I have to admit that the last couple of weeks I have been feeling extremely guilty about not doing the charity crafting that I normally do. I have a habit of putting everyone else first and in the last two weeks I have sat back and thought about me first for a change.
It's hard to believe but I have hardly crocheted at all over this time but have enjoyed cross-stitching and seeing progress on the various projects that I have on the go. I have put a list together of all my cross-stitch kits and the list is extremely long. I have been going to the Creative Festival every year and over the last few years acquired a large number of class kits. My list doesn't just include the festival kits thank goodness as the list is currently over kits to complete, most of them at least started, but it is over 50 projects and still haven't finished writing them all up.
Now maybe everyone will understand why I am taking some time to myself as I need to put a bit of a dent in this collection. My cross-stitch is something that I haven't done a lot of in the last couple of years due to other reasons but am happy that I have re-found the love that I have for it.
Sitting back and thinking through everything that I work on both craft wise as well as professionally is helping me regain a focus that I have lost. Now to continue on this process and hopefully see what I can do in the next few days.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Name tag and other items
I have been working on getting my name tag ready for the retreat at the end of the month and am happy to say that I need about two more hours and then it will be ready for me to wear. I am excited about posting a picture but that will happen after the retreat so that no one sees it before.
I have been working on a couple of other cross-stitches as well since I last posted. I have finished a biscornu and scissor fob that my mom asked me to stitch for her. The biscornu was a free pattern on line (will post link when I find it again) and then the scissor fob I used part of the biscornu pattern to make it.
The other cross-stitch that I have been working on is First Dragon Encounter by Dragon Dreams and I am happy to say that I am just about finished this cross-stitch as well. I started this one in October 2008 at the CreativFestival and then put it away and didn't complete it. I am now working on getting a few of my kits completed instead of just adding to the collection that I have. I made a list of all the kits that I have and well it's going to be quite a while before I can complete all of the kits.
The rest of life has been busy as well so now to finish up the work on my desk so that I can spend my evening cross-stitching and maybe finishing First Dragon Encounter and starting the cross-stitch I want to work on at retreat. Yes I am busy but loving it at the same time.
I have been working on a couple of other cross-stitches as well since I last posted. I have finished a biscornu and scissor fob that my mom asked me to stitch for her. The biscornu was a free pattern on line (will post link when I find it again) and then the scissor fob I used part of the biscornu pattern to make it.
The other cross-stitch that I have been working on is First Dragon Encounter by Dragon Dreams and I am happy to say that I am just about finished this cross-stitch as well. I started this one in October 2008 at the CreativFestival and then put it away and didn't complete it. I am now working on getting a few of my kits completed instead of just adding to the collection that I have. I made a list of all the kits that I have and well it's going to be quite a while before I can complete all of the kits.
The rest of life has been busy as well so now to finish up the work on my desk so that I can spend my evening cross-stitching and maybe finishing First Dragon Encounter and starting the cross-stitch I want to work on at retreat. Yes I am busy but loving it at the same time.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Name tag progress
I haven't posted much as I have been busy designing and stitching my name tag for the retreat at the end of April. Well I think all the stitching on the front is now done so am feeling pretty good about that. I wanted it done by Easter so am ahead of schedule. Now I just need to work on getting the rest of the name tag figured out and then I can put it together and finished ahead of time.
I have also been getting some other crafting done and am very happy that now I have a contact so that I can make some lapghans for the veterans. I am still hoping that I will be able to get lapghans to injured Canadian soldiers but having problems with that project but I haven't given up.
As I said I am not going to post a picture of my name tag until after the retreat but am happy that I can now focus on some of the other things that need my attention.
I have also been getting some other crafting done and am very happy that now I have a contact so that I can make some lapghans for the veterans. I am still hoping that I will be able to get lapghans to injured Canadian soldiers but having problems with that project but I haven't given up.
As I said I am not going to post a picture of my name tag until after the retreat but am happy that I can now focus on some of the other things that need my attention.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Crafting and trying to relax
Things have been a little crazy around here lately and I have to admit that I haven't had a lot of chances to lose myself in my crafts. Last week I was able to cross-stitch for 7 hours which made me feel really great. I am finally starting to see some progress on a number of my unfinished projects. I know I still have a long way to go to make a good dent but at least this is a start.
My one big challenge that I am working on right now is designing a name tag for a cross-stitch retreat that I will be attending at the end of April. The only guidelines we got were that our first name had to be on it and it was to be no longer that 3"x4". Ok so that means I have blank piece of canvas and way too many ideas in my head. A number of the ideas that I have are thanks to my husband who kept coming up with more and more ideas and finally I had to tell him to stop thinking of more ideas because I need to start stitching the piece. I haven't finished the entire design of the piece but have started to stitch it. I am not going to post any pictures here until after I go to retreat because there is a contest for the best name tag and I don't want to give away any ideas.
I am keeping track of all the different flosses that I use for the name tag and am going to write up the entire pattern once it's finished. So now to make sure it's finished and ready to wear by April 30th. The retreat is through Gitta's www.gittas.com which is my local cross-stitch store.
Until the retreat I have a lot of projects that I want to finish so now need to sit and actually work on things instead of just sitting and thinking of all the projects that need my attention.
It's Wednesday and I think I am going to try and cross-stitch some this evening to continue to make a dent in one of my many, many, many projects.
My one big challenge that I am working on right now is designing a name tag for a cross-stitch retreat that I will be attending at the end of April. The only guidelines we got were that our first name had to be on it and it was to be no longer that 3"x4". Ok so that means I have blank piece of canvas and way too many ideas in my head. A number of the ideas that I have are thanks to my husband who kept coming up with more and more ideas and finally I had to tell him to stop thinking of more ideas because I need to start stitching the piece. I haven't finished the entire design of the piece but have started to stitch it. I am not going to post any pictures here until after I go to retreat because there is a contest for the best name tag and I don't want to give away any ideas.
I am keeping track of all the different flosses that I use for the name tag and am going to write up the entire pattern once it's finished. So now to make sure it's finished and ready to wear by April 30th. The retreat is through Gitta's www.gittas.com which is my local cross-stitch store.
Until the retreat I have a lot of projects that I want to finish so now need to sit and actually work on things instead of just sitting and thinking of all the projects that need my attention.
It's Wednesday and I think I am going to try and cross-stitch some this evening to continue to make a dent in one of my many, many, many projects.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Post Olympics Update
The Olympics are now over and I can get back to doing things according to the routine I had prior to the Olympics starting. Yes like a lot of crafters I have sent a great deal of time in front of the TV watching the Olympics but also getting some crafts done.
I kept track of everything that I finished during the Olympics are now here it is:
Off to work on other things.
I kept track of everything that I finished during the Olympics are now here it is:
- 30 soap savers sewn together
- lapghan crocheted
- 4 scarves finished - ends sewn in
- 1 hat sewn together
- small baby blanket 17"x 12"
- worked on baby afghan and got it 3/4 done and it should be finished within the next couple of days.
- multi-colour lapghan - started joining the squares together and got it just over half completed.
Off to work on other things.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Crafting and Olympics
The next couple of weeks is going to be interesting for crafters who also enjoy watching sports.
My goal over the next two weeks is to try and finish some of my unfinished projects while watching the Olympics. I had though about doing one of the crafting Olympic challenges but decided that I was going to work on finishing my projects instead.
What I need to do today before the Olympics official start is to organize the projects that I want to work on and get them ready. I think I am going to try and track all the different projects that I finish between now and when the Olympic flame goes out.
Now to get started working on getting all my stuff ready so that I can enjoy the Olympics without having to search for projects.
My goal over the next two weeks is to try and finish some of my unfinished projects while watching the Olympics. I had though about doing one of the crafting Olympic challenges but decided that I was going to work on finishing my projects instead.
What I need to do today before the Olympics official start is to organize the projects that I want to work on and get them ready. I think I am going to try and track all the different projects that I finish between now and when the Olympic flame goes out.
Now to get started working on getting all my stuff ready so that I can enjoy the Olympics without having to search for projects.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Crafting for charity
Today I had a day to think about why I craft for charities and what makes me happy doing what I do. Sometimes others may try and impose their wishes or desires/demands on you but if you stick to what is important to you and what makes you happy then you are doing what is right.
Sometimes I sit back and feel that I am not doing enough charity work but then I realize that I am only one person and have other obligations that need to be met on a daily/weekly time frame. I wish I could spend all my time crafting but that isn't possible as I need to still make an income otherwise I can't craft at all. I also have family demands that are important to me and then I also need time for myself so that I can do things that make me happy for myself.
Crafting for a charity sometimes seems to take over a great deal of time but it is very important that once it becomes a job that you step back and rethink what you are doing. You are only one person and can only do so much and no one should expect any more than that from you. Some people may think that you are not doing enough but always remember that if you are happy with what you are contributing that is what is important.
Off now to take some time to do what is important to me and that is for tonight doing something for myself.
Sometimes I sit back and feel that I am not doing enough charity work but then I realize that I am only one person and have other obligations that need to be met on a daily/weekly time frame. I wish I could spend all my time crafting but that isn't possible as I need to still make an income otherwise I can't craft at all. I also have family demands that are important to me and then I also need time for myself so that I can do things that make me happy for myself.
Crafting for a charity sometimes seems to take over a great deal of time but it is very important that once it becomes a job that you step back and rethink what you are doing. You are only one person and can only do so much and no one should expect any more than that from you. Some people may think that you are not doing enough but always remember that if you are happy with what you are contributing that is what is important.
Off now to take some time to do what is important to me and that is for tonight doing something for myself.
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