As I drive the AT

Chrissy Cleo meows as I drive the byways, the backroads, and the white-knuckle roads up into the Appalachian Mountains day in and day out. In my mind I can see her flashing eyes, but I am afraid that there is nothing that I can do. I forgot her threads so she simply won't get done this trip. Hopefully when I get back I will get her finished and off to the finishers before this coming Christmas. In fact, to simplify matters I took her off the frame - yes, I said off, and her eyes really sent messages - rolled her up and placed her in a tube. This is "for your own protection" - remember your mom saying that to you? - and will mail her back to the DIL's place to keep safe and clean. Traveling open like she was in the car left her in a bad position of getting her threads caught and pulled, dirt on her and all manner of happenings. Out of sight, but not out of mind.

While I was gathering small projects to bring with us to Mexico and then on the 6 month odyssey, I found a Santa pillow project that had been tucked in the suitcase from Panama. Perfect as it is tedious with many a colour here, a color there, and a multitude of colors that just aren't what one would expect. Obviously, not a favorite but an UFO is an UFO and it would be nice to get it finished and out of the suitcase of UFO's. I do a little, put it down, do a little, out it aside, all in the evenings after the days events or as in the case of Mexico, while riding on the bus long distances.

Supporting my husband on the AT means doing a lot of driving. It is too cold at this time for camping close to the trail so we drive distances to find a hotel and park for a few days before moving on. This means that, as I don't know exactly how long it will take hime to hike a certain area, I often sit for longish periods of time in the car. I also wait for a period of time after I drop him off to make sure he has everything that he needs, hasn't misjudged the trail of the weather. I pass my time by hiking/geocaching or needlework.

 A baseball ornament

Not having Chrissy CLeo to work on, I started another project that I brought out of the UFO pile: Golden Christmas Crackers. I had the stretcher bars with me so I eagerly got started. A few stitches at a time will add up over a few days to a finished #1 out of a total of 10 (1/10). I am finding that there are certain fibers that I don't really like working with but when finished, they do look so good. So here I will have to temper my feelings and open my mind to using something that I don't initially like.

A rainy day, no a downpour day, gave me the opportunity to drive a good distance to the closest LNS that I could find. Here I was able to replenish supplies to finish stitching the baseball project, find a new project that I have been lusting over for months, Broom Parking, and found a new fiber that will work into what I am about to start, Father Frost. I was unable to get the stretcher bars needed for Broom Parking so will have to order them and have them sent out, or maybe I will find another LNS close by. Will post photos here in a few days.

Today another day of snow/rain and a day for catching up on my blogging as well as doing some basic stitching on my new project, Father Frost.

A new Adventure ...

A new adventure both in travel and in sewing but not necessarily in needlework. Living in a tent/hostel/hotel - can one adequately lay out and sew? We shall see in the upcoming days and weeks.

After 3 1/2 days on the road, one cracked windshield, and 1384.3 miles, we are at the beginning of this epic journey for Danny. He is starting in a small place called Boiling Springs, PA and we are staying a couple of days in an inn that gives thru-hikers (Danny) a really good deal: a $140 room for $40. They hold mystery weekends here so just might have to attend Saturday night.

After the first surprise, a cracked windshield, another reared it's ugly head. I am so disgusted with myself and angry and hurt and .... I left all the threads for Chrissy Cleo back in the RV. I can't believe that I did that. Here I was so looking forward to sitting and finishing her up quickly. I couldn't think of any solution except mailing her back to the DILs place to hold for our return. When Danny came in from his first day of hiking, he had a solution -  ask the owner of the storage units to go in and retrieve the threads and then mail them to a retrieval point 10 days down the road. hmmmmm not a bad idea at that!

And so we finish our first day of our epic journey down and up the Appalachian Trail ...

"The Sewing Mama" and "Idigo"

On the road again ...

... This time we are headed across country to the start of my husband's journey of a lifetime, hiking the Appalachian Trail. I am going to be supporting him in the car so that he only has to carry a daypack while hiking. This means that we will basically live out of the car for the next 6 months, overnighting in a tent, a hostel, or hotel, depending on availability. Follow our escapades through Danny's eyes at:
http://travelinduo.blogspot.com/p/slack-hiking-appalachian-trail.html and through my eyes at:
http://travelinduo.blogspot.com/p/shirleys-view-of-things-on-at.html

The question that I have been receiving, asked with pitying eyes, is "What are you going to do for all that time?" I had decided that I was going to finish Chrissy Cleo, work on the Christmas tablecloth and do some quilting. I also wanted to do some extra classroom work to enhance my future application with Peace Corps. So I happily added these things to the packing list with the hopes that I would be able to get them all in the car.

Several days later, we started to pack: we have a Honda CRV which will have to carry all our camping equipment, clothing, Appalachian Trail paraphernalia, cameras, computers, book to read, and then my crafting stuff. As you can see, it was quite a chore.

all of this --->             

into this --->  

became this --->

 

We did it, but with revisions on my part.

Quilting: I have a small dolly quilt that is a quilt-as-I-go to be finished. I am also carrying a quilt that needs a binding added to it. This is a relatively small one so doesn't take much space but is a little heavier than a fleece would be. Guess we can use it if we need to also. Then a pattern for another for my GD, at her request. Alas, there was no room for my wonderful Miss Betsy Janome 6600P. I was able to put in a rinky-dink child's Kenmore that straight stitches and zigzags and is as noisy as all get out. Still it will work for flimsy making. The cutting board/ironing pad unit fits in the spare tire well and the iron in a small corner by the tire well. Can't you just see me set up and sewing on a picnic table, tent in the background, cooking a stew or something for the incoming hiker and his cronies that he picks up along the trail????

Chrissy Cleo: I am so excited about the prospect of finishing her up first. She sat patiently waiting in the car as we packed:
 
...but her eyes had a twinkle of mischief in them that I had never seen before - almost a snicker. It didn't make any sense as she had never traveled before. So I merrily continued to pack and gingerly laid her on top, in the back, inside a protective bag just before we closed up the hatch. I won't be getting her off to the finisher however as Miss Cleo will remain home in the RV.

I also included a new project that has been languishing in the UFO closet - a baseball ornament for the grandsons. This will be an easy, quick stitch and I will make 2 of them = 2 grandsons who play ball. hmmm the granddaughter also plays softball, guess that means 3 ornaments.

The Christmas tablecloth is one that only gets worked on in the car. It will probably take me a month of Sundays to finish but that is okay. I am cross stitching it on smaller fabric than what was included in the  kit which makes it a little slower going. AM almost finished the first of 6 segments (round table cloth pattern).

Packed up and ready to go, we first had a stop in Longview to pick up a missing parcel and we are off ...

Miss Cleo, meet Chrissy Cleo

Miss Cleo is getting a backside to her and her name is Chrissy Cleo. miss Cleo is so excited as she will have a playmate. Little does she know that he will spend her days going in circles, chasing her perceived playmate. :)  But for now she is happy to see the work progressing on Chrissy Cleo.

Once again Chrissy Cleo will need some character so her face will get done fairly quickly. The color ways for her will give her a completely different personality that Mis Cleo's. We shall see how they develop.
She is outlined in a dark Christmas green:

The canvas is called "Eggshell" with gold sparkles in it. The color way is based upon Watercolors "Holiday" 

 

   I decided on red for her face in order to brighten her up and will take out the wine color on her tale and replace it with a red shade. Oh those eyes, they are already boring into me as I stitch. Will have to hurry and finish them.

And on to other things ...

I finished 2 quilting UFO's this week. Oh they didn't take a whole lot of work, just sitting down and doing it. That is the hard thing to do lately. 

Let it Snow ... the fabric is from 2006 so it is about time I finished it up.

Also finished was a pink quilted hobo bag that was started as a demonstration (but ultimately not used) project for Colombia.

That depletes the list of UFOs by 2. Small gain but a gain nonetheless.

On to another UFO and continuing with Miss Cleo and Chrissy Cleo ....

