Organizing my stash on a saturday night.

First of all. I am a Virgo and I LOVE to organize stuff. Especially my stash. So when I got the cabinet from my parents, my mind went overdrive and I immediately started thinking about how I wanted to organize my stash in it. Yesterday I worked for a couple of hours and then I went home and measured the drawers, the shelves and everything and then I headed to IKEA the temple of organization. Off course I found everything I needed there for a reasonable price. Then I went home and started the whole thing. I loved it!

I decided to share pictures of the whole thing with you guys. I don’t know about you, but I really love looking at other peoples stash :o) All the photos are clickable for a larger view.

Left side of cabinet. 1st box on the top shelf contains projects that have been started, mosty UFO’s, the small box next to it contains my glue gun and extra glue for it.

1st box on the middle shelf contains kits that have not been started, the small box next to it contains all my Mill Hill kits that have not been started.
Big white box in the bottom shelf contains 32ct fabrics. The small box next to it contains 36ct fabrics and higher.

1st drawer. Contains ribbons, cording, felt, lace, pins, and accessorie packs for various projects and my tacky bob.

2nd drawer. Contains various threads.

3rd drawer. Also contains threads, buttons, various beads, scissors etc.

4th drawer. Contains various beads, finishing forms, charms, buttons, tins etc.

Right side of cabinet. 1st box on the top shelf contains kits that have not been started, the box next to it contains quilting fabrics meant for finishing. Next to it are q-snaps and other frames.

1st box on the middle shelf contains finished projects that need to be finished into something. Next to it are some frames.
Big white box contains 28ct fabrics. Next to it are some cardboard boxes.

 

That’s it. My charts and DMC floss are stored somewhere else, just next to the cabinet. The DMC is wound on bobbins and in plastic containers and the charts are in two boxes next to it. I also have some Connect-a-boxes for my beads that I am going to add to the cabinet as soon as I get the properly organized. So,  how do you store your stash? Any pictures you can share? :o)

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  Today’s SBQ was suggested by Dani and is:

Have you ever thought of getting a rider on your household insurance to properly cover your stash (some of us have quite an extensive stash that an average household policy wouldn’t fully cover) in the case of some sort of damage to your house that would destroy/ruin charts, fabrics, floss, etc?

 

I have thought about it yes, but never actually done anything about it. Thanks for this question Dani. I need to call my insurance company next week and see what they say about this.

SBQ July 19th 2007

  Today’s SBQ was suggested by Ish and is: Which project (finished or in progress) are you most proud of? Explain why.

Oh that is an easy one. I am most proud of the biscornu I designed and stitched and was featured in TGOSM. Why? Well, because it is my baby. It is mine from start to finish, with help from my stitching friend Erla Björk who stitched one part of the biscornu since I was running out of time to finish it. It was my first “real” piece that I designed and it got featured in a great magazine.

I am also very fond of The Quiltmaker that I stitched and gave to my mothers friend who is a quilter. I changed the colors and I think it turned out better than the original color version. Just my own opinion, I thought that the blue was too dark, and the lady that I stitched it for is more green than blue. I also changed the blue in the girls dress to bright blue colors and think it came out great. It was my first attemt in major colorchanges and I am very pleased with the outcome.

SBQ, Redwork and fabrics!

First of all, I got a wonderful package yesterday in the mail from Sesselja for the Redwork exchange in Allt í Kross (my Icelandic stitching group). She sent me a cute scissor fob and I really like it :o)

Other side:

Thank you Sesselja!
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And I went today durring my lunch hour and bought fabric for the finishing part of the Redwork Exchange. I couldn’t decide what I wanted so I bought different fabrics that will come in handy for future finishing adventures. The background is the linen I used for the stitching. Aren’t they pretty?

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Today’s SBQ was suggested by Ish and is:
How do you choose a project for an exchange? Do you pick solely on what you know of the taste of the recipient or are there other reasons you pick the piece you do?

