Basket Stitch

Turning Embroidery into a Pillow - Final Installment!

2012-03-04T20:14:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,

Drumroll, please. We have a completed pillow! Yay!!

I put my new sewing machine to work at once. Pinned everything up and a few straight lines and major goofs later, voila:

Helpful hint: a lint roller is handy for cleaning up little bits left over when ripping out stitches. You can see here how the envelope back works:

This has been a really fun project. I've learned a lot, acquired some needed equipment along the way, and can't wait to see how many of my coworkers get a good laugh out of my new pillow.

Now, I'm going to take a few weeks off from embroidering so that I can finish some other projects around the house. But, I have a few ideas for embroidery-related posts in the meantime. And, when I'm done with my other projects, I have an idea for the next embroidery adventure...a proper needlepoint that will remind me of a recent vacation.

Turning Embroidery into a Pillow - Part 2

2012-02-29T20:07:00.000-06:00

And now....the cutting. Fingers crossed, and all seems to have worked well.

I did have some difficulty ensuring that the rectangle I cut out of the embroidered cloth was not crooked...my cloth was not evenly cut, so I had to pull off the loose threads on the 3 non-selvedge sides until I found one thread that spanned the width of the fabric. Then I was sure that the next thread was straight. From there, I remeasured to get a straight rectangle. That's the reason for all the little chalk dots I made before I was brave enough to draw a line!

Then, I applied a little trick I learned in a sewing class at The Needle Shop here in Chicago and angled the corners inward about 1/2 inch. This gives a nice tight, crisp corner with plenty of pillow stuffing in it, and avoids floppy rabbit-ear corners. These are the marks showing where I'm going to trim on this corner:

Now, before I pin it all together...I need to go buy a sewing machine! I've been putting that off forever, and actually have 3 or 4 sewing projects lined up, so I think it'll be a good investment. I've been looking for an oldie but goodie on Craigslist, but haven't had any luck. So...impatience prevails and I'm off to the store.

Next time...we sew!

Turning Embroidery into a Pillow - Part 1

2012-02-26T09:44:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone,

I've finished the embroidery for the CFL lightbulb pillow, and am really happy with how it looks:

Now I want to turn it into a pillow cover for a 12"x16" pillow insert I bought at my local craft store. The embroidery fabric is solid enough that you can't see the white pillow through it, so it won't need to be lined. I'm going to re-use a pair of velvet jeans that I found at the thrift store for the back of the pillow cover. And, I am going to use an envelope back to the pillow so that I can remove the cover if needed, but won't need to install a zipper. Not that I'm scared of zippers...

First I sketched out the dimensions. Since this is a rectangle, I won't make an elaborate paper pattern, but did want to think through the dimensions before I start cutting! The front is a simple rectangle, with finished size of 12" x 16". The back has two pieces with a 2" overlap. The dotted green line shows the top edge of the bottom piece. The solid green line is the bottom edge of the top piece.

Adding an inch on each side for seam allowances, I get a front piece that is 14" x 18" and two back pieces that are 9" x 18":

Next, I measured my backing material and used a white sewing pencil to mark the cutting lines. Finally, I measured my embroidery material...making sure that the lightbulb would be placed where I want it on the pillow, and marked the cutting lines.

Next time: The Cutting! Nervous yet? And a little trick I learned to make nice tight pillow corners.

Padded Satin Stitch - Fixing Big Area Blahs

2012-02-23T18:02:00.000-06:00

After I filled all of the areas of my light bulb with satin stitch, I differentiated the little pieces at the bottom using padded satin stitch. But, the main body of the light bulb still looked dull and listless.

The satin stitch looks really great where the stitches are shorter, like these curly parts of the bulb. Those stitches were about 1/2 an inch long.

But on the main body of the bulb, the stitches are over 2 inches long. You can see them on the right. Boring and Flat!

So, I tried to use padded satin stitch again to liven things up. This time, I made my stitches angled. That's the beginning of the padded satin stitch, on the left.

I didn't want to fill the whole area in with stitches that just went up and down. Instead, I wanted to give the piece some depth. So, I tried to cover the area with several adjacent bits of padded satin stitch set at different angles.

It almost worked! I was hoping that the angles would make the piece look round...not quite, but it does add some depth and definitely looks more interesting than the flat stitches that were there before.

