The Stitching Room

Over this past weekend I finished another room in the GAR mystery sampler! Here is the Stitching Room.

Now I just need to wait for next month's window and to redesign the kitchen. I can't quite figure out what bugs me about it. Maybe it's too symmetrical. Is it blasphemy for an engineer to think something's too symmetrical? Maybe my right brain is looking for a challenge!


** Edited Thursday evening to add pictures!

An update on my recent stitching

Ok, yes, I am very delinquent in updating my blog. It's been over a week! On the plus side, this is the first of two posts today.

I have been working a tiny bit on some of my ongoing projects, but some of my stitching time is being taken up by two other endeavors:

• Kissing Pillows. These are small (~5" square) pillows with a cross-stitched front and a patriotic fabric for the back. They are given to troop deployments so that a soldier's loved ones can kiss it, and the soldier takes it with him or her. They also works the other way around, too. The soldier can kiss several and give them to family members (especially children). That way both sides will have a remembrance and a kiss from their loved ones who are half a world away. The project was started by an EGA member in Texas, and each pillow must have a very specific cross-stitch design on it - the words "I love you" in a heart with two stitched stars. So far I've stitched 1-1/2, and have several more to do. Check out the above link for a picture.
• Stitch Samples. Designer Jane Zimmerman will be coming out with a new 2-volume encyclopedia of canvas stitches in early 2008. A request for sample stitchers was sent to one of my email groups. I replied, and a package arrived last week with instructions, floss, and a 10" x 10" piece of canvas. So if you pick up this new book next year, look for my stitching on pages 164 and 174!

In case you're wondering, I'm not counting these against my challenge. I figure the pillows are gifts, and the samples aren't really a project - they're just... samples!

The Dining Room

Instead of actually watching the Yankees go down in flames last night, I listened to the game. I think I was much more productive than the team, since I actually accomplished my goal. The dining room is done, and I started the stitching room on the GAR mystery sampler!

The Library (and Radio Room!)

This weekend I finished another "window" in the GAR mystery sampler! Here is the library, with some modifications. I replaced the wall hangings with a NY Yankees pennant and my DH's ham radio call sign. (Some of the call sign is blanked out for privacy reasons. With the entire sign, it's easy to look up names and addresses!) I also replaced the top row of books with radios. It gave me a new appreciation of how Gay Ann was able to miniaturize all these pieces. It's tough to make a realistic representation in such a small space!

I'm also proud to say I finally finished all of the borders! This week I'll work on finishing the dining room (started in the lower left corner) and the stitching room (upper left corner). Then I'll see if I can redecorate the kitchen (left side) and add that. Early next month I'll get the last mystery window, and this piece will be done!

One dead lamp

When I sat down Monday evening to stitch, my 18W Ott-Lite floor lamp took longer than the normal 2 seconds to illuminate. I was talking to DH, and had actually forgotten that I switched the lamp on, and it suddenly lit up. It took a few minutes to light!

On Tuesday, I thought we were in for a repeat performance. I switched on the lamp and waited. And waited. And waited. Apparently for something that was not going to happen. Well, it's probably the bulb, although these bulbs are supposed to last 10000 hours, and I haven't used it nearly that long since I bought the lamp. So, I trucked off to JoAnn Fabrics to buy a bulb, coupon in hand.

Armed with a new bulb, I sat down again in my stitching nest. I installed the new bulb, and hit the switch. And waited. Well, apparently it wasn't the bulb. This lamp is DEAD. I decided I should look for the receipt for the lamp.

Wait a minute - when did I buy the lamp? I remember that I walked into JoAnn's and they were on sale for a very good price, so I called MIL, and ended up buying one for each of us. It had to be within the past year. Luckily, I keep an accordion file of my bills and larger receipts for the past year. I don't think it was snowing when I walked out of JoAnn's with the two lamps, so I checked the spring records. Nope. Ok, let's go through month by month. Nothing. Time to hit the "to be shredded" shoebox where the records go when they come out of the accordion file. Ah ha! Ok, so it wasn't in the past year. It was last August. (At least I remember the "not snowing" part right!)

I sent a note to Ott-Lite customer service, and got a very helpful email back. There's no way to replace the likely bad part on this lamp. I need a whole new lamp. But, they can warantee the lamp for up to 15 months if I have proof of purchase. It's a good thing I found that receipt! I sent a picture of the receipt to the customer service lady.

The latest note says that I need to send a picture of the lamp completely disabled - with the cord cut. I suppose that's reasonable. After all, the lamp's dead already. It's not going to make it more dead if I cut the cord. And that way the company knows I'm not scamming them. Then I just need to pay $10 shipping, and a new lamp will be on its way to me!

So here goes nothing... off in search of wire cutters or a junky pair of scissors!

(In the meantime, I've been stitching with my old high-intensity incandescent lamp. Wow, that light is so much more yellow! I'm looking forward to getting my true color lamp back!)

September recap & October goals

Don't look now - we're three-quarters through the year! Here were my goals for September. I actually accomplished some of them:

• Complete enough of Fantasy Remembered so I can send it in for evaluation. DONE! I finished all but the last big leaf. I'll stitch that and the attach the wired elements when it returns home
  
• Catch up on the GAR mystery sampler. Well, I worked a tiny bit on the borders, but I'm FAR from catching up!
  
• Start Christmas ornament for my cousin's little girl (remember, gift stitching is an exception to my WIP-loss challenge). DONE! It's almost finished, too. I just have to do the cuff on the back of the stocking.
• Work on some of the other pieces in my challenge list (or other WIPs/UFOs). Yes, I stitched a bit on Scottlee and the Ninja Squirrel Sampler.
  

I thought I kept the list pretty simple this month, but still didn't meet all my goals. Oh - but I had fun stitching what I did work on! I had some pretty good stash enhancement, too, with the Walmart DMC closeout and the Las Vegas trip.

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For October, here are my goals:

• Blog more!
  
• Let's try this again: Catch up on the GAR mystery sampler.
• Complete Christmas ornament for my cousin's little girl, and turn it in to the finisher.
  
• Since I started a tiny penny rug as an EGA program tonight, I have to turn it into a gift, since gift stitching is an exception to my WIP-loss challenge. Since it will match my sister's kitchen, it sounds like it's for her! I'd like to finish it this month.
• Work on some of the other pieces in my challenge list (or other WIPs/UFOs).
  

I feel like I'm getting nowhere on my challenge. I really need to get moving on some of these larger pieces!