Today is the Yesterday

I am picky about colors. I am a perfectionist. I am detail oriented. I will always see the flaws in my work and think about the piece's distance from the original vision in my head. It keeps me striving, but it would be nice to leave those traits in a ditch somewhere, at least sometimes.

While photography just can't capture the beauty of metallic thread used well, I assure you that this piece is the most gorgeous thing ever and I am 100% happy with it. I thought I'd ruined it when I'd just stitched the variegated part of the border and the green metallic, but once I started adding the blue I was in love again. The pattern is in my shop now.

The quote is from Alan Mendelsohn, Boy From Mars by Daniel Pinkwater, a brilliant YA novel. It's a book that removed my feelings of self-consciousness about my vivid imagination, which I'd picked up when friends dumped me in 7th grade over issues like "doesn't wear brand name clothing/shoes, doesn't shave legs, doesn't wear makeup," things that many equate with an exit from childhood (I found the idea of being a Woman frightening and repelling). Pinkwater's YA novels helped me remember that imagination was valuable and it was totally find to still be playing Calvinball and pretending I was Caesar leading his campaigns in Gaul.

I'm currently reading The Sibling Effect by Jeffrey Kluger. As the youngest of five children, who siblings ranged from five to fourteen years older than me, it should be an interesting read. My siblings and I are certainly opposites of the stereotypical birth order traits (I think that birth order stuff is bunk, largely, in part because there are SO MANY other factors of equal or more importance). I really really need to start some early reviewer books I received, but I've not been able to focus well enough for print reading lately. 

I know I have a strange cat, because for her sitting in boxes is a sign of illness. Poor baby.

Wondrous Beauty

I liked this quote so much I stitched it twice (and I hate stitching the same thing twice). It's from a Moomins book by Tove Jansson (check then out if you haven't yet, I've read one and really liked it). 

The pattern is up in my shop now. Up to now I've been very hesitant to use any non-DMC thread in my patterns. A lot of people seem to have trouble choosing colors themselves and I felt like everything I used should be easily available. I've threw that to the wind with this project. Kreinik metallics plus "wondrous beauty" on both pieces is done with over dyed stranded silk from another Etsy sellers. I have pretty threads and I want to use them! I will probably try to stick to commercially available products though, since you never know when an Etsy user will close shop or get rid of an item.

Trying to capture the gorgeous gleam of the metallic border was frustrating and impossible. Then trying to have the colors be accurate on the black aida was as terrible as I remember. I love black aida, and I hate it. Everything looks so awesome on black though. Wish everyone could see these pieces in person.

I just finished an excellent book for book-lovers, When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning. It's about the drive to get books to servicemen (they didn't bother supplying service women, annoyingly) during WWII, and the creation of the Armed Services Edition paperback, specially designed to be light and portable and readable in any situation. Books soon became the most important 'luxury' for the troops, and many wrote letters to the authors and publishers. This program is basically what led to The Great Gatsby becoming an American classic (mixed feelings for me, I found that book so boring).

The program created a generation of readers who knew the incredible psychological value of reading, and won over many who hadn't previously been readers. It's a wonderful, feel good story. Interestingly, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was one of the most popular, despite being narrated by a young girl. Author Betty Smith received an average of four letters per day from servicemen and responded to all of them.

The Ornate Bookshelf

Well, it's finally finished and up for sale in the shop now. It took a little over a month, though there were plenty of days when I couldn't work on it. I feel like the damn book outlines took the longest, probably because It's just so boring to stitch a long straight line.

I meant to post multiple times since the last update, but a big side effect of my depression is feeling like posting here or anyway is pointless, like my voice is at best annoying and at worst unwelcome. It's irrational, and I know that, but it doesn't make it easier.

Now I'm working on a non-counted piece now, and it may be a gift so I won't be able to post it. Not sure when will be next in terms of cross-stitch.

On Friday I leave for Charlotte and a friend's wedding. Right now I am freaking out a little, because of how awful my legs feel. After that I have a trip to meet my friend Christine though, and that's extra super exciting. If I'd never started doing embroidery we'd have never met. Plus she has an adorable baby and cat, so you know, bonus. 

