New Stitching Year Begins!

How can I continue to be so wrong.  I really do have good intentions but I seem to be having trouble following through with those intentions.  Recent example - I had every intention of posting about dropping my items off for Fair judging.  I even went so far as to put pictures on as a draft and took my iPad on vacation with me to write my post and publish it.  Know what happened?  Yep, you guessed it vacation was so busy and returning from vacation was so busy that here I am a week returned and am just now going to write the dropping off my Fair entries post and set my stitching goals for the next year.  The Fair has actually started and I've been to the pre-opening reception to get my results and take a few photos (yet to be downloaded on my computer). 

STITCHING

I had 7 tags to enter items this  year and as you can see my projects were all pretty small ones this year.  I have a couple of Prairie Schooler pieces, a couple of advent SAL pieces from iStitch, one Primitive Hare piece, one piece by Blackbird Designs and the last piece I stitched so long ago I have not a clue who designed it.  BTW I don't think it will win anything.

Here I am dropping off my pieces and that is a friend, Laura N. who volunteers checking items in and releasing them when the Fair is over.

You can see Keith is watching the whole process very carefully.  Bill is the official photographer today.

Here Laura is verifying from the competition rules catalog that the information on my tags and my registration slip is correct.  Results in a future post.

STITCHING GOALS

Unlike many of you who set your goals for the stitching year the first of January I set my goals starting the day I drop off my items to the Fair for judging.  It is when I start thinking about projects I want to enter for the next year and as you all know you just don't get them stitched over night.  Let's not forget we have to add in time for framing (and the saving of money for framing).

I've had the question asked of me on more than one occasion why I enter my items in the Fair and subject myself to the criticism of the Judge.  

The main reason is the items I enter I actually keep for myself.  If it is something I want stitched to hang on my wall,  I better stitch it as entry or it will end up in someone else's home.

A second reason - If a non-stitcher is so taken with a piece I have entered and it results in them taking up the hobby of stitching so they can have it for themselves, it is a plus for the stitching industry.

A third reason - I take the Judge's criticism as "constructive criticism".  While I know some of the comments are based purely on personal taste (framing choice as I want it to look good in my home),  my stitching has improved over the years by taking some of their comments and working on a particular skill.

I've picked out three projects for the 2016 Fair so far.  Again, these are pieces I want to display in my home so will be entries.  

The first project should go into the Verse or Motto (under 15") category.  I will know for sure once it is stitched and stretched for framing.  This is a Lizzie Kate design I've wanted to stitch for quite some time called At Our House.  

I'm using the colors included in the kit.  I started stitching it before we left on vacation on what I thought was 40 count fabric.

I was wondering why it was seeming so tedious to stitch - ah, I looked at the tag and am actually stitching on 45 count.  Those 2 little numbers explain it all.  I got into a good stitching rhythm last night and you can see in 2 hours time I did move along quite a bit.  I am stitching this up on Lakeside Linen Vintage Light Exemplar.  It is looking good.

CAMERA UPGRADE

Well I finally did it.  I spent the money on a camera upgrade and have now gone from a point and shoot model to a DSLR.  It actually took me 3 days to find the time to take the camera out of the box. Here are a few test shots I did take.  I am pleased with the clarity of the photos.  I like the one I took of the clock where it blurs the items in the background making the clock the focus.

At this point it is "too much" camera for me.  I have downloaded the PDF instruction manual so hopefully with a bit of reading I will become more proficient with the camera.  Luckily I bought it from a local camera specialty store and they are great to answer any questions.  I also checked and they have classes about every quarter to learn to use your camera.  I missed this quarters classes while on vacation but another is scheduled for October.  I better get my name on the list pronto as I don't want to miss it.

CAR SHOWS

As always, summer is filled with car shows for the Camaro.  You never know who you are going to run into at one of these.  It appears the cast of Star Wars was at this one.  The shows are always family oriented so is a great way to sit and relax for a few hours with friends who are also showing their cars.

FUN WITH FRIENDS

My friend, Launa had a birthday recently and one of the women in this picture (who shall remain anonymous) thought it would be fun to use the frosting to block out our teeth for the photo.  You just never know what is going to happen when this group gets together but you can be sure there will be tons of laughter.

L to R Adelle, me, Launa & Mary Ellen

SEWING

On a recent stop at the hobby shop Keith spied this piece of St. Louis Cardinal's baseball fabric.  Of course, based on the clerk's answer to the width of fabric I bought a yard to make 2 pillowcases.  Too bad her answer was not correct.  Did I mention Keith thought he would just expire if I did not have them sewn together by the end of the day and I promised it would be done by the time he got home that day.  I realized the error of fabric sizes when I started cutting them out 2 hours before he was due home.  No time to go and purchase more fabric so used a bit of creativity, a bit of sewing, pinning, ironing and from the looks of the last photo when he got his pillowcases - it was just what he wanted! 

Time for date night is rapidly approaching so off I go.  With any luck you will get to see some vacation photos and stitching results in a couple of days!  Ta!