Still movin' along

I have been a stitching manic the past week or so! I did start a new project on Sunday, but it isn't going to last through this week (I barely made it through Sunday). For the week (plus some), I put in 57.81 hours total and 14,958 stitches total. First up though, I worked on Harry Potter Bookcovers just a bit more before I stopped on the 28th. I left off here last time at 8231 stitches out of 121,975, which is 6.75%.

I managed another 11.78 hours (not much, but another 2470 stitches), which brings me up to 10,701 stitches and 8.77% finished overall.

I was aching to go back to a JBG, so I went to Belle of Bonaventure (a HAED). It was one of my Leap Year starts in 2024, and I left off on her on March 4, 2024, barely 15.92 hrs in and 3719 stitches:

And, apparently I went a bit nuts on this one. Starting on the 28th until the 9th. I was literally flying through this and I really didn't want to stop, but I was afraid of burnout. Not to mention I was having issues with the scroll rods not staying tight (they are one of the first ones I made, so I can cut a break for myself on that, next time I know to get bigger dowels and longer hanger bolts). I put in another 41.71 hrs and 11,219 stitches (seriously?...even I'm impressed by that for just a bit over a week), which got me to 14,938 stitches out of 118,000 and at 12.66%. Here is where she is now as of the 9th:

I was trying to stick to my Sunday switch, so I went with Night Wish by Annie Rodrigue (another HAED), but I immediately knew that was a mistake. I SO was not feeling it (probably because of that darn moon). I left off on her Feb 12th of 2024 at 197.8 hours in:

I decided very quickly to shift out of the moon and start on the far edge of the row, but that didn't help either. My new(ish) stand just doesn't hold it right and I can't go back to my old stand because the holder clamp doesn't work anymore...only those projects mounted on the straight dowel will work with it (aka Alice and the B's). I tried to move it down some, but again, just didn't work. I only got 4.32hrs in and 1269 stitches (which is HORRIBLE for a weekend day) and left her off at 47,806 stitches out of 206,000 and 23.21% complete.

I can pretty much guarantee I'm switching again tonight. I don't want to stay tied to Night Wish for a solid week. Right now I'm leaning towards JBG Faces of Faery 167 (another HAED), which I left off on Jan 29th, 2024 at 14,533 stitches done out of 50,175 and 28.96% done (as well as 68.43 hrs in):

But, considering all the issues I've had with fabric this past month and this one is my first (and probably last) piece on 32ct evenweave, I'm just not sure. There are quite a few I could try before I start the loop over again, but I guess I'll know once I get home. I guess you'll know for sure once I post again.

I also really need to start posting daily stitching status posts to Instagram again, but I have never been good at social media (I'm not counting blogging in that, but honestly, I've pretty much sucked at that too for the past year or so). I deleted my Twitter (or X) account for obvious reasons. I did sign up for BlueSky, but I haven't posted a thing on there yet. I have TikTok, but I can't stand the way those videos auto play, so I just don't go there (and I wouldn't even attempt to post anything). TikTok is NOT made for those on the spectrum...too much noise and no control! I have been watching FlossTube again and I think I might have found a software that can line up all my status photos into a nice timelapse video (other than the expensive Photoshop), but I haven't tried it yet. If I can get that to work, I'll made a timelapse of all my finished projects and post those on the Tube (and I'll let you know when and if I do).

One other thing I got done this week is I finally got Maleficent mounted and taken to Hobby Lobby for framing! I wanted to take it to Michael's (since we have one now), but apparently our Michael's doesn't have a frame shop. And I guess Hobby Lobby is wary of the competition because it only cost $47 to frame her (mat and frame included)! If they are that cheap now, I may have to take my Highland girl (and the other one that is broken) up there to get reframed. Right now, those two just have tape holding the frames together. That's what I get for trying to frame them myself in a "normal" frame! I'll post Maleficent once I get her back (which should be on the 13th).

And, as a final note, all this stitching may come to a screeching halt soon (for at least a while). I'm going to have to have surgery on my right hand. I have several ganglions that popped up at random, but one of them is squeezing nerves in my wrist and causing electric shocks constantly. I don't think I will be out of commission long, but my doc also says I have severe carpal tunnel in both wrists and both shoulders, and he's insistent on doing surgery on them as well. For now, I'm holding off on those surgeries, partly because I don't have enough sick leave to cover them (thanks to my knee surgeries) and partly because neither particularly hurts, so why bother? He says I'm going to have long term nerve damage if I don't get them cut on, but again, I'll deal with that when the time comes.

And that's about it for this week!

It has begun!

