Back in St. Olaf

I have so many projects that need to be completed (more on that in my next post).  Maybe I felt the need for a short project to get me through a long one, like a cup of sherbet used as a palate cleanser in the middle of a multi-course meal.  Maybe it's because I've been watching The Golden Girls much more than I used to.  (It's the only show that seems guaranteed to be on 24 hours a day on at least one channel.)  I used to watch it on Saturday nights with my mom, along with spin-offs Empty Nest and Nurses.  I still remember the night when they did a massive cross-over event centered on a hurricane hitting Miami . . .

Anyway, I finished this piece in a week.

I stitched this on a piece of oatmeal-colored aida cloth that came pre-stretched on a frame.  Michaels is selling them in packs of three.  They seemed like the perfect background for stitching a quick project or gift.  I love the way the finished product looks, but working on it was sometimes tricky.  The biggest issue was that they did not sand down the wood frame enough, and I was close to getting splinters from it.  If I use them again, I will have to get some sandpaper.

The pattern comes from Wee Little Stitches.  Their specialty is patterns of "pixel people" versions of characters from movies and TV shows.  I have a few of their patterns on file that I want to make as gifts for people.

This one is for my parents' friend and neighbor, Laura.  Laura and her husband have been my parents' neighbors for decades--even through several moves!  Their daughters were some of my best friends growing up, and I have so many fond (if nonsensical) memories of our families getting together.

My mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year.  Her prognosis was good, but she would still need to go through treatment.  Laura was a big source of help and cheer during this time, which put my mind at ease when I couldn't come in from far away.  I wanted to show Laura my appreciation, and she is a big Golden Girls fan, so this seemed like a natural gift.  It will also last longer than cheesecake . . .

Project Update--8/25/2015

I am long overdue for a project update.  I am slowly plugging away on the mystery Steotch-along.  In fact, I'm so slow that it is no longer a mystery to me.  And frankly, it shouldn't be a mystery to anyone else after seeing this shot of my stitching after "Week 4."

My husband is already calling this one for his work desk.  Believe it or not, I am almost done with the cross-stitches on this.  Week 5 is completing the cross-stitches, week 6 and 7 are about backstitching for definition, and Week 8 provides a quote for a final touch.  The fractional stitches (as well as all the  endless but slightly differing shades of brown, gray, and peach) are making this one a challenge, but it is fun to see the picture slowly develop into an image with weight and shape to it.

I also completed both July and August frames for Story Time Sampler.  July is "The Lady of Shalott."  This is a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson based on a King Arthur legend.  People who are more familiar with the poem were in a heated debate about whether she should be smiling, as the FPS characters usually are.  I decided to give her a more pensive look.

July 2015

August is The Phantom of the Opera.    This is my favorite frame after The Wizard of Oz.  The characters look so adorable, and I like the lush curtains surrounding them.  It brings back fond memories of seeing the musical on Broadway with my dad when I was in high school.

August 2015

Four months left!

FPS also started their latest club pattern, A Very Merry Christmas Town.  I completed Clue #1.  At this rate, I am going to run out of friends to give gifts to!

Clue #1

Things have been busy, but I am getting back into the groove and looking to new crafting adventures.  Find out more in future posts!

Moments of Embroidery Awesome

Yes, I know that I've been posting infrequently.  I don't want to leave my dear readers hanging, but I can't reveal the details yet.

I can tell you that part of what has been occupying my time is that I have been directing a production of Henry V for high school students.  The show went up at the beginning of the month, and my kids were amazing!  It's traditional for the cast to chip in and get a gift for the director.  In this case, my stage manager (and fellow stitcher) gave me a piece of embroidered art!  She stitched the names of all of the cast members on linen next to a bunny.  I believe the bunny is a reference to our favorite group game we would play for energy.  DON'T LOOK IT UP.  It will get in your head and never leave.  Anyway, I nearly cried when she presented it to me in front of the cast.

People are finding so many inventive ways to use embroidery--even animation!  One duo used embroidery to create an animated music video of "Chad Gadya," the song that traditionally closes the Passover seder.

Sure, it's machine embroidery, but I can forgive them because it looks awesome.  You can read more about their process on this blog.

What are you using embroidery for today?

The Wind Cries Mary

Sorry for the radio silence in the last couple of weeks!  I have had a lot of exciting developments in my life that I will explain later.  (I will tell you that no, my husband and I are not expecting a bouncing baby stitch.)  These changes have left me with little time to stitch or write, but I am getting back in the swing of things.  In the meantime, my mom sent me pictures of Mary's poem, which she had framed and gave to Mary.

