Rose and Butterfly Quilt block 14

This block took a little longer because of vacation and my addiction to Laurell K. Hamilton (more on that later). The basket didn't have any backstitching in the chart, like the instructions and the other three baskets prove that it should. I asked Martina, and she said to just use the other baskets as a reference if I wanted to backstitch it. I wasn't quite happy with that answer (which is also what she said to do about the antenna for the third butterfly) -- I felt the chart should be corrected -- but I got it done. I did restitch the butterfly's antennae, and I like them better now.

Laurell K. Hamilton: I read her Merry Gentry series first, and there's sex all over the place. I then read her Anita Blake series, which began much more tame, though still violent. Then eventually this series began to be about sex all over the place, with multiple men. They say that what you write reveals more about yourself than about the characters. If so, then wow. The strange thing is that I can find many flaws in the books and really would like more story than sex, but I really want to know what happens to her characters. They're fascinating. I guess that's the proof of a good author. One more book from the library and then I have to wait on her to come out with new ones.

Cupcake critters

I made the spider pincushion recently from a DMC pattern. It was the first time I had used memory thread (basically thick thread with a copper wire inside). I like it! (Matt had to point out that this is not a spider but a harvestman since it doesn't have a separate head and abdomen.) Oh, and I'll be giving away a spider pincushion in October, along with some other goodies.

I adapted the pattern to make the ladybug pincushion for my mom's friend, who's crazy about ladybugs. I think the trickiest part is finding a ribbon or cording to go around the piece. The surface is uneven -- the top is taller than the bottom, so a ribbon with no stretch just kind of hangs there unattractively.

Vacation: We recently went to Galveston and stayed at a nice (but expensive) hotel on the beach for the weekend. We finally found a vacation Logan enjoyed! We went to the Rainforest Cafe. For those of you who have never been, the restaurant is jungle themed and has animatronic animals that go off at set times. The first time the monkeys started moving, Logan clapped his hands over his eyes and refused to remove them. I was very disappointed because I love this kind of thing and hoped he would too. He eventually watched the show and even enjoyed it. Outside, a volcano spit flames and smoke, which was awesome. The food's mediocre and overpriced, but you go there for the show, not the food. We also went to Moody Gardens and saw the aquarium, which Logan actually paid attention to (unlike Sea World the previous year when he was two and a half). We took a paddlewheel ride around the bay; that took too long to hold his attention. He really enjoyed the beach and playing in the sand with his toys, even though he had to wear a jacket because it was cold -- yes, Texas in May. Weird. He didn't want to go in the water, so I carried him and waded into the waves up to mid-thigh. He clung to me like a monkey so he could watch the waves. I wish we could have stayed longer.

My husband the engineer: Matt finished his last class and is now an electrical engineer. He starts his new job tomorrow. I am so proud of him. It's not easy going back to school. I can see why he couldn't manage working 60+ hours a week and going to school. School alone took all of his time. It's nice to have my husband back. Even doing housework together is fun.

Promotion for me: I'm getting a promotion at work and will be a supervisor again. I haven't been a supervisor for about eight years because I'm a full-time telecommuter. Work is going to try to get me an office in Austin, but it's still not the same city as the people I supervise. Challenging but not impossible!

Rose Quilt block 13

Not far now! I went back and added the antennae to the last butterfly I did. Martina said she had forgotten to give him any.

We're going on vacation this weekend to Galveston. I've been agonizing about what stitching to take with me. I don't want to take anything I can't wash, and I don't have anything like that ongoing right now. I don't really want to start anything new -- the desire isn't even there, which is weird. I'm on a mission to get my WIPs out of the way. But it's either start a new small or have nothing to stitch on (unthinkable). Decisions, decisions....

Gingerbread Stitching House fob

I've been working on Victoria Sampler's Gingerbread Stitching House for a while, but I decided to do the finishing on the fob, which I've had stitched for a while now. It's very tiny and very cute. But am I satisfied? Not quite. The instructions called for 2-ply mat board, which I didn't have, so I used 4-ply. That made it a little bulky, which makes the stitching around the edge a little stretched and not very nice looking. I did a second round of stitches around the edge, which helped some, but it still bugs me. I should have just left the mat board out. Even with 2-ply, I think it would have been too bulky. I'm not going to restitch it, so I'll have to make myself be satisfied with it. I really wish I didn't drive myself crazy like this. I try to remind myself of something a friend once told me: If you want perfect, a machine will give you perfect. Something being handmade means it's imperfect, and that's what makes it beautiful.

Rose and Butterfly Quilt block 12

Here's the latest installment. I don't know why my pictures always come out blurry. Matt tells me to read the manual, but....

Books: I made my last purge of books. So far I've gotten rid of 480 books. I'm rather proud of myself for letting go of possessions, but it does hurt. I'll get over it. I kept my favorite authors -- still too many boxes of books in storage.

Have you heard that libraries will be able to loan books on the Kindle? I'm excited about this, but I know our backwater library won't implement this for a long time, if ever. Maybe when we move to Austin it will be better.

