Photographing some stitches

Taking pictures at sewing circle was a new experience for me. I got less done, for one thing. I also noticed that, now that Ashley is obsessed with knitting, there is less cross stitching going on than there used to be.
But mostly it made me evaluate what is important to me about sewing circle and what I love about cross stitching.
The photos I liked showed my friends in action: smiling, talking and working. I also liked the detail shots of what we were working on. I feel like between them, those photos showed the reason we get together every week. I like looking at the way each of us has a different style. I love the beauty of the patterns. I love the way the pictures remind me of what's fun about crafts like this. They remind me of the way the thread feels as you pull it through the holes in the aida and the satisfaction I get when I complete something. All in all, they make me feel like sewing circle is time well spent.

Some sewing circle pictures

Here are a few pictures I took at sewing circle last night. One of our regular knitters is on vacation with her boyfriend, so we were a quiet group. This is Ashley knitting. I was practicing with the flash and with getting at eye level to take the picture. The look on her face is the look of someone starting a rather ambitious scarf and feeling ambivalent about it, I think.

Here's Lydia, almost finished with something for her dad. I tried to position her off to the side in the shot instead of just centering her. I wish I were that far along in the truck I'm making for my nephew.

This close-up is of Jessi threading a needle. She's embroidering two pieces of aida, which she plans to stuff and sew together to make a pin cushion. Crafty.

Sewing circle: Where my stitches at?

One of my favorite things about cross stitching is the way it gives me an excuse to hang out with some friends. Having a small group you sew with regularly is a good way to stay on track with projects and can help you keep in touch with friends when life gets busy.
Last night, my friends and I had an extra special sewing circle devoted to watching True Blood. We cooked up a bunch of Southern food (much of it fried) and ignored the fact that my friend from Louisiana told us we were doing it wrong. We invited more people than we usually have at our weekly meetings, so we had a knitter and a couple of people crocheting. It was a lot of fun.
I thought I was almost finished with a truck pattern I'm making for my 2-year-old nephew, but I decided to do a cute checker pattern for a border and it is taking forever. I am already annoyed with it and I've only done one side. I'll post a picture when I'm done.