How to Change Colors in a Cross Stitch Pattern

Paula of Paula's Needlework Addiction wrote a great explanation of how to change color in a pattern. She mentions using the DMC Color Card for help, when you are missing a color in your collection. I'd like to add that I find mine indispensable, and you'll want the card with floss swatches and not the one you print out.
These are fairly easy to find at various online shops for around $10. Just Google "DMC color card". Also you can check with your LNS to see if they have any in stock. You won't need the most up-to-date card with the "new" color variations, etc., just the one with the regular DMC line, so you might be able to find a really cheap one on EBay.

Stitching Rotation Updates and More

Camera has reappeared! So are you prepared for the pictures?

The flowers I got for Mother's Day were starting to look bad (the real ones anyway), so I don't have a picture of those. Instead you can all the petals I've harvested from them.


I'm going to dry them out and use them for air freshener, incense, etc. And these are the flowers The Boy made.


He loves his arts and crafts! This week he had a project on lobsters. He had to draw or make a model and write at least 4 sentences about the lobster (facts of). He did the bare minimum on the sentences because he wanted to work on this more:


And hubby only helped a little. He was so excited about taking it to school today, that he woke up early. Which was not a problem with me, since it seems I have steroid insomnia now (see previous post as to why). The boy has got some talent in the arts (in this mother's opinion). He has decided he wants to learn how to draw properly this summer. We are NOT going to refuse him that. In fact he has been behaving exceptionally well in school, so that he can get his own special pencils, paper, and how-to book when school ends. Which is only in 2 weeks.
He has also decided that he is going to jump off the diving board this summer. I guess we had better get our pool tags. I guess I had better around to getting a swimsuit this year...eek.


On to the pretty-pretties...

I've gotten some 10 hour blocks on a few more projects. Here is the wXSw SAL:


The "October Box":

I'm thinking the light blue is washed out in the fabric. I may go back later and backstitch the words there with a darker blue. We'll see.

And the new start, "Renaissance Bookmark" by Teresa Wentzler (a TW Designworks freebie). I'm using the recommended threads on 28ct Country French Chantilly.


The Boy's blanket square was supposed to come before the bookmark in the rotation, but when I started to work on a square, i found the blanket needed to be washed first. It seems he had wrapped himself up in it to eat breakfast and had spilt some. So I switched the two in rotation for this round.

I've also added BoINK. I'll be stitching it on 30ct Antique Ivory Evenweave and using Vikki Clayton Silks. I wanted my colors to be close to the Book of Kells (as close as a computer monitor will let me get), so I went with: yellow/gold - Lemon Drops 4201, black - Basic Black 5300 (not shown in the photo), red - OMG Red 1141, violet - Ultra Violet 2121, green - Isle Green 3213, orange - Terra Potta 4321, light blue - Mermaid Blue 2315, and dark blue - Yonder Blue 2221.

I'm really looking forward to this one so much that I broke my own "no more than 5 or 6 projects in the rotation" rule because I want this for myself. I don't even feel bad about it! Who knows, I may even end up changing more of the colors as I go. I am going to do the Project Challenge again, but buying fibers for this may end up on the exception list.

And last, but not least, I received an envelope from England for the ILCS Embellishment Exchange (we send our partner $5 worth of embellishments).

I got lots of flower buttons in wood, clear red, various shades of pink (my favorite!), some plum colored Mill Hill beads, red/white checked ribbon, and some more tiny buttons in various shapes and primary colors. Thank you Lou! Hopefully mine will arrive at your house in the next couple of days.

A Cause Close To My Heart

Being a woman, Breast Cancer Awareness is very near and dear to me. Not just because I'd still like to use mine to feeding purposes again (Yes Mom, we are trying again) or garner appreciative looks from members of the opposite sex, but because many women in my own family have had, and beaten breast cancer. And each one in their own flamboyant way (more on that in future posts).

There are a couple websites and blogs out there I visit on a regular basis (and not so regular), as well as donate to. The one that brought on this post is Stitch Pink. Kim started this blog to bring awareness of the importance of breast screening, and early detection of breast cancer to the stitching world. She is currently running a contest for this:

5 winners will receive 10 pink fibers (thanks to Laurel at Laurel's Stitchery). All you need to do is leave a comment there!

Another site I visit on a daily basis is The Breast Cancer Site. You click a button daily, ad the sponsors will donate money for Free Mammograms!
As someone who had to start getting mammograms long before insurance will pay for them. Thanks to family history, I started at 29. Most insurances won't pay until your 35 (30 if your lucky), and mammograms are not cheap things.
But today I found a shirt in their store that I've decided I've got to have. It's a tank top with a pink "vertical swirl". I could SOOOOO see myself wearing this at a concert! Nevermind the fact that many of us shop there for family Christmas presents. that is just too long to wait.

