NaCraftProMo -- Day 4

[the_other_sandy]

Did I mention I'm the slowest stitcher in the entire world? Because I am. In fact, I changed my ticker avatar to reflect the speed at which this project is progressing.




I discovered that the living room lamp that is perfectly adequate for stitching on white Aida cloth is completely inadequate for stitching on black Aida cloth. Thank goodness I went with the 14-count instead of the 16-count I originally wanted or I'd be blind by now. As it is, I occasionally have to backlight the Aida cloth with a small book light so I can count squares to a new stitching area.

I'm also using a hands-free frame for the first time. It's taking some getting used to (adjusting height and angle for comfort and whatnot), but so far I like it for big canvases. I don't have to keep repositioning the frame because the work area is so big, and my hand isn't cramping from having to hold an embroidery hoop while I stitch. My back and neck aren't as stiff either.

Comments

[un-conscience.livejournal.com]

I changed my ticker avatar to reflect the speed at which this project is progressing.

And this amuses me greatly!

[seesmooshrun.livejournal.com]

Love the snail. I just finished a sashiko project that I started in January, and there was nothing near 50,000 stitches in it. Black aida cloth? You are a masochist! Keep plugging away. And yeah, hands-free frames are great.

PS I have a quilt to finish that I started about 15 years ago. And I really like it! It's not one of those things I don't care about whether I ever finish. I just... haven't finished it yet. So, you're not the only slow one.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

See, to me it doesn't count as slow if you're not actively working on it. That's procrastination, which I also excel at. In my closet right now I have a cross-stitch tapestry I started my sophomore year of college (that's 1988 for those who are counting), a cross-stitch angel I started maybe 7 years ago, a hardanger angel I started 7 or 8 years ago, and a cross-stitch Man from UNCLE logo I started about 5 years ago. I haven't touched any of them in over 5 years. I'm procrastinating.

However, when I'm actively working on something? I'm so slow it's not even funny. I took a cross-stitch tips and tricks class years ago, which was awesomely helpful. My classmates either finished their samplers or came darn close. My finished area was about the size of a postage stamp. I have a pattern book called One-Nighters. It contains some small bookmark patterns that the average person can cross-stitch in one evening. I made one once. It took me 3 weeks, and I worked on it for hours every single night.

You'd need time-lapse photography to see me make progress on a piece. Except for latch-hook. For some reason, I can bang those out at a pretty good clip.

[seesmooshrun.livejournal.com]

Nooooo....a Man From U.N.C.L.E. cross-stitch? Shut the front door!

Hmmmm... is it "actively working" on something if you do a little bit on it every few months? Yeah, you're right, it's not slow, it's procrastinating. Oh well.

Love your icon, BTW.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

Nooooo....a Man From U.N.C.L.E. cross-stitch?

A MUNCLE fan group was selling them as a kit at MediaWest for a couple of years. You got a Ziploc freezer bag with the pattern, Aida cloth, DMC floss, and (I think) a needle.

Love your icon, BTW.

Thanks! I like to play around with Kaleidoscope Painter (http://www.permadi.com/java/spaint/spaint.html) as a computer time-waster. Every now and again, I accidentally make something really pretty. This was by far my favorite of the kaleidoscopes I've made.