Back In The Saddle Again
Still struggling with the flu, but since not everyone is thrilled with the recourse of sore throats and snot rags, I will spare you the details and just say that I am, indeed, doing much better than I was, thank you.:)

Just one word of advice: never attempt to stitch a Silver Lining pattern over one when you are sick, no matter how small it is. Trust me on this. I'm not entirely sure the attempt had nothing to do with prolonging my illness, so there you go.

In other stitching news, I am elated to say that I have been the recipient of a very kind gesture from someone known on the TWBB as A Stitching Friend. I have seen this person bless others with annonymous gifts of sundry stash, but I never dared to dream it would happen to me. When I got a package in the mail from Needlecraft Corner the other day, I was stunned to see it contained Lavender & Lace's newly released Celtic Autumn and a fat quarter of hand dyed Cashel. I just stared at them, unbelieving. In the throes of my flu, here was a gift that was a balm for me far beyond any cold medicine I could take. The card that came with the supplies was merely signed, "From A Stitching Friend".

Needless to say, I bawled like a baby and it was not the cold talking.

These items were the exact things I said I wanted in a thread regarding Christmas stash. Someone asked what would be the one item everyone wanted for Christmas, and Celtic Autumn was mine. I put in parentheses (with fabric!:)), and lo and behold, I got with fabric! It just goes to show people do indeed pay attention to what is said in threads, and I am all the more blessed for it.

A Stitching Friend, I do not know who you are, but I send you big cyber hugs and kisses for your kindness. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!

I have already started stitching Celtic Autumn, but in a complete color conversion. When I get the border finished I'll post my progress.

The other piece I have started is TW's Peacock Tapestry. I've had plans to start this for over a year, but due to the fact that I hold titles in the divisions of the World's Most Fickle Stitcher and the World's Most Undisciplined Stitcher, I did not want to start a project that huge and then cast it aside like so many other pieces in the past. But nope, not this time: I've cut everything down to three pieces and that's it: Celtic Autumn, Peacock Tapestry, and Mystery VI. Until one of those is finished, no new starts. I have to do this; this hobby is just too expensive to keep buying stash that never gets finished!
A side note: Dani's and Emily's gorgeous birds sent me over the edge, so I'll blame the attempt at this insane project on them.

Truth be told, I'm finding the stitching of this much easier than expected, but I have done some major organization. I've got two boxes: a big one to hold the DMC colors from the floss list and specialty threads, and a small one for blends. I have pre-blended a card for each symbol, and placed them in the little box in order of the floss list on the chart, so it is very easy to pull up which symbol I need. I've also taken my chart and highlighted the backstitching around the main tree: pink highlighter for the pears, blue highlighter for the pear leaves, and purple highlighter for the branches, stems, and trunk. I will be using yellow highlighter when I stitch these items, so it will not color over the backstitching marks. It's *amazing* how much clearer those pears are now!

A lot of work, perhaps? You betcha, but I know I am going to thank myself for all the trouble once I hit those pears and leaves, yesireebob!

Pictures soon to follow...for now, I hear the clink and clang of a washing machine that begs to be emptied of its contents.

12.13.2003