Is it Spring yet?

Wahoo!! I've been working some serious overtime lately and am ready for a vacation. Which I start at 3:30 today! Of course, now is the perfect time to get sick (I've been fighting my throat hurting the past couple of days). I don't plan on heading anywhere except from my bed to the couch, with a couple of pit stops for necessities. Updating my WIP on the sidebar too. It seems I'm a little behind on updates.

In all this extra work I've been doing, I finally got the rest of my Stash-To-Go cataloged and posted (http://ets-stash.blogspot.com/). Well almost all of it. There's still a few things that got stored someplace I can find (in other words, I put it someplace safe and now can not figure out where...I really need some decent sleep), but those will go up as I find them.

So head over and find something you have to have.

You know you want NEED to add to your stash!

How can anyone forget a finish?!?

Well I did!

A couple weeks ago, I finished this!


"The Enchanter" by James Himsworth for Dimensions.
On 18 ct. Black Aida, with DMC and Kreinik threads, various charms and beads.
Started August 2005. Approx 228 hours to complete.


ALSO-
If you haven't heard yet, my Aunt gave me all of her cross stitch stash. I now have more charts than I can shake a stick at. I know. I tried. The kids just giggled. Head over to my new stash blog and see if there is anything you have to have!

http://ets-stash.blogspot.com/

TAST week 4 - Cretan

This weeks Take A Stitch Tuesday stitch is the Cretan.

Other than new stitches, I've learned a couple new things already from this challenge.

1. The world will not end if I use my stash. Seriously, I had no problem dipping into my fabric and pulling out the biggest piece of linen I had on hand (18"x27" of 32 ct. Belfast linen), but working with threads other than ones I was sure I would use any time soon, oh the horror. Needless to say, I'm over it. Thread can be replaced, easily. Especially DMC.
2. I'm really need to find me a good embroidery stitch book. One that has easy to understand descriptions of how to do each stitch (detailed pictures would help too). Anyone have any suggestions? In the meantime, I'm making due with the Internet, and thought I'd share.

• Needlemaid Stitch Library: This came from Susan of Crazy Quilting for Fun. PDF file that you can printout to keep in a journal or such. From what I've seen of the pictures in it, very helpful.
• Needle 'N Thread Video Library: Mary Corbet has videoed and explained a wide list of stitches. (Consider yourself hugged and kissed for this Mary) AND she is taking part in TAST too. I'm hoping this will mean more stitch videos from her. Because of the way I learn (watching others), this is my favorite resource.
• Rissa's Pieces Stitch Dictionary: Great detailed pictures here (such as come up at 1, down at 2). This has been the second place I go to, to figure out a stitch. Not all the pictures are numbered, but those that aren't are still detailed enough to figure out how to do a stitch.
• STITCH with the Embroiderers' Guild: I'm sure everyone is familiar with these pictures, but The Embroiderers Guild couldn't be left out.
• Last but not least Sharon B's Stitch Dictionary: And shame on me for forgetting to add it in the first place.

Do you have a favorite online or offline (i.e. book) reference or resource? Feel free to share!

Also, can anyone out there tell (or show) me how to start a tailor's buttonhole? I think I have the 'form' down, but can't figure out how to start it. Where does that needle go?

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I did get creative this week and did more than practice my form.

The first couple of rows are the basic stitch, starting with a close Cretan and gradually widening it. On the second row, I didn't pay attention to spacing and just went with it.

Now my son inspired this second part when he, after watching Lilo and Stitch, attempted to hula around the room. My daughter got involved with this one too and suggested I add coconuts to the tree. I had to take them out (LOL), they just looked vulgar.

Take A Stitch Tuesdays

I entered this Tuesday challenge to learn stitches I have not done before and to work on stitches I have not done in years (ok, really it is decades). One of the big things I've learned so far is I need to get me a stitch dictionary. Currently I have to hunt every week for instructions on how to create each stitch; not a biggy, but I have trouble understanding some of the instructions posted out there.

In my search for how to make the Cretan stitch, I ran across this: http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/jos/index.html . The Embroider's Guild had a "Just One Stitch" competition, and the projects are just beautiful. Looking at everyone else's efforts in this challenge, inspire me to to continue learning and sew outside the box.

I do have self control...

This weekend I made a trip to my closest LNS, 3 Stitches, to purchase items for the PALS January exchange, as well as a couple of specialty threads I need for an ornament. Now as I'm taking part in a stash decrease challenge and the knowledge of the status of my own budget, I knew I wouldn't be doing any impulse buying. However, hubby was in meetings all day, so I had to take my kids along. Daughter is not a problem, as she does not like stitching, and can usually amuse herself. Son, though, loves stitching, and the last time I brought him to this LNS, he climbed into their yarn basket and tried to bury himself with the yarn. Boy was I glad he was clean that day. So daughter brought along a book, and son brought along a toy dragon (with a couple of trigers, the dragon can flap its wings and open/close its mouth).
After arriving there, daighter was immediatly distracted by a rack of RG mettalics; its the magpie in her. So she behaved and amused herself. Son was in awe and had to show me everything; luckily he behaved and did not touch, as I asked.