Last week I tried to continue on with Night Wish and I started strong on Monday with progress, but then I didn't stitch for the rest of the week. Let's get the progress out of the way, and then I'll explain. I left off here last time:

Even though it doesn't look like much, it was all the Petit Treasure Braid on this one side, as well as the rest of the final touches around her face. It was definitely a lot of work for one night, even if it doesn't look it:

I don't really even have a good excuse. Although I finished watching Castle and it was OK (I can at least say I've seen it), I was not oblivious to the number of Firefly references throughout that show, it became like my Hidden Mickey game in Once Upon A Time. But it also meant that it put in me in a Firefly mood, and Firefly, well, let's just say that Firefly is one of my obsession shows that takes over for quite some time and it's a hard pit to dig myself out of once I'm in it. Like any other of these obsession fits of mine, I will just have to let it run its course, but it may be a long one, so I've just accepted it and am dealing the best I can. Hey, it could be worse, it could be Twilight, right? I might not want to give myself any ideas, so I'm going to change the subject now.

By Friday, I was able to scroll rod up the fabric for the new projects (at least some of them, still waiting on some supplies to come in), and by Saturday morning, I started my first project! I went for the US version of the Harry Potter Bookcovers (in case you don't remember, it looks like this:

So I started with a blank slate (and more on the fabric and the gridding on the gridded fabric in a minute):

I had a little trouble focusing on Saturday, because I had to catch up on some of my YouTube stuff, I'm more than a bit behind on all the channels I watch (and I was still going back and forth between that and Firefly, god help me when I start watching reactors reacting to Firefly), so I only stitched about 6 hours (not great for a weekend):

but I got in a good solid 8 hours of stitching on Sunday, so I almost finished the first page (but that's not saying much and I'll explain more on that, again, in a minute):

First up, the magic guide fabric. You will notice that I did add grid lines myself. Until I get used to the magic guide, I thought it was for the best. Up close, the magic guide covers a row of stitches and, as long as you plan it out, you can work out in your brain where to start and where your block is, but until my brain figures that out on it's own, I needed a bit of help.

It's way easier than griding yourself beccause there was no counting involved and now I feel a bit spoiled (I spent several hours Friday night griding up the first row of both Evil Queen and Merida because they were on non-grided fabric, so I had to count it out and count it twice, the joys of OCD). If the fabric itself works out nice, I can see myself using this for all future projects! I decided to go with top and far left for my grids on this, and it's working out well. I initially only gridded the first page of HP, but I went ahead and moved into the second because it's pretty easy and I'm not ready to do it myself yet.

The other snag is the pattern itself. I don't know about most people, but I tend to stitch like I read, left to right, top to bottom. There are some notable exceptions, but as a general rule, that works best for me. This pattern, the top row of pages is technically the last row of pages. Here is the page chart map:

So even though it looks like I'm breezing through the first row, it's not even a full row because it's the partial bottom row. It's SUPER weird. And, of all my new WIPs, it's not the only one to be arranged in a non-standardized (left to right, top to bottom) pattern arrangement. There are more than a couple, each with a different arrangement. I don't get the logic in it, and I'm not a fan, but oh well, it is what it is.

I wanted to start all these new WIPs in the month of February for Leap Year, but I don't think that's going to be possible since it's already almost the end of the month, unless I start switching them daily. I'm really enjoying Harry Potter, and I want to keep working on it for now. To be honest, I thought this one was going to be WAY more difficult than it is. When I first saw this, it was somewhere on a Reddit post (I don't have a Reddit account, but it was just something I came across while looking for HP patterns) and I remember the poster saying it was the hardest pattern she had ever done and had taken her years, even though she was an experienced stitcher. I'm pretty sure I got the same version as her, the super-sized version, and I used her post to find the pattern in the first place from Fox and Teacup Designs. I know I'm using a smaller fabric ct (I'm using 28ct and I think she was using like 12 or 14ct), but that's the only difference I know of, and that usually doesn't make something more difficult if it's what you're used to (12 or 14 would make it more difficult for me, but for someone else, 28ct might be harder). If I focused steadily on this, I think I could finish it in a couple of months (but obviously I'm not going to do that) and the chart is VERY easy to follow. I'm a bit confused now on what the difficulty was. I'm starting to wonder if I got the wrong pattern or something. Oh well, again, I'm not going to complain about it. It was an older Reddit post and since I don't have an account, I could only follow the string so far down before it blocked me anyway.

The other issue, one you can't see, is that in the actual pattern I printed off, J.K. Rowling's name is at the bottom of the books and looks like this (not the image you see above):

I got two patterns when I bought it and I didn't understand that one of them had her name at the bottom and one didn't (although the "unnamed" version should have been my first clue...I just figured it out when typing up this post, I can be pretty thick sometimes). I just printed one at random (which happened to be the one with her name). I've been trying to figure out how to stitch her name out this entire time and whether or not I should. Now, considering it's just one row of pages, it's an easy fix because I just need to print off that row instead of a whole new pattern. Easy fix or not, it's still a question of "should I?" because, despite the obvious reasons of her personal views (which I do NOT agree with), she is still the author of the books and these are her bookcovers, US versions or not and I like true representations of things. Like a lot of HP fans, I've chosen to give up on her and not the franchise, but I think this is kind of a special case. I'm not sure I feel comfortable with her name at the bottom of my project to be honest, true representation or not. So I'm at a weird cross roads. At least I have a choice now, so I think I might print the extra row and make the decision when I get there. Maybe things could change by then.

