Final finish coming up

 Crescent Angel

The Primitive Needle

40 count with 310 dmc and Mountain Mist

Lots of changes and abbreviated design

Starting to feel better. Cough can still call in a mating moose.

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2026 Finish #27

Previous finish, now final finish.

M Holloway from Red Barn Samplers 

40 count, dmc

 Mounted to fabric covered 4x6 notebook

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Blast from the past

The knee was Monday.

The elbow surgery Tuesday.

Wednesday the crud hit.

What a week!!  So miserable with a really bad cold, as are five others from Saturday's  dinner.  I think California shared whatever they caught on the way here, three of them became ill before arriving back home.  Myself and the others here a day later.

What do I crave when under the weather?  

I remember this quick tasty soup with an egg drop from decades ago.  Just happened to see it on the market shelf last week.  Not indulging every week or even month, it won't hurt.

My arm is quite sore but managed to stitch a little between soaking hot flashes and chills.

Hope all is well with you all.

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2026 Finish #26

Rachel Seller

Red Barn Samplers

40 count PTP with dmc

Approx 4" x 5"

The books I ordered regarding Alzheimer will I hope, offer some guidance.  I only wish I would have had such references when mom moved here.  The biggest mistake we made is what many deal with.  I only read a sample (hasn't arrived yet) but it hit like a hard slap.  I thought I was helping by explaining what she imagined or thought, was not reality.  The brief but powerful message from this book .....

What matters more than factual truth is emotional truth.  What they believe, validate and defer.  Correcting them feels like scolding and being dismissive, you're right, they're wrong.  Agree, accept, and change the subject which almost always distracts.

From only a few sentences, I knew this was the book she will need.

Dementia Engagement by Suzanne Faith

The second book I chose is a journal of simple questions to discuss and answer of your life, before those memories are lost.

My Life My Story from Pen Page Purpose

The last one is for the caregiver, with helpful suggestions on how to deal with the tremendous gift they are living.

Self care for Caregivers by Susanne White

I read a few lines and those alone were worth the book ... write down the situation/emotions you are dealing with, fold and insert into a special box.  Know it will be retrieved and dealt with tomorrow, get your rest tonight.

All from Amazon

Having minor surgery in office tomorrow, will need to wear a mask.  Horrible throat and pounding head.  Waited months for this appointment, I'm going.  Still waiting almost four weeks for the electrophysiologist I was referred to for a call.

Stay safe, be well.

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Rachel's border

A single row of stitches .... my kind of border!

Wasn't planning on stitching, but it will pull this together.  Without it, edges are not uniform enough for me.

Charted in green but I haven't decided on color yet.

I spent hours searching online for a few good books/journals for my cousin's wife pertaining to Alzheimer.  Some a personal journal for caregivers, others to engage with the patient to record their life for family before the memories are gone.  Their daughters purchased a locater for him, like a GPS, to always find him if he wanders.  I'm not sure if it is on a neck chain, bracelet, or for wallet.

Another beautiful day here.  My leaf duties are over for the time being.  The knee injection today was excruciating and has limited my movement.  He did not freeze the area beforehand as usual, stayed in the flesh MUCH longer, and hubs said this syringe was twice the size.  But hopefully, worth it.  The oaks have not shed yet, but all others are half done, a huge task for hubs by himself.

Hope your day goes well.

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Lantern

A few tweaks and it's done.  Perfect size, will order a battery candle with remote.  Copper top, but I like the steel of the original also.

Working on Rachel, can't find the 310 for the other.  She's looking better as more color is added.  After today is over, no more large gatherings to work on and I will have time to search for the black dmc.

Enjoy the weekend!

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Oh Rachel

 Our relationship isn't going well.  It's not you, it's me.  The 152 was too ghosty and the 407 I'm using is too dull.  The original has more pronounced color even on its darker linen.  Far too much to remove, I'm too lazy to start over.  Maybe the stronger colors at the bottom will allow us to reconcile.  

I am switching to The Primitive Needle's Crescent Angel this evening for a break.  Larger than I want, so ending this under 1632, moving bottom border up beneath it.

Also saw this darling snowman, a free chart on her website.

Dinner went well.  We had a nice time together, but sad.  Missing our sisters who were always the queens of this gathering.  And one of my cousins has dementia.  Of my very small group of cousins, three have died, three have dementia.  I have 12 for dinner on Saturday (that's a lot of ravioli).  

At the same time, the landscapers showed up.  Added soil to raised bed areas, used the rest of the barn stones.  This little brat thinks we made giant litter boxes.

My back and side are worse.  I can't help with leaves now.  Husband is exhausted doing it alone but no pills or patches are helping.  Landscapers removed my swing last week for easier access. When they hung it back, two of the four links weren't secured, and down I went.  May have caused the worsening symptoms, even though fine when it happened.  The swing survived too.

Beautiful weather this week but too much to do to enjoy it.

Be safe everyone.

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Grin and bear it

When my intention of ravioli dinner with ribs, balls, and sausage was discovered, one local cousin is coming into town and his wife is cutting girl's weekend short, and their adult son would like to see the cousins.  I have a set of 12 dishes, there will be a few luncheon sizes used.  Chairs?  Hmm.  I can't back out, this was planned.  Others invited previously, that's a lot of guests.

Today I am prepping the bean salad, kugel, Hawaiian sliders, and hot beef for shredding in the old crock pot.  Any new one I've tried, does not match up.

