Progress....yes you read it right...PROGRESS

This was a week of ups and downs. The ups? I managed to make progress on the Rose of Sharon block. The downs? I gave up on a cross stitch project. Let's start with the cross stitch project that I gave up on. Start with negatives and end in positives, right?

As many of you know, I love Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED). I have several of them but never finished any. My first one, Mini New Owl, is the one that I finally gave up on. I have restarted it twice and this last time was the end of it for me...for now. I actually cut out what I had done so I could use the aida cloth for something else. I don't know what I was thinking but I had some blue in the area that should have been creams and browns. The only excuse I *might* have is that I was doing it when I was having eye problems and either misread the DMC number or couldn't see the colors well enough to catch it earlier. Either way it took me 4 hours to unpick 10 stitches. Then I looked at that area and you could still see the blue. The back was a mess which meant no easy unpicking for me. I set it aside and picked it up another day. This time I was thinking that perhaps I could just take out a section all around the stitches. Ummm. Needless to say that didn't work either. This time I managed to unpick 10 stitches in 3 hours. Progres? I guess. So I am totally disassembling this project and stuffing it away because it pissed me off. LOL. I am salvaging the extra aida cloth and will use it in another project. Am I giving up on complex cross stitch? Nope! I just need to set this one aside. I have another HAED that I had started so I will dig that out and take a look at it to see if I made a mistake on that too. That means today is a refile back all the floss that I had pulled out for the HAED project. That is around 85 floss bobbins plus any other bobbins that need to filed back. If I'm pulling out 18 floss organizers, I will go ahead and file back all the floss that is sitting out after projects. I keep them all in one place for when I do get to refiling. :)

I have around 5 more containers that have floss already pulled for individual projects. I'm still deciding if I'll also merge them back in or keep them pulled.

Once I had filed the stray floss bobbins, I realized that it was time for me to work on my exchange block for June. I thought and thought and then the lightbulb went off over my head. Not only did I get my idea for my block for June but also for JULY! I know what July will be but I didn't print out my pattern or anything yet. On the other hand, I did print out my pattern for June and now the block is fused down and ready for me to match up colors and stitch. What did I pick? I pulled out my book Inspired by Tradition. June's block will be a horseshoe. Why a horseshoe? Because of what it represents. In these days and times, we can all use some luck.

It is fused on with the opening at the top so that the luck will stay in but it was a debate. Another alternative story is that you display it with the opening at the bottom so that luck can fall out and spread throughout your house and to your guests. I love both stories don't you?

That is what I will be working on but what about the projects that I normally work on? Well no Blackwork stitch a long this week. I got it half way done and then my placement was off. I'll have to go through again tomorrow and see where I made my mistake. Why is it when I see a simple pattern it turns out to be difficult? Ok, perhaps that was a bit of exaggeration. It isn't difficult but I do need to concentrate on it more. It will be done for next week though.

I *did* finish up my Rose of Sharon block. That makes a total of six blocks done. Here is a picture but unfortunately it is not a good one. I'll post up a better picture later.

I did get to work on the Christmas word cross stitch stocking. I didn't take a picture this time but I should have a finished work by next week. I found that I was off on my placement but since I am now working on the second half of the stocking and word by word, I can adjust a little bit. I should have enough Aida cloth so I won't be running out. Of course since I just posted that, then perhaps I WILL run out. LOL. We'll see.

What else is happening? Hmmm. The landlord notified me this week that I won't have to worry about mowing the lawn. He has hired out a friends son to come every couple of weeks and mow it. That is a huge relief. The kittens have enjoyed running around in the tall grass and pouncing on each other but they will adjust. LOL.