Rose and Butterfly Quilt block 11

Here's another update. I'm cruising along now that I've hit my stride with the piece. I hope I can keep it up!

And on to the good news! Matt got a job! The offer wasn't spectacular, but it's pretty good, and he really likes the place. He thinks he'll enjoy being their quality engineer. We're going to be moving to Austin as soon as we can sell the house. Of course that means we need to work on the house first. Ugh. I'll keep my current job, but I can't be a supervisor or get a promotion if I'm not in the office (I telecommute). Bummer. I need to figure out what I want to do with my career now.

Matt has a competition in Albuquerque next week, and then he has two killer weeks of school and finals left. It will be nice to see my husband again someday soon. Imagine me married to an engineer. I've joked that the engineer is the natural enemy of the technical writer. We do tend to think of things a little differently, but we also have complementing strengths. He's a good writer, but he's not artsy like I am (finally something he's not good at). And me...while my brain has to be able to organize information logically, etc., in order to be a technical writer, science and math have not been my strong points for a long time (yes, I used to be good at math a long, long time ago). Let's just say we make the perfect team. I know I couldn't imagine a better partner.

(Might be nice if he cross stitched with me...but at least he gets it.)

Framed pieces

My two Jill Rensel masterpieces are in the house! And they are huge! I'll try to take some photos when I have them on the wall to show scale.

Rose and Butterfly Quilt block 10

Here's the latest installment of my monster Chatelaine. The initials were a little tricky to figure out because you need to center the letters, not their little swirls. Martina had charted the M (because it's her initial, of course), but I had to figure out where to put the B. An added irritation was that I goofed on the placement of an eyelet at the bottom, which threw off the letter placement. That's right, I had to rip out over-one stitching--always a pain in the backside. But hey, it's done, and I like it!

My framed pieces from Jill Rensel should be coming in any day now....

Diet: I've been working on getting my Lap-Band to the right fullness. Unfortunately, during this last round I got overfilled. Ouch. I could hardly eat anything, and I woke up many, many times at night choking on acid reflux. Yesterday the doctor removed some of the fill, and it's such a relief. I'm also getting better restriction, so we'll see if this works.

Framed pieces from Jill Rensel

Jill sent me some photos of the pieces she's framed for me. They should ship out Monday. I am so excited!

The first piece is my biggie, The Awakening by Heaven and Earth Designs. Click to get a bigger pic so you can see Jill's amazing painting on the mats. She's a true artist.

The second piece is Castle Sampler by Teresa Wentzler. This is the piece I stitched on before and after Logan was born. I actually took it to the hospital but didn't get to stitch on it (drat). I remember stealing a few minutes here and there while recovering in bed. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Jill has certainly done the pieces justice, and I can't wait to see them in person. If they're this gorgeous in photos, they'll be even better in person!

Easter cushion

I made my little Chatelaine freebie into a cushion, the first one I've made of this type. You can see more pics of the sides and back. I'm pretty pleased with it, though it took longer than I thought it would. I was a little tired of stitching quite so many pink flowers! You can't see the sparklies in the fabric well, but I definitely like the effect here.

My floss finally came in, so I can work on my Halloween pieces again. No photos of those because I'm planning them for a giveaway in October. Muahaha!

Jill Rensel has a blog!

For those that don't know, Jill Rensel is an amazing framer. She's currently working on two pieces of mine. I recently found out the URL for her blog where she posts pics of pieces she's done. So beautiful.

Rose and Butterfly Quilt block 9

Here's the latest block. I figure that I can finish a block every two weeks if I stick to it. That's the plan anyway. My threads for my other small projects have shipped at long last, and I'm looking forward to working on them too.

Diet: Good news on that front. I figured out that my 25-year class reunion would be in 2012, and in order to be thin for it, I'm going to have to hustle. I seem to work well with a deadline, so it's really motivated me. I've begun walking on the treadmill again (20 minutes a day at the moment). I've also stuck to the diet fairly well. Eight pounds lost in the first week, so I'm finally encouraged. Your comments also helped; they were very touching. I know I'm not the only one daunted by weight loss. Thanks for the support. :-)

Easter 2011 Freebie HD

This is the Easter 2011 Freebie from Chatelaine. You can find the pattern on Martina's blog. I stitched in on 32-count opalescent. I rarely use glittery fabric, but it works for this piece. I'm going to make it into a little cushion, and I'll show some pics when it's finished. I got frustrated when my other little pieces were all missing floss, so I started something new, which I'm trying to avoid (I have a lot of WIPs right now). I'm still working on Rose Quilt (also a Chatelaine) when I have time to myself.

Since my floss order still hasn't shipped after three weeks, I canceled the order and will get it from someone else. After I canceled the order, the place said they were waiting for the floss to come in. Why couldn't they tell me that right after they received the order or when I emailed them a week ago? Some things I can wait on, but some things I really don't want to. Give me the option. I guess they were afraid to lose the order, but now they've lost a customer.

