Trying Something New

I took a long look at my stash after my last finish.  And determined that I am sometimes not so bright.  I bought a kit in Colorado to make a bellpull Colorado sampler.  I even bought the floss while there.  Made copies and blow ups and started researching the different stitches.  So I went to get it in the Q Snap and....there is no fabric.  Doh.  Now I am trying to find the type of fabric I need and not understanding that at all.  After asking my group and emailing a "specialist", I think I have it figured out.  I haven't ordered yet, but am anxious to see the color of the fabrics I picked in person.

The next kit could possibly be a Christmas present for my Mom, but we'll see.  It is a small kit called "Horse Pals" by Dimensions.  I found a great gridding tutorial and this was the first piece I did. Annoyingly boring, but I can definitely see the merits in big projects.  I can't wait to put the first stitches in, starting somewhere other than the center.  That, for some reason, makes me giddy.

So one day, wandering around Hobby Lobby, I found this beautiful purple cat piece by Mill Hill and Jim Shore called "Petunia". They had other ones, but the purple called me and it was under $10, so I picked it up.  I am finally getting it opened to start that one....and I have no clue what I am holding in my hands.  I have not fabric and not plastic, but an almost merging of the two, 3 bags of beads, some floss, and a button.  What have I gotten myself into?  So I hopped back to my wonderful group of stitchers and figured out I had stumbled onto something new and, seemingly, wonderful.  I got plenty of tips, advice, and encouragement.  So I went ahead and put in the first couple of stitches.

I haven't stopped as planned.  Here is the progress I made in one night.

"Petunia" progress as of 1/22/2013

I completed all the white parts of the cat.  I am going to work the cat first and then the border last.  At least, that is the plan so far.

One tip I got was to get a tacky bob.  Before ordering one on the internet, I ran to Hobby Lobby after a doctor's appointment.  They only ended up having a tacky mat, but I figured I could use it for this project and see how many more I might think about doing before getting a full tacky bob.  I also found a great Christmas chart book.

I also found out that I need to order more fabric for another project I have planned and figure I'll just do it all at once.

But, that is a story for a different time