Midnight Ride

  I didn't final finish the BBD yet but plan to soon.

 Next .... two.

I went back to Midnight and honestly, did not like the blue/gray/purple sky I dyed for it.  Just .... I don't know, does not show up in photo for your opinion.  It's very subtle...  maybe try again later.

This Midnight Ride has only three colors.  My GAST is Charcoal and Onyx, called for is Onyx (alpha) and Garden Gate (raven).  DMC 3021 for letters and either of the GAST for the raven is my reverse choice.  I would prefer the raven be darker.

Have loved this design for years, finally ordered it.  I don't know what the linen is and am so disgusted about not choosing in person.  I really dislike most of what I get because of pink or green tones.

So it's a start!  In the 90's today after wearing fleece for a week.  Garden is done, very bad this year.  No change in the situation, and my brother has been showing signs of dementia for some time.  I fear for myself, symptoms of aphasia are creeping in.  Cardiac CT in two weeks after waiting a few months, possible aneurysm seen on aortic arch during echo.  Never ends!  Which is great news.  If it ends, so do we!

One of my absolute favorites, much simpler than other zuke sweets.  The coffee can be a cup of instant from the dollar store if you don't drink coffee.  Nuts can be omitted.  Any dark chocolate mix is fine.

Enjoy your day.

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Beads. Finally.

I have beads pinned and ready to attach.  Using more was overload.  A very thin cording will lay in the ditch between the two sides.  It was to continue as the hanger loop but I've decided to display in a pretty small bowl, hopefully with beaded berries. Where to hang and whether to do so as a set was going nowhere.  Just sew the damn beads on.

Top left is my favorite followed by bottom right.  I'm glad I changed to white/green.

End of AUGHust.

Enjoy the final few days.

Be safe.

p.s.  go to Subway and get the hot honey chicken nachos

Seriously.

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Ain't over till it's over

Sometimes, your project just doesn't feel right.

It's good!  Looks great.  But ....

Now we're good.

Changed the bottom, redid the side border error, and more importantly ....the colors, removed dog, heart, top date and doodads, added the little heart and large date.

Anyone wanting the recipe for the Death by Chocolate zuke bread, it is on Delish.

Death by Chocolate link

I use 2 whole eggs, a little more sugar, and don't dust the pans.

This makes one loaf, or about 5 mini.

Yep, baking today.

Hope your day is sweet.

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Doggone it

Dog, heart, dodads are gone.

The Anniversaries of the Heart series is to remember or honor a loved one.  Carole has been on my mind more than usual, her initials will be done in pink.  I don't like the top left date squeezed in or the clutter, I'm pleased with this new arrangement.  A small heart will go in that left corner.

The house above the bottom leaf is charted one row narrower than the bottom, which I changed.  Windows and house trim need completed but I'm really close.

Enjoy your day.

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Progress

 

Changed flowers to 3778.

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Until then

A centered lantern.

The other pots are larger and would not hang correctly.  The handles are really large and need to hang into the window area.  The  frame of the window prevents anything from hanging in the center, even if I had another pot this size.  

A copper plate and mug will probably end up centered and the board needs to be much longer for that.  Before another is readied, I'll think about it.  A few pewter mugs can also be the display.  I just don't want too much in this tiny kitchen. 

I requested another lantern be made like this one, quite simple.  Right now he is making a short stool for Missy Monkey, she'll have a better view outside.

Stitching is slow.  The need for a darker floss snowballed to its trim and roof color to go with the 3045.

We made a trip for cob corn to Amish country and detoured to get another spice pot.  Gone.  Most all smaller items were and they sell quickly.  So I came home with this 8" slot handle beauty.   Their products (Tuckahoe Hardwoods) are made from salvaged teak tree roots.

We've missed every storm in our area for a month but finally got a downpour.  And really cool temps.  Summer comes late and leaves early.  Just like a bitch I worked with.

Have a good day!

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Visualize

 Hard to do sometimes.

You can't hold up heavy pots, hooks to hold them in position, and a long board, while stretching over a sink and counter.  Laying the project out on a table is a different perspective.

