Things I've Learned.....

1. Having two part-time jobs and a bad case of over-volunteerism leads to illness. I've got a nasty cold and am really not feeling up to snuff. Hopefully this will pass soon.

2. Going to the Needlework Festival is mucho fun. I had tons of fun hanging out with old and new friends and stitching my little fingers off. Here's a couple of projects I've got underway or finished since the show:

This is Jennifer Aikman-Smith's Needle Wizard Needlecase. Isn't he darling? Hopefully I'll get him made into a needlecase soon. Maybe I'll finish up TW's needlecase from 2 years ago at the same time. Two for the price of one! :-)

Next up:



This is TW's 'Delightful Dragon Scissor Fob'. The border is stitched over 2, but the inside is stitched over 1. I still have to backstitch this little guy and finish up the back, then he'll be fob-ized. Eventually.....

There are more projects that I haven't gotten back around to just yet, but they're all sitting next to my stitching chair just waiting to be picked up and stitched. So many pretty projects!

3. Halloween came up much too fast after the festival and I barely got the decorations up before the trick or treaters came.... We did manage to get our annual Pumpkin picture of the boys though. They each designed and carved their own pumpkin:

They're growing up so fast!

4. Just because I kit up a pattern and *know* just how I'm going to stitch it, it doesn't mean I'll *remember* when the time comes. Case in point:


This is that really cute kitty asleep on a pumpkin from the JCS Hallowe'en issue. I fell in love at first sight. Kitted it all up and then left it for a couple of weeks as I was busy with the Festival. It was only after I stitched it (over 2 on 25 ct.) that I realized it was big. Really big. Much too big for an ornament, as I had originally intended. So, where had I gone wrong? Oh, that's right. I was supposed to stitch this over 1, not over 2. Of course, I realized this once I was over half done. So, now I've got one big honking cat on a pumpkin. Don't quite know yet what I'll do with it, but I'm sure I'll think of something. It's disappointing when my memory doesn't function. *sigh*

5. I learned that just because everyone thinks it'll take 3 *years* of fundraising to get enough money to build a play structure, it doesn't make it true. In 2 years about 530 families have raised enough money to build a play structure. Construction will start soon. Way to go kids! (And as an aside, I'm sooooooo glad I don't have to spend another year raising money for the bloody thing! I've spent the last 2 & 1/2 months working on this project - day in and day out. I'm not sorry I did it, but am looking forward to not having to do it again next fall!)

6. I've learned that the house is cold and my kitties are finding their own solution to keeping warm:

They rarely cuddle up together, but in the last couple of weeks I keep finding them snuggled up to one another. Of course, every time I sit down I have an instant cat blanket too.

7. I've learned that I can no longer say that I never win anything. I've been winning way too much and it's time for me to stop entering contests of any kind. It's getting downright embarassing. Here's my latest win:


It's a gorgeous Swarovski crystal spray of orchids. I won this at the banquet during the CreativFestival. It's beautiful and sparkly and I still can't believe I won it. It doesn't yet have a permanent home in my house, but I'm working on it. When the sun shines on it, it's simply dazzling.

8. Just because I have less than a week to stitch a present, it doesn't stop me from trying. Never mind the fact that I'm also trying to bake about 12 dozen cookies at the same time. The proof of this:




It's a freebie from Aurelle. I'm just stitching a bottom for this now and then it'll get made into a biscornu. Good thing I can stitch fast. Now if only I could bake cookies as fast.....

9. Remembering why I fell in love with a project in the first place often leads to some progress:


I've finally gotten myself back to work on my Lizzie*Kate double flips. Only two more words to go and it'll be finished. I'm enjoying this piece immensely, again. Hopefully there will be a finish in the next little while. I just need to get some other stitching finished *first*.....

10. Stitching models on tight deadlines is fun - despite a little stress. Here's one I stitched for Dragon Dreams for the Festival:

AFAIK, this will be released in the new year over on Patterns On Line, but don't quote me on that - I'm just the model stitcher. :-)

I did stitch another model for the show, but as far as I can tell, I didn't take a picture of it. Clearly deadlines turn my brain to mush.

11. Lastly, I've learned that I really need to post more often so I don't leave them with the world's longest post. If you've stayed with me for this long, thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!

I'm going to lay down now. I'm not feeling too hot.