I always enjoy picking out needlework stuff with my son. He loves to stitch too, although he is only the level of plastic canvas and finally figured out how to sew up and down, and sew his name useing long stitches and running stitches. He's only 4; I'd say he's way ahead on that. He also has a great eye for color!

It was a good trip all around. Everyone behaved. Son helped me pick out almost everything for the exchange, and tried to convise me to buy more patterns that he liked. But I was good and stuck to my list. Although he pointed out a beautiful dragon pattern that I'd like to get one day. And a stop at Michaels too, for some none stitchy exchange items.

Anyone seen DMC rayon# 30742 anywhere? The display setup jumps straight from 30712 to 30745.

I'll share some pictures of the purchases after the have arrived at their home. Can't give the surprise away yet!

Oh the humanity!!!!

Something so tempting I came this close (--) to breaking my 50 project challenge.

European Cross Stitch Company now has a Bead Collectors Club. For $10 a month, you get bead pack containing 5 or 6 colors of Delicas, with at least 1-2 grams of each color. In addition to the beads, there will be at least one color of Swarovski crystals.

As much as I point my family to getting me stitchy stuff for presents, they usually get me something else that I really want instead.

Looks like I need to work y butt off to get those projects done.

The Complete SBQ

This week’s SBQ was suggested by Jan and is:
How many different brands of “complete” embroidery floss sets do you own? How do you keep track of it? (i.e., spread sheet program, index cards, palm pilot, etc.)

ZERO! The most complete set I have is DMC, but I'm missing two (Yes 2!) colors. Store has been out of those colors the last couple times there has been a sale. I have a few GAST and WDW threads but nothing close to the complete set. I keep track of ALL of my stash in a software program, Organized Expressions. I have the Needleworker version, and love it.

Pictures Pictures Pictures

I finally got around to cleaning out my tote, so here is the picture of "Snowcones" by Carla Acosta from Michaels.com. It is with DMC floss on 14c White Aida. It took approx. 70 hours to complete.


I have also finished stitching my nametag for the PALS Fall Fling. I adapted the patterns from "Prayer Pocket" by Yvonne Reitsma and lettering from "Good Freinds Nametag" by Yvonne Reitsma and Thea Dueck, both patterns available from The Victoria Sampler. It was done on 28c Coffe Jobelan, with the recommended DMC threads. I did the lettering with DMC Rayon 30798, and used MH 40123for the center of the blue flowers. 7 hours to complete.


Thank you everyone who help pick the fabric for this!

SBQ and an update

Do you have an organizational system for your fabric? If so, what is it? If not, what do you store your fabric in?
How do people store their fabric, especially those small but potentially usable pieces? Do they sort by count? How do they label it or otherwise know what each piece is?

Me? Organized? Hel yeah!
First all my fabric is labeled with count, color, type, and the size (either on the package from the manufacturer or a piece of paper I fold into the fabric). Then they are sorted by count and put in labeled gallon size ziploc bags (which are left open to breathe) and stored in a huge basket in my closet (you can fit 3 newborn babies end eo end in the basket).
To top all that off, I have everything in my Organized Expressions for Needleworkers software, which makes it easier to hunt down what fabric I need or want to use. I just pull up together all the floss for a project, then open up the software, look at demensions I need, and the possible colored fabric to go with it. Then after narrowing the choices down, i go to the closet and pull out the fabric for a floss toss. At the most I'll pull out 5 different fabrics, so I don't have to do alot of digging.
After I've cut off the amount I need, remeasure the remaining fabric, change the label, and update my software. It make take a little extra time, but in the long run makes thing easier.
I've been considering having a separate bag for ornament/bookmark size pieces, but I don't really have enough 'scaps' at the moment to justify it (in my own head, at least).

AND I have finally gotten a chance to download progress pictures of a couple of projects. The first is "Snowcones", a freebie from Michaels.com.

by libhita

Also finally got a picture of a Janlynn Kit "Tanager with Tulips" that I've been working on.

by libhita

As always, you can see the progress pictures of everything I'm working on in my Webshots alblum.

SBQ of the week

Do you have a favorite needlework tool that you like to work with? What is it and why do you like using it?

I do have a favorite tool. It is a Fiber Hider (link is to the exact one I have). It comes in two pieces, one with a wire loop, the other with a hook. I use it when I'm trying to get that last stitch in, have run out of thread, and the tread won't stay on the needle for me to anchor it to the back (Or the occasional tail that my hoop pulls out). It was a little expensive but has been well worth the price.