Summer is over

and I wonder where it went.  One of the worst in memory for a number of reasons, but the weather was as if spring stretched into July and then early fall took it from there.  Our yard is full of dropped leaves already.  It's nice this morning and I can sit outside in the quiet without a sweater and I think that's exactly what I will do.

This afternoon I will take Carole to the hospital for her monitor hookup.  She seems to be feeling a little better, still unable to do much, and her chest is getting worse.  I am insisting on a CT for the sternum to make sure it is not cracked or the force created additional injuries.  Not likely, but after the other procedures touted as "simple" turned life threatening, why chance it?  CPR once is painful, but 10 times may have done more damage. Her 20 year old cat Tippy is failing fast, and 18 year old Buster was attacked by the flies looking for a host.  This isn't helping her right now and she is very upset.

I am on steroids because I look like I have chicken pox.  NEVER had something itch so terribly in my life and thank goodness it is confined to ankles and legs.  Not my usual poison ivy.  Then I stretched to grab something and tipped my wheeled chair over, falling onto my side and hitting the right knee.  Earlier in the day, I had chairs upside down on the table to sweep the floor and when I removed it to set upright on the floor, the top rail swung and hit the left knee. They weren't healed yet so I added a few more weeks to that process.  No big deal.

Not much work being done on Eliza.  I like this Copper Penny linen color, but the other piece I saw was very different, more green, and I am afraid to order it online. But I need some help from you experienced finishers.

 

 

 I wanted to stitch a few of these to sell, and I have taken it apart several times because I am not happy with the heart's curve.  This mess is because of all those attempts and I am still looking for a trick to help.  When the curve goes this deep, I don't stitch it all.  I sew down each curve to the point and leave a tiny area unstitched.  Other times I sew one or two stitches straight across.  But I think maybe the stuffing is too dense and this is more of the problem. 

One is sawdust, the other is shells. Sawdust holds the shape better when tightly packed and I'm satisfied with the one on the right.   Satisfied, but not happy.  The Love heart on the right has been the problem, same linen and shape on both. For a simple pincushion or strawberry, the shells are perfect. But even though this was fully filled, they shifted and distorted the heart so I packed more. And more. It's not moving now!

 

 

   But the strain on that area is too much.  The linen is not broken even though it appears to be, those are my hand stitches that stretched and stretched.  I will open it once again and have to sew that (what is that center called?) down further to catch that mess and maybe use fiberfill.  The sawdust worked well on the other design and the Love heart originally had it, but I found dust as fine as flour on the table beneath it despite the fusible interfacing and assumed I did not sift it first.  Thinking back, I didn't.  One batch still has the microfine dust in it which falls out when I pounce it in a mesh strainer.  Since it was opened, I wanted to try the shells so I know which would work better if I decide to make a few more. So what is the best method when sewing and stuffing these hearts with deep curves?  Any suggestions for me? 

 

 

Another sign of fall - the fawns are no longer spotted.  And they are getting as picky as the cats.  Now, they only want sliced white bread.  They won't eat buns or dinner rolls, Texas toast, potato or egg bread.  When we buy the box for them, it's a combination of whatever is ready to pulled from the shelves so I have to take what I get.

 

 

 

 

I don't know if this edgy feeling and the jump when the phone rings will fade soon, but it certainly doesn't affect Budman.

 

Enjoy the week.  Thanks for visiting.

 

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