A Bit of Stitching, Reading, and Thinking (Continued).

Hello again, dear friends,

To continue the topic of stitching that had to be interrupted last time in favor of work...

This past year I stitched a few snowmen - to the point of dreaming of them.

"Snowmen Stocking" - Dimensions kit

Perhaps, I started dreaming about these particular snowmen because they wanted to be finished so badly. I have been trying to finish them for about a year... It was about time.

"Snowmen Banner" by Stoney Creek

These three gentlemen, with their bright colors and a sharp Welcome banner, were a joy to work on - plus, I learned and mastered the Turkey Stitch on them. It's what makes the ruffs of their scarves...

Turkey Stitch - can you see it?

Here's another one...

"Happy Holly Craze" by Stoney Creek

After the snowmen galore - here's something a bit different...

"Greatest Gifts" by Stoney Creek

Finally - two small, but powerful bookmarks...

"Paris" by Stoney Creek

Yes, they do!

Speaking of books - I have been reading a lot. Endlessly, I would say. With access to the audio collection from the public library, I have been able to combine two of my favorite pass times - reading and stitching.
I started with Robert Galbraith's trilogy about PI Strike. Then, I read (re-read?) "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," narrated by Stephen Fry. Then, with Halloween approaching - and "It" in the theaters - I "re-discovered" Stephen King for myself. In the past month, I have read (listened to):
"Finders Keepers"
"The Revival"
"Shawshank Redemption"
"Bag of Bones"
"Quitters, Inc." - and other short stories...

Once again, duties call, and I have to go.  To be continued.

Until next time,

A Bit of Stitching, Reading, and Thinking

Good morning, dear friends,

Once again, it has been a while. What can I say? Life gallops on, with work, projects, books, commitments there isn't much time to sit and write it all down. Day by day, my life seems pretty regular and scheduled, same-old same-old, but when compiled, suddenly I see that a lot has happened.

Let me start with the highlights...

"Pumpkin" by Olesya Novoshilova

My stitching has been published! I received my copy of Just Cross Stitch - and look, there it is, the design I stitched. It is small, but so colorful and detailed. I really enjoyed working on it; the process felt very natural, almost like painting, thanks to the way the designer blended the colors.

Here it is, close up. I was in such a hurry to send it back on time that I forgot to remove the waste knot (easily fixed, thankfully)... Can you spot it on the picture?

There are a few more designs that have been published - mostly online and in pamphlet publications, and it was a thrill to see my work on the leaflets in the stores. There is a special feeling about seeing something you worked on in print, the picture of my stitching showing how it's supposed to look. Knowing - for sure - that I am good at something I love to do.

Here is the new project from Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe that I had the pleasure of working on.

"Flower Seeds" by Nancy Turner

When I think of Nancy's designs, the word "earthy" comes to mind. Stitching her designs always gives me the feeling of slipping into a time loop and visiting the past. The touch and smell of fabric, the softness of the thread, the subtle yet vibrant colors - all adds to the richness of it. Whenever I get to pick up one of her designs, I know it's going to be a beautiful experience.

In the WIP section I have "Stocking Critters"  kit from Dimensions.

On top of the Penguin (if you can see him) there will be a bird with a colorful package. A totem pole of sorts (I keep thinking while stitching it). It was a whole lot of white for a while, but now, with more colors around it, it is starting to take shape.

With all the stitching done (and still to be done), I have been listening to stacks (is that word appropriate here?) of audiobooks. From Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike trilogy, to Agatha Christie's stories, to Edgar Allan Poe. After watching "It" at the movies, I thought of re-reading Stephen King - and got hooked. Book after book, story after story. I just finished listening to "Bag of Bones," read by Stephen King himself....

But, it is getting late. I will have to write about my thoughts on the read books in my next post. Good night, my friends.

Until next time,

A "Stitch'n'Bitch" Post...

