Post-show

I did go to the show today, and I heard some nice comments about my pieces. Apparently the criteria for the judging were just whatever pieces the judges liked. Cross stitch did not get much, from what I heard. While I would like to be a part of a stitching group, I don't think I can put myself through this kind of thing. I hate competitions because I have this nagging drive to succeed, even when there's no real need to. I wish the show was truly a show and not a competition. I just don't see the point. Ah well, this is just the way my brain works and it's the only one I have, so I'll have to live with it. :)

I did see some very cute beaded ornaments, so I may need to take up beading. I've been meaning to for a while.

My stitching is home and safe, so I can relax and work on Summer Faerie (which I also saw at the show!).

Feeling funky

I've been in something of a funk this year. I mostly attribute it to settling into a new house and new city and the fact that everything is disorganized, especially my craft room. My environment has to be organized, at least to a certain extent, before my brain can fully engage. OCD? Maybe a little.

So we bought three shelves from Ikea for my craft room, and I bought some plastic bins to organize all my stuff. Of course, that didn't take care everything. We then bought some wood and put up some shelves in the closet of my craft room (they still need painting). At last, almost everything was off the floor! I still have some things to hang, but I need to figure out where they need to go. At least I have room to work.

We also bought a new comfy chair (insert Monty Python quip here) for the bedroom so I could stitch. At last! I could enjoy stitching again!

I started on the last Teresa Wentzler fairy to complete my collection. I've finished the top border and bit of the sides.

Then today happened. When we moved here, I joined the Austing EGA chapter. I was very happy to be part of a group, but work and my general exhaustion after work prevented me from going to the meetings.  Today is their stitching show, and I entered some of what I thought was my best work. I showed up to volunteer today, and no one was there. At all. Then I saw the list of merit ribbon winners. Nope, my name wasn't on the list. OK. I didn't want to be childish, but I was hurt. My work is about as technically accurate as I can get it. I know my technique wasn't the problem. The subject matter? I don't do samplers or folk art, which seems to be all the rage. Cliquish behavior? No idea. I finally figured that this group just isn't into the kinds of things I do. So what's the point of being a part of this group? Defeated, I went home and emailed that I wouldn't be working today.

So yeah, I feel like a little kid who didn't win at the science fair. I'm an adult, right? Why am I sitting here depressed because some people didn't like my cross stitch? Grow up, don't take it personally, be mature.

I think I'll just take my toys and go home now.