Back to the Parlour

 Finishing the previous start, deciding whether to add my initials or follow the chart.  No other alphabet offered but it shouldn't be too difficult to chart mine in this style.

I added color to the diamond shape in the center of the sprigs.

The right side of the design is charted one stitch longer than the left.  I started this before I received the chart but noticed that one side was longer, I chose to make the same.  This caused the 0 to touch the flower, but it appears to do the same on one of the cover's finishes.  Will I move the 90?  Doubtful.

There is a green spot on the linen which wasn't noticed, will be very close to the edge when sewn.  I would like to use brown leather for the sides, drum finish.  Will not be easy unless I find a container to wrap.

Back home from mammography, nerve testing on right arm in an hour.

Have a good one!

2025 Finish #6

 V Hamel 1868

46 count cream, dmc 22, approximate 4"x 4".

Numeric row omitted.

Never worked that many stitches in that small of a piece.

Prims on Greenway's fabulous berry.

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Six months ago today, is a day that I live over morning and night.  I still expect her to call, I still imagine her in her kitchen.

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Stitch heavy

Glad I omitted the numeric row, and for a 4" sampler (on 46 count), this gal is quite heavy. 

Like the gal stitching her.

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That wasn't bad at all

Not a match or lighter in sight, calm as could be.  The stitches removed easily as did the red fuzz left behind.  Very surprised.  I didn't use the Lift n Snip, just picked each stitch in reverse order and it was painless.

This sampler felt familiar and I realized the top and right side borders were also in BBD's Ooh la la book, top and bottom.  Four different borders, loose alpha, and red.  One of my favorite finishes, love that entire book.

First time doing the pin stitch, didn't remember that the floss is to be split, but on 46 it probably is a given.  Also felt foolish that I was executing it horizontally when diagonal would be much nicer, less bulk.  And it is.

The numeric row is being omitted, I want the piece shorter.  But it also draws my eye to it, sort of detracts from the motifs and borders, I guess because of the tighter placement.  So it's out.

Hope to finish soon, several other smalls are waiting for me.  As for 46 count stitching, I never considered an attempt since it seemed impossible.  My close vision has become bad enough to not allow any reading, even large print, without correction.  But 4.0 magnifiers, my contact lens, and focused lighting is working.  Wearing my prescription glasses instead of contacts, I use a magnifier lamp.  Darker linens are a struggle and avoided in that count.  Progress is slower of course and errors off one linen thread need frequent checks.  The first few stitches are harder until my eyes adjust, and surprisingly, they do.  But once started and adjusted, it has to be completed without switching back and forth with a lower count project.

Have a good day!

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The right way and the wrong way

This is the wrong way and I still do it.

Why would I not continue working the entire border which would catch errors?  Instead, I stopped the single straight row which allowed a one linen thread error in the center area to go unnoticed.  

The needle shows where it begins and I've tried several options to hide this but it didn't work.  The outline row makes it obvious since it aligns one thread (rather than two) from the center stitching and that linen thread happens to be a very very thin one.  There are a few thick threads on this fabric but unfortunately, not there.  So it smooshes together.  I started from the bottom to meet up with the outline, found the error, and already removed those stitches.

Suck it up girl.  Frogging 46 count with pin stitch starts will be frustrating, but not as frustrating as failing to learn from my mistakes. 

I stitch in hand but found that high count such as this 46 is easier to see when slightly stretched on a hoop.  Every little bit helps and I like the spring hoop for ease of use, but it is a little heavy.

Have a good day.

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Already in love

More stitching in the borders than I like but I love this baby red sampler.

I was finally given results of my echo done in December.  There was no report filed, and the hospital being sold caused a real issue.  But the cardio office went to the old (previous) system's program found on a laptop and was able to retrieve the images.  There will be no dialog or report and I trust the doctor that viewed them in absence of a radiologist.  Very relieved to hear they felt it was normal.  That's a term that seldom refers to me.

The upper body osteo surgeon is seeing me in a week regarding my right arm and hand, still can't move my ENT appointment for vertigo up from August.  I call every two days checking for cancelations.  They did refer me to a PT office, no vestibular therapist locally but they send all patients to this one facility.

I am still looking for a surgeon willing to work on my extruded two tear meniscus.  Trying to correct that before agreeing to a total knee replacement sounds reasonable but they don't bother with that here.  

So that's the medical minutes report for today!  

 

March is quickly leaving isn't it?  Seems like it just arrived.