So, it's not perfect. But it looks pretty good from a few feet away (is this a theme in my work? oh well, I'm just beginning here!)

Next time, I'll show you the finished embroidered piece and turn this into a pillow.

Padded Satin Stitch - Making Little Details Pop

2012-02-19T17:48:00.000-06:00

I'm working on my light bulb pillow project, and have completed filling in the whole area of the pattern with satin stitch. But, some of the details aren't popping out at all.

The pattern has a lot of little details at the bottom of the light bulb.

I stitched these areas in long satin stitches that went from left to right...in alternating colors of white and gray. They ended up looking like ...well, I forgot to take a picture, but it was just an ombre stripe thing that did not scream "I'm the screwy end of a light bulb!"

So I made a teeny tiny padded satin stitch on the parts that represent screw threads. A padded satin stitch is just a satin stitch with another satin stitch over it in a different direction. In this case...I made short vertical satin stitches over long horizontal satin stitches....it did the trick! Now the screwy end of the light bulb looks like the real thing.

Next time...making the body of the light bulb less blah.

Energy Efficient Light Bulb Pillow – Satin Stitch!

2012-02-16T17:30:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,

The light bulb pillow has been fun to stitch. I have three shades of embroidery floss: white, and two shades of light and medium gray. I started by filling the whole pattern with satin stitch and then adding some gray touches for shadow and to differentiate the lower parts of the bulb.

This was my pattern. Notice all the business at the bottom. It's going to be hard to make those little pieces look different from one another. But, that's a problem for another day. I'm starting at the top!

Satin stitch is super easy. You just fill in a space with long straight stitches. The stitches all start at the same end, so the back looks like the front. It uses a lot of embroidery thread, but creates a nice solid look.

I used a tiny satin stitch for the shaded areas. Then I used back stitch to outline the design.

But, the design isn't finished. More next time!

Energy Efficient Light Bulb Pillow - Transferring the Pattern

2012-02-11T14:50:00.000-06:00

For this project, I made my own embroidery pattern by drawing a CFL lightbulb onto a piece of paper. I'm going to transfer the pattern to my cloth using embroidery tracing paper. Mine is made by DMC and comes in 8 1/2" x 11" sheets that are yellow or blue. I'm going to use the yellow to make a visible line on my dark blue cloth.

I don't draw well freehand, so traced directly from my pattern. Since my pattern is only 5" by 2", I started by conserving tracing paper! I cut out 1/4 of the tracing paper sheet, which just fit my pattern.

Tracing Paper

Then, I taped the pattern to the back, non-colored side of the tracing paper. The pattern should not be reversed. So, when you're looking at it from above, it should look just like it will when it is on the cloth.

Next, I spread my cloth out on a hard, smooth surface and taped the tracing paper, yellow side down, on to the right side of my cloth. With my particular cloth, there really is no right side and wrong side, but I checked to be sure...didn't want to put the pattern on the wrong side of the cloth!

I used clear tape to attach the paper, which work well for my small pattern. Something larger might require more secure taping - masking tape might be better. I didn't want to pin it because I was afraid of puckering.

Lastly, I traced over my pattern with a pen that I could really bear down on (and still went over every line 2 or 3 times). I peeked underneath after a few lines to be sure that the marks were going through.
And, ta da! A perfect little CFL on my dark blue cloth:

Finished Tracing on Embroidery Cloth

That's the edited version of this learning experience. I learned that the pattern shouldn't be reversed by making that mistake and getting a backwards CFL! Oops! Luckily, since my cloth is the same on both sides, I just flipped it over and tried again.

When I was done, I saved my tracing paper...there's still plenty of yellow on it for tiny projects.

Next time: Another new stitch!

Energy Efficient Light Bulb Pillow – Materials

2012-02-08T13:23:00.000-06:00

For the pillow, I needed a few items. So, at my local crafty store, I acquired:

- 12” x 16” pillow form – I am using a brand that’s madefrom polyester and bamboo rayon.

- 2 skeins of DMC embroidery floss in Blanco

- 1 skein of DMC embroidery flow in … for shadows

- 1 skein of DMC embroidery flow in … for shadows and themetal SOCKET of the bulb

- ½ yard of navy linen-look fabric that is 51% linen and 49% rayon.

