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Thursday, November 6, 2014

Stitching in Sunny Cal….11th update, one more full month this year and it's all over but the shouting

November question:
What are your favorite and least favorite materials to use in your stitching?

My favorites are easy - I love natural linens - all kinds.  I prefer 28ct. only because it's easier to see, but will work on 32ct. or 36ct. and I've even got a project on 40ct.  I love the hand dyed lines the most, love the colors, but lately I've been stitching out of the linen in my stash.

I'm not much of one for stitching on aida, but that doesn't mean I haven't stitched but once I found linen, aida became my less favorite material.  At the time there weren't a lot of options in aida - white, cream and did I mention white???  It's come a long way and if it weren't for my love of linen I would stitch on it again.

As for threads I'm a silk snob, love it!!  love the feel of it, but know it's not always practical, so for a lot of my stitching I use DMC.  I've put them on bobbins, but most of the time now I just put them in snack size baggies on a ring.  I write the color and the symbol on the bag so I can quickly find what I need.

I'm not fond of rayon threads at all!!  I've ranted about it in this blog before, especially when I've been working on my Ice Angel.  Would spend the money on silk before I'd do rayon again.

Stitching tools include a couple of laying tools, but I find I like my trolley needle best when I need to lay stitches.  I also have a needle threader and one of those do-hickies that you can use to tuck in the really short thread.  I got it years ago and love it.  And I prefer the short needles and have decided that I'm better off getting the nicer needles vs. the less expensive ones.  Not crazy about all the new things like the trays, or glitzy magnets…..they are OK, but if they aren't useful I'd rather spend my money on a new chart, thread or linen.

December's full moon will be my confession of what I had wanted to accomplish back in January vs. what I've really done now that it's December and will look at my 2015 hopes.

Here is my progress since the last full moon:

I finished up the 8th chart from The Flock.  I've moved my q-snaps and will start on the last 4 charts hopefully next week.  I'm planning on having this done by the end of the month and to the framer so it will be ready for Christmas.  I normally don't do Xstitching for Christmas presents, but making an exception this year.

This one is a new start - I'm hoping to have it done this weekend so I can sew it into a stocking for my new niece.  next month I'll show off two stockings and hopefully one framed pictures!!  

Hope your 11th full moon is bring you lots of completed projects.

Sandy 

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