TIF and odds and ends

As I'd expected, Jane had some very interesting thoughts on the TIF challenge and now I'm thinking much more about the issues of possibilities in addition to the stories perspective. My stash is just teeming with possibilities! Thanks, Jane!

This week has been my fiscal year end at work--I had to have all my paperwork, expenditures, and transfers in today. Phew! it's done and I think I got it all taken care of (well, except for one problem account that I'm doing my best to ignore right now). It made for a busy week and I haven't done any stitching or much thinking about stitching even.

I have two things to share, both done last weekend but I never got the pictures up. The first is the stitched Eiffel Tower for the Camp Quality project. It's not too symmetrical but I think it's a simple concept and the children will be able to have fun with it. My next project it to set up a meeting with the group to cut out the fabric shapes and decide how to package them (with needle and thread). My current inclination is to loop a length of thread through the middle hole and just park the needle in the fabric. This isn't a complex project. There's a big fluffy wool tassel that will go in the hole at the top but I think we should let the children choose their own.

The second project here is a beginning Brazilian kit I got in my goodie bag at the EGA Great Lakes regional seminar in April. When ever I get cocky about my skills, the needlework goddess comes up and smacks me down. I started this piece last Friday night (nothing like stitching at night at the end of the week when you're exhausted) thinking I've done a lot of Brazilian, this will be a piece of cake. Kiss of death.

The stem stitch went okay. The picture showed a much more variegated thread in the flower than my kit contained. I tried to pick different spots on the thread to work the inner and outer petals to no avail. My choices were limited even more because of all the ripping I had to do. The bullions weren't too bad but the cast-on stitch! Do you know what a pain that one is to pick out? I finally got reasonable looking stitches and took a Sharpie marker and colored the inner petals a darker color to match the picture. I'm not going to mention the French knots.

I cut cardboard circles, mounted the piece with a felt backing, and twisted and stitched on the cord over the weekend. Once together it looked lonely so I added the lace border (antique lace from my story-telling, potential-filled stash). I like it pretty well now. I did take a photo and didn't scan it so the details will be less discernible. I do have some pride left. It's going to go on my office door handle. My mini rebellion to our staid office.