I JUST WANNA STITCH damn it!!

   So there I was in the shop on Saturday close to closing and this wave of  "I gotta stitch something tonight or I'm going to die .. I must stitch .. I must cross stitch" swept over me.  OK .. this is good.  I've been felting for way too long - it's time to get back to my 'true love' and what better time than when you really really WANT to stitch something!  So .. this is good .. there are designs I've wanted to do!

  Opened up the book drawers and pulled out Lizzie Kate's "Eek Boo Hiss".  We'd just gotten in the prefinished banners for these designs from Stitch A Gift and I have been in love with that crazy cat ever since the chart came in!  That's it .. I'm going to stitch "Hiss"!   Pulled the fibers .. cool!  Went to get fabric ... what?  I'm out of 30ct Chestnut??  Dug through all the fabric .. no chestnut to be found.  Put the fibers back. Put the chart back.

That's OK .. the one I've really wanted to do is The Trilogy's "Sneak Peek Halloween" series .. and part 2 has already been released.  Oh no .. we're out of the 32ct Lime Belfast linen that Debbie chose to do hers on .. and it's a really cool color and I just have to do this design on that Lime green.  Looked up at the shelves in the back .. there's Debbie's "Stash Box" .. and well well lookie here ... there's a piece of Lime Belfast cut just for this design peeking out at me!  Being the kind benevolent shop owner/boss that I am, rather than just take the fabric, I called Debbie at home and whined about wanting to use her fabric until she gave in and granted me permission to 'steal it' from her box . as long as I'd reorder it for her.  Yes, I will .. cross my heart and hope to die . I'll reorder it!!  So happy once again ... pulled the fibers and the embellishment pack for the design and then went to the book drawers .. GONE!  No Chart!!  Oh shoot .. that's right .. I'd just reordered it on Friday!  This is not going well.  I have to stitch tonight and it has to be something I really really want to stitch or else I won't finish it (I may not finish it anyway .. I have 'ending' problems), but ... it has to sing out to me!

OK .. last night just saw for the first time The Stitcherhood's "My Cauldron" design.  I was going to order it on Monday morning ... but now .. I want to stitch it NOW!!  What to do, what to do. Thinking that maybe I can get an idea, if I can find a picture big enough, of where to start stitching ... and yes, I know .. that's like SO illegal!  But I am going to buy the chart .. I just want to start stitching it tonight!  And feeling guilty as hell, went to The Stitcherhood's website ... where ... what to my wondering eyes does appear ... but a button to click on to purchase a down loadable pdf chart of "My Cauldron"!!!!  Saints be praised .. now I don't have to sin in a stitcher-y way (which I really would never ever do, honest, but I just wanted to stitch in the worst way and ... sigh!).  Pay Pal is my friend .. purchased the chart, printed it off, and ta da .. I'm happy!!!

Only two colors of DMC floss.  DMC floss?  I don't want to stitch with regular old floss, so I pulled the two colors and matched them up to GAST Gold Leaf and WDW Onyx.  Now, onto fabric.  WHITE?  What is it with designers stuck in a box with boring old fabrics .. I want color, I want some splash, I want to have stitching fun!  So, went to the 30ct hand-dyes to select my shade. Nothing to be had!  Honest .. Diana was standing there laughing at me, but also offering suggestions.  Nothing worked ... oh, some went with the Onyx with no problem, but the 'gold' was going to be my problem child.  And others that would have worked, I didn't have a piece the size I needed!

OK .. lets look at the 28ct hand-dyed fabrics.  Are the forces of the universe working against me?  Will I have to turn to felting forever after all and give up stitching ... at least for tonight and tomorrow???  Nothing to be found.  Diana said that she couldn't believe we didn't have a purple of some kind, and a light went off in my head!  Jobelan!  I have hand-dyed Jobelan and I wonder if Lavender Sunset would work?!   ICK   But then ... there it was .. it was like a little fabric epiphany ... Stormy Grey!  I've been wanting to do something on that fabric but hadn't found the design for it yet ... and laid the two colors out ... and THIS WOULD WORK!

Happily left the shop for the night and went home.

Had to start the design in the center as the fabric wasn't 'quite' the size it should be to give me 3" all the way around, and I didn't want to be off center so .. counted up and over and inserted the needle.  I'm having to stitch words.  Did the  OVER  then counted up to  RUNNETH  and stitched those letters.  Now, starting at the very end of the world   CAULDRON (since it had the least counting to do that way), stitched that word.
Then .. gave myself a break from black and started to stitch one of the swirls in gold.  THIS IS FUN!!!

Looked at the design Monday night ..... and apparently Christmas was on my mind, even though it's way too early for Christmas thoughts ... but  NO L!   The word said   CAUDRON.   See .. no   L!
I'm sure someone would notice that, so started pulling out the CAU.  I'll start remedial spelling again tonight and maybe this time actually LOOK at the chart ... and the fabric .. as I'm stitching.