I try to pick something that I know that the recipient will like and that I know I will enjoy stitching and making for them. I usually have a hard time picking out what I want to do because I always want to make so many things! LOL! But I have been quite happy with what I have made so far for exchanges and hope that the recipients have enjoyed my stitching also.

Two in one – SBQ

  May 2nd 2007 – Today’s SBQ was suggested Kathryn and is:

How many WIPs do you have? How many UFOs do you have? When does a WIP become a UFO?

Oh lord. I have no clue. I think I would say my current WIPs are about 10 (including exchanges and gifts) and UFOs are around the same number, or rather somewhere between 5 – 10. A WIP becomes a UFO when I stop working on it completely for about hmmm, 3-6 months. I usually finish everything I start, I don’t think I have that many UFOs compared to how long I have been stitching and all the finished projects I have done 🙂

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April 19th 2007 – Today’s SBQ was suggested Danielle and is:

Are you on “The Wagon?” If so, how long have you been on and how “serious” are you about it? If not, have you considered it?

Seriously… I talked about going on the wagon after my last order, but I have been bad already! I ordered 3 charts the other day from this site (warning, warning, it is dangerous! STASH enabling!!!!!!) And I keep finding more stuff that I like and I am just a very bad wagon rider So I guess I will not go on the wagon again unless I am serious about it. I am going to go through my stash soon (hopefully this weekend) and make an ‘Up For Grabs’ page here on my blog and see if I can find new and loving homes for some of the things that I want to find new homes for 🙂

Hello there!

Seems like I haven’t updated in ages. Well, I have a good excuse, work has been very busy and I have not been stitching much. I do not have an update on Fairy Grandmother because I haven’t put a single stitch in her since I updated last week. I have been stitching on a needleroll for an exchange so I can’t share pictures yet. It is almost done so I will probably send it off sometime next week. The mailing date isn’t until May 15th but I like being done with it sooner. I also have a Redwork exchange coming up with the same mailout date so it is good to get one thing done in time :o)

I can share one picture though. I got my order from Stitches’n Things this week.

I got some perle cotton that I need for a project and some Kreinik Silk Mori. And French Country Cat, Roosted and Love from JBW designs.
I have one more order coming in soon with some 36ct fabric for Spot of Winter, Summer, Spring and Autumn by The Drawn Thread, and then I am thinking about going on the wagon for a while. I have so much stash. Only exception would be buying floss if I run out of a color. Not very likely since I am well stocked in DMC, at least for now :o) But even if I am on the wagon it doesn’t mean that you can’t send me stuff. LOL!

Oh, I just got some materials to make another biscornu for my friend Linda in Texas. She also sent me lots of extra fabric and a whole bunch of floss for my friend Rósa who was running out on lots of DMC colors.

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Today’s SBQ was suggested Cindy and is:

Do you have a system for organizing freebie charts in your stash? If
so, what is it? Do you print out copies of all of the freebies that
you find on the web (that you think you might actually stitch) or do
you maintain electronic copies of them until you are ready to stitch them?

I have loads printed out and in folders categorized by theme. I also have a HUGE folder on my computer with free charts from the web. I save everything in it that calls out to me and then I go through it every once in a while and throw out the onese that I know I will never stitch. I have one folder of the onese that I really really want to do and the others I break up into other folders by designer/project/theme.

SBQ

Today’s SBQ is:

Do you use your needle, a seam ripper, or something else when you have
to frog stitches? Why do you use the method that you do?

I use my needle and scissors usually. I have used a seam ripper on aida but I am to afraid to ruin something if I use it on linen or evenweave. I use it because it doesn’t damage the fabric and it is easy. Once I have frogged some stitches with my needle I cut the thread with my scissors so it doesn’t tangle. Works for me 🙂

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What a fitting question! Last night I had to frog a whole bunch on Fairy Grandmother since I used the wrong DMC color. Actually I used one of the right ones. What I had stitched was supposed to be stitched using one thread of DMC B5200 and one thread of DMC 3747 but I only used DMC5200 So I frogged it. I am going to restitch it tonight and then post a picture of her. I don’t know why I haven’t worked on her for such a long time. I have missed her and she is a joy to stitch.

