DRAGONS IS FINISHED - 7.5 yrs later

How can I even start the post that has been almost 8 years in the making?
All the photos interspersed in this post are from the finished piece. All photos can be viewed larger by clicking on them. 
All items in italics are 'personal milestones', all else are stitchy related (in case you want to skim this post). :) 

Let's start with...

THE JOURNEY OF DRAGONS

Why Dragons? 
For those of you who haven't been long time followers, some history:
- Dragons was chosen by my uncle (who is like my older brother with only 9 yrs separating us, and he lived with my family when I was 11-12).
- Started following a break-up with a very rich, snobby and he's-not-that-into-you-guy.
- I needed an 'epic' replacement for given-up-on larger Disney project that I had imagined as my potential non-existent childrens nursery piece. The giveaway of the partially done Disney project also symbolized my understanding that I was unable to have children (which is a-ok) and accepted the truth of my likely future. 

Therefore, I needed a replacement project.
My uncle and I agreed to "Judgement", design by Character Creations (Kerry Blackwell), artwork by Lisa Hunt. The art is from a Tarot series that Lisa Hunt did back in 2007 or so. The whole set is absolutely gorgeous!
I know what you're thinking, why not a HAED. We looked at HAEDs, but "Judgement" just seemed like the right choice. I told my uncle it might take me a year or two because of it's "complexity". Boy was I wrong! LOL!

"Judgement" was started in August of 2008. 
87 colors and over 100 skeins of DMC thread were bought (I have quite a few skeins left over). Ivory 25ct evenweave was selected with the help of some local stitchers. After a couple of test I decided on  1 over 1 and was okay with the potential "loss" of coverage in the darker areas in order to avoid the bulkiness that I thought (still do) think 2 threads brings on over 1 on 25 ct.
The same year that my now DH and I got back together, we were in a high-speed truck rollover on the highway (in the snow).


Epic Stitching Blog Begins - March 2009
I started this blog originally because I needed a way to motivate myself to work on Dragons and wanted to reconnect with the online stitching world I had briefly forayed into in 2007 with a different blog (that I can no longer find sadly, long since erased by the interwebs I suppose).
I did not ever foresee myself 7.5(ish) years later posting about this finish. I saw it, at that time as a 3-4 year project. I was still sooo wrong on my estimate of time!
A huge call out to some of my first followers and encouragers in Meari, Evalina and (the greatly missed) Rene. I know so many more of you were there for each and every post and I truly appreciate that more than you can know. 

In March 2009 I was also living in an apartment with my now-DH and starting to really feel the effects of what was later determined to be vertigo and issues from our truck rollover the year before. Dragons became my one constant that I could always rely on. Like a good book you read over and over again. 

February 2010 - Coining 'Dragons'
Sometime between 2009 and 2010 "Judgement" piece got renamed to Dragons. It was just easier. I never meant to mislead anyone and did try to remind people it wasn't a HAED in some posts but honestly it just got tiresome and so it was thereafter known as Dragons to me both online and offline. I don't know that I ever called it Judgement after that.
In Feb 2010 I had major health issues starting to compound. A gallbladder surgery that was only "successful" in that they got my gallbladder out without killing me. Not so successful in that I had a litany of issues and many of which I am still medicated b/c of today. Epic Stitching went on a hiatus in Mar-Apr of 2010 as I just couldn't handle much at the time. Epic Stitching came back online early-Fall of 2010. 

January 2012
Halfway!! Now you're about to see what really got in the way of completing Dragons... it wasn't my health (like I thought) and it wasn't buying a house, traveling to Holland or having a full-time permanent relationship with the man that (one day) might marry me but is my common-law partner and DH today (just without the official piece of paper). Nope in fact it was the Etsy shop...

June 2012 
I officially changed careers from an Art Director in magazines to a regulatory technician. Yep it's a boring paperwork job. This was a milestone for me personally as it gave me a 9-5 job, more time for Dragons, (hahaha) and wayyy less stress. This was also the official start of Epic Stitching on Etsy. And the beginning of Dragons being neglected (truth hurts).

April 2013
A new house (first non-rental), a trip to Holland and so much stitching that didn't include Dragons. Etsy shop has really taken off by now and is taking up about 1/2 of my stitching time I used to have. I swear that without all of my followers and supporters I wouldn't have stuck with it. Carla started making comments that always asked about Dragons if it had been too long. I knew I needed to get to it if Carla had bugged me! :)

December 2013
Stitch from Stash was born. Again taking away time from Dragons (lol). This was the first year of us living in our own home and cutbacks had to made in stashing. While I may have had more room to store my stash in our house than in the apartment; I certainly didn't have more money (darn utilities and property taxes)! 