I’m going to use re-purposed velvet for the back of thepillow. I found a great pair ofcream-colored velvet jeans at the thrift store for $2. They didn’t fit, but the fabric was so prettythat I bought them anyway. They’ll makethe perfect pillow backing.

I use a free clip art drawing of a compact fluorescent lightbulb for the pattern.

This will be a fun learning experience. I’ll need to transfer the CFL design to thefabric and will use some new stitches. I’ll probably use satin stitch for the bulb and stem stitch for shadowsand details.

Next time: transferring the pattern!

New Project: Energy Efficient Light Bulb Pillow

2012-02-04T09:19:00.000-06:00

I’m really looking forward to my next project. But, it means that I must admit the depth ofmy geekery. When I’m not being crafty, Iwork in energy efficiency. It’s awonderful line of work – it’s interesting, there’s no shortage of work to do,and it makes the world more comfortable, more affordable, and cleaner. And it will now, perhaps for the first time,be immortalized in embroidery.

Since energy efficiency, despite its wonderfulness, is inneed of a good dose of humor, I thought I’d make a little tongue-in-cheekcraftiness for my new office. The guestchair needs a little pillow. And it’sgoing to have a compact fluorescent light bulb embroidered on it. Because that’s how I roll. Oh yeah. Everyone in the office is going towant one. Just watch!

Chain Stitch and a Completed Tote Bag

2012-02-01T13:10:00.000-06:00

The last stitch on the new tote bag is chain stitch. It is used to make the little yellow flower centers. Basically, chain stitch just requires you to make a little loop and then tack it down with another little loop, which you tack down with another little loop...till the last stitch, which you tack down with a tiny straight stitch. This is what it looks like when you're done:

Ok, mine's a little wonky in spots, but you can't tell from a few feet away! As with the stem stitch, it would have been better if I had practiced making chain stitch in a straight line first.

And...here's the completed tote bag, ready for duty!

This has been a fun project. I've gotten some good practice on three very basic stitches, and have a pretty tote to show for it. (And some extra embroidery floss in these pretty colors. Martha Stewart's kit was generous.)

Next: a new project!

Back Stitch!

2012-01-29T13:01:00.000-06:00

I've completed the stem stitch and back stitch on the tote bag project. The back stitch is very, very easy. Much easier to make it look smooth and pretty than stem stitch, which isn't exactly rocket science itself!
Wild Olive has some lovely pictures to illustrate back stitch on her blog here.

Here's the back stitch on my bag (it's the little red ovals):

Next up, a simple chain stitch for the yellow flower centers (you can see a little of it above), wash off the blue disappearing ink, and my tote will be ready for work/gym duty!

Embroidery Provides an Important Life Lesson

2012-01-25T13:18:00.000-06:00

Isn’t it cool how anything you set our mind to will,inevitably, provide a reminder of important life lessons if you payattention? My recent Embroidery LifeLesson moment came when I got tired of goofing up my stem stitches and decidedto…gasp…tear them out and try again!

I am one of those people: reluctant to ask directions, refusing to make u-turns, and generallybiased toward whatever’s next on the list. But sometimes, you should just rip out your stitches and try again. It’s ok. Trying again is not the same as admitting defeat. And, the yarn won’t instantly fray. And, the final result will look much, muchbetter!

Now: On toBackstitch!

Stem Stitch Tip No. 3 – Right to Left vs. Left to Right

2012-01-22T20:15:00.000-06:00

The tote bag project has a unique wrinkle. Access to the back of the work is limited by the sides and bottom of the bag. So, it is not always possible to turn the work.

On a flat piece in a hoop, I would probably turn the work sothat, on a curvy line, I would always be working from left to right, just like in the stitchery instructions. But with the tote,I sometimes find myself stitching from right to left, which is backwards fromthe stitchery instructions. Maybe thatwould be easier if I were left handed … The stitch instructions are like a little dance diagram:

When I turn the work a funny direction, thestitches are backwards. It’s like dancingthe lead from a follower’s dance diagram. It was confusing, and I messed up some early stem stitch piecesthat way.

As I practiced more, I got to understand the stitch the‘correct,’ left-to-right way. Then, itwas much easier to do it backward on those odd spots where I could not do it the right way. When I becamemore conscious of the direction of my stitches, what the stitch should looklike, and where my needle was going, I managed to make a stem stitch in everydirection.

So the tip is….practice makes perfect! Of course, all my practice is still on mytote bag, but we’ll just say that all those messy stitches give it character!

Stem Stitch Tip No. 2 – Turning Corners

2012-01-19T19:58:00.000-06:00

Ok, maybe this isn’t really a tip. It’s a problem. I’ve found one solution, but there areprobably better ones. I’m open tosuggestions, readers!

Stem Stitch Tip No. 1 was all about the need to pull thestitches taut with the thread on a consistent side of the needle. Once I mastered that, I got good smooth arcing curves. But, stem stitch is harder around sharp curves, and seems almostimpossible around sharp angled corners. For curves that are still curves, and don’t take a 90 degree turn, the remedyis to shorten the stitches as the curve gets sharper. This lets you adjust the curve more often andkeeps the stitches looking smooth:

Now for unresolved embroidery conflict! Angles don’t seem really well suited for stemstitch. My solution to this problem, sofar, has been to stop the stem stitch at a corner and restart on the otherside:

It’s not a disaster, but I doubt the Queen’s stitchers over at the Royal Academy do it this way. If anyone has pointers, please share!

Progress! And Stem Stitch Tip No. 1 – Keep That Thread on The Right…or Left…or Top…or…

2012-01-16T19:34:00.004-06:00

The tote bag project got a slow start, but I made majorprogress this weekend. Here it is in itsunfinished state:

Even though I’ve onlyfinished some of the stem stitch portions, I’m learning a lot. Stem stitch looks super-easy. And, it is super-easy. But it’s not completely idiot proof and … asa complete beginner…well…. Anything worth doing requires some practice!

First lesson I learned about stem stitch: it is very, very important to keep yourthread on the same side of the needle, stitch after stitch. So, if I pull a stitch taut with the threadto the right of the needle, like this:

Then, I need to pull every stitch taut with the thread tothe right of the needle. If I don’t, I’llget something like this. Note the nice stem stitch at top left and how it goofs on the next stitch to the bottom right:

Wonky threads everywhere. Not a lovely stem stitch. Itdoesn’t seem to matter which side of the needle you put the thread on, as longas you’re consistent. With a littlepractice and consistent thread placement, the stem stitch should be smooth andstem-y, like this:

Next time: thedifficulties of corners. HappyStitching!

Royal School of Needlework - Amazing!

2012-01-07T20:18:00.000-06:00

Wow! Here I am... stitching away... and looking for advice on how to make my first three real embroidery stitches straighter and lovelier and I find...The Royal School of Needlework.

Good gravy, the Brits have it all, embroidery-wise.

Apparently, the Royal School did the lace on the Dutchess of Cambridge's wedding dress. And trained Erica Wilson. And fix all the embroidery for all the castles and churches in England, it seems.

Check it out - their website has some beautiful pictures and you'll wish you could dedicate your life (or at least your post-graduate education) to stitchery!

Meet My New Stitches: Back Stitch, Stem Stitch, and Chain Stitch!

2012-01-04T17:24:00.000-06:00

In the star ornament project, I used a running stitch exclusively. It is easy as pie. Put the needle through the cloth wherever you want, and bring it back up wherever you want. Basic caveman stitching.

The new tote bag project uses three basic stitches - the back stitch, the stem stitch, and the chain stitch. All three are simple, and the combination leads to a subtly textured effect on the tote.

The directions in the kit I'm using provide nice illustrations of the stitches, but I wanted to share an online resource for these stitches and others. Wild Olive has a lovely set of Embroidery Basics on her blog. And, Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread has videos! I'm picking up wonderful tips on how to make a pretty back stitch, stem stitch, and chain stitch from these stitchers.

As I learn more about both embroidery and blogging, I'll add a set of references to the side panel of this blog.

New Year - New Project!

2012-01-02T17:15:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year everyone,

For my second project, I am going to embroider a pre-printed tote bag from Martha Stewart.

I know...I know! In my very first post, I promised to design my embroidery from scratch. Please don't be disappointed with me. I'm in desperate need of a tote bag to lug clothes to and from the gym. And no ugly tote will do! So, to get a new tote bag - pronto - and still make an embroidery project out of it, I'm going to save time by using an existing design.