Book Shelf - WIP02

The first stage of this project is done! Frankly, the text is too, but I'm waiting to post until the background is filled. There's nothing more annoying to me than the WIP picture getting way more attention than the finished piece! 

I can wish it would only take two days to fill the background, they're just half-stitches after all, but I fear that's optimistic. Working on the larger Q-Snap frame is also a lot harder on my arms. Hopefully it stays sunny so I can get good light to work out the color choices. I have my picks already, but you just never know how they'll look until they're stitched. That being said, experience has really started to pay off in that regard. I have a much better grip on how much two colors will merge when stitched next to each other than I used to.

Books You Should Have Read in School: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Just finished that recently and wow! I'd like to time travel and give it to my 19 year old self. What a beautiful book. Also, The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker was amazing.

Lately I'm trying to get away from the obsession with being productive. This kind of internalized ableism, that we're only worthy if we can be productive, is so insidious (and practically ubiquitous to the chronically ill). There was a great Tumblr post about talking about what we find fulfilling or fun or just important to us rather than productive. I've been so guilty of that, I'm afraid, and it will be very difficult to shake. Change the language and you start to the change the world though.

Books

I'm working on another book pattern! I do love book related cross-stitch so much. This one will include the quote "Books are both our luxuries and our daily bread," under it (quote from Henry Stevens, an early American book collector).

When I list the pattern in the shop I think I'll also include versions using this quote from Malcolm X:  "I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity."

It's shaping up to be a beautiful piece, and I'm really pleased with it. I'll be doing the background of each book in a lighter shade of the main color. I wish DMC made more dark reds.

I had a wonderful CouchSurfer over the weekend, which really brought home how much I hate living by myself. It's very hard to be alone with myself so much. 

September will be a busy month for me. I'll be going to a friend's wedding and then visiting my best online friend (ha, ridiculous qualification, my best in-person friend in my mom). I'm so excited to meet her and her adorable baby.

penguins! reading!

My swap partner received this, so now I can show you what I made for The Great Tumblr Needlework Swap! Hannah had reading and penguins on her list so I felt compelled to design this.

I might clean up the drawing a bit and put it in my free pattern section (just added The Cheat and my dalek pattern there), or I might try to design a slew of cartoony animals reading patterns and sell them as a group. Who knows!

The World Cup has been slightly breaking my heart. Not so much in terms of the US loss (I never expect us to do that well, and I don't think much of Klinsmann's coaching), but I'm still upset over Mexico's exit (due to cheating by The Netherlands) and Algeria's near thing with Germany. So pleased for Costa Rica and Colombia though, and I will be cheering for Belgium due to personal connections.

Books

I read 156 books this year. I could have read four or five more, but 156 is divisible by 52 and I'm a bit neurotic about things like that. I started a really really long audiobook and otherwise I'm just re-reading things until new year.

Favorite Non-fiction reads of 2013: The Black Count by Tom Reiss, Toms River by Dan Fagin, Sister Citizen by Melissa V. Harris-Perry, American Nations by Colin Woodard, Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, The War that Killed Achilles by Caroline Alexander, Destiny Disrupted by Tamim Ansary, Indian Givers by Jack Weatherford, Marie Curie and Her Daughters by Shelley Emling, The Vikings by Neil Oliver.

Favorite Fiction reads of 2013: Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson, Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh (most unexpected!), The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat, A Hundred Flowers by Gail Tsukiyama,

Favorite Children's and YA Reads of 2013: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, The Illyrian Adventure by Lloyd Alexander, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggins, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede,

If Books are Not Good Company...

Just finished this piece, and the pattern is now for sale in my shop! The quote is attributed to Mark Twain.

I might do something really boring and remake my roman mosaic piece. I'd like to start selling the pattern, but I may want to change some colors, or just be doubly sure of them. I kept track of what colors I used for the most part, but probably changed some along the way without keeping good notes. Way to go, me.

Or I might work on some other random stuff. I don't know. I am feeling a bit burnt out, primarily due to focusing on making patterns for the shop rather than just because I like them. We'll see though.

Books are Humanity... Up for sale!

I finished my Books are Humanity... piece and it is now for sale in my shop.

