http://stitchingwithashimmy.com Shimmying through life with needles and thread... Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:23:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I am very definitely stressed right now. I'm in a situation where my goals are on hold until the family life straightens out a bit. Not that there is anything going dramatically wrong, either. Just little, petty wild fires that sap my energy and keep me from accomplishing much on ... http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/2008/08/16/what-do-i-mean-i-didnt-accomplish-anything/ I  just discovered this form recently -- there was a post asking about the book by Elena Dickson on the h-needlework list. I was so intrigued that I bought it sight unseen and without any real reviews. All I can say is wow - it's beautiful! And faster than a lot ... http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/2008/08/11/mediterranean-or-armenian-knotted-lace/ Now I am not a sampler historian. Until I discovered 17th and 18th century samplers I didnt' care for them much at all, actually. I hate stitching words in cross stitch or backstitch, and just can't wrap my head around the little pastoral houses with oversized dogs and cats in ... http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/2008/08/04/of-samplers-and-their-motifs/ I apparently disappeared for much longer than expected! It's been a busy month, but I haven't been idle on the art front, either. As I mentioned in my last post, I've been taking Sharon Boggon's class on Studio Journals -- something I signed up for at the last minute, after months ... http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/2008/07/28/disappearing-act/ I decided Thursday on a whim to actually sign up for Sharon Boggon's new Studio Journal course at Joggles. Since I don't have a lot of formal art training, I've always felt pressured by my sketchbooks... and that I shouldn't be. So I'm hoping this will give me a new ... http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/2008/06/28/this-and-that/ I don't normally put memes on this site. But I thought this one might give you a bit of insight into me and where I come from, so I went with it.  SpiritCloth tagged everyone. :)  So: 1. What was I doing 10 years ago? At this time 10 years ago I was getting ... http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/2008/06/19/about-me/ Of mice and Romis. :) It took me longer than expected to get to the computer to convert patterns for you. But I've got one! OK, so I've got two. These are from a very large sampler I'm designing. Wish me luck, 'cause when it's finished I've got to actually STITCH ... http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/2008/06/14/the-best-laid-plans/ I hope you are all enjoying the start of summer. I have been, but I am, right now, extremely frustrated. I want to be able to stitch, and I can't. You see, last weekend I got carried away a bit in the garden and terraced the hill behind my house so ... http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/2008/06/03/arrrgh/ There have been a few posts that sent you off on a hunt for the cabaret style bellydance costuming. Modern cabaret costumes come in a variety of styles. If you are looking for something authentic to a specific time/ethnicity/dance style you need to be pretty knowledgeable. If you are American, ... http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/2008/05/12/bellydance-costumes-%e2%80%93-cabaret/ Bellydance costumes are amazing things. Whether you are looking at a hipscarf used for practice, a fully beaded cabaret costume, or some of the confections that the tribal style dancers put together, you are looking at a work of art.  Heck, even the basic hipscarves that students like to wear ... http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/2008/04/24/bellydance-costumes/