Stitching Garden

Efficient Diary – testing an electronic diary

Catrin — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:27:10 +0000

I just installed Efficient Diary on my computer at home. I have always enjoyed keeping a journal, but my handwriting is awful and as I spend so much time at my computer anyway it seemed good to try an electronic version.

I have found this to be much nicer than a password-protected Word document. The interface is intuitive, and you can change the basic display if you wish. This also gives you the ability to add images, tables and other elements.

Because this is software dedicated to one purpose, there are features that you cannot have with a diary kept in any word processing software. You can manage your entries by hierarchical grouping if you wish and other unique features. I am looking forward to using this on a daily basis. For more information go here.

I must mention that I get a free license by posting this review here.

Filed under: surface embroidery

Wild Rose – First Stage

Catrin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:43:39 +0000

I spent most of New Years Day (and much of the night) working on this embroidery project and watching a Stargate marathon on my DVD player. Both were quite enjoyable.

Wild Rose is an embroidery project using a technique that is sometimes called “needle painting”. This is a combination of long/short stitches with split stitch to create something that can be quite realistic. This is for a friend in my parish, and it was to have been a Christmas present. Well, that didn’t happen, but it shouldn’t take me much longer to finish it. Since it is too cold for me to bike, it isn’t too cold for me to stitch

With the spinning classes and training sessions I don’t have as much free time on my hands for stitching, but I am finding a new enjoyment of it – perhaps due to the very reason that I don’t have much time to work on it. So I am making the most of what time I have! I also hope to start making progress on the Epigination I am supposed to be working on as well.

Posted in surface embroidery

Cycling Adventure Blog

Catrin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:08:48 +0000

Here is the home of my new blog that will focus on my introduction to cycling and, once I’ve completed the learning process, my efforts to become a distance/endurance cyclist. It seems best to keep this separate from my needlework – which I hope to get back to as early as tomorrow afternoon!

Posted in surface embroidery

Name that Bicycle

Catrin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:11:31 +0000

Here is my very first bicycle – a Trek 7.6 WSD. I am very happy with it, and it has even survived two practice sessions as I start the adventure of learning how to ride at mumble-mumble years old. I am looking for a good name for my steed, so if you have any suggestions please let me know!

I am also starting a separate blog to journal about my cycling adventures and will post a ink here when I am ready. I’ve decided I want to keep that separate from this – seems easier that way

Posted in Bicycling