Blogs are hard....

So I've been quiet.

But.

Have no fear.  

My life continues on.  

The house gets dirtier, the laundry pile grows, the contents of the pantry still sit on the kitchen table waiting to be organized and returned to their cubby, embroidery projects pile up, ideas stack one atop the other then drop onto the turn table one at a time as the current project finishes, Audible is working overtime, the animals and the hubby get fed... and I move through the whole thing in a haze.

Not depressed.  Not despairing, but... lost perhaps.  Lost in thought, in dreams, ideas, desires.  Days are lost to wasted internet searches for property and houses, places take my imagination and run.  Yet seldom have I been able to find two consecutive, conscious thoughts to rub together for a  spark.

Looking over my last blog entry I am realizing that I might have taken that silly theme song too far and slowed down to the point of stalling. Maybe.

On the up side...

I have finished my hastystitch challenge for April and I managed to use all the components in one project.  Last post you saw the beginnings... here is how it has progressed.  It is quite hard to get a full picture of the thing as it is easily two feet long, maybe more.  

But here we go, see if you can get a feel for the thing...

To remind you what the challenge entailed...

The song lyrics are from The 59th Street Bridge Song written by Paul Simon, performed with Art Garfunkle...

Slow down, you're moving too fast,

You've got to make the morning last!

Just!

Kicking down the cobble stone,

Looking for fun and feeling Groovy!

Hello lamp post, what'chya knowing?

I've come to watch your flowers growing.  

Ain't you got no rhyme for me?

Doo doo doo doo Feeling Groovy!

Some details...

The best part, if you ask me...

My siggie!  

In fact, I like this so much I believe I'm going to incorporate into my embroidery siggie for ever and ever amen.

So.  There you have it.  Now I have three projects on my finished list, but still sitting on the to be completed pile.... yeah... you know, mount, frame, edge... that sort of thing...  It could happen.

Don't forget to check out Hey Paul Studios!

This week's Stitch Witchery

This week has been... hard.  
Restless, a bit despairing and definitely feeling sorry for myself.
Then Wednesday evening came and it was the monthly meeting of the Embroiderer's Guild.

Embroiderer's Guild

(whispers ala Brick Heck... embroiderer's guild)

There, Fate pointed its Fickle Finger and sat me next to the two people I needed to talk to most.
Needless to say (yet I'm going to say it anyway) I came away from the meeting invigorated, inspired and rearing to get back into it.

However.  In between the stitching and laundry and other stuff, I made the mistake of going to Instagram to hash tag a piccie in the hopes of getting a mention on one of my favorite websites (whispers Urban Threads)... only there I found other stitchers.  Stitchers with nifty ideas and fabulous challenges, and of course, I'm sidetracked yet again.

Check it!

Stitch'n Thyme     and     Hey Paul Studios

To make a long story short (too late)
I have finished the EMI project and finished Hey Paul's #hastystitch challenge for February.  Yes.  I know it is no longer February, but, I came late to the fun and she is taking a break in March.  Lucky me!

 Embroidery Megalomaniac indeed...

Detail of black work fill... pattern available HERE

So here is what I found on Instagram that inspired me....


Specifically, hearts, signature, herringbone stitch and seed stitch...  
This is what I came up with!

 This signatures are from our marriage license, 
the numbers in the middle are the star date of our anniversary

Detail of the seed and herringbone... I have actually never used the herringbone stitch before.  Very nice flow to it and lends itself to shapes and applique very well.  I will have to look for another use for it soon.

Many thanks to Urban Threads and Hey Paul Studios for their inspiration and for keeping me from going totally bonkers these past weeks.

Now back to the castle black work. 
Hehehehe... castle black work of Black Castle...  
 I have been invited to display work in the King's Lynn chapter of the Embroiderer's Guild, the theme is Ancient and Modern... I think a modern interpretation of an old stitch to depict an ancient structure ought to fit the bill, don't you?  I also have an idea for another piece... but the deadline is 30 June so I'd better keep chugging along!