A Word of Advice...

...from Rational Me. Super Rational Me: don't get married, don't have kids, never say yes when you should say no. And don't agree to do Neighbourhood Round Robins. Which is, basically, an example of saying yes when you should have said no.Oh, you do understand, I hope, that when I said that one should never have kids I didn't mean any slight on my darling Pelle, but I just can't stand what he has to go through right now.

Onwards to stitchy pics:
My 'Do Not F*** With Me' replacement sampler (the original DNFWM has come to a sticky - if not pointy - end in that it got frogged. That ugly sampler is no more). This is a freebie (!!!!!!!!!!) from Atelier Imaginaire. I intend to work on it whenever I'm in need of therapy or meditation and the therapists and meditators are all asleep and, of course, when time and neighbourhoods allow.

I've finished part 2 (I thought it was part 4, but I checked the site and it turns out one band is one part. Drat it.). Having said that, this is such a wonderful sampler to work on. It's far from easy, even though there aren't any specialty stitches or anything. It's just that I decided to stitch this on floppy fabric with rather stiff linen threads from DMC, which makes for a lovely-looking sampler, but also for a rather novel experience in the contrasting feel of materials. I suppose the sampler isn't called 'Alter Echo' for nothing (and how appropriate for me, eh, considering the contents of my previous post?)

And I have a finish to celebrate! The Fremme birdy pincushion! I haven't finished-finished it yet, but shown on the picture are the materials which I will be using to make this into a very spiffy little pincushion. I will send the birds your way, Monique, in the course of this week!

I haven't finished Michelle's neighbourhood yet, but I did mail it to Kathy anyway, and I was in such a hurry to do so that I completely forgot to take a picture. I believe Kathy is the last person to work on this one apart from Michelle, so maybe you could send it back to me when you're done, oh Sweet and Patient One? And just so you know: Katrina's RR is in the Q-snaps as we speak.

On a(nother) personal note: today would have been my Opa's 100th birthday. He always said he wouldn't make it this far, but he came pretty close! Opa was a real wonder. He told the most fantastic stories, and the amazing thing about them was that they were all real! His pale blue eyes would light up and his laughter would fill the room (or the patio, because he was always outside, basking in the Spanish sunshine). I still miss him every day. I believe it was in my old blog that I told you a bit about him, but I was blogless at the time he died. He passed away on April 24th.

Short post, so sorry, lots on my mind and none of it involves stitching. Until next time, honeybuns!

Edited to add that the link to the Atelier Imaginaire freebie is not working, although the freebie is still there. Perhaps I can't link directly to the freebie. If you google alter echo atelier imaginaire, you should be directed to the freebie immediately. I'm doing the French version, but there's also an English version and a German one!

An Apology

I don't know why I keep apologizing to you guys for becoming a selfish stitcher, I really don't. Honeybuns, I'm doing you a favour.

Today, I have discovered that I am physically or mentally (or mayhap bothly) incapable of sticking to deadlines. Even when all the evidence points to the fact that I have a deadline approaching, something inside me prevents me from making it. It really is not a conscious effort on my part to not make the deadlines. I'm just hopeless. I live in La-La-Land. In fact, I live in a special corner of La-La-Land, reserved for people whom even the regular residents of La-La-Land find a little too weird. A little too embarrassingly naive, air-headed, perhaps even a little dangerous. I think I may even be schizophrenic. And this is the sort of war of words that rages between Rational Me and La-La Me:

