Meredith's 2020 Crafting

Here we are again. Hoping to get more fully back on the crafting horse this year. I admit to having sunk into a fixation with Chinese dramas, which I can't really explain, and which don't allow for embroidery, giving the subtitles (though I do try). I've got plenty of audio language lessons and audiobooks though.

I have managed some embroidery already, a piece inspired by the excellent TV show, The Good Place, for a friend's birthday. When people try to swear there a filter replaces the swear words with sound-alikes...



I kind of wish I'd done all the text in one 'font' but oh well. I might make another piece for myself or another friend. It's such a brilliant show.

>2 mabith: I. Love. This. We love The Good Place, and your piece is hilarious and adorable!

I thought I had posted a "good to see you again", but must not have hit post. Looking forward to seeing the progress on your book cross-stitch project.

Fab that you are back ...and stitching!

>3 scaifea: I think it's hands down one of the best shows of the last 20 years. So smart, so funny, so thoughtful. Plus the way it changes the situation between the seasons so it never gets stale.

My friend was super super happy with it, thankfully. It's the first handmade gift I've managed to give her since my mom died, I think (used to make her and her kids things for Christmas and birthdays).

>4 dudes22: >5 avaland: Thanks!

Here's where I am with the book stitch project:



The big gold patches will have a lot blue back stitch over them, but look quite odd at the moment. Here's my reference photo (though the books are in the wrong order):

Very nice!

>7 mabith: I admit that every single time I see the photograph of the books, I want them all, each and every one. The thing is, I already own various copies of all of them (except Swiss Family Robinson), but the beauty is what lures me in.

The embroidery is coming along as well, and is very lovely. The Secret Garden is especially nice.

>6 mabith: I agree completely - it's *such* a smart, well-written show. We all love it at our house.

>7 mabith: I love this so much!

>8 dudes22: >10 scaifea: Thanks! I'm glad to be working on it again.

>9 Lyndatrue: Me too, though I do at least own that copy of Five Little Peppers and How they Grew, admittedly it might be my least favorite of those books, but it's SUCH a pretty edition. I actually stitched the cover of that edition as well:

>7 mabith: I love that design!

I was doing well with stitching when I got out of the habit again. The self-isolating hasn't done much, because now I have the virus! It's mild, not bad enough to go to the doctor, but it doesn't make me want to sit and stitch. Going to try to get something done today anyway.

>13 mabith: How do you know you have THE virus? Lots of other stuff going around.

I don't for sure, but the symptoms fit very specifically and it doesn't feel like a cold or flu do. I also tend to only get sick when it's something really virulent (largely just from my niece and nephew). I can take care of someone with regular flu and kiss them all day and never get it.

So obviously I can't be sure without a test, but safer to assume yes and stay home regardless. It's also so silly for my city to act like the first confirmed case is the first case (we just had ours). We're an extremely poor and uninsured state. Most people don't have the luxury to stay home or even go out and get tested necessarily.

>15 mabith: Take good care of yourself!

Finally finished another spine on this piece. It's about two-thirds complete now, but I might take a break from it and do something un-counted or just something smaller.

>17 mabith: Wow. I can't imagine the patience needed for that.

Wonderful!

That's great! So detailed.

>17 mabith: Very nice!

>18 PawsforThought: I put on an audiobook and then it's pretty meditative. Well, once I get round to starting working anyway!

Thanks, folks!

>18 PawsforThought: The attention to detail is spectacular...and exactly why I never picked up needlework as a hobby. Probably why I'm not a super-fan of the quilting part of quilting.

>22 mabith: I would never be able to listen to an audiobook while doing somthing that requires that kind of concentration. Jigsaws I can do, because it's fairly automatic for me, but if I tried embroidery it'd all turn out wonky because I missed something while paying attention to the book.

>23 lesmel: Yes, spectacular is the word. Embroidery has never been my thing, because it requires such attention to detail to really look good, but I have a future project that will require some embroidery and I'm already dreading it.

First time I have read your posts.You do beautiful work. Are the books your own patterns? I also do embroidery but doing crochet projects now.

>24 PawsforThought: I had trouble knitting while listening to audiobooks if the pattern got really complicated, but I've always been pretty good at splitting my attention. Maybe helps that I grew up listening to stories (my dad was a professional story teller) being read while doing other tasks.

>25 mnleona: Thank you! Yes, the books are my own pattern. Pretty much everything I make I create my own patterns. I used to knit constantly, but all types of embroidery allowed me so much more creative freedom.

I took a break from my book project and make a depressingly relevant little embroidery piece. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I haven't washed it yet, so there are still some blue washable pen marks on it.

>26 mabith: As a child I often listened to books-on-tape while playing but they were stories I'd heard a hundred times so it didn't matter if I didn't pay attention the whole time.

>27 mabith: Lovey! (and true!)

>28 PawsforThought: Familiarity definitely helps!

>29 avaland: Thanks!

I just finished this Tove Jansson illustration. Her version of a horse for her Moomins comics. It just amuses me all day.



I have Many Regrets about doing the black fill and the way I chose to do the flowers and on and on, but that's normal for me really. I can always make another. I'm really annoyed that the tail stitching is so puckered, but maybe washing the piece will help.

>31 mabith: Oh, that's so lovely! I love Tove Jansson and grew up with the Moomins, so seeing her illustrations give me a warm feeling.

>31 mabith: - Thanks really cute!

Oh my gosh, I LOVE that!! So well done, you!

Wow, very nice!

That's adorable! I love it!

Thanks for the smile. So cute.

Thanks, guys! It was a fun project.