All neat and tidy

It took a large part of the day but I managed to sort and organize my Stash-a-lanche. Of course one thing always leads to another and I couldn't organize until I cleaned the whole upstairs. I rearranged furniture and the storage units I was going to use and the older I get the more OCD I find I am. I just couldn't dig out a new mess without straightening the existing mess. My end result is an upstairs worthy of houseguests and the overwhelming realization the I had no idea of what I had tucked here and there.

I managed to sort and organize leaflets and magazines of interest. I also put all my works in progress - more that I realized! - into the zipper mess look bags. Each with all floss, instructions and embleshments. I also kitted up in similar bags the patterns I have the fabric and/or fiber for. And then there are the flyers of I'd like to do someday.

It was a great way to spend the afternoon and a great way to warm the heart and senses as I remembered when and where I bought some of the flyers. Even better, I created an excel sheet last night with my kitted, partially kitted and future to-do's on it. I will be going through the patterns again today and want to list the suggested fibers and fabrics and stitch count. This way when I go to an event or store, I will be able to buy what I need instead of buying something I think may work. There is an event in Lancaster in a couple of weeks that I hope to travel to. Later in the month, Criss Cross Row, an online store based in Delaware, is going out of business. A two day sale at a local yarn store will be held to help to liquidate Criss Cross Row's inventory. I think it could be a win/win chance to help with the liquidation and help me kit up some more future projects.

Next thing I think I will do is sort thoses WIP's in order of how I plan to complete them! Not sure if that will start with the one closest to completion or what. And of course the vow to not start anything new until I finish something.

Stash - a - lanche!

Years ago when the kids were little and one would open the imfamous "tupperware closet" and tupperware would explode all over the place, the phrase Tupperware Alanche was coined in my house. That soon progressed to the Pan-alanche; luggage-alanche; box-alanche and so on. Imagine indoctrinating my son's 6 year old(at the time) stepson in the foreign world of "alanches". He now routinely has alanches. I did have to deftly explain to him that repeating to his teacher about alanches was something he shouldn't do. Saying that I felt like I was asking him to hide something. So I had to explain further that nothing was wrong with alanches but that they were something Aunt Robin (me) had made up and no one outside of our family would understand.

My grown children have alanches of their own right. Fiber-alanches, project-alanches, stuff-alanches, dogfood-alanches! It just is the perfect way to describe on overwhelming mess of things.

So this weekend I have a stash-a-lanche that I need to take care of. I am sure before I am finished my alanche with gather more stuff as it rolls out of the containers, off the shelves and out of the cabinet. I have been going in and out of my supplies to quickly grab this bead or that fabric or this trim or floss and I am truly all muddled up. Not only that.....all my "I just have to have" patterns, kits and booklets need to get in order. This has created an additional alanche taking own it's own life. A double alanche!

Did you ever find you have two of the same project? Just proves to me that you really liked it. I also hope to kit up some projects making a list of things I still need to have complete ready to stitch kits. My husband will be wrapped up in NASCAR and the Miracle Mile this weekend so after I do my chores I know what I will be doing.

It will feel good to get it in order and to take inventory of what I have. It will almost be like going to a show as a rediscover what I have! Hey! I know I am not alone here...maybe you don't call yours a stash-a-lanche but a stash-a-lanche is still a stash-a-lanche but whatever name you give it.

Slow Progress

I just haven't been able to get in any solid stitching time lately. I need one of those good ole uninterrupted Saturday afternoons of nothing but stitching. Seems like I sit down to stitch after everything calms down in the evening and I quickly fall asleep with needle in hand and only a dozen stitches complete. I take my needlework to work everyday on the chance I take some lunch hour time to stitch a bit. I do manage to stitch once or twice week that way but again only for too few minutes. hmmmm, sounds like it is time for a needlework retreat.

My stitchers group is having a retreat the first weekend in October but unfortunately I never signed up. I am regretting not signing up and can't for the life of me think why I didn't. All is not lost, I am going to a Stampin Up all day workshop so that is good. Better yet, my daughter is going with me. Last year both daughters went and my New Englander became a quick addict to Stampin Up. She returned to New England and found demonstrators in her area and quickly has become one of their regulars at their weekly SAL's.




So progress......as you can see I haven't made much. And as you can see, I got bored with working on side three of my etui and decided to do a bit on the bottom section. I figured since there was less to stitch on the bottom I would see faster progress. The old divert your attention to something else trick!

House

I DVR'd the season premiere of House and watched it tonight. Wow! That Chief of Staff really had his number. Someone is really giving him a run for his money. I wonder if he will stop being his nasty self. I just love House. And I just love DVR'ing.

What I don't love is my whole followers info black disappeared from my blog! Who knows what I did.

Neat New Needlework Thang!

Twitchetts! These are too cool. For the class I took with Nan Euler she had all our silks sorted and labels on these things. They measure about 1 x 2 1/2. They were so neat, I had to come home and order some. Not a bad price either and since they are made from a heavy card stock with a finish they feel like light weight plastic and seem indestructible. I think they could be great stocking stuffers for my stitching buddies.


Nan used a fine point permanent marker on some. Other she used a computer generated label. I want them for all my projects! I plan to organize some my projects this weekend!


go to TristanBrooks.com

Sunday afternoon by the pool

Who would have ever thought...

I took the "Between the Sheets" class with Nan Tyson Euler this week at my local guild. What a treat. The usual classes I take are the 3 to 4 hour/here you go/see ya. While over many year's of classes I only remember one as a bust; this two day class with Nan was a treat in more ways than one.


Nan is such a wealth of knowledge. The teaching piece offering all the chance to 'paint' the linen in the area of the house. During the course of learning the stitches over the two days, Nan filled us with a lot of knowledge of historical samplers in general and in Pennsylvania and passed alone little antedotes along the way. Having family in Philadelphia is was neat to hear about the places I frequent visit in Chestnut Hill, etc.


So as strange as it sounds, I was thrilled to get the text from my husband on Friday during class that he was going to Hooter's with the guys after work. Who would have thought any wife would be happy to hear their husband was out oogling half naked women? Well when it means I would not have to make dinner or be interrupted and could stitch for a few more hours..................hey there are priorities!

Wedding Photos - preliminary

Labor Day

I will Labor today on stitching! Salads are make, chicken is broiled, weather is beautiful!!!!


I will only stop to eat a few crabs and stop again later in the day to make homemade ice cream in my new ice cream maker!

I hope everyone relaxes and enjoys the day.....prepping for the gear up of the fall season.....

Pictured - my two favorite summertime stitching spots - the deck and the front porch! Love being outside and love that natural light!!!


Update, 8:30 p.m Monday.......stitched a bit yesterday between salads, crabs and enjoying family and friends.......but today, how good it feels to stitch the afternoon away. The batteries feel recharged! Would have stitched all morning too but I caught up on reading.