I'll order from a place in Austin, the Needle Works. I haven't been there, but they ship stuff really fast. They have a lot of canvas and needlepoint on their website. I really love some of the pieces. I don't need a new hobby, and the stuff is very expensive, but I'm really drawn to it. Sigh.

Rose and Butterfly Quilt update

It's hard to believe I haven't worked on this one since 2008. I think the huge size of the piece is what makes it so tiresome to work on. I found some plastic hair clips that might help. Make sure you click on this one to get a bigger image.

So of the three pieces I'm actively working on -- this one, VS's Gingerbread House, and a Halloween piece -- I'm missing one color of floss for each. I can still do some other stitching on the pieces while I wait, at least.

I bought fabric today for a table cloth for my little white table. I'll work on it after my mom gets back from her vacation next week. I'm getting rid of the plant stand, and I'm planning the table cloth and some fabric wall hangings using some frames I already had. I'll post a pic when it's all done.

Thanks for the compliments on the table. It's the one we had in the kitchen of our old house growing up. The thing is a good bit older than me. If it's as old as the other antiques, it would be around 80 years old. (It's got an extra leaf we keep in the garage.) My mom repainted it a while back. It could use a good scrub. I'm leaning toward staying with two chairs so that the tablecloth shows up better and doesn't make the space feel too cramped.

A year later...

So this spring break marks one year since I had Lap-Band surgery. Sigh. This is going to be a very depressing post. Feel free to skip it. Really, I'm warning you now.

So...I lost about 40 pounds very quickly after I had surgery. I've gained a little back but have kept most of it off. Even that isn't much to celebrate because that's what I gained after I decided to get the Lap-Band. Basically I stopped fighting myself from eating because I thought the Lap-Band would be the answer. It isn't.

It's great that I'm not gaining weight, but I didn't spend all that money (20 percent of the bill is still a lot) and go through all that pain just to not gain weight. It's still a diet, which I've failed at my whole life. The Lap-Band does curb some of the hunger but not enough. I can still eat an entire meal from a restaurant. I think the gastric sleeve would have been better for me (where they basically remove most of your stomach), but the insurance wouldn't pay for it. Had I known how badly this would fail, I might have seriously considered paying $10,000 (and then given up the idea because we don't have any money).

I can still get the band tightened some more. I may try that again. It's the carb craving that's getting me. I really wish I hadn't gone off the diet for our trip during the summer. That has resurrected my addiction to carbs, and I can't seem to kick the habit on my own.

I can also try exercise. It's pretty hard on my body, but I can do some walking. With Matt's job situation, it's just hard to work up the enthusiasm to get going. He keeps getting rejected, and as we know, depression certainly doesn't help the diet situation. Food is our comfort and what we keep falling back on.

At this point I'm just tired. Tired of fighting the hunger. Tired of thinking someday maybe this will be the thing that does it for me. I'm going to be fat for the rest of my life, but I don't want to be. No matter what successes and loves I have in my life, my weight will always be the failure that counts the most and that defines me.

See, told you, depressing.

Kitchen decor question

We're in the process of decluttering, packing some items, and staging the house so that we can sell the house in May. Here's a design question I have for you guys. Should I get rid of the plant stand (used to be a wine cart) or not? It's pretty rickety, and I wouldn't feel too bad about getting rid of it. What else does this part of the kitchen need? A table cloth? Pictures on the wall (and where exactly)? I can add a third chair if I get rid of the plant stand.

Maggie the Messmaker HD

This piece has been the biggest nightmare piece I have ever faced. No Teresa Wentzler piece, no hardanger, no HAED has given me as many problems as this piece. It's a beautiful piece, don't get me wrong. But I had nothing but problems from the minute I started. With a TW, I can just go without reading the directions. I sort of tried it with this piece and didn't notice the different strands and half/full stitches. So I had to rip a lot when I didn't pay close enough attention to the chart. So, for the final time, let me enumerate the things I didn't like about the design of this piece:

• Lots of half stitches. Sometimes I forgot which one I was supposed to stitch and did it the wrong way. Ripit!
• Differing numbers of strands. Sometimes two strands, sometimes three, sometimes a blend. Again, I had to rip.
• Colored chart. Same symbols, different colors -- that can get confusing, especially when you highlight the chart and have to restitch something. (I had to highlight because there was so much detail in the piece.)
• Huge chart. The thing is in shreds now with all the folding.
• Complicated backstitching. Given the complexity of the piece, it's hard to avoid, but the backstitching was a pain.
• Poor cording instructions. I didn't even realize I was supposed to make cording until I glanced at the stitch instructions. I know how to stitch -- I didn't need instructions. Well, apparently I was supposed to intuit that I was supposed to be couching cording, not strands of thread (the diagram gave a thread count, 1, 2, or 3 strands). Again with the ripping.
• Knots! Yes, I had to use knots with the cording. Icky patooey.
• Aida and non-DMC floss. The standard thing we hate about Dimensions kits. I didn't sub.
• Full stitches, not quarter stitches. As we know, this makes for a sloppy-looking piece. As complex as this piece was, I'm pretty glad it didn't use fractionals, to tell you the truth!

