A Finish and Frustration

This weekend was really one of frustration. But on a good note, I have a finish! Woo Hoo!! I finished the first block of the Shores of Hawk Hollow. I finished it on Friday in plenty of time to start on the CHS Adam and Eve SAL. Or so I thought.

I had the fabric mounted, threads gathered, ready to settle down on Friday night and get a little head start on the SAL. Did it happen? No! AUGHHHHH!!!!! The fabric I ordered (35 ct Onyx) - well, let's just say, I couldn't see the holes to stitch. After trying all means of illuminating the fabric (i.e., flashlight on my lap, tap light, etc.), I still could not see the holes. When I smelled the distinct scent of burning cordoroy, I decided to get the lighting paraphenalia off my lap and abandon ship. Instead of stitch ass, I was going to have hot crotch if I didn't give up. The fabric and I were just not going to get along. After an hour of fooling with it and trying to put in some stitches (six, if I remember right) that didn't look like any stitch I'd ever seen, I gave up.

So I went to plan B - stitching one of the Country Stitches designs

In fact, I was going to stitch both of them on the same piece of fabric - so I'm all set - fabric mounted, threads gathered. Well, I was going to start with the bird first as I had the oil can that I found on Ebay. The problem, the key didn't match up to the chart! Now, this shouldn't have been this hard for me to figure out, but by now I'm in a totally frustrated mood. It's getting past my bedtime and I just don't feel like trying to figure out what color goes where by the picture on the front. After the black fabric fiasco and now this, I was done!

During all this time, my family is watching me warily and they're keeping their distance. They know that something is amiss because mom is running in circles around the house, her hair is flying around her head and numerous trips are made to the craft room. They all sneak off to bed after a quick kiss (perhaps they were afraid I was going to bite them, smack them with the scroll rods or throw needles) hoping that mom will have settled down by the morning. After a while I try to settle down and start on Block 2 of Shores. But this isn't what I want to do. So, I start on the angel instead, but I really had my heart set on doing the bird. You know how that is??? I finally end up going to bed thinking that (in the words of Scarlett) tomorrow is another day.

I wake up the next morning still obsessing about the A&E sampler. I really wanted to do it. The lightbulb goes off that maybe, just maybe, I have some good old Belfast black linen downstairs. Black fabric is definitely not something I have an abundance of. Well, a quick visit to the bottom of the trusty linen bin produces not only Belfast but a piece of 25 Luguana. These pieces of fabric have probably been there for 15 years when my eyesight was better. Whoopie! I think, and bound back up the stairs. But then I sit down and think this over. 32 count over 2 or 25 count over one - that is the question. I start thinking that most of the A&E things I have tend to be on the bigger size, so maybe I should do the 25 over 1 and make it smaller. My head starts swimming again - 6:30 in the morning is too early for my brain to do any heavy lifting. So I decide not to start anything until I can kind of envision the patterns and how I want the wall to look when these are all stitched - some big, some small, some medium.

I finally end up going into my upstairs craft supply cupboard (conveniently located next to my stitching chair and the liquor cabinet ) where I keep projects that I think that I'm most likely to start next (of course, this changes as the moon goes through it's phases). I pull out The Mermaid Sampler by Carriage House. I was tempted to pull out a bottle of something at this point but refrained. No sense my family coming down to an intoxicated mother first thing in the morning (although Kahlua in my coffee sounded tempting).















I'm doing this on a lighter fabric than the chart called for because it seems like such a dark project color-wise (although my picture lightens it up a bit) so I'm using Vintage Country Mocha and I think it works pretty well. I'm liking this so much that I'm planning on spending a couple more days on it before I go back to the angel, start A&E and start on Block 2 of Shores. Whew! It was a welcome relief to sit down and stitch last night. And yes, I poured myself a glass of wine and stitched my heart out. My husband and kids crept slowly back into the room and all was well.

I didn't mention during all of this was that I was doing my normal trolling of the internet and came across the new Sampler Company "Sailor's Wife Sampler". This got my heart going because I love her designs and it would fit in quite nicely with the nautical bathroom (although at the rate I'm going that nautical themed bathroom is a long way off). So this got me going through my Sampler Company patterns and I pulled out Kind Fond Love (I also saw someone doing this on one of the boards and started obsessing - these blogs are very bad things!). So Sailor's Wife is a definite "gimme" as soon as I pick up the phone and order it. Oh, and I slapped the fabric for KFL on rods. I never know when the mood is going to strike. Threads are at the ready and this time I'll be prepared.

My relentless pursuit of the postman did pay off a little and I did get a little bit of the stash I ordered. There is still more out there, but for now I'm a happy girl.

Ode to Mary Needleroll by Dames of the Needle and Temptation by Praiseworthy Stitches. One seaworthy pattern for that future bathroom scheme and another A&E pattern.

Two of the Prairie Schooler charts. April and July are on their way and I hope to group these all together at some point - possibly doing them over one on 25 count.

Some fabric and threads. In going through my patterns, I realized that I was severely thread deficient. I'm one of those people that buy for what I'm working on and wait on getting anything for a future project, just because I change my mind so much. But in going through my patterns I realized that there were some threads that could be used for whatever project I set my mind to working.


And just today, the postman brought the other A&E that I've been waiting for - The Primitive Needle's A & E. Whoo Hoo. I don't know what it is about this one, but I love, love, love it. If I had the fabric in hand (still out there in snail mail land), this could really tempt me (and the snake wouldn't even have to be present!).

Well, I think that's enough for today. I'm hoping for a restful week of stitching and I hope everyone else gets that too. Thanks to all of you for stopping by and making comments. I love hearing from everyone!