Trying to rotate and dangers of chatting with stitching friends

It has been a while since I rotated last time and I decided it's time to try it again as I desperately want to stitch both my own and others' designs and I really need some change every now and then - and fact is that I have way too many SALs etc. on the go.

So, let's see:

Monday: Models
Tuesday: Models
Wednesday: Free choice/ after 6th of October: EMS Rose Sampler SAL
Thursday: Models
Friday: Free choice
Saturday: The Spanish Sampler
Sunday: Flashes of Gold

Ooops

We had a staff chat at EMS yesterday, I wanted to show one design I was talking of and went to 1-2-3 Stitch! to find it... I also find so much I want!

• Baking
• Gingerbread Trio
• Heart and Home Sampler
• Blueberries
• The Bookshelf
• Cherries
• Chocolate Shoppe
• Coffee Menu
• Comfort
• Curly Q Ewe
• Counting House
• Faith
• Friendship Tree
• Fruit Bowls
• Fruit Game Board
• Gardening
• Garden Pleasures
• Gingerbread Cottage
• The Gathering Room
• Gentleness
• Good Deeds
• Goodwill
• Gourmet Garden
• Hope
• Ladybug Ladybug
• Love and Faithfulness
• My Needle's Work
• Needlework School
• Peace
• Pineapples
• Plant Kindness
• Plant Your Seeds
• Queen Bee
• Reading
• Strawberry House
• Watermelon
• Winter Whites
• Winter Wonderland
• Wisdom Is Sweet To Your Soul
• Wool Needlebook and Fob
• Adam Names The Creatures
• Bakery
• Cowboy Dreams
• Flower Shop
• Gingerbread Cottage
• Ice Cream Sundae
• Little Ballerinas
• Little League
• Tea Room
• Alphabet Zoo
• Trellis
• Garden Flowers
• God's Critters
• Stitch In Time
• Fanny and Lucy: Russian Sampler
• My Everything: #4 Literary Littles
• In Every Nest
• Off The Deep End
• Scooba Dooba
• Ackworth Friendship Book
• Petit Carnet D'Ouvrages II
• Quaker Needlework Treasures
• Quaker Turtles
• Strawberries So Faire
• Needle Mania
• Fire Flower
• Jardin d'jour
• For Gardens Best
• Halfpenny Pasture

Happy dance!

Firstly: Tales from Periphaeria moved to a new address (I have updated the url to the sidebar) and reside now in Periphaeria Designs' home base.

Secondly I have made a decision: I'll skip the rotation for a while and focus on projects based on priorities which means that at this moment highest priority is on these designs:

1. Seasonal Dragons
2. Bunny Baby
3. Models for September launch
4. Secret gift

Noticing how much asthma attacks reduce my stitching speed (by taking away my energy) this is only way to get anything done. If I survive without any additional attacks until I see GP I'll get more stitching time than I anticipate now, but that is never a bad thing - maybe I could finally concentrate on those belated gifts and PIFs (anyway I think I have to change my plan considering them)... *cough*

The topic of the day...

I decided about middayish to have a stitching marathon and finish Summer today. I made it!
Allow me to represent Summer Dragon on Leslie's fabric:

I had to scan it because I have no batteries in my camera and therefore all the nice sparkling is nowhere to be seen, but believe me, it's there.

Now I'm off to have some quality time with HH, who has behaved extremely well today and waited me to finish the dragon without nagging me a bit. ^^

Changes in rotation

I got an idea: as Loy is progressing so well when I only work on it every 3rd weekend of every month why not to initiate that method to my rotation?
So, I change my rota a bit and work bigger projects on weekends and smaller projects (and models) during week.

The New Rota

Weekends:

1st weekend: 'Egyptian Sampler' (I know it's a SAL, but better this way than not at all, right?)
2nd weekend: 'Alter Echo'
3rd weekend (SAT weekend): 'Loy Krathong'
4th weekend: 'Ezmeralda's House'
5th weekend: my own choice (for months with five weekends, of course)

Weekdays:

Monday: Models
Tuesday: Models
Wednesday: Secrecy Day (ie. gifts, PIFs etc.)
Thursday: Round Robin/ Futurecast
Friday: two VERY belated gifts

If this doesn't work, it doesn't. If it does, even better.

