usually though I am using overdyed floss or fabric, so it doesn't happen too often.  I try very hard to keep all my work very clean.  I don't have it around food, and I wash my hands before stitching.  So far I have not ended up with anything that looks dirty.

Finally, now that the latest Market designs are out...any favorites?  I think I am going to have to order CHS new Christmas stocking: Truth & Virtue, also Sweet Humility (looks very long--all those words!), The Garden Glade, and Pumpkin Farm (I usually like all her stuff!) , The Sampler Workes: Petite Mexican Sampler, Hands to Work: Primitive Stitching Bags.  Also these are not new, but I think these little French Mice (on the left scroll down and click on "Lily Witch" and then click on "Famille Rats et Souris") are too cute.  I am going to order a few charts.  Which should I get--any favorites?  I want them all, but I will have to choose just a couple to start with!  Ah, new stash. So, you do see why I need that extra day???

Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week

How do you deal a "stitching slump?"

Good question.  Actually I am in a bit of a slump at the moment with a current exchange project that I am working on.  It is an ornament, and in my case I am stitching a Christmas ornament.  I am due to mail it out June 1--right around the corner.  I am so unexcited about stitching it, that this morning I pulled out all the supplies for an entirely different ornament.  I guess I can post a picture of the cast aside ornament, since that one will be for me now!  Maybe tomorrow I will pop it on to the scanner.  I just have not been able to get into it, and I would avoid stitching on it as often as I could.  So I chose a more traditional designer.  I think this will also work out better for the recipient.  Of course there was nothing wrong with the other one technically.  It is a design by Bent Creek from a book on Christmas stitchery. 

I think I am in a general slump at the moment.  I think this has a lot to do with the fact I have not had enough at home stitching time.  Where does the time go?  I was looking at my goal list this week thinking I am never going to accomplish even half of it and it was depressing me!  I guess this is my cue now, to get off the computer and go work on my project!!  And sometimes for me the bottom line with slumps, is to just start something completely different and take a break from my current projects.  Sometimes a change is what is needed.  Now I am off to stitch!

If I Could Be...

Ashleigh has tagged me to answer these questions.  I pick five and answer them and send along the questions to three other people.  So here goes:

If I could be a scientist . . .
If I could be a farmer . . .
If I could be a musician . . .
If I could be a doctor . . .
If I could be a painter . . .
If I could be a gardener . . .
If I could be a missionary . . .
If I could be a chef . . .
If I could be an architect . . .
If I could be a linguist . . .
If I could be a psychologist . . .
If I could be a librarian . . .
If I could be an athlete . . .
If I could be a lawyer . . .
If I could be an inn-keeper . . .
If I could be a professor . . .
If I could be a writer . . .
If I could be a llama-rider . . .
If I could be a bonnie pirate . . .
If I could be an astronaut . . .
If I could be a world famous blogger . . .
If I could be a justice on any one court in the world . . .
If I could be married to any current famous political figure ...

If I could be a painter...I would live in NYC, in a huge converted loft.  It would be open and airy and I would have all my painting things spread out all over, and I would never worry about dusting.  I would paint abstract paintings and have loads of artsy friends.  We would hang out and go to art openings and cafes and discuss politics, and philosophy and how they affect our art...

If I could be a gardener...I would live in a sort of French country farmhouse, and I would have gorgeous flower gardens--maybe a field of lavender and sunflowers, and grow olives and apricots and strawberries.  I would keep bees and every year harvest my olives and have them pressed into olive oil...

If I could be an architect...I would renovate my local downtown.  I would take all the old, empty buildings and convert them into affordable living spaces, and a variety of businesses and profitable shops and everyone would want to spend their time downtown.  I would make sure there was lots of green spaces, and pedestrian areas that would draw people in from all over the place...

If I could be a chef...I would work in an organic or vegetarian restaurant, and I would bake breads and yummy sweet things.  I would come in very early every morning to get everything ready and it would be fresh and inviting when the customers came...

If I could be a writer...I would live somewhere a bit solitary, maybe near the ocean or near a body of water.  I would live in an old house, and I would have one room that has a lovely view where I would work on my novels and articles.  I wouldn't be the sort of writer to crank out bestsellers every year, but I would write really literary, well reviewed books every few years to much critical acclaim.  I wouldn't necessarily be wealthy, but I would have more than enough to live comfortably...

Kits or Not?

Yesterday on my other blog I posted answers to a book meme.  So I thought I would do the same here (but stitching questions of course!).  The question comes from Sttiched with Love and Cat Hair, and as this is my first attempt at this, I will need to figure out how to link back my answer!

Given the option, would you rather buy a chart and get the material
and floss together yourself, or buy a pre-packed kit?  Unfortunately I do not have a local cross stitch store, so nearly everything I buy I get online.  To make things easier I really do prefer ordering charts that are all kitted up.  I am not a terribly adventurous stitcher, so I don't usually change floss colors or brands and will just use what is called for.  I will, however, turn to my stash of fabrics first before ordering whatever is the called for fabric.  If the chart calls for DMC, I don't mind kitting it up as I can get DMC quite cheap locally at craft stores, but they don't carry any other sort of floss.  The nice thing about kits--you have everything ready to get stitching right away.  There are times I really want a new chart, but then I have to wait for it to arrive, and then order the supplies and wait for them before starting to stitch.  So for me it is really a convenience to get it all at once.  The only downside is oftentimes I want charts that call for expensive silks or dyed linens and then getting it all at once can be rather expensive--hence my "stash freeze" at the moment.  So bring on the kits, I say!