Next week will see if I've moved on to another or if I'm still in Harry Potter world (although technically, I do have two new HP projects in my new WIPs, so we'll see), so have a good week everyone and aim to misbehave!

Best laid plans...

I barely stitched this week. Partly, because I wasn't in the mood, and partly because I was working on building my new scroll rods, a process I did NOT enjoy. I didn't plan the process out very well. I got the right amount of dowels (which was more of a case of not knowing which circumference to get, so I got a lot to try), but I didn't get enough of the side 1x2 boards (I only bought two), which ended up making five sets (not nearly enough for the number of dowel sets I had, but I also kept changing their length, hence the abnormal number), and the hanger bolts recommended in the video seemed really big to me, especially compared to the bolts in the scroll rods I usually buy that are built similarly (those are way smaller in diameter), but I don't know enough about measurements to figure out how to get a smaller size. She mentioned in the video that sometimes they split. I can see why (and I almost split one). I also didn't even come close to getting enough hanger bolts because I didn't account that I'd need two packs (there were two per pack) for each scroll rod frame (two for each dowel, two dowels per scroll rod frame). That meant that I also didn't have enough twisty knobs for the sides...it was an overall mess.

By Saturday, I had already built another Lowe's cart that was reaching up to the $100 mark for more supplies to finish the other rods. But then, I decided I needed to do a test first before I spent anymore money, so I took the scroll frame I made for Bookshelf, since it was the biggest, (only one of three that I had actually finished), put the fabric on it, and got the shock of my life...it wouldn't stay stable! The knobs wouldn't tighten, they just kept spinning (which washers might fix, but that meant yet another purchase that may, or may not, work), the fabric was super loose, and it was a wobbly mess! To say my frustration level was on high, is an understatement. I still don't know how the lady in the video made hers work, but here's mine. I took a picture of it on Sunday night after I calmed down a bit (and it's only part of it, the whole thing is 4' tall and I didn't feel like framing a photo properly by this point):

Sleepy Hollow Mural is also long, but its frame is store bought has a stablizer bar at the top which keeps it from being wobbly (which it is without that stablizer bar, a fact I had actually forgotten). I do typically prefer the bought scroll rods that are built with bolts in the ends with knobs to tighten them to the side bars. I don't like the split rail things, although I do have some of those too. The bolted kind are a bit more expensive, but not like those Millennium frames or Omanik or any of those other fancy things that cost more than my entire stand (which is the most expensive cross stitch thing I have ever bought). Here it is, the extra bar screwed at the top (and a split rail behind it):

So I added more things to the Lowe's cart to built a stablizer bar for the longer projects, more hanger bolts, washers, more knobs and nuts, more 1x2's for more side bars, and then I realized that I basically almost had the same amount it would cost me for "real" scroll rods for all but the big two projects and I could just use my much dreaded Q-snaps for the two biggies. It's not ideal, but why spend more money to build more stuff (which I hated the entire process of) and there was still a chance it didn't work and I would end up buying the scroll rods anyway. It was the lesser of two evils and I had really had enough by that point. Like I've said, a woodworker I am NOT. So, off to Amazon I went, and bought everything I needed. Yes, I did spend more, but it was well worth it for the lack of trouble.

It's not better than those super-expensive frames that are strong enough to be 48" long and hold everything taunt, but it will do. Now, here comes another rant...when it comes to cross stitch accoutrements, needle minders are a big yes (I kind of think of them like Disney pins, collectible, but usually not that expensive, so it's something I can justify, especially since I can make them myself), but all the other stuff...expensive stands, francy frames, scissor fobs, and especially fancy project bags, nothing but decorator swag and all I can do without. If someone can sew and make their own project bags, then cool, but I can't sew. I'm a bobbin person, so I keep each project in their own bobbin box. I use paper patterns (along with apps), so bobbin boxes and paper also aren't that conducive to project bags. I also don't stitch on the go, or have a craft room to store everything in. I keep all my WIPs on a bookshelf behind my chair (a piece of which you can see above). The scroll-rodded projects in a clothes hamper on top, the bobbin boxes with the row of sheets I'm working on stack neatly on the next shelf, the shelf below that is the three-ringed bingers that hold each printed project in their entirety lined up (or, for the smaller ones, the zip plastic envelopes), and the bottom shelf is old lapstands (probably, soon to be the new WIPs). It's all tight and confined, but definitely no room for another container for project bags.

And just to add to that, same with those new chip system thread keepers, both the hanger kinds and the bobbin kinds...a whole set of those is about $250...I mean, seriously? I can buy 500 bobbins and five thread box for under $20 (and Michael's thread boxes come with 100 bobbins in each box, so that's 1000 bobbins). Then, you have to buy these foam inserts for those chip things to go into either an Ikea or another storage system (both of which ain't cheap either)...I live in a trailer. I ain't that rich and I don't have the room. I think, even if I won the lottery, I wouldn't own those things. It's a waste of space having the bobbins spread out like that like rings in a ring box. But to each his own, I guess and if you have the money, I guess you can spend it on whatever you want.

