Fixing my Mojo

I'm still trying to find a solution to my crafty mojo problem -- more specifically, my stitching mojo problem. A dear friend suggested that a new start might be just the kick in the butt my mojo needs. She also suggested that I start a project I've had kitted up and ready to go for over a year now.

So I did. :)

I finally started my first Chatelaine - Evening in the Park. I love, love, love this design, and it took a while but I found the perfect fabric for it from Under the Sea Fabrics. I ordered the painfully expensive, but achingly lovely threadpack of silks and beads from European Cross Stitch.

One day it should look like this:

For right now, my start looks like this:

It's stitched on Ice Princess 32 ct opalescent lugana. I'm not loving using all the metallics at the moment, but it's looking good so far.

For the first time I'm using a magnifier while I stitch, because the hand-dyed fabric has tiny holes and the opalescent nature of the fabric splits the threads and makes it doubly difficult to see the proper holes. The stitches look pretty big under the magnifier, but when I look at it without, I can't believe how tiny the stitches are!

This piece is going to take a very long time.

Fabric and a floss toss

I've been a little lot naughty lately and new stash has been accumulating rapidly on my craft table.

I fell in love with Evening in the Park by Chatelaine almost two years ago, and last fall I caved and bought the pattern and floss pack for it. Since then I have been searching and searching for the perfect fabric to stitch it on. I accidentally stumbled upon a new hand-dyed fabric website, Under the Sea Fabrics, and, lo and behold, I found the PERFECT fabric. Of course, one can not simply order a single piece of fabric, so three pieces ended up in my shopping cart.

I waited (impatiently) and finally the package arrived! And I was heartbroken -- the one piece I most wanted wasn't in the bundle. I emailed the company immediately and Leslie responded within hours, apologizing profusely. She promised to ship it priority post the very next morning.

So the pieces I got in the first parcel were Sugar Plum Fairies (32 ct opalescent lugana):

and Cosmos (32 ct opalescent lugana):

I have never bought opalescent fabric before, and I'm not sure what drew me to it this time, but the fabrics are brilliant. Now to figure out what to put on these two!!

The precious fabric for Evening in the Park finally arrived (with a sweet card full of apologies and a bonus piece of fabric).

The extra fabric was Cotton Candy (28 ct jobelan):

And here is Ice Princess (32 ct opalescent lugana) with the silks for Evening in the Park:

I love the soft purply blue with lots of sparkles! I think this piece will be a birthday start in August. I hate to wait so long, but I really must finish a few other things first.

Oodles of Pretties!

I did something silly. Something ridiculous. Something that makes no sense!!

I ordered the chart and floss/bead kit for my very first Chatelaine - Evening in the Park.

As if I don't already have enough on the go! But I've been humming and ha-ing over buying this for almost 18 months. It's the only Chatelaine I've ever really been drawn to (until recently, when I spotted the Sparkling Peacock Mandala being released in February). And I always worry that the charts I love will suddenly be discontinued or retired (like the Julie Fain charts over at HAED).

What has (mostly) been holding me back from buying is the extraordinary cost. Chatelaine's are designed to be stitched with sumptuous silks and tons of bling. While the chart itself is reasonably priced, the floss/bead pack is quite expensive! I finally caved and ordered the works from the European Crossstitch Company. I didn't order the fabric because I hate linen. However, now I'm having a devil of a time trying to decide if I want to use hand-dyed fabric, and if so, what colour I want to use.

When my package from ECC finally arrived, I must admit to being impressed! The packaging was gorgeous and really showcased a love of the items and a thoughtfulness of the customer's needs.

Each skein of silk and card of metallics is in its own floss-away bag and all of the bags are neatly attached to a metal ring. Even the tiny little vials of beads and crystals are neatly packed and include a tapestry needle and a beading needle. The beading need is HUGE though. I've never seen a beading needle that long before!

Metallics and beads:

Needlepoint Inc silks:

The Thread Gatherer silks:

Gloriana and Caron Collection silks:

Now I just need fabric and time ... hmm one will be easier to get then the other!