2010 Winter Olympic Stitching Challenge

That's a Wrap

2010-03-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

Wow! How bad were those closing ceremonies? So hokey. You know, Catherine O'Hara (Cookie? Cookie Googleman?) is really funny, but that show made her look like an idiot. It was just so miserably unamusing and amateur. But over the course of the last two weeks, there were plenty of athletic highlights to enjoy.

My goal was to have my mermaid looking like her old self before this time last year, when I realized that I had made a major mistake. I believe I reached that goal. I am tired of working on her, but I do think I can happily add this project back into my rotation.

Thanks, Melissa!

Olympic games almost over...

2010-02-27T19:17:00.000-08:00

but I'm not even close to have an Olympic finish... Here is my Heart of the Valley:

Watching, But Not Much Stitching!!!

2010-02-24T12:34:00.000-08:00

Here is my progress on This Is The Day and Sailing Home. There is not much progress. I catch myself getting interested in all the games and skating, and then you know... I just am sitting watching TV. Not Even Stitching.... Bad Me !! lol

I am going to start stitching on #3 project. Sarah Hartley 1827 Sampler tonight. Hopefully I can knock a dent in it... Maybe... Just Maybe... lol Till tomorrow..

Been Stitching

2010-02-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

This past week I've been a stitching fool. LOL I've decided not to meet The Man until I've stitched his background.

I have to say that after stitching thru the Olympics (then Cold Case and Law and Order), I'm starting to get punchy and silly because I still have to get up in the morning. Lack of sleep really makes me goofy. This reminds me of when I was dating my husband. I would stay up until midnight or 1 in the morning talking with him on the phone (we lived in different cities), then have to get up at 6 to get the little people to school. So glad we married so we could get some sleep. Haha

I'd also like to say that pictures really do this stitching project no justice. The shine of light reflecting on the beads really makes those parts pop. I'm really loving this project.

Heart of the Valley update

2010-02-21T10:07:00.000-08:00

Here is my Olympic stitching update. It's going a little slower that I thought but, for the first time, I'm stitching with silk threads and I found it difficult to adjust the tension...

More Olympic Stitching

2010-02-21T07:51:00.000-08:00

I watched Adam Lysacek skate, but didn't stay up to watch the last two skaters after him. The next day I was excited to learn he won gold. He did so well! He's originally from Naperville which is about 2 hours west of me. :)

Here's my continuing progress on LK's ABC Lessons:

2010-02-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

I have finished the DMC3031 stitches in the mermaids hair. It's taken a while. Some I put in and had to take back out. But also, I've been too excited by some of the things that are happening in Vancouver. First, I had to bite my knuckles over Lindsey Vonn's downhill. I love that she skis on "men's" skis. I don't know why but that thrills the gender studies student in me. I was worried about her injury too, but she's hard. Rock on, first American woman to win Olympic Gold in the downhill!!

I was born and raised in New Hampshire, one of the tinier states. Do you know how many of our 1.3 million residents have medaled so far in the 21st Winter Games? Two! Bode Miller and Scotty Lago (Three if you count Hannah Kearney who was born in NH.) Not bad for a little burg. That's as many as all of Belarus--and they have nine times the people.

Hey! A Post With a Picture!

2010-02-18T08:30:00.001-08:00

Was last night's Snowboarding Half Pipe awesome or what? No one can touch Shaun White, who happens to be my current cougar crush. I love the snowboarding and the extreme events. I think it comes from growing up with Wide World of Sports.

Below you see my progress on Goode Huswife's With My Needle. Not much I know. I keep thinking there is a mistake in her sleeve on the right, I can't find it and it all looks ok and I've counted it out several times but I think it's going to come back and bite me once I log quite a few hours on this project(which means too many hours to frog).

And here is my alternate project:

It's the Laura Parker Sampler from Rose Tree Samplers. In all honesty I thought I'd have this finished before the Olympics but once again I plan faster than I stitch.

Anyone watch the Curling yesterday? There's a female competitor on the American team I believe, I only caught half the story, who is five months pregnant? Competing in the Olympics preggers? Go her! Good thing curling isn't too strenuous so she is able to pursue her goal, how many sports allow you this possibility?

Changing Stitching Events

2010-02-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

I am changing up my stitching projects today. Here is what I have been working on:

I am going to start stitching on Sailing Home - Blackbird Designs. I hope to get these projects up and going. I have to rotate, I can't keep working on same cross stitch project till finished. Does anyone else rotate?

Stitching Tuesday

2010-02-16T15:01:00.000-08:00

I meant to post a picture today but misplaced my camera. I'm going to look for it tonight, it's probably in a bag somewhere around here. Last night we watched the Olympics for a bit, then switched over to the Westminster Dog Show, then back to the Olympics. Am I the only one that wishes Bob Costas would shut up? I like hearing the announcements in French and he talks over them and in to the announcements in English. The man won't stop talking and he never seems to be saying anything I want to hear.

