Roadbumps

So... it turns out I didn't get enough twill tape -_- 

I got it online from a place that only sells 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4" widths of twill tape and here I thought, "Alrighty, I'll get 2 yards of 1/2" and that'll be enough..."  

Nope. 

So I ordered 1" twill tape off of Amazon, and I think it should be enough, especially considering how it comes in a freaking 10 yard package. 

^_^ 

Oh, btw, I also feel the need to tell you guys that my supply list from my last post was missing one very important item. 

I ordered a Sluis Withof bobbin lace manual from Anneke Rejis! 

It's been a long time...

According to my statistics, the last time I published a post was March of last year. 

Damn. 

Well, what I'd like to say now is essentially as follows: 

I've moved again (coming at you live from SoCal!) and while I've left the majority of my supplies behind with my parents, I have repurchased:

an embroidery hoop 

twill tape (to bind it)
some practice fabric (tulle)
needles

and some embroidery thread (this time, DMC--as I have been unable to find Anchor).

new additions include: 

an awl (hopefully to serve as a useful replacement for a pricker) 

and a tambour needle.

I work full time now, and I'm going to start college at the end of the month... but maybe I can find some time here and there.

Pictures coming soon!

I CAN NOW ACCEPT DEBIT AND CREDIT CARDS!!!

Whoooo!!! 

Yaaaay!

YEAAAAH!!! 

Heeeey =D

Hi everybody. 

I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but I've been settling into North Carolina and been busier than I have been in a really long time. 

Sadly, I haven't done any embroidery, or any form of needle anything, and I probably won't be able to for a while. I had to leave all of my supplies back in Cancun.

But I'll hopefully be able to get new ones! 

^_^ 

P.S. 

Now that I'm stateside, I will hopefully soon be able to accept credit/debit card payments on my Etsy store!! 

Mega Massive Update

I moved!!!! 

I know I haven't been blogging lately (according to my records, I haven't published a "real" post since the end of December), but the reason why is that I was getting ready for a GIGANTIC move!! 

Some of you may know that I was living in Cancun, but NOOOW, I'm living in North Carolina!!! 

Yaaaaaaaaaay! 

^_^

On a side note, when moving from a tropical climate to one that... well, isn't, make sure that you pack lots of heavy socks and wool items--especially if you're off the boat in the middle of the freaking winter.

This morning, I saw a puddle that had been iced over.

O_O

Mind. Blown.

30,000 PAGE VIEWS!

Yeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!!

Epicness.

On another note, I'm considering using cotton for Buttaflies: Part II... 

Broader range of colors, more consistent with my other materials... I dunno. Any  opinions out there? 

VAT?

So, I've just become aware of new tax laws regarding sales to customers in the EU.

I have to admit, I'm still not sure how this will affect my Etsy shop--especially considering how I can't get through one page of the guidelines without my eyes crossing... I just know that I have until the 1st to find out.

So... 3 and a half days of perusing international tax law.

yay.....

-_-

Last Round of Evelyn's Doily is up on Etsy!

While the title is pretty much self explanatory, I'm still pretty jazzed

^_^

It's taken over two years, but it's finally happened!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Round 4 Listing: CLICK HERE

Round 1-4 Listing: CLICK HERE

In the spirit of the holidays, I'm also offering a discount code for 15% any item in my store, valid until the 15th of January.

 M3RRYCHr157MA5

To read how to use discount codes on Etsy, click here

Merry Christmas everybody!

Random

So I found these digital art courses on CG Cookie and I made this:

I thought it was pretty neat ^_^

You can now see it on a new blog I just started:

Artistically Determinatified

(yes, I came up with that title myself)

^_^

Embroidery Woes

But first, a more cheerful announcement before I forget:

There is a certain tatting pattern in development that is very near completion. 

I admit that I haven't exactly been working on it around the clock, but I am very very happy with the progress. 

And now, to the woes... 

Within the last few days I've discovered that the screw that tightens my embroidery hoop has become damaged. 

Now, I'm hoping to be able to find a replacement (I honestly haven't been able to look yet), but in the mean time that means that my hoop may not be tight enough to work with.

However, when I realized this, I got stubborn and decided to do at least a little bit anyways.

I managed to finish my little miscellaneous Doodleplex embellishment and use up some spare thread scraps that were too large to stick into my orts jar.

I did also notice that I seem to be rather fond of french knots.

I do have to admit that it was tricky having to pull on the fabric every few minutes--puckering being a definite concern.

However, I feel that it turned out alright in the end.

^_^

Tattingness...

My last post was about a project that I felt I had neglected... but now I realize that it wasn't the project that I had neglected the most. 

For a while now, I've been avoiding my tatting projects.

I don't know why... I guess I just haven't been feeling very tatterly. 

-_-

Now that I have that in mind, though, I shall endeavor to change that!

P.S. 

This is my 250th post!

^_^

Saturday...

After spending approximately an entire week staring at GIMP (photo editing program) and Inkscape (vector image program), trying to make stuff for my Society6 page, I have decided to take today and do a little textile work.