I also think my issue with project bags is tied to my OCD...I like bobbin boxes because I have the entire project's thread in one area, all together, neat and clean. The thought of throwing a few bobbins in a bag separate from the set drives me insane. I wouldn't be able to do it. Plus, I just don't work that way. I won't know which direction I'm working in until I get there, and if I don't have the next color, I would go into panic mode. It's why I carry a 400lb purse around. I carry it all because you never know when you need it all. Irrational? Maybe. But it's how I'm built.

Now, having said all that, I did buy those cheap Amazon project bags so I have something to keep the larger Q-snap projects in. Hopefully, I don't end up with the issues I had with Sleepy Hollow because I left it in the Q-snaps all the time. I'm only going to be using them for Blue Marble and Bookshelf and neither one of their bobbin boxes is going to fit in the project bag since they are supersize bobbin boxes, but it is what it is. It's really just to keep the fabric safe. I also expect that the process of putting the projects in and out of the snaps is going to make me dread working on them. We'll see. I only have one grime guard (it's the purple thing hanging off my hamper above and yet another one of those luxury stitching items I don't see having dozens of), and I don't intend on buying another one, so it will have to be shared between the two.

Enough ranting, let me show you what little stitching I've done...oh yeah, but first, here is the coverage of 28ct Lugana that I meant to show you earlier...it's good coverage, but you can still see material underneath. Thanks again to Leonore and Sleepy Hollow for making me feel better about not switching Bookshelf to 25ct. Plus, after putting the 28ct Lugana magic count on the scroll rods to test it, it's awfully thin, so now I'm worried about it because this Lugana is way thicker. But here's Sleepy Hollow's coverage:

Here is where I left off last time:

And I may regret it, but I stopped taking pictures all the way across, just to where I am, so that way the picture isn't so long and maybe you could see it a bit better, but it's still only two days of stitching since last time, so not much progress:

In the middle of Sunday, I also decided I was ready to move on from Sleepy Hollow, since I couldn't start one of the new ones (which was the plan and why I started building the new frames...I'm getting heated just writing this), so I went back to Night Wish since I barely got to work on her last time because of lapstand issues. I left off on her here back in November:

And again, since this was barely a third of a day stitching, not much progress, plus, as irony would have it, I ended up back in the Petit Treasure Braid! I mean, seriously?

For some reason, everything I ordered from Amazon is not going to be here until next week some time, so I'll be lucky to get every new project started by the end of the month. I can probably start on Bookshelf and Blue Marble, since I have the Q-Snap now, but as it stands, the very thought of Q-Snaps makes me cringe. I would rather wait and start the others first. HUGE props to everyone who uses Q-Snaps and loves them!

I can say though, one good thing did come out of this whole disaster...the side bars I made for my scroll frames can be used with the dowels from my bought ones. For some reason, I have a TON of the dowels, but not enough sides. Now, that issue is fixed. And wingnuts (which I also bought some of because I didn't know which I would want, the knobs or nuts), will work just fine with the store bought dowels. I'm not sure about the knobs yet, but I kept them just in case. I haven't thrown anything else out yet (because I'm a pack-rat), but I probably should. I doubt I will have use for those dowel rods anymore, especially the ones with hanger bolts hanging out the ends.

Stitching progress, but everything is against me!

I've made quite a bit of stitching progress since my last post (well, considering I've been on hiatus for years), but practically everything is going wrong! My ADHD is still fighting me. How did I ever have so much focus before? I did manage two row finishes though, despite fate's attempts at thwart-tation (I just made up a new word). I left off on Snow White last time here:

And I finished row three, so I'm now at 215.4 hours and I also have some new data because I started using Markup R-XP, I'm at 59.8% with 41,451 stitches done, and 27,918 stitches to go. I'd like to say I'm using Markup to stitch with, but I still prefer marking on paper...old habits die hard and, as someone who works with technology for a living, honestly, I just don't trust it. And I'm not about to buy a different tablet just for Pattern Keeper or a tablet stand or other stuff just to make already printed paper obsolete, at least not now. But anyway, here she is in her row finish and all rows together:

You can also see how dirty she is...who knew projects sitting around for years untouched would get dirty? The next row is the biggest, so at least the dirt will be covered, but the final two are a lot smaller. She's going to be hard to frame if I don't go rectangle (I'd like to go oval). That dark swatch of color on her left cheek is bothering me though and my eye is constantly drawn back to it. It's not dirt, it's the called-for colors, but I don't like it. I may frog it and just restitch with the surrounding lighter color. I just think the color is overall a bit off in her skintone to be honest...she should be way paler (and is on the original artwork), she is Snow White after all. This girl has been spending too much time in Florida! But anyhoo, I decided instead of moving down to the next row, it was time to move on to another project.

