Lavinia (PlatinumWarlock) attacks her "to-be-stitched" pile 2023

Hello, everyone! After lurking here for a couple of weeks, I'm jumping in with both feet. I recently returned to stitching after years away doing (mostly) beading, and my horizons are expanding dramatically! A cross-stitcher since I was young, I've now discovered blackwork embroidery and stitch-a-longs (SALs), and am thoroughly obsessed. I was taking an academic class the first third of this year, though, that ate up literally all of my free time, so I'm months behind on my SALs - but who's counting!

I joined my local chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America and am stitching up a little name tag for that (that's Mt. Rainier and some evergreen trees, as we're in the Pacific Northwest):



A fellow EGA member also belongs to several local chapters of the American Needlepoint Guild, so investigating that is also on my list, since I SO need more hobbies. (ha!!!)

What else I'm working on:

Peppermint Purple's 2023 SAL (I've only finished through January...):



The Steady Thread's 2023 Blackwork SAL (Facebook group, but I can't get a link to work) - just a little snippet because most of the canvas is still blank:



a beautiful challah cover by Sew Marie Studio (both Etsy links) - this is a fig and a few leaves:



and Climbing Goat's Wonders of the Hubble Space Telescope SAL (I haven't even started, even though I've bought the materials, so nothing to show for that yet!)

I've spent the past month obsessing over getting my library set up on LT, but I'm more or less done with that, so - more time stitching! I'm looking forward to sharing my work and encouraging others in their's. So happy to find this group!

Beautiful work, Lavinia. I used to cross-stitch quite a lot, and did some needlepoint as well, but it became more difficult when I reached my 40s and my eyes started to show their age. I'll enjoy watching your projects develop instead.

Welcome. There is some beautiful work done by the members and they inspire one to cross stitch.

Welcome to the group, and happy first thread! Your stitching looks really good - I'm very envious as I have no talent for it.

And I have learnt something new today - I didn't know there was such a thing as a challah cover.

>2 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura!

>3 mnleona: Thanks, Leona! I’m always inspired by others’ skills too, and I love having opportunities to see what they’re creating.

>4 PawsforThought: Thank you, Paws. 🙂 I didn’t either… I am not Jewish, but my partner is, and when I started attending synagogue with him, I noticed that the challah at the Friday night service was always covered by a pretty cloth of some sort. When I stumbled across this pattern on Etsy, I thought it would be nice to make one for home. (Of course, given the number of projects I’m working on and how distracted I get by other “shiny things”, it could be a decade before I finish it!)

I would love to do that Wonders of the Hubble Space Telescope one! I work for the HST and JWST! I am definitely going to need to investigate that.

So I have joined the Climbing Goat face book page, and I have seen projects to keep me going for years! I have wanted to do a planets projects, but never saw one that looked realistic until now. So excited!!!!

>7 al.vick: Yay! She does really neat designs. I’m excited to get started… maybe this week…😬

I looked though all her designs, and I am salivating. She does really nice space stuff.

>9 al.vick: 💜

I attended a local Fiber Arts group for the first time yesterday, which was fun; we met at the local library (conveniently open until 8pm on Tuesdays) and just talked and crafted. I was the only cross-stitcher/embroiderer there, but in addition to several knitters, there was one woman spinning on what I think is called a top whorl drop spinner - something like this:



She and her sister also raise alpacas and spin their wool too - really neat to see it in action.

cool, I have always wanted to see more about that since it is described in so many of the historical fiction (or non-fiction) books that I read.

>11 PlatinumWarlock: When I first learned to spin, they started us on drop spindles. That is a real knack, and I'm still in awe of those who do it proficiently. It's amazing to think that for centuries it was the only way to do it (in European countries that is).

A couple of weeks ago at my knitting group someone was using this kind of spindle to spin tussah silk into thread for weaving. It was beautiful.

>13 SassyLassy: Oh, I can imagine it WAS beautiful! I didn't understand until yesterday how different threads can end up (although I should have... I mean, silk vs. wool... duh...). The ladies I met explained that alpaca wool, for instance, doesn't have "scales" the way sheep wool does, so it's more difficult to get the strands to "grab" each other when you're spinning them. Fascinating...

I belong to a fiber guild made up of spinners, weavers, and knitters. A few months ago I had someone show me how to use a drop spindle and I did okay under her supervision but not so well on my own. I love learning about fiber and fiber arts, though. Like you said, it's fascinating.