Now, I haven't done any yet... but I'm going to look over my previous posts, see which project needs a little TLC and go from there. 

Time will tell if it works.

^_^

P.S. Check out my Society6 page, I've uploaded some of my mom's photos and they look awesome! 

P.P.S. What do you think of the new background?

Bad Blogging and a Curious, Deceptively Unproductive Few Days

(note the caps in the post title)

I've been a bad blogger.

I do apologize for a certain lack of postage...

However, I am here to say that I've been working on stuff--and I have pictures of the stuff! 

They're just still on my camera.

My latest project, however, is not of the textile nature.

I've been dabbling in graphic design--as such I would love to announce that it would absolutely give me the giggles if you:

Check out my profile on Society6!

^_^

Also, please check out the new addition to my sidebar!

Patience...

...is a virtue that I don't exactly have in spades...

But I'm trying to be good and keep it all hush hush until the milestone that I told myself I'd wait for! 

I've been working on one of my projects (not telling which) and as of late I've made somewhat remarkable progress!

Or at least, I'd say it's remarkable.

^_^

I know...

It's been a while since my last post, it's true.

However, I do have some up and coming news! 

Alas...

I have to be honest with you guys, lately, I haven't been feeling very "tatty". I'm thinking it might be due to my still, as of yet, lingering frustration with Evelyn's Doily. 

I just can't seem to be happy with it. 

Anywho, what I have managed to work on makes up for it (at least in my opinion).
I'm taking some time to get it all together in a few posts.

But aside from that, there's not too much. School's starting to catch up with me and I've been having trouble juggling both crafts and notes.

>_< 

Landmark!!

Just hit 20,000 page views!

WHOOOO HOOOO!!!!

^_^

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recently, my dog had an issue with his skin, and of course, I treated him to keep him nice and healthy and  whatnot.

However, during the course of his treatment, it also came to my attention that he had pink eye.

For those of you who've read my "backstory" page, ya see where this is going? 

Guess what I have!

Pink eye.

Though it was what started me on my textile journey, I don't think it'll have the same effect this time.

>_<

Needle Comparison

As you already know, a pack of new needles recently came into my possession.
Lately, though I've been wondering if maybe some of my needles need to be retired. 

Let me explain. 

Back when I started learning how to make needle lace, I went searching for the pack of thinnest needles I could find and only managed to get my hands on a pack of very thin and long (not to mention flimsy) beading needles.

Aside from that, over the years I've also gotten a pack of golden eye sharps and a pack of "modista" (clothing/fashion sewing-ish) needles.

All of which are your pretty standard sized sewing needles.

Here and now, with the new addition of these tiny size 11 needles from Pony, I thought maybe it might be time to say goodbye to those beading needles.

 Here I give you my selection, pre-pony. On the top you have a beading needle, which, as you can kind of see, has regrettably warped. All of the beading needles follow suit, with this one here being one of the better ones. 

Beneath that, I have a "modista" needle, and below that a golden-eye sharp.

I would tell you the brands if only I hadn't forgotten them and then gone on and thrown away the packaging! >_<

Now, here we have the Pony on top. 

I think it goes without saying that they're relatively microscopic.

The pony's are tiny, and thin, and essentially great!

Still, I ran into a bump. Those flimsy beading needles, though a bit too long and awkward, have a bigger eye than the ponys and are easier to thread...

So now I'm stumped.

-_-

SCORE!

There's a story behind this one. 

For Christmas, I ordered a few things online <-- that's the short version.

Long version: 

I was so incredibly excited/nervous/freaking flipping out on Christmas Eve because I'd gotten some cash as a present and was getting my first online specialty stuff that I gave the wrong address.

To both companies. 

Of course, I don't realize this until the package tracking lets me know that: Hey, we weren't able to deliver your package.

Yes, I'd given my aunt's address. And yes, I'd forgotten to give the apartment number. 

V_V

To say that I was upset with myself would be a hideous understatement.

Now, why did I give my aunt's address instead of my own? Because, for those of you who don't know, the Mexican postal service is terrifyingly unreliable and FedEx is bound to break the bank. My aunt, however, lives in Dallas and my dad had to go back for a couple weeks to take care of some business.

So it's either: get the address right, or have them shipped back to the seller and wait until May for my dad to go back and get them.

Aagh!

Thank God, things got straightened out and my dad was able to pick one package up from the post office while I was able to edit the other address before that package got shipped off. 

Phew!

Now, what was it that I got?

From Hedgehog Hadnworks: 

A Hardwicke Manor embroidery hoop, twill tape to bind it

Size 11 pony needles and...

...my very first spools of SILK THREAD!!!!!! Soie de Paris in white.

This is the package that got stuck at the post office (thank God for that!)

Yet, there was another delectable treat en route from a land far, far away --> down under to be exact. 

(Sorry, I had to say it.)

I give you the pièce de résistance: The Art of Chinese Embroidery!

Oh yes. 

If you remember, I did a post on Chinese Embroidery a few months ago. Then, what seemed like the very next day, Mary Corbet over at Needle 'n Thread did a post about the Art of Chinese Embroidery. 

It was a sign.

^_^