Rational Me: Say, An, you're in this Neighbourhood Round Robin, aren't you?
La-La Me: Really? Oh yeah... Now that you mention it.
Rational Me: Yeah. You do realise you have actually THREE of the neighbourhoods in this particular Round Robin in your possession?
La-La Me: Oh, that's what those large yellow envelopes are for? They contain Neighbourhood Round Robins? Ha! What do you know.
Rational Me: Yeah.
La-La Me: Hmm.
Rational Me: Yeah. Yeah. Listen, An, why do you think there are three of those lying around in your house, instead of just one or two?
La-La Me: What? I don't know. The person sending them to me must be a really quick stitcher.
Rational Me: Ya think?
La-La Me: Hm-mm.
Rational Me: You don't think maybe you may have missed a deadline?
La-La Me: Who? Me? Erm... no. You think?
Rational Me: Well, I did hear Kathy - the poor, dear lady who you are supposed to be sending to - mention November 15th as a deadline.
La-La Me: Well, of course. That's my deadline for this particular neighbourhood.
Rational Me: Are you quite sure, An?
La-La Me: Yep, I think so. Well, you know, since you're really starting to hassle me now, I'll drop a line to the nice lady who organizes this NRR, just to make sure, okay? Would that satisfy you?
Rational Me: That would certainly help.
La-La Me: Okay then, you nasty hassler.
[floats off to write an e-mail to said lady, probably forgetting to ask the all-important question]
[Some time later] Rational Me: So An, have you heard from the nice lady yet?
La-La Me: Which nice lady would that be? Every lady I know is nice. Except one. She's a very nasty lady. But maybe she meant well after all and I just completely misunderstood her motives and_ [is rudely interrupted]
Rational Me: AN! Get a grip, woman! She is a nasty lady, but we're not talking about her right now.
La-La Me: Well, there's no need to shout at me like this_ [is, again, interrupted]
Rational Me: I'm losing my patience here.
La-La Me: Really? You should take up cross stitching. It's very therapeutic_
Rational Me: DID. You. Get. An. E-mail. From. That. Lady?
La-La Me: No, but she's going through so much right now and I don't think I should_
Rational Me: DO you know when the next deadline is?
La-La Me: Well, I've thought about it because you keep nagging me, and I do think it actually might be September 15th.
Rational Me: That would be September 15th, 2008?
La-La Me: Yes. I'm pretty sure that's the right year... Oh no...
Rational Me: What?
La-La Me: Oh no... I... I think I may be a little late...
Rational Me: A LITTLE LATE?
La-La Me: Yes, but... I didn't know about the deadline.
Rational Me: You didn't know about the deadline? You have three Neighbourhoods from the same RR lying around, and you didn't know you had a deadline?
La-La Me: Well, not exactly...
Rational Me: You didn't hear any alarm bells ringing when you saw that pile of big yellow envelopes gathering dust on your dining room table?
La-La Me: Bells? There were bells? Did they play a nice tune? I'm afraid I missed that. I didn't hear any bells.
Rational Me: Are you deaf?
La-La Me: No, my ears are in perfect working order, actually. Only the other day, I_
Rational Me: AN!!!!! Could you, for once in your frigging life pay attention to the things that matter, instead of walking around with your head up in the clouds and thinking everything will turn out alright without actually ever doing something about anything???? Will you never learn? Will you_ Oh, bloody hell, sod it. I don't care. I give up. You just do what you like.

And so I do.
And I apologise.

Time for another confession

No no, don't worry, don't flee. I'm not going to bother you with personal stuff this time. Not much, anyway :o)
As I mentioned in my previous post, last week was rather hard on the old nerves. It was actually quite dreadful and horrible. And it didn't really end with that nice dinner party with my friends. On Monday I had to conduct a telephone conversation with someone re. divorce negotiations and... well, to cut a long story short, after I had hung up I felt inspired to stitch up this:

Inspired as I was by the book Subversive Cross Stitch, which Harmien pointed out to me. After the pointing out, I remembered that I actually own this book. What I couldn't remember is why I couldn't remember, and then it dawned on me: I don't really like it. Believe you me, I have nothing against strong language. Actually, I have been known to swear like a dockhand, especially when I'm driving (but really, guys, there is so much to swear about when you're driving, don't you agree? I mean. Really. Horses on public roads or paths. Why? Why??? Have we no cars, no motorcycles, bicycles, mopeds, means to take us wherever we want to go without having to saddle up a bloody horse first? Are we stuck in the middle ages? And, and, and... what about organised groups of 60+ people taking HIKES or - heaven forbid - bicycle tours on public roads. You know: people dressed up in fluorescent jackets, armed with whistles to warn the rest of the group that traffic is coming. OF COURSE there's traffic coming. It's a PUBLIC ROAD, and it's there to help people in CARS get from A to B in the fastest, most efficient way possible. Or what about people (usually gray-haired and gray-vehicled) who seem to think that it's okay to enter a motorway going at a snail's pace. No, it is NOT okay to do that, especially when I'm behind you. Or people who insist on blocking the second (or third) lane by driving there at said snail's pace while there is no earthly reason for them to be there, because the first lane is going quite dangerously fast enough for them, thank you very much (and besides, they have no business on a motorway anyway, because they should be on a sidewalk somewhere WALKING)...

