Hoops, scroll bars and lapstands, oh my!!

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I love using the embroidery hoop for my stitching.  I've tried all the different hoop sizes out there and have come to the decision that my favorite size is the 5 inch diameter. 

I've seen pictures on other's blogs where they use the scroll bars or the Q-snap, but I don't know if my wrist can handle holding something so big for so long!  Then the idea of having a lapstand that holds my hoop comes to mind, but part of why I like my little 5 inch hoop is that I often like to turn it to the back and make sure my back stitches are lining up nicely.

I also don't like the idea of spending hundreds of dollars just to find something to hold my material!!
I'd love to hear what others are using or doing with their stitching!

I was able to get a little stitching time in over the past few nights.  Here's my progress:

10/05/2011 - Filling in all the white and gold.  It's difficult to tell, but the birds on her kimono are either white or gold and I left that stitching for the end.  The flowers by her right shoulder are also white and need to be complete.

I didn't get as much done as I hoped, but a little progress is still progress.  I left the white and gold stitching for last because I didn't want the white thread to get dirty and I didn't want the gold thread to get any kinks in it from having the hoop clasped over it.  You can see the history of this work here.

I also wanted to share how much I'm enjoying having my blog!! I'd like to thank Cross Stitch Queen from Between the Stitches and Carolyn from Taking one stitch at a time. I appreciate that they took a moment of their day to post a comment that inspired me to want to blog and stitch more!!  Thank you!!

Carolyn is also having a giveaway - Happy BOO 2 U!  You can enter here. The giveway ends this Friday, October 7th so you have a little bit of time to join! 

Now that I've found such interesting blogs to read, when will I find time to stitch?   :)

Happy stitching (and frogging if you're like me)!!


-lesli

Gridding

Happy Tuesday!  I am LOVING this fall weather in Florida!!  It probably won't last long, so I'll need to enjoy it while I can.  Another week of work, but also another week to stitch........
As I'm wrapping up the project I'm working on, I'm getting the itch to start my new one!  To pacify myself, I'm getting things "prepped" on my Angel of Hope work, so I'll have it all ready to go!


One of the things I'm prepping are....Gridlines!!!    I've never used them on my work before, but from what I've read they come in handy and help decrease mistakes and frogging.


I've seen other's post their WIP pictures with gridlines, some are drawn with non-permanent marker and others mark theirs with thread. 
I wonder if there are other ways out there I haven't come across?
I decided to go with using thread.  I'm sewing a 6-up and 4-down pattern, to create my 10-count squares.  It's a grueling process so far, but if it pays off in the end I'll be happy!!


Here's what my work looks like so far:

Hoping to get some stitching time in today after work!




p.s. - I have 1 follower!!  Love my hubby!  :)


-lesli

Debut

Hello Blogger-land!


I've spent the last few years following other's blogs and always thinking to myself, "I'd like to do something like that one day."  But everytime I'd start it up, I'd talk myself out of it..... mumbling something about not having enough time and worrying about starting something that I can't commit to.


Now I'm telling myself....who cares!?  :)   


So what if I start it and only post once a month, or once every two months?  So what if no one follows me?


Anyway....this gets us to my debut post.....  TA-DA!!  I DID IT!!


As my "about me" blurb states, I'm married to the most wonderful hubby and I have two absolutely beautiful children.  I work a full-time job during the day, but when I can find the time, I love to work on my craft projects.  Lately my focus has been on cross stitching and since I've committed myself to a few works as holiday gifts, these will be what I'll be doing for the remainder of this year.


Why the title "Fabulous Frogger" you ask?  The "F"-word for stitchers....FROGGING!!  I find I do it more often than I probably should, so why not just put it out there?   (for anyone who doesn't know what frogging means in stitchers terms, it's basically when you've miscounted or made a mistake on your work and you need to un-do it, or "rip-it, rip-it"...get it?  rip-it ...ribbit?)   


I plan to post my WIP (works in progress) tomorrow....I'm just proud of myself to finally get this started.


So there you have it.


My Blog!




-lesli