Be safe folks.

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2025 Finish #5

 Too many color (and other) changes on this 36 count to mention.  One vase and bird were left out to create a tighter drum, but haven't decided if that will be or a finish as small pillow/pincushion.

Vertigo caused another lost day, but I am upright and being careful today.  Kim mentioned this sweet small in a post and I immediately ordered. 

On 46 count with dmc 22, it will be a tiny finish.

Enjoy your day, be safe.

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Berry pleased

It bugs me when motifs are so wonky. 

The basket on the top right had an extra row causing the berries to not be centered (I made fat berries to compensate).  This center basket had them up one, down one, less rows, misaligned, and the greenery way off on all edges.

This was enough to make me look for matches, but I was too lazy to look for them.  I decided to stitch berries without the chart, align the best I could, and then fill the greenery.  Would have been easier to graph the change first, but again, lazy.

Bingo. 

Problem resolved.  Hopefully the greenery will go as well.

Enjoy your day.

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A start

Songbird Whistles from the BBD Sewing Club book.

I should be further along but I removed and changed thread colors.  It's what I do.

Also narrowed the width to create a tighter drum finish.  I miscalculated the linen needed.  It's what I do.

I had to make the center berries three stitches wide because I need symmetry, and the basket is one stitch too wide.  Why?  So easy to correct, but did not notice until it was stitched.

Another special card received from talented card maker Brenda.  His hat sparkles.  Thank you again!

My Sjogren's flare is the worst ever, lips and mouth tissues shrink and stiffen within 10 minutes of speaking.  My final request to approve the Prokera lenses that Medicare covered previously, was formally denied by the advantage plan.  Expected, but now in writing.  

The hospital under new ownership is now open, and I found a facility that offers the CCTA test about 45 minutes from here.  No need to travel to Pittsburgh or Cleveland!  

Me .. "I would like this done at the facility I found closer to home."

Them .."There is nowhere else but Pittsburgh or Cleveland."

Me .. "I spoke with them, they offer it."

Them .. "Ma'am, if there was any place closer, don't you think we would be sending patients there."

Me .."Did you ever try?  Have you ever called this facility?"

Them .. "I don't have to.  I know."

Me .. "Do your job bitch, before I come through this phone."

 And now They know and I'm sure patients will be happy.  Everyone in that office is so pleasant, I don't know where she came from.

The End.

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Coulda Woulda Shoulda

 But didn't. No needle!

Anxious and not feeling all that well, will know more after tests.  It seems the hospital's closing took my heart tests with them, requests made and should have results after waiting close to four months.  But the two week monitor prior to that was available and was very concerning.  Added new meds and will need to travel for another test in the coming weeks.  Until then, I need to settle down and put needle in hand.

All market charts arrived except for the first two ordered.  Along with the market releases I showed previously, these two older designs were included.  

This is from Kathy Barrick...

only stitching the top.  Less than five inches square on 40 count, perfect.

And this cutie to add to my cat bowl. 

I may add a few rows for a fat cat.

Another season to get through without Carole.  The Easter plans, the garden planning, the hanging baskets to search for.  So long ago, the Easter basket had home made sweet bread, kielbasa, fresh butter, cooked eggs, home made egg cheese, cwikla.  Taken to the church basement, the basket lids were opened revealing these foods nestled in a white linen cloth with tatted edges, waiting to be blessed.  Easter morning we gathered at mom's to feast on the basket's blessings for breakfast.  Carole and I missed this very much, mom and aunts passed away, churches closed, traditions faded.  And now, I feel totally alone, lost.  Some weeks are raw.

I have linen pulled in 32 and 36 count, floss on the ring, and if the carpal numbness subsides, I WILL pull thread through cloth tonight.  Have you watched Sully Stitches floss tube?  Holy halupki!  

I hope you and loved ones are safe.

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The Sewing Club smalls

Hi folks.  Hope everyone is doing well.

I previously posted about BBD's Sewing Club book and the number of drum finishes included.   I made the working copies of the smalls I plan to work on.  Choosing fabric is always my biggest problem which causes confused and wasted days.  Most projects are 40 count which would not work well with these, so choosing 28, 30, 32, 36 along with color is really tough.

A recap of my picks from this wonderful book.

The first can be a needle roll or small bowl filler.

This is shown as a pincushion but is suitable for a drum finish.

Four other drums.

This sewing bag is gorgeous.

