What? I skipped January?

Oops.  Didn't mean not to post.  I was in the slumps during January.  So much is going on in my life right now that I can barely keep up.  I'm not even sure I am keeping up but I will tell myself that I am keeping up.  All of that translates to losing my crafting Mojo.  I know that it was there because I liked to look at other peoples creations but I had no desire or drive to work on anything myself.  That also meant I didn't even want to post here.  I'm sorry and want to say a big THANK YOU for those of you who are sticking with me.

I'm not sure if Mo or Jo is back but at least one of them is.  I decided to fall back to cross stitch.  It is one of my favorite crafts and I always fall back to it when I feel like the world is spinning fast around me.  I think it is because I can be creative and I can take it with me.  I took my stamped cross stitch quilt blocks to work and managed to work a little bit on them.  I have three packages with 6 blocks in each package.  I'm almost done with my third block in the first package. 

I will probably take the quilt blocks with me to work and work on it during the lunch hour.  That is if I find a good place to work on it.  Once I start a new block it goes pretty quickly.  But that isn't the only cross stitch I will be working on.  

I needed a break from the complex Heaven and Earth Designs and ran across this pattern years ago.  I finished getting the supplies today so will be starting it.  I love Delft patterns so will love working on this.  It doesn't have many colors which will compensate for the French Knots it calls for.  I know how to do French Knots, but after a year or two of doing candlewicking, I'm not as fond of them as I used to be.

I think if I post how the steps I'm taking to work on this, it might help.  Plus a friend wondered where and how to start so perhaps it will help them too.  Just keep in mind that I am not an expert.  This might not be the traditional way or the right way but it IS the way I do things.   First of all I gathered up my floss, Aida cloth, and enlarged the pattern.  I will be doing this on 16 Aida count with probably two strands of floss, doing a full cross.  I don't want the original to get destroyed so I can mark off the stitches when I make them.  Then comes step 2 which is where I am today.

Step 2 is preparing my Aida cloth.  I don't press it or anything.  I suppose I should but I'm lazy.  What is important is that you take steps to stop the fraying of the edges.  There are products that you can use (like Fray Check) along the edge.  When it dries it leaves the edge a bit stiff like if you starched it but it doesn't fray.  You can serge along it.  You can put tape (masking tape, painters tape, etc.) all around it to stop fraying.  That is one of my most used methods.  Sometimes when you take off the tape, you might pull some of the threads off too.  Another way to help stop fraying I borrowed from quilting.  When I do quilting and put on binding, I use the double fold method.  I use a similar method to either put fabric around my Aida cloth, a good use for leftover bits of binding, or fold the Aida cloth over twice and baste it.  This is the method I am using on this project.

I am using white DMC floss (three stands) because I have a cone of it so will not run out any time soon  Maybe even not in my lifetime.  I am using three strands so it will be strong and hold it in place.    When I get to my next step I'll take pictures and post here.

Eventually I will get my quilting Mojo back.  I forgot I had ordered some Happy Planner fabric until it arrived.  It is lovely and I'm keeping it safe until I figure out what I want to use it for.  There are

various ways to prepare your fabric. 

That's it for now.  I took time out to make a quick spinach, mushroom, and feta cheese salad but now it is time for me to get back to basting the Aida cloth.

I hope everybody has a great weekend.  I'll try to write more often.  Thanks for reading it.

HUGS!