A new start

So... yeah. I know, I know, I know! The last thing I need is more projects, especially since my large one will most likely take the rest of my life to complete, but I couldn't help it!

Whilst perusing the awesomeness that is the internet, I came across a website that has all kinds of cross stitch patterns available. It isn't organized all that well, and there are many places where you can tell that English is not the first language of most of the people there. If you spend the time, though, digging through all the stuff that is available, they have some awesome stuff.

It was through this website that I became aware of my newest project. Once I saw I picture of it, I immediately started looking around the internet to see where I could find it. It is a cross stitch of a painting of San Francisco. San Francisco is my favorite city! I found two different cross stitch versions of this, both of which are extremely similar. One is a Thomas Kinkade painting, and another is one that I couldn't identify. As much as I love Thomas Kinkade (lots!), I actually like the other one more.

So, I got the pattern, went off to the craft store, and have used up most of my gift card funds purchasing the supplies for this one! I still have a handful of thread skeins left to buy, but I have most of them, now. Good thing my birthday is coming up next month so I can get more gift cards (I always get one for birthdays and Christmas from my in-laws, and from my mom when she can't think of anything else to get me).

On Sunday afternoon, I pulled out my fabric and started gridding. Now, I have never actually done gridding before on any of my project, but having used it on my Qingming project (somewhat, since the design is printed on there, too), I could see advantages to it. In my Etsy store, I have been selling water soluble markers, but I hadn't used any myself, so I pulled one out and got to work. I only gridded (is that even a word?) the top left quarter of the project so I could see if I liked it enough to keep going. From the picture below, you can see how far I have come along, and the gridding is definitely helpful!

Anyway, here is my progress since Sunday (just some grey sky so far, but the building is showing up! Yay, color!):

At least this way, I'll have something that will eventually get finished.