2014
A push year. This was a huge year for the Etsy shop and I really did try to concentrate on Dragons when I wasn't doing Etsy stuffs. Stitch from Stash had it's first full year with a great group of ladies!

2015... 
I had a goal in January of this year. I wanted Dragons done, actually done, in time for entries into the Calgary Stampede Western Showcase Arts & Crafts Competition. All entries had to be registered by June 16, 2015. The deadline of June 6, 2015 was firmed up as being the "drop dead date" in order for framing to be completed.

One week ago today... June 6, 2015
I finished stitching Dragons!!!! It was bittersweet and exhilarating all at the same time. It reminded me of high school grad a bit. When you know you've moved on and completed something great; but still have a ton of future to consider.
Right now, I'm savoring my finish. I am getting stressed thinking about what will be the next "epic" piece. There will be one that I know. But with 50+ HAEDs and dozens of other large projects of the "full art, no backstitch" variety I have to really think about it and want the DH involved in the decision. We may take it to a poll here... maybe. ;)
(Postscript: I had my long waited MRI on Tuesday this week, results this coming Wednesday. Wouldn't it be so fitting to have an official name for all my health issues in the same month as Dragons is finished? It would be almost divine as my health has been so much a part of Dragons progression in my mind). 

A Retrospective: What Do I See in Dragons? 
A lot of work, lol! And a lot of stitches. I see my health issues over the years, my life-long partner and I choosing to live together, changing careers, buying my first home and did I mention a lot of stitches?
I also see my online stitching friends, stash bought, other projects like Cottages, LK's Halloween and other stitching endeavors that detoured Dragons to take 7.5 years to complete.

Above all else I actually think I see 7.5 yrs of my life brought together into one beautiful piece of art that I can say I did all by myself and never gave up on.
We may not think about it much but our stitching is really a representation of the progress of our lives. Remember that piece you did when you got married, had a baby, bought a home or moved somewhere? Those are the stitches that represent your life and the change in it.
(This is easily the sappiest thing I have ever written, don't worry I'll be back to my much less sappy self next post.)

So let me share my sign of relief, a tear or two and absolute excitement that "Dragons" is finished. I look forward to the next chapter of my life that will be documented in more stitches. I hope there are many more "Dragons" in my future that I can look fondly on and see many highs/lows and a personal journey within their completion. It's not about the finish, it's about the journey. 

Stitched by Mel @ Epic Stitching

Stitched between Aug. 2008 to June 2015

"Judgement" (Dragons) art by Lisa Hurt, design by Kerry Blackwell

1 over 1 on 25 ct ivory evenweave. 87 DMC colors. 

297 (width) x 498 (height) = 147,906 stitches

SFS2015-A May Report & Dragons Update

$0.00 Spent
$0.00 in Finishes

That's right I did it! Another month of zero spending. Since the "big blown budget" day (early March) with Jeannette I have spent zero dollars on stash! I know many of you are thinking, well that's not all that impressive Mel, but for me it really is (sadly).

Dragons Update:
If you can believe it... I am about 4 hours away from finishing Dragons!!!
I've gone from 86 colors down to 1 color remaining to stitch with. It's large blocks of stitching, so kinda boring but quick. This means I should *fingers crossed* finish Dragons well in advance of my deadline this Friday!!!!
My one color left is DMC3823 (pale yellow) stitched on ivory 25ct evenweave. Like I said, real exciting. LOL.

Sorry no pics today as I'm wanting to make the next update be the completed Dragons! So here I go, chat soon.

PS: Sign-ups for Stitch from Stash 2015-B (Part 2) are opening very, very soon. Watch this page for more information in coming days. :) 

Volcano? - Dragons Update

** May SFS2015-A Reporting Link is in post below**

The mad rush is on... to try and get Dragons completed, framed and into exhibition/competition for June 24... I won't lie; it's not looking all that good.
Yes Dragons is coming along, and I made some amazing headway on the past long weekend we had here in Canada but I feel it's still not going to be enough. But we will see and I haven't given up hope yet.

While working through Dragons this time around I've been trying to get the smaller sections of changing color stitching done first. So up through the tree and branches. It's resulted in a really interesting look that to me is like a volcano.
So here's a quick snippet of last page of Dragons at almost half the page stitched. So close!
Can you see the volcano?

 

Every time I've picked up Dragons (almost every day this last 10 days in a row) I've gotten "The Final Countdown" song in my head. It truly is the home stretch here. So funny that 7.5 years of work comes down to a couple weeks to meet competition deadline. (PS: If I don't make this years deadline I can enter next year, but I'd really like to enter this year).

