Mary Update 7/26

So here is my progress this week.

I was planning to finish Part 6 this weekend but it is only "close" to complete.

Here was another project I was working on..



Impie, Hattie & Bea
Limited Edition Rose Thread Pouch
Sampler: Little House Needleworks Rose Sampler
Stitched on Zweigart Cashel Antique Cream 28ct.
Recommended DMC threads

I fell in love with the thread pouch as soon as it was realeased, and bought it.
(I know...it would take an average Japanese woman 10 minutes to make on a sewing machine, but to me it is too high of a hurdle).
And I am pleased with the way it turned out, with the rose sampler matching it nicely.

After weeks of working with 40ct. with one strand silk, my!
The Cashel linen almost looked like a woven canvas, not linen at all.
(Funny it did not decrease the amount of mistakes I made in the stitching)

It is one of my ambitions to actually buy a sewing machine, and make my own smalls but I don't see that coming too quickly.

So day fter tomorrow is Part 9 chart release!

So here is my progress so far...partly into Part 6.

I have tried to follow the original palette in principle, modifying colors to go with the Luna linen.
But occasionally I have changed the colors to whatever I thought would be pretty against the other motifs.

Too fast?

As Jacqueline says, there is no time limit to joining the Mary Wigham SAL, and that it is not a race- everyone is free to stitch at her own pace.

Among the Japanese SAL participants, I was not one of the first ones to start stitching, since I took plenty of time to choose my fabric and thread - (not to mention I was rather busy organizing the SAL itself), and was under the impression that I was way behind the others.

However, in the process of "stitching to escape", I find myself already in Part 5.
I also realize that on a worldwide scale, there are many, many people who have not yet started stitching yet.
Look at the US SAL blog - there are over 100 members (these are the people who want to post in the blog) - and only several WIPs posted.

(Is it a cultural thing that the French and Japanese are among the fastest stitchers?)

If I finish my Mary Wigham, what would I do as Head Girl?
Of course I could invite more members and keep the SAL running, as long as people want to join, but it would be awkward to have nothing to show for myself.

In addition, I am enjoying stitching this piece, and would be very sorry to finish it off.

So what would I do?

Work on my other WIPs or try to diminish my SABLE? (Have tried this, but I seem to be very bad at stitching multiple things at the same time - and HOW can I keep the threads and needles in order??)

Or, finish my Mary, and start over using another fabric and thread choice? (sounds like a good idea, but after having seen the others' work, I can come up with nothing new)

Any other ideas?

A friend

I am not sure if there is anyone out there actually reading this blog - I assume, very few, if any - so I will go ahead and write a non-stitchy, somewhat down-side article for myself.

The past three weeks at work was a nightmare- not because of work or anything that happened to me, but because of a colleague-friend of mine.
She had been under a lot of stress over the last couple of months but I did not realize how much - until a series of things happened that I seriously thought it might be too late to help her.

She is now on sick leave, safe at home with her parents and in stable condition, and I am relieved.

But I miss her so much, and am not sure if things will ever be the same again, even if she did choose to come back.

+++++

I had once mentioned to her that cross-stitch was a hobby of mine, and showed her the "Lady of the Mist" before I took it to my aunt (the recipient).

Although having no knowledge of cross-stitching, she bore with me, smiled, admired the stitching and the sparkling beads - and said it was dreamy and looked like something stitched by an affluent, carefree, happy Madame in the afternoon, not by a stressed working girl.

Now, Mary is seeing me through, instead of the friend I may have lost.

Stitching progress 7/12

So here is my progress so far.
I took a petit summer vacation this week (3-day weekend), and did almost nothing but stitch.

There are so many other things to do- answer emails, add new members (mostly links), going to the linked blogs to say hi...sending progress pictures to Jacqueline..

In the Needleprint blog, Jacqueline shoots off articles so fast it is all I can do to keep up with the translations, let alone make smart remarks about what is written in them.
I surf over the French SAL blog and Paule seems to be writing informative articles on her own sometimes, which I really admire.

At work, these past two weeks had been a nightmare, so this business provided a pleasant getaway.
Simply sitting down and taking time to stitch away is healing.

I had been reading the US SAL blog which has exceeded its 100 members with many on the waiting list (how does that blog work, I would be very interested in knowing..I don't think we have such thing in Japanese blogs. Or is it just a matter of using a blogspot blog and writing in Japanese?).
A few members have stitching to share, but a majority were still in the process of ordering fabrics or were undecided on the colors.

In comparison I would think that the Japanese SAL members - those posting in the blog anyway - started up very quickly and are progressing fast, even for those who had to buy fabrics from overseas.

There are members who stitch on other WIPs and still keep up with the chart release!
(I have tried working on WIPs on rotation like the American stitchers, it did not work)

Is it just a matter of individuals? Or does it have something to do with the Japanese nature of quickly reacting and working away dilligently?