Just Drawn that Way

 New pattern finished and up for sale in the shop! Doing that fill took so long. Probably at least eight hours.

I wish metallic thread photographed better. Any Jessica Rabbit quote really needed some glitz and it does provide it well. I've altered the bust highlights in the finished pattern.

The metallic went okay once I started doing the one thread folded (with slipknot at the needle eye) method and started using the Thread Heaven conditioner. The silver was way easier than the red though. The red peeled easily to show a bloody silver core. What is DMC thinking? Surely they could use a red core? 

I'm working on and off on this Ink Circles pattern. I also went a bit nuts ordering pretty silk floss from an Etsy seller. The really vibrant ones tend to be less vibrant in person, just so you know. The yellow-orange is really gold-brown in person and doesn't look as nice against the blue as in the photo, but oh well. I was eager to try out the silk floss on something.

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. 

Misandry!

Bec gave me permission to turn her pixel artwork into a proper cross-stitch pattern and distribute it. I'm pretty happy with the colors, though I've changed the notation to a different light pink in the pattern (one that's slightly pinker).

Here's the pattern with colored blocks and symbols. Here's the pattern with black and white symbols only. In case there's any confusion, misandry is basically a joke term. Individual people can discriminate against or dislike men, but it is not sexism, it is not a widespread, institutional system that discriminates against men in a vast, societal way.

The piece pleases me so much I'm having postcards printed of it. If you'd like one, feel free to e-mail me your address (mabithdarling at gmail).

Summer has been hard, in part due to being stuck inside so much, and a lot of extra pain lately. Some excellent reading though, and I got the best book holder ever, The Book Seat. I really recommend it if you have trouble holding books. Some reviews said it tipped with heavier books, but I didn't find that to be true at all (and I tested it with the largest, heaviest books I have). It even works well with mass market paperbacks.

Mine Your Manners

Finished the Minecraft pattern, and it's for sale in the shop. I went to my friend Chris for the idea, since I don't play the game. I felt like out of the Minecraft cross-stitch bandwagon, and I do know what the kids like...

Did you know that litterateur is a word? Like raconteur, only more accurate for me. I own a lot of books (over 800, which is a fair few for someone who's only turning 29 this year). My TV is between two bookcases and I usually keep it covered with a small embroidered tablecloth, as otherwise it quite clashes with the teacup collection above it. 

Soo my next project might be to embroider "Litterateur" on the tablecloth. Or I'll start one of the quotes for my feminist handkerchief project. I'm going to the beach in a week, the timeshare my mum has. It's my favorite time of every year (we've this is our fifth or sixth year there). We mostly do a lot of thrift store shopping and watching the sunset on the beach while drinking.

Definitely not doing a counted embroidery project next, in any case.

Women Who Don't Help Other Women

New pattern up in the store! The quote is from Madeleine Albright, the first women to become US Secretary of State. I had a really random crush on her in middle school, because she's awesome. Now I live in fear that she didn't actually say this. Sigh.

I finished it over the weekend, but have found you never want to post something new on the weekend. So many people do so much internetting at work now. I've never had a job where that was really an option, so it still seems weird to me.

Just so there’s no nonsense later, when I say women I mean anyone who identifies as a women. And also, those of us who are viewed as women but don’t consider it a part of our identity. I’ve never felt particularly connected to either gender, but I know what I’m seen as, and feminism is the most important issue in my life. 

My niece is very into saying "So and so is a woman, so and so is a man" right not. The last time I said I didn't think that was very important, and the main thing is that I'm just me. She gave me a very skeptical look, but I can't resist. Of course she's a toddler and toddlers tend to want to classify the world and give it lots of order, but I feel it's my job to throw some anarchy in there. I am the youngest aunt, after all.

Soon I'll be starting a Minecraft pattern. I don't play it, but I know what the kids like.

All Girls Together

Here’s a pattern for you all! I’m doing this quote for a pattern that will be in my shop as well, but the girls dancing image is from a 1900 publication and other than transcribing it to a clean, legible printable, copy, I didn’t do much work. I wish they’d had a few more perfectionist/obsessives doing those old patterns…

The font is from my backstitch font set in my shop. With Blogger I'm not sure the best way to get the pattern at original size (and thus best legibility), so you can just save it from here.

The dimensions are 93x92 stitches, no grid due to the backstitch. Some of the face stitches aren’t full stitches or from corner to corner, mostly the noses and mouths, so experiment and be a bit loose there.

I just loved this image so much (and the quote of course). So someone please stitch it so I can see how it looks finished! I have so many other things to work on…

Poisoning Pigeons in the Park

I stitched this ages ago, and sold the finished piece a few months back, but I've only just put the pattern up for sale. I'm really proud of my dead bird based on the classic blackwork bird design.

I've been thinking of putting together some blackwork design packs (of my original designs) with themes, but I'm not sure it's worth it. So many people seem weirdly nervous of blackwork, even though it's the exact same level of difficult as cross-stitch (aka - super easy). 

My current mission is to get a friend to try non-counted embroidery, which she's nervous of. I don't think basic embroidery stitches (back stitch, stem stitch, satin stitch, etc...) are any harder than doing cross-stitch. Really it's just a great relief to mindless follow a pattern printed on fabric, with no need to be constantly counting and checking up and glancing between fabric and pattern.

I have too many things I want to work on right now, one is a big Christmas present (15,000 stitches! It will be my biggest piece yet), then I want to restitch my Roman mosaic, add some embroidery to my mini-crazy quilt, work on my patchwork Aida concept, do another piece for the Illustration Stitch-Along (free choice this month), etc...