...I'm wondering now what the point is that I'm trying to make. Let me go back to see... Oh yes: nothing against strong language. Not at all. Using strong language is good for the soul and people who use it whilst driving are better drivers, as research has shown, because such drivers are always aware of what is going on around them (boy, am I ever).

Strong language, however, has no business in the lovely, sweet, sweet craft of cross stitching. I mean, not as far as I'm concerned. I started this sampler because I had to get something out of my system, but I should've taken the car for a spin instead, because the sampler didn't work. I felt bad about stitching words like these. It didn't feel right. If it works for you, good for you, but I think words on samplers should refer to all things floral, faunal, beautiful. And so I turned my attention to something very different, and yet and at the same time quite similar:

As you see, the colour scheme is the same as my intended 'Do not f*** with me' sampler, but the sentiments expressed on my linen are quite the reverse and more to my liking.

Also, I ordered a little Fremme kit a couple of weeks ago and it arrived yesterday. This is what happened:

Me likey.

And I can't leave you without showing you how big my little boy is getting. This pic was taken this morning, before he went to school:

Hope you're all well and in no way moved to stitch ugly words on lovely samplers :o)

Of finishes and friends

This has been a difficult week, but it's come to a very happy conclusion. I will let the pictures speak for themselves:

Prairie Schooler - Birdsong II framed!

The Goods Huswife - Ellen Birdseye framed!

Jeremiah Junction this-and-that-mixed-motifs-from-various-issues-of-their-magazine-sampler - framed!

Dinner with my oldest friends - names clockwise starting on the left: Saskia, empty spot (that would be me), Annique, Godelieve, Sandy, Renate (who is trying very hard to avoid the camera and pretending not to do so). I've known Annique for thirty years (shhhh) and the rest of our circle of friends has been added on to throughout our years at school. We're an odd bunch, I think, but we all get along like a house on fire :o)

And finally, another picture that would lighten up the darkest day:

Pelle looking very sweet and wearing his new Ome Willem T-Shirt with great pride.

For your information: I've finished the Halloween floss ring tag slash scissors fob exchange for Harmien and I delivered it on her doorstep last Monday, but since the finishing was done in the dead of night (the perfect time to finish a gift for Halloween, wouldn't you agree?) I couldn't take a picture, so you will just have to believe me. Next time I'm doing an exchange with Harmien (or with anybody, for that matter) I'm not going to suggest an exchange unless I've actually already finished my part of the exchange.

Hope this finds you well and happy.

Until next time!

Why selfish stitching works (and unselfish stitching doesn't)

A couple of weeks ago, Harmien and I decided to do a personal Halloween-themed floss ring tag exchange. I thought that was a good idea. Harmien is my best friend. she knows me, she will probably count on me not making the deadline. In fact, she knows I won't make it before I myself discover that there is no way I will. It doesn't help that I have a child who will try his darndest to never, ever have me make a deadline, but - as Harmien so rightfully pointed out - I shouldn't blame him for my own inability to not procrastinate. It's not his fault that he's been ill for more than a week. He can't help it that his stomach upset led to a runny nose, inflamed ears and wheezing lungs and kept me up for nigh-on a week so. And it's not Vonna's fault that I didn't finish the exchange on time either. No, it's not. The fact that she came up with this Me, Myself & I Neighbourhood and Blog is no reason for me to abandon everything I was working on to start planning yet another neighbourhood. It is nobody's fault, except my own, that Harmien arrived on Friday bearing the Halloween Exchange she so industriously finished on time, and that I had nothing to show in return, except a couple of sad pieces of fabric containing even sadder half-finished stitcheries. What I'm trying to say in a very roundabout way, is that I received some lovely, lovely gifts from Harmien...

...and that she didn't get anything from me. I feel bad. Especially because these are such beauties that I can't stop drooling over. Thank you, Harmien, and I can't tell you how sorry I am that you will have to wait for another week :o((((

Okay, enough of that. There was actually something I could give Harmien. It was a gift I stitched for her and Erik, as a sort of (very meager) thank you gift for everything they did for me this year:

Dear Friend by Blackbird Designs, adapted slightly to make room for our initials, and for the extra 'S' at the end (the original says 'Dear Friend'). The heart at the right is stitched in Queen's stitches. A first, and also a last for me, to be perfectly frank. Well, at least it lends the piece a sort of... primitive, school sampler-like look. The picture is appalling. The fabric was, apparently, mounted on a white board, which shines through because of the flash of the camera. I don't think you can actually see it IRL.

