AOL Upcycled CD Coaster Sets
I spent the holidays making these sets for my Etsy shop. Considering how warped the cork was from spending untold years in the garage, they turned out REALLY well. I have two more sets that I’ll add soon, so if you don’t see this post immediately, check out my store anyway. You might like the blue AOL or orange Earthlink set better. :)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/dtrubel
I’ve also marked down most of the parrot feathers because it’s the last month for those listings.
Luigi and Daisy
Wow, it’s been almost two months since my last post, and I’ve only been working on this little gem for a friend of mine. It’s 22 count cloth but damn! In my defense, I’ve been listing vintage toys and early original art on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/dtrubel and everything else that’s not nailed down on eBay at http://www.ebay.com/sch/unxeroxable/m.html So, it’s been a busy couple of months. I’ve also been sorting and organizing piles of Raw Material for future projects, so I know I’ll have more up on Etsy soon.
So glad I finally got a decent alignment within the frame. It’s still bugging me a little but I don’t think I can do any better. Pattern from spritestitch.com
Totoro Bookmark
Another pattern from spritestitch.com with lettering added because the bookmark is so small otherwise. Sending this one to a certain someone! ;)
Now, I’m starting a Luigi and Daisy piece for another someone’s Christmas present.
Nyan Cat Bookmark
Of course, I found the base pattern for this on spritestitch.com and yes, it’s a little messy. It started to unravel at the bottom right after I finished the red, so I had to tack down the bottom and left side IMMEDIATELY. Ideally, I would’ve centered him properly, so the bottom stripe of the rainbow isn’t truncated, but I did what I had to do.
I will make more of these for sale soon. This one is for my former intern. Hopefully, she won’t mind the evidence of my inexperience.
Oregon Trail Cross-Stitch (Unframed and Framed)
I think I’ve spent the better part of two years sewing this piece, and I am SO glad to finally get it framed and done. I’ll admit the frame job isn’t my best work because I can’t seem to get some of the wrinkles out, but it’s DONE!!!
I started this project thinking I could fit it onto a medium-sized bag for my friend that Christmas. Once I realized how massive it was, I begged people on spritestitch.com to reduce the pattern for me to no avail. So, I made her something else that year and kept plugging away at this on my own. Each little square in the photo is actually a 5 x 5 square of tiny 18 count Aida squares, so I went a little blind working on it too.
If you’re subscribing, you should see more updates from here on out. I’m already cranking on a Nyan Cat bookmark for my former intern. So, don’t worry, I am going to be sticking to small gifts for my holiday list this year, which means much more content for you!
No, I’m NOT In Play — Bib
Model Credit — Baby Brite
And, no, I have not stopped cross-stitching. I’ve just been busy cobbling together part-time and contract jobs into a full work week. Plus, I was supposed to have this bib done a week ago because a friend of mine commissioned it for her friend’s baby shower, which makes more behind than usual.
So, I’ve spent the holiday weekend finishing it. She gave me the phrase, which (according to her) has been printed on many t-shirts that fellow SCA members wear because people often mistake their Medieval garb for costumes from a play. “Have you just come from putting on Camelot?” is, apparently, a common question put to SCA members in garb. (I do not know because, despite my father being an active member of the organization after I moved out, I have not felt any interest to re-enact the Middle Ages. Sorry, but I like indoor plumbing and electricity VERY MUCH.) She also gave me the supplies, which included the infant bib, some black (610) and Barbie pink (600) floss. I added the baby pink from my store, but I can’t remember the number for it.
Now, if anyone else wants to commission work from me, please drop me a line. Meanwhile, I’m probably going to start knocking out small presents for Christmas to get some momentum built up before tackling the Aqua Teen Hunger Force project.
Purple Lady with Flowers and Apples
It’s finished! Okay, I could’ve found a better frame, but my thank-you present is DONE! And it looks much better than I anticipated, so I’m feeling good about it. Now, to get it to the deserved recipient, the aforementioned former coworker who gave me a TON of cross-stitch supplies.
Now, I’m debating between sewing up a couple of Precious Moments graduates to make a few bucks on Etsy or creating an Aqua Teen Hunger Force cast piece because, well, I love Aqua Teen Hunger Force. If I do the latter, it’ll be on solid black cloth and I’m going to try to find a big group shot of all the characters, but I haven’t had much luck with cross-stitch software to date. But I also haven’t been this inspired to make something for myself in a long time either. :/
What I’ve been working on instead of job applications. Plans are to finish it tonight, including a painted frame. It’s 85% done right now, including backstitching. (Sorry for the bad photo.) Good news - the bulge I was worried about in the center disappeared or was smoothed out as I worked that area and the backstitching doesn’t look as bad to me as when I last updated. Now, to whip out a couple of job applications, so I can get back at it. Anyone need a librarian?
WIP
My latest project on 22 (or perhaps smaller) Aida. I got the cloth and most of my floss and TONS of patterns from a friend that gave it up because of her eyesight. So, I wanted to thank her by stitching this piece. Unfortunately, I decided to use a single thread but fully stitch each square instead of using four squares per double threaded stitch. (This means that all the squares are REALLY tiny and I’m already distorting the piece a bit using too much tension on the thread. The backstitching is helping lessen this problem slightly, but it too is one thread thick, so sometimes it competes with the squares instead of merely outlining them.
Anyway, I’m hoping this turns out well and that I can finish it soon. I’m already getting fed up with counting all these little squares!
Pimp Your Comcast Remote!
Dan’s best friend brought us this Comcast remote cover he recently repainted and we both thought it looked pretty slick. The texture is from wrapping it with a mesh bag, like the kind onions come in, and spraying the paint over it. He and Dan made some solid blue ones for the TV and the other Comcast remote while he was visiting, which I’ll post later if I get a response to this one.
