Starting and finishing and mounting, oh my!

Wow, busy days! Forty-eight hours after deciding to take a medical leave of absence from college, I was back home with all my stuff. Twenty-four hours after that, I was hanging out with my family in Myrtle Beach. A few days later, I was back home and busy with lots of cross stitchy fun, despite my body deciding that this week ought to be extremely painful (at least it made me remember why medical leave is a good idea). I then embarked on a crazed purging and organizing of my room, which is currently in a state of chaos. And now, on to the cross stitchy fun! :D

I spent Saturday (with the aid of my mom at times) washing, ironing, mounting, and framing "Darth Vader" in preparation for my darling's birthday on Sunday. He was quite happy and hung it up in his room as soon as we went to his house. :) But without further ado, here 'tis!

 

The mounting was quite an ordeal, but I think it ended up looking quite nice. I used a foamboard and a small army of straight pins. Simple materials, pleasant result. I'm quite excited to have had my first taste of finishing!

I also purchased lots of fun cross stitch supplies on Saturday at my local needlework shop, which I have newly discovered and which is the most wonderful place.

And on Sunday I bought this magazine from Books-a-Million! I simply could not resist. And I have been loving pouring over it, so no regrets. :)

I've also finished "Live, Love, Laugh." :D

"Live, Love, Laugh"
Began October 5, 2012
Finished November 30, 2012

And while in Myrtle Beach, I explored my grandmother's knowledge of stitchery. She has some lovely cross stitches hanging up around the house - how had I not noticed them before? And she even let me borrow several wonderful old books on stitchery!

Look what came in the mail a bit earlier this week! :) I'm quite thrilled. I jumped up and down when I saw the envelope with "Crazy Annie's Stitchin" on it.

Aaaand, I have a new start! This'll be for my brother for Christmas. It's on some red 18 ct. Aida from my little needlework shop down the road. :)

"Quoth the Raven"
Began November 29, 2012

In the world of books, I finished listening to The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton, which is an amazing novel. I absolutely loved it! I'm nearly done with Brisingr, by Christopher Paolini. And December shall be the month of Russian novelists, so I am starting Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy) on Saturday and shall be listening to War and Peace (also Tolstoy) while stitching. I hope to have time for The Brothers Karamazov (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) during December, but if not, January shall get a taste of Russian novels as well.

Happy stitching to you all! :)

Making big decisions.

I've found that cross stitching is a good way to think over big decisions without my mind racing. So, I got some stitching done while thinking over a major decision. I'm taking medical leave for the remainder of the semester. It's crushing to leave and drop my classes, but I need time to focus on my health. Hopefully I'll be feeling great by next semester and will be on top of things. Anyway, here's my stitching progress:

"Snowman and Friends"

"Live, Love, Laugh"

Have a lovely Monday! Happy stitching!

Live, Love, Laugh progress!

It's been a while since I last touched Live, Love, Laugh, but yesterday evening I got a bit of stitching done on it. I am in love with the prettiness of this piece. :)

"Live, Love, Laugh"

I spent most of Saturday with my boyfriend, who came up to visit me. As of November 15, we've been FB official dating for one year (and you know it's not official 'til it's FB official), so we were kinda celebrating that. :) We saw Wreck-It Ralph, which was a delightful movie, walked around the lovely outdoors, and cuddled. It was wonderful. :) Hope you're having as great of a weekend as I am! :D

It's Friday, I'm in love! :D

It's a gorgeous day, my parents and brother are visiting me for Family Weekend, and I'm making progress on my many assignments! Plus, I got ANOTHER cross stitch kit in the mail Wednesday night - how could it get any better? :)

My new cross stitch kit! :D I started it almost immediately, and I am loving it.

 "Live Simply"

Began October 25, 2012

I must say, this design is really cool. I combine colors for the darker piece of the stitching I've done - one strand light blue, one strand royal blue. How cool is that? :D It makes this cool effect. I love it! And the design is so simple and lovely, it fits the title perfectly. :)

Here's another update on Live, Love, Laugh! I made some progress with the pretty prettiness. :)

I haven't touched Snowman and Friends since Wednesday. I'm quite enthralled by Live Simply at the moment, hence the large amount of progress on it. And now, I shall take a nap, because hey, it's Friday! I can take naps, cross stitch, avoid writing papers for just a bit longer... :) Enjoy your Friday as well, reader!