Can't remember if I announced it here or not, but at the end of each month I hold a random drawing for one customer (who made a purchase in that month) to win a free pattern coupon (good for four months).

Sadly, I think this blog will remain less active for a while, especially while I'm making Christmas presents. I would say that most of my family rarely looks at this blog, but you never know.

Next project is either Homsar from the Homestar Runner cartoons or a Seinfeld quote piece, if I can gather up the energy to dye some Aida.

Books are Humanity in Print

So I've been gone for a while!

I went out of town twice in September and just got back from a trip to DC. We went to the Taste of DC, which was great, and I regret not making a bigger pig of myself (if only to soak up all the alcohol!).

All the traveling has a detrimental effect on my stitching, of course, but I'm almost done with a new pattern.

The quote is by Barbara Tuchman, who is easily my favorite non-fiction writer. I'm especially partial to her book The Guns of August, which is about the first month of World War I. If you want to really understand WWI, you need to read that book. 

Anyway, I like the way my books turned out and the dark gold text makes for a nice contrast.

second border

Here's Une Fille Formidable with the second border added. I've put it aside for a bit because of having a long book to read (no audio edition of it) and I've been working on the chintz napkin again (that will be my next post).

The weather has been freaking ridiculous lately. I've had to turn on the air conditioning every day for the last week. I've fought it as much as possible, but my pain is so much worse when I'm hot. I'm happy to sacrifice book and cross-stitch supply money in exchange for not being completely uncomfortable and extra-achey.

Saying that, I did spend more than usual on a book recently. It's the WPA guide to West Virginia and I can't wait to get it! I think the Works Progress Administration is one of the most amazing things our country has ever done. I wish they'd bring some of those programs back. Some of the state guides were written by people who became very famous authors, but mostly I just want to read about West Virginia circa 1940.

Malice stitching?

Well, not malice, but grumbling. I pour a fair bit of grumbling into my Arsenal crest since they're not one of the teams I cheer for (go Liverpool, go Spurs!). I suppose we'll see if it has any effect in the next season.

Lots of progress here, which is nice. I'm listening to Lies My Teacher Told Me right now, which makes a good, involving, stitching-listening. It's also given me an idea for my greatest doomsday plan ever!

Oh wait, no, it gave me an idea for a great sampler. It will be a super abridged version of Lies My Teacher Told Me, with gems such as "Helen Keller: Socialist Activist" and "Woodrow Wilson was a racist dick."

Fabulous, right?

Stitching away...

Well I've made a good bit of progress on my 'family rules' cross-stitch piece, despite being busy with cleaning.

You can tell I've had good audio books to listen to, that's why it's progressed so much! I finished On Gold Mountain by Lisa See, which is the story of her Chinese-American family, starting around the turn of the century. It was a really amazing.

I also received my 'early reviewer' audiobook copy of One and Only: The Untold Story of On the Road, which was wonderful. The reader, Vanessa Hart, did an amazing job, and I wish she was the reader for more books that appeal to me. Mostly she seems to read mass-appeal romance/sci-fi/fantasy things.

I know I'm not even halfway finished with the 'family rules' piece but I'm already trying to plan what to stitch next. I'd like to do something funny but I'm tempted to start on my Understood Betsy book cover. Oh well, we'll see when the time comes.

another type of needlework...

The colors are a fair bit darker in person.

I suppose you could call knitting needlework... I mean, you do it with needles after all. Anyway, I bought some gorgeous and super soft yarn to make a baby hat for my niece and I did.

Then I knit a hat for me with the same yarn! Okay, it might not actually be a hat for me (we'll see) but isn't this yarn absolutely stunning? It's good for kids things since it's only 30% wool (machine washable is the way to go with toddler/baby things). It really is super soft though. 

Doing a hat or scarf with alternating stripes of this yarn and a white or black yarn would also be pretty neat.

I did start work on my Five Little Peppers cross-stitch piece and I think it will look nice. It's quite tall though and stitching it will generally be a bitch (it's super easy to fuck up). I'll post progress on it in a couple of days.

OH! There are also some new patterns in my Hardcore Stitchcorps shop including my Tintin pattern and the Arsenal football crest. If you still need an awesome winter hat check out my knit goods Etsy shop.