I switched out to Night Wish by Annie Rodrigue (another HAED), which I apparently haven't touched since 2020. But this time, the ADHD wasn't the biggest hurtle, it was my stand! It's a lap stand and it obviously wasn't really made for general scroll rods (not many are, or maybe aren't meant to be used for 20+ years), but I just couldn't keep it clamped shut down on this project. It's also why I moved on from the Bride Dollmaker to Snow, trying to find a project that would clamp down better. It has scroll rod end clamps made for it that have a dowel rod that fits into the stand (but they don't fit all scroll dowels), but I only have one set of these, and those are locked on Alice and the B's. I'm not ready to go back to a project that big yet. The clamps that came with it, on the other hand, have a kind of curved groove that look like they were made more for Q-snaps (which I don't like) and, despite changing out the nuts and bolts (a couple of times), the wood is just worn out and won't clamp down good anymore. They used to hold scroll rods of all kinds just perfectly. But I have noticed the decline in the past few years. If I could do woodworking, I would make a new set of clamps and I have ideas how to improve it, but I can't and I don't know anyone who can, so I have to retire it. I bought that stand off of eBay many moons ago before Etsy and that seller is long gone (he was gone not long after I bought it, if I remember right, I think he passed away).

Needless to say, despite my lack of funds thanks to my lovely HVAC purchase, I had to break down and buy a new stand. I refused during Bride Dollmaker last month due to finances, but I really can't put it off anymore, it has become a necessary expense if I'm going to continue stitching. After a rather exhaustive search for a new lap stand, I gave that up and I ordered a new floor stand from K's Creations (which came in over the holiday, but it was delivered to work, so I haven't gotten it home yet). I have never cared for floor stands personally, but we'll see if I can adapt. I figured that, once I start on a super-sized HAED, I would need one anyway, so might as well start getting used to it now. Supposedly, it will work with all scroll rods, but I have the feeling I'll need some sort of adapter or something like a Lowery stand has that I'm unaware of (despite reading every comment and looking at every picture, but not seeing an issue...I even looked through the other listings for an adapter, but I didn't see one, at least not at the time of my purchase). I went with this stand versus a Lowery because, after I modified the Lowery for my surroundings or added the appropriate accoutrements, it was going to be well over $350 and that is just too much for me. And I'm not worthy (or wealthy) enough for a Millennium stand. I went with the cheaper of the three, so let's hope it doesn't bite me in the behind, because it still wasn't cheap and I can't turn around and buy a Lowery stand now. But I'm getting off track here...Night Wish. Like I said, not much progress. Here she was back in February of 2020:

And this is my little bit of progress in one day, she is now at 91.07 hrs, 22.2% done with 44,778 stitches completed and a whopping 160,222 to go, and this is only row 2 after all. She just would NOT stay in the stand without coming loose every five minutes and it was wearing me out! I'm not built for one-handed stitching, so I had to move on to something I could work with.

I decided to go back to Maleficent which is actually on scroll rods for another lap stand I have, an American Dream (although I still put it in my main lap stand). Whereas my other lap stand is just worn out, that American Dream one just sucks and I HATE using it! Time sometimes clouds the bad memories though, and I thought I was overreacting and I could handle it for a few days at least. I did, but ugh, what a pain (and no, I was NOT overreacting)! As expensive as that thing was back in the day, you can tell a non-stitcher designed that thing. At least it held the frame, but that's about all I can say for it. It's too short and very heavy for what it is. I also have to position it at weird angles propped up on top of one knee with the other knee holding it up and my arms reach at very unnatural angles. I actually think it's designed for someone to sit at a kitchen table with the stand on the table and stitch. Does anyone actually still do that? Maybe in the olden days when you had nowhere else to sit, but not in the last 100 years or so, right? How uncomfortable would THAT be? Although, I can remember sitting at the dining room table trying to embroidery with my mother back in the day, but we are talking mid to late 70's, so again, olden days! Needless to say, I was able to make enough progress to get some work done, especially with a heating pad on my back the entire time. Maleficent by Annya Kai...left off on her in 2022 (she's always the one I go back to when I start stitching because she is so close to done):

And despite the physical restrictions, I managed to finish the row:

That's just lighting at the top and not dirt, although we'll get to her other issues in a mo-mo. I did get a bit further into the last row for a total of 771.37 hrs, 88.3%, I only have 24,844 stitches to go and I've gotten 188,356 completed:

This bottom row is also not a full page row (almost, but not quite), so I've decided (at least for now), that I'm going to focus on her until she's finished. She also has an additional complication...the glue from the velcro that I use to attach the fabric to the scroll rods has melted to the good part of fabric at the bottom three to five rows (I guess having your air conditioner go out 10+ times while a project sits for years tends to do that). It's annoying stitching through thick melted glue, but I don't know how to get it off, so stitch through I must. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears. I didn't want to use something like alcohol because of the color-fastness of the thread and I didn't want to use Goo-Gone because that stuff is like lighter fluid. It's all black down there anyway, so it shouldn't affect the thread. I guess that's what I get for having a 2 inch border. Normally, I'd have a much longer border, especially top and bottom, and cut the velcro layer off when I'm finished, so I wouldn't care about the glue layer. But I've also never had it melt before. And, in all fairness, I never expected to still be stitching on the same project almost 9 years later (I started her in 2015). It's been a rough decade. Frankly, I use this stuff on all my projects, which, ironically is an American Dreams product as well (should have guessed, right), so I am a bit worried about what the others look like. Maybe I should go back to using tape like the old days? I sure as heck ain't goin bind stitching to the scroll rods thing...UGH! But I'm not thinking about that now. Lesson learned, 4 inch borders from now on (at least top to bottom, 3 is fine for the sides).

