First quadrant of Celestial Dragon - FINISHED!

Well, THAT took awhile - but here's a pic!

"Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler - first quadrant finished!

I am going to work on the bottom right quadrant next.  It only took me a year to finish this one...

I also finished a fluffy afghan for one of my pregnant lady friends!  It is slightly less square than it should be, but hopefully some blocking will tighten up the corners.

Is anybody else working on any fun projects this weekend?  Please share if you are!

Oh, and thank you to everyone who left such nice comments on my Fair Isle piece - I appreciate your encouragement!  It's always nice to know people are popping in here to look.  :)

Have a great weekend!

-Erin

My First Venture into Fair Isle Knitting

Hello, readers!

Things have settled down in my Etsy shop lately (phew), so I have been taking advantage of the lull to work on some "for fun" knitting projects.  My officemate, Jassia, gave me some lovely dusty blue Debbie Bliss cashmerino yarn for a Christmas present, and I coincidentally had most of a whole skein of gray (also Debbie Bliss cashmerino!) left from  a brain hat, so I decided I would put them together and try my hand at Fair Isle knitting.  It is surprisingly easy!  I am knitting the Fair Isle Hat from Lion Brand Yarn's free pattern database, and it is going quite quickly.  I have finished row 13 of the pattern:

Fair Isle hat - my first attempt at this technique!

I am going to try to have this hat finished by the end of this coming weekend.  I really like it!  The yarn and the pattern are both gorgeous.

I also have quite a few pregnant lady friends (congratulations!), so I have been knitting baby gifts for them.  I would post photos, but then it would spoil the surprise!  I will just tell you that I have so much lavender, pink, and white yarn in my apartment, it looks like the Barbie aisle of a toy store after a bomb hit it.

And, last but not least, a bit of stitching...

I finished my first model sampler for Deb at The Stitching Bear, so as soon as it is published (March 4), I will post a lovely picture of it here!  She is sending me another piece to work on soon - it is from her "God and Chocolate" collection.  I can't wait to get started!  It sounds delightful.

That is it for my quick update - I have a busy day in lab today and have class this afternoon, but I will be in touch!  Thank you for stopping by!

Cheers,
-Erin

Updates on WIPs

Happy Tuesday, readers!

I have been a busy bee, as usual.  I wanted to update you guys on everything I have been working on lately (hint: it is a LOT!).  I have been getting back into cross stitching as well as maintaining my knitting workload - the benefit to knitting being that I can do it on the train on the way to and from work without looking like that crazy lady sitting in the corner, sewing, pants speckled with cat hair.  :-)

So, without further ado...

1.) "Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

"Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

The cross stitches in this quadrant are almost finished - I just need to fill in some more turquoises and yellows.  It is such a lovely piece!  The picture really doesn't do it justice - there is so much SPARKLE in it due to all of the blending filament.  I will make sure to get some great macro shots once it is finished and beaded to really show off all of the bling.  I should have it finished in, oh, about three years at this rate.  :)

2.) "Wise Owl" from "Hold that Thought Bookmarks" by Sandy Orton

"Wise Owl" from "Hold that Thought Bookmarks" by Sandy Orton

I am stitching this one again because my fiancé bought the pillow ornament from my shop and now has it hanging in his apartment in Houston, and I have been meaning to re-stitch him for a while to restock.  I found a tiny little whitewashed white frame at Goodwill that will be the perfect size for him!  I will be sure to post pictures once he is framed and mounted.  You can never have too many owls sitting around!

3.) Knit dishcloth in "Playful Plaid" pattern

Knit dishcloth in "Playful Plaid" pattern

This pattern is a variation on the traditional ball band dishcloth pattern.  The plaid pattern is created by wrapping the yarn around the needle three times and then dropping the stitches in the next row, then you slip the loops in the next six rows thereafter.  It is a lot easier than it looks!  You can find the pattern over at Ribbed for Your Pleasure.  For this piece, I used Sugar 'n Cream cotton yarn in Sunshine (MC) and Batik (CC) on size 8 US needles, and I really like how it turned out.

4.) Cashmere brain hat - now with improved packaging!