I think the key here is that you have to pay attention to every little thing you do with this chart. I stitch to relax, so that's sometimes difficult. But it's done, and I'm not going to buy another Dimensions kit. They probably aren't all this bad, but I'm not taking that chance. Of course, I still have Magnificent Wizard in my WIP pile. I think I'll save that one for later, even though I had wanted to finish it for Matt's graduation in May. I just don't think I can take it right now. So, on to my Victoria Sampler gingerbread house. I can enjoy my stitching again!

Backstitching on Maggie the Messmaker complete

The backstitching was almost as bad as I thought it would be. Toward the end I was really gritting my teeth and getting it done. And no, I'm still not finished. Now I have to do quite a bit of couching. But I'm getting closer to a finish!

Family update: Matt had sinus surgery about a week ago. (Go figure, both of us needed it. Should I schedule Logan's now?) The doctor had to do more work than he had on me, and I was pretty bad. It took longer for Matt to recover, but he's doing fine now. His nose is still sensitive, but it's all healing up well. Logan's got an ear infection, a hacking cough, and a stomach bug he picked up from daycare. Poor little guy. And with all this, I'm trying to clean and fix up the house for when we try to sell it in May. Matt hasn't gotten any job nibbles yet. We're thinking it's because he's almost 40. It's very disheartening and has me worried for the future. I have a good job, but with the state's economy, I'm wondering how long even that will last. Depressing.

Fun stitching day!

I had a fun day today! I met Melissa, Amanda, and Michelle at Ginger's for an impromptu day of stitching and chatting. I always enjoy these opportunities to talk to other stitchers so much. They speak my language!

I brought my Victoria Sampler gingerbread house to work on, and Amanda mentioned that Thea had another piece to go with it, a Christmas tree that she was teaching in a cyberclass. For $200. Ouch. I hemmed and hawed and did it. It's something I really want, even though I don't have the money with Matt being unemployed. But I'll try to be good in other areas to make up for it. I'm going to cancel my subscription to City of Heroes, which I don't play anymore (I love the game, but I've run out of things to do).

No work on the backstitching of Maggie yet. Soon!

Books: Amazon has a bunch of free books for the Kindle, which I discovered with Carol's help. I found a lot that I think I will like. That should help the pocketbook some. (To find them, check Amazon Popular Classics and Promos, and then sort by price. Be careful because not all are free.)

Maggie update

I finally finished all the stitching! Now I need to do the part I've dreaded, the backstitching. After reading the instructions, it's not as bad as I thought, but there's a lot of it. Hopefully the next update will show it completed!

My mom offered to get a piece framed for me, so I've decided to send Jill Rensel my TW Castle Sampler to get framed. I may also send The Awakening, my big HAED piece, and pay for that myself. I'm terrified of mailing them, but Jill does such great work at affordable prices that I just need to do it.

Good news: My husband passed the FE exam, which is a precursor to becoming a PE, a professional engineer (the rest includes working with a PE for five years and then taking the PE test). I am so proud of him.

Maggie the Messmaker update

According to my records, I didn't work on this piece at all in 2010, even though it was one of my goals. Time just got away from me, I guess. I put this one back to work after my last exchange piece was done and after I ran out of floss for Victoria Sampler's gingerbread house (I now have the floss, but I think I'll keep working on Maggie for now). I've made pretty good progress on it, and I may actually finish the cross stitching this month. I'm dreading the backstitching because it's a Dimensions Gold kit and has very complicated instructions. And they say Teresa Wentzler pieces are tough! I'd prefer that any day.

Diet: My weight loss stopped completely after our vacation last summer. I went back on the carbs, and they were my downfall, even with Lap-Band surgery. And for those who don't know, you still have to diet with the Lap-Band. It's supposed to take care of the hunger, but it's not working for me right now. I need to go in this month and get the band tightened.

The potty-training saga: We were so frustrated with Logan's lack of interest in potty training. We tried M&Ms as a reward. Nope. Then we tried giving him a car when he pooped in the potty. Bingo! It took him about two weeks to figure it out. Now he's wearing underwear and going to the potty by himself. Heaven! He still has occasional accidents and has to wear pull-ups at night, but we're so happy that light switch finally turned on. Now we're trying to ween him from getting cars every day....

Stitching goals for the new year

I finished more than I thought I had this year, but still, I didn't stitch as much as I had in previous years. That's probably because of my renewed thirst for reading after getting my Kindle and having Missy Ann's help in realizing I really like supernatural romance. My credit card does not thank her. I've also been playing a computer game, Runes of Magic, way too much.

This year I hope to finish at least Maggie the Messmaker and Magnificent Wizard. The first is a WIP that's been around for too many years, and the other is a present for my husband that I'd like to finish as a graduation present.

Here's how I did, stitching-wise, in 2010.

