Fully Caffeinated Since 1982
2.18.2004
Celtic Autumn Update
Last night I filled in one letter block to see how it would look, then another, and then another until the whole name was blazing in russet autumnal glory.
I don't think I've ever seen my name looking quite so good. Viva la colour.
Posted by: Stacey / 2/18/2004 08:24:00 AM
2.17.2004
Forget Diana Ross...
It seems Michael Jackson is really Joan Crawford.
Hrm. Perhaps Max Factor should be notified...
Posted by: Stacey / 2/17/2004 06:20:00 PM
More Celtic Autumn Progress
I thought I would take the time to post a couple of updated pictures of Celtic Autumn while I was thinking about it.
Here is everything I have done so far:
Here is a detail of the corner block, which includes the beading. You can also get a feel for the overdye silk I'm using:
Closeup of the name:
I'm debating on filling the name in with color as in the original piece. On one hand I like the filagree look of just the gold braid, but on the other hand I think it would look richer with the filled-in color.
Hmm...methinks I will pose a question on la BB to see what prevails in the overall opinion...
Later, gators.
Posted by: Stacey / 2/17/2004 02:24:00 PM
OUCH
OmyOmyOmyOmyOmyOmyOmyOmyOmyOmyOmy I am so sore so sore so sore so sore so sore so sore so sore so sore...
Toning the muscles can be a pain in the...
Well, in the muscles.
OmyOmyOmyOmyOmyOmyowieowieOmy...
Posted by: Stacey / 2/17/2004 01:37:00 PM
2.16.2004
Still Here, Albiet A Little Less Of Me
Well, here I am.
I know, I know, I haven't written much lately. Betcha you'd never see this gab-mouth be quiet, but it's been an interesting week.
I have not felt much like writing, which, for someone who loves to write, is no small thing. I've been feeling rather overwhelmed with life, and when I feel overwhelmed I get stressed, and when I feel stressed I can't focus, and when I can't focus I can't think clearly, and writers need to think clearly, and, well, you see where this is going.
So, no writing.
Until I remembered what happened the last time I neglected my blog; people were wondering if I had fallen off the face of the earth. Considering the earth maintains a fantastic little thing called gravity, I can assure you this has not happened. Regardless, I felt I had to at least post something to let everyone know "I'm okay!" and whatnot.
This past week I've been excerising, eating better, and watching an almost indecent amount of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". I've cut out Colas (with the exception of the odd Diet Caffeine free variety~barf), introduced a few fat free products into my culinary cabinets, and have managed to lose five pounds in the course of two weeks thanks to approximately 15 minutes every-four-days with Richard Simmons.
That's exactly five 1 lbs bags of sugar, which is in itself no little feat.
I am still plugging away at my needlework, but I've put things on hold until I finish The Wedding by Lavender & Lace. This is to be a gift for a very dear friend of mine. After she got married, her mother came into a very bad financial bind, and J gave her mother her wedding gown to sell to help her out. The gift of this piece to her would be, in my small way, a chance to give the gown back to her.
::::::::: sigh ::::::::::
Of course, I am the World's Slowest Stitcher. Let's just hope I get this blasted thing done before July...
Posted by: Stacey / 2/16/2004 05:16:00 PM
2.08.2004
Church, A Baptism, and Painted Fans.
This entry comes a little late in the evening, but as many of you know Sundays are pretty busy days for me with a morning and evening church services.
It is indeed my day of rest, but more times in the spiritual sense than the physical.
Sadako, an amazing Japanese woman, got baptized tonight in Jesus's name. It was awesome. She came up out of that baptismal praising God so hard that water slung over the side and onto the platform. Fortunately the microphones were out of reach, so all we had to do was step aside.
I love baptisms. To see people go down with the dead and rise with the new is miraculous.
One of the things I truly love about my church is its multi-cultural aspect. We have all colors and nationalities, which opens up some very interesting ministries. God made all races, so it's only natural and fitting for all races to feel free to worship Him together. Makes sense to me.
On the non-spiritual side of my day, I spent a good bit of time winding bobbins for Thai Parasol Painting. I was going to start Beautiful Thai, but I would have to order fabric and I need to back off from spending so much moolah on stash and start stitching some of the stash I've spent the moolah on.
Anyone who is on the stash wagon understands this principle, you see. Getting us to stick with it is another story.
Posted by: Stacey / 2/08/2004 06:07:00 PM
2.07.2004
Something To Think About
He said: "Look, I don't believe in God. I'm sorry, but I just don't. I do think Jesus existed, but I think he was just a great philosopher of the day."
I said: "You do?"
He said: "Sure. All the great religions have their main philosophers: Islam has Mohammad, Christianity has Jesus, Judaism has Moses, Buddhism has Buddah...they all do."
I said: "What do you think about Jesus?"
He said: "He was a very devout, virtuous man who believed in what he did. I have no problem with that."
I said: "Do you think he was a sincere man?"
He said: "Of course."
I said: "Would you say he was an honest man?"
He said: "Definitely."
I said: "Do you think it's safe to assume he was probably a more honest person than we are, in the classical sense?"
He said: "Probably so, yes."
I said: "You know he believed in God, right?"
He said: "Yes..."
I said: "Well, if we both know him to be a virtuous, sincere, and honest man, and he was more of these things than both of us, then why should I take your word that there is no God over his that there is?"
Silence.
Just food for thought...
Posted by: Stacey / 2/07/2004 07:56:00 PM
2.06.2004
Celtic Maidens Everywhere
I actually buckled down and stitched tonight. Go me.
After spending a day up to my elbows painting the Peanut's room lavender, I was in the mood to stitch on something purple. After swimming through my WIPs, I fished out Celtic Spring, a piece I started back in November.
