Keeping Track of All the Floss

I think we have all ascertained that I have a HUGE shopping addiction when it comes to cross stitch supplies. So it should be no surprise that I have EVERY SINGLE DMC floss in the regular colors. I haven't gone crazy with all of the Light Effects, Rayon and other fun niftiness out there...yet. Needless to say, I need to do a backward list of the colors I run out of. Boy, do I ever run out of colors!

Regardless of whether you are trying to organize what floss you do have or don't have, there are a couple of wonderful tools you can use to keep your colors and your sanity straight.

DMC has a chart that you can download and print that has the Light Effects, Satin Floss, and Variations. It's very nice and easy to print, fold and tuck away in your purse. There is nothing more exciting than being at a store and seeing the 5 for $1 sign down the needlwork aisle. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!

I just found a very cool color chart in the September 2009 Cross Stitcher magazine and it's absolutely wonderful! One side is DMC and the other is Anchor colors. I only use DMC floss, but it is nice to have both, just in case.

Naturally, I cut that bad boy out of the magazine and then had it laminated. It is now very brightly adorning the closet door in my stitching haven with little green "x" on the colors that I need to pick up at the store. I used a dry erase marker so I can wipe the "x's" off when I buy them. Next, I transfer the numbers into the Notes section of my phone. This way I always have it with me.

I could just put them in my phone and not worry about the chart, but I am very visual and if I don't have the chart reminder on my wall I will completely forget about the numbers in my phone. This way I have all my bases covered!

How do you keep your floss organized?

My Pride and Joy

These stitching scissors are my absolute pride and joy! My daughter, Jordyn, bought them for me about 12 years ago and I LOVE them. Not only are they stunningly beautiful, but they make such a nice crisp cut. Even after all of these years.

There was a brief moment where I thought they had been lost and I nearly "lost" it. I searched online to find another pair and couldn't for the life of me find anything that even resembled them. Thankfully, I had an epiphany and quickly knew which box to look in and there they were! Woo hoo!

I mean, I could go out and use a pair of plain Jane scissors, but why? When there are these pretty scissors out there. I am firm believer in having pretty things to use while I stitch! And having scissors that actually CUT! :)

The Little Things

Several months ago, Tony took the kids to Creative Hands to make some ceramic goodies. Lo and behold, my man made me a treasure chest! Of course, if I am going to have my very own treasure chest, I should have some treasure in it, don't you agree?

So along with my ribbon addiction, I also have a brad addiction! Of course, you have no idea how much fun it was dumping all of those little containers into my treasure chest! It was LOADS!

At first, I thought it would drive me nuts having to search through all of the brads just to find a "green flower", but it has become great fun! One that even the kids have gotten into. Garrett asks if he can help by findind the "perfect treasure" for my completed cross stitch card and he always comes out with a winner!

Sometimes it's not necessarily about being organized as much as it is about having fun!

Playing with Ribbon

I must confess I have an addiction. It's a terrible addiction that is costing me a bloody fortune. Ribbon. I have found that I LOVE ribbon. Little ribbon, big ribbon, sparkly ribbon, ribbon with polka dots, words and balloons. I love them all. Even when I try not to walk down the side of the store where the ribbon is stored, not just avoiding the actual aisle, but the entire SIDE of the store. If I even get a brief glimpse of ribbon I am done for!

It's quite a horrible addiction that I have going on here! Now that I have this massive stock pile of ribbon I needed to be able to display and easily get to it.

So I picked up a ton of candle votive holders for $.99 and a nifty stacking basket from Hobby Lobby and went to town! In the top basket are all of my "little" ribbons. I have them sectioned by color so I can see on top and on the side.

In the middle I picked up a bigger candle holder and placed a mirror underneath it. This way I can put the remnants of ribbon that I have in it and it l

ooks nifty!

The second rack is for the glass jars with flowers in them. Another confession: I have NO IDEA why I purchased them other than I thought they looked pretty. Ya, like I said, I have issues!

The third rack is home to the bigger ribbon. I absolutely love them. It's like a basket full of color and it definitely keeps me smiling!

Keeping Them Neat

I hate to iron. As a matter of fact, I don't even know where I have my iron at! Which is horrible when it comes down to when I have to smooth out the creases from my hoops or Q-Snap! I had to resort to having my fiance sit on my last project to help get them out! (Ya, it was bad!)

That's when my mom recommended that I pick up a mini craft iron. Um, hello! I didn't even know those existed! It's so tiny and so darn cute! It is PERFECT for gently ironing out the creases and doesn't affect the special threads or the beads. It is wonderful!!!

I found it at Joann's and with the 50% coupon I had, it only cost me $5.00. Woo hoo! Talk about a cheap thrill.

Circle of Friends

I absolutely love coming into my little stitching haven, listening to Josh Groban or Loreena McKennitt on my Zune, and just chilling out with my cross stitch. No worries, no little people, no one bothering me for a snack, just me and my needle. However, sometimes it's nice to sit with like-minded women and just enjoy being friends.

For the last couple of months, my mother, Laura and I have been meeting up every Monday night for our "Circle of Friends" night. We head on over to my mom's house, eat yummy little snackies, giggle and laugh to our little hearts content and sew....or knit! It is absolutely wonderful! My father hides himself away from all of the laughter and we get an hour and a half of fun and silliness.

My mother sits and knits dish cloths, I think she is up to number 9 now.

Laura is working on the Lady in the Mist by Mirabilia.

Recently, I have been sewing my little fingers off on my daughters invitations.

It's nice to have the company, to talk about little tips we come across to help us in our sewing endeavors, and to get away from the worries around us.

I must commend Laura on her ability to work on such a complicated piece with my mother and I yucking it up around her! There is no way I could do something like that during our Circle of Friends night! I would totally lose my place and swear up a blue streak! For me, the littler projects are so much easier to manage in between the stories and laughs.

I highly recommend finding some of crafty friends and see about putting together your own Circle of Friends night. You can also check out websites like www.MeetUp.com

There is no reason why you can't be surrounded by the two things you love in life!

Happy Stitching!

Jazzing Up Your Stitching

Blending filament can be an absolute ball to play with! Just because a chart doesn't call for the use of blending filament doesn't mean you don't have to use it. For example, I recently did a card up for my dad with fish and the background had water and coral. I wanted to give it a bit of pizzazz so I used two strands of blending filament mixed in with the blue of the background water. Talk about a HUGE effect!

I could have just used one strand, but I thought the two strands would give it a lot more sparkle.

Currently, I am working on a card with a balloon and there are ribbons streaming from it. So I figured a simple little addition of blending filament is in order! Especially now that I have found the Accentuate blending filaments. It's easy to use and easy to thread. :)

I can't wait to add it to a slew of other projects!

Water.

Clouds.

Ribbons.

Stars.

Twinkle in an eye, perhaps!

Happy Stitching!