Thanks for stopping by and reading! Happy Stitching.

May Reporting Link for SFS2015-A

This is the place to log-in/report for all participating bloggers in SFS2015-A group.

This link list to report for April (for bloggers) will remain open from April 21 - 29.

Of course we want pictures and more information if you'd like!! This is merely the minimum requirement for reporting. Please ensure you link to the exact SFS post on your blog and not your general blog page.



Email participants please click to send in your report: 

http://rahenna.com/sfs/

Issues, concerns, confused, etc?  

Please feel free to leave a comment here and I will respond via email or comment back if you don't have an email connected to your blogger profile. 

OR 

Email me (Mel) direct at stitchfromstash@gmail.com

Comic Expo & Sad April SFS2015-A Report

Well... another month, another report.
I have to say that I didn't spend any money this month on stitching (hurrah!)... except I did spend an obscene amount of money at our local Comic Expo... my Harley Quinn obsession is starting to get out of hand according to my DH. (lol)

I have no stitching to report. I know terrible. But Comic Expo has been all consuming since middle of April. And I spent so much money that we are joking that our house is on the "KD budget" for the next month. I suppose at least that means I'll have another zero dollar spending month on stitching!! :)

So, forgive me the rest of this post is going to have nothing to do with stitching. Feel free to wander elsewhere if you're not interested in my fan girl activities.

Comic Expo - Calgary
I have been attending the local Expo here in Calgary (where I live) for the last 7 years. Each year has had lots of great celebs, shopping and sessions; but been plagued with crazy bad organization. I'm so pleased to say that this year, while the celebs were not quite as epic, the organization was bang on. And frankly having a good time is more important than having a million good celebrities (in fact maybe that's why it was better...)

Last minute they announced Neil Patrick Harris!!! It was shocking as NPH has never done any Expo except for San Diego (the largest in the world). So we couldn't believe he was coming to little ol' Calgary, Canada! I got to meet him, get his autograph and hear him speak at a panel. It was a great addition to the Expo and easily the best celebrity guest (but not my favourite moment). To the right is Neil from the autograph line-up.

I was especially excited, prior to NPH being announced, to meet Chad Hardin. He is the current artist of Harley Quinn in her own series of DC comics. Don't know who Harley is? She is the paramour of Joker and often seen by his side. She first appeared in the Batman franchise in the animated Batman from the early 1990's (when I was prime age for cartoons).
To say I was over joyed to meet Chad would be an understatement. He was a super nice, personable and real person. Zero ego to be had. I got to commission him to do my very own, exclusive pencil sketch of Harley Quinn (for a pretty penny) that is absolutely worth every penny I spent on it. We're going to get it framed up and put it on the wall:

The sketch above is currently my pride and joy. It's actually sitting at home (to be framed) right next to my Jeannette Douglass stash from last month!

Here's a rare glimpse of me... in my new Harley Quinn hoody purchased at Expo. I know I look 12, but I swear I'm 32! (wow, two posts with pics of me in two months; I must be loosing it.)

In addition to NPH & Chad I also met; David Morrisey (the Governor from Walking Dead), Kristin Bauer (Pam from True Blood & Malificent in Once Upon a Time), Carl Weathers (Predator plus lots of other movies over the years).
I bought a bunch of comics including a first edition of a series called Gotham City Sirens that stars Harley Quinn (surprised? haha), Poison Ivy & Catwoman. It was a bit of investment but in great shape and the only copy I saw all weekend amongst the dozens of comic booths in the market.

There you have it, a short but sweet update about what I've spent my last little it obsessing about. I've been (of course) reading lots of comics and getting tied up about what Harley Quinn is going to look like for her big screen debut in forthcoming DC Comics "Suicide Squad" movie. (don't ask what I think of her look that we've seen to date as it's a rambling worst than this post).

If you stuck to the end of this good for you! And thanks for caring about part of my non-stitching life. Dragons is going to get picked up by weeks end (finally) and I really do need to pick up the pace to make my end of May deadline... eek!

April SFS2015-A Reporting

This is the place to log-in/report for all participating bloggers in SFS2015-A group.

This link list to report for April (for bloggers) will remain open from April 21 - 29.

Of course we want pictures and more information if you'd like!! This is merely the minimum requirement for reporting. Please ensure you link to the exact SFS post on your blog and not your general blog page.

Email participants please click to send in your report: 

http://rahenna.com/sfs/

Issues, concerns, confused, etc?  

Please feel free to leave a comment here and I will respond via email or comment back if you don't have an email connected to your blogger profile. 

