Responding

 Hoping this answers a few questions posed about the box.

First, that box was purchased at Michael's, unfinished, and quite chintzy.  Thin wood, lots of sanding, I changed the brass hardware to black that comes in a little package (hinge and latch).  Craft paint and waxed.  I wanted it red, thought the black lining was too stark, so added a mottled black paint over.  

The second box is slightly larger and much better quality, found at Hobby Lobby.  The top is grooved but since the lid will be open, not seen.  The wood's grain was not attractive when stained so it was painted also.  

The leather was a huge bag of remnants at HL for only $6.  Huge.  I could see the large enough cuts through the bag (it held ten which is unusual).  I just cut to fit and used Tacky glue.  Would love to find dark brown.  I don't like print fabric detracting from stitchery, and velvet is way too classy for me.

A small wood scrap can be glued or nailed to the back to prevent the lid from opening flat.  The HL box has hinges that hold the lid perfectly upright.  The display stays in place because of the slight angle and rim.  The stitchery is mounted to a mat and just set on that rim, double side tape could hold in place if necessary.  A pillow finish with less puffy stuffing would probably stay as well.

The sampler asked about is from Scarlet Letter, two of my absolute favorite smalls.  Both on 28 with two threads as I did for years, love the look as much as the design.  Plan to stitch again, maybe on high count, maybe not.

Hope this answers your questions!

Sad evening, as the knock at my door was hunters asking if they could drag the huge buck they killed through my yard.  There is very little area behind us surrounded by houses and one road.  We watched him feed in our yard for several months. It was very dark, he was taken very close to our house.  

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The box!

 Just posted to Instagram.  

Painted boxes in various sizes, only one finished, lined with leather.

Change the lid's stitchery to suit your mood or the season.  Fill the bottom with smalls or seasonals.  Less space than a bowl,  more visible.

Gourds and acorns with a fall lid, ornaments and greenery for Christmas, vintage sewing items with a sampler, or all smalls,  the options are fun!

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Next

 Good day to you.

My days have mostly been leaf pickup, too exhausted for much after.  We will decide about Carole's ride later in the day depending on weather.

The project I mentioned may be finished today, but I can show you the stitching project I'm working on.  It is the almost perfect size for it, but I have another that will work also.

This is an oldie, Bettsy Wood 1808 from Sheepish Antiques.  Changed a few colors to darker shades, planning the barely visible over one in black.  Sweet and simple, I think I can handle it.

Have to mention again what a great help having the pulled thread list for kitted projects is for me.  I note which have been removed to work on another, and replace when finished or purchase another skein.  The shipping tape on the clear pocket with chart title has held very well, and the thread page slipped behind.  A notebook listing all pulled threads with the chart title would be ideal, but I know it would be misplaced, for me, best to keep them with the projects.

Hope you have an enjoyable day.

Be safe.

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FFOs in the game

 Not much time to play, but making some progress.  Hope to show you this weekend.

The "sex" that is visible is as charted, wrong vowel for six.  

My brother had a procedure, he's back home and doing well.  No rooms, so he stayed in the ER over 24 hours, went right to surgery, stayed in recovery until time to be released.  The people I spoke with over the phone were wonderful, kind, helpful.  They could not find him in the patient directory, but sent me to other departments hoping they had info on him.  They did.  Three stations, just as pleasant as could be.  

Carole's ride and Rita's custard will be Sunday.  Not many leaves left to see and rain predicted.  Couldn't be helped.

Have a good day everyone.

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Sun

 Beautiful warm day, two more before it will be 40's.  Getting leaves done, washing windows.

Even though I took a tumble on my bad knee, skinned enough to lose a pound, back to a brace, and a bee hiding in my straw stung my lip, sun and warmth makes everything better.

This is my yellow mum,

the other is bronze, a beautiful deep reddish orange with yellow center.

I've seen this size for over $30, can't believe I paid $9.50!

Matches the red maples.

I am working on a project to share with you, in a few days.

× × × × × ×

and then this happened

 Just returned from the ER where my brother is unexpectedly, no rooms available, patients are in the halls.  So until we have some answers or testing, will have to postpone getting Carole in the car for a ride tomorrow.  Been trying since her birthday.

