OhSewCrafty Blog

This past month, I cross stitched, knitted, and finished a major framing project.  Last month, I mentioned making progress on Mask of Colors.  Nope, didn’t happen.  Another goal was to start a new project, and I did start Mirabilia’s Midsummer’s Night Fairy.  I blame her; that project was quite absorbing for a while.  After around 3 weeks on the scroll bars, the bottom half of the chart is mostly done. 

I had mentioned wanting to finish my knitting project, Iris (cardigan sweater), by the end of May.  That might have happened had I not spent a week knitting the second sleeve with the wrong size needle.  It was a subtle difference (US 2.5 v US 3) but it was working up signfiicantly smaller than the first sleeve which I knit back in 2011, so I frogged and started over on US 3’s.  

Last month:

 Now:

All the knitting is finished, finally.  There has been entirely too much frogging; I’m ready to move on to another project.  In addition to the sleeve, I also had to frog and reknit part of the left front, which I knit back in 2011, because it was too long.  Iris still needs ends woven, seaming, and buttons; hopefully I can accomplish that before the next full moon.

As for the framing, JE’s Seasonal Fairies now grace one of my stairways.  Each one is double matted differently with the same frame.  I had been collecting the framing materials for awhile, but I still needed a few mats.  I usually prefer to buy mats locally so I can pick the colors in person against the actual needlework, and I cut the mats on my Logan Compact.   I have been framing my own stuff for years and often the people at professional framing shops cop an attitude when I politely inform them that I do my own framing and want to buy mats only (or whatever component).  Some people won’t sell mats individually or they quote ridiculous prices.  I am informed, have learned the retail value of various mats, so I decline to do business with these folks.  Well, after visiting various art stores and framing shops, I finally chanced upon Framemasters in Merrifield (Fairfax, VA). This place is awesome!  They provide full service framing and also sell whatever components the DIY-er may need, individually.  They are friendly, professional, and the prices are fair!  They even jokingly offered me a job after they saw my lacing on the Spring Fairy.  

Question of the Month: Are you more productive with stitching in the summer or winter?  I’ll say summer, because when it’s truly hot I can’t bear to have a pile of knitting on my lap, even if it’s cotton.  But it really just depends of my mojo.  I’ve been known to crank out several summer sweaters (tees and tanks) during the season.  During the past few years, I’ve done way more stitching than knitting, year round.  But I’m starting to feel the pendulum swing back towards knitting.

For next month, I want to work on some Christmas cross stitch.  Summer weather isn’t exactly my fave- DC summers are entirely too hot and muggy for my taste.  Stitching Christmas stuff in the summer reminds me of one of my favorite times of the year.  Finishing Iris and at least 1 other old knitting project is a priority.  As for framing, I have all the materials for Unicorn Mystique stashed.  The prospect of cutting a double circular mat is a bit daunting.  But, I purchased a Logan 201 circular cutter and the time is nigh.