I'm also annoyed that NBC jumps around so much between events. I wish they'd focus on one thing for an hour before changing it up. I know they want to keep us hooked but really, can't we have an hour of something instead of 15 minutes of this and 15 minutes of that?

Today is Fat Tuesday, the final day of Mardi Gras down here along the coast so we are having red beans and rice for supper and I hope to wrap that up pretty soon so I can settled down with my stitching for the rest of the night. It's time to get serious about With My Needle. Why is that when I commit to a project it's the one I want to work on the least?

Olympic Weekend Stitching

2010-02-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

I started ABC Lessons by Lizzie Kate. This is what it looks like so far:

(Sorry about the horrible photo!)

It's being stitching on 28ct opalescent Luguna with Crescent Colors and DMC floss.

Day 2

2010-02-13T21:40:00.000-08:00

It was a good day. Poland won silver medal and Canada won silver medal. I am Canadian that was born and raised in Poland so I'm cheering for both teams.

And here is my Heart of the Valley:

and just to remind, this is how it will look when is done:

I'm stitching it on 28 ct Jobelyn with white silk floss and DMC.

<br>  <p><a href="http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-medals/" title="Vancouver 2010 Medals">View the vancouver2010.com medals' table</a></p><br>

Crazy Pants

2010-02-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

I got back on track with my Miribilia (Emerald Mermaid) last night during the opening ceremonies. She looked like this yesterday.

As textile people, I am sure we all noticed some of the better outfits. (A note to Ralph Lauren: You're booooooooooooooring.) The first category I noticed was "crazy pants." The Czechs did okay here, but the Azerbaijanis came first. (Sorry for the link; I couldn't find a free photo.) I was also impressed with the really cute green jackets worn by the Slovenians. (The photo is in the header; it's third.) Cute jackets on the Russians too.

When I was growing up in New Hampshire (home of Bode Miller), they used to say that if you started skiing after age 10, you'd never be any good. (I started skiing at 10.) I think that's because that's the age when you begin to understand self-preservation. Most winter sports require you push yourself to the edge of self-preservation--I mean it is completely unnatural to fly down snowy or icy surfaces at incredible speeds with only a helmet for protection. If you think about it, the Winter Olympic sports are a lot more dangerous than most of the summer sports. But there has to be something about these athletes that looks death right in the face and spits.

Nevertheless, I was incredibly saddened by the death of Georgian athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili. It seems to me that even though these athletes are willing to shush themselves about at 90 miles an hour, it's up to the rest of us to do something about protecting them. Building a track with bare steel supports that is only fit for the top 5-10 athletes in the world...competition isn't only about world records. It's also about the fun of a 51 year old Mexican skier, kids from Africa who discover snow and decide they want to ski, or (forgive me) Eddie the Eagle. A lot of "also rans" make it to the Olympics, but they're still worth protecting. Let's hope (or pray, if you do that sort of thing) that the athletes stay safe in Vancouver.

25 Minutes . . .

2010-02-12T15:36:00.001-08:00

and counting down!!!

Snow in Alabama & Ready for Olympics !

2010-02-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here on Ready, Set, & Go !!! I am putting away the Memorial Sampler, I was working on, and getting my other projects ready to start tonight !!!

Just a little picture of my grandson in our little snow storm here in Alabama. It is bad

when you can go out in the snow in Alabama in a Jogging suit!!! lol... It was not cold.

The Countdown Begins

2010-02-12T06:03:00.001-08:00

Sorry I have been MIA. Had lots of plans but life gets off track and so now I'm trying to get my stitching back on track. I need to post a few pictures and will try to do that today. It's either been too cold to get outside pictures or too overcast.

In honor of the Winter Olympics Mother Nature is supposed to dump a teeny tiny bit of snow on NW Florida. It's the first time we've had snow down here in 30 yrs. It looks like we might end up with more snow than Vancouver!

Goode Huswife's With My Needle is going to be my focus project for the Olympics but I decided last night if I limit myself to only one project over the course of the games I might not touch a needle because I hate rules and limitations so I have four other go to projects that might see a bit of the hoop during the Olympics and they are:

Laura Parker Sampler-Rose Tree Samplers
Jane Atkinson-Scarlet Letter
Rachael Holmes-Heartstrings Samplery
A Haunting Mermaid-Carriage House Samplings

These projects give me a bit of variety to choose from and not make me feel like I have to work on With My Needle and I hope just giving myself this out, I will be more determined to work on With My Needle.

Oh the mind games I play with myself to get anything accomplished!

Ready, Set . . . . .

2010-02-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

Can you say ANTICIPATION??? I have been diligently ~~working~~ stitching trying to finish this piece before Friday. All that's left is backstitching the tree and putting in the words (which to me is QUITE important)

and then I can start stitching on that sweet image of a man. I can't help but laugh at the irony of starting this snowman during the biggest snow season in years. Or am I just now starting to pay attention to snow season as it's trying to encroach on the southern shores?

I have decided what I am going to stitch !