She is another one of the Celtic lasses that I've converted the colors for, and the main palette this time is whites, silvers, and greens with pale blues, lavenders, and midnights splashed in for good measure.
She may not look like much now, but I can't wait to see her finished.
Here are a couple of scans I took tonight. They are not that hot but they'll do.
Pic 1:
Pic 2:
la box:
The fabric I'm using is Wood Violet Jobelan, and it compliments the colors nicely.
You know, one of these days I'm actually going to stitch these ladies in their original colors. I've started Celtic Christmas and so far I haven't changed anything.
Ah, but the night is still young...
Posted by: Stacey / 2/06/2004 08:52:00 PM
When 'sucks' Becomes A Cuss Word
Today was the closet I have come to really losing my temper on one of the BBs. I actually used a word I don't normally use, nor one I find particulary elegant. As a matter of fact, it's downright crass and I'm ashamed.
I hate politics.
Not politics in general, mind you, but what we, the masses, make of it.
Other than that, I will promise you that today Perle Moon will be a "janet-justin-wardrobemalfunction-kobebryant-scottpeterson-michaeljackson-campaign04" free zone.
Enjoy your reprieve.
Posted by: Stacey / 2/06/2004 07:06:00 AM
2.04.2004
Ouch Owie Yowza...
I started my Richard Simmons excersice routine yesterday.
Today I hurt.
Ouch.
I am dreading it again today, but I know the only way to get this poor body in shape is to grit my teeth and do it.
If pain I must have, then pain I will endure.
So be it.
On less physical (yet no less excertive) news, I managed to get a good chunk done on my Celtic Autumn.
Behold la progress:
The story behind the personalization is kind of cute. I was admiring the lettering, and thinking of AutumnCro, one of the regulars on the TWBB. I was thinking, "You know, that's really cool that Autumn could sit down and stitch this and it's automatically personalized for her. I wish I could do that." Well, after a brief moment of DUH I realized---I could!:) And, since I am a November baby, it works quite nicely with the season.
Behold la material box:
This color conversion is pure harvest. It was probably one of the most difficult ones I've ever done, because I had a very specific look I was going for : golds, pale yellows, a touch of greens, and tawny-reds with a splash of burgundy. I had to change the reds many times, for they were either too coral or too much like Celtic Christmas. I finally settled for the DMC tawny series with 902 as the darkest color. I'm using Eterna Silk overdyed 'Autumn Sonata' for the border and as my accent thread (this is where I pulled my main color scheme to begin with.)
The beads are Delicas. Since I've started using them, Mill Hill has pretty much fallen by the wayside.
The metallic is Petite Treasure Braid 26, Aztec Gold. It's a gold that is much more yellow and firey than the standard PB gold.
Finally, the fabric is a hand-dye called Autumn. I don't know what company produces it, because both the fabric and chart were sent to me as a surprise from A Stitching Friend. Bless you, stitching sistah!
I won't get back to this beauty until I'm caught up with Mystery VI.
I hope I can stitch fast...
Posted by: Stacey / 2/04/2004 07:43:00 AM
2.02.2004
UrgGrabbleRhubarbrhubarbrhubarb...
I'm so disgusted with myself...
I worked very hard on EoOrient last night, and while I thought things were looking a little strange I figured it would look fine in the end. As it turns out, I stitched over an hour and a half of the *wrong color*!
It turned out I read the wrong symbol. You see, that is why I hate Dimensions charts: they take the same symbols and just change the color, so you can end up with three heart symbols, two star symbols, etc. They tend to blend in after a while, particularly if one star is green and one is blue, which is what happend to moi.
Yeez, man.
You would think I would have payed better attention, but as it turns out I didn't. What a bloomin' novice I am.
When I finally realized the loden green was really supposed to be violet purple, I was so disgusted with myself I did not even want to rip out what I had done. I put it away in a frustrated huff, and I don't know when I'll pick it back up.
Probably not this week, that's for sure.
So, to console myself, I ordered three charts from 123 Stitch: Beautiful Thai, Loy Krathong, and Thai Parasol Paintings. I've been in love with these for a while, and the stitching fiasco last night was just the incentive I needed.
Absolutley phiH mohn.
On another note: the Janet Jackson fiasco at the Superbowl. Thank God I don't watch the SuperBowl, but since I don't live in a vacuum I know what happened (if you don't I'm sure you'll find out in due time).
Many were outraged, but there is a train of thought that since it was just a breast, what is the big deal?
Hmmm...
"Just a breast" is what you find in an anatomy book. Gratuitous smut, a complete breakdown of decency, and basically pornography is what we found at the SuperBowl halftime all the way around.
If that has to be explained, then we, as a society, really are in a desperate state...
Posted by: Stacey / 2/02/2004 09:11:00 AM
2.01.2004
Elegance of the Orient WIP 1
I am notoriously lazy about tracking my WIPs, but I did manage to get a picture today to share.
Here is the first scan of Elegance of the Orient:
I started this piece nearly four years ago on cream aida with the original color scheme. After a brief moment of "blah, ick, yuck" I decided to change the fabric and a few colors.
It went from a couple of tweaks to a major color conversion, and that conversion is what you see in its current state.
The fabric is 32 ct Star Sapphire Jobelan and I have incorporated at least four overdyes, three of which are silks, which are used in the kimono.
I am in love with this piece, and I can't wait to get back to it. She will hang next to my side of the bed, while her companion piece, the Mighty Samurai, will be stitched next to hang next to my husband's side.
I can't wait...
Posted by: Stacey / 2/01/2004 10:43:00 AM
