I am now a card carrying member of the prestigious UFO club.
UFO 1 -- I took a silk and metal class with Kay Stanis at a recent seminar. It's unlikely that I'll ever finish it -- the silk is really hard to work with.
UFO 2 -- Verana, a Brazilian embroidery design -- I have just one flower to finish it off but I can't get my eyes/hand/brain to play nice with each other. I'm not getting how to do the detached buttonholes (needle lace) for the petals. Have a friend who tutors in BE but we can't seem to connect ;-(
I'm going immediately to the closet to tell my 3 UFO's about your items. Perhaps they will feel better about just sitting there in the dark doing nothing if I share that they're in such prestigious company.
I firmly believe that this is the reason for extra large zip lock bags!! Zip it up and put it away and one day you'll get back to it...I promise!
------------------------------------- Lynne
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Welcome to the club! I have a friend who doesn't like UFO and prefers WIP (work in progress), but then she lives in hope that she will someday finish the project! But as those of us who are card carryig members of the club know, some will NEVER get finished! Sandy Bell
There were several varieties of 'strandable' silk. My hands aren't smooth so just pulling apart the strands caused snags ;-( I didn't have a clue that working with silks would be so hard.
I can do needle lace but the petals require a certain number of stitches in each row. I'm having problems getting the tension right so I can see where the stitches in the next row get inserted. Too loose and the petal's too big; too tight and I can't see where to insert the needle for the second row. Plus the petals are supposed to be free standing like a picot and I'm not understanding the stops/starts as written.
It's a live and learn thing, IMHO. I keep a hand scrub thing around - the Crabtree & Evelyn Goat's Milk Hand Therapy - a scrub, and fabulous moisturizer. IIRC, Donna does a sugar & olive oil scrub weekly. I have to do this at least 1-2 times a week if I'm doing any garden stuff, or now with working in the coffee place. Otherwise it's really frustrating snagging the silks.
Different brands are also bundled differently - so plying them can be an adventure - Splendor - you break into 3 groups of 4 and then ply separately
- for example. I've also found that using thread heaven helps a bit with the fuzz and snag.
Hopefully you'll find your way with this.
While I don't wish UFOs on anyone, I know my bin is happy for some more company! DH keeps asking me about a metalwork/beadwork piece I did some years ago at a seminar. I think he really, really likes it and wants me to finish. Plus, he threatens to tell the instructor who we see upon occasion at some ANG thing that I've still not put it all together!
The Goat's Milk Hand Therapy is great stuff. Another excellent cream for dry hands and raggy cuticles is Helping Hands from LUSH. I work with books all day, and it really dries out the hands. My DS gave me the LUSH stuff a few years ago, and I am now never without it. The only caveat is that it contains linseed oil and takes a while to absorb, so you have to sit for a while and let it sink it, but it works wonders.
Great recommendation. I also like the Kiehl's Intensive Hand cream, and there's a L'Occitane intensive hand cream - which is similar to the Goat's milk in working really well, and quickly absorbing - but it smells better ;^) Of course, also a bit more pricey.
Of late, I have a tube of Vaseline Intensive Care Ultra Hand therapy in the stitch caddy - it's pretty good. I'll look for the LUSH.
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