Time Warp

Made the HUGE mistake yesterday (while searching for a bit of trim cording in the attic boxes) of opening the box with my old journal books. All my "dear diaries" dating back to the late 80's. So what did I do? I sat down and started to read through them. As if LIVING through the damn stuff wasn't enough!?!? As if having a brain that often has "instant video replay" of the most awful events of my life isn't enough!?!?! There I sat, trapped in a time warp for over an hour. Then the wharping continued for the rest of the day, as I thought and re-thought each written entry, each event, each person, each place. Yes, yes there was some happy stuff in there, but it seems I never took much note of that while putting pen to paper. I am "glass-is-half-full" kinda girl and it seems the glass was filled with cobwebs and dust yesterday.

In the imortal words of the Monty Python crew......."Now for something completely different". In the lucid moments when I have been able to focus I have done quite a bit of stitching. I think I will fill up the remainder of this post with photos while the clouds clear from my brain.

Quaker style freebie from "Pieceworks" magazine website. Stitched with WDW "Bethlehem"

Barbara Ana Designs "Let It Snow" with the cording I've chosen to finish it with.

WIP "Tombstone Angel"

Freebie little bird from a French website. I finished him a while ago, but just got around to mounting him on the basket and adding trim.

Another Barbara Ana Design (I love her stuff!) nearing completion.

And for those of you who I pestered via e-mail in search of Blackbird Designs of a patriotic theme.....if I had just searched through my stash of magazines, I would have known I already had the perfect design right in front of my nose. "Summer Jubilee"/Just Cross-Stitch-August 2003.

I didn't have any of the Gentle Arts Sampler Threads called for in the chart but I found similar colors in my Valdani stash. Usually I use the DMC conversion to match up the colors, but there was no DMC conversion on this chart. So I had to go on-line and find the threads at an OLNS and print out the GAST color chart. Then the matching-up began. I've chosen a very easy-to-stitch 14 count denim Aida as the fabric. I've done quite a few little projects on linen lately and my eyeballs are spinning.

Ahh, now that feels better. An update, some photos and I feel a bit closer to the present-day me.