July 9, 2019 Tuesday

The First Day of My Remodeled Website

Permanent Resolutions for Stitchers

1.  Take all the pent-up anxiety about perfection and redirect that energy toward creativity. Open up your minds and think of creative  possibilities you can bring to your needlework, ways that will personalize it and make it distinctly yours.  Here are two ways to start:

Oops you made a mistake and you face a lot of ripping.

Ask yourself, is it really a mistake or a variation?

You do have to rip if you crossed most of your crosses in one direction and suddenly you started crossing them in the other direction, yep no way around that. Why? The real reason for good technique is that it allows all your attention to focus on your design (where it should be).

You don't have to rip if you made a leaf one row bigger than the design called for. This is obsessive behavior that needs redirecting.

You do need to rip if you make something so large it is out of scale with the rest of the design; you do not have to rip if it is barely noticeable.

You do not have to rip if you mixed up colors and the design is not exactly as the designer's model. For heaven's sake, if it looks OK, stop obsessing.

You do have to rip if a color or texture is not in harmony with the rest of the design.

You do not have to throw away a design if you run out of a dye lot.

If it looks like you are headed toward thread shortage, don't use the thread to the last strand, save at least 1/4 of it. Buy some more and decide where and how to introduce the new dyelot. I actually prefer to work with multiple dyelots. If you pay attention to lights and darks etc., they can bring an added depth to your design.

2. In memory of Audrey Francini, my generation's greatest needlewoman, slow down. Needlework is not a speed contest. Audrey was the slowest stitcher I have known. She was also the best. I have a couple of great stories about Audrey and her speed, I'll tell them in the next couple of mornings.

3. Forget about the Needlepoint Police. They don't exist except in their minds. You may meet people who think they know it all. Good for them, I applaude their confidence, but I don't buy into it.

I have probably told this story a dozen times but it is worth telling again and again. Years ago a friend wrote to me and asked, will this Kreinik braid look good with this silk?

I replied, beats me, try it and see.

Friend: whadaya mean you don't know, you're the teacher.

My reply: if the Immortal Artists Of The Western World don't know without trying, how would I, one mere mortal needlework teacher? (There's a bit more to thsi story too, I'll tell the rest another time).

All this goes to say once again, there is no real right and wrong, there are problems of course. The best way to find solutions is to think creatively.

Those are my New Year's Stitching Resolutions for 2021, still good for 2022, 2023 and for 2024.

Reminders for me as well as for all of you.

To Revisit my Wait List Sale click on EWEEK 2024 on yellow nav bar above

March 18, 2025 Tuesday     

Yesterday I mailed packages, came home from the post office,  packed more and when I tried to print labels, my system broke down. I tried to fix it, no luck, but Adam (computer help) will come on Wednesday afternoon. Hopefully he will be able to fix it, but I am delayed two days. I apologize for the delay.

The upside: system problems gave me a chance to snap some photos of Jane Austen's era and this morning the corner of a very large handkerchief c 1820 is on my home page.

The embroidery is small and intricate and beautifully done but sparse in comparison to handkerchiefs of the mid-19th century. For contrast I will post the corner of one made later tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, I will pack more today and hopefully have things set to go as soon as my label printer is up and running again.

March 17, 2025 Monday     

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This morning I will send more packages from my Wait List Sale. As I print shipping labels, you should receive tracking information from the post office.

I am buzzing along and should likely finish by the end of this week.

This morning on my website, I posted another little pincushion from Regency England, the era of Jane Austen who was a devoted needlewoman. Years ago I reread the six novels and noted the many references to handwork and tools throughout. In addition, there are many references to lace and needlework in her letters to her sister Cassandra.

If you are a fan of Jane Austen, searching for these references is an interesting sideline to enjoying the timeless novels yet again.

March 16, 2025 Sunday     

When the fires raged in Los Angeles, San Diego had some of the same. At one point we were threatened and it was suggested we pack up and prepare to evacuate. Happily for us, the firemen put out the fire that threatened us and our lives returned to normal.

During that short time I chose to pack up two small boxes of my favorite antique linens, lace and needlework tools to take if we had to evacuate.

And so they have sat until yesterday, I am trying to use my mother-in-law's old adage of cleaning up a drawer/box/whatever once a week. She used to say if you clean out a drawer a week, at the end of 52 weeks you have cleaned up 52 drawers.

