Help requested

It's been a while since I posted (and even longer since I read anyone's blogs), and I still have no stitching to share, but I'd like to ask your advice about something, if that's OK ...

I'm almost ready to start the Bordeaux Sampler with Carol - I've been drooling over this one ever since she mentioned it, and finally succumbed to the arm-twisting I'd been giving myself ... the VC silks have arrived, but now I'm struggling over my fabric choices. The chart calls for 36ct Magnolia Lakeside Linens, which according to the LL website is equivalent to DMC 3865 ... which according to another webside is also the equivalent to 36ct Antique White Edinborough linen. Aside from the fact I would have to buy a huge piece, and it's incredibly expensive, I'm also eager to start working on this very very soon, and don't want to wait for months for a hand-dyed fabbie to arrive (and the LL would be over US$40 plus postage!). The design is 131 stitches wide x 394 stitches high - if I include a 4" margin on each side, this makes the fabric needed to be 16" x 30" ... the stitching itself measures 8" x 22" ... hence my dilemma - I have sitting in my stash a piece of Edinburgh antique white linen that is 18" x 27" - if I use that it will mean a margin of only 2.5" on the top and bottom ... do you think that would be OK?? I really don't want to have to buy more if I can get away with it - and I was thinking I could add a small strip of calico to both ends, to help give more space for lacing/framing ... anyway, I'd love to know what you all think, before I commit myself to buying more fabbie :D

With actual stitching, I'm almost finished with both my exchange pieces, so that's my priority this week and weekend, along with my Batman logo for the charity quilt block, as the deadlines are next week for all of them! Hence part of the reason I've been avoiding blog reading etc - I'm trying to devote all my free time now to getting those finished. I thought I had plenty of time, but all of a sudden the deadline is around the corner without me realising it had snuck up on me! After those commitments are out the way, I still have two more exchanges to finish (scissors fob and mail art) - then I'd really love to catch up on my Bunnies in my Garden SAL piece, and was thinking I could take that with me to NZ during my visit in case I get chance to have some quiet stitching time in the evenings. All this talk of commitment stitching brings me to the SBQ's, as I forgot I hadn't answered the last one yet ...

19 April's SBQ was suggested by Jenna and is:

"Do you do obligation or deadline-based stitching? Why or why not? If you do, do you tend to get in over your head and why?"

I've only just started doing deadline-based stitching - by joining the SBEBB I thought it was a good chance to increase my confidence in stitching 'smalls', and a wonderful way to exchange stitched gifts with others. To say I've stitched a number of gifts for other people, my close friends don't stitch, so I've never received a stitched gift especially with me in mind in return - the first thing I've ever received that someone else has made was the Christmas ornie from Jenna last year, so it will always be treasured :) I've also been stitching my first charity quilt blocks for Quilts4Kids this year (3 finished and posted so far, with another one due this month, and two more I've signed up for over the next couple of months), as well as the panel of names for the World Trade Center charity quilt. I think in my enthusiasm for joining in with everything, I've definitely bitten off a bit more than I should have done in one hit - I'm dying to get back to my rotation, and find I can't until I've finished my deadlines. That's not to say I'm not enjoying doing my commitment stitching, it's just that I've found it hard juggling that and my own stitching mainly because everything seems to be due around the same time. With the next two charity quilt blocks, I've chosen projects more around the stitching deadline than around the actual theme, to give me a break. I've also added a charity block "slot" into my rotation for when I get back into it, so that I can stitch a block as part of my normal rotation - much easier to stick to the deadline that way. I'm also supposed to be doing a number of SAL's with the Yahoo Stitching Smalls group, but with all the other commitments happening, I've had to put my participation to one side, which is disappointing - hence in future I'll be more limited in what I sign up for! My problem at the moment is that I want to join in with everything, so I keep signing up ... then struggling to meet the deadlines 'cos I want to do everything else as well!!

Now I want to make a list of my actual commitment deadlines coming up - this is more for my own use and memory than anything else ... and it seems like the perfect place to jot it down - and that's not including the SAL's that I've committed myself to (at least one a month yikes!!):

* 12 May - Melanie's Exchange (SBEBB)
* 15 May - Biscornu Exchange (SBEBB)
* 15 May - Batman logo quilt block (Jordan B)
* 25 May - Scissors fob exchange (StitchNZ)
* 5 June - Mail Art Exchange (SBEBB)
* 22 June - final Christmas RR ornie (Ornaments RRBB)
* 1 July - Round Robin first posting (my first real RR)
* 15 July - Racing cars quilt block (Jay B)
* 15 August - Dragon quilt block (Caitlin R)

3 May's SBQ is:

"Do you or have you stitched with over-dyed threads? (Weeks Dye Works, The Gentle Art Sampler Threads, Six Strand Sweets, etc.) If so, what is your opinion concerning them? If not, why not?"

Yes, I've stitched with a number of overdyed threads, especially WDW, GAST, Needle Necessities and more recently Carrie's Threads - I love the look of overdyed threads in stitching, but I have to admit to not enjoying doing the actual stitching ... I don't like stitching every XS cross individually, as I find it slows me down considerably, but that's the only downside. It's interesting how each thread feels so different - I love the feel of Carrie's Threads and NN more than the WDW/GAST when I'm stitching with them. I've been using them quite a bit just lately with exchanges etc, and just love them to bits! :D

And just a little photo from my collection from a friend's wedding out by Bethell's Beach in the countryside of Auckland, New Zealand (seeing as I have no stitching piccies to share yet again - geez I'm getting boring LOL). Actually the weather in this photo matches our Melbourne weather today - grey, overcast and drizzly!