I'm getting the MO in my MOJO

Hello people.  I'm a little more excited on this project than I was on the last, and quite a bit more than the two prior.  Does that mean I've got MO and am closing in on MOJO??  I think so, but believe me I'm making SO many errors.  I've never had this much trouble with counting threads - don't know if  I'm rusty - or because it's not my usual 28/30.  It's only 32, but my goodness!  I can't tell you how many times I redid a circle in the border.  The other errors on the stems I redid only if I caught them early.  I had to rip all the flower designs because the symbols (to me) were so close that I didn't notice one was an H and one was an X.  Obviously, I'm still not paying enough attention to the chart. 

Then I started the pear and found out I'm off on that too.  How did I end up with a wider pear?  The right side edge is where it cuts off to page 2, but it's only one-two stitches.  Well, that's what I'm off but I counted!!  Honest I did.  So whatever....I have a wide pear.  Matches my.....              So here's my progress....

I wasted time thinking the color 829 for the leaves and stems was not enough green for me, so I played around until I found a substitute..

 

But after all that, I starting seeing that once stitched, it showed differently.  Glad I wasted all that time once again.   Surprisingly, I didn't even think about throwing this out the window (the path my tree rocket took at Christmas during a nasty light string incident), deliberately scorching it under a hot iron (a sewing project too ugly to describe), or setting it on fire (my personal favorite).  I'm enjoying it!!!   Even with the frustration of the errors.  I might even finish this weekend!  
The sun is out - two days now.   The sargeant crab trees we planted last fall made it through winter and will be blooming in a day or two. 

I now have two sets of Baltimore Orioles, and a sad note.  These little eggs had their mother robin ripped right off the nest by a hawk. 

And to all you loving and caring moms out there, I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day.    To the others I've seen in the office or in public mistreating and talking trash to their babes, I hope one day to meet you in a dark alley. 

Edited to add - Just found out about a giveaway on Hamilton House blog.  Some of these giveaways are so loaded with goodies, I think mine will be wimpy!  Better amp it up.

Welcome back Stacy

Hi everyone.   My Pears & