My 2017 Finishes [photos]

Some years I get more accomplished, others much less, but I’m pretty proud of my 2017 finishes. I’ve been in a much better mental and emotional state this year, overall. The setbacks were horrid, but mercifully brief, and some truly good things happened to me this year that didn’t come about from fuckery, first. 🙂 Fingers crossed for 2018.

Not in chronological order, because you can’t expect computers to understand that kind of thing, I guess:

Hell Bats is my design, so it counts as two finishes. 😉

Art Nouveau Letters, by Ink Circles, on a piece of dusty pink 30 ct murano, a poly-cotton blend. This chart was a surprise gift from my adopted daughter, Rachel O’Gorman. I started it during 2017’s stitchy retreat with the other grimalkin here, Sue. 🙂

Rebel Princess was my first finish of 2017. It’s attached to my Ott lamp, in honor and memory of Carrie Fisher. Design by CatLadyXStitching on Etsy.

I made this from an old plastic casette tape box so my husband could take his favorite bulk tea along with him on overnight trips. The design came from an issue of Cross Stitch Collection.

Clitarita is another of my designs, and the first design I ever offered for sale. I stitched it on 28 ct black monaco.

This set of chess piece “coasters” was in an issue of Just Cross Stitch in 2016, but I finished the last of four for my husband this past year. Design by Marie Barber. The finished king is below.

This was another colorway for Mackintosh Roses, a design from Cross Stitch Collection. Design by Maria Diaz.

Sorry it’s sideways. Contortionist Santa ornaments for my daughter in law, step-grandchildren, and great-granddaughter.

This is for the “sea whore” stitch-along in the WTFYW XS group. Design from Makibird, on DeviantArt.

Another piece for one of the WTFYW stitch-alongs. Design by Makibird, on DeviantArt.

And this is what I stitched for my bestie, who has had a fucking rough couple of years and has never been far from my thoughts. The kitty alphabet is one for which I did not save the link, and I’m sorry for that. :-\

Except for one more small thing that I can’t post about because it’s not been delivered yet, that’s it. 2018 promises a couple of BIG finishes in addition to the smaller pieces, if the WIPs underway are any indication. Thanks for stopping by to take a look.

Lead The Rebellion!

The onslaught of corruption and injustices has continued almost non-stop since the election, and it’s been one of the worst years for natural (and human-enhanced) disasters I can remember, with a federal government paralyzed by its own calcified, fossilized, deeply embedded ignorance and willful neglect of the American people. The news of last night’s mass shooting incident in Las Vegas was the first news that greeted many of us when we got out of bed this morning — and made it damned difficult not to flip off the world and crawl right back under the covers.

I was supposed to release this version of “Leading the Rebellion” today. The mosaic tile effect is to discourage piracy, the chart doesn’t really look like this.

And, I am releasing it today, because the message in the text is important. However, because the symbol is equally important, I revised the chart for those who are feeling just a little sassier:

Forgive the mosaic tile effect. It’s one way to discourage piracy.

Both of these charts are being released today, with this challenge included in each one:

PS: My personal challenge to you is to take this chart someplace to stitch in public as an act of personal protest, and as a way to start conversations about why you’re rebelling. It can be difficult to feel safe in our public spaces these days, especially if you live in a place that favors repressive, authoritarian views, so if you do manage it, take stitchy friends, if you can. Let someone you trust know where you’ll be, and for how long. Trust your gut about whom to speak with, and about what, but speak your truth, if you can, for as long as you can, as safely as you can.

If we’re going to change the world, it has to begin right at the edges of our skin, right where we are.

Send me pics of you doing this, and with your permission, I’ll happily post them in group.

Stay safe. stay strong. Good luck.

Sale price is $2 each. In order to purchase (for now, I’m working on getting something more convenient for everyone in place), I need a PayPal email address from you, instructing me how to invoice you: Leading The Rebellion PDF, FO+Lead The Rebellion PDF, or both.

You can get that to me via private message on Facebook (http://facebook.com/alesia.matson). via Direct Messages in Twitter (http://twitter.com/zenstitcher61) (give me a shout and we’ll follow each other, etc.), or by emailing me at aematson ([at]) metaphorpublications [(dot)] com.

And, do let me know if you’re taking my challenge, and if you’d like to organize a virtual Stitch Out event, wherein the stitcherhood takes it to the streets, coffee shops, libraries, and parks to start the rebellion right where we are.

 

 

 

Vive la Resistance!

My “zen break” today included finishing this.

The design is mine, and there were mistakes in the chart that I had to fix on the fly, but overall, I’m happy with how this came out. It’s stiched on 32 count cotton evenweave, with two strands of DMC cotton floss stitched over two threads. 

After it comes out of the soak, it’s going to become the cover for my little bluetooth keyboard. I’ll be wresting our sewing machine into submission (it hates me) (and that’s mutual) to stitch some kind of material around the border, and finishing it with some elastic, I think, to provide a little “grip” around the edges.

Shit. “Rebellion” is abotu two stitches higher than “place is.”  Grrr…. Not fixing it now.

A Woman’s Place

Okay, so I did a thing. I owe the idea and the font for this from one Nicole Iaquinto, of my subversive stitchy-sisters on Facebook. The rest I pretty much worked out on my own using skull sweat and StitchFiddle.com.

—

BIG IMPORTANT UPDATE: This is where the original idea for this project originated: https://www.etsy.com/listing/487007120/a-womans-place-is-in-the-rebellion-pdf  The stitcher-artists’ name is Jenna Palmieri. I’m so sorry I couldn’t find this info before I did the post, but I’m super-happy to include it now. 🙂

—

In honor of Carrie Fisher, who is and always Princess Leia and General Organa. And dedicated to all those Princess Generals who are in our lives, every day. ❤

My gift to the fabulous community of cross stitchers for 2017

Clicking on the image should take you to the media page and the full-size PNG.

I also made a PDF available, hopefully, by clicking this link.

It is not awesome, and I apologize for that. I’ll be replacing it with a better version when I get some software that will run on my Ubuntu 14.04 setup.

I have left room for a little customization at the bottom on either side. Light sabers would hella cool, for instance. 🙂

I’ll be stitching up the first model for it here shortly. If you beat me to finishing a version, let me know?