OR 

Email me (Mel) direct at stitchfromstash@gmail.com

Baby Sampler WIP

You probably don't remember... but I was working on a gift baby sampler back in December/January. Well... I'm still working on it. But it's close to being done. I was hoping to finish it on the holiday weekend but alas that didn't happen. Then I decided, ah why not, I'll share it anyways!!

This is a super cute design. I am not a big "baby design" pastel person but love the saying in this and the colors. I made one single change which is to make the hearts a pale pink instead of white (as they were being lost on my fabric, but also cause the sampler is for two little girls so it seemed like some pink was needed). The design is from Cherry Hill Stitchery and it appears the name is just "Birth Sampler". Here it is, almost done. Owl to be finished, and two names being added to the bottom (for the two girls in the family).

I have to say I'm appreciating good old DMC on 32 ct linen. It is a nice simple change for me to work on. No fussy silk, over 1 on 25 or fancy stitches. That said, I'm starting a Jeannette Douglass as soon as this is finished and will be back to my usual 'epic' elements in my stitching.
This is my first Silkweavers fabric that I've ever stitched and OMG I think I'm in love!!! The softness of this fabric is unparalleled. I think I have  cashmere yarn that isn't this soft. And the hand-dyed colours are truly incredible. The photo doesn't do it justice.

Other WIPs: 
I have been working on Dragons and will show a 1/3 or 1/2 page update now that we are in the home stretch!! I think I'm almost afraid to finish this last page, and yet eager to get it finished. It's a weird scenario in my mind right now.
As mentioned above, a new Jeannette piece will be started after the sampler.
My husband has also moved some artwork in our main room around (to accommodate the record player set-up that we bought. Yes genuine 1970's turntable, amp & speakers) and he has asked me to work on the Ink Circles piece that reminds us of our trip to the Netherlands a couple years ago. So that will be getting started (likely after dragons).
And then of course, when dragons is done... a new epic, epic piece will need to be chosen! And I have a lot of options with 50+ HAED designs, plus a few other designs with similar painting style stitching.
Whew, good thing 2015 isn't half over yet as I suddenly feel like I have a lot of goals that aren't set up are going to happen this year! :)

March SFS2015-A Report + Caterpillar Finish

Please see March SFS2015-A reporting sign-up below this post!

Alright... I'm not sure how to admit this other than to say I had a once in a lifetime opportunity and I took the bull by the horns.
In SFS we have a total yearly budget of $300. $25 per month.
I shamefully have to admit that I spent over the $300 and then some at Jeannette Douglass'. Sooo... I fail at my own challenge for the year. While DH was okay with it all and reminded me that occasional splurges are to be expected; I won't lie I'm still kinda disappointed. However, I also know that I got AMAZING patterns and thread packs from Jeannette that will result in 1,000+ hours of stitching.

So here's my abysmal report:
Spent: $300.00+
Finishes: 2
Finishes worth: $4.00 + $10.00 (half page of Dragons from last month I forgot about!) = $14

I'm aware I should be fired from my own group. And did let Rahenna & Darlene (my co-leads) know what I had done. They indicated they didn't want me to go away so I guess I still run the group and am an excellent example of what NOT to do. The usual philosophy to kids "do what I say, not what I do"; as inevitably we pass on bad habits.

Caterpillar Finished
I did however have a small finish. Though it's not near enough to make up for the spending, but it's something. This is a Mill Hill Kit, Caterpillar on perforated paper. Threads & beads from kit. I love the colors in him, they really pop!

In Other News:
- I finally got some stitches into last page of Dragons
- Am on last motif of Metamorphosis from Ink Circles
- Am on final stretch with baby sampler for a friend (I missed the February deadline, but she doesn't seem to mind)

Here's hoping these stitches mean I get to account for more finishing soon!
Happy Stitching!

 

March SFS2015-A Blogger Reporting

This is the place to log-in/report for all participating bloggers in SFS2015-A group.

This link list to report for March (for bloggers) will remain open from March 22 - 29.

Of course we want pictures and more information if you'd like!! This is merely the minimum requirement for reporting. Please ensure you link to the exact SFS post on your blog and not your general blog page.

Email participants please click to send in your report: 

http://rahenna.com/sfs/

Issues, concerns, confused, etc?  

Please feel free to leave a comment here and I will respond via email or comment back if you don't have an email connected to your blogger profile. 

OR 

Email me (Mel) direct at stitchfromstash@gmail.com

An Afternoon with designer Jeannette Douglas

I have the most exciting blog post I think I've ever written to share with everyone today.
Please note that this is my personal summary of the day and my thoughts.

