Homing dragons

Ladies, gentlemen, goats and lifeforms from another planets, let me to introduce you a herd of homing dragons!

Just BEAUTIFUL!

Now the RR just needs few beads and the framing stitches around the dragons and it's ready to be finished.

Tidbits:

• Design: Seasonal Dragons
• Designer: Sherrie Stepp-Aweau
• Fabric: hand-dyed (by me) 32 count Jobelan
• Special bits: a Round Robin. The stitching order for this was:
  • Spring (yellow): me
  • Summer (green): Christine
  • Fall (copper): Jenna
  • Winter (lilac): Leslie

Ladies, I want to thank you for making such a good work even you had to stitch on wrong direction (except Jenna, who cunningly found a way to stitch on her way, but achieve the result which looks like it is stitched on my way )!

I am working on the backstitching of the Winter dragon on Christine's piece and there may be a happy dance later this evening, so, stay tuned! (Unless I obey my insane thought to clean up the bedroom...)

I was bad...

...and paid the $8 to participate Pamela Kellogg's 2008 Valentine Mystery Stitch-A-Long - not that I have anything else to do...

Too Much Information and stitching a dragon

I wonder how antibiotic can make you fall asleep, even if there's tiredness in its side effect list - as tiredness differs from passing out if you ask from me. (So, it was a good thing that I had fever and was put on sick leave as if I had got the meds and gone to work I'd have passed out on the keyboard...)
Though it does feel different now, like the stuff had started to work already (my sinuses feel different and something actually comes out when I blow my nose).

In addition to sleeping and eating like a horse (as for some odd reason I am menstruating AGAIN... TMI: either it is about the fact that I got sick in the middle of the bleeding week or then the extra cortisone messed my cycle completely and caused a 17 days cycle) I have been, surprise, surprise, stitching Winter Dragon.
It seems to me that being sick is a good incentive for stitching dragons as I stitched Fall when I was sick, too...

At this point it only lacks backstitching. ^^

Trusty sidekicks i.e. stitching with cats

Cats have, as usual, enjoyed my sickness and idled/ stitched with me...

 
 

The picture on left at the lower row is one of those which reveal Neko's true self™: little, cuddly, kitty who needs his mommy. (When the guys were young (Neko, Seiichi and their late brother) they used to sleep like that a lot.)

Virtual RR #1: Theme

Well, I went crazy while browsing my oh-so-small () collection of magazines and decided to chose one design which I have wanted to stitch since I saw it for the first time.

Let me introduce you Amy Adamses Flashes of Gold (Cross Stitch Collection, issue 134).

 
(As usual click for a better view.)

My choice is only one design, but I will divide the thing to nine parts, each part will be approximately 93 x 66 stitches (I will provide "pieced" and numbered image later).

Because this design uses Anchor colours (I'm too lazy to do the conversion ) and Kreiniks I can't start before middle of November because I need to get my finances back to even some kind of balance before stash shopping.
I also need to buy some dye and dye the fabric for this. (I may have enough white Jobelan, but not suitable dye... )

And yes, I do know that those black spots look a bit odd, but kois are like that.

(Cross posted to Solarium Sublime.)

Virtual RR#1

Sometimes you get the best of ideas when you are in fever delirium... like this one:

"Solarium Sublime's Virtual RR!
Brought to you by the brainstorm of Succubus. (Editor's note: Which is me, as many of you know.)

Many stitchers have been hesitant to participate in RRs due to concerns about many issues- ranging from the piece disappearing (mail service, participants quitting, etc) to objections over quality of stitching or the themes/designs chosen.

The solution - a Virtual Round Robin!

• You pick the theme. (Your theme could be, for example TW corner motifs/ borders/ etc., Châtelaine borders/tiles/etc. or something along such lines)
• You introduce your theme and list of acceptable designs (most likely ones you already have, or seek an excuse to purchase ;) ) It is best if they come from the same designer, or have a similar style, though blending 2 or 3 is possible.
• Every two months or so, the next person in the RR will choose the next part for you. The moderators will be assigning the RR participant rotation order when the sign-up period closes.

If this sounds like fun, sign up in the current Virtual RR, and then post a new topic on that board introducing your theme, stitching parameters, motifs and so on.

Welcome, and Enjoy!

If you have any questions, please ask.

