Santa progress

Hello people.  How has your week been?  Ours included sis and bro for Nona's risotto dinner that once again confirmed the fact that we should have purchased a gas stove.  This smooth top with heat settings to 10, boils on number 2 and Low is more like number 5.  So naturally the rice stuck and burned including the saffron.  The next day, Mark once again had to rush over to Carole's because Chris would not wake.  He is type1 with a pump, and so many times has his glucose drop like a rock.  This time, he was catatonic but the paramedics came in time to revive and raise his number.  He's been checked into the hospital to observe these sudden changes and they are baffled.  If we had an endocrinologist locally, it would help, but they come and go.  A nurse (the only one around here) that was trained in his pump settings does all she can, but most times the changes are incorrect which caused this last crash.  Carole can't climb stairs (Chris has his rooms on the second story) so she just calls Mark when she feels there is a problem, and this time, he would have died if we weren't home to take the call.  The paramedics would have been there sooner and sometimes, I could just smack her.  She always blames Chris for this.  He really can't live alone with this condition and it happens at least 3 times a month, sometimes critical, always during sleep. There is a separate sensor (that requires hours to charge) that will alert the patient to a high/low reading, but it is not loud enough to wake him and usually he is already entering a stupor from the rapid drop.  Hard to feel vibration or hear the alarm when it is muffled by a mattress and bedding.  His glucose registered 27 this time.  His last hospital stay it was 720, because of the pump malfunctioning.  He recovers within hours but this is so scary for all of us. 

Santa is coming along nicely.  I tried two things to help with the thread issue.  First, I started using the beeswax and thread heaven which made it much smoother and it went through the linen much better.  Secondly, I went back to my sewing method. 

 

When I separate the floss into two strands, I also take another two out and turn them upside down to thread for the next run.  I would do the first half cross until the thread ended, then do the return for the final cross with the upside down thread.  This way, the shading that I ended with, is the same that I am starting with to return.  The shading I began with on the first cross, will be the shading I end with on the return.  So it seems that the shading will align itself, and here's the result.  The pants were done one full stitch at a time, the coat is being stitching with the sewing method and I think the shading is good.  Using 3364 for the green and I love it with this red.

 

He's looking pretty good but I am wondering if I can continue with another Santa.  Getting tired of the red and the next one is a little rotund, lots more red. 

 

My Black Heart pattern came in along with more small pieces of linen, some 35 count.  The Dolphin is nice and dark, love it.  I have several Tin Roof now and they are pretty consistent except for one that is greenish (but very nice) from a different order.  I try to add a new color when I order and this time it was Tiger's Eye, a really nice pumpkin.

 

 

It will be warm and sunny today, the last one before the cold hits.  I'll be outside as much as possible, washing windows and blowing leaves.

 

Hope you have a great weekend.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~