January and New Years "resolutions"

Well. here we are, once again in a new year. Did everyone make resolutions? I didn't, or at least I say I didn't, but in my mind I have things that I am going to do. The main thing is that I joined a Stashbuster challenge. Finish your UFO's while using up your stash. For me this means finishing up what I have on the go here in the RV and then returning to the RV and getting more. As I don't have any way to know what I have in the storage unit, I haven't listed them on the group site, but believe me, there are quite a few.

So for now, tomorrow (we finally are in a place where I can get out the sewing machine) out it all comes and I will start to finish what I have already started. My question is, does the UFO list also include the Patchwork Santa and lap quilt as I have finished the cross-stitch but done nothing with the quilting part?  And I cut out one piece of a wall hanger for DSD but nothing else - does this count as an UFO? I am going to count them as: #1 they are started", #2 they are what I am going to be working on first regardless, and lastly, #3 they will be using up stash, bought not only in 2012 but also 2010, and 2011.

I am going to extend the challenge on my own into my needlework as well. Tonight I started on Miss Cleo's backside, having completed Miss Cleo before Christmas.  She isn't very happy with me I believe, as I haven't done much else to complete her as well as obtain her "jewels". Oh she does like her adornments. But I have attached the canvas onto the stretcher bars and I have started to stitch the smyrna cross outline. This canvas is ecru with gold flecks and the colors for her backside are going to be Christmas reds and greens with gold. [photo]

hmmm so what else would qualify?

I have received the first installment of mom's crackers and have translated the canvas into a pattern for her. Hopefully she will feel comfortable after a couple of them to do the stitching straight from the canvas rather than an additional paper pattern. I still need to do the stitch guide "how to's" for each of the stitches. According to the canvas and the pulled threads, they should be beautiful, and definitely bright and colorful. [photo]

Are there more things out there that would qualify as a "NewYear's Resolution?" I am sure that there are, but darned if I can think of them. Rather than sitting here, wracking my brains, I should just get back to work on them ... so ...

Happy New's Years everyone.

Miss Cleo, et al

Somewhere on the road, slipping and sliding through the snow, Miss Cleo really developed an attitude. Her eyes flashed whenever eye contact was made - she was definitely not a happy camper. "It is well below freezing and you leave me in the car?!!!" Well once we slid into Edmonton, and my parents place she came out once again. She wouldn't speak to me, she wouldn't make eye contact but she followed me around. I picked her up and again started to stitch. I only had 5 partitions and her ears left to stitch. These quickly came together and I finished her. Then I sat her up in the midst of the excitement of the visit in a place of honor. She was oohed and ached over - she was slowly won over. But everyone who saw her agreed, she definitely has an attitude.  Then I placed her back in the car on the back seat, facing the seat and supported by the very bag she should have been traveling in. 

As I traveled the passenger side of the car I stitched on the Patchwork Santa. Somewhere between Butte, Montana and Las Vegas, Nevada he was finished. he is wonderful!  Ready to be made into a pillow when I get home and inspire a lap quilt to lay beside him.

Throughout the travels, the conversation often turned to the very needlework that I was doing. I tried to convince my DH that he needs to learn how to do one of them at least. He emphatically replied each and every time - No thanks. not interested! He thought that if he would do anything it would be knitting: this after we made a stop at a yarn shop for me to pick up some sock yarn.

Christmas came early this year - I received a new smartphone and as soon as I:
a. learn how to work it
b. learn how to download photos
I will upload photos of the above projects. I had my camera stolen in Mexico and I believe I am receiving a replacement for Christmas. But for now, it is the big DSLR or my NEW smartphone.

On to something else ... does anyone out there have Christmas crackers as part of their Christmas traditions? As a family when I was growing up we always had a cracker on our plates for Christmas dinner. You "cracked" them before the meal started, after grace, and then had your little "prize" which would sit above your plate and a paper hat which would be worn during dinner. Corney? Well maybe, but what fun we had with it. In one of the Needlepoint Now magazines I had seen an advertisement for a series of Christmas (and Halloween) crackers by Melissa Shirley. Talked with mom, who is always looking for new projects that can be used for Christmas gifts (for their heirloom quality), about them. She is going to make a set for each of us kids (we are 6) and I am going to giver her the series for her Christmas present, with all the supplies that she needs to do them.    (I chose the gold ones to coordinate with my dishes)
(she chose the traditional ones)

But I will have to make sure that she has copies of all the how tops for the stitches used in each one which means I will get them first, tai the patterns and then copy all the pertinent stitches out of my favorite needlework stitch book "The Needlepoint Book" by Jo Ippolito Christensen

Oh my, I see that it now has an updated version and it is on Kindle as well. Oh boy! Shopping! Aaah another project to do before next Christmas!