The thread.

Solarium Sublime has a focus on artisanry in needlework and may sound that we are bunch of toffee noses, but we aren't. Really.
If you strive to improve your skills and have a knack for analyzing your art pop by, read this thread and join the fun.

We are no many yet, but I can say that we have a cozy atmosphere at Solarium, the coffee is always hot, comfy chairs are really cozy and the discussion is great. ^^

Happydancing dragon and on Round Robins

What do I do when I am having a fever, my joints kill me and I need to blow my nose every ten minutes? Watch movies with comment track on and stitch dragons.

(Fear not Jenna, I have cleaned my hands with fresh-up towels before getting back to stitching! *grin*)

1. I absolutely adore the colours, but I am not fan of the fact that due constant colour changes with cotton+filament mix the back does not look too nice. But then, no one won't look in the back (except Christine, who gets this next, and Jenna).

2. Spite of loving stitching on black the backstitching phase was rather difficult as 3371 just doesn't contrast with black that well (aren't we surprised?!). Nevertheless, I managed it too, and as said these draggies look gorgeous on black.

Based on two previous dragons and the chart of fourth I have to say that Autumn Fall probably is the most difficult of these. At least it takes more time than the previous dragons did.

(Cross posted to Solarium Sublime.)

On Round Robins

While stitching on Jenna's piece I was thinking of round robins and I think that Teresa Wenztler themed RR would be nice to participate to. I have seen some RRs which consist from different borders of designs of TW and they look great.

One of the advantages of such RR would be the fact that it had to be stitched on plainweave so no aida stitching there, and, people who stitch TWs are usually rather skilled stitchers which would lessen the worry over the quality of work on the piece.

Though I have also played with the idea of having RR consisting of Dragon Dreams' Elemental Dragons.

Shawl

My mother kind of promised to knit me a shawl in December because since my asthma broke down my outer body temperature has been incredibly low. This means that I have, for example, used my winter clothes since beginning of September (it still is ~+16 °C during days) because it has been so cold...

Anyway, I promised to provide my mother a link if I find some shawl pattern I'd like, and latest Knitty had it: Muir.

And I have to get these! And THIS!

Things that disturb the disturbed

Part gazillion and one.

I had a dream about one of my course mates... it was nothing drastic, in general at one phase of one dream he wrapped his arms around me after I fell asleep (in the dream - silly really: one sleeps in a dream), but it disturbs me for some reason. Maybe because it felt good and he is so *not* my type. Maybe because I actually have a reason (or rather reasons) to believe that he has a thing for me, a thing called crush.

Which is very understandable, noticing how absolutely adorable I am...

Nevertheless, it's very confusing (Finnish men just do not usually have a thing for me, unless they are unhappily married or otherwise desperately lonely - which kind of explains why I haven't been on too many dates (read: none) with men of Finnish origin last three years).

Asthma, pumpkin pies and dragons

Shocking as you find it I am still alive. *grin*
I have come to conclusion that even I have learnt to live with the respiratory impairment I am actually getting worse every day before I get my cortisone... Which is either in Wednesday (because I don't have any money on me (once again only our beloved Lady has it *grin*)) or tomorrow if local social services actually have smart enough employees to know that asthma and allergies are chronic diseases... As I know that they only give "billing contracts" for expensive and continuous medication. My medication applies to both: Firstly I need the cortisone and my allergy meds daily, secondly the cortisone I have been prescribed (that was one of the cheap ones!) will be ~46 €/ 25 days with the reimbursement from SII, add my new bronchodilator and allergy meds to the mix and sooner or later we have a HUGE bill.
And in case I take whole three months, which is the maximum you can get any prescription medication from the pharmacy, the bill will be insane.

I am just like any other cranky granny: I come from the pharmacy with a huge bill and a full plastic bag. (I'm kind of getting my mother's complaints about the price of asthma medication etc. SO much better nowadays... fortunately I get all my medical expenses reimbursed for the time being.)

Mmm... pie...

I have always loved the stuff as only pumpkin pie I have ever tasted has been made according to my mother's ye good ole recipe, but... what makes me wonder is that now, when she tried acclaimedly American (U.S.A.'an) recipe the filling is not as good as it was in past with ye good ole recipe.
So, either this acclaimedly Real Thing is directed for very spice-o-phobic people or I am a misguided soul as in my opinion The Real Thing has good amount of spices as they are the soul of a great pumpkin pie. The Real Thing is what my mother used to make when I was a kid, that one with loads of all the yummy spices.