Besides, Martha's design is lovely, with several pinky-red starbursts with yellow centers on a heavy natural cotton bag. The thread appears to be a cotton embroidery floss, and the packaging says its Martha's own colors. Here's a look. You can also see the printed design on the tote, which will wash out.

I will start stitching tonight. Talk to you soon!

Star Ornaments - Finishing Them Off

2011-12-23T11:03:00.000-06:00

I've completed stitching the star ornaments, and now must add backing and hangers to finish them off.

I wasn't sure how to finish the backs. Unless they're hung against a wall, someone's going to see this mess and it'll ruin the cute ornament experience!

So, off I went to Etsy, which is not only a wonderful place to get inspiration, buy gifts, and enhance your personal collection of handmade prettiness...it's also a great place to see how others solve crafty problems like embroidery backs (but no stealing designs! That's not o.k.)

There are a number of approaches...some folks cut the background cloth even with the back of the ring (and perhaps apply glue to prevent slippage). Others glue the cloth edges to the inside of the wooden ring and cover the embroidery with another piece of cloth. And some just tie the bits that hang out in back together so that they won't show from the front.

I haven't left much extra cloth in some spots, so decided to cut it almost even with the rings. Happily, this velvet doesn't want to unravel, and ornaments don't see hard use, so I can leave an unfinished edge. Then, I cut circles of velvet and glued them over the backs to hide the stitches. It ended up looking sorta like a pie crust before you smoosh the edges together. I don't think this would work if I were using Aida cloth, which tends to unravel easily.

Here's the finished product:

So, that finishes the star ornaments. I've learned a lot with this project, and think my sister will enjoy the results. Happy Holidays everyone, and please join me for a new project in the New Year!

Anne

The Biggest Star Ornament...and a little math...

2011-12-22T12:12:00.000-06:00

This is the last star in my star ornament project! I have four smaller stars on 3" embroidery hoops, and now I'm going to add a larger ornament in a 4" hoop. The 4" hoop seems so much larger than the others. Hmmmm....

Ooo - high school geometry alert! I think I remember this one. A circle's area is pi*radius squared. (I admit - I had to look it up.) So, the area for a 3" hoop is 3.14 * 1.5 * 1.5 = 7.065 square inches and for a 4" hoop is 3.14 * 2 * 2 = 12.45 square inches.

So, even though a 4" diameter is only 1/3 greater than a 3" diameter, and it seems like it'd only be a teensy bit larger, the surface area for a 4" hoop is 78% greater than the area of the smaller hoop!

Still with me? Whew! Embroidery math. I promise not to do that too often, but that was kinda neat!

I stitched this ornament with DMC cotton embroidery floss in Blanco. I still think the ecru looks better than the bright white on this vintage velvet, but since this design has so much unfilled space, the white isn't too assertive. I'm glad I made a little constellation on the large ornament instead of one big star. Melds with the little ornaments nicely, I think.

You may have noticed that I left the first, fuzzy ornament out of the set. Just didn't look right. And, I never made one with kitchen twine. My needles are too small. I'll use that for hanging.

Next, we finish off the backs! Not sure how to do that....stay tuned.

Star Ornament from Recycled "Straw"

2011-12-21T11:02:00.000-06:00

The straw ornament (made from recycled plastic purse 'straw') turned out well. It's style is...shall we say...rustic.

I had trouble getting the arms of the star to be the same length. For the next star, I'll try using a ruler. I won't be too accurate, because these should look handmade, and I think that a little imperfection looks attractive. But, some basic guidance would help. On this star, I had to add dots at the top and bottom of the central vertical arm to lengthen it to match the horizontal arm.

I've also been thinking of how to finish these ornaments. They look adorable on the front, but unless they're hung against a wall, we'll be able to see the messy backs! Wish me luck :)

Recycling Materials

2011-12-19T16:33:00.000-06:00

Today, I tore up an old purse. It was one of those fake-straw summer jobs. I forgot to take a picture of it before I tore into it with the scissors, but here's the "straw" that I salvaged:

The individual straws are only about 10 inches long, but they should be usable for embroidered details. The straws are very pliable, and probably made of plastic. I like the pale straw-y color and the slight waviness from being part of a woven piece. The purse was a total goner, but had served me well for 4 years. I'm glad I could save some of it. Also saved some hardware...perhaps that will show up on the blog sometime in the future.