Pieces I finished in 2010:

• The Lady of Shalott
• Legend of the Spellcasters
• Frost on the Pumpkin
• Quilted Bear
• Barnabee's Bride
• Austrian I
• Moonriders
• Autumn Biscornu and Fob
• Three Pumpkins
• Keep a Little Secret
• Peppermint Twist
• Noel

Current WIPs:

• Spirit of the Snow Angel
• Rose Quilt
• Maggie the Messmaker
• Magnificent Wizard
• Eternal Promise
• Three Pumpkins
• Victoria Sampler Gingerbread House

Review of stitching goals for 2010:

Done

• Legend of the Spellcasters
• Lady of Shalott
• Finishing of two Just Nans pieces

Not done

• Maggie the Messmaker
• Magnificent Wizard (make some progress)
• Summer Faerie

Christmas smalls exchange

Here is the exchange I sent to Paula. I was starting to get worried! The piece is part of Peppermint Twist by Blue Ribbon Designs. You can see more pics of the box. The satin-covered box was a find at a grocery-store sale after Valentine's Day this year (I wish I had bought more). I added embellishments to the piece and was really pleased with the way it came out (much more sparkly than in the pictures). I think stitching for exchanges frees me a lot. For my own pieces I like to stick with the designer's vision, even though some of the exchange pieces come out even better. I'm strange that way. I always second-guess my choices, and they're easier to live with if they're going to someone else.

I sent a few extras--coasters, a Christmas list pad, gift tags, and some candy. I love finding little gifts to go along with exchanges.

This was my first exchange to run, and I was both excited and nervous. I'm still waiting to see that all the pieces make it to their destinations safely. Fingers crossed.

Noel HD

This is a Just Nan piece I finished the other day. I think I started it this year, but I felt like it sat for a good while before I picked it up again. I'm trying to work my way through my WIPs and get them down to a manageable level. Next is Victoria Sampler's Gingerbread Stitching House that I got as a Christmas present last year. I was stitching on the scissor case when I realized I didn't have the accessory pack for it. Now I need to order it and wait. Bleh.

I sent off my Christmas smalls exchange before Thanksgiving, and I haven't heard anything yet. I'm getting rather nervous....

The husband: Matt's finally getting over his month-plus cold/infection/whatever and is finishing up the school year. He's been incredibly busy. I hope next semester (his last) is better and that he finds a job. He won't have a 3.0 average, which a lot of employers ask for in people right out of college, and that's getting him down. He had to withdraw when he was younger and had a few bad grades that are really holding him back. Poor guy. He knows twice as much as the kids in his classes, to judge by their performance on projects together.

Christmas smalls exchange received

Erin sent me this beautiful cube! It's such a pretty, delicate design, and the finishing is gorgeous. I love the little snowflake beads. Erin says it's Holiday Home by Elizabeth's Designs from the 2010 Gift of Stitching ornament issue. She also sent some goodies -- my three-year-old son had to open everything (and try out the lip gloss!).

I finished Just Nan's Noel, so I'll have pics up soon. The four-day break went by way too fast! I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving.

Keep a Little Secret HD

This is a little pin keeper by Just Nan called Keep a Little Secret. It's over one but stitched up pretty quickly. I'd like to work on some WIPs, but I think I'm going to have to switch to my Christmas exchange piece soon. I'm running a Christmas smalls exchange for HoE -- my first. It's a responsibility, but I'm excited.

Lady of Shalott HD

Done at last! I started this Teresa Wentzler piece June 2009. That's not bad at all. I've wanted to stitch this piece for a while. Alas, it will sit in my to-be-framed pile until Matt gets a job. :-)

And now a Just Nan needlecase and then a dive into the WIPs. Yay!

Happy Halloween!

HOE autumn exchange received

I received this lovely fob from Lynn! The piece is Autumn Keeper from the Drawn Thread. I've been wanting to do this one for a while, and Lynn got creative with the sparkly color scheme. I really like it. Thanks, Lynn!

Autumn exchange

I made these two pieces for the autumn exchange on Hooked on Exchanging for Becky. The piece is Autumn Biscornu by Barbara Ana, and the fob takes one of the little squirrels from it. I have more pics too. This was a fun stitch and took a little longer than I thought it would!

I have put the last stitches into the Lady of Shalott and will get the backstitching done tomorrow. If I can manage to do the beading while watching Logan (ha!), I may have another finish to show.

We've all been sick these last two weeks, and I'm afraid it's gotten into my chest, despite antibiotics. It may be time to head back to the doctor. Matt's been busy with school and takes the FE tomorrow -- a day-long engineering exam that would look very good on his resume. I hope he passes!

I hope you have a happy Halloween!

Lady of Shalott update

So close I can taste it!

Yesterday I started a Just Nan pinkeep, the peacock one. I needed something to take with me, and the border seemed like something I could do easily. Now to do the over-one stitching -- the not-so-easy part.

Most of my stitching this month has been on an autumn exchange. I mailed it off, so I should be able to post pics soon. It's very cute. ^.^

I hope you're enjoying the fall weather. I mowed yesterday, and now I have a bad sore throat. I hope it' just allergies....

Halloween exchange received

Edgar sent me this awesome exchange. Logan went straight for the candy and stuffed his mouth right after I snapped the pics. I don't know who was more excited about the package -- and I was pretty darn excited! It's the neatest box, and I can use it to store some of my other Halloween smalls during the off season.