But then, I am a spice addict. Only good gingerbreads are also made according to the recipe my mother has always used, that one which has loads of spices and not too much sugar.

Still... a spiceless pumpkin pie is always better than no pumpkin pie. (And there's nothing better than a rice flour pie crust, yum!)

Fall

Spite of the migraine I have had since Wednesday I have been merrily stitching Autumn Fall Dragon on Jenna's RR and I actually found it quite hilarious that I, like Jenna, enjoy stitching on black during a migraine attack. (Great minds etc. *grin*)

It's not done yet, but I have to say that spite the slowness of my progress I have thoroughly enjoyed stitching this so far (Though, admittedly black floss with black blending filament on black evenweave kind of got me, but fortunately there wasn't too many stitches with that combo and I love the effect) and at the moment this is my absolute favourite of all the four as it really symbolises the season it represents - and it looks gorgeous on black.

WIP: Autumn Dragon for Jenna

Excluding few stitches on the horns this is all stitched in the afternoon - and as I am having a day off in Monday (officially it is a independent study day, but the thing we have to do won't take me more than 30 minutes (it's always like that with ISDs which is a bummer as it's not very challenging (most fun (it also took longest) was to make production plan for a theatre production (4h and I heard from more experienced that I should become a producer *grin*)), but I like the day off) I am quite sure I get this stitched and sent to Christine on time.

In general I love how this is turning out as the shades of copper, mahogany and golden brown look so vibrant and fiery on the black fabric.

Stash

Maybe I should say "Heather made me do it!" as I went and purchased the Paradise of the Tiger (and one bag of stamp quilt pieces (400 pieces $5, could you resist?) - not that I quilt, but just in case (actually I have done two basic quilts during my life (I even hand-dyed the fabrics for the other one (which was/is my own design))) after reading her article in INN as I thought that even this month will be financially tighter because of it at least I have it now (taking that USPS won't lose it...).

One more "What if?"

I think I have to suggest to the GP I'm seeing next that I may have developed asthma related sleep apnea.

I have begun to wake up at night to the sense of asphyxiation (I have had few of these attacks before I got the medication so it's not caused by salbutamol). I'm not sure did I pass out (not doze off, pass out) last night right after I had woke up, but I remember waking up gasping for air... but that is only thing I remember, it went black after that.

It's either sleep apnea making me stop breathing occasionally or I am having serious asthma attacks when I sleep (for some odd reason)... (Hmmm... how about nocturnal asthma? The thing is that when I take Ventoline just before I go to bed I don't wake up gasping for air...)

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. ^^

Preparez la vache!

At one point Summer Dragon looked like a cow... though I think that now it looks more like a dragon.

This is Leslie's piece and it should be ready to be mailed out at July 1st.

I had this odd hallucination that I could sit on my futon and stitch this during the weekend, but I think that my futon will be ready to be assembled Sunday at earliest... taking that I have enough paint (I have used almost two cans (out of three) and I still haven't painted most of the big planks... note that one can should have enough paint to cover 5-6 square meters... maybe, but it's not anywhere sufficient estimation for dry wood - or maybe pine (being soft and all) just absorbs better than other wood types).

Bad things... and good ones

As it goes, one reason to worry is never enough... I noticed in the morning that Ronja's left ear is not erect as it should be and took closer look at it: her ear lobe is swollen due infection caused by a scratch.
Next thing to do was to call my mother could she afford to loan me some to get Her Highness to the vet. Right after that I called the vet, and they advised that if I just can do it myself it probably heals with Betadine treatment.
So, off to pharmacy I went and now I am hoping for the best... As Ronja is a cat who has been bitten by a rat (pet rat though), actually said rat bite piece off from her ear (now that taught her to stay away from their cage ), with no further problems is all the sudden so fragile that minor scratch causes inflammation.

And then there's Neko who is old and stiff and spends his days by mostly sleeping... Even Seiichi seems to be slightly worried about his little brother.

FedEx
They actually made it five hours before estimated delivery time. And... loads of House, M.D.!