Speaking of new borders, I'm also still on my self-imposed new-start restriction until I finish at least one WIP, so hence the focus on Maleficent since she is the closest to finished. If I get her done soon, I can start something new and maybe that will help invigorate me a bit. I did purchase a couple of Harry Potter patterns over the weekend, but it was the only shopping I did anywhere (and I'm quite proud of myself for that, although today is not overwith yet, it being CyberMonday and all). They were all on drastic sale, so I even saved a pretty penny, but this post is long enough without more pics, right? Maybe in another one.

Oh, and just because I didn't have enough struggles to deal with, I also moved back to my recliner to stitch instead of the couch, which made it a bit easier on my back and rear (especially with the booser cushion I bought, and before the American Dream stand fiasco, but should be better for the floor stand hopefully, the left and right placement will be switched and I'm left-handed, so it works out). It was kind of an ordeal moving everything back over to the chair, with the lights and all...I took out my side table to the chair and replaced it with a bookshelf for my Harry Potter stuff a few months ago, so I don't have a place for storage anymore and the outlet is hard to get to now. Plus, now that I'm reaclimating to the chair, I have to remember to move back to the couch before I fall asleep (they say it's REALLY bad for you to sleep in a recliner, especially if you have circulation issues, so I'm trying to avoid that). Sometimes I make it, sometimes I don't. The joys of medication. One thing is for sure, neither pup cares for me sitting in the chair now. They want me back on the couch!

And that's about it! I'll have the new stand at home tonight, and I'm pretty excited! Hopefully, it will be a game-changer because that was a lot of money wasted if it isn't. Be my luck, I'll have to buy specialty scroll rods for it too and that will be more expense! Ugh! Even if I do though, it won't help me now, so I'll have to look for another stand again. But I'll make sure to give you an update, either way and a review. And I know I haven't explained my stand very well, so I'll post some pictures of that too if you want, might help.

FOR REAL Go-Live and switching projects

We are DEFINITELY going live with our new software NEXT Monday at work or I've threatened to go work at Target...no more delays! I'm not sure if I'm excited or terrified, but it's been helping my stitch progress! I left off on Night Wish here last week:

And, thanks to a rough work week, I didn't get much further on her, only two days stitching, but she does have more of a defined face with about twenty more colors of purple and pink added to her head (not to defend the little bit of work I did do). There is also more background encroaching upon her, but overall, you can't tell she moved much, so without further ado, here she is:

My headaches have also increased, but our weather has gone from the low 20's and snow flurries, to the high 60's and storms and back down to back up. NOT the best for migraine sufferers!

Then, on a whim, I decided (late Thursday nite, mind you), that it was time for Alice and the B's to come back out to play. I left off on them back in April of 2019, so not that long ago (unlike Night Wish and Snow White):

And, after just a couple of days (and I worked through the weekend too, so not much stitching except for Sunday), I managed to get this far:

Considering its size and it's only four days worth of stitching (and taking into account how many hours I spent at work), I'm pretty proud of that progress! I'd forgotten how quickly these princesses move along. The actual stitched size is 18 x 22 on 28ct, so they are the largest project I've ever done. Princess and the Pea, which was HUGE even on 28ct and it was only 190,250 stitches. Alice and the B's have 329,175 stitches! Granted, compared to the Aimee Stewart, MC/SS Bookshelves, they are nothing...those range in the 713,000 area, but I will probably do those on 32 or 36 tent, even though I've never tried tent stitch before and I'm not always a fan of the results I've seen with it, but those patterns would take YEARS with regular stitching and the amount of color would just be too much. Besides, at 36ct, I would never be able to see the holes well enough for one pass, let alone two!

Considering what is ahead for the final week before go-live, I would be CRA-ZY to stitch this week, which probably means I will be a stitching fiend, and next week, while the Cali boys are actually down here, it would be even stupider, so again, we'll see and I'll make no promises, but I'm bad at deflecting, so odds are, it will benefit my stitching progress immensely if I'm trying to avoid dealing with the pressure of work. But I may not be able to get away from it, even if I want to. Time will tell!

Another whim I had during Valentines Day week was I FINALLY broke down and bought three diamond paintings from Diamond Art Club that have been calling to me since I first saw them. I was waiting for a sale because they are a bit on the expensive side, but apparently for good reason. These paintings are HUGE and I'm not sure when I'll ever get around to doing them, especially now that I'm stitching again. I have no place to hang them if I ever do them (and these are the type to frame, unlike those cheapy-kind of diamond paintings I used to buy from one of those Asian companies that took months to come in (I literally had these in about three days). Most of those never held the drills long-term or looked as good as they were supposed to, even when I bought the largest size. I have high hopes for these puppies though from DAC.

