A new mug, a new bug

Yep.  Workers here two days in a row and possibly even tomorrow which will finish up the floor.  Except of course for the sanding and staining and sealing.  I don't want to sand - can't take the air full of dust.  Don't want to finish, just oil.  Husband's not happy with either so the conversation continues. 

While sitting out here with the fire I thought I would work on a little stitching.  This turkey trot is fowl foul.  I love the look, but not happy with my method.  I am working left to right which means the needle comes up from the back through a hole from a previous stitch.  With six strands of floss, it's almost impossible to not split the anchor stitch (the one going across the front of the loops to secure them), and also to have the anchor stitch appear even.  Each strand has it's own tension and they don't lie together.  Laying tool doesn't help much.  Many times I came up in the wrong hole and pulled out the prior stitch which had been split by the needle so I ended up with knots and all kinds of crap. 

 So I started working right to left which means I come up in a new hole, and go down into the threaded hole.  It can still split the floss but it's not as noticeable as coming up through it.

 The problem with this easier method, is the back.  I'm basically going over the back threads of a previous stitch, so that's 12 pieces of floss which created a really thick line.  That brings up another question.  How will I attach the backing?  Machine sewing in the ditch from the top will certainly not catch the backing fabric the same on all sides.  I can't fold the fringe in towards the center and sew right sides facing because the anchor stitch lays it to the outside edge.  I think the only easy and neat way is to use linen, wrong sides together and fringe the edges into the floss like the original.  Hand sewing the backing on - believe me - would not be neat.  So it is too late?  The backing linen should have the stitching from the front showing and it's too late for that.  I guess I will have to run a line of this color floss and then hand sew front to back.  I should have thought this through before jumping in.  Stitching the easier right to left with the fat back side threads would have been fine showing on the other linen piece.  You know what?  If I wasn't actually doing this stitch, this post would be confusing as heck. 

 I have to think.  Right now, after removing the bug, I have this...a leaf.  And I'm hoping the Advil I'm chewing for this aching neck will help the pain from this.After meeting up with this.  I'm wondering if the fire can melt the hole shut in my Crocs.  By the time I got to the house,  there was so much blood it was coming through the hole when I stepped so the plywood beneath the new floor has a red polka dot pattern.  My mom loved polka dots.

Have a great day and watch where you step!!

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx