Help Randi reach 100 or more!!

Randi is having a giveaway of a 10 gc to 123 Stitch if she can reach over 100 followers! Click on this blogs title to go to her page and enter or become a follower!!

Terrible Tuesday

Holy cow the week is not starting off good! James was trying to fix our kitchen faucet as it was getting difficult to shut off. It is a cheapy that the landlord put in and the handle broke 3 days after he did. We are really not that rough on our stuff. Anyway, he did something, I hear "oh crap" and Tyler telling me not to look. Yep, water shooting up to the ceiling. The shut off valves wouldn't turn so we had to go outside and turn the whole house water off. Got it put back together, but now it steadily streams. I sure hope the landlord fixes it tomorrow so my water bill won't run up!! To add insult to injury, the modem for the internet was on the window sill above the sink. Yep, it's fried!! Then I go to call my mom on my cell and it's not working!! Holy cow!! That better not be the way the rest of the week is going to go!

On a good note, the "blizzard" that was supposed to hit us swirled all around us. Luckily it didn't hit us. We got a smattering of snow, but not much.

Now Monday the week started off great. I got a gift of a ton of coffee packs from my mom and they are delicious. I also got some Christmas money from my auntie. I paid a bill with part. Then I ordered PC Stitch 10 for myself! I'm so excited!! I also got a year subscription to Just Cross Stitch magazine. I feel very spoiled!! Saturday I got in the thread I ordered from 123 Stitch for Ty's "A Beautiful Wolf". I started going back in a filling in the blanks from the areas I didn't have the thread color, but tonight just went too crazy. I had to put it up. Also, Saturday hubby spoiled me and took me to Joann's. I got a cross stitch magazine with included projects that I had been wanting really bad. I picked up a couple of these cardboard/magnetic needle holders and tried to use them today. Do not like them at all, thank goodness they were cheap. I think I'll wait and get the one that you stick the needles into. I know the beautiful wolf uses about 15 different thread colors. My poor couch arm rest turns into my needle/thread cushion. It's okay until one of the dogs jump on it and scatter everything!! I also ordered my first piece of evenweave from 123stitch. I have a specific project for it but won't start it till I finish "A Beautiful Wolf".

I also got my laptop back this week! I've been enjoying playing my facebook game again. Been playing that more than stitching the last few days. Shame on me!! No pics today, but I will try and post some soon!

Shanda

New Year's Giveaway

Click on the title of this post to go check out another giveaway! Nancy is giving away more of her gorgeous hand dyed floss on New Year's Day!! If you go enter from my passing it on, please give my name!! It's an extra entry :)

Tis the Season for giveaways!

Yet another give away over at dixiesamplar! Deadline is the 16th so hurry and enter!! Click on title of this blog entry to go to her page!!

Another Give away!

Nancy has added more items to her give away. click on blog title link to go look and enter!!

Shanda

Beautiful Hand Dyed Floss Give away!

Nancy is having a give away of some gorgeous hand dyed floss. Click on this blog title to go enter!!

Things I have learned.....Edited

So it has been about amonth since I have staarted cross stitching. I have learned several things!!

1. Count, count and count again. Ialways thought I was pretty good at counting, but now wonder as I still always seem to be off somewhere in my stitchy projects. I am trying to slow down and focus more. I am a little better at counting than when I first began!

2. You don't have to start in the middle! My first project, starting in the middle, just did not turn out well. In fact, I refuse to finish it but will keep it for prosperity. It will always be a shining example of how far I have come!!

3. If you don't start in the middle, leave 2-3 inches around the edge!! I am currently working on a little project that was my first for starting in the top left corner. The count on it is much better, but I really didn't leave much room around the edge. Finishing it will be interesting!

4. Finishing ornies is not as easy as it looks!! Of course it doesn't help that the craft board that I got to finish it with is just a booger. Really look at what you are purchasing, play with it in the store if necessary before purchasing. This might help you avoid purchasing a huge sheet of craft board that you hate!!

5. Stitching can be just as orgasmic as quilting!! As a previous quilter, there was nothing like going in a fabric store and just looking at all the beautiful fabrics. Touching them, smelling them, dreaming about them. I wasn't so sure cross stitching would give me that same feeling, but ah yes, put me in front of the DMC display and there it is. I want every color!! They look so pretty!! Lord help me when I branch in to other types of thread!

6. Beware of patterns!! Oh my! I have particular design themes that I like. It would seem this would narrow your field greatly, but oh no! There are hundreds of designs in any theme you can dream up!! 1 or 2 patterns is never enough!!

7. Watch out for your needles!! I don't have a dedicated stitching spot. Nor do I have supplies of a certain type yet. This means, when I'm using multiple needles for different color threads in the pattern they get stuck on the arm of chair of the couch, or just in the comforter beside me in bed. And yes, if I have run out of thread, but don't need to re-thread immediately, and empty needle gets stuck there too. These needles are always lost and then found in the most uncomfortable ways!!

I am loving my cross stitching. I am not all that good yet, but practice makes perfect. There are so many delicious designs out there I don't think I will ever be done "practicing"!!

*Edit*

8. I have learned this loop stitch thing for when you are using 2 threads. No more ugly knots!! Now if only you could do it with any number of threads!!!

9. I have learned that threads love to tangle. Shorter lengths help avoid this, but I sure wish I knew a more sure fire trick!