Sun, Moon, and Stars: Monday Mess Making

For the past couple of years, I've gotten back into cross stitch and plastic canvas.  Though the concept of the crafts is simple, some of the stitches are not.   So far, the most difficult stitch I've encountered is the French knot.  I started stitching in my late teens/early twenties and only had written instructions (this was pre-internet).  This is typically what the books' instructions looked like:

If you can follow that, you're a good one.  I was never able to make heads or tails of it.  Enter YouTube:

 

With those very easy instructions, I was able to successfully execute the stitch multiple times.

 

 

 

 

 Well, I just gave you a hint about what else I'm working on.

 

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This isn't exactly a UFO, but it is an unused tool.  Last year, I bought a pom-pom maker, but just got around to using it.

Using the tool was easy.  However, like every other time I've made pom-poms, no matter how tightly I tie the strings that hold them together, they are incredibly fragile.  I still have no confidence in being able to use them on hats--they would leave a handful of year cuts at the bottom of the washing machine.  I have no idea how to solve this problem.  Oh, well.  I won't be washing the wreath, so it's safe.

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I started this painting a couple of weeks ago.  Yes, I know it still needs something, but I'm working on a technique.  

One of the most insulting things another artist ever said to me was to insult my very first attempt at a moon painting (not this one--this is only my third).  I was well aware that my moon was misshapen.  Rather than answer my questions and help me find a better technique, this person acted like a horse's rear end..  Fast forward five years and I'm trying it again.  Well, let's see how this goes.

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Well, I've started a new baby blanket.  So, would you call it a sunflower or a Black-eyed Susan, or both?  It just may be that the blanket and the tissue cover will go together.  Stay tuned.

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BTW--I teased you with a photo last week.  I did finish the project.  However, I hit a snag and had to re-do part of it.  In other words, I found out something wouldn't hold with hot glue.  So, next week will be the reveal...unless the new way I attached it doesn't work either. Then, you may be watching me throw a fit.