On the road some more...

I tried to put Miss Cleo into my "travel bag" made especially for the carrying of projects. She wouldn't fit! So now she sits, lonely and upright, against the back seat of the car as we make our way north towards Canada. She will get worked on a little as we travel but I am afraid that she might be superseded by Patchwork Santa as I would love to finally get him finished. (This while traveling in the car) She will be worked on when we are within the confines of my parents place in Edmonton, Alberta.

As we travel through Missouri and Iowa/Illinois, I will look for a FEDEX office to get the Christmas present work sent to the finishers. Luckily it won't take all that long to finish it. More than enough time before Christmas for that. Once given as a gift, I will post a photo chronology of it.

We had a great time in Mexico and a subsequent Thanksgiving with my DS and DIL in Tulsa, OK. We are headed to Edmonton, AB by way of a direct rout north from Tulsa, into Ontario/Manitoba then taking a left and veering NW to Edmonton. Hopefully we don't hit too much in the way of winter storms but if we do, we are ready.

Happy holidays ...

I can't believe I ...

The colors, the sounds, the smells all assault me as we tour around one area in Central Mexico - the Silver Cities or Colonial cities if you will. Here we experienced El Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead.

Today I stepped into a fabric shop for the first time on this trip. The two things that I find most intriguing? 

1. no cotton fabrics

2. wonderful cashmere and woolens from Britain.

Too bad, my suitcase is way too small to haul woolens home so I sadly walked out empty handed.

But then when I got online to check my emails, there was one about a 12 week class for needlework Santas and it doesn't start until January. Way to go Shirley, I joined and paid as soon as the invoice came in. Now to discover a Santa canvas that I want to do - hmmmm maybe the Santa ornaments that I have on the go would work. I have almost completed the Canadian Santas (hmmmm I probably need to update that as well) and I have the American Santas and Mrs. Santa to go. Yes, I think that will work! Will update as I go along.

As for Miss Cleo - well I will be taking her with me on a very long car trip once we return to the US. We are heading to Canada to visit with my parents, a drive of about 4 days one way. My father continues to have good days and bad days but he consistently asks when are we coming to visit. So we go.

Quilting? well naturally that will fall by the wayside. I will deliver the ones that I finished for my mother however. Whoopie! 

A busy 3 days ...

Since last blogging My husband and I have cycled the Katy Trail in Missouri, all 228miles of it. We had a great time; riding was great, weather was fantastic, photo ops superb, mets lots of neat people, and then raced the foul weather. Weather 1, Shirley & Danny 0  You can read all about it and see the photos at http://travelinduo.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-katy-according-to-danny.html
The colors were changing and by the time we were finished what we saw was

Today I finished up a marathon 3 days of sewing. I finished the 2 quilts for my mother and an UFO that I discovered in the closet above the bed.
Mom had asked me to quilt 2 quilts for her. I was given 2 sets of 12 cross stitched blocks, all different sizes. They are for 2 of her great granddaughters.



I decided to put them into a Friendship pattern because that would allow brightening colors that bring out the block without overwhelming it. Then I wanted them to be completely different. This is what I came up...

 sewing in cramped quarters

The UFO that I discovered in the closet was a Halloween table runner started in Panama. It got packed away unfinished and sat. The end panels needed to be quilted and then the whole thing bound. Here you go ...

Perfect and now ready to once again pack away! This time she goes into the Halloween box, not the UFO box. Love working with those jelly roll and cake cuts.