Next: can I use these to make a star?? We'll see :)

A Simpler Star

2011-12-17T16:29:00.000-06:00

After the gaudy silver star, I decided to make a simpler one. This star was made with DMC Pearl Cotton floss in Ecru.

I really like the look of the Pearl Cotton. It isn't as shiny as regular DMC floss, and because it is a twisted, 2-ply floss, it has a textured effect. I think that the ecru color coordinates with the vintage velvet I'm using better than the silver thread in last week's star. The simpler design probably helped it, too. Or, is it too simple? What do you think?

Next: A star made out of an old purse!

Sad News - Erica Wilson

2011-12-14T20:14:00.002-06:00

Sad news among all who love needlepoint today, as Erica Wilson has passed away at 83. If you don't have one of her embroidery books around the house, the New York Times obituary gives a lovely explanation of her life's work. My grandmother and mother both kept her books. Lovely work themselves, and they continue to inspire and instruct. Thank you, Ms. Wilson, for adding beauty to so many homes and lives.

A Silver Star for the Holidays

2011-12-14T16:21:00.000-06:00

I've completed a silver star!

The DMC Metallic Pearl floss is nicely shiny and a little stiff. Seems to be composed of 8 or so smaller threads, but it is not divisible. As soon as I cut into it, the tiny threads started to shred apart. You can see how it shreds in the picture below. So, best to thread the needle and get to stitching instead of letting it sit around and unravel. Glad I didn't cut into it before my 6 month hiatus!

The star has a nice sparkle, but I went a little overboard on the design. I'm not using a pattern and maybe got a little carried away with the pretty thread. But that's ok! A sparkly ornament is a happy ornament, yes? There will be plenty of opportunity for more subdued, elegant ornaments. I've got lots of velvet to stitch them on!

Bad Embroidery Blogger!

2011-12-10T16:05:00.000-06:00

Yikes! I posted two successful articles and promptly put the embroidery away for 6 months. Alas, knitting got in the way...two blankets for my nieces.

The star project has been sitting on my desk the whole time! But now, Christmas is approaching and if I don't finish, I won't be able to give these to my sister before the holiday. So, I went to the craft store and procured some supplies:

proper embroidery needles
DMC floss in Blanco
DMC floss in Ecru
DMC Metallic Pearl Cotton in Silver
DMC Pearl Cotton in Ecru

I think that the ecru colors will coordinate with the old fashioned velvet better than the bright white Blanco and the silver, but we'll see! I will post results as soon as I have them. In the meantime, have a wonderful holiday season, everyone!

The First Project - Star Ornaments

2011-07-27T20:32:00.001-05:00

My first project. Exciting! I decided to make little holiday stars that I'll keep framed in the hoop. I've been saving this cloth for just such an occasion. It is my grandmother's red velvet holiday table runner.

Unsentimental? Nope. Our apartment is full of my grandmother's things, and I plan to keep most of them. But I've had the table runner for years and have never used it. I've also kept one of her needlepoint books, so I'm covered against charges of cynicism regarding heirloom embroidery supplies. And, she'd appreciate reuse of the runner as something artistic.

So....bye bye table runner, and hello ornaments!

The yarn came from my grandmother's yarn stash, too (see?? I keep way too much stuff). But, it turned out to be too fuzzy and soft for embroidery. I don't know what it's made of, but it feels wonderful. It fell apart just as I was finishing this star, although I think some of it had been used for a needlepoint pillow. Maybe it stood up better when pulled through canvas. It feels so good, I might knit something with it one day. For now...one fuzzy ornament.

I'll post something on finishing the back...once I figure out how to do that...

I want to learn to embroider...must I write about it?

2011-07-25T21:38:00.000-05:00

The answer appears to be...yes. And why not? Don't the motivation and persuasion books tell us that committing publicly to an idea makes it more likely you'll take action?

So, here goes. I, Anne, will learn to embroider very, very well. I will write about it. I'll even learn to post pictures of my projects as they develop. And, I will design my embroidery from scratch, use reclaimed materials wherever possible and ... at first...make really, really bad embroidery.

Because I'm learning. And you can learn with me. We'll do this together, me and the wide empty blogger space where no-one's listening. And that's o.k. Because I can pretend you're out there, and that is...oddly...motivational, too.

Anne