Another finish I picked up from the framer's is Herb Garden by Little House Needleworks. What a sweety, huh? And such a quick stitch! I love it to bits.

And now for my Me, Myself & I Neighbourhood. Like most builders in this new neighbourhood, I haven't been able to sleep properly since this project was set up, so during the very few hours that Pelle wasn't gasping for breath or throwing up or crying, I actually lay awake thinking of houses to build in my neighbourhood, poems and sayings and beasties and trees, and I think I'm mostly done planning. As to the name of my neighbourhood, I haven't quite decided if it will be ' Woodsy Wanderings' or 'Wacky Woodlands'. What do you think? I think I prefer 'Woodsy Wanderings', because I'm not planning anything too wacky right now. It's going to be a rather primitive affair, though, lots of Workbasket Designs and La-D-Da. I've found a poem to go around the design in a border (YES! A border!), but I'm waiting for the collection of poems I ordered before I share it with you, because no-one on the internet seems to know exactly how the poem goes. Barbara, for your information, it's a poem by e e cummings.

One more thing before I start dinner: I had wanted to explain, in my previous post, that even though my Green Award went to four ladies who happened to be mothers of children, I didn't mean to say that ladies with no children don't make me green with envy every once in a while. Rest assured, ladies, you certainly do. It's just that, I have enough work raising 'only' one child, and I cannot for the life of me imagine raising more and still having time to stitch, design, work, etc. On the other hand, when I hear of the trouble fur babies can cause, I can only say I'm glad I have a baby of the non-furry variety to take care of :o)

Next time, I hope to show you at least part - if not all - of my Halloween Exchange for Harmien. I'm not making any promises, though. Not ever again.

And the Award goes to...

Dear readers, I have nothing much to show you on the stitching front and now that the pumpkins have been harvested, no new pumpkinny pictures to share either. So what am I doing here? Well, the reason for appearing thusly, in the middle of the week, less than a week after my last post, is threefold, nay, fourfold. Firstly: I think the number of comments left on my blog when I post in the weekend is just unacceptably low [:o)]. Secondly, I do have one picture to share of the needlebook I've made using another Blue Pistol Lady motif. It's unfinished, but showable. The fabrics on which my needlebook-to-be rests are the ones I will be using for the lining and pocket.

Thirdly, I've joined another Neighbourhood Round Robin. Now before you (yes, you, Harmien) start shaking your head and directing your eyes heaven-wards, let me explain that this is not any old Neighbourhood Round Robin. It's Vonna's idea of a Neighbourhood Round Robin. And it's not really a Round Robin, it's more sort of a Stitch Along. You see, no other person will stitch on this Neighbourhood except myself. We don't start until December 31st, which leaves me an entire four months to finish The Village of Hawk Run Hollow, The Blue Lady, The Fremme Birds, the Cinders Sampler, Rites of Spring, Where My Heart Blooms and The Harvesters, which is, I think you'll agree, totally do-able. Vonna set up a blog for us, and I spent the better part of yesterday evening feverishly planning and plotting and calculating and drawing and sighing and smiling and cackling and browsing and counting and searching and researching. I always find that, in order to start a neighbourhood, I need a name for it. After that, it's a piece of cake. So, the name of my new Neighbourhood, ladies and gentlemen, is Woodsy Wanderings. You will have to wait for the rest of my plans until I find a piece of fabric large enough to carry my neighbourhood.

