Enemy of Entropy
Graphics. Gah!
There are times when being graphic-impaired really does annoy me.
I’m finally moving forward with porting the Heartsong Handicrafts site to WordPress. It shouldn’t be a big deal. I’ve done the same many times before with other sites.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a logo. I mean, I have a simple logo, but it isn’t very good. It doesn’t sing, that’s for sure. I just want a nice, simple logo that isn’t terribly busy, but that doesn’t look (like the first attempt) as if I made it from clip-art and standard fonts. My utter and complete lack of drawing ability is a serious handicap in this endeavor.
I did sorta customize a WP theme to match the crappy logo, but that part is easy. The harder part is having something to give the site visual interest, and that doesn’t exist right now.
On the other hand, the cross-stitch patterns themselves involve graphics, so I don’t want things to get too busy. It’s a balancing act.
I may have to throw myself on Katie’s mercy, or something. She’s pretty busy, though, and prefers to draw whatever she feels like drawing rather than creating something to suit a particular theme.
SBQ: Essential Needlework Gear
Yay! Another Stitching Bloggers’ Question:
What items do you consider essential to your needlework that you keep
in your stitching bag
The pattern, fabric and ring of floss cards for my current project, the scroll bars or QSnaps or hoop or whatever I’m using (I seldom stitch in hand), and a long silver chain on which I wear my scissors and needle case. If I’m working with metallics, I also keep — whoops, what’s the name of it? That tiny blue cube of stuff that makes metallics so much more manageable? I’m not using metallics at the moment, so there’s none in my bag, but I guess I should go look up the name of it.
I did keep a seam ripper in the bag, but I don’t have a safe case for my current ripper, so I’m afraid to do that.
Lately, I also keep a small magnifier/light that hangs around my neck in the bag. It doesn’t work so well, though, so I should probably just take it out.
I really need to replace my bag. It’s falling apart, and the zipper is stubborn. It’s been incredibly good for a freebie bag, though! It lasted about ten years.
I’ve lusted after a nice standing or lap frame for years — one of the good, sturdy ones, with attachments for a lamp and a magnifier and chart holder and a place to put your fibers and such. Some even come with cup holders! The nice ones are trés expensive, though. I don’t want to bother with the flimsy ones, as I think they’d be more frustrating than helpful.
Stitching Notes
First, I’ll answer this week’s SBQ:
What do you do with your charts once you’ve stitched them? Do you keep them or dispose of them? If you keep them, do you organize them in a way that is different from the way you keep your unstitched charts?
I keep them. ALL of them. In fact, Sam has pointed out that collecting charts should be considered a hobby in and of itself, separate from the actual stitching. If I could display my lovely patterns somehow, I would.
Next, I must Squee! For I’ve been asked for an original cross-stitch design for a book that’ll be published this coming year. I’m so tickled! I’m not telling more than that, but it’s all professional and everything.
And finally, that was the impetus for another change. I’ll announce it in the next week. It’s a surprise for now 