Hello, dear friends,

As always, it has been quite a while since I posted here. That between my daily job, my home business (a.k.a "a second job"), the girls (who are not so child-like any more), and all the "in-between" stuff, the blog seems to fall through the cracks. Sometimes, I sit down to write, but with so many ideas going through my mind - which one do I focus on? Where do I start? Quite often, just thinking about the process makes me realize it's not worth the trouble, and I choose instead to concentrate on stitching.
Stitching, unlike "bitching", yields concrete results, and I see what I have accomplished after each session. Here is something I have been working on the past couple of weeks...

12 Days of Christmas SAL
by Plum Street Samplers

My goose is cooked... My swans are swimming (along with some ugly ducklings)... In fact, the maids are starting to materialize by now - they just need their milking buckets.  It has only got me about two years to get here... I am sure it will be finished soon (she said, rolling her eyes)...

I am stitching this project with the home-dyed threads from Nancy Turner's collection, and it is a real pleasure to work with them... Such soft threads - and rich colors...

The Goose...

The Swans...

There are other projects I am working on as well, but - alas - I cannot post pictures of them yet... 

Now that the stitching update is complete - on to the "bitching" part. I hope to get this out as precisely and quickly as possible, especially because for me, this particular subject - social isolation - is a recurring topic. 

This time, my rant was inspired by the online article in New York Post about some study on single life. "Being single will kill you faster than obesity," it declared bluntly. So, wait, I thought... are they saying that choosing to stay single is, in fact, unhealthy?

First, I took it as yet another thing "they" say we, as individuals, "have been doing wrong", along with eating meat, brushing teeth, washing our face, and raising kids. I take the "expert" suggestions with a grain of salt and a healthy dose of irony, reminding myself that, as long as y methods work for me and my family, the experts can really put their advice where the sun don't shine. 

Then, I thought how ironic it was that, in a society that in all its general behavior promotes social isolation, this piece suggests that getting into a relationship - any relationship, as long as you are not "single" - is deemed healthier for me than staying by myself. In the world where on a daily basis people are isolated from each other - by their cars, cell phones, head phones, laptops - and in fact often view a simple conversation as a challenge - here is a piece that encourages each one of us to make a serious choice and "trust" them that it's "healthy" for us - just because they say so. Forget our individual needs, cultural differences, nuances of upbringing - in a word, anything that makes us unique - and follow the herd, do what we are told to, because "they" know better. Sounds awfully familiar - like something from a history lesson.

I do realize that, in essence, the article was just trying to convey a simple and true message - that 

loneliness and isolation is not good for anyone, and definitely not for long periods of time. But, it seems they are going about it the wrong way. Come to think of it, all the technology that isolates us from each other on a daily basis was created with a purpose to bring us closer together. Cars were made to help us travel faster, internet and cellphones - to communicate more effectively. But, somehow, as a society, we misused them. On Facebook, I get endless requests to like, share, re-post, and copy to "prove" that I care about suicide prevention, curing cancer, and other numerous causes. As if pressing a few buttons is actually going to help cure illness or prevent someone from committing suicide....

This is not Super Mario Brothers video game, it is real life. It requires real action. Care about a friend? Call them, text, message - and make time to see them, and talk, and listen. It will take longer than pressing a button, but in the end it will do a world of good. Feeling lonely? Get yourself out of the car and take a walk. You'd be surprised how many interesting people I've met ever since I had to rely on my own two feet and public transportation for getting around. Make real connections with real people - and you will learn more about others and about yourself, and in the process, hopefully, chip away at that problem of loneliness and isolation in our society.

If you don't have time for real communication and connection, and do not wish to make time, then... don't. But also, don't spread general prefabricated statements of "caring." Stop overloading the internet with junk. And in the long run, prepare to deal with the consequences.

