Just another manic Monday

I had a three-day weekend, this past Friday being an off-work Friday. My current employer lets us have every other Friday off. The price, of course, is we work 9-hour days every Monday thru Thursday (the work Friday is an 8-hour day). Rather a sweet deal, although when DH is traveling it's sometimes difficult to get in my 9 hours in between kid commitments.

Friday I managed to complete all my weekend chores (laundry, bills, that sort of thing), which left Saturday and Sunday free for stitching, reading, and other diversions. I'm about halfway through The Rose in Spring. I certainly like it so far - historical fiction is great for making a handful of facts into a good story. I've also managed to get in about 6 hours of stitching on Fortunate Traveler, most of it on the over-1 lettering.

I also went swimming with DD, and watched movies with her. Last night we watched Lady and the Tramp as a family - DD enjoyed it but was rather distressed by the rat scene, and needed some reassurances that no rat was going to invade the house and attack her. It's interesting what is frightening to small children sometimes.

But without further ado, the Stitcher's Five!

Stitcher's Five - Stitching and Travel (6/28/04)

1. Do you take something new to stitch when you travel - a special travel stitching project?
I have in the past, but usually don't anymore. Most of the projects I have in progress are too large or special to risk taking on a trip. Don't want to lose or ruin something I've already spent triple-digit hours on.

Besides, that's what books are for! I always take a book or three when I travel.

2. Do you plan your trips around stitching shops?
No. Although if one happens to be in the area it would be a darned shame to pass it up!

3. Do you believe that if you cross state lines you MUST buy fibers?
No, but I like the way that sounds!

4. Where have you stitched?
Um, on fabric? Seriously though. Hm. I've stitched in various places up and down the East Coast. I've occasionally stitched in a moving car on I-95, but haven't done that in years. I realize now that's probably not the wisest of ideas... (you could put an eye out! )

5. Do your friends/family bring you stitching related gifts when they travel?
Sometimes. DH brought me back two small kits from his alma mater when he's gone on recruiting trips. I eventually got the hint and did them up into a single larger piece for his office.

On the flip side, I usually try to bring back an example of local needlework when I've traveled overseas (hence the mission to acquire some Assisi work in Italy).

Stitcher's Five - Finished Stitching (6/7/04)

1. Do you give away any of your finished stitching as gifts?
Sometimes I'll give away smaller pieces, though I'm much more likely to give crocheted afghans for special gifts such as baby showers.

2. Do you sell any of your finished stitching?
No - there's no way I would be able to sell them for anywhere near the time and effort I expend. I suppose if I needed to I might sell some finished pieces, but that would be a most desperate situation and I doubt I could even recover the cost of framing.

3. Do you give any of your stitching away to charities?
I've given crocheted items to charities, and done squares for both OKC and 9/11 memorial quilts. I've thought about giving finished items as raffle items for fundraisers but haven't yet.

4. Do you keep any of your stitching for yourself?
I keep most of my stitching. I've got close to 20 framed pieces hanging on my walls at home, and I'm always trying to figure out how to fit more. I may donate some of them for charity sometime, and others will be earmarked for one or other of the kids.

5. Do you stitch anything as part of exchanges or round robins?
I've done an ornament exchange once, and wouldn't mind doing other exchanges. I haven't done any RRs, though I would like to someday.

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That's all for today, folks!