Nov 9, 2009

WELL THERE'S A SUNDAY AFTERNOON I'LL NEVER GET BACK

Ahhhh, the best laid plans of stitchers and spinsters.

On Saturday I sat in the Happy Chair and stitched away on Idaho Star while watching Notre Dame lose to Navy and Aunt Chrissy have a nervous breakdown over some of the play calling: "You go for it on 4th and 20 when you're backed up into your own end zone???!!!! What the hell are you thinking, coach??!"

And then, when Navy got a safety (at least I think that's what it's called....I'm not a football fan, I just play one on TeeVee), Aunt Chrissy bolted out of her recliner and said "SEE!?? That's the game right there!!!! Notre Dame is going to lose by TWO FREAKIN' POINTS!!!!". There was also a lot of blathering about "converting in the red zone" but I was in a heavy Zen-like LJP Vineyard Silk kind of mode so I just nodded my head like I knew what she was talking about and kept stitching.

(Times like that make me wish I had a bookie, especially since Notre Dame DID lose to Navy by two points.)

But I regress....

By the time the game ended, I had completed almost all of the inner portions of the design, so I figured I'd move on to the background and possibly (!) complete this one on Sunday.

(This, of course, is exactly NOT what I had originally planned to do on Sunday. I decided that I would start my Christmas canvases on Sundays and see if I couldn't get one or two of them done in time for the holiday.)

When I sat down to stitch I took one look at my background colors and wondered what I had been drinking when I selected them. Totally wrong in every way.

So I futzed and futzed and futzed for the next twelve and a half hours with various threads and colors until I finally ended up on Aunt Chrissy's doorstep with a plea for help. Stewey and I stayed for a few hours and I tried about a million different combinations from Aunt Chrissy's stash, but alas, no suitable background color was to be had.

When I came home I sat and stared at this for another few hours and then I started to poke around in the nether regions of the studio for something...anything(!) that would work.

I finally decided on a set of three Impressions and tried it out as the clock struck 2am. Bleary eyed and defeated, I tucked Stewey in and said my goodnights.

In the light of day, I think it MIGHT work, but I won't be convinced until I hit my LNS tomorrow to paw through threads there. I keep thinking that there might be a Vineyard silk that will be a perfect match and all will be well, but I have a full twenty-four hours to wait until that can be confirmed. This will most certainly be a test of my temperament. Will I be able to just put this one away for a day and work on something else? Or will my ridiculously compulsive stitchy behavior cause me to pack provisions and camp out in the shopping center parking lot?

Stay tuned...

19 comments:

  1. i think a soft cream or pale sage like the ones from silk and ivory would set these colors off and make them pop.

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  2. First, that looks lovely! I wish I could do that...
    Second, good luck with the floss. I have zero colour skills so I'll just support without aid.

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  3. What a beautiful piece.

    Sorry about the game. My DH still doesn't believe Navy won.

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  4. So beautiful!!! Good luck finding that perfect background color!!! You can do it! I'd tell Stewy to stop peeing on the drapes and help his poor mother out, but we all know that dogs are color blind...boy that could really be disasterous!

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  5. wow. That is really looking amazing. I can't wait to see what background colour you choose.

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  6. that is so so pretty
    i have to say soft beige or cream too
    thats just puttin it out there
    without being asked
    but those colors really pop all by themselves

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  7. Gorgeous piece and I love the fall colors! I'm sure you'll find the right background for this :)

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  8. I have no suggestions on bkgrd color, but the piece is lovely so far!

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  9. Gorgeous piece. And if you were me, you'd already be parked in front of the shop with a box of Krispy Kremes and a large coffee.

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  10. Ok, I only have one thing to say:

    GO NAVY!

    Now that that is out of my system. Did I mention I am a Navy veteran? lol That's the only reason I cheer that team on at all. Otherwise I would have been upset ND lost as well.

    Good luck on finding that perfect color. What you have so far looks fabulous!

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  11. What beautiful work! I am imagining it with a warm khaki background. How would that look?

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  12. Wonderful work. I look forward to seeing what background colour you decide on.

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  13. Wow, this is an amazing piece! I'm very curious to see what you come up with for the background.

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  14. Is that yummy Mexican restaurant still across the street from your LNS? That's always a bonus for going to that shop. And, a glass or two of Sangria may be helpful in choosing your threads, it mellows the mind a bit. Have you thought about maybe a purple color?

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  15. It's beautiful Coni! I'm sure whatever you choose will be beautiful also because I think you have impeccable taste!! :)

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  16. It's so pretty! I'm awful with colors most of the time, which is rather sad.

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  17. Hello, this is not a blog comment, I just wanted to *meet* you. I am the odd person who writes the Needlepoint in the 21st Century blog and owns the NewNeedlepoint.com floundering web store.

    I *found* your blog through my friend Jane, the Chilly Hollow Blogger. I find your blog is one of the few I regularly read. While our stitching styles are different, our outlook and insanity is not that far apart. You have Stewie, I am the Hand Maid & Full Time Servant on my Abyssisian Cat, Jack The Cat. He is much smarter then I am.

    Anyway, I just wanted to say Hello......... marianne
    m@newneedlepoint.com
    (please do not post this on your blog)

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