My friend Christine (right) and I (left) had the absolute thrill and pleasure of spending the afternoon (yesterday) with cross stitch designer Jeannette Douglas (middle)!!!
Now most of you are (I hope) saying to yourself, oh yes I know Jeannette's work. But in case you aren't read on for more about her, her designs and my fabulous afternoon with her, and head over to her site to see her collection of designs.
http://jeannettedouglas.ca/designs/

How did this come about? 
Remember the blog post I put up in January about how I really wanted to afford Jeannette's class being taught in my hometown, Calgary for EAC this year? But that the cost was a wee bit too much for a two day class and only one project?
Well, believe it or not, someone sent Jeannette a link to my blog post asking her about the project she is teaching; and she read my post! Following reading my post Jeannette contacted me via email letting me know she totally understands being in her thirties and having little money to do a large cross stitch event. From there she invited me to bring a friend and come for afternoon tea!!
To say I was shocked, excited and flattered would be an understatement. I was actually in (happy) tears sharing the email with my DH and telling him that I couldn't believe she had bothered to read my blog post nevermind, be so kind as to offer her personal time to me!!

Setting it up
So we discussed a time and day. February is a busy month, and we decided that the week after Jeannette had been at Nashville Market would be perfect! As she could share some Nashville experiences, discuss new designs, and (of course!) sell us her new designs that were released that week. When she indicated that we could shop from her studio I was over the moon!!

The Meet and Greet
I'd known for some time that Jeannette lived in Calgary. She is a born and raised Canadian (which I find so cool as she is a big time designer!). She is absolutely doll to chat with. Christine and I left there saying to each other, "OMG she's our kind of people!". There was zero snobbiness in Jeannette. She instantly invited us in to her home for tea, had some goodies from the best bakery in town (her friend owns the bakery!) and invited us into her studio/office to chat. She was so genuinely excited to meet us! And of course, we were giddy like school girls to meet her.

The Studio
Wow, is the first thing! Every color, from so many different thread companies including; Thread Gatherer, Crescent Colors, Gloriana, Waterlilies, Waterflowers, and so much more!
If you're familiar with Jeannette's designs then you know that they are all about color, especially variegated threads (my favourite!). Drawers of fabric including one of her (and my) favourites Lakeside Linens.
One wall (that is behind us in the first photo) is covered in her own stitching of others designs. Her favourites include The Drawn Thread and Shepards Bush. I feel that you can really see that inspiration in each of Jeannettes designs.
With a perfect sized table in the middle we sat down to chat.

About Jeannette
I learned so many interesting tidbits about Jeannette during our conversations including:
- she does not own a sewing machine, and (like me!) does not sew. All her finishing is done by hand!
- she used to be a nurse in psychiatric wards her in Calgary, in her previous career
- she has no full-time staff that help her. Jeannette does almost all aspects of the business herself including; designs, charting, filling store orders, putting together thread packs (when her occasional helpers aren't around) and so much more!
- her husband also works from home and so it's like they never leave their house! (lol)
More tidbits about Jeannette below.

The Designs
Jeannette chatted with us about her designs and color palettes a little bit (Seasonal Sampler shown right). Including disclosing that pink is far from her favourite color (probably why I love her designs so much). Her charts are so detailed because each one (even little ones) have speciality stitches in them. Some of which she has modified or created herself!
Interestingly, she stitches most of her designs herself and uses them as the models. She brings in a photographer to shoot the pieces but sets up the backgrounds, mood and focuses herself. Plus she takes the time to set-up the graphic design of her covers herself (alongside some help from her graphic designer daughter). This is one talented lady that is aware of all aspects of her business.

It's clear in chatting with Jeannette that she cares a lot about her customers and fellow stitchers. She wants to give a solid product that can be enjoyed, loved and appreciated. Her instructions are flawless in the designs I have done of hers and so I know that there is a lot of attention to detail put in them. Buying a Jeannette Douglas design is always a learning experience as there are different stitches in each one. One of the reasons I love her stuff is the challenge to learn new stitches!

Jeannette never repeats herself. We discussed that she has less Christmas patterns than most designers and I loved her response that, she hopes she is more creative than just choosing holidays over and over again. For me that was such an amazing statement!! While I love Halloween, Autumn and sets of seasonal pieces; sometimes you need something different. Just like the modern piece (shown left) that I purchased called Numero. It's DH approved (which is rare) and I will be doing it up for our entryway at home. These types of unique ideas are something that Jeannette clearly tries to come up with each time she sits down at her desk to design a new pattern.

However, don't get me wrong, a great banded sampler, four seasons set or holiday themed piece is always a great choice for any designer; and Jeannette is no exception to that.