Halloween exchange

Here's the package I sent for the Hooked on Exchanging Halloween exchange. My partner was Missy Ann. The piece is one of the pumpkins from Three Pumpkins by Prairie Grove Peddler. I have more pics on my website. I'm going to stitch these for myself too at some point.

Lady of Shalott update

I'm closing in on a finish. I had to take a break to work on a Halloween exchange piece, which I mailed off Friday, but I'm making steady progress on this one. The flowers were a pain, especially the backstitching. Maybe one more pic before the finish! Then I really need to get to work on a piece for Matt, Magnificent Wizard. I'd like to have it done by the time he graduates in May.

But first, I need to work on a fall exchange piece for Hooked on Exchanging. What to stitch, what to stitch....

My boy: Logan recently celebrated his third birthday. I made him a car cake -- supposed to be Lightning McQueen, but I didn't do a great job of decorating because he wanted to watch...and hit the table and bump my arm and talk to me.... This is why moms shouldn't make their own kids' cakes. :-) I'll try to post a pic at some point. He's an ornery little guy -- apparently he got it from both mom and dad. But he's sure cute!

Reading: I've gotten hooked on supernatural romance novels thanks to Missy Ann. I'm read J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series right now. Is it hot in here?

Lady of Shalott update

Here she is once again. I'm a little tired of the confetti stitching, especially in the flowers, but I'm still loving the piece. She came out fine from her wash, and I'm using my old crappy stand now. I need to get to the hardware store and look for knobs.

Corrosion from my Gripit stand

I just about had a heart attack when I looked at my stitching today. It had black powder on it. So far it looks like just on the unstitched part is affected. I guess I'll be washing Lady of Shalott before she's finished being stitched (and it won't all come off if past experience is an indicator, but stitching should hide it).I've had this problem before.

In 2007 I noticed black spots on the HAED I was stitching. I couldn't figure out if it was from my magnifier or the stand, though I replaced both the magifier and bolt/nut to be safe. Now I know it's the stand because I don't use the magifier anymore. My husband says the problem is that the bolt is steel, and the nut is brass and eventually gets worn away, making the black powder. I stitch a lot, so you can imagine the amount of use this bolt and nut get.

So just a PSA if you have a Gripit stand -- check your bolts. Gripit is out of business now, or you can bet I'd be complaining. I am NOT having a good day. I want to just toss the stand in the garbage and get a new one, but I can't afford it. I'll be pulling my Walmart special out of storage.

Lady of Shalott update

I'm enjoying this piece a lot, but I must say it's got a lot of color changes, even more than most TWs. One page left to go!

Baking: I volunteered to make cakes for the bake sale at work later this month. I thought about making a chocolate cake and an Italian cream cake. Or maybe two chocolate cakes would sell better. I do make a mean chocolate cake! What do you think? I may also make some cupcakes, as time permits. Fun!

Lady of Shalott update

I've been having a little more time for stitching since Matt only had one class this summer. He's been able to share some of the kid and cooking duties. I'm also excited about stitching again, which is a good thing!

To address some comments, I keep my TW charts, so I won't be getting rid of this one -- sorry and good luck. Also, the road on the trip -- horrible. I stitched anyway, at least until I got annoyed with the bobbing needle. I only lost it once.

Reading: I'm still making my way through Mercedes Lackey's urban fantasy series. I've also been reading Jacqueline Carey and Stacia Kane -- good but not for the faint of heart. I also did a massive purge of my paperback collection, going from four bookcases to three. It's been painful, but it's what I need to do. We'll probably sell the house when Matt graduates (we don't like the neighborhood), no matter where we wind up, and I don't need to lug useless stuff around. I'm not much on rereading books, so I am getting rid of anything I know I won't read again. So far that's four big boxes. I credit the Kindle for helping me let go.

Logan: He's entered the "Why?" stage and is already driving us nuts. We're having a few problems with potty training. They tell us he does well at daycare, but he hates going at home. I don't know what the deal is. And since he only poops at home, he's not pooping in the potty either. Ugh. Any advice?

Lufy: Thank you for your kind words. It's still hard. Last night we had a storm roll in, and the first thing I thought of was her huddled under the desk, all 75 pounds of her. I really miss my girl. The vet mailed us a card with her footprint on it. Very nice of them, but of course it made me cry.

Lady of Shalott update

Here's my progress on Lady of Shalott. I did get a fair amount done this past month. I even managed to stitch on it in the truck driving to Ohio. That took some doing!

Trip to Ohio: We drove from Texas to Akron for Matt's 20-year class reunion. He didn't graduate there because his mom moved to Texas right before his senior year. Still, he did grow up with these people, and they were happy to see him. I had a really good time. It was great to meet them, and I was completely comfortable with them, something that doesn't happen often for me. I really could see becoming good friends with some of them. We also saw Matt's best friend and his old girlfriend, which I also enjoyed. Oh, not to mention one of my best friends from high school, Becky. It's one of the few trips we've taken just to see people, and it was one of the best I've ever had. I hope we can get back up there again soon. It also made me realize that my 25th class reunion is coming up. Now I didn't much like many of the people I went to high school with, but I would like to see my friends again.

