I'm so happy to be able to post this now. I made it for a friend's birthday and I had an incredibly difficult time not talking to her about it. I'd find myself starting to send a picture (as would be usually for a project I'm working on), before going NO! Plus, then you have to make up other things you're working on when they ask. So hard.
The design is from some wrapping paper the same friend used on a Christmas gift for me. There's the big lesson - use super awesome wrapping paper for me and I will embroider it for you. It was impossible to resist.
The tail satin stitching got rumpled while I tried to rinse out all the fabri-solvy. AWFUL. Never using that again when there's much satin stitching. It's all the most satin stitching I've ever done I think. I don't know why I've avoided it, as it's really not difficult, and certainly faster than the loose long and short I often use for big fills. I guess I worry because it's easy to snag and mess up after you're done.
The third season of The Great British Sewing Bee starts next week! So excited. The real draw of it and the Bake Off are seeing a group of lovely, kind, caring people do something they're really passionate about. When it's something that many (or most) people don't do at all that makes it even more special. Since there's no big prize and they're amateurs they're all just lovely to each other.
I've gotten swept up ordering some hand dyed silk embroidery floss. No immediate plans for it of course, but it was soo pretty... I bought a vintage tablecloth embroidery pattern on Etsy (one of those with the design printed on the fabric), so maybe I'll finally start work on that.
Also finished a new piece for Etsy, so I'll post again soon with that. It's a quote form Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Rewatched that for the first time since childhood recently and it's so good. Still just incredibly enjoyable.
I can't believe it's been over two months since I posted. Sigh. Life is life, the holidays are always tough. Now I'm just straining ahead for the end of February and our annual beach trip.
I just posted another Wonder Woman Wonders pattern in the shop. Now I'm working on an Ink Circles pattern and a Roger Rabbit pattern I made with the quote "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way." Why did I let so many years pass before rewatching Who Framed Roger Rabbit?! Such regret.
I'm also working on self-portrait from a picture taken almost a decade ago. Decided now's the time to do a massive amount of split stitch. Foolish foolish, Meredith. The Roger Rabbit pattern utilizes metallic thread, and I'm pleased to say that after following all the advice it wasn't difficult to work with at all, though it is easy for the stitches to become really messy.
My reading habits got really neurotic last year and my goal for 2015 is to stop that. I always feel like I need something to replace work in my life but it's not good to tie self-worth to productivity of any sort. I did have fun making a calendar where each month shows the books I read in that month in 2014 and another with books on my to-read list.
Next week the author of Toms River, Dan Fagin, is giving a lecture in my city and I'm really excited. The book was incredibly well done, not to mention important. I highly recommend it. Fingers crossed I'm able to go to the lecture.
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