Update - Trying it a new way

So...hubby let me buy this new computer...frustrating and neat.  Mostly frustrating.  I love that it is an all in one design.  Large screen, no tower to find room for.  It has Windows 8 on it though.  I am doing better with navigating through the system, which by the way means that I have to use Explorer for my browser because Windows 8 does not play well with Google Chrome.  However...I no longer have any word processing program, spread sheet, or photo editing capabilities.  I can download photos from my camera, can scan photos, but have no way of printing them.  The system is set up for me to use Flickr, but you are charged for printing.

As it all stands now.  I can read blogs, emails, Facebook and such really well because of the better screen, but have to use my laptop for Excel or printing photos.  I can use our old PC for doing that, which has a larger screen, but it is so freaking slow.  I have my mom's PC in storage, may just bring it in and replace ours with it.  But, then I have to take the time to copy all the photos, favorites and such to a disk and then load on her system.  I have had to restore this new computer so many times just to get to this point, that I am glad I didn't have a bunch of programs and such installed yet.  It would seem that even though it isn't supposed to, it lost all my programs in the restore.  The new system picks up my printer, but under a different name and setting, so it doesn't quite work the same way either.  The scanner is next to the PC, so that is a little bothersome when I want to work with the scanner, but guess that is how it will have to be. 

On to some updates.  We will see how it works to post the photos, may have to switch over to the laptop, but would have to download my camera card on there before I start.  On to the main thoughts.

I finally received my embroidery frames.  One is a floor stand, one is a lap stand.  I got them put together and have scroll frames with projects on both.

They are not attached to each other, just looks that way in the photo.  They are two separate frame systems.  On the floor model is my Nativity.

I am coming along with it, slowly, frustratingly slow, but progressing.  It is only slow because I am slow at stitching.  Maybe the hands free will help me go a little faster.  Although, while I find it comfortable to work with the new frame, I find it quite awkward to go back an forth from the front to the back of the work.  There fore, starting and ending colors are bit hard for me.  I am sure it just a matter of getting use to how it works.  I saw a different kind of frame on a blog I was reading and am going to see if I can find one like it to purchase.

The other frame is the start of South West Angel, that I was given, mid progress.  I thought it would be simple to just pick up where my friend had left off and continue.  Not so it would seem.  First I had to find a replacement chart, which was simple enough thanks to Amazon.com.  Then I put it on the scroll frame that came with the lap stand. Simple enough as well.  She parked her threads, which is something I just learned about, so I figured I would just be able to thread a needle and get started.  Now, it has become painfully obvious that this is going to be a lot more trouble than I first anticipated.

This is what she should look like when finished.  I just love her.  Well, love most things South West or Native American in design.  However, in looking over the chart to see where to start stitching, I was completely puzzled by what I found stitched.  It would seem that Yvonne, the lady that gave this to me, didn't use the colors listed, and it would also seem that she just picked up what she had on hand because she doesn't use the same color number for the symbol consistently.  Would also appear that she has added stitches where they don't belong. 

You can see for yourself.  Guess I have some frogging to do.  Just not sure how much I want to frog and which colors I want to change.

Now, as you can see, I have finally got a good thread stash.  I may have mentioned my shopping trip.  Well, okay two shopping trips.

This is my first trip.  I felt a little funny coming out of Walmart with this yard long receipt (literally) and this one small bag of thread.  Okay there were like over 200 skeins in that little bag, but fortunately skeins of floss do not take up nearly as much room to store as sewing thread or fabric.  After sorting and making a list of what I bought, I realized I was about half way to having all the colors.  At least the colors on my old swatch card.  I like my old swatch card because unlike the new ones which have images of the thread by it's color, this one has actual swatches of the thread.  So, a trip to JoAnn's and I found most of the rest of the colors I was missing. Actually, 205 plus about 11 that I duplicated...on purpose...because I love shades of blue.  Really love them.

Now, they are all in their proper place.  I sorted them by column on the swatch chart.  There are eleven columns in all.  The case to the left is taller, so each compartment holds a column.  The case to the right is half as deep, so it took two spaces for each column and then I have a space in the center for threads that are color numbers that are not on my chart.  Probably some of the colors that have some out since the chart was first published.  My next project will be to check the newest list of colors against the older one to see just how many colors are not listed.

This is my other big purchase.  I had a 50% off coupon and got it for less than one kit.  I have already found more projects in it than I will have time for, but I am up for the challenge.  Oh my, samplers, an angel, some really nice charts by some of best designers.  So exciting.

Guess that is about it for now.  Thanks for stopping in and come back soon.