Thread Packs
One of the keys to Jeannette's designs is the thread packs that go along with them. As her designs always include variegated threads, usually silks, sometimes wool and other different weights purchasing a thread pack can be critical to her designs. Now that's not to say you can't put together the colors yourself or modify them a bit, but really why would you want to!? :)
In my experience Jeannette's thread packs always have more than enough to complete the design even if you're not a thrifty thread stitcher (which I am not).
The key to it it all... Jeannette knows how much thread to include because she's (in most cases) already stitched the design herself! It's brilliant!

Shopping
We were allowed to browse Jeannette's charts, thread packs and embellishment sets (all meticulously organized) and shop right from them. So naturally I had to go all out (stitch from stash be damned on this day, DH had sort of agreed ahead of time, lol). All the photos you've seen in this post are of patterns I purchased.
I picked up some older patterns, thread packs for patterns I already had, and a couple of her latest designs including the gorgeous "English Rose" sampler (shown right). This design was just released at Nashville and I feel oh so tickled to have it so quickly!
I left with a huge addition to my stash, but what I know will be hundreds of hours of enjoyment (which is worth more than the two day class, as pointed out by my DH!).

A Farewell
We stayed late into the afternoon as it was just so much fun. 3+ hours after we had arrived we paid up for our shopping and started to pack up. Jeannette was still thrilled to have us (or she's an amazing actress, lol) and even mentioned us returning again at some point. A day when we could bring our stitching with us and continue chatting!!
I walked out of Jeannette's home feeling so blessed and special for having a rare opportunity to not only chat with her one-on-one (with my friend of course) but to also have experienced her home studio and be given a window into her personality, ideas and life.

Reflections
I don't know that I could possibly find enough adjectives in my vocabulary or even with the help of a thesaurus to describe what an amazing day it was. Christine and I discussed on the way home that today was a rare treat, and better than any birthday we've ever had!!   :)

Jeannette Douglas' designs are available at almost all major needlework shops or online sites (or request your shop to bring in her stuff!). The biggie online shops like 123 & ABC carry her stuff. As well as one of my personal favourite US online shops www.wasatchneedleworks.com/; all her newest designs are available through Karen's shop. Thread packs are listed in drop down menus for each pattern.

Whew, that was a record long blog post. I even tried to keep it short but just too much to share! 
Thanks for reading this far, and as always Happy Stitching! 

Stitch From Stash - February Report

I'm late, late, late for a very important date...

Month: February
Spent: $23.50
Earned: $0.00

My apologies for my crazy late update!
I do have some interesting news for those who have followed some of medical issues over the years however... I'm getting some further testing in the coming months as many of my symptoms from the last couple years are in full-force lately and meds are not keeping enough at bay. If we find out anything definitive I'll be sure to post.
But no one really cares about that crap... I try to ignore it too!


This month I bought two items on eBay. Only 2!!
One of the items I bought I think is just so cute, I'd love to see if go up in a child's room. No home plan for it yet but I'm sure one of the random children I know would enjoy it.
It's Counting Sheep, by Carriage House Samplings!

What have I worked on...
This is a sad list. I haven't touched Dragons or started the new page. (Yes I know I need to get onto that).
I did some on my Ink Circles, Metamorphosis, that was started in August of last year and put aside for a bit. Here are some updates on it. The first picture shows the latest two motifs. The last pic shows all the motifs (there is one more after most recently started one). Please forgive the creases; this piece is being stitched in hand and I'm too lazy to iron it for a progress photo. :)

Happy Stitching!

Blogger Reporting for February SFS2015

This is the place to log-in/report for all participating bloggers in SFS2015-A group.

It worked out quite well for my helpers to grab people's info from here and log them into the giant spreadsheet; so thanks to them and for all of you for reporting!

This link list to report for February (for bloggers) will remain open from Feb 21 - 28.

Please ensure your SFS post is at the top of your blog and adheres at minimum to this basic template:

Month: (the month you're reporting in for!)
Spent: (the amount you spent from your budget)
Earned: (put the amount earned from finishes that month!)

Of course we want pictures and more information if you'd like!! This is merely the minimum requirement for reporting. Please ensure you link to the exact SFS post on your blog and not your general blog page.

Email participants please click to send in your report: 

http://rahenna.com/sfs/

Issues, concerns, confused, etc?  

Please feel free to leave a comment here and I will respond via email or comment back if you don't have an email connected to your blogger profile. 

OR 

Email me (Mel) direct at stitchfromstash@gmail.com

Dragons Update - So close I can taste it!