Enjoy your days.

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Failing the test

 This is very difficult on 36 count Ale.  The threads whether a subtle change or as charted, seem to disappear into the weave.  So many errors over one or three holes instead of two.  And running the tail on the back is next to impossible.  To add to the frustration, a main color (371) is ghosting.  My eyes have been terrible for a week, I'm sure contributing to my problem.

The house light center color is also difficult to see but not quite as bad.  Sides are charted for 371, barely visible, but the outline prevents total fadeout.  I tried 422 instead, easier to see (not much!), and offering a little color.  Undecided on a large pale gold house or a very muted one seen only because of an outline.  You can see a tiny patch of the 371 between the windows.  

 Subbed 611 for the 371 stems and leaves in the border.  But even the 611 is causing visual issues on this Ale.  I should have chosen a very dark linen but wanted the same as my other finish in the book, Two by Julia.  I considered using The Hunter's border colors but they are too strong.

So do I continue to struggle?  Or put it aside for a while?   Start over on another fabric?  

I will list the 40 count linen pieces soon.

In the meantime .....

Dominic's Apple Fritter bites

Peel, core and slice stem to bottom into six pieces (+/-)

Dip into batter, coating completely

Pan fry in small amount of oil (not olive oil), turn as needed to brown and cook apple 

Dust with powdered sugar while warm.

1 beaten egg

1/3 cup milk

1-1/2 tsp oil

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp sugar

Beat or whisk until smooth

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Testing ...1...2

 3!  On thread changes, on chart choice, on apple pie or fritter.

Recognize this huge house?

I will be selling these two linens soon, maybe on that FB site.

Enjoy your day!

Fritter it will be.

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Clearly

If you stitched the Nash Sewing Bag, were you able to easily read the chart?

On a tan background, bold symbols are readable but some are outlines, not distinct or clear enough for my eyes.  I need to use high magnification and certainly would not be able to glance at the chart while stitching to verify thread color.  I'll try enlarging with high contrast at Staples, hope it helps.  Not today, not tomorrow, maybe Friday.   I tried using my tablet to photograph but it became very blurred when enlarged.  So I will kit a few projects and maybe start a very small until then. 

Got out my Halloween tree this year.  Moved it, moved it, moved it, and I'll move it again.  It's like elf on the shelf.

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The players

 

 Too lazy to look through charts for a small sampler, these were in the basket next to my chair.  If IA 1812 is chosen, the top alphabet will be left off.  

The fun is at the bottom, the middle alpha is different, the top is routine tedium for me right now.

I made two previous attempts to have more than one project going at a time, didn't work.  The third time may be a charm, we'll see.

Still fighting mojo so I can't take long to start a new project.

Choosing fabric is always a chore.

Enjoy your day,

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Miss Jane Plews

The birds are as charted.  Because of the placement error that caused the right half to be off (no correction), my modified bird did not fit properly on the other side.  So I went back to the chart and its colors, used my brown stamp pad and a stiff angle brush to darken the outline of the bird's light thread.  The original sampler's center area is quite dark from age or soiling, so I added more aging with the brush in that area.  Rather than red along with the bright blue, I decided the cartouche outline should be one color

Boom.

This 2016 design

 from Inguna Krastina was offered free on the Facebook group Sampler Heart under the files. 

click here to join 

PTP Legacy 36 with DMC threads, very few changes where thread was too light for my taste.

Be safe folks.

Thanks for visiting and putting up with me.

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Two minor decisions

 and this sampler will be finished.

The critter was worked from antlers down, removing the grass as needed.  Since the three stitches off were in width, I never checked height.  That's where the problem was.  Adding more horizontal rows than charted caused the angled edge to increase in width.  Never thought of that!  

So the two birds will be stitched, 

and after removing the bright blue in the cartouche border, I need to either choose another color or leave as is.  With so much going on in this area, the blue was too distracting.  I am sorry I didn't study the chart more, would have moved the first row up one.

Border is done!!

I will list Jane's link and info next post.

Enjoy your weekend.