I don't remember seeing many finishes of this sampler, lovely design, but I'm passing because of size. 

 I have several other small projects I'm considering, not sure what to do!  Been a few rough days, and the older I get the less I can handle several things at one time.  Or two.  But starting a project tomorrow after the doctor is a must, even if I have to ask hubs to choose it.

Be well. Stay safe.

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The influence of Lauren

 Purging.

Being the ruler of the Procrasti-Nation, I have thought about removing items yet failed to act.  Why.  Because I worry that I may be sorry, as has happened with charts and stitched pieces I gave away.  But seeing Lauren tackle this, and needing rooms emptied for painting, it's time to get serious.  This isn't needlework related, it's household, it's baskets, it's boxes, it's the brown jugs I loved and collected.  Most must go, a few perfect pieces will not.

Everything, even in small quantities, is making me anxious.  Changing from the dark colonial colors and paring down visuals is the goal.  Not easy.  Store excess in the basement?  That's just moving from one place to another, not really purging.  Went through charts and have a load to offer.  Again, procrastinating.  Never sold on those destash FB groups.

I added racks to the bottom shelf of the hutch and will try to organize better.  Since I have a very small inventory of charts and linen I want to use, it should be easy.  It ain't.  Nothing seems to fit or offer easy access.  I'm not sure if the years of meno madness or the severity of covid changed my gumption and ability to focus.

I found this (again) and searched for a chart but no luck.  My SIL made this for Carole and I would like to stitch one.  Easy enough to follow I guess.  Add to the list!

If anyone is interested, Ice Cube candies are sold on Amazon.

Break is over, back to work.  

Very warm this coming week, hope you enjoy the sunshine.

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Browsing

 Online?

Nope.  I was scanning the sewing machine mess and decided to look through the pile of finishes.  So many I had forgotten about.  

Spring Green was a finish I did not care for because of the Gingerbread linen.  It matched the photo in the book, the threads were changed since most were ghosted, but still very blah.  This previous blog photo shows the roll stitched but it is nowhere.  

I tried adding one darker stitch in the ziggy border, hoping for .... something.  One side in the roof's brown, the other in a darker green.  Better, but I should just stitch over on a different linen.  I think the green will stay, brown removed.  The top border is original.  Thoughts?

Outlining in the green would be too much, I think the single stitch add works.

Warming up here this week.  Progress to spring.

Went to a shop that offers deli items, and every imaginable condiment and sauce (brand and local Amish) plus gifts galore.  Nice heavy canvas bags, other purses, scents, puzzles, signs, jewelry, kitchen items, so much to look through.  Since we have few stores left here, something routine elsewhere is a treat here. 

 But we never left without a bundle for Carole, so it's difficult as with every place.  No shopping trip ever ended without her favorites in a separate bag, regardless of the store.    

Many appliqued small bags.  Neon Dion is still feeding here daily.

I grabbed an Ice Cube at the checkout, rarely see them, and my hubs had a fit because I unwrapped it and popped it in my mouth before using the hand sanitizer.  He still can't forget my first covid.  And I touch everything in stores like a five year old.

Be well, stay safe.

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Market

What a hassle for impatient crabasses like me.

I saw what I would like, I ordered.  Then more charts are shown for preorder daily.  My usual 123stitch shop does not offer preorder.  Being notified when new charts are in stock doesn't work for me.  Not attached to a phone, check emails once daily, by the time I see the notice items are sold out.  So the first order was placed with Anabelle's.  Both Kogut.  I wanted the Jingle Ball blue santa and this stocking offers him in green.  I will choose a blue thread and work him alone.  

The other finished as a pocket/case got to me, the sampler is too large and involved.  Searching for smalls.

Other items desired were found at different sites, different days, listed as sold out for preorder on one, and not offered at all on a third, fourth, fifth.  So much back and forth!  Did not realize that preorders can be sold out so do I take a chance by waiting for the next batch to show?   I settled for three at one shop offering free shipping for Nashville and will get the others eventually.  I don't like ordering single items from several places, too confusing and leads to doubles.  My old brain needs order.

Kathy Barrick

Lucy Beam

Blackbird

This Parlour Pinkeep from NWP is available from some shops for preorder at this market.  I have an idea for finishing, not sure it will work.  I dyed this 36 count and chose thread colors.  I am very surprised at coverage on 36 which is the majority of my linen supply, prefer 40 count.

Hope your weekend is a good one.

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