SBQ

 Today’s SBQ was suggested by Danielle and is:
Do you find yourself stitching faster when you are getting to the end
of a design?

Sometimes yes. The feeling of getting something finished is so amazing. Especially if you are stitching a large design. Sometimes when I am already bored with the design, I drag the finishing part on forever it seems. But most of the times, I get some extra energy when I am getting close to being done 🙂

And since I didn’t do the SBQ last week, we get a double doze today.

Today’s SBQ was suggested by Kathryn and is:
What is the smallest count fabric you have ever used? Did you stitch
over one? Conversely, what is the largest count fabric you have ever used?

The smallest is 38ct. But I have also done one over one stitching on 28ct. The largest would be the waste canvas I was using over the weekend, that was 10ct.

SBQ and lack of blogging

It has been more than a week since my last post. Since my promotion at my job I have been so tired that I have hardly stitched at all! That sucks, but I need my rest also I guess. I am going to try to make up for it this weekend. I am going to finish at least 2 biscornus that have been started but not finished. One just needs to be put together and on the other one I have done about 2/3rds of the stitching and then I need to put it together.

I also plan on going to a birthday party on Sunday. That is if my daughter Karítas isn’t getting sick. She has had a runny nose and a cough for the past 2 days but seems to be feeling fine otherwise. So I am crossing my fingers that she will not get sick over the weekend. That would be typical though. I have also invited my parents over for dinner on Sunday night. I am going to make my Mexican Chicken Lasagne for us. I love that dish, it is one of my favorites. I also need to clean house and do some laundry this weekend, just like every other weekend. It never stops, does it?
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Today’s SBQ is:

Do you like to buy “chartpacks” that include charms, buttons, and/or beads or do you prefer to gather all materials yourself?

Can I say both? For some projects it is only possible to get a chartpack, but for some you are able to gather the materials yourself. I like shopping around for materials and trying to find the best deals for them. So whenever that is possible, I try to do so. I do buy chartpacks when I am in a hurry to start something or if it is the only thing available at the time.

SBQ and another biscornu order.

 Today’s SBQ was suggested by Danielle and is:
 Have you ever been to a stitching retreat?

Yes I have actually! I went last year to a stitching retreat that was held by my friend Tracy in Texas. There I met Brenda, Tracy, Sandy, Linda and Andrea that have all been with me in an online stitching group on Yahoo! since 2000. They hold a stitching retreat every year (or at least try to) and this was the first time I was able to make it. I had a wonderful time and Tracy and Ron are such amazing hosts. It was wonderful to finally meet the ladies I had been talking to online all those years! I wish I could go again this year but I can not afford it. One day I am going back though, maybe 2008 or 2009 :o)

The permalink to this post.

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I got materials in the mail from Brenda for another biscornu. She picked out 32ct Ice Blue Lugana and GAST thread called Blue Jay for it and I think it will turn out beautiful. I have found 2 patterns that I want to use so now I think I will just toss a coin and make a start on it tonight hopefully. I need to do some housecleaning though, but nothing major.

SBQ!

I haven’t done these in forever, so I decided to start doing them again to get me in the blogging and stitching mode again. I have missed my blogging friends a lot so this is my attempt to get myself back into the swing of things. So here goes!

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Today’s SBQ is: How do you secure your thread when you begin a new one? Specifically,do you or have you ever used a waste knot?

The permalink to this post is: http://blondelibrar ian.net/stitchin g/archives/ 2006/11/to- knot-or-not/

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I usually always use the loop method. I find it easiest and neatest. If I do not use the loop method, like when I am using overdyed floss or one strand of floss, I lay a little piece of the thread to the back and stitch over it. I never use knots on my work, well, with the exceptions of french knots 😉