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The critter, the cake, and the crab

I have lost count of the number of times this corner has been counted.  AUGH!!!!

I know the body is one stitch to the right, the outline for her name is not.  But the grass is three off!  So I stitched the bottom border hoping to shed light on the error.  Nope.  WTH?

So the critter will be stitched and the grass will grow around it, no more counting.  Even its shape can take a few errors so except for the tail that's sort of a shrub, and the wonky antlers, the rest will be filled as I go.

Now about that cake.  Carole's birthday (85) is Sunday.  The great grands go back to their mom tomorrow.  I thought one of the three adults would get a cake so she can celebrate with them.  I should have known better.  I had to buy a costly last minute cake and gifts from the kids for our (kids and Carole's) caregiver's birthday a month ago.  So last minute today, boxed cake.  They have skimped on package sizes in everything and no exception here.  The damn thing is less than an inch at edges!.  They used to be much higher.  From now on, scratch cakes from my 50 year old cookbooks.  I line the pan bottom and overlap the paper so easy lift out, at least that went well!

We bought Carole a curved transfer board, hoping it will allow her to get into a car.  The straight one is not usable when the car doors don't open wide enough.  Her wheekchaur can't get far enough forward to line up with the car's seat.  If this works, we'll take her for a ride to see leaf color and a Rita's custard.  She has not been in a car for several years, just the back of a transport van.  Fingers crossed.

And the crab?   Need I elaborate.  Hello!

Be safe.

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The critter in the corner

 which has a nice rack will hopefully be worked on this evening.  I thought Jane was closer to a finish than she actually is.  The border, two rows of her name and such, two birds, and the critter corner yet.  But that's still within a few days.  Hopefully.

Started at the beginning of September, should this sampler have taken this long?  Jane was not worked on for probably a week or more when days were busy with chores.  More stitching was done this past week as I worried about Peanut.  

She passed away yesterday evening.  My brother is inconsolable.  He saved so many cats over the years, all strays, found agencies or homes for the litters, but this little brat was his favorite of all.  He has one remaining in house, not very social as some rescues are (our Missy, Nit, Petey, Tootsie!).  The mobile vet we have used ended practice a week ago.  The primary vet gave him liquid medication to calm and sedate her if she worsened.  One day you have hope, the next day is desperation.  Having med on hand to ease their anxiety or pain is a blessing.  We think she lost eyesight yesterday ( still no explanation ) which was terrifying for her.  The medication could not treat whatever caused her condition but certainly helped her stress.

I've been trying to hold back tears for days, assuming this was coming.  No doc has an explanation why my eyes become so bad after crying with no tears.  Doesn't it make sense that the lacrimal glands getting the brain's message to produce tears and struggling to but cannot, would become irritated?  It irritates the hell outta me!

Hope you have a good day.

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Big Bird

 One of the great Halloween costumes.

But this big bird has been removed and restitched four times.  The fact that the tree is one stitch farther to the right than charted, is not a factor.  There is room at the right edge to compensate for this error.  

The very light thread on the bird's breast edge did not show, so have reversed and also changed colors.  Then I realized the long skinny shape was bothering me.  Not a big deal with all the other motifs, but when stitching/focusing on an area I don't see the whole picture.  He's two colors and fine for now, moving on.

My brother is slowly losing his beloved cat, they have no diagnosis despite twice weekly visits and multiple meds.  Two weeks into this, CHF became an added issue.  But meds are not helping any of her symptoms.  So upsetting.

Our thoughts and hearts are also with those in harm's way.

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Set sail

 to finish Jane.

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The decision

 Not my preference, but I have a good reason.

The upper section is perfect for a box, but the bottom has too many quirks not to be seen.  Since the quirks are in the corners, a drum or box wrap would hide them.

For this reason alone, I plan to finish Jane's sampler.

The deer's antlers will be another color as will the tree growing as a tail, for them to stand out.

And these guys that remind me of Virginie Cochepin, another should-be-seen corner.

So there you have it.  Time to pick it up and return to stitching.  I have the box bug now, will search the pile to see if something fits.  If not, next project will be sized for them.

Damn.

Happy October?

Nope.

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