SBQ's

I'll be doing a stitching update this weekend-- probably Sunday. Erich's dad celebrates his birthday this weekend, and Erich's taking him out for a full round of golf starting at 9 a.m. I, on the other hand, will be avoiding the forecasted 90+ degrees and humidity and will spend the day stitching in front of the TV.

So yeah... stitching updates & photos Sunday. For now: SBQ's. :)

June 14, 2006: How many cross stitch books do you own and how often do you use them? I actually do not own any books dealing with technique for cross stitch. To date, I really haven't done enough specialty stitch work where I'd need one. If I need to reference anything, I just head to the 'net. I do own some collections books, though-- Teresa Wentzler's fantasy collection (which got a ton of use as I backstitched The Castle), her Christmas collection, and a beautiful Asian motifs book that Jason and Jen gave me for my birthday (in which I already am scoping for a project late next year once I get some obligation stitching done).

June 21, 2006: Have you ever used a magnifying glass while stitching? If so, did you find it helpful? When I was in elementary school, my mom would have me stitch in front of her magnifying makeup mirror so that she could see what I was doing to help me. She was in denial of her need for glasses at that point. :) I don't currently use one, but I'm thinking of purchasing one for the over-one stitching I have over several projects these days to help me stitch them a bit faster.

June 29, 2006: What do you do with your charts once you've stitched them? Do you keep them or dispose of them? If you keep them, do you organize them in a way that is different from the way you keep your unstitched charts? I work from photocopies so I can highlight as I go. Those get tossed in the trash. I do keep the originals if they're in good shape. (my original copy of The Castle is so battered it will be tossed... but I have it anyway in the collection mentioned above). Right now, I don't really have enough completed charts to organize them differently-- but I'll probably create a binder of them at some point.

July 5, 2006: What is the biggest mishap you have had with your stitching material (i.e. spillages)? In March of this year, about half a bottle of Diet Coke that I hadn't twisted closed properly spilled all over The Castle in my work bag. Thankfully, I noticed it very quickly (probably a half hour after it happened) and immediately soaked it once I returned home. I soaked the entire piece in a 9x13 glass baking dish with some Dawn soap, gently rinsed it, and placed it flat on a towel to dry. All of the damage came out. :)

Considering how often I stitch with an open glass of soda next to me, I'm very lucky.

July 12, 2006: Since you started blogging, have you noticed any difference in your stitching habits? Tell us about them. For me, it's not a change in my habits-- it's just completely opened the doors to new avenues in stitching that I'd otherwise not know about. My blog wasn't created for stitching-- it was created to help me work through some things in my head back in 2001. When I started stitching again at the end of 2004, it was just one of those life topics I started including in my writing. :)

The connection to other stitchers is wonderful- the encouragement keeps me going. Feedback has been so helpful-- through responses to my blog entries, I learned about the Rotation Stitchers board, and started stitching in a rotation style. I've discovered many new designers. I learned about Silkweaver Fabrics. I learned (finally) that no, you didn't stitch everything on evenweave like you did on Aida (aka "over one"). And starting later this year, I'll be participating in a stitching round robin for the first time.

Above all, I've met a ton of stitchers worldwide with whom I can connect on a hobby that gives me a ton of satisfaction. And that's the best part of all. :)


- Mel.