The Sarah Chapple dilemma

Dear folks out there in CyberLand! 

First off, I wanted to thank all of you who so graciously offered your suggestions, tips, or general commiseration regarding my organization dilemma.  Yes, the battle is still being waged, but I have purchased two cherry wood lateral file cabinets for my charts which I love (just need to assemble - fun!) and a stack of Rubbermaid containers for my various flosses.  Tomorrow the real fun will begin as I try to cram all my stash into these things!  Ha ha ha!!

Now, today I have another dilemma that perhaps you can help me with.  I recently purchased the new Shakespeare's Peddler chart for Sarah Chapple sampler, and all the flosses needed.  I'm trying to decide upon fabric now.  I originally had chosen Lakeside Linen Vintage Luna (40 ct) which I thought I was happy with.  Now, I received a piece of Lakeside Linen Vintage Flagstone (40 ct) and I really like the color (pale gray/almost blue tones) and think it might be the better choice for Sarah Chapple? 

Here are some pics.  The Flagstone is on the left, and Luna on the right.  Any feedback?  Thanks once again! Kevin 

The flosses really aren't quite as dark as they came out in the photo.  Grrrr...

Here's the chart - the model in pic was stitched on R&R 18th Century Rook, but I honestly prefer Lakeside Linens to R&R fabric. 

Threads on Vintage Flagstone (pale gray shade) 

Threads on Vintage Luna (creamy yellow shade) 

Victorian Motto Sampler Shop Summer Giveaway!

If you haven't tried the flosses dyed by Victorian Motto Sampler Shop, you really should give them a try.   I especially like her new 1795 floss collection - and she's just added new colors to the already beautiful colors in this series.

Even better, she's hosting a GIVEAWAY of her flosses on her site right now through June!
I'm copying and pasting her blog entry regarding the Giveaway below. If you do enter, please mention KEVIN SENT YOU as it gives me extra entries into the drawing.  You can get extra entries too - just post about the Giveaway  to your own blog and spread the word to your friends.

Here's part of the original post, copied from Victorian Motto Sampler Shop's blog:

She added 18 more colors to the 1795 collection today. Lots of golden yellows, golds, copper, russet, peaches, lilacs, Christmas red and green and a few others. There are now 65 colors in the 1795 Collection. 

Go visit her blog and enter NOW!  Here's the link: Victorian Motto Sampler Shop

Organize, Schmorganize! Help! JoAnn Fabrics sale event.

I am officially overwhelmed.  JoAnn Fabrics has all of their storage on sale for 50% off their regular prices ONLINE ONLY until Saturday the 11th.

I've been looking at the site, and I am so brain dead I can't think.  I'm trying to figure out what I could best use to store my stash of flosses -- over dyed flosses (Weeks/GAST/Crescent Colours), silks, and DMC flosses.  

Right now, all my flosses are in (shudder) large Ziplock food storage bags and tossed inside a couple of different sized cardboard boxes (NOT shown - lol).   I know --- not good -- and also VERY time consuming when I'm searching for specific flosses for projects!  

My charts, sadly, aren't much better - they're mostly in the ziplock type bags they came in when they were purchased.  I'd like to "ideally" organize them by designer - and so far I purchased four large, clear plastic bins to stash the charts in once I get them out of their varied cardboard boxes and separated by designer and/or type (all reproduction samplers in one box, all Shepherd Bush kits in another, etc

               
 

Stash UN-organized

Getting there...

I've managed to separate all of my Shepherd's Bush kits and charts and even typed up a list and alphabetized them in a Word document which I can edit as need be.  I've placed these all in one bin, and I also organized my Blackbird Designs and The Prairie Schooler charts into separate piles, but that's it so far.  Still, some progress is better than none, I suppose. :-)

Organizing is fun! NOT! 

Any suggestions regarding floss storage (specifically if there is something that looks ideal from the sale at JoAnn Fabrics!) would be most appreciated! How do you store your flosses?  How about your charts and other stitching stash? Thanks in advance for your comments and help!  Kevin 

http://www.joann.com/

Feeling like a tired dog!

I've been so busy dragging things out of "the room" the past couple of weeks - and with my bum back, it's been no easy accomplishment! But, I did manage (finally) to get pretty much everything out of the famous room where I keep my stitching stash (among a zillion other things) and it's now freshly painted and aired out and ready for the great "de-stashing" and re-organization to begin.

Honestly, I can't believe the amount of STUFF that I managed to accumulate since moving into this house in 2001. Aside from the stitching stash (I didn't even discover stitching until 2004), I had box upon box stock full of papers, lesson plans, books for school, medical records (LOTS of those, unfortunately), legal papers (again, TONS of papers documenting the saga with my back injury, surgery, doctor reports ... UGH!)

I swear, it was torturous enough just to lug all these things out, but now I have the daunting task of sitting and going through said boxes to determine what I REALLY need to keep and what can go into the shredder. And photos - Lord, I had no idea the amount of photo albums and yearbooks and loose photos I had acquired just during my teaching career alone. I just can't find it in my heart to toss out these things. I know, I'm being ridiculous, but they're memories and I do tend to wax nostalgic. I also have a yearbook from almost every year I taught school - those, I'm going to have to part with, I'm afraid. I just hate the idea of recycling them (and all the notes my students wrote in them) but they just take up too much space and are heavy as lead. I'll keep a few from special years - it's the deciding which ones to toss out that kills me. I keep getting an image in my mind of the folks on HOARDERS who cry or freak out over tossing out an old newspaper or broken knick-knack and I'm like "SNAP OUT OF IT!" Lol!

As for stitching, well.... I've only managed to complete the first Shining Needle Society lesson from my Kathy Rees counted canvas work (we're on week three now), but I do plan to work on that a bit more SOON. Here's the section I've completed so far on Sherwood Garden using the Bermuda Reef colorway. This is my first foray into canvas work, and I must admit that I REALLY LIKE IT!! Not enough to can all my cross stitch WIP's and my planned projects, but enough to delve into some other canvas designs when I'm done with this piece. If there are no updates from this little corner of cyberland, don't be surprised if I've been crushed under a box of cross stitch charts! Nah -- Seamus is keeping a close eye on things, but he'll be happy when this mess all over the house is out of the path of his stomping grounds. Notice, he doesn't seem too amused with the room makeover! I feel his pain!