Accountability and extrinsic rewards. :D

Inspired by my psychology lecture of the day, yesterday I tried out some accountability and an extrinsic reward system as a means of limiting my procrastination problem, and I met with great success. I gave my sewing basket to my hallmate Anita, and she was not allowed to give it back until I had completed a set amount of schoolwork. I did so with hitherto unheard of rapidity and was allowed my precious cross stitching back.

My dear sewing basket and home of all my cross stitching supplies. :)

 I received this kit in the mail with the utmost joy Monday night...

...And of course, took the first opportunity yesterday to begin it. I was overwhelmed temporarily by the detail and skill level of the pattern, but I am determined to press on and gain more experience. Snowman and Friends is on 18 count Aida, whereas everything else I've stitched is on 14 count, and this pattern uses a great deal of color and half- and quarter-cross stitches.

 "Snowman and Friends"

Began October 23, 2012

And I've made a bit of progress on Live, Love, Laugh, despite having to go back and undo several stitches because of an early error in counting. I love the prettiness of this piece. :)

 "Live, Love, Laugh"

In other news, I finished listening to Sense and Sensibility while stitching Live, Love, Laugh today, to my greatest delight. Surely such a lovely novel, and such a satisfying ending, was the only way I could be lifted out of my low spirits. I have developed a rapid adoration of Jane Austen that I cannot believe was not earlier in beginning, for I first read Pride and Prejudice many years ago and loved it. Perhaps, as with Great Expectations, I was not ready then to fully take it in, and so did not pursue my interest further. I was also quite busy with school reading. I still am, but my student employment and my stitching allow me much more leisure time for audiobook delights nowadays. :) And now I shall stop babbling on, and leave you to your own stitching, dear reader. Have a delightful Wednesday! Eat some chocolate. It makes everything better. :)

All of my cross stitching experience. Ever.

On August 2, 2012, my family was driving up to New Hampshire from South Carolina. We were in... oh, Pennsylvania, maybe? And I was bored out of my mind. I considered buying Pokemon White (I already have Pokemon Black) from Gamestop... but then I thought hey, maybe I'll check out the craft section of Walmart. I picked up a beginner cross stitch kit on a whim, and I was hooked.

 "Tiny Turtle"

Began August 2, 2012

Finished August 7, 2012

Pretty soon I was back at Walmart, desperate for more. New Hampshire was hot, and all I wanted to do was sit on the porch and cross stitch. Crazy Northerners, with their lack of air conditioning.

 "Cupcake"

Began August 8, 2012

Finished August 11, 2012

And even once I was home, I couldn't resist some more cross stitching. Battle for Middle Earth? Nah, I'm stitching a strawberry! :D

"Strawberry"
Began August 13, 2012

Finished August 19, 2012

I still have no idea what I'm going to do with these three projects... Okay, so I lied. I'm considering putting them all in these cute little wooden frames (also from Walmart):

However, I'm not sure they relate well enough for that... You know? To me, they're my first three cross stitches ever, and they'd be in the order in which I stitched them. But to everyone else... it's a turtle, a cupcake, and a strawberry, entirely unrelated to each other.

On to current projects! :D

 "Darth Vader" by Chris (Osmosis)

Began August 21, 2012

What happened with that one? Why has so little progress taken two months? Well, reader, I went to college.

Also, yay for free patterns! http://www.dorkstitch.com/come-to-the-dark-side-we-have-cookies/. I super appreciate this wonderful, nerdy pattern. I'm stitching it for my equally wonderful, nerdy boyfriend. :) Shhh, it's a huge secret!

"Live, Love, Laugh"

Began October 5, 2012

Another Walmart buy! :D I couldn't take all the black anymore, so one evening I opened this kit up and stitched a bit of color. Haven't touched it since though. Soon, my dear, soon...

I love whoever just read this. Leave me a comment, so that I know on whom to shower my love. Have a fabulous, beautiful Saturday! <3