I bought a couple of others thinking they were twins and they would look great in my office, but one was REALLY tiny and the other had round drills instead of square (which I'm not a fan of and didn't notice when ordering...I was looking at the pattern and not the details...that always bites me in the butt!), so Happy B-day Sis (her B-day is coming up and she prefers the round drills). It's probably the first hobby that she and I have ever shared, although she likes it a lot better than I do. I get bored with it too quickly...to me, diamond painting is like cross stitch you finish in three days, instead of three years and there is no "reward" to it. For her, it's MORE rewarding because you don't have to work three years to finish it and you have something to show after three days! Go figure! It would make sense we'd share the love of it, but hate it also for entirely different reasons!

She a bit scared of the squares because she's afraid she wouldn't be able to keep them straight. Maybe it's because I'm a stitcher, but I don't have that issue. But I do also checkerboard them if it's a large area of solid color (which I don't do in stitching), so that helps. I don't like the round because it's not full coverage (another carry-over from stitching) and I don't like seeing the canvas underneath (again, stitcher's hang-up).

Plus, it's not something I can do sitting on the couch like cross stitch...I have to have this whole setup at the kitchen table, which is INCREDIBLY uncomfortable, especially after several hours. I can stitch on the couch for five or six hours at a time and never move. Less than an hour at the kitchen table and my back is screaming (and I don't have back problems). She also used to sit at the kitchen table, but she DOES have back trouble and it was too hard for her and she thought she was going to have to give it up. She has since, somehow, learned how to do it in her bed! I can't even IMAGINE diamond painting in my bed! I'd have drills everywhere! I'm lucky enough I don't get them everywhere now (and sometimes I still drop them and have to rush to beat the pups to the pick up). She's explained it to me how she does it, but I still can't picture it. And, she has HUGE dogs (her dogs have dog toys bigger than my actual dogs), so I can only imagine what happens when one of her dogs jumps on the bed while she's working! UGH! But she doesn't seem to have issues, so good on her!

But here are the three kits I bought, all of which are MASSIVELY HUGE (I won't show the other two, one because it will be a gift for my Sister and the other because I'm not sure what I'll do with it). The Sleeping Princess, The Lost Princess and The Brave One, my three favorite Disney Princesses (and I will end on this note).

So much for deadlines, but it's good for my stitching life!

Today is NOT our go-live date for our new software, they pushed it back AGAIN! At first I was mad, but it does make sense and I can slow down a bit and get some last minute things cleared up to make the transition easier (although it won't be easy at all, I'm just trying to make myself feel better by saying that). At least I'm going home at a decent hour and only working Saturdays and NOT Sundays right now, so I'm home more to stitch, although I'm still having issues with wanting to stitch after a rough day at work. And no matter what happens in the future (if I stay or if I go), things will get better...I'm determined to will it so!

I left off on Night Wish here last week:

And did manage to finish that row of color and get to the girl. She was a LOT harder than I thought she'd be...she has about thirty colors in her tiny little head:

And I know the color tint keeps wavering on these...the last batch I actually touched up, these I didn't, so the latest pictures are actually truer to her real colors (although the fabric is white, so the first picture is more true to the fabric color....weird). I only WISH it were more in the color-scheme of the first picture above. Those are more MY kind of purples and the HAED pattern itself looks like it should be those colors, but it's more the pinky purples of the second one. I'm not a pinky-purple kind of girl.

But despite her color issues and now that I'm back working on background (and finishing up some issues around her face), I'm still not sure I'm ready to switch her out just yet either. Alice and the B's are still calling to me (as is Haunted Mansion), but there is just something about Night Wish right now that has my attention, so I'm going to ride with it until I feel like it's time to change. I'm going with the flow this year instead of a tight schedule like previous years. Maybe it can prevent my usual stitch burnout. We'll see. There are also a couple I'd REALLY like to start, but no new starts until I finish at least one current project (unless it's just SUPER SPECIAL, thems the rules), so it's more motivation to finish something this year, somehow or another.

I've also manage to check out some of your blogs...it's been slow going and you guys know I'm not a good commenter anyway and I don't do it a lot, but I'm working my way through slowly trying to get caught up. Looks like I've been missing out on a lot of activities, but I was never good at those either! I'm just glad to see our community working together and getting along! You guys know I watch a lot of reaction videos on YouTube, but I do also watch some FlossTube (not a lot...mainly Heather, aka Confetti Stitcher because she's my friend and the best one), but it's really because FlossTubers tend to be really click-y and very Breakfast Club-y when it comes to their videos and it bugs me. Our blog world doesn't seem to be that way. We're all a pretty friendly community and we all seem to get along pretty well, even if we disagree on something. FlossTubers can be brutal sometimes, even more brutal than reactioners can. Granted, I stay away from YouTube comments altogether now since my last episode, but still, I don't want to watch them talk about each other during their videos, it's just a waste of my time. I want to see stitching, not bitching!

Anyhoo, here's to another week of good stitching for everyone!