My thinning hair can be tied up but stragglers can't be trusted.  These neck gaiters sold for masks during covid are ideal!  Pulled up over my head, all hair beneath, comfortable, reliable.  Finding a hair in my guest's dinner is a real fear!

I had visitors this morning. 

 They came with him.

Salonpas is wonderful.

Adios!

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I don't stitch with silk

But am hitting the silk floral department often.

Never cared for exterior decor that wasn't natural, but these branches (three different) caught my eye.  I'll add a few bare craggy branches to this.  Mums are fading, pumpkin rotted, the old lady's back is hindering her every move.  The walk-behind blower is quite heavy to handle on sloped ground, I'll switch to the tractor next time.  If hubs allows me. 

Finding a large enough flat basket has been a chore and this one has seen better days.  But I found a used one online and am so pleased, anxious to receive.  Plans to make this simple style with grapevines never seem to take place.  Call me crazy, but constructing this with leather has crossed my mind.  Sun, rain, snow, but if properly oiled, will it hold up for a few years?  I think so, and I want it.

Anyway, I haven't been stitching.  Cousins arriving with spouses in two days, my other two living local are spending days at their lake camp three hours away.  Up to me to have the dinners and visits for the week, adding brother, Chris, and GF for gatherings.  Lots of prep, expense (they all drink different liquors, none cheap!) and food.  Stitching on hold for the week.

Nice weather, but it ain't summer.

Have a good week!

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Took a while

But I finally came up with a solution for those pots that

I like.

Not sure where these will go, if anywhere.

And the lantern will be an option for a change, holding a battery candle and a few greens for holidays.  He made this exactly the width of the copper sheet, no cutting needed, just wrap and secure. Deciding on paint or stain.

My tri-color mums are starting to open as the yellow ones fade.  Perfect timing, five for $47 at my Amish greenhouses.  Massive!

Here's Rachel progress.

Rainy day, rushed leaf pick up early this morning before it came.  We did them yesterday but there were so many this morning the grass was not visible.  My flaming red maples are again this year, barely colored and rapidly shedding.

Good day to make soup.  Which one?

Have a good day.

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Back to green

Yep.

The 936 was too strong for me on the Mink, didn't attempt on Sand.  But the dividing band of green and pink is better than using browns, quite a bit of that throughout.  All I had to do was substitute 3051 and it's fine.  

So I changed the three letters back to green (3051).  3052 may have been a better, lighter option, but I couldn't find it.  No energy to search for it.  Or patience.  It's a snark day.

Done.

We're attempting to copy this lantern for between the copper pots.  This is very dark and a little too wide.  

Wood is cut, ordering a piece of copper for top and will look up aging methods.  I could also use aluminum and mimic a copper tone.  Wish me luck !

I so miss the colonial shops we used to have here.  And the antique malls.  And the flea markets.  And department stores. 

Be safe.

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2026 Finish #25

 I didn't share this as a 2026 finish before, waited for the final.

BBD Moonlight Visitor on 40 count something, changed the left side, stitched my sister's initials and year of passing.

As for the blue trim on the other, LOVE it.  Not my style at all but it needed something.  Decided to keep it.  I wasn't crazy about this tiny project, but that changed.

Matilda flirting with the guys.

Changed the suede tie on Jack to a wider mini fringe, much better outline.

Switched the lantern to a faded copper plate, still deciding.

My ovals nest.

Landscaper came to add stones, I'm done with mulch everywhere.  Too messy when blowing leaves, too much work and expense adding more.   The leaves are blowing off great.  It's #2 stone?  Some pea gravel is in it, but alone that stuff goes all over the yard with our blowers.  I may dig deep holes to embed my large pots in the spring. I can fill with potting mix and still plant annuals, pot edges will hold gravel back.  Or just set pots on the gravel.  

This is the new start on Rachel Seller.

40 count PTP Sand (old, my new pieces are very pink)

Changed the dark green to 433 and the 152 to 407.

Much better on this linen.

Could tell from the start I wasn't going to be happy on Mink.

I'm having those meh days.  

Hope yours are better!

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2026 Finish #24

And another today!

 The Primitive Hare

Midnight

36 count Marbled Hazelnut

WDW onyx and dmc

This is how I hide carry over thread before fusing interfacing.

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2026 Finish #23

 Matilda Hornbuckle

Notforgotten Farm

40 count with dmc color changes

WDW Charcoal shoe

3.5" x 4"

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Too blue?

 I found blue fringe that matched this little finish.  It is so small and I thought it was missing something, maybe a stitched outline.  So what do you think?  Too much blue?  The chenille matched also but it was too heavy for this piece.

As for Matilda, I can order black fringe but with those brown flowers, maybe a neutral?  

It's been a blue sky week, no rain, will end soon.  I may just park my butt and enjoy the last of it.  Hubs prefers tri-color mums and they are just starting to open.  My yellow will be done and these will take over.

Be safe.  Lots of covid here.

Keep your sanitizer in your car.

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Introducing .....

Shabby Jack!

Mounted over a 3" mache box lid, glued and tied with suede cording.  Edges left raw and shabby.

Design is The Woolly Ewe Jolly Jack but I only stitched Jack.

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Nope

 Removing the 936.  Not agreeing with me.

This is 40 count Mink, the 936 is only in these few letters, outline border, and a dividing band.  The light 152 pink is throughout and would be ghosty on a lighter linen.

I finished Matilda, haven't final finished yet.  Bad sore throat for over a week, just not feeling ambitious.  At 75, searching for a backing fabric, is ambitious.

Have a good day.

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