Stitching Blogger Questions

I haven't kept up on my SBQs lately. Tomorrow I'll post new stitching updates (when I have better camera light to shoot them). But here's the catch up on a plethora of weeks of the stitching meme :)

1/18/06: Have you had a happy dance yet this year? If so, tell us about it! (Or just point to the entry that talks about it.) If not, when do you predict it will be? My first happy dance (a.k.a. project finish, for the non-stitchers) was a little reindeer with ice skates. I talked about it back here. The next happy dance WILL be The Castle, and it's coming along quickly... just a lot of backstitching left to do on the bottom half...

2/1/06: With the exception of your online stitching friends, do you have any other stitching buddies? I'm part of a knitting/crafting group at work that meets over lunch on Tuesdays. A few of my offline friends also cross-stitch as their time/interest in it allows.

2/8/06: Describe your "perfect" project. (Include the designer or specific pattern, the fabric, the floss, and anything else that would make that project "perfect" for you.) I have two designers-- Teresa Wentzler (obviously... if you've ever chatted with me about stitching, on or offline, you know my addiction to her work) and Heaven and Earth Designs. If money and time were no object, I'd stitch Peacock Tapestry from TW or one of the many Stephanie Pui-Mun Law pieces on HAED (I adore Stephanie's art).

Needless to say, I'm into self-torture with my stitching. But the results would be oh-so-sweet.

2/15/06: Comment on your comments (giving and recieving): Do you love comments
or hate them? Do you check them every day, never check them, or find them helpful? And finally, are you convinced no one is reading your blog if you don't get any? I adore comments given to me. I also love giving comments, but do it far too rarely. I do find them helpful, supportive, and reassuring that I'm not screaming into the neverland of the internet. :)

3/1/06: What cross-stitch magazines or other publications (as opposed to blogs) do you read on a regular basis? What do you like about them? What do you not like? What would your perfect publication include? I loved Stitchers World when it was published (mixed on the renamed version, though). Other than that, I stick to the various British stitching mags because I don't care for most of the cutesy country Bible-verse stuff most American mags seem to think are the only things worth stitching. My perfect publication would combine a great mix of both simple and complex pieces to stitch over a variety of themes, plus some intensive looks at different specialty stitches. Most magazines seem to do a couple of these, but I really haven't seen one that covers all of them on an issue-by-issue basis.

3/8/06: Do you have an organizational system for your patterns? If so, how do
you organize them? If not, have you considered organizing them? I keep thinking I do, and then I mess it all up again. It'll get organized at some point! :)

3/15/06: Do you stitch "over one?" If so, describe your experiences. If not, have you considered it? Last year contained my first experiences with 28 count and higher fabric, so I'm a newbie to over-one stitching. I have done some of them, and find I can only do about 20 stitches before I have to put it down due to eye fatigue. I really need to drop the money on a magnifier over at Michaels so I can stitch longer... it's all those Teresa Wentzler designs, you know... (again... self torture is in!)

3/22/06: Have you ever participated in a needlework mystery (i.e., a design that you started before knowing how it will look in the end and by which you receive parts of the design via the internet, magazines, or leaflets at spaced intervals)? If so, why did you decide to do the mystery? What appealed to you about it? Did you enjoy it? If you have not done a mystery, would you ever do one? I'd be very interested in doing one. I have not done one yet, though.

4/5/06: Do you stitch "on the go?" (On the commute to and from work, during your lunch break, waiting for the kids, etc.) If so, do you have a specific "travel" project or do you just grab whatever you happen to be working on and take it with you? Lately, my only guaranteed stitching time is on the commuter train to and from work, so yes. It gives me an hour each way, if I spend the entire time stitching (I usually don't). My travel piece has generally been The Castle so I can push to get it done, but I've done the grab-n-go with other pieces, too.

4/12/06: For those of you that stitch while riding in the car or on the train,
how do you cope with the bumps and the motion? Do you have any tips
for others? Bumps on the train have never honestly been an issue for me-- the train I'm on is on Amtrak rails, so it's relatively smooth. I would never be able to stitch in the car or on a subway. I do suggest, however, that if you're going to stitch on a train, you want to be using a plastic container and bobbin storage method for your supplies- that way you can snap it closed while stitching in case things do bump around. And ONLY bring something you can stitch on a hoop!

4/19/06: Do you do obligation or deadline-based stitching? Why or why not? If
you do, do you tend to get in over your head and why? I have one obligation piece-- a wedding sampler gift for a friend. I won't take on another one until it's done because I'd immediately be overwhelmed. I can't guarantee a steady stitching schedule, so I need to have flexible time projects.

5/3/06: Do you or have you stitched with over-dyed threads? (Weeks Dye Works,
The Gentle Art Sampler Threads, Six Strand Sweets, etc.) If so, what is your opinion concerning them? If not, why not? My first two projects with over-dyed threads are kitted (one with Weeks Dye Works, the other with The Gentle Art threads). I love the fading and variation in the threads, so I'm looking forward to stitching them. I know the technique (doing every full x-stitch by itself) is a bit slower, though.


Phew! And... I'm spent. Project update photos coming tomorrow...