We both thought if the board was longer, the pots would be too far apart and look like something was missing.  Not sure.  I'm transferring this photo to the old Paint program so I can manipulate it to show a longer board.  Hubs said to hang the copper plates on the bare sides.  Again, not sure.  But not what I expected.  Cutting and staining another board is not a major job.

The last week of summer is upon us.

Dammit.

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Death by Chocolate

What a way to go.

Death by Chocolate Zucchini Bread 

Instead of a single loaf I use five mini pans.  

Easy to freeze.  

Less calories when thawed.

335-350 F for about 40 minutes

It's a thick batter.  My change is two whole eggs since large are small these days.  And usually skip the salted top. These pans are sprayed and then wiped of excess, flop out beautifully.  No cocoa dusting.

Next is the lemon.

Trying a new one with cinnamon.

Not sure about that spice with lemon but will test it.

So many versions of this end of summer (NOOOOOOOO!) staple, haven't hit on a basic traditional recipe I like yet.  From plain to pineapple cherries and coconut, tried them all.

Enjoy your day.

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Getting close

But after I destroyed (aged) the new wood, I needed to choose a hook.  

Always a problem.  

I like the black strap.  But the heavy rustic looks good too.  Board will be installed first and then I can see what will be visible over the pots.  Maybe neither!

The house was started with called for, too close in color to the linen and I knew errors would follow.  I changed to 3045, will trim with ?.  

It's a good day to browse for a new chart.  I'm disappointed that many linens are no longer offered in small pieces on 123.  I will not purchase a $35+ piece that may not be what I expect.  More like guaranteed.  PTP is very consistent and the majority of my stash, but having other shades would be nice.

It feels like yesterday that I crabbed about August arriving.  And it's leaving very soon.

Have a good day.

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Counting

I can do that.

But counting linen threads and graphs is a problem

This damn tree gave me fits, even with my Line-a-Timer.  Enlarged the chart, symbols are clear, yet I continually counted incorrectly.  Finally done with the 3012, time for the 936.  Well that didn't work out either.  Did not like those greens together, removed and changed to 3051.  

Considering a deeper shade of red for the house instead of the light gold.

Hubs cut a board similar to the ladder step, less height and thickness.  I prefer the step, but would rather it be eye level somewhere, with hooks or not.  Hate to cover it with pots but may use it anyway.  Either will work.

Toots is snoozing again in the final days of summer.  But I'm not sleeping and my right leg is aching enough to keep me awake.  Who knows why.

Google won't offer help to change their error unless I make my blog available to their search console and other search engines.  Did not want to do that, but did, now waiting for their fix.

Have a good day.

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Too much?

Starting to get rid of excess and choosing wall decor.  I haven't made a nail hole since we painted, walls are bare.  I like it.  

This old wood was a step from a ladder, the rope went through those side holes, it is very heavy.  Why the hell did I only purchase one?   Anyway, hubs would like a little black chandelier in place of the recessed light (adapter kits allow all sorts of things not possible years ago), but that would throw the light upward rather than over the sink.  

I was thinking of having the board installed on the wall above the window ( height fits perfectly), and use large iron hooks to hang these two copper pots. 

The pots would reach over the window trim board but not the glass area.  Hanging from ceiling with black hooks would look odd I think.

I have more that are much too large to hang.  The old dark wood and copper will look good?  Or too heavy?  Maybe make a board with less height, just along the ceiling.  I'll stick two board sizes up with the pots, holes will be covered unless I decide against it. Easy small area to patch, no harm done.  

Be safe folks.

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Google did it

Hi folks.  I checked into the red flag issue on the Free page and the entire account.   It's safe, no threats.  Google had an major issue that flagged hundreds of blogs as malicious that are not.  Seems something as simple as a copyright symbol caused the flag.  I saved, cleaned for no reason, ran scans, will bring them back hopefully in tact.

And this is the new project.

Notice the error?  I knew the border pattern, but was distracted and obviously failed to stitch as charted.  It's fine, will either follow it or correctly stitch the upper part of it.