Model stitching exhaustion

I just realised something: Monday should have been first day of Egyptian Sampler SAL with Christine. I have completely forgotten that, though it is understandable at this moment.
Actually I think I'll get back into rotating after I finish one more official model and Ring o' Roses (which I only need to stuff and close). I kind of miss doing something completely different for a change.

I think Monday could be my official Teresa Wentzler day so I can switch between Futurecast and Egyptian Sampler according my whims.

Little, white happiness pills?

1. I have been in a shockingly good mood few days. It's not bad, of course, but taking that I'm on cortisone, which should cause depression (in addition to mania and other nice things - and I am usually very sensitive to every excess substance put into my body), and that my estrogen levels have been low due the phase of my cycle etc. I'm oddly happy little thing. (One might think that I have slight cortisone deficiency...)

2. I think I should ditch my rotation for time being, because I really, really feel like stitching my own models, and it might be actually rather good idea... (I think I have to make a call in Monday and enquire about the means for me having means of living and trying to aspire as a designer...)
   But on the other hand I don't want to ditch my rotation. Decisions, decisions...

Futurecast WIP

Is it..? Can it be...? Yes it is! Yes it can! Shock and awe! She's back in rotation!
...At least I try to, as I really don't know can I concentrate on certain projects during this week because of that epicutane.

But to important things: an update!

[insert yawn here]

Due popular request Futurecast will be my next Monday project. I need to check the other colours, but it'll be stitched on anonymous purplish, opalescent hand-dyed evenweave from Silkweaver and the overdyed required will be Carrie's Creations' Wildfire.

In WIP front: I did stitch Ezzy yesterday, but there's nothing much to show, just couple of rocks in house's base. It's surprisingly slow process to stitch over one on 40 count.

Boo.

There haven't been that much stitching... as I slept 15 h in Sunday.
I did stitch Alter Echo...

Anyway, we had a happy dance today! (It'd have happened yesterday, but it's quite difficult to stitch when you're glued to the keyboard...)

Info:

• Design: Morning Wizard
• Designer: Jennifer Aikman- Smith
• Fabric: 28 count Quaker linen. Mocha (IIRC)
• Other:
  • I left wording and sun out because they didn't strike my fancy.
  • Colours are tweaked
  • Newspaper is changed to be The Daily Prophet

And this was fourth happy dance within one week (and second unplanned HD for this month). In moments like this I really love (or maybe I should say adore) myself.

Though, I've a problem: what next? I could think of Stitching Devils, but I don't have enough black denim - as I decided to make my mother's knitting bag from that, and I've reserved all denim I've for that. And Dovey has a place in my rotation already.
Dragon Soul QS? I've no fabric for it, and I lack some of the threads... Can't start Loy Krathong even I've the flosses and fabric as I've no dyes to dye the fabric.
So... it's either You're Never Too Old... or Taj Mahal - though I still don't have that #8 perle.

Maybe I just get wild, compromise, and stitch Futurecast. It'd be good for variety's sake.

Must resist...

Argh, new things to want/buy: Big Girl Knits - 25 Big, Bold Projects Shaped for Real Women with Real Curves (allow me to disapprove using word girl)

And the official quotes...

'One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.'

'If you smoke after sex then you're doing it too fast.'
- Woody Allen

More notes to self and biscornu

Entering rotation (More or less in this order)

1. Ezmeralda's House
2. Dragon Soul QS
3. Little Stitching Devils on Sewing Machine
4. Loy Krathong
5. You're Never Too Old...
6. Taj Mahal

Exchange items are obvious (though, as previously said, I try to cut amount of them a bit) additions to this list. And I reserve right to add some new Dragon Dreams designs in it (as I know there'll be new freebies in December (can't wait!))...

Btw, you got to love PINN's site for one reason: they give background information of their designs (Loy Krathong's).

And I think I said I'll try to cut...

I'm having mini biscornu exchange with Linda, so, after I've finished with $ITEM to $NAME I'll head to browse my pattern stash and after it drool all over my fabrics and flosses.
Maybe, for a chance, I'd do this over two...

The Greatest Tail

Once again, nothing much to show. I had to take short nap ("short") because I got attacked by nasty migraine. Migraine is gone, but I'm not sure was three hour nap good idea in the evening...