Until next time,

A Trip to the Movies and Other Pleasures

Hello, dear friends,
Today is my day off, and, since my girls are on vacation, it also happens to be the first day in a long time that we can spend together... So, we decided to go to the movies - to see "Wonder Woman." (Well, I decided, and they agreed to come, but that is a small detail...)
What a treat that movie was - with the inspiring story, great cast, and even - visual effects. I am not usually one to fall for technologically enhanced explosions, but 3-D views of the Sacred Island that the "Wonder Woman" Diana is from made me feel like was walking right alongside her. I was afraid that the story was going to focus on the romantic relationship (Amazon princess + American "pauper"), but, again, I was pleasantly surprised, for the "love line, " while present, did not overshadow the message of the story, and a healthy dose of humor prevented it from becoming soppy. Well, the message of the story was about love, but the view of it was definitely more realistic than I am used to seeing in the movies: a mother's love for her daughter is often mingled with fear; the love of Diana and Steve is not so much a "hot and passionate affair," but a connection of two people who are both on a mission, are very different from each other, and try to learn about each other as much as possible in a very short time, while also working on their - not quite common - goals. Diana, a woman from a different world, constantly challenges the notions of "our" society about women, leadership, and power. Finally, in her search for the villain, she discovers that evil does not necessarily look it, or, at least, not at all the way she expected. At some point, it even looked like the "hero" and the "villain" could reach an agreement, for all they had was a difference of opinion, really... (I said afterwards that, being a "sucker" for intelligent argument, I would have probably given in... to which my daughter responded, "Mom, it is a good thing for humankind that you are not a Wonder Woman.") Indeed, it is.

In other news... I treated myself to a gift recently. After a little over a year of hard work, my family is with me again; my daughters and I are reunited. During the time apart, I have learned to enjoy the simple things in life and get along without so-called "necessities," such as a car, a computer, or a DVD player. After things started getting to the point that we, as a family, agreed on as "normal," I gave myself a reward... I thought of it as a combination birthday, Christmas, and Mother's Day present....

A Simpson's House Lego set.

The "Open" view of the model - with all the details inside.

It took me about five days to put it together (not counting the breaks in between - for work, stitching, housework and life), and when the time came to connect the garage to the house (yes, it connects, so that the house can "close" and look like a regular two-story box with a garage attachment), something went wrong - and... the walls collapsed on both the garage and the house side. I cried "Nooo!" and left it to sit alone for a few days, commenting that the house turned out to be "not prepared for the earthquake". Then, after calming down sufficiently, on my following day off I sat down and devoted the morning to rebuilding the disaster. It worked - as it should have. But, to save myself the aggravation, I decided to leave the garage detached - and the model open... It is more fun to look at the details anyway rather than stare at the closed "house" box...

Inside the garage. Loved the miniature tools and broom.
The cabinet door opens.

Lisa and Maggie...

Lisa's room has a vanity and a camera...

On the wall, there are pictures of Grandpa and Maggie..

Bart's room has personality, with the poster and the comic book.

Finally, a few little details...

Ned Flanders doing the BBQ.. 

A mailbox - complete with the letter!
I loved putting it together, along with Lisa's camera, the BBQ pit, and the kitchen cabinets...

How did it end up at Homer's???

Marge with the vacuum cleaner... 

I know that to some people it may seem like I am being childish. So many things to take care of, so many serious problems, issues, worries - and here I am, playing with the... dollhouse. To these people, I would say - I have been taking care of things all my adult life, and at times I feel that I need a break. This is simply a self-care kit of sorts. I loved working on it... and that is all that matters.

Until next time,

A Stitching Post

Hello, dear friends,

It looks like, finally, I can share some of the projects I have stitched in the past couple of years. So, beware - this post is picture heavy.

First of all... "The Old Rugged Cross"  - perfect for Easter holiday! Oh, wait.. the Easter was a month ago. Oh well... I enjoyed stitching it, and here it is.

The Old Rugged Cross

This project felt like a work of art - all the colors, and the skies looked so realistic, I could almost sense that chill in the air right before the storm. The details of the cross make it look three-dimensional, almost real.

I have taken quite a few pictures of this project, front and back, but these two are my favorites.


Next- quite a different topic: vegetables! This one made pictures of the ordinary vegetables into an art form... It was like re-creating Still Life paintings with needle and thread.

Carrot

While stitching it, I thought it would look good in someone's kitchen - inspiring people to drink carrot juice? The taste of it kept popping up in my mouth all through working on this piece...