Ever feel like you've been working on something forever and you can't imagine it ending? Or read a book you wish wouldn't end, but you really want to read the end to know what happens?

This conflict is how I am feeling about Dragons almost being complete... almost.
Yesterday I finished the 2nd to last page. There was a lot of yellow, ivory and white. While it's quick, it's boring. And who knew it took so many hours to put in that many rows of all in a row stitches!

And so I present Dragons, with only 1 (one!) page to go:

 This shows all of the second last page (including the dragons head), and the final page location of course.

Dragons in their entirety to date. I know the excitement of them is long gone as the bulk of the interesting dragons has been done for awhile. But it's still exciting to me to see each area grow. I am on track for my goal of April to be complete.
That said I have until end of May, if I need, to get it framed and into the stitching competition that our famous Calgary Stampede, holds each year. I haven't entered anything in a few years, and while I am quite certain Dragons won't win (it's not the 'style' of what usually wins) I figure it deserves it's 10 days on public display. LOL!

Otherwise things are coming along. I just resisted the urge to go and check out eBay. Which means that I've gone an entire long weekend without checking!!! (it's Family Day here in Alberta, so day off work which is always nice).
Happy Stitching! 

Mel's January SFS2015-A Report

Looking for January log-in/reporting for SFS2015-A? See post below this one to get your blog counted! 

 

There is sunlight for a few minutes after work these days. A sure sign that it is getting later in January and yet somehow I can notice the light change but not the days going by! 

I did okay on budget this month, with only a couple eBay items from the same seller. I swear without eBay I would be a lot better at this challenge! Though it does help that some goodies I ordered over Christmas arrived too. 

 

Spent: $19.25

Finishes: none $0 credit

 

I'm going to be able to count 1/2 a page of Dragons that has been worked on since January 1, 2015 soon. As well as most of the piece for a friend I am still doing. As I hate stitch counting I will be patient and wait for my pieces to be finished or page finished before racking up any finishing amounts.
Both the above pieces have deadlines (or at least hopeful deadline for Dragons) that I fear are fast approaching so time to get back to stitching!

SFS2015-A: January Reports for Participants

A few quick SFS2015 clarifications: 
- Shipping does not count in budget
- HAED page finishes or 100% stitching is now worth $15 for 100 x 70. 
- No more emails for reporting. Just link to your blog post below.
- Only stitching from Jan 1, 2015 forward can be counted for credit.
- Stitching carries forward. Don't worry about counting every stitch in a month; you can carry forward your stitching and count the finish in a different month!


The timeline for January (for email participants) is Jan 21 - 28. 
Please use the link provided via email to send an automated email to stitchfromstash@gmail.com from your computer or smart device. 

This link list to report for January (for bloggers) will remain open from Jan 21 - 28.

Please ensure your SFS post is at the top of your blog and adheres at minimum to this basic template:

Month: (the month you're reporting in for!)
Spent: (the amount you spent from your budget)
Earned: (put the amount earned from finishes that month!)

Of course we want pictures and more information if you'd like!! This is merely the minimum requirement for reporting. Please ensure you link to the exact SFS post on your blog and not your general blog page. 

Blogger Reporting for January SFS2015-A: 

Issues, concerns, confused, etc?  

Please feel free to leave a comment here and I will respond via email or comment back if you don't have an email connected to your blogger profile. 

OR 

Email me (Mel) direct at stitchfromstash@gmail.com

Itty Bitty Mill Hill Stitchy's

A finish and a start to share with you all today. Both are from Mill Hill’s little kits that are on perforated paper.

I’ve been asked before why I do these simple little kits and like them so much. It’s  a good question and so I will revist it. I LOVE these little guys because they are a quick (2-3 night at most) activity to get a quick finish. They are super cute, colorful, and have lots of fun beads. With about a 50/50 split between stitches and beads I find  them to be quite satisfying in terms of look (when finished) and journey to the finish. Also, I do not have many projects with beads and would hate to start losing my technique with them so I like doing the bead parts the most.

The other big reason I love these is they are easy. Sometimes when I’m not feeling good, really tired or just not in the mood for any of WIPs then these little kits always satisfy without taking up all my brain strength.

This is Witches Hat all done up except for cutting out and backing:

And this is the start of Caterpillar:

I’ve been trying to work on Dragons every couple of days. As it’s just filling in the white, cream and light yellow areas it’s fast but easily boring so I tend to do a little of it and then switch to something else for the rest of the night. It’s working so far and I’m about 2/3 of the way done the page already!

Amazing, so far I’ve not spent anything which is good news for Stitch From Stash. I’m going to try and get through the whole month. Should be able to as I still have items I ordered coming to me in the mail. I find that getting them in the mail is as exciting as having placed the order. So it’s like two days of buying but only paying once. LOL!