It may be good for Mr. Wonderful that he is on the other side of this globe, otherwise I'd have probably squeezed him to bits. (You see, I love mr. House - for many reasons, sentimental value added.)

More goodies

I was the winner of Mystery Blogger Challenge at The Robin's Nest and the prize was waiting for me in my mail box today (accompanied with Leslie's RR - her fabric is beautiful, it will be joy to stitch on)... Ready, set, drool!

I don't usually win anything so it makes this even better!

In need of free stash?

One Star's Light Needlework Supplies and Periphaeria Designs are having a Designer Treasure Hunt from today until noon EST Wednesday, April 25, 2007. By answering correctly to five questions you may win some lovely new stash so don't hesitate, click this link right now!

Happy dancing

My Monochromatic Exchange piece is now stitched, so it's time for little booty shaking.
It came out beautifully even it's stitched with a colour I don't generally care that much for, but it falls under my partner's preferences - and, it does look good on that pale green hand-dyed linen. I will finish it later, as its send-out is almost a month away still.

And anyway it will be completely another story as I have never done stitcher's toy like that before.

Other stitchy things

Spring Dragon headed to Canada yesterday and my Mystery Exchange parcel headed to $DESTINATION, so at the moment I don't have that much obligation stitching to do, which is good.
Though I have thing or dozen I should start...

Happy Dancing Dragon

Migraine hasn't left the building and I haven't got that fourth model finished (though I have added instructions to my current models - I should just send them out to Jenna), but... Do you happen know what this is?

There are gaps, I know. Those are for beads, which will be added when dragons return home in the end of this year. After that my plan is to stitch simple border around every dragon with some metallic and finish them either as bell pull with loads fancy beads all around or then I will go with framing.
I know there's not hat much fabric around the edges, but you can always cheat and sew some scrap fabric around the edges.

Otherwise... 3837 is bit too close to the fabric's colour, but in general I am quite pleased with how Spring turned out - even it is yellow.
Honestly speaking: these will look about bazillion times better in person dragon than in that preview picture.

Life, stitching and everything...

I have not finished assembling that fourth model yet (it's about 60% finished though), reason being that I have had hormone induced migraine last two-or-so days and I just can't concentrate when my head is about to explode.
So, I have stitched little something (which I can't share yet), watched two seasons of Babylon 5 (again!), stuffed cats with roasted lamb (they love lamb (as you can deduce from previous entry) - apparently it's the strong aroma (can't blame them, that's why I like it)) and felt generally blue (though I am not going to complain: my cycle is and remains normal without any excess hormones. If two blue days per month is the price... who gives a damn when you can actually have some hope of being able to conceive some day without any treatments?).

Anyway, today has been rather good day, and I decided to give myself day off to get rid of this migraine completely. Day off meant: redesigning (and adding some new pages - and still I forgot the Exclusive Designs part!) part of Periphaeria's site (added flashy favicon too) and some stitching.

Spring has very captivating eyes, don't you think?

Puff, the Magic Blob and SBQ

As promised, picture of an actual piece of stitching! (I don't have those much nowadays, so this is up just to shock you.)

This is where I got bored. Why? Think of yellow.
I seem to have less issues with it if it comes with its contrasting colour, which is, of course, purple, but still it drives me mad.

Anyway, it is time for this week's

Stitching Bloggers' Question

which was suggested by Cindy and is:

Do you have a system for organizing freebie charts in your stash? If so, what is it? Do you print out copies of all of the freebies that you find on the web (that you think you might actually stitch) or do you maintain electronic copies of them until you are ready to stitch them?

As I don't own a printer I never print my freebies out... anyway, I store them all in hard drive categorized by either theme or designer (and keep a backup on CD(s)).
Back in old times I used to hoard every single freebie, but nowadays I download only ones which I actually find aesthetically pleasing and which I could stitch for someone or myself.

It's a dragon!

Honestly, it is... or at least it will be.

I have officially started my RR stitching.
When I first looked at this chart my reaction was Oh my G-d, am I completely crazy?! Or if I am not crazy now I will surely be when this RR is over...
The reason being that these dragons contain full stitches and full stitch blends, half stitches and half stitch blends, blended backstitching and beads. But then, I love stitching this (based on Spring) because these keep my brains active.