Lufy: The day before the trip, Lufy refused to eat and had trouble breathing. We decided it was time to put her to sleep. I couldn't bear to watch her die, so I let the vet be there for her. I was really grateful that they treated her right. She was out of it by the time we left her, so I know she wasn't afraid. Matt and I are still mourning our sweet dog. It never gets any easier.

Chocolate cake

I made this chocolate cake for Matt's aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary party. I was a nervous wreck, but the satisfaction from a job well done is so worth it. The cake is a moist chocolate liquer cake with dark chocolate frosting. I got so many compliments on it. I made two test cakes and test frosting during the week to make sure I got it right. Even the decorating came out well (though I see flaws, of course). This was the groom's cake, and another relative made the main cake. Poor thing--her frosting didn't set, and the cake looked like it had been out in the sun for a few hours. That was my nightmare, so I completely sympathized.

Matt has already requested this cake for his birthday. :-)

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the flowers are real but are in picks so they don't contaminate the cake.

Stitching: I've been remiss in my blogging, but I haven't had much stitching progress lately (computer game addiction is to blame). I have been working on Lady of Shalott, so I'll have a new pic soon.

Lufy: We had some bad news. Our dog Lufy started limping, and after taking her to the vet, we found out she has bone cancer. She's about 11 years old, and the vet said amputation would only slow it. We've decided not to since she already has trouble with her hips, and losing a leg would make that worse. With it being aggressive bone cancer, it's probably already spread. I would spend whatever it took to make her better, but there is no making her better at this point. We're giving her meds to help with the pain, and once that doesn't work anymore, we're going to have to let her go. Matt and I are pretty torn up about it. She's the sweetest dog, and we love her dearly. We're going to miss our girl. She spends her days with me while I work at home, and it just won't be the same without her.

Lady of Shalott progress

Here's my progress on TW's Lady of Shalott. Those curtains took a while to do! I've been involved with an online game, Runes of Magic, so I haven't been spending as much time stitching. I've also been enjoying my Kindle. As a wonder, it's allowing me to let go of some of my paperbacks, which have been doing nothing but taking up space for many years. You can't keep everything.

I'm regretting my choice of fabric for this one. I think I should have gone for the tea-dyed fabric the chart called for. I thought it would be mostly covered by stitching, but it shows in the mirror. Too late now!

Diet: I've been doing well with my diet since Lap-Band surgery. I hear horror stories of people throwing up all the time with the band, but fortunately I have not thrown up once since I got home. I've lost 43 pounds so far. I'm averaging a pound a week -- slow but steady. I did get a second tightening of the band. My hunger is under control, but I can still eat bad things if I want to. Sometimes when I get tired or overwhelmed, I resort to the bad food again, but at least I can't pig out like I used to.

Legends of the Spellcasters HD

I finally finished this collaboration piece. Teresa Wentzler did the first panel, Black Swan did the second, and Dragon Dreams did the third. It seemed to take especially long, probably because it was so detailed.

Another reason it took a while is that I've been reading a lot. Matt bought me a Kindle for Mother's Day, and I'm really enjoying it.

I'm going to dig out another WIP to work on next, Lady of Shalott or Maggie the Messmaker probably.

Weight loss: I'm 38 pounds down now. My Lap-Band has been tightened once, and it's helping with the hunger. I still need more restriction, but we're doing it slowly. It's so weird to eat a small meal and not still be hungry! I like it. I almost feel normal.

Legends of the Spellcasters update

I know, long time no post. I've been in something of a stitching slump. I've been reading some good books by Diana Gabaldon, Robin McKinley, and Jacqueline Carey, and I've been playing a new computer game, Runes of Magic, both of which have conspired to take up all my time.

As you can see, I've made fair progress on Legends of the Spellcasters, though not at my normal speed. Something about the piece has been unappealing to me as far as stitching, and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. I like the way the piece looks, but maybe it's that it's by three different designers. Dunno.

Health: My recovery since the Lap-Band surgery has been going well. I had my first fill (when they tighten the band) a few weeks ago, and I'm feeling a little restriction but not nearly enough to curb my hunger. So far I've lost 37 pounds, and I can tell a different in my clothes. My weight loss is slow but consistent at 1-2 pounds a week. I think it will speed up once I get enough fill in the band (I'm at 3.5 cc; most people get to their "sweet spot" at around 7-9 cc). I get my next fill at the beginning of June. The doctor likes to do it slowly so that my body adjusts. He said 2-4 weeks between fills, but it's been more like 4 because of his schedule.

At the moment, I have an ear infection with a perforated eardrum, the first I've had in a very long time. Now I remember how painful they are and know what Matt and Logan go through quite regularly. Ouch. Apparently sinus surgery isn't going to make me completely illness free, but at least I'm not getting sick every month. (Just every other month.)