Happy Stitching!

Seminar Dreams...

Note SFS Participants: There will be an email coming out tonight confirming you're in. If you don't receive one please send a message to StitchFromStash@gmail.com to inquire. 

Some of you may remember that at one time I was a member of a guild in Cochrane (just outside my city of Calgary) that was a part of the EAC. Which is the Embroiderers Association of Canada. They many things for members throughout the years.

After leaving my guild I let my membership lapse and carried on in my own little ignorant of EAC world. Until today... 

I just saw that a week of seminars/classes and other fun stuffs are being held here in Calgary!!! Just blocks away from where I work in the downtown core. And there's even a class being taught by the lovely, (and local) Jeanette Douglass that looks gorgeous (see pic to right). So, of course, I immediately went over to see if I could attend. Suddenly I had a dream that in May of this year I could be at a 2-day course, learning new speciality stitches with a designer I admire. 

That was until I saw the costs... and then my DH said... um... yeah, not gonna happen too much money. :( 

I won't lie, crushing defeat ensued. 

Obviously last year with the creation of SFS I was trying to SAVE money on stitching not spend it. And I seriously have enough stash, even at only 31, to stitch for the rest of my life. So of course I do have to concede that almost $500 for the 2-day class + membership + supplies is just too much money for only 2 days. Besides SFS would barely get me my supplies over the next 4 months in budget. And who are we kidding me, only get the supplies for one class and nothing else. HA! That is a dream indeed!! 

Okay I'm done whining now. (lol) No need to feel bad for me, but I just had to share that I was so excited and then experienced the crushing reminder of reality as we all do at many times, over many things. Maybe when I'm much more senior in my job or retired I will be able to do these things. But with a mortgage, appliances starting to go and other house costs I just can't do it. 

So I will remember that I LOVE my house that I get to own and change as I like; and keep stitching Dragons. I've got a finish for next week to share. :) 

Happy Stitching! 

2015-A Stitch From Stash BEGINS!

The date changed, and that means it's the first day of Stitch From Stash 2015-A!
I went on a smallish spending spree during the break and am hoping that will keep my buying bug under control for at least a month. Lol. We will see.

I got the calendar girls series for almost half price at ABCstitch which is sooo exciting. They will be my fall start I think (gotta wait that 6 months) for this year. I'm going to do the girls all in a long row, with no months underneath but with their dividers between them.
I think my faves are August (with the books!) and October (with pumpkins of course!)



I also got a few other new projects that I'll share as they come in up the stash. :)

Other projects happening on holidays:  has been white, white and more white on Dragons. It may be quick to stitch but there's a lot of it and it's pretty boring. I'll be very excited to move onto the last page which is a little less white.
A new start: on a cute little mill hill kit. Finish to be shown soon!
Gift stitching: Two down, one to go. I will be sharing some progress of the third project (I think it's safe, lol).

For now I hope everyone is staying away from online shopping and focusing on  all the goodies they got over the last few weeks.
Happy Stitching! 

SFS2015-A Closed

Just a quick note to let everyone know that SFS2015-A sign-ups are now officially closed.

December log-ins are also closed for the SFS2014 (if you haven't yet emailed me please do so ASAP) I will be answering the log-ins for December 2014 in the next couple of days.

More information to come after Dec 26 (as I have to do a bunch of that family stuff too).

Stitch From Stash 2015-A - Only 15 spots left!

Anyone else frantically finishing up their holiday stitching?!
I know I am!! :)    Sorry can't share pics as not sure on readership from my "real life". But I will share once finished and gifted.

What I'm really here to remind you all is that if you want in on Stitch From Stash 2015-A (Jan 1 to Jun 30) then you need to sign-up now!!! There are only 15 spots for bloggers left and 3 for email participants!! Do not delay!
To sign-up click the tab for SFS2015-A above this post and follow the directions.

Want to tell others that you're in for SFS2015-A, grab the button/photo to the left and post it in your sidebar or on a blog post! You can link it back to the tab page (above) link which is where everyone will be posting their updates each month.

There will be communications heading out to everyone in the group in the next week or so that indicates how to log-in for each month. Deadlines and other pertinent information to follow at the same time.

Good news to those that are "following" us along this year. The newsletters will be public this year! They will be posted to the magical tab page (still above) for everyone to view the tips, tricks and latest on SFS.

Happy (quick) Stitching moving into the crunch time of the month. 
I cannot wait for January when I can go back to hard-core stitching on Dragons and be less stressed about... well... everything!