So I spent about an hour of yesterday's valuable time unpacking a few of my treasures. I couldn't resist shooting a couple of photographs of favorites. I will post one photo this morning and tell its tale.

The Ides of March, 2025 Saturday     

March 15 has been a day of note for my whole life and every year I write about it. Why March 15? Here's my history with the Ides of March.

My father had a rule in our household: we, his children, had to take four years of Latin in high school, it was a requirement to the extent that he checked our school schedules to make sure we were each in Latin class.

I loved my four years of Latin in high school and high on the list every year was Caesar's 'Et Tu Brute',

High school Latin was one thing, a classics major in college quite another and I ended up as a Lit major. One can't be a Lit major without encountering the Ides of March there either. Where? Hint: think of The Bard.

So I shall stop and smile and remember, and then I will get on with the day's packing.

March 14, 2025 Friday     

I had a successful day yesterday, bit of long hard work:

I wrote instructions for 4 hours in the early a.m. and successfully set up the way I will present my queen.

Then I transitioned to midday into the early evening packing Henrys and some went to the post office yesterday right before post office closed, and more today.

I should say 'more today if I finish before the expected rain storm this afternoon.  The clouds are forebodingly dark and the wind is whistling through the trees, so it may well be Monday before I mail more.

I said I would finish in a week. I will try; I should be able to pack everything but may not get to the post office on a regular schedule if we are having torrential rain days. Remains to be seen, but know I have everything here, so it won't be long.

March 13, 2025 Thursday     

My sale is finished and today I will start packing. I have everything here and set to go and I am guessing it will take me a week to mail everything.

After Mail Jail? I have a long long long set of instructions to write. I am guessing it will take me the better part of 3 months, so time will be busy.

Besides writing, I want to do a bit of stitching, maybe half an hour a day? So I am thinking small.  I have a bunch of little squares of canvas and I am thinking of trying very small.

Thinking thinking, I will see if some ideas come to me as I write.

On with the day. Have a good one!

March 12, 2025 Wednesday     

Today is the final day of my Wait List Sale: later on this afternoon I will take the sale down and tomorrow morning I will start shipping. As I have written earlier, I predict it will take me a week to ship everything.

So what comes next? After I finish mailing packages, I predict it will take me a good three months to write instructions for next October.

Any stitching time?  I shall see how the writing goes.

Immediately today: I look forward to finishing my sale. It was a long time in coming.

March 11, 2025 Tuesday     

My sale willl stay open for two more days, then I will start full-time mailing till I finish.

Thank you to everybody who came to my sale. I hope you enjoy the designs, As soon as I have mailed everything I will return to Facebook and we will make a Henry and Anne Stitchalong Room where you can ask questions of one another and talk about your progress.

Meanwhile I have begun the very long process of organizing my new Queen. I am ready to start writing in earnest soon as I have shipped my sale.

March 10, 2025 Monday     

Monday morning and a busy week ahead. I will leave my sale open until Wednesday afternoon, then I will close it and start mailing.  I am predicting it will take me a week to send everything.

Meanwhile personal chores abound for three days.

Once everything from my sale is shipped, I plan to take off 2-3 months to see if I can indeed write my queen, and during that time I will build in some stitching time too. I thought I woul make some hearts. Novel idea, some hearts, and I've planned a crown or two also.

The days are growing lighter now, spring is almost here. m

Computer help will be here this afternoon, so i'd best get ready some questions. Off I go to work.

March 9, 2025 Sunday     

I am all set to mail packages: kits are finished, canvas is cut, I just have to pick up the instructions copies at the print shop. Dressing Henry is ready and I will fetch it tomorrow; the balance will be ready on Wedneday and I will pick them up on Wednesday afternoon.

The sale ends on Wednesday, March 12.

I predict it will take me about a week to mail everything. I'll see how it goes.

March 8, 2025 Saturday     

My WAIT LIST SALE continues. This morning I moved the whole sale to my home page for easier access (some people reported troubles finding the sale).

Without being too geeky, I have something corrupt in my system. My computer helper is coming on Monday to see if he can straighten it out for me. Meanwhile, if you struggle, email me and I will send you an invoice.