 When our friend came to visit us in Missouri I was able to persuade her to pick up and bring me my finished Enchanted Sleigh pillow. I was a little apprehensive about the color that I had chosen, but turns out it is a perfect shade for the pillow and the bedroom decor.

 sorry about the lack of lighting

As for Miss Cleo, well she is coming along slowly even though she has been on the back burner now for a time. And ... she will remain there for another month as we head off to Mexico. She is too big to take with us as a bus riding project. I will just have to find something else to do. Learn more SPanish maybe?????

Finally, I have finished my friend's Christmas gift. Now to get it to the finishers as well. They will take it up to the first of Dec to get it done before Christmas but I want to get it in right away for easier mailing.

Wow, I guess I really have done a bit of work here, all in between the bicycle riding, the hiking, the touristing, and the traveling. Somehow I think the next month will not be as productive - riding public transportation in Mexico, touristing areas that we haven't been in before.

Tah dah ...

Miss Cleo's personality

A little here and a little there, slowly the stitching continues as we attend various functions at the Escapees RV rally here in Sedalia, Missouri. It is amazing what can be accomplished in so little time.

As I continued with Miss Cleo's face, she continued to look like an alien ... whoa, I hope that is not her end personality.  You know, those huge bulgy eyes with a focal middle black iris area that so often frequented the sic-fi movies. What a shame that would be. The first of the three sections were completed - broken byzantine with 4 threads of Splendor.

I am learning how to use a laying tool but still can't get those darn threads to lay flat and untwisted at times. There must be a trick that I am not catching onto. My new tool:

Then the second of the three stages is completed - turn your canvas 90degrees and do the same broken byzantine. Then the third of three - fill spaces with a scotch block. All done with 4 threads of the same Splendor. Looking less and less like an alien but those eyes are still pretty focal. So next the eye outline and the mouth and nose. Wow, a true cat, not an alien as I thought.

Is that a smirk that I see? Is she making fun of me, when I have worked so hard to give her a personality before I continue on with her body?  Is it a "I told you so!" Aaah I get it, playful and full of mischief. I like that. She will lead me forth on a journey of discovery, enjoyment and relaxation. Ah what a time we will have, Missy Cleo and I ...

Oh yes, I promised no photo of me stitching but as my husband read my entry he got a gleam in his eye. He fumbled around a bit as I stitched and then called me. Ok, so I broke my promise, here it is, pj's and all, courtesy of my DH.

Miss Cleo

A milestone, the first of many, with my newly christened "Miss Cleo", Cleopatra's Cat, in that I finally finished all the outlining. Everything matched up. Wahoo!


I eagerly sought time to begin the actual filling in of the blanks. The instructions called for section A as the beginning block. This was the tip of her tail - very pretty when done too.

... lines of silver Kreinik first (you really can't see this), then satin stitching using a variegated floss, and finally a dark blue with colored highlights Kreinik in the cross stitches between the satin stitches and over the silver.

But oh she was so lacking in personality, in feeling, in, oh I don't know. Somehow she just wasn't there. So I asked myself, "What can I do to make her more alive?" Ah ha, how about giving her some eyes and at least a partial face. So I hunted through the instruction booklet and, wow, she didn't get her eyes and face until almost the end of the project. No way, she is getting them now. So I started in - first one, then the next. Yes they are talking to me. She has something there for sure, and it is starting to come out. Next I started on the face. Oh oh, this makes her look a little like something out of an alien-type movie. (using Splendor and a "broken Byzantine stitch" in 3 stages)

 

Still the eyes egg me on, as if to say "keep looking Shirley, there is more here than what is surfacing." So I will do just that! Keep tuned for her personality to show and a synopsis of the stitching.

I am learning how to use a laying tool with this project. IT is quite difficult to hold the canvas in the stretcher bars and still have a free hand for the laying tool while stitching with the other. I have the perfect solution - I sit in the Laz-y-boy and hold the bars with my knees. It is actually quite comfortable. There will NOT be a photo of that, I can assure you. LOL

Cleo's Cat Update

Mr. Rippitt has come to visit on more than one occasion as I get started on Cleo's Cat. I finally had to enlarge the pattern so that I could see where I was making my mistakes. All in all, I used up one whole skein of the dark navy with the mistake but am now going great guns as I sit in the evenings. It is a lot of fun and will be fabulous when finished - I just know it. It is bigger than I had in my mind but all the better. When finished it will sit in the front of the RV by the TV.