Realized last night that I'd been doing a bit of my current blackwork project with two strands of thread instead of one. While it's probably not a huge deal, I know that I'll be happier in the end if I rip out the "incorrect" part and redo it. Still... probably three or four hours of work down the drain. 😢

I've gotten so little stitching done in the past few months I haven't bothered posting updates, but there has been slow but steady progress, and I did get a bit done yesterday afternoon - I'm always extra-inspired after my embroider's guild meeting, which was Saturday morning. The two squares at the bottom are actually supposed to be at the top, but since the pattern is symmetrical all around and each square is different, I suppose it doesn't really matter (and I HATE ripping threads out). This is also an opportunity to studiously ignore my OCD impulses.

This is my first blackwork project (even though I'm using red threads, so let's call it redwork) and I'm enjoying the varied images that result. The specific red color lightens as I move out from the middle, but I'm not sure how apparent that will be when it's finished.

nice patterns.

That's looking nice. When I was still doing cross-stitch, I used to like patterns like that. I still have a pattern I'm saving for if we take go to a warm climate for a few months where I can't take my quilting.

>18 al.vick: & >19 dudes22: Thank you both. :) And good idea, Betty - cross-stitch definitely requires less space than quilting!

Climbing goat designs now has a Wonder of the James Webb Space Telescope stitch along too!

Finished up my first blackwork project and got it off to the framer, but here's the pre-washing-and-framing picture. Very happy with it!

Having wrapped up the above blackwork project and spent a number of hours obsessively organizing my stash and works-in-progress, I can now focus on moving forward. I'm preparing for 2024 stitch-alongs by Peppermint Purple, The Steady Thread, and Stitch4Pride (YouTube link) by Dee (Instagram link). I've also made a wee bit of progress on Sew Marie Studio's Seven Species Challah cover (Etsy link) and am determined to get back to Lavender & Lace's Angel of Love, which has been languishing in my WIP stack for more than a decade. 😬

I visited two new-to-me needlework stores recently while visiting family: Tomorrow's Heirlooms in the Chicago area, and Crafty Framer in the Tampa Bay area - both excellent, with lovely staff, and I didn't find it remotely difficult to come home with several patterns and materials I just had to have. Recommend making a stop at either if you're in the neighborhood.

Happy stitching!

>22 PlatinumWarlock: - That is awesome! Back when I was cross-stitching, blackwork was probably my favorite.

>22 PlatinumWarlock: That's absolutely gorgeous, Lavinia!

>24 dudes22: Thank you, Betty! It's new to me as of this year, but I have MANY more in the pipeline. LOL

>25 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky! :)

>22 PlatinumWarlock: ooh, that's lovely. I'd love to see the framed version when you get it back from the framer. And I can't wait to see what you get up to next.

>27 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! I'm excited to see it too... and I'm having lots of fun working on my next projects (and looking for EVEN MORE on Etsy... 😳).

This is one that I recently bought. Not sure when I'll get to it. It's from a shop called "vivsters" on Etsy and they have a lot more like it.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/817255487/cross-stitch-quaker-sampler-banded?click_...

>29 dudes22: I have that one too, Betty! Isn't it pretty? I'm excited to get to it, but - like you - I don't know when that will be... 😳

Work continues on my preparation for the 2024 Peppermint Purple Stitchalong... I'm increasingly happy with my blackwork skills and especially excited that I might even have most of the layout and border finished before the artist starts posting the weekly blocks.

>31 PlatinumWarlock: - That project looks like fun. I'll need to do some research before I start mine. I'm sure there are so many new fabrics and threads that I could use. What kind of thread do you usually use? DMC was almost the only thread that was available when I did most of my pictures.

I'm going to try the Peppermint Purple stitchalong too. A good many years ago, I did one and didn't quite finish a second (the next year) - haven't been stitching much recently but I'd like to get back to it. I didn't pick that border, though, way too much stitching in it. I'm interested to hear your answer to >32 dudes22:, though I'll be using DMC because I have a _lot_ of it. Have to decide what fabric I'll be using, though (I like fine stuff but I'm not sure my eyes can handle it any more).

>32 dudes22: Betty, I usually use standard DMC embroidery floss, but for a different SAL I'll be doing in 2024 I'm trying a new (to me) variegated thread that's a brand called Lizbeth. Its size 20 is equivalent to DMC pearl cotton 8, which I also haven't used but which I gather is roughly the equivalent of 3 strands of standard DMC floss. (I need a cheat sheet!) I worry that it might be too thick, but we'll see. I love the idea of being able to use a single strand of something and get a more substantial effect.

>33 jjmcgaffey: Jennifer, I know what you mean about a large DMC stash! Ouch. 🤣🤣

I like fine fabric too - I'm working on a project on 32 ct Lugana which is gorgeous, and so far my eyes are holding up, but it's tough! Really good magnification is my friend!