Enjoy what's left of summer.

Tootsie is.

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Closed

 Hi.  Received email about my Free page being flagged.  I closed all the pages and will check into a fix.  I would hope to save these charts, will update. 

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Next

 Probably.

I thought about Sherry's suggestion of a round frame for the Folk Art finish, found one on Amazon that I like.  The box top is much smaller of course, not sure yet.  But if I stitch again and change the fruit to a rich cranberry, different vase, I could have both.

I have been moving these small prints of Carole's every time I dust, do not want them.  She never framed or displayed, all from 1977.  Don Davey's San Francisco, the other set is Jane Hill.  I guess ebay.  Not worth much at all, but the last several times I took donations to my local place, it was horrible. 

I bought another pinch pot, love the wood from Tuckahoe.  So cute!

My biggest to my smallest.

Have a good day.

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2026 Finish #20

Shakespeare's Peddler Folk Art Basket

46 count dyed by me with dmc

A few changes to fruit and basket, finished 3"x3" approximate

Considered a small square soft finish with corner tassels, and thought another Shaker box top would be nice.  Either way, it's darling.  Will decide when the mood hits.

 Be safe.

Behave.

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Fruity

The fruits are done, added color to a few more.  Not changing the basket because I removed the stems, had enough.  The 934 with 3371 stems did not show at all so I stitched again with the 612.

It seems this higher 46 count doesn't distinguish subtle changes as on a 40 or 36.  The tiny stitches can't show as well unless consecutive or grouped.

Doctor said it's ok to take Jardiance when on a pump. Not the info I found, but he chose to follow the cardio's order.

And so it goes.  Why do I waste my time?

The grandson's GF is not leaving, and there are close to twenty unaltered females now.  Considering donating to agencies elsewhere since I haven't even received acknowledgment of the problem in any form of response.

Have a good one.

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Doesn't make sense

But that's me and my stitch quirks.

The first is symmetry and moving elements in attempts to center.

The next is color.  Good grief, color.

More so in linen, but contrast within is important too.

This has mostly 610 and 612 in basket and fruit.  I switched to a very pale apricot and green for a little change from all beige, but the vase is looking too undefined in its pattern.  If I change the 612 to 613, that will make a huge difference.  But should I bother?  The chevron would stay as is, just the fill would change.

I most times put the work on a wall or cabinet and stand away since that proximity would be how it's seen when finished.  Silly, I know.

But these quirks are mild to my others!!

I am glad I questioned nephew's result of his cardio appointment.  I asked to see his blood work requisition.  And there it was.  Despite seeing the pump on his chest, discussing his issue with adhesive holding the pump on when sweating, and his record showing type 1, this doctor's diagnosis on all his paperwork is .... type 2 diabetes, start on jardiance.  I will be visiting their office tomorrow morning.  Nephew went to my cardio, trusts doctors, and being worried about his heart reports so far, would have taken the drug.  I hope he has learned that yes, in fact, his aunt does know everything and to never fully trust health info when it could kill you!

Week one.  Over and out.

I will be bitching for the rest of the month.

Bandit doesn't seem to care.

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The pattern of errors

What the chart is ....

What mine is .....

And that's perfectly fine.  The first error was placement of color in the middle chevron.  The second was trying to center it.  The third was another attempt at symmetry, but during that, the wonk appeared.  To be fair, that top area was a real wonk to begin with.  So with a zig to my zag, it became another chevron, and thank goodness it's done. Very difficult to prevent errors in stitch placement on this 46, close in color to the floss.  The fruit/berries may need a color change because of this.

My nephew (and his son) are both under cardiologist care now, heart issues.  From stress?  None are minor.  But I'm shocked that he ordered jardiance for him when he is type 1 with a pump!  Is it safe because his pancreas is dead so that part of the drug won't affect him?  Regardless, I told him to check with his diabetes doc.  There are other drugs for heart failure.

The kids are growing up.

Enjoy your second week of AUGHust.

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2026 Finish #19

WTNT Peppermint Pals

40 count Winter Brew, DMC 

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