U2, SBQ, Goals and a Lack of Stitching...

Well finally here are the promised U2 pictures from the concert in Ottawa on November 25th. These were taken with a regular camera (aka one with film) by one of the ladies I met up with from work at the show. I wish I had the forethought to grab my digital camera that morning before I left for work, but then I also had no idea they were letting them in!












Now onto the more mundane...

This week's SBQ which I'm late in answering (of course it helps if you're home to use the computer which I haven't been this week!).

Q : Do you have rules in the way you stitch? (i.e., Do you start in the middle? Do you determine which blocks to stitch first? Do you always start from the top or the bottom? Do you have special paths to prevent wasting thread?)

A : Yes I do have rules when I stitch, or preferences if you'd like to call them. Actually they're probably my OCD tendencies showing through.

First I always like to start at the top left corner of a project... if there's an obvious one. If there's not a top left I'll start at any other obvious corner of the design. To do this I figure out (or I know because I cut it) how much extra fabric I have I measure in from that corner and down that amount I've allowed for extra on all sides. I like to give myself 4 inches all around. Once you measure in and down that amount... you have your starting point! Easy as that. If the piece doesn't have an obvious edge I'll start in the center.

Now how do I determine what I stitch first, that depends. If the piece has an obvious border, like many Teresa Wentzler designs do I stitch that entire border first before I allow myself to get to the main image of the design. If there's no border I start with the first colour at that corner or centre point. I like to stitch as much with that colour as possible, or even do all the stitches in that colour if I can without having to count too far away from the stitches I've put in. Then I move onto the next symbol/colour that was right next to that first stitch I put in and so on. For some larger designs I will stitch one page at a time working in the same fashion as above using one colour at a time. Or, with the current piece I'm working on where there are obvious parts I'll stitch one element at a time. With the stocking I stitched the top/cuff first, then the fireplace and gifts, next was the tree, and finally the dragon.

As I stitch I like to be able to celebrate landmarks. Such as completely finishing with a paticular colour, page, or section.

Now since its December its time for those monthly stitching goals!!!

November Re-Cap

Midi Mystery part 5 - Yes
Work on Dragon By The Fireside Stocking - Yes, Lots of Progress
Stitch one ornament - I actually did two!

December Goals

Finish Midi Mystery 1
Finish Dragon By the fireside Stocking
Stitch one ornament
Decide on What to Stitch over the Christmas Holidays

Perhaps you fellow stitchers can help me decide what to work on while I'm off of work for two weeks for Christmas (this is an important decision of course!). Do I pick Noah's Submarine back up? Do I work on Celtic Banner which I barely started two years ago and I've worked on it for two New Year's Days in a row? Or do I start something new that I could stitch in two weeks?

Now as for this week I've not made a lot of progress on the stocking, a little filling in on the dragon. But as of this point I've not stitched since Tuesday. Which is odd for me. For the last three evenings its been late when I've gotten home. I normally stitch during my lunch hour but I haven't been doing that either. I think after all I got done last week I needed a break, of course I'm on a tight deadline now, there's three weeks until Christmas.

This weekend I'm hoping to finish Midi Mystery 1, we got part 6 on Thursday.