Band Sampler Bands 1-5

Here is the start of my band sampler. I started it on Marcy 26 2009. The band is cut 10 inches wide and I'm using a 1.5 inch seam allowance so the stitching width is 7 inches. The fabric is Monaco by Charles Craft in glass blue.



My first band is Algerian Eye stitch. I used 2 strands of DMC cotton floss for this stitch. I learned several things working on this stitch.

1. This is a pulled thread stitch, there is supposed to be a hole in the center.
2. Pull the thread to the front of the fabric at the outside of the stich and to the back of the stitch in the center.
3. Pull Stitch tightly.
4. Work stitches around the circle in order and you gett a better hole at the center.
5. When moving from one eye to the next tuck threads under previous stitches on the back so they do not show through and obscure the holes created by the stitch pulling.


I finished off the first section by embroidering the date started and my initials in stem stitch.

The next band is coral stitch. I marked the spacing with a ruler, I think I will stick to counting threads instead of relying on a ruler. The next band is a running stitch, and then Herring Bone Stitch.

Here I worked several rows of Herringbone.


I am already have a few more bands done, but no pictures ready to post yet, so now I am off to stitch and I hope to post some more bands fairly soon.

Stitch Dictionary Search

I have been making progress on stitching, but I don't have pictures with me to upload today. A little more progress had been made on the coaster set, and with any luck I should almost finish the sixth coaster on my first coaster set later today.

I have been spending most of my stitching time working on the band sampler. I have several stitches added so far. I've checked out a couple of books from the public library and finding all sorts of new stitches. I suspect at some point I will be looking for a new stitch dictionary. My current dictionary has about 230 stitches which will certainly keep my busy for a while, but the library books are showing all sorts of stitches not in my book. This is part of why I am checking books on the subject out of the library. Kind of a drive before you buy kind of deal, which is the best, how can I get the most bang for my buck?

Once more into the breach

Golly, hope I spelled the title right. It isn't coming up on spell checker, not that that means anything.

I just have to make a post and nod to Sharon B at Pin Tangle. She is working on a band sampler that has me all excited. Actually she has been working on it for years and it shows. It is magnificent. Under the theory that Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I have started a very humble band sampler. It is using stash on hand, and I have quite a bit. I don't currently have any pictures, but I hope to remedy that within the next week.

Anyway, go check out Sharon's blog if you haven't and sit down with a nice cuppa and prepare to be inspired!

Coaster sets progress

Let's give this one more try.

Here are the three coaster sets I've been working on. Each set has 6 coasters and a holder for the set. I have basically been doing one house style and getting all three done. I have 5 houses for 2 sets and 4 houses for the third. Only 4 coasters left to needlepoint. I only have one holder made, but it goes together almost as fast as the coasters. If I hadn't been spending so much time playing computer games, I'd be done with the sets.


I'm going to quit here and hope that this posts.

Computer or blogger?

I have been trying to post here and blogger is not accepting anything. I have no idea what is going on with it. So I will try to get to a friends house this weekend to update my progress on the coaster set and to tell you about a new project I am starting that is using up some stash.

WISP challenge -- plastic canvas

Last time I posted I mentioned a challenge to finish off projects that I have lying around my house. Boy do I need that challenge. I have what is commonly called SABLE, or Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy. I live in a 1½ story house, and my craft room is in the upstairs ½ story. It was easy to dump stuff up there and forget about it. A couple of weekends ago I decided to tackle the Craft Room –cue ominous music! Part of the momentum came from having access to a digital camera so that I could document the progress. Now, I have most of my craft room cleaned up and organized. It was a three day project but I am so excited! I have found almost all my crafts, and almost all their instructions. The craft room is now usable, and the wanted items can be found. I have just a few more projects to round up from the main part of the house. What was kinda scary about the whole thing was just how much I had forgotten. I definitely can shop for crafting materials in my attic for some time now.

For a while I was so excited about knowing where things were that I was flitting from project to project and not getting much accomplished. I believe I have settled on a project for now and hope to get some serious work done. I am currently working on plastic canvas needlepoint. I have a set of 4 placemats, and 3 coaster sets that I started over 15 years ago. They have mostly been sitting in plastic boxes patiently waiting for me to get back to them.

I've been fighting with Blogger to post the pictures in the order I want, and it just isn't working, so on top is the progress made, on the bottom is where I restarted.

If you really want to see a listing of all my crafts, I have an account on Listology. Go to listology.com my user name there is zaijovan. If you are really bored you can take a look at the books I’ve read and the movies I’ve watched too. These are only lists, no pictures.

On no crafts and a lot of reading

Egads, it has been over a year since I posted. I cannot promise that I will post more regularly but I will try.

Last year I was looking at a challenge to finish off projects in progress. I finally have access to a digital camera, I've started taking pictures of the projects in progress, and now I need to delve into my craft room. There I will organize the projects, clean, and get pics of the projects. These projects cross crafting disciplines. I have embroidery, crewel embroidery, counted cross stitch, knitting, crochet, quilting, clothing, tatting and I have no idea what else. Plus I just learned a new technique called locker hooking. Just what I needed, to learn a new technique. Ah well, I plan to spend the weekend, and possibly longer, getting things organized and photographed. I expect there will be several blog posts just covering the different projects.

To slow things down on the crafting front I have been on a reading jag. 20+ books for January '09. I'm slowing down on the reading and crafting is picking up again. I'm trying checking out audio books from the library so I can listen to my books while I craft. Maybe this way I can get some literature in me while I craft.