Bit more, but still struggling to stitch!

I'm trying so hard to stitch! The desire is so strong and yet I just don't have the time. It's now a week to go-live and I've got a million and one things to do, but all I can think about is stitching. Typical me, eyes are NEVER on what they should be focused on! But anyhoo, last time I had left off here after several weeks of struggling:

And I'm still barely moving, but it's a bit better than last time:

At least once I finish this next big batch of color block, I'll be close enough that I can start on the girl without doing more background (unless I decide to switch to another project, but right now, I'm pretty happy sticking where I am...I think I'm looking forward to seeing her appear finally).

I'm not sure how much I'll get done this week, but then again, I'm not sure how much work I'll get done compared to stitching...my brain tends to want to wander when I have deadlines looming. Knowing me, I could very well finish the row by the end of the week (well, probably not, considering I'm still not back up to my old speed yet but, then again, who knows!).

Been a rough couple of weeks...

Between TRYING to finalize this new system and switching out computers to Windows 10, I'm just about dead. I've been accused of stealing people's computers without telling them (even though everyone knew what I was doing), I've been yelled at because Windows 10 sucks (tell me something I don't know, it's why I got a Mac), I've been without help from anyone and have been working hours NO ONE should be working, but I still (somehow) managed a bit (a very tiny bit) of stitching.

I left off here a couple of weeks ago:

And I've literally stitched three days since, but here you go:

As of right now, I'm not ready to put her down yet, but that could change. I'm still not sure when I'll get to stitch again because there is still SOOO much work to be done. They keep pushing go-live back on me and I just want it all over with so life can get back to normal, but I doubt that will be for a long while.

During a really bad day last week, I did quit and I meant it (although I didn't give written notice...yet). I said I'd finish out the project, but then I was done and it was the first night I slept good in a while. Whether or not I feel the same when all is finished, might be another story. I don't have another job lined up, so I'd have to find one. There is a nibble I'm not publicly ready to talk about (just yet), but it would mean a far away move and I'm not sure I'm ready for that either. But then again, I've spent my entire life whining about how much I hate the South and how I don't have a Southern bone in my body, so a move to this location would make sense (it's still in the States, FYI). There is a lot to consider though. I need to focus on the tasks (multiple tasks that is) at hand first before I consider looking for another job or even just quitting altogether, especially in anger.

I'll try to keep stitching though because it helps a WHOLE bunch when I can!

I'm still going (somehow)

Work is getting down to the wire on my big project, but I'm somehow still stitching! I think I'm just getting to the breaking point at work and I'm starting to give up, so I'm leaving and spending more time stitching. It was bound to happen, I'm an Asper who rarely finishes anything! I had just started Everest last Sunday with one day's worth of work:

And when I started to get to the boring sky, I had to stop about mid Saturday (at least I finished the first page):

But since it's such a LONG canvas, here's a close up (and forgive the shadow):

You can tell I haven't stitched in a while, check out how "bumpy" some of those stitches are! Oh well, I'll get better again with more practice! I was getting bored with the sky background, so I decided to move on mid Saturday instead of my usual Sunday (I didn't want to routine it, but it seems as though that has been exactly what I have been doing, changing out projects every Sunday morning). So to break up the monotony of the boring background, I switch to the most boring of background stitching, Night Wish! She's been on my mind lately though, mainly because she's another one I apparently haven't touched since November 2017 (I am SOOO ashamed!). But I did remember that I worked on both Night Wish and Snow when my Grandmother was dying in hospice in July of that year, so it was probably hard for me to work on them past that, 2018 was the "year of the psych hospital", and 2019 was the "year of the school project", so it's not like I've had a lot of time since to work on them, so I am going to try to not be so hard on myself about it.

Since it's been so long, she's a HAED from Annie Rodrigue that is supposed to look like this:

I left off on the first row finish here (and yes, that moon was a total beeoch!):

I probably stitched for like 30 minutes Saturday and kept coming up with stupid side projects to distract myself, so I barely got anything done Saturday:

But at least by Sunday, I got about a third of the page done, and that was WITH watching both Infinity War and Endgame (there are certain parts of those movies I have to stop and watch...I can't help it, even after numerous watchings!):

Since she's not dithered, if I have the time this week, I could get a LOT done, if I don't have to work late, but there is a LOT to get done because we are about to go-live with this new system and I still have to switch everyone out from Windows 7 to Windows 10 (there have been some complications there too, shock, there is ALWAYS complications). I guess we'll know by next week how much stitching I got done!

But, as a side note, I was bad again and bought more patterns. HAED had a sale and, although I barely have anything in my wishlist anymore since they switched to all dithering, I did have two Max Color, Supersized Aimee Stewart bookshelves in there to add to the multitude that I already have that I have NO CLUE how I'll ever get done! Once Upon A Fairytale:

And Boho Seaside View, because we all know how much I love the ocean and, if I do ever get to build a house, my spare bedroom will have a beach theme and this will look good in there:

And I guess that's the news for this week! Have a good stitchy week everyone!