OK - time for a round of WHAT ARE YOU STITCHING

I decided to pick up a crochet hook again - I think I will do afghans for Xmas gifts in 2011 - that's the idea anyway lol Cost of yarn has greatly increased though, this first one required $90 worth of wool, well a little less I guess because I treated myself to an ebony crochet hook and it's far nicer than working with a metal one. Just have to be sure the others use a 4.5mm hook !

I just finished page 4 of Fractal 53. Taking time out to start a TW freebie, a hummingbird. Got the border done yesterday and went to start the bird....found I had missed one color when gathering the floss, found it in my stash but still need to pick up a couple colors today while DM gets her perm.

Still need to "finish" the needle case.

Nancy

The ladybugs piece is adorable! I haven't done much crosstitching in a long time, mostly just crocheting. Started a new afghan this week, but realized I didn't buy enough yarn for the pattern I chose. Also still working on finishing up a hooded crocheted cardigan in size 2T I started for my daughter last winter but didn't finish. She's now a 4T. So it'll be 3/4 sleeved cropped "bolero" by the time I'm finished. Thirdly in my crochet hot seat is "soap dog". Looked for years and years for this elusive pattern from the 60's my friend wanted re-created and finally found it. The body is done, but the instructions for the head aren't right (or so it seems). So, I'm stalled on it at the moment but that's a "must finish" I'll have to work around.

Jinx

Currently working on a cross-stitch of Renoir's "Two Sisters". I do this while watching tv. Am also finishing up the border machine-quilting on a BOM full-size bed quilt. (Stippled the main part.) Trying different ways to do a pattern from a book, a swirly all along the border. Tried pouncing thru Golden Threads but the pouncing powder rubbed off before I got to the end of one side. Next tried tracing the design thru colored transfer paper. Not good, it was very faint and kept tearing the paper pattern. So now I've put the needle-punched Golden Threads paper back on and will be quilting thru that. Gonna try in on a sandwich first to see if it rips off like the ads say. Wish me luck! Any advice greatly appreciated!!!!

KT. in MI

I love it when this subject pops up every now and again. Just finished Let It Snow by Dimensions and starting (amongst a few other projects) A Wash In The Moonlight by Cross My Heart - I love kitties.

Sharon (N.B.)

Bumblebees

I'm just finishing up a little snowflake piece by Seka. All that's left is putting in the beads and I'm not in a great hurry to do that.

Waiting is a Sewing Angel piece that a friend asked for. I'll probably start that tomorrow and do the beads in between.

Lucille

...Except for those of us who work on big projects intermittently with smaller ones, and the question always pops up during big projects times, which means it's the "same old, same old" project that keeps going

Working on:

Houses of Hawk's Run Hollow (finishing third square)

Noah's Ark (just bought this one, and it's going quickly...over one on

crochet baby afghan (ripple-type with alternating blue and variegated blue yarns...really pretty!)

Sue

Have never used that paper, but have done precisely that using the cheapest tissue paper I could find. Quilted an entire queen-size piece that way and it worked like a charm. Best advise is this - if you are repeating the quilting pattern againa nd again, make a master copy on something like drawing paper or graph paper, color it very dark, then use it to make all the copies you need. I think I had something like 20 copies of the pattern for the entire quilt that I worked my way thru.

Working on a few pieces in rotation- the 1st test for the Master Goldwork classification, it's about half done. the 5th test for the Master Canvas classification; it's designed, but not yet kitted up. Ink Circles Cirque de Triangles; about 80% complete

There's about 5 or 6 others further back in the rotation, but I don't remember the exact names right now, and I'm feeling too lazy to go dig them out ;)

Good timing, Cheryl!

Over the weekend I finished stitching all the baptismal cloths. Still need to fringe, wash and iron but....

Last night I kitted up Carol Singers (Victoria Sampler) and managed to mark centers and started whip stitching around the edges at lunch today. I'm contemplating gridding this, at least partially, since it's a rather long sampler (23").

That will be my project for the next few months, I imagine.

Joan

Thanks Fran, Never thought to try tissue paper! Is it easy to remove later??? Quilting the pattern through the Golden Threads worked pretty well and the paper tore off very easily with very little clean-up. I used small applique pins to hold the paper down to the fabric. Didn't care for that as it makes the paper all bumpy. Have just learned that there is a temporary spray that can be used to hold it down so may try that next time. Also some gummy dots made by 3M which stick to the paper and fabric but separates from the fabric without leaving residue. Two other ways I want to try include using either Sulky Heat Away Clear Film which I saw on Fons & Porter's show today; and Sulky Paper Solvy which is a water soluble stabilizer. Going to depend on how pricey this stuff is.

I'm working on a BH&G heirloom stocking for my nephew, and a huge Artecy piece of the Grand Canal in Venice for a friend of mine.....hopefully I'll finish it before I die! LOL!

Susan on Vancouver Island

It's very easy to remove. I would run the eye of a needle along the stitch lines to score the paper after stitching and just tear it out. The thinner the tissue paper, the better - as it makes it easier to trace the master pattern and easier to tear. I found it best to pin the paper closely while stitching to prevent wrinkles and any possible movement as you stiched.

I was doing a celtic knot pattern that repeated itself 5 times the length of the quilt, and so had lines going in parallels in all directions that had to match up with the previous knot. If I just did the corners, the paper shifted and the lines didn't line up, so I wound up with pins every 5 inches or so.

It also helped to pin the entire length at the same time before stating stitching. That way I could make sure everything lined up and was still straight on the cloth.

Thanks Fran, I'm going to give tissue paper a try. You are talking about gift-wrapping tissue and not the kind you blow your nose on, right???

Susan- thanks for sharing your picturetrail...lovely, lovely work! I particularly like the Kinkade charts.

cheers, Another Susan

Bad form to reply to my own but....

Had to regroup on Carol Singers, since I decided I should probably used a scroll frame, which I don't currently have. Instead, I've started on the freebie canvas piece from Northern Pine Design:

Wow, you really like those detailed patterns, don't you? Very nice work!

Joan

So pick up your needle girlfriend!

They do grow fast. DD has some new "surprise" for me every week!

Cheryl

Thank you Susan! As you could see I still have just as many Kinkaid's in my "To Do" pile as I have finished. Must be the English/Scottish/Welsh heritage in me, I love cottages!

Susan on Vancouver Island