Cashmere brain hat - wrapped to look like a surgical pack

I have been knitting these brain hats since about November now (this was my twelfth one), and the buyer for this one is a human (MD) neurologist (I have to clarify, because I know more veterinary neurologists than I do human ones).  He requested that I knit his hat in cashmere yarn, so I knit it using Debbie Bliss's Cashmerino Aran yarn in silver.  While I was packaging it up for the mail last night, I had a great idea - I would wrap it like a sterile surgical pack!  I used tissue paper instead of surgical draping, of course, and I borrowed two strips of autoclave tape from our stockroom and filled in the indicator lines with a Sharpie (autoclave tape turns black under sterilizing heat and temperature conditions, so you know that whatever you autoclave is sterile until you open it).  I hope he appreciates the humor - I think I am going to wrap all of my brain hats like this in the future!

I had some yarn left over from the brain hat, and coincidentally, my officemate also got me another skein of the same kind of yarn in a different color (dusty blue) as a Christmas gift, so I am going to be working on learning Fair Isle knitting so I can knit myself a two-color cashmere hat!  Stay tuned for pics of that project - hopefully I can finish it before spring!

I also have a lovely little pink pair of baby mittens that I am working on getting ready for my Etsy shop (because God knows I have enough pink yarn in my stash from those brain hats).  :)

So... there you have it - a little peek into my WIPs and a couple of knitting finishes!  I hope you enjoyed it.  Thanks for stopping by and for all of your wonderful comments - I hope my new readers are enjoying my blog!

Cheers,
-Erin

P.S.  If you have a minute, go check out Heather's Stitching Story - Heather is having a giveaway for some wonderful Little House/Country Cottage Needleworks patterns!  Country Cottage Needleworks is the company that published the pattern for "A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman, which I finished back in October.

Finished - First Christmas Ornament of 2012! Scarlet and Gray Christmas Ornament

Well, readers, I have been busy, busy, busy!

I have stitched Teresa Wentzler's Byzantine Ornaments in the past before, but I wanted to be able to sell Christmas ornaments this year, so I decided to make my own design.  I made up a little pattern that is inspired by TW's designs, but I used a completely different shape, added some new stitches, changed the colors, and added more sparkly beads!  I wanted to stitch something in scarlet and gray/silver, because my tree is all decorated in red and silver, and because I am a double-degree graduate and HUGE fan of The Ohio State University (Go Bucks!).  TW's ornaments are all gold, so that really isn't the best option for my tree.  So... here is the result!

Scarlet and Gray Christmas Ornament, designed and stitched by Erin Turowski

Close-up of center motif - squares edged with buttonhole stitching

Close-up of border motif - satin-stitched diamonds

Scarlet and Gray Christmas Ornament (reverse) - backed with gray felt

Scarlet and Gray Christmas Ornament, hanging on my Christmas tree!

 I am quite happy with how this turned out!  It is a very sparkly and shiny little ornament.  It measures 3" x 3" (7.6 cm x 7.6 cm) square.  I stitched it using DMC embroidery floss and accented it with Kreinik silver cording and Mill Hill seed beads.  It is stitched on white 28-count Monaco fabric, and I covered the back with gray felt and trimmed the sides with shiny silver polyester/nylon cord trim.  It is stuffed with a few pieces of polyester fiberfill.  To make the ornament, I used the technique I explained in my Pillow Ornament Tutorial a few months ago.

I also want to stitch these ornaments in different colors (purple and silver, blue and silver, and a few variations of gold), but I just wanted to finish one so I could see how this pattern turns out.  I will probably still stitch a few of TW's Byzantine ornaments this year for gifts, too, but I am really proud of my creation.  :)  If you want to bring one home for your tree or give one as a gift, check out my Etsy shop!  I take custom color requests, too.

I have also been working on Celestial Dragon - here is a photo update!

"Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

It is really slow going, but this piece is gorgeous, so it's worth it.  (As you may be able to tell, I am a sucker for sparkly things.)

I also FINALLY found some white frames for a couple of un-framed Christmas cross stitch pieces I have laying around, so I will be mounting and framing those soon.

So... does anyone else have any fun Christmas projects they are working on?  If you do, please comment below and leave a link to your blog/Flickr/Etsy/whatever - I would love to see what my readers are up to!

Cheers - and have an awesome day!

-Erin

Quick weekend trip to Tucson, AZ - for a Western wedding!

Hello, readers!  I hope you had a great weekend.  Here is what I have been doing – it has been a trip!

I have been traveling SO MUCH lately.  This weekend, I went on a quick (Friday-Sunday) trip to Arizona for my aunt’s wedding.  My fiancé was supposed to meet me in Tucson, but unfortunately, his flight was cancelled because AA is having labor issues with its pilots.  :(  It was still good to see my parents and my sister, though!  :) It was such a beautiful ceremony – my aunt and her new husband held the ceremony at his stepmother’s house.  The wedding was country Western-themed, so all of the wedding party wore vests, denim, and cowboy boots.  The happy couple got married standing on a platform overlooking the lagoon-style swimming pool amidst a background of desert, mountains, and saguaro cacti.  Here is one of my favorite shots from the ceremony:

My aunt's country Western-themed wedding in Tucson, AZ

So, now, I am sitting in the Detroit airport waiting for my flight back to Boston.  I have been quite busy stitching, of course.  “A Day at the Beach” is coming along very quickly – I only have two panels left to stitch.  Here is a shot of how it is coming:

"A Day at the Beach" - only two panels left!

I am going to try to finish it in the next week or so!  It will be nice to get my last summer piece out of the way so I can get started on Christmas projects.

I have been trying a new thread organization trick lately.  See, one of the things I hate most about needlework is continually threading needles and winding thread bits back onto bobbins when I switch colors – especially when tweeding or metallic threads are used.  I have been trying instead to keep a stock of needles pre-threaded with each of colors I use.  I store the needles in a scrap piece of fabric, and I label the scrap with the name/number and symbol of each of the thread colors.  Here is what I mean:

New needlework trick - keep one needle pre-threaded for each color

Label the colors with their chart symbols

I also found these cute little plastic organizers at Michaels.  They are just the perfect size to hold about 9 or 10 floss bobbins, and they are great for traveling with your projects!  I think they were about 3 for $4 or something.  They are very sturdy and snap tightly closed!

Tiny little floss bobbin container!  So cute, and perfect for traveling.

Finally, I have one last bit of good news.  On Friday, I presented my thesis project proposal and passed my oral qualification exam for my PhD!  This means that my advisor is officially committing to fund my research until I am done with my degree.  I am going to be studying gene mutations in liver and colon tumors in mice.  It is a HUGE relief to have the proposal out of the way, and I am looking forward to having a little less stress in my life, at least until the research picks up.

Thanks for stopping by and for your very thoughtful comments!  I really appreciate the time you take to let me know what you think.

-Erin

Freebie Friday - Mini Apple Cross Stitch Pattern

Hello, readers!  It has been awhile since I posted a free pattern for everyone, so here is a shiny, bright red apple!  It can either be stitched with or without the script at the top.

Free apple cross stitch pattern. For personal use only.  (c) Erin E. Turowski, 2012.

Key (DMC colors):
+     320
E     829
X    349
*     350
-      blanc

Stitch all cross stitches using two strands.  For "Apple" writing, use 1 strand DMC 349.

Finished size (14-count): 1.07" (2.7 cm) wide x 1.5" (3.8 cm) tall

Also, I have been stitching along on "A Day at the Beach."  I have finished the center panel and have started on the beach house on the left side of the pattern.  Here is a picture:

"A Day at the Beach" - coming along nicely

My plan is to do a fair amount of stitching this weekend, so I should have another update for you early next week!  Have a fantastic weekend - and thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Cheers,
Erin

Finished - Christmas on the Beach!

Hello, readers!

I have just returned from a stitching trip.  My fiancé and I took a semi-impromptu trip to San Diego, so I had a chance to get some stitching done on the plane.  Good news - I finally finished "Christmas on the Beach!" Here is a photo:

"Christmas on the Beach"

Sometimes, I have mixed feelings after I backstitch something, but in this case, the backstitching really makes the details pop - especially the presents and the ornaments on the tree.  I am really happy with this finished piece!  :)  Now, I just have to motivate myself to frame it so I don't have so many loose seashells sitting around my apartment.

I also made some progress on another beach-themed piece, "A Day at the Beach."  I feel like the last rose of summer trying to finish these things in September, but this one is really cute, and I really like the hand-dyed thread in it.

"A Day at the Beach"

I am making headway on the center panel.  Here is a peek at the model:

"A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman

This pattern uses Crescent Colours hand-dyed floss in Blueberry Tart (blue), Peanut Brittle (tan), and Poblano Pepper (green).  This floss is so smooth - it really glides through the fabric, and there is a bit of an ombre character to the fibers.  Plus, it's from New Albany, Ohio - just on the outskirts of my old stomping grounds in Columbus!  The colors in the picture below aren't the ones in this piece, but the picture shows some of the pretty colors in which you can order this floss.  I think I bought it for about $2.00/skein (5 yards) from Stoney Creek's website.

Crescent Colors hand-dyed embroidery floss

And, to bid you farewell for this entry, here are some photos from my travels to California!

The Lodge at Torrey Pines - La Jolla, California

The Lodge at Torrey Pines - La Jolla, California

The nature preserve at Torrey Pines

The nature preserve at Torrey Pines

Beach - La Jolla, California

Snail on a plant leaf - Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado, California

Western fence lizard - La Jolla, California

Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments - take care!

-Erin

Back after a looooooong break!

Hello, readers!  First, my sincerest apologies: it has been approximately one month since I last updated.  I have been super busy!  I have been spending a TON of time working on my thesis proposal, and it has literally sucked the life out of me.  I have been stitching, but not blogging!  So, here is a long overdue update.

First of all, I spent a week in Kiawah Island, South Carolina with my fiancé and his two daughters.  We stayed at a lovely beach resort.  I stitched, I sunbathed, and I RESCUED BABY TURTLES!  There is a group of volunteers that goes out every morning at 7 a.m. to check loggerhead turtle nests on the beach and make sure any stragglers are able to get out of the sand.  The nests are about a foot and a half deep, so getting out can be a challenge.  When the volunteers found out I am a vet, they invited me back to help out next year!  I am stoked already!  Oh, my gosh, the babies were so cute - here is a picture of one of them.

Hatchling loggerhead sea turtle

And, of course, while I was on the beach, I stitched away on "Christmas on the Beach."  It is almost done - I just have a teeny bit of sky and all of the backstitching left to do!  Here is how it looks so far.

"Christmas on the Beach" from the Dimensions Gold Petites collection

I also collected a bunch of seashells from my beach vacations this summer.  My plans for them are to put "Christmas on the Beach" in a wooden frame and paint the frame white, then glue white seashells all around the edge, and maybe brush them with a tiny bit of gold paint for an accent.  Maybe something like this.

Seashell picture frame idea

I still haven't started the other beach pattern I bought ("A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman), and I haven't decided yet if I will stitch that one this year or turf it until next year and start on Christmas projects instead.  Oh, and I still have "Celestial Dragon" and "All Things Bright and Beautiful" to finish, too.  So many projects, so little time.

The good news is, I have inspired three of my dearest girl friends up here in Boston to start cross stitching, too!  A few of you have said that you are happy to see someone in the "younger" crowd picking up needlework, so consider this me doing my part to keep the craft alive!  I am really happy that the four of us will be able to get together and stitch - previously, our crafting nights usually consisted of me cross stitching and the other three girls knitting, but I am really excited to have started a trend.  :)

I have a couple of what I like to call "stitching trips" coming up, too.  This is when I am stuck in some sort of conveyance traveling somewhere, so I hope to be able to get a lot of stitching done.  The first stitching trip is this coming weekend, when I will be moving my fiancé to Houston (!) for his new job.  He lives in West Palm Beach right now and we have been long-distance engaged since January, so it's not too much of a change (well, not for me, anyway).  It's about an eighteen-hour drive between West Palm and Houston (plus the flight back to Boston), so I will be diligently navigating and stitching away.

My first stitching trip - moving my fiancé to Houston

The second "stitching trip" is a little more... complicated.  First, I have to admit that I really enjoy air travel (despite the TSA's best efforts to convince me otherwise).  I have Silver Medallion status on Delta and am trying to maintain it through next year, so I needed a few extra SkyMiles to bump me over the threshold.  So, I snagged a cheap fare from Boston to Oakland, CA for about $260 round trip, and I will be flying from Boston to Detroit, to Salt Lake City, to Oakland, to Los Angeles, to Detroit, and back to Boston, all in the span of about twenty-five hours over one looooong Saturday/Sunday.  I will definitely be blogging about that trip - 5800 air miles of cross stitching!  Yikes!  :)

Oh, and for a closing thought... completely random, but worth sharing... well, I think it's safe to say that a lot of my readers (myself included) enjoy cats, so I found this really awesome infographic that explains all of the possible color combinations for cats.  My own kitty, Julius, is a red tabby with grade 2 white spotting ("white" nose and toes, which are in reality pink, instead of brick red like they should be with a red tabby).

Orange and tortoise shell kitties - my Julius is a red tabby.

If you have a kitty, try to find its color on this table!  You may want to view the full-size graphic here.

Every cat color you could ever imagine...

Okay, if you actually read through all of this, thank you very much for sticking around.  I am sorry I was gone for so long - things should be back to usual after this hectic month!

Cheers!  :)

-Erin
Less Bitching, More Stitching

Another free monkey pattern - and Christmas on the Beach

Hello, readers!  I have returned from my beach vacation and am trying to catch up with all of the things I have missed at work.  I hope everyone is having a lovely summer!

I looked back through my old posts and decided I wasn't quite happy with the squirrel monkey cross stitch pattern I had posted earlier, so I made a new monkey pattern that is much cuter and cartoonish!  He is holding a banana.  Here he is:

Cartoon monkey cross stitch pattern (with banana).  For personal use only.  (c) Erin E. Turowski, 2012.

And here is the key:

Key (DMC floss colors)
-     869 (also for French knots for the nostrils)
o    422
*    972
X   224
+    310
=    blanc

Finished size (37 squares wide x 27 squares tall)
14-count fabric: 2.6" x 1.9" (6.7 cm x 4.9 cm)
16-count fabric: 2.3" x 1.7 " (5.9 cm x 4.3 cm)
18-count fabric: 2.1" x 1.5" (5.2 cm x 3.8 cm)

And I have been working a little more on Christmas on the Beach, too.  The sky, waves, and beach are all filling in!  I had a bit of trouble because I stitched the base of the tree trunk and the little pink ornament underneath it one square to the right of where they should have been, but that has been remedied now.  Here is a photo:

"Christmas on the Beach" - the water and beach are starting to come through!

I am still chugging along on "All Things Bright and Beautiful" and "Celestial Dragon."  I am expecting to have the former finished this weekend!  The latter... well, the dragon is kind of a b*tch to stitch.  :-D  But I will keep you posted until the bitter end - I am just having fun stitching the small stuff for now!

Have a fantastic Wednesday, and thanks for stopping by!

-Erin

A new James Herriot-inspired veterinary embroidery project!

Well, my last post - the free squirrel monkey pattern - was a rollicking success!  My blog had been averaging anywhere from 20 to 40 page views per day, but on both yesterday and today, I got over 150 page views each day!  A couple of sites, including Ellen Maurer-Stroh's cross stitch forum, picked up the pattern and listed it for their readers, so I got a lot of traffic through those avenues.  Hooray!

So, where does that leave me now?  I think it's time for an update!  I designed a new embroidery pattern inspired by the Anglican hymn "All Things Bright and Beautiful," the lyrics of which were made popular by the James Herriot veterinary books.  It is stitching up pretty quickly, so here is a picture of how it looks right now:

"All Things Bright and Beautiful" embroidery piece.  (c) Erin E. Turowski, 2012.

The finished size will be about 8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm).  It is stitched on 28-count white Monaco fabric.  The little orange kitty on the right is the first of six animals surrounding the poem.  Here is a close-up of him.  He was inspired by my own orange kitty, Julius!

The orange kitty from "All Things Bright and Beautiful."  (c) Erin E. Turowski, 2012.

The other animals will include a brown Laborador-type dog, a blue bird, a light brown Jersey cow, a black horse, and a pink pig.  I can't wait to finish it!  It is really hard to find veterinary-themed needlework, so I am glad to finally be making my own.  :)

Naturally, because I have been busy with this piece, I haven't made a terrific amount of progress on "Celestial Dragon."  Nonetheless, I have made some headway - I filled in some dark blue and gold on the dragon's body, and I (mostly) finished his feet and gave him talons.

"Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

I had to keep my needlework away from my very delicious and saucy dinner tonight.  I tried a new recipe for cauliflower pizza crust (you know, the one that's all over Pinterest).  The appeal of this recipe is that the whole personal-sized pizza crust has under 150 calories!  I topped mine with red pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, sliced Roma tomatoes, and fresh basil.  It was delicious!  Here is a picture to whet your appetites.

Cauliflower pizza crust, margherita style!

Now, next week may be a bit slower for my blog.  I am traveling to the Outer Banks with my fiancé, my sisters, their husbands, and my parents.  We are going to spend a whole week with each other - I can't wait! I love my family very much, and as time goes by, we all just get closer and closer.  I am very thankful to have a great relationship with them all.  :)  So, I will try to hijack my fiancé's laptop and post an update or two (maybe some beach pictures!), but if I am a little quiet, please pardon my absence.

Oh, and after reviewing the feedback from my previous entry, I will maintain the current frequency of my e-mail updates for all of you who are subscribed (approximately 2-3 e-mails per week).  Thank you for your subscriptions, including the new readers who joined this week!

I will leave you today with this lovely little piece, "A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman.  I bought it to stitch while I am on the beach!  I am hoping to have it finished by the time I am back in Boston.

"A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman

Thank you all for reading and for your thoughtful comments!  Have a fantastic day!

Friday Update - "Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

Hello, readers!  It is a balmy 91 degrees up here in Boston, which means that summer has officially arrived!  I know you can all appreciate how hard it is to stay inside and stitch when it's beautiful outside, but I have managed to get some cross stitching done this week.  If you are new to my blog, I am working on a design called "Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler.  The finished piece will be a monstrously huge 12.9" x 16.6" (32.8 cm x 42.2 cm) leviathan, so this one will take me awhile, but I am buckled down and ready to push onward!

I am still in my first corner, but I have finished the border and have started the dragon.  You can see two of his feet and the beginning of his blue serpentine body.  These colors, by the way, are WONDERFUL!  I love the brilliant blues, greens, and turquoises.

"Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

Here is a close-up of the Chinese character ("virtue") in the lower left corner.  This character is stitched in two colors of royal blue, all over one thread, so the stitches are very tiny and neat.  I have included a penny for scale - this is 28-count fabric, so this can be a little tough on the eyes!  If you click on the picture, you can really appreciate the detail in the close-up shot.

Detail of "virtue" Chinese character block, with penny shown for scale

Here is a close-up of the dragon's body.  These stitches are made with two different colors of light blue and one strand of star blue Kreinik blending filament (#094).  I tried to capture the light reflecting off of the sparkly blending filament in this picture.  It was tough, but I think you can see some of the stitches sparkling!

Dragon's body, enlarged to show sparkling blending filament

This last photo is a close-up of the dragon's foot and his "fringe," both of which contain one strand of pearl Kreinik blending filament (#032).  Again, I tried to catch the sparkle in this shot, too, especially in the yellow and yellow-green areas.

Dragon's fringe (left) and foot (right), enlarged to show sparkling blending filament

The more I stitch this piece, the more I love it!  The colors and the textures are truly beautiful.  When the stitching is complete, the whole thing will then be peppered with gold and blue seed beads.  I will keep you posted on my progress!  :)

If you are itching for some project finishing tips, my framing tutorial will be posted on Daily Dose of Handmade this coming Sunday, so keep an eye out for it!

And, finally, IT'S FRIDAY!  Here's a happy Shiba Inu to welcome in the weekend.  :)

Thanks for your attention and your kind comments!  If you like what you see, please subscribe.  Have a great weekend, everyone - and stay cool!

-Erin

Less Bitching, More Stitching!

Update - "Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

So, as promised, here is what I worked on this weekend.  There was probably too much cross stitching and not enough "real" work involved, but anyway, here goes:

First of all, here is a "before" shot of "Celestial Dragon by Teresa Wentzler:

"Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

And here is what I finished this weekend.  In this corner, I filled in the outer edges, completed the scalloped inner border, started to fill in the blue corners between the outer and inner borders, completed the latticework around the edge of the Chinese character block, and did about half of the Chinese character itself (which means "virtue," by the way).  The Chinese character is over one thread (28-count), so those stitches are TINY, but they are so wonderfully detailed.

"Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

This is where the bitching comes in - it is just SO HARD to work from this chart!  The colors are kind of randomly scattered throughout the design, and the symbols look similar to each other and are all in black-and-white (especially in the dragon itself, which I haven't even started yet).  For as intricate as Teresa Wentzler's designs are, it would be really awesome if she had made color charts for them.  :-/  However, it is going to be gorgeous when I (finally) finish it, so I'll keep on plugging along.

I also designed and stitched a little plaid keychain Saturday night so I could list something new in my Etsy store.

Lots of work to do this week, so I don't know how much more I'm going to get done between now and this weekend.  But until then... less bitching, more stitching - and thanks for stopping by!

-Erin :)