2010-02-02T12:19:00.000-08:00

I have narrowed my field of Olympic Projects to total 3. That way in my Olympic Home, I can win, even if it is 3rd Place... lol These charts and started cross stitch projects are:

1 - This Is The Day Sampler - Hands To Work Designs

# 2 - Sailing Home - Blackbird Designs.. ( Birth Announcement for Joshua)

#3 - Sarah Hartley 1827 Sampler - Historic Stitches Design

I am going to wait till the Olympics start before I stitch on any of these. Hope everyone else is ready !!! I am ready of The Winter Olympics... I love the Winter .. not summer...

Lets see what everyone else is going to stitch ?

April here, sitting on the snow cover Ski course waiting for them to start !!! lol

2010-01-30T17:21:00.000-08:00

Whew! Finally! I have obtained all the STUFF needed for my sweetheart snow man. Is it sacrilege to purchase a brand other than the wonderful Mill Hill beads? It was a really great find! Okay, while technically I'm still missing one item, (I probably will hold off on the frilly thread (Arctic Rays) until everything else is stitched) I AM prepared. I am refraining though and not starting on this kitted work until Feb 12. I'm sitting on my hands. Which are growing numb from my not so tiny hiney. LOL

But really, with such a cute date, it's so difficult to keep him in reserve for that day when I can bust out his fabric, pinpoint his center, and thread the needle for his first stitch. Oh how I long for that day.

While I've been preparing for our Olympic feat, I've warmed up with a couple of ornaments

I didn't say FINISHED ornaments! LOL

and am now getting a few more stitches in a larger WIP for my hubby's niece. Wedding present. She's been married for just a bit now. . . Well, truth be told, it's been about 2 years, but in my defense (waaaa waaa waaa) I thought I was going to have to rip it out because I'd miscounted terribly; I was dreading it. After a recount I discovered that I was mistaken and the miscount was a technical error that the backstitching will solve. YEAH! Anyway, this is my pre-Olympic warm-up:

Oops, that was my pre-Olympian treat for my boyz. Luv to snap the ginger:-) THIS is my pre-Olympic warm-up:

which I hope to have a few more stitches in before Feb 12 because I WILL be starting Mr. Snow Days then!

Finally Decided

2010-01-29T10:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I decided that my Olympic Challenge project is going to be Goode Huswife's With My Needle. I wanted a project that would be a challenge to finish but not completely impossible, there is no way I would ever finish Sonne Spotte, so With My Needle seems a good choice. I have so many WIPs it was a difficult decision.

New to the team

2010-01-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

Thank you for the invite. I am not sure what I will work on during the Olympics. I have plenty of WIPs. I have an active pile, semi active and probably will never finish category of WIPS, sort of like a gold, silver and bronze. In the gold pile are Mary Wigham Sampler and The Teacher by Butternut Road ( Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum), a Little House piece and By the Bay piece whose name escapes me. These are all on my blog. I am soooo itching to start something new.I will post pics here soon when I decide.
Anna W
in NY

It Ain't Curling

2010-01-22T07:40:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to have made the US Olympic Team! Here's what I'll be working on:

Emerald Mermaid, Mirabilia
Called for DMC on
Murkey Depths, Sugar Maple Fabrics

I'm not sure I can get her finished, but I would like her to at least get back to where she was before the great unstitchening.

Hello from the north of 60

2010-01-20T18:34:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for letting me to be a part of the 2010 Winter Olympic Stitching Challenge. For the challenge I chose Heart of the Valley:

I have the chart, fabric and floss... just waiting for the games to begin!

Emails

2010-01-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

Hey Deirdre! I can't find an email address for you so please email me at gulfskye at aol dot com and I'll send you an invite to the team blog.

Project Selection

2010-01-19T09:51:00.001-08:00

I've been trying to decide what project to work on during the Winter Olympics and I have it narrowed down to three:

Sonne Spotte- Long Dog
Village of Hawk Run Hollow-CHS
Monkey Sampler-Midsummer Night Designs

The Monkey Sampler is probably the closest to finished and choosing it would mean a real chance for a grab at the gold but I never seem to choose the easy path. Before it's all over I'll probably end up with a brand new start for the challenge and hope to finish over the course of the Olympics. Can you say destined for failure?

One other piece I'm considering is Goode Huswife's With My Needle. I've been trying to figure out why I set it aside a few years ago and believe that somewhere there is a mistake but after looking it over several times in the last few days I can't find my error so it's looking like a real possibility.

Can't Wait !!!

2010-01-17T16:08:00.000-08:00

Hello !!

Thanks for the invite Melissa !!! I can't wait to get started with my Stitching for the Olympics ! I have about 4 sampler designs that I have started stitching but have not stitched on much. I will upload some pictures tomorrow. Those are what I will be putting all my energy into while I am watching The Winter Olympics on the TV. I love the Winter Olympics a lot better than the Summer Olympics. Can't Wait !!! What is everyone else going to be stitching?

What's Your Plan?

2009-12-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

The Winter Olympics are in February. Do you have a special project you'd love to make progress on? Join this SAL to see if you can go the distance, meet that goal, go the distance.