And as you can see that fabric has changed its shade: I decided to give it a decent temperature shock yesterday and cooked it (as I probably want to wash it when it gets back home from its world tour) to get all the excess dye out of it.
I am not quite sure am I happy with its current shade, but then, I wouldn't be happy with the fabric bleeding when I wash it upon its arrival. And on the other hand I'm quite sure this lighter shade of purple is better base for the dragons.

In general it has been very unproductive day: I overslept (this epicutane thingy makes me tired even I am nowhere as close to that wreck I was last time) and have been drowsy whole day. Though I managed to wipe kitchen floor and make few (rather good) sketches. On which I could actually work on a bit, and then try to get some sleep - but I know how it is... I will sleep from two to three hours in coming night. I seem to do that every time when I have to go to Skin and Allergy Hospital in the morning...

I am...

...stupid, stupid, stupid!
I have ordered all the other blending filaments except 024 which I need like today... or at least soon (I need it for Spring dragon and its mail-out is 15th of April).

You know what this means/ meant? Yes, I had to *gasp* have some S.E.X. *gasp* at Sewandso! (Isn't that just too cruel?)

Boo.

Wednesday was day for gifts, so even I did have a happy dance and even I got half of something else done I couldn't show you any pictures, and yesterday... I didn't feel very productive. But I have been working on a model, which I am intending to finish before 1st of March. I just find the floss I am stitching it with as major PITA and it slows me down. Another half is finished, but I prefer to show the finished version so you have to wait until it's done. When ever it is done.

Seasonal Dragons RR

There is some progress in RR front. We have formed the final quartet - myself, Leslie, Jenna and Christine - set the dates and took care of all the practical issues. First mailing date is April 15th, so I'll add one dragon to my next month's goals.

But now, back to stitching and watching B5 (if any of you have any extra Marcus Coles hanging around please send one to me ).

Ooops....

Guess who just spent 70€ at Sewandso?

I had to order the beads, filaments and such for the Seasonal Dragons RR as we are planning to have the first mailing date in April and I have to still dye my fabric and confirm the layout.
February will be very tight month money wise because of this one.

I also bought three different dyes and the fabric (32 count Jobelan - it was cheap, you know), so we will see will I go completely crazy and dye tricoloured fabric for the dragons. (And of course I had to buy some (*cough*ten*cough*) skeins of white Venus, just to make sure that I can use all the dye effectively.

Bad, bad me.

Dragons, robins, biscornu and new stash

Renée announced that she's setting up new Round Robins in coming year (at The Robin's Nest), and it seems that we might actually have all Seasonal Dragons RR, as there's four of us who are interested of having RR with that particular design.

And I think I've found a fabric for it. Ares by Sugar Maple Fabrics. What do you think?

            

I'd love to have these stitched in a horizontal row, but I can't think of any logical order where they'd look good. I think I've to settle with vertical layout (Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn).

There's also one problem. I need to figure out how to do the name+country part because, no matter how mean I am, I don't want them to be attached to the dragons (though little monogram from stitcher of that particular square would look great in about right lower corner).
As we see, I've decided that it'll happen... *grin*

Biscornu

This is the secret over one project I had:

      

As you can see from my comparison it's humongous (Nokia's 3100 is not a big phone (Yes, it really is pink)), about 5x5 cm/ 2''x2'', stitched on hand-dyed (by me) 28 count opalescent Lugana with Love and Laughter Dragon Floss by Polstitches Designs.
And it lives happily with Jenna nowadays. (And thank you for Rósa who kindly provided me Jenna's address so I was able to send her birthday gift on time.)

Stash!

"...Santa Claus is coming to town..." *humming*

Here's my haul from Jayne's Attic. (A Quaker Gameboard is in BO, but it'll follow.)

(I've become a complete picture ho. )

*drools all over*

Ermh... Those skinny skeins are Rajmahal Art Silks (#25 and #115), and let me tell you they are smooth. (I can't stop fondling them...) Other ones are from Carrie's Creations: Fantasm, Shockwave, Tie Dye, Verde (which "surprisingly" happens to be green), Wildfire, Autumn, Aubergine (Limited Edition) and Bittersweet.
When it comes to fabrics they're both 9''x12'' cuts of 32 count hand-dyed Jobelan from Polstitches Designs: Cheerful Cherry and Warm Embers (which would make wonderful needleroll, if you ask from me).