I am thinking that I will have to make a Mr. Rippit to come and sit by my chair so that I don't have to invite him any more. I have a quilting pattern that could be adapted to needlework, but only after Cleo is finished.

A replacement skein is on order.

The Saga of Cleopatra's Cat

In 2010 while in Panama, I came across a wonderful needlework project called Cleopatra’s Cat.  Tracking it down, I was informed that it actually was an American Needlewrk Guild’s (ANG’s) class and I would be able to get it through my local chapter ad a group project. Wel, as I was currently in Panama without a local guild I wrote to my online chapter. Yes it would be offered but not this year. Keep watching for it and no, the pattern can not be bought outright nor shared .

So I enjoyed the online chapter, joined in a coupe of other project events and then, word started to pop up now and then about a possible upcoming class. I wrote, I begged, I waited … finally it came up for late 2011. I immediately put my name down for it. Again I waited, I wrote, I waited, I wrote … finally it became apparent that due to internal issues, yes it is offered; yes, you are signed up; you shold get notification in January 2012.

By this time I am in Colombia, again waiting. January came on, no notification but a new Yahoo group is originated. Joined in as soon as I got the notice. Finally a bill comes through which is promptly paid. At this time I moved back to the USA and changed all my addresses so as to continue to receive the magazine and any ordered items. I wait … then low and behold, the class is to start in June and the instruction booklets should be mailed out shortly. I won’t be in the US due to holidays at the start time but it will all be there when I get back in. I have ordered the supplies and have them so just need the instructions.

Off I go to Europe, enjoying my holidays and reading the postings of the various people in the group receiving their packets. Oh boy, I can hardly contain myself with impatience.

Upon our arrival back in the US the last week of June, I coerce and cajole my DH into going immediately to pick up the mail. Bear in mind, that was a 4-hour drive each way. Needless to say he was non too happy about it “why don’t you just have them mail all the mail out?” “But that will take 4-5 days! So he gives in and off we go. Happily we retrieve the 6 weeks of mail and I literally paw through it looking for my instruction packet. IT’S NOT THERE!

When we get back, I write to the coordinator asking to where she sent it, hopefully to Livingston. A couple of days later, an email comes in, No, it was sent to your Miami address. Shocked and whining I return with “but that was closed in February. I don’t get any mail nor have any way of getting mail for that box. And probably it as been reassigned by now to someone else.” Not getting any where either a new booklet nor the authorization for a copy to be made, I pout and my mind goes ballistic.

Finally I look online. A couple of days of trying to access my old account – nada. Next I try and send an email – no account, no email allowed. Then I try for the chat – not available. Now we are talking days have gone by. Aaah let’s try a phone call to Miami. No I have to call Panama and here is the number. So I call Panama’s office and “there is another person now using that box and we have no idea if they received your packet. We don’t look at the names, only the box number.”  “Ok, so if I send you a note for these people, will you send it on to them for me without charging a delivery fee?” Nope, I have to pay the delivery fee but they will do as I request. She readily gives me her name to send the note to. So I write it and mail it off. I ask if they have it, and if they still have it can they please send it back to me in the US by FEDEX. I will pay the fees for this as I can get them from the office person in Panama City. Off goes the letter. I wait and wait and wait – finally a “yes, we have it and will send it back.” The person in Panama City says, “if they will bring it in, I will find out all the fees and costs, email you the amount, you can pay by credit card and then I will send it out per your requested mode.” Ok, a done deal! Again I wait and I wait, and I wait. Ah finally an amount is emailed and I call to pay by credit card.

I can see the end is in sight. But wait, they still have to bring it in to the city. Ok I can go with that!

And today, August 22, I pick up my mail, and YES there it is!   the instruction packet – WOW it is huge.

 my colorway and supplies

 the choices for the Christmas Cat on the opposite side of Cleopatra.

YEAH now I can get started!