Mary loved it so much that she hugged it.  It will be there to remind her of her husband's promise to be there in the breeze.

Project Update 6/23/2015

At the half-way point of 2015, I have already finished more projects than I did during all of 2014!

I finished another Christmas pattern, Frosted Pumpkin's "Christmas on Gingerbread Lane."  This one is for my friend Cassie.

This was really fun to stitch, with lots of bright colors and 5 different colors of hand-dyed thread.  It also has one color from DMC's Light Effects line.  As a metallic thread it is . . . substantially less fun to work with, but I soldiered on.

I also completed the June frame for the Story Time Sampler.  This month's story is Peter Pan.

I was very excited to see this month's selection.  Peter Pan was my favorite story when I was little, and the Disney movie re-release is one of my earliest memories of going to the movies.  The first acting role I ever had was as Wendy in a children's production.  (I am not entirely on board with Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  I watched a bit of it when we were visiting a young cousin, and I think it is weird that they softened up Captain Hook to make him cuter.)

Now that I have completed several larger projects, I am happy to start some new ones.

Kick it Up a Neotch

It is summer, and that means that it's time for the Mystery Steotch-Along!

Steotch is a cross-stitch pattern company that combines old-fashioned pattern styles with pop culture references.  I love the way that they take classic motifs and turn them on their heads, showing that cross-stitch doesn't have to be dainty and proper.  Those with finer sensibilities might find their patterns to be . . . ribald.  (One of these days, I will find the courage to enter "Return to Shady Thicket" in a State Fair.)

At this point, irreverent cross-stitch companies are a dime a dozen on Etsy.  What sets Steotch apart from its imitators is the complexity of the patterns.  Until now, the cross-stitch patterns I have done have all been beginner-friendly.  They used only regular cross-stitches and some backstitch for definition.  Steotch uses what are known as "fractional stitches," which are one-quarter or three-quarters the size of a standard cross-stitch.  This requires inserting the needle in the middle of a square of aida fabric.  It takes some getting used too--you want to gently wiggle the needle between the fabric warps and wefts without piercing them.  These stitches result in images with finer details than ones that use only standard cross-stitches.

This is also my first time using an effect called "tweeding."  Instead of stitching with two strands of one color of floss, you use one strand each of two different colors.  The result is stitches with subtle color variations.

This is third time Steotch has had a mystery stitch-along.  Two years ago, they began with a picture of Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction with the (fictionalized) Bible quote from the movie.  It had the same level of complexity as their standard patterns, so people complained that it wasn't beginner-friendly.  Last year, the pattern was one of Snoopy that you could customize with a number of Snoop Dog quotes.  It was much easier for beginners . . . but people still complained about enduring weeks upon weeks of white stitches against a white background.  This year, the pattern will be more like the one from the first year, but it will be spread out over a longer period of time.

Here is how my project looks after Week #1.

I'm hoping it has something to do with Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation, whose pithy statements have become a favorite in the craft world.  ("Never half-ass two things.  Whole-ass one thing." Words to live by . . .)

For modern cross-stitchers who are looking for a challenge, Steotch provides the answer.  I love the idea of creating a project that not only matches my sense of humor, but also helps me grow as a stitcher.

For Mary and Terry

My mom met Mary when they were both working at Children's Hospital in Chicago.  They became friends quickly, and soon my parents became equally close with Mary's husband, Terry.  For almost 40 years the two couples would get together socially, talk on the phone, and celebrate milestones.

Last winter, Terry passed away after a long struggle with colon cancer.  Part of his process for saying goodbye was writing a poem for Mary that he wanted included in the program at his funeral.  Afterwards, my mom asked me if I could make embroidered art of the poem.  I'll admit that I was hesitant at first because I had just completed my first commission.  (It's been several months, and I am still getting nightmares about my client calling me on the phone to scream, "I HATE IT!  CHANGE EVERYTHING!")  But even when I wasn't trying to think about it, I began to form ideas in my head of how this piece would look, so I agreed to do it.

These are the last two lines of the poem.  I wrote them out in swirling, flowing lines evocative of the wind imagery in the piece.  The first line is dark blue, with each subsequent line in a lighter shade of blue.  The last word is two strands of white thread with one strand of silver Kreinik.  I'm going to mail this to my mom, who will frame it.  My mom loves the final result and I hope Mary will, too.

Mary,
Develop a sensitivity to soft breezes
because if the dead do come back,
it'll be my words against your cheek.
Always remember, my love,
that walking through life with you
has been an honor and a pleasure.