Some of you ask me why I have computer problems and here are some answers:

(1) I don't just consume content like most computer users, I generate content and that inevitably causes  problems.

(2) Specifically, I have my Mac which works anything Apple effortlessly, but I use a series of third party apps and therein lies the source of most of my problems.

(3) I wasn't born with a computer in my hands. A friend told me long ago: trouble with your phone? Stop a 10-year-old on the street and he/she will fix it for you. I have a lovely store about computers and my age. I'll tell it tomorrow....

Meanwhile, if you need an invoice to complete your sale, email me.

March 7, 2025 Friday     

My WAIT LIST sale continues. Just click on Henry on the right or on my home page and you will find all my designs from last  October.

I heard from the print shop yesterday that my Dressing Henry instructions copies will be ready for pick up and they will do everything else next week.

This means I will start shipping as soon as the sale closes next Wednesday.

If you have any difficulties or questions, please email me.

March 6, 2025 Thursday     

Everything started working yesterday and so I opened my Wait List (from October) Sale.

I have everything ready to go, I'm just waiting for the print shop to finish the instructions copies.

I will leave the sale open until March 12 and will ship everything after I close the sale.

Questions? Ask Away!

Whew!

March 5, 2025 Wednesday     

The good news is, my kits are complete and ready for my Wait List people.

The bad news is, my website hyperlinks aren't working properly and several of my website pages are askew.

What to do: Wait for help, both from my website people and from my personal computer geek.  I'm guessing it will take a week or more. I'm sorry this has taken so long. I hope it works out. Will see.

March 4, 2025 Tuesday     

Very good news! My kits for Wait Lists from my October Sale are all but finished. I have another day to day and a half to go, and then a week to wait for instructions at the print shop (that's the outside, it may be quicker than that.

So today or tomorrow those of you on Wait Lists will have an opportunity to shop for my Henry and Anne sale.

Look for an email from me with a link to the reopened sale.

March 3, 2025 Monday     

I put in a very long day yesterday. I spent the whole day counting tiny beads into tiny baggies, so long a day that I was nearly cross-eyed by the evening.

The good news is, another day and I will finish making kits for Dowager in the Evening. After spending 2 + days with my model for the piece, it remains IMHO my best ever geometric and I set to daydreaming. I can see three hearts in the design.

I have no time now to stitch anything but I was thinking of sketching the three hearts and setting aside the one I liked best for a rainy day. I have the threads, heaven knows I have the beads.  I will see about sketching hearts as soon as I finish the kits.

March 2, 2025 Sunday     

March 2 already and I am mired in counting beads for Dowager in the Evening. I eked out the number of kits I need -- and if I am to make a couple more I need to shop for beads.  I will finish these and worry about more of them later.

I had forgotten how intricate the beading is on this design but I pulled out the finished piece and it still remains IMHO the best geometric I've made.

Well, on with counting counting beads and beads in little baggies and more little baggies. I have most of the day an hope I make some headway, Wish me luck.

March 1, 2025 Saturday     

Here it is, March 1, and at the end of this month the first quarter of 2025 will have gone by.

I am on schedule -- almost! I am  in line in about 2 hours to finish my most complex kits: Dressing Henry. Oh my, it takes a long time to put together those kits! Endless threads, time-consuming bead counts, but I am happy to say I am at the end. I will finish assembling the kits  in another couple of hours.

So where am I? I am doing well with Henry: I have three of his designs completed. I will do Anne next -- by comparison she is relatively easy.

Dowager in the Evening will be last. Like Dressing Henry, she takes a considerable amount of time, so I will kick back and do her at the end.

HoooRAY! As March 1 arrives, I think I am in good shape.

February 27, 2025 Thursday     

We had a lovely time yesterday, DH and I, celebrating his birthday. Today it is back to work on kits. I think I will tackle some beads today.

Oh my, what a mess they and all the threads make around here but the only way to deal with mess: get the work completed so I can pick it all up and put it away.

I did have one small accomplishment yesterday: I borrowed just enough time to finish stitching a new heart, my second one for October. They are a pair, the two. I have written the first one but probably won't have time to write the second one till I finish kits.

On with the day, hope you have a good one!

  .

New from me. Two Hearts.

If my spring goes well, there will be more new hearts