Eggplant

With the Eggplant, I loved the colors! Looks like the sun is bathing one side of it... While in real life I find eggplants boring, this one was anything but. Another decoration for someone's kitchen, or perhaps restaurant.












For the final piece - my favorite miniature...

A hedgehog with the mushroom! Don't mind that the mushroom is poisonous - it is a decoration, not food. I could imagine it in a handmade card.

Now, I have been told that all these pieces have been released as kits in Hobby Lobby stores all over the country. Unfortunately, there isn't a store like that anywhere near I live, so I cannot see the "final result." Stitching them was a pleasure, though, so I know those who work on them are going to enjoy the process.

Until next time,

It's the Little Things in Life...

Hello, dear friends,

Overcome with a fresh bout of graphomania (typomania, in my case), I decided to write a blog post. Over the past few weeks, a lot of things happened - but, small things, details that made, like puzzle pieces, the whole picture more interesting.
First of all, I re-joined the gym - which means not only paid my dues, but actually went for a workout twice. Working out and swimming in the pool afterwards was a pleasant experience - save for the humbling realization that our group trainer, while pregnant, still could bench press more weight than any of us. I resigned not to feel inadequate about it, but focus instead on the fact that my personal best has improved since last time I was there. (Last time, I walked out of the session after fifteen minutes, fighting back tears).
Mother's Day this year was a pleasant experience - perhaps, partly because I was not sitting around waiting for presents or recognition; instead, I did what I felt I had to do to make the day more enjoyable for myself. Spending some time with my daughters between work (I did have to work on Mother's Day) was a nice bonus... Then, upon coming to work, I found a catered lunch that was served in the break room for all the working mothers - with live roses for each one of us to take home. "Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, " as a good friend of mine says in such situations.
Thank you for reading my ramblings...

Until next time,

Life and Stitching News

Hello, dear friends,

It has been over four months since my last post. Has it really been that long? Time keeps flying by, one week after another, and some days I feel I can barely keep up. What, is it March already? No, wait, it's April... No, wait... make it May!

 A lot has happened in this time. My daughters and I are together again, living under the same roof. (The song "Reunited" keeps popping up in my head every time I think of that). The past three months without them have been a glimpse of what life would be "on my own," when they have grown up and started living their own lives. It was a bit empty, a bit scary at first, but in a way also educational and - liberating. Scary - because suddenly I had no one to cook dinner for, nobody to take care of. I felt like a woman out of a job, like I have lost my main purpose. Then, after the initial shock, I thought of the best way to use the free time - and that is when the liberating part came in. I had one of a kind chance to remember who I was before taking on all the roles - before marriages, motherhood, working, earning a living. I got back to basics - reading, listening, writing, and stitching (of course). I learned to like my own company once again - something I had in the beginning, but lost in the process and had to reclaim. In the end, I learned that living on my own is not quite as scary as I imagined; it's different and new, but it also has its advantages. While I am not in a hurry to start living alone, I know now that, when the time comes, I will be all right.

During the time alone, I have done a lot of stitching, but, alas, there are only two projects I can show.
The first one is called "Aquarius" - remember, I started it over a year ago for my daughter? I was able to give it to her for her birthday this year...

Aquarius

The second project I finally finished was the Christmas stocking. This one took some time and effort, and eventually these snowmen started haunting my dreams, giving me nightmares. Perhaps, they wanted to be finished. Or, perhaps, I was feeling guilty for taking such a long time... In any case, I am glad to have completed it finally, and I am pleased with the result.

"Three Snowmen"

In the end, I enjoyed stitching this project a lot. The different thickness of the thread made the snow hills look fuller, and the backstitch outlined the trees and brought the details into sharper focus. I loved finishing it.

There is a lot going on in my life still - as always, it seems - but it is my hope that from now on I will be able to post more regularly. See, now I have a laptop, which means - no more going to the library,  I can once again write in here right from home.

Thank you for reading my ramblings.

Until next time,