Here's the latest finished project, it only took 60 hours, which is a lot faster than usual.

The white material is glow in the dark embroidery floss, and sewing thread. I'm still trying to photograph that well, so it's visible. (I think it has something to do with exposure settings, but I'm not that good at this stuff)

Okay, here's more of my trying to blog more regularly.
This is the most recent finished project. I'll have pictures of the next one in a few days.

This one is worked over wire, like the last one. The stitches are buttonhole, chain, french knots and woven picots around the center.

The back is worked in detached buttonhole with stem stitch worked on top. Also the base is edged in detached buttonhole. My next one will be more finished looking, if I can figure it out.
And the back of the small petals was a lot of fun to work. I picked up some of the gold silk twist, that they're using on the Plimoth Plantation project. And added some delicas to make the little flowers.

Until next time...Happy creating!

Long time no post....
"Let me 'splain... No, there's too much. Let me sum up."

The reason for the break in posts, from last year, is that we moved. I no longer have the craft area that I had at the old apartment. But I'm still crafting. It's been an interesting year, and I'm now able to get out, and have been going to the local library (it's a 5 minute walk) to work on my embroidery.

This is some of what I've been working on...



This is worked in buttonhole stitch, detached buttonhole, woven picots, french knots, couching, lots of split stitch, and seed stitch.

Here's a close up of the split stitch petals and pearls.



You can also see the medium sized petals, that I worked in couching and seed stitch. I wanted to thank Mary Corbet for reminding me about seed stitch. It's a useful filling stitch.

Here's the back...


yup, all the backs are worked in detached buttonhole. I think it makes for a better look when the backs are embroidered as well as the fronts.

I'll be posting more frequently now that I've been able to get the pictures uploaded from my camera.

Happy crafting, you all.

Moving the desk to the front was a good idea. I'm able to fit a rug (just picked it up Saturday at IKEA) and the round worktable back there. It's starting to look a lot better. The unfinished state of the walls and floor is an annoyance, but I can live with it.

I like the flow of the space better now too. I think it'll be much more functional once it's finished.



This is the jewelry storage, it took almost a week of sorting to get it all together. Now I've got a much better idea of what I have and what I can work with. It's a marvelous thing.

More to do,
Happy crafting to you all.

I've moved the desk to the front of the room. I think that'll work better, and maybe improve the wireless internet connection out there. (not so many walls, pipes, and stuff)



And moving the desk has given me a dance floor in the rest of the room. It's a good space for a table and chairs, and laying out sewing.



I've still got to work on the above-shelf storage. I'm not entirely sure how to set it up, but I'll get it figured out.



And that is a finished organized shelf. I'm absolutely thrilled with the results. If all goes well, I'll have this finished in a few more days.

Happy crafting to you all!

Organization, part two....and an experiment.

First, the experiment. I don't know why my pictures format the way they do, and that I can't get them in line with the text. Hopefully I'll figure it out in this post
edited to add: It's figured out! Woot! (and I figured out, more or less, how to fix the previous post

On to the organization



This is the "Clean Sweep" staging area for sorting stuff, it's not bad, it's in the garage and is a good way to lay everything out to actually see what's cluttering things up. I'm still trying to figure out a storage solution for the various bags I have, but that'll come. And I'm still trying to determine if I'll make baskets again, or if I should find a new home for the reeds. (So far I'm coming down on the side of yes, I will make baskets again)



And another picture of the staging area.

More will come as more is done.

Fear me, I'm violating a law of thermodynamics by reducing disorder! Woot!

Here are the before pictures of the craft space. The first picture is of the main bookcases and storage in there. I've let it get entirely too cluttered and hard to find things, this winter. The craft space is relatively unheated so it's hard to work in there.



The second picture is towards the desk area. I didn't take a picture of the table in front of it, since there wasn't room to stand. (Yes, this is a problem.) Those cabinets at the window have never been as useful as I thought they'd be. They're too tall to work on sewing, or calligraphy. And too short to work standing up. and the storage in the cabinets is too narrow to hold my sewing machine and serger. They seemed like a good idea at the time. But, they'll get a good home at my brother's place.



The third picture is just to the left of the desk, and would be the spot I'd set up a table to do calligraphy. A casual glance will give you the impression that it's slightly cluttered. A closer examination, however, will reveal the truth...it's very cluttered.




The fourth picture is of the desktop itself (minus the computer which is currently in the living room, until it warms up out there some more)