Tuesday, September 8, 2009

It's Really After Labor Day?

Have you noticed that my recent post titles indicate that I'm struggling with time? I am. Seems like just a few days ago I was spending the Fourth of July on a Minnesota lake. Now Labor Day is over. Yep, I know it happens every year, but it also seems to happen more quickly every year. The new school (sorry, but I can't bear to call it my new school) continues to suck up my time, but I will get used to it.

The long weekend was a fun one. Each Labor Day weekend, the Taste of Colorado is the big event in the Denver area, and they always have an interesting music schedule. The man I hang around with and I are music fiends, so we found some blasts from the past to check out. We saw Grand Funk Railroad (if you remember them, you're old like me), the Spinners (huge crowd) and Robert Cray (not from the olden days). Robert Cray is one of my personal favorites, so I was enthralled, even with the huge outdoor crowd of talking gawkers. Enjoying free music is a great way to relax.

Even though I finished Evil Serpent ten days ago, I'm just now getting around to showing you the finished product. Here's a little picture taken as the sun was coming up one morning.


I changed a few little things. I put Rhodes stitches in the eyes of the peacock's tail feathers, giant eyelet stitches in the flower centers, and I stitched my children's initials instead of Vilma's charted letters.


The directions about how to stitch the grass were unclear to me, so I used satin stitches, as I did for all of the other bird's tail feathers. The date was a little too big and fat for me, so I stitched it over one.

I'm pretty happy with that little finish. This past week, there's been very little stitching (sniff), but I've worked a little on Shores and Women of the Mayflower. Eventually, there'll be enough progress to show you, but not yet. Speaking of progress, I'm gonna go make some.
Make some fun.

21 comments:

Irma said...

Congrats on your finish! I really do like how you finished the tails. It adds just the right amount of texture to this piece.

Missy Ann said...

Congrats on the finish, I really like what you did with the peacocks.

Diane (di) said...

Doris, I can't believe Labor Day has come and gone already either. Fingers crossed for you that you are able to call 'the' new school 'your' new school very soon. :)

Congratulations on your Evil Serpent finish and I love the changes you made. Sometimes I think that's the best part... taking what the designer did and making it your own. Great job!

Karen said...

Congrats on the finish! I really like the specialty stitches you used; they give the piece a little something extra. Very nice!

I can't believe it's after Labor Day, either. Wasn't it just Christmas???

Margaret said...

Isn't it amazing how fast the time is passing? Love your finish! It's wonderful! Sounds like you had a nice 3 day weekend anyway!

Faye said...

hey..I am in a similar situation..I am in a "new" everything at my school too..Zaps all I have, sad to say!~~ I wish my life were back on track. Thank goodness for stitching and the precious little time I do get to spend on it. Maybe soon our lives will be back to "normal"!~ Hang in there!~ Faye

Katrina said...

Congrats on the finish, it's so sweet. I love to personalize my stitching too. I am on an A&E kick so I will have to add that chart to my list.

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

Great finish,Doris! I think I may have to add this one to my "to do" pile! Love your changes.

Time does fly, doesn't it? It's a downhill slide till thanksgiving now, I think.

Rob and I love to go to music events, too.

Loraine said...

Love the finish and the changes. They look great!
I'm struggling with the same time warp. What is the deal with that?

mainely stitching said...

I absolutely love your finish! :D

And yeah, how did the season get this far advanced so quickly? Sigh...

Ranae said...

Awesome!! Love it and the speciality stitches. The colors fit it so well too.
Congrats!!
This year is flying by

Siobhán said...

Woo! Love the finish, it looks great. My chart sits in my stitching drawer and mocks me whenever I look at it. I need to get to it. I like the changes you made to personalize it & make the sampler your own.

Jan said...

I love your changes, Doris! It is so pretty! And time does seem to march right along, doesn't it?

Hope things get to feel like home at school and not so new very soon for you!

Kellie said...

Doris, sorry to hear that you are having a rough start at the new school. It will get better. I keep telling myself the same thing about one of my two schools that is sucking the life (and joy) out of me. Hang in there! Love, love, love Evil Serpent. It looks fabulous!! Congrats on your finish. Looking forward to seeing the other projects you have going. Hope you have a good rest of the week...only two more days until the weekend!

Jennifer said...

Hi Doris, Sounds like a great weekend with a lot of my fav music too! I love your latest xstitch projects . Look forward to seeing more soon. I will post more pictures soon now that I am on a roll!!

Melissa said...

Congratulations on the finish. It's really cute, lovely colours!

I can understand about work being too busy and sucks up your time & energy. I'm there with you (sadly)! Hang in there and keep stitching (my mantra)!

Anonymous said...

congrats on all of your recent finishes. I've been away for so long, but trying to get caught up. I love ATS framed; it's just BEAUTiFUL!
have you hung it on the wall yet? hope you get a pic of that!!
Take care!
Robin Pich

Coni said...

Ooooooooo, fabulous fabulous fabulous! (You have to clap your hands and say it like Eddie Murphy does in The Nutty Professor...fab-a-lus fab-a-lus fab-a-lus!)

Deb said...

Wonderful finish, Doris! It's just beautiful. Though your new school is looming...I hope you are surprised by a new pocket of stitching time that just carves itself out for you. Stranger things have happened!
Love and hugs,
Deb

Hazel said...

It's a beautiful finish! I must look at sticking this one on my wishlist lol! Can that list get any longer??? xx

Brigitte said...

Evil Serpent is such a beautiful finish.
I also was in the Denver area during the Labor Day weekend. We spent Labour Day with our daughter in Vail. It was a wonderful trip.
School has me again, too. I have just finished the first week of the new school year and it's not as pleasant as vacation time (to say the least, lol).