Last week I was unable to identify parenting dragon's parts and it looked just like big, purple blob, but all the sudden that blob makes much more sense.

Changes in rotation

As it seems to be more likely to be N/A during weekends than stitching I had to tweak my rotation a bit... AE and Jaffa made way to project with greater priority.

Memes anyone..?

Manic Monday; Land of Nod

1. What is your ideal time to go to sleep at night?
   When ever I feel like sleeping.

2. If you had your choice, what time would you get up in the morning?
   When ever I feel to. (I prefer personal freedom.)

3. How many pillows do you sleep with on your bed?
   Do cats count as pillows? (If so, add four to given numbers.) At the moment two, sometimes 3-4. Usually one is enough.

4. Are you particular about your bed sheets?
   Cotton. Vivid colours, or black. NO pastel shades. (This didn't surprise anyone.)

5. What size bed do you have? Is that the size of your choice?
   120 cm, it's enough for me, and in case of stay-over there's enough room for two - and my bedroom is too small for as big bed I'd like to have. (Actually it'd be big enough if there weren't that big bookshelf...)

Life during first days of rotation

In Friday I managed to put few stitches on Small Needlebook. Yesterday I put Panda down ~22:30 and when day changed to Monday I dug Morning Wizard (MW) from a drawer and spent two hours with it before realising that sleeping might actually be good idea...
This may be bad for me, you know? I sense piles of finishes thanks to rotation, but I also sense addiction getting worse. I sense some sleep deprivation due rotation... "Day changed, I'm allowed to change the project! I'll just do few stitches..."

What seems to be good in this, though I can't talk out of experience yet, is that I have found new enthusiasm for stitching. My WIPs represent variety of styles so I won't get bored, and I've to admit that I'm eagerly waiting that moment when I finish my CCLE piece and start Scissor Fob Exchange (know as SFE from now on) piece.

When it comes to MW I think that it's destiny is to end up being part of a tea cosy - when ever I find suitable fabric to finish it with. (Some delicious purple would be good, I think.)

This is what we have after this week's dose of MW:

Do we see cows flying?!

Gah, I itch to stitch Alter Echo! Though I haven't touched it since... in two months, it seems, so it's understandable. Which leads to... I really think I need a rotation.

*thinks a bit*

So, my WIPs are:

1. Silhouettes (SAL)
2. Stitcher's Tools (SAL)
3. Alter Echo
4. Morning Wizard
5. Panda

And when we remember that I am exchange addicted more or less (though I try to reduce amount of exchanges in coming year) I need day or so for exchange items. Therefore... it seems to me that I've thing called weekly rotation in making.
So, lets see...

Monday: Morning Wizard
Tuesday: Silhouettes
Wednesday: Alter Echo
Thursday: exchange item
Friday: Small Needlebook
Saturday: Panda
Sunday: Panda

Panda has two days because it has a deadline, even it's only before Yule. Better sooner than later. (And when I've finished it I let myself begin with Ezmeralda's House.)

Da daa! Here we have something I only dreamed of before. Now we just have to see can I stay in it.

I'm so proud of myself, part 1.

I got this kit from Rósa, who was my sender in Fall Secret Pal Exchange (@ EMS BB). It's not finished yet, but this is what I have been doing last two days (Yes, I've abandoned DB again):

My first ever hardanger piece, my first ever lazy daisies (Coming soon to a blog near you! )... There's minor mistake, which is partly chart's fault, as outer cross stitch rows should have been done with Kreinik's #4 braid #002 (metallic gold), but as those stitches are different only in smaller chart I missed it because I use larger (and clearer) chart which has only one kind of cross stitches. Oh, well. It looks good anyway - and will look even better after I've finished it.

I've really been enjoying doing this one and I've already downloaded 'few' hardanger freebies from The Victoria Sampler's website. (I need... more... got... to.... resist.... )

Rósa, if I haven't said it yet (....just few tens of times...): you're an evil temptress.

I also noticed that I do need a magnifying glass sooner or later if I'm seriously going to get into hardanger. Or maybe it's just my problem with white fabrics, as it seems to me that I can't see threads in white fabrics well enough. I usually don't have any problems with coloured fabrics.

Screaming rotation.

It seems to me that I've a rotation, just very screaming based.

Odd thing as I haven't begun a rotation intentionally. I've only been considering it.