Home after Lap-Band

I made it through surgery just fine. I had some pain and nausea for a while, but that eventually went away with the right medicine. The day after surgery, they made me drink iodine so they could x-ray me to see if there were any leaks. All was well, but I managed to throw up the mouthful of liquid after I got back to my room. That's been the only instance, and I'm grateful.

Right now I'm dealing with incision pain and gas pain in my shoulders (they pump your belly full of gas during surgery). Oh, and the vein where they had the IV is very swollen and painful. It's not too bad. I'm on a liquid diet for two weeks. While I'm hungry, it's not a lot, and I can manage. The doctor may do my first fill next Monday, but it depends on how I'm doing. The band has to be adjusted with saline to get it to the right tightness to curb my hunger. Right now I'm sure it's the swelling from surgery that's doing the trick.

I've already lost 24 pounds with the pre-op diet and surgery.

Edited to add: Lap-Band seems to have its own jargon terms--sorry about that. A "fill" is when the doctor injects saline into the port that's under the skin of your belly. The saline expands the band a bit, causing it to tighten around the upper part of your stomach. This reduces the amount of food that will go through the band and makes you feel full. It also constricts nerves, causing you to feel less hunger. Often you have to go through several fills in order to get it just right. Not enough fill and you don't lose weight. Too much fill and you can't eat enough or throw up. I plan to take it slow.

The health saga continues

Matt was the next one on the list to get hit. Turns out what he had was not a stomach bug. He has diverticulitis. After a week of staying home from class and taking antibiotics, he's able to eat again and do a few things. This was after he got diagnosed with herpangina, which gave him a severe sore throat. Like Logan, he had two unrelated illnesses hit him pretty hard. No ER trips, thankfully.

But it looks like I'll still be able to have my Lap-Band surgery next Thursday. I'm excited and scared, which is giving me a bit of stomach upset. I've stayed on the pre-op diet for two weeks now and have lost some weight. I'm pretty happy about that. Every doctor's different, but here's what my pre-op diet consists of per day:

• 3 protein drinks
• 1 egg
• 1 bread
• 6-7 oz. lean meat
• 4 oz. vegetables
• 8 oz. fruits or vegetables

I'm ranging about 1200 calories a day. It's not as difficult as I would have expected. I think the high amount of protein has something to do with that. Someone asked why I didn't just stay on the diet and skip the surgery. If I could stay on a diet, I wouldn't be this heavy.

I'll post again after the surgery to let you guys know how it goes.

Legends of the Spellcasters update

I've made fairly good progress on the piece, but I have a feeling the next panel (the Teresa Wentzler panel) is going to be a little more time consuming. I did hit a snag in that DMC consolidated colors at some point, and two of the numbers used in the chart were the same color. I emailed Teresa Wentzler, and she suggested using a blend, and that worked!

I keep having problems getting the fabric to stay aligned in my Qsnaps. I hope that doesn't cause problems with squaring the piece. It looks off in the photo but isn't quite so bad in person. I may have to go back to my scroll frames for larger pieces.

The health saga: Thursday daycare called to tell us that a spot on Logan's butt was getting red and that he had a fever. We had to take him to the ER to get the abscess lanced. He did not like that one bit and fought like a wild child. The next day he started throwing up and couldn't stop. He also had a fever and diarrhea (just wonderful since the abscess is in such a bad place). We took him to the ER again, and they gave him something to stop the vomiting, and he gulped down four small bottles of Pedialyte. He was dehydrated by then. He was also exhausted since we didn't get home til 3:00 in the morning. The doctor thinks he has a virus. We belatedly realized this must be the same thing that's going around daycare--so two unrelated illnesses and trips to the ER within two days. Today he's been pretty good, if cranky from lack of sleep, and has managed to keep everything down. I feel so bad for the poor kid...and at the same time I'm hoping I don't get it. With my Lap-Band surgery less than two weeks away, I don't need to get sick. Matt has a touch of it, and my mom came down with strep (though the doctor didn't do a strep test and she's much better today). Jeez!

Moon Riders HD

I finished yet another Just Nan the other day. They're like candy! Chris sent me this chart in last year's Halloween exchange. I'm planning on making this into a tiny bellpull.

Sadly, I think I've finished all the little Just Nans in my stash that I can without buying fabric. I'll have to give it another look-through and see.

I've almost finished my current panel on Legends of the Spellcasters. I haven't felt like stitching much because I've been sick, but I think I'm back on it. Pics when I do!

HOE red exchange received

Here are some photos of the red exchange Ina sent me. I love the sweet little heart and all the goodies. Logan was fascinated with the flower soap, but I'm not sure I want him smelling like roses. :-) He also appropriated the candy when we opened the package. I think he enjoyed the goodies as much as I did!

Sick again: So even after the sinus surgery, I developed a sinus infection. At least it's two months between illnesses, not two weeks like before. I also started the pre-op diet Monday in preparation for Lap Band surgery on March 18. I have to stay on it so that my liver will shrink and be easier to move during the surgery. The diet is very restrictive but includes a lot of protein, so I'm not starving too bad. I'm highly motivated too!