Samplers-and-Santas
The twice misted was the favorite, the original in its neutral dullness kept pulling me back, time was wasting, split the difference and mist it once!!!
This unusual sampler intrigued me, but I've not seen it stitched or even mentioned. My social media grazing isn't vast, maybe that's a factor. But this market item is certainly not the typical sampler.
Hope everyone had a safe weekend.
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Wow. First time this happened, glad it did.
I'm starting a few projects, one is this sampler.
The linen I choose was more gray and dusty, perfect for this. The others I looked at had too much gold/green tone.
But you know I'm never satisfied. I mixed taupe and a touch of gold which was difficult with crossed fingers. I have several very small spray bottles to lightly mist linen for a barely noticeable change. One random spray would have been enough, but I did two. Looks like the chart photo ... but it's not over.
To my surprise, There was a bonus to my task. The mist was light enough to affect the surface only. No dye came through! I now have a choice of original, adding a light spray, or using the twice sprayed. Never had this happen! But yay!
https://samplers-and-santas.blogspot.com/2013/05/never-forget.html
https://samplers-and-santas.blogspot.com/2020/05/memorial-day.html
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I give up.
What I thought would be a really cool idea has been a disaster and waste of time. Vintage needle packets had such great graphics and colors, but many too complicated to reproduce. My vision was a bowl filled with small stitched pillows or pouches imitating them, and I have been trying my best. Patience is required along with a good graphing program.... I have neither.
These were the least complicated graphics, but still a challenge.
The simple red and green without detailed image seemed to be the only option I could attempt, which I did, and my old program failed once again before I could hit the save option, and it disappeared. Patience I lack, but cranky irritability is abundant. Not charting again. This weekend anyway. Next week?
This is the one I was very close to completing. It's been a very long time since I attempted to graph and forgot that saving work continually is needed with this old program.
And these two were next.
Wouldn't a bowl of little pillows mimicking old needle packets be sweet?
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I hope everyone remembers the reason for the holiday.
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I should be able to finish this final line and the single row four sided border.
Loving the littles.
Enjoy the weekend, be safe.
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Hi folks. If you have been affected by the recent storms, I hope you have a safe place to recover and resources are readily available.
I have an appointment Monday with ortho and requested doctor, not the multiple PAs. My assumption regarding those injections (that help others tremendously) was correct, I wasted $400. I do not need a new joint, the pain is not IN the joint, but no one listened. I was told the three visits were not an "appointment", just an injection, so I could not ask/talk about issues. And weeks later, received three bills for full office exams. Maybe now they will agree to a second mri, another $250, and actually read it.
But I got a bargain at HL! Another piece of 46 count ( the pinkish one is still there), and as I hobbled to the register spotted this in the 40% off candle aisle. Love it! Perfect deep bowl for a padded stitched pincushion, turn it over to use as a drum stand. The fluted tin stand can also be used either side and will be painted at some point.
It was nice to find what I've seen used in many finishes and recommended with some designs.
I started Lily over because the colors I chose were too dark, changed the look entirely. So 3023 is now the sub for 928, and looks great with the 902 (on 46 Zweigart Oat linen from HL). Other consideration was 372, another great option.
It's raining. Again. Our garden area is a mud hole, more rain coming. When can we plant?
Hope you're doing well!
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Even though my project bags are tempting me, I am anxious to do the Heartstring Samplery book that I just received. One piece in particular.
The second, started yesterday, is another from The Wishing Thorn titled Lily Sweeting.
On 46 count again, dmc, and the charted 928 was switched to a gray. In keeping with my flubs, I picked up the wrong floss bag of the two colors I had pulled. Damn. Rather than continue throughout (there are only three colors) I stitched the second row with the bag left behind. And then added another, no longer a three color piece.
I need to get back to painting, the kitchen cabinets, all trim and doors in this room, windows, walls and ceiling which hubs will do. Good thing I have a small kitchen. I so wish we could hire, but we need a new roof and the cost is much higher than expected.
Hope your week, already the middle of May, will be peaceful.
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And this error ridden project reduced to half its size will make one fabulous needlebook.
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Adios.
Error after error after error. I thought I was in the clear, a few flowers and stems should be an easy finish. I was wrong.
Not only did I short the stem by one stitch THREE separate times, I shorted the count from cabin to vase by two. I always count spacing three times, but must have counted the chart grid incorrectly. And this happened after finding three chart errors. 333. Should I purchase a daily number ticket?
Out of respect, I pressed her and groomed the back's rat nest in preparation for cremation. Because both height and width need changed, I'm done. Just not interested in spending more time on corrections. For now, it's over.
Hope everyone had a special day.
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...and family, through second cousins.
But I soldier on with a real rat's nest on the back.
The peacock (who hosted a few green jumpers) called for a light pink center to its feathers' eyes. Remembering Dziadzia's peacocks, the dark eye was outlined by a teal, and a sort of chartreuse in the feather. I looked at all the ugly yellow greens and chose the most gaudy. Perfect. A single stitch in the tail, looks nothing like the skein. Better than pink, better than dark.
I really dislike being a grown-up.
But the huge toad enjoying the never ending rain on my deck, reminded me that I am a great deal larger than all his frog cousins. They only visit when asked and my errors invited them.
I removed one light row and replaced with the brown, removed one brown and replaced with the gray making the porch roof higher. It's perfectly fine. So many sections were removed and replaced since starting this and I was truly frustrated, but the cabin is done, time to move on. The light brick of the chimney was too light so I inked it with my delicate flat brush. Just enough. I moved the floral down a few rows so the peacock above won't be much higher than the rest of the design.
The fricking cabin.
I started the cabin first since it's the largest block of stitches. Trying to convert the WDW to DMC took some time, finally found an up to date listing. And of course, had to change a few on this linen, but then revamped the chart. The second story windows did not align with the first, didn't like the door placement. OCD fixes were good, until I stitched them off one row, corrected incorrectly (yep, it's possible). Twice. Replaced a few logs. The charcoal thread looked odd in places, why ? .... because dark green strands were in the charcoal floss bag and very similar. Did not notice during stitching. Now an entire family of frogs lives in this cabin. I could have built a real cabin in the time taken to stitch this! Hmmm. Looking at this photo, there are three rows of light chinking instead of two. Dammit. What was distracting me since I knew it was two rows throughout? Need a minute to think .... is the rain stopping soon or can I set it to flame in the garage?
The new project bags are hanging everywhere, making me feel as if I'm in a shop. I can see the charts, making it very difficult to choose only one for my next stitch. Really. Browsing through a stack doesn't compare. They are on cabinets, lamps, in baskets, very distracting and I love it.
One more window to paint when the replacement sash comes in two weeks. First time painting white over taupe, three coats don't seem enough, but it is for me. Two brands, same coverage.
Hope everyone is OK.
Got a light?
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