How Could Hell Be Any Worse?

So after almost two weeks, my computer is finally over it's virus (I spent most of last night knocking on the fire starters at the grocery store - it's the best I could do). If you were wondering why the 12 Days ended half-way through, well, there you go. But I did finish!! In fact, I am happy to share that this piece will be flying to London for an exhibit at the Stitch and Craft show.


Started 8/2009 and completed 1/2011
13.5 inches square
Almost 13,000 stitches!

I was in a pretty bad spot when I started this. We had just lost Logan, I had just started the worst job I have ever had and I just wanted to take my mind off it. Plus I really felt the album title. I thought since Bad Religion was turning 30 in 2010, and so did I, this would be a great way to pay tribute and face the hard changes I was going through. So long later and things are better. Better is relative, but better then they were then. Here is a side-by-side with the other big punk piece I have done so far. The CD is just for scale.

The thing I learned most is that I don't want to stitch backgrounds. I think that's why my Obi-Wan project fell through and I have an idea to ride that walrus again. But that's another post.

I have always liked how stitches stand out against the fabric. It's not just a picture, you can feel it. I think by leaving out the red on this piece I can run my hands over it and feel the buildings, the windows...the whole scene. I lived in LA and I loved it. I can picture the actual skyline when I run my hands over the thread and in someways it takes me back.

There are other covers that I have planned and I have worked a major part of each piece to be blank. It's usually the largest solid color. One idea is the Groovie Ghoulies' World Contact Day. I would do that on light blue fabric so the sky does not need to be stitched. This creates a small contrast and gives the piece a true foreground/background. That's my thing, I guess.

Actually my thing right now is pancakes and screwdrivers. Which is why I am gonna have to wait to tell you about my new project. But let's just say I want to make my next project come off the fabric...!!!

12 Days of Hell: Day Five: How Could Hell Be Any Work?

Wholly S-H-I-T! It was a busy day. I got almost no sleep and stitched the entire time I was not soothing a congested toddler who can't sleep.

The best news is that I finished page 9 of 9! The bad news is I was reading ahead. I still have a few more pages to do. I think that when I finished the usual column I was working on on page 9 the remainder of it looked like it could go by pretty fast and it did. 13 hours fast.

I think this is where things are going to start getting interesting! Actually things may have already reached maximum interest. This is where things will continue to be mediocre!

12 Days of Hell: Day Four

After blocking out that little section I would say I have made some pretty good headway!

I have been listening to the album this morning (as well as the latest, Dissent of Man) and I am pumped to stitch today.

I have also come up with an idea for a smaller version of this for folks who may not want to spend all year stitching it. Of course I will have to stitch it again to show you so you still may not see it for another year anyway (I keep ALL the good shit behind the counter)!

I would love to sit and keep telling you about it but this thing is not going to stitch itself. I tried. I left it in a drawer for, like, three months and I think it actually took a block of stitches out as it counted the days! It also shanked my pincushion.

12 Days of Hell: Day Three

...and we're back. Yes, I know it's Sunday but I already lost two days this week (it's not like it was MY birthday).

So with the holiday schedule there has not been a lot of time to stitch but I wanted to start getting a sense that I am getting closer to the end then I am currently feeling. Instead of the usual 10x10 grid I usually work in, the first section is 16 stitches across. This is just because of where the chart ended on the page.

With the little time I have had I went ahead and did the shorter 4-stitch-across section from the next page (completing the 10 started by the 6 stitches on the last page). I also took it all the way down to the project bottom (yet another new page) and I think I will complete the entire boxed portion before going back and doing the bottom to the previous pages!

Anyway I gotta get going. I have a tea party to be at!

How Could A Little Inspiration Be Any Worse?

Oh christ, he's doing that again.

I mentioned in my last post some of the more personal stuff I have been dealing with lately and I have to admit I was feeling a bit disconnected from stitching as a whole. Partly as a joke, and partly trying to find, well, anything, I posted a request to the Facebook Fan Page. I just wanted to see what anyone else is working on and I don't know anyone local, I don't communicate with many people directly by email, so that left Facebook. Since I was not working on anything at the time it seemed like I could live through somebody's hard work, just not mine.

While the rest of you were busy counting stitches there was one response from facebook like-er(?) Carrie. She showed off her current piece which she is working on as a gift. But she said I could post a picture of it. Soooo...whoever is getting this likes Lady GaGa but doesn't read this blog? Really, Carrie, who are you associating with? Honestly though, I looked it up online and your piece is looking bad-ass! So everyone who likes Lady GaGa, has a friend named Carrie and is hoping this is for you, close your eyes.


Now, everything I know about Lady GaGa comes from the above picture and the songs my five-year-old sings me. But it seems to be exactly what I needed because I have since resumed work on my album cover project I started so long ago and kind of fell to the wayside.

So what was it? Someone working on something that reminded me of my work in progress? The neat blog/free charts/free char generator she turned me onto? Her overwhelming awesome? Probably a little of everything. What matters is the skyline is almost done and I can move down!


Now anyone who has been reading this blog since Monday when they got in line for the new Harry Potter flick can tell you I have been hitting the samplers pretty hard. And there is more to come! In the meantime go over to the Facebook Fan Page and talk or post pics of your big project, finished or in progress. As far as what I mean when I say big is I am hung like a tuna can whatever is big to you. Time, stitch count or final size (it matters, they're telling me). I'll be here all week, folks.

How Could A New Big Project Be Any Worse?

What with starting he new job and everything I know I kinda fell short on finishing my Obi-Wan project. He's not dead, not yet anyway. Just on hold. I took a break from all stitching when I started the new job and started again after Windy and I lost Logan.

That brings me to what I really am hoping will be a fun multi-piece project: Album Covers! When I am not stitching I am playing my guitar and singing my little songs so music has always been a part of me and has always helped me to get through the tough times. Losing Logan was no different. I am starting this project with the first album I listened to after everything had happened. Bad Religion's How Could Hell Be Any Worse? It's not my favorite BR album but with everything I was going through I was sitting here scrolling through my music library and the album title just hit me so hard and I listened to it over and over and over.

There are some other ones I am looking forward to doing, although I think they will be of various sizes. Certain albums will hit close to home on an emotional basis and some may just be albums I like. There may even be one or two that I think will just make cool projects.

So here is where I am at so far:
It's got a long way to go but once I finish the lettering it will go quicker. I am so in love with the red cloth too!