Fourthly (I was making a list of reasons for posting today, remember?), there has been a lot of Blogger Award awarding going on in the last couple of weeks. I have been nominated several times, by some lovely fellow bloggers whom I have rudely neglected so far (Su, Rachel, Loreta, so sorry). Now I do believe everybody in Stitching Blogland has been nominated at least once for the Brilliante Blogger Award, the I Love Your Blog Award and the Kreativ Blogger Award, so I hope you don't mind if I don't pass these awards on to other people. That is not to say I'm not flattered or pleased, because I am, more than I can say.
Does anyone actually know where these Blog Awards come from? Who makes them up? Is it a Blogger powered thing, or does someone sit down at a desk in front of a computer on a rainy, boring afternoon, to think of a new award? Because if that is the case, I would hereby like to introduce another Blogger Award, thought of by moi, entitled: The Blogger Who Makes You Green With Envy Because They Can Stitch, Design, Work, Keep House And Raise A Family Without Seemingly Losing Any Of Their Amiable Qualities Award (the BWMYGWEBTCSDWKHARAFWSLAOTAQ Award for short). This is the Blinkie to go with it,

and the lucky people who get to copy and paste this blinkie on their blog are:

Barbara, who is not only the warmest person, the bestest Mommy to four beastiest of children, the beautifullest stitcher and a great writer, but also a seriously original designer, a wonderful craftswoman - you have only to browse through her Etsy Shop to know I am right - and an inspirational fellow Blogger.

Tanya, of whom the same can be said, basically. I mean, come on. Look at the pictures of darling Ben and Zack. And she's The Sampler Girl. 'Nuff said. Oh, and she likes Seinfeld, too, which proves she has a great sense of humor :o)

Vonna, who must be the busiest bee among us Stitching Bloggers. Apart from hosting a number of exchanges and now this Neighbourhood SAL blog, this lady has two jobs, one husband, four children, a finishing service for stitchers who are stuck, and a house so immaculate it actually brings tears to my eyes every time I see a picture of said house.

Monique, homeschooler, designer, thread-holder-designer, quilter, coffee-slurper, Scandinavian fabric and design lover...the list goes on.

The rules of this award:
1. Be proud and rejoice.

That's it.

I promise stitchy pics in my next post!

Is it Autumn yet?

Well, I hadn't planned on posting for a good while because I'm not at all close to finishing anything, really, but then this morning, when I woke up, the weather was decidedly autumnal (some people - including my mother who is getting a bit sick with her entire basement flooding every few weeks may call it freak weather) and then I read Heidi's blog and I knew today was the day I was going to harvest some pumpkins. I have to say I have no idea how to tell when pumpkins are 'done', but I see pumpkins of all shapes and sizes popping up everywhere, so I thought 'why not'. Actually, I know sod-all about pumpkins, except that I like the way they look. I don't know what they taste like, I don't know how long they keep, I don't know how to make pumpkin soup or pumpkin pie or pumpkin mash or pumpkin ice cream or pumpkin tea, but I do know they look kind of cozy stacked up, with Pelle's little head popping up behind them:

Pelle is frightfully proud of our pumpkin stash

You understand I won't be happy until I've photographed these babies from all possible angles, using them as props for stitcheries and threads and floss rings and key rings.... Speaking of which: I forgot to share a pic of the wonderfully sweet RAK I received from Carol about two weeks ago. The reason why I forgot is that I put it to use as soon as I saw it. Carol had written on the envelope that it contained a key ring, thinking that the good people at the customs office might not understand the term 'floss ring tag'. But, you know, I've been looking for a key ring that is totally me, and what better form of key ring than e floss ring tag? And what could be more me than a gift from Carol in the form of a Bent Creek bunny? Exactly.

Isn't it the cutest? Thank you so much, Carol. It looks a bit wrinkly, but that's because I put it to good use every day :o)

And now for some more autumnal stuff. After finishing LHN's Herb Garden - which you haven't seen yet, because that's the piece I brought to the framer's as soon as I had disposed of the last ort - I knew I needed to do another Little House Needleworks design. Now I own nearly all of the charts, but before Herb Garden, I had never, ever, ever stitched a LHN design. Not ever. I know, it's incredible, but there it is. Anyway, I now understand the attraction and I knew I had to mend my ways. Here's my new LHN start:


It's The Harvestersand I think it's pretty obvious why I chose this one. The religious text is another first and, unlike the BC Bunny, not really 'me', but you never know what good may come of stitching this ;o)

I'm slowly but surely making decent progress on Blackbird Designs' Rites of Spring

The design is just lovely, but I have Autumn on my mind and find it difficult to concentrate on anything so brightly coloured as a spring design by BBD...

I have some more things to show you, but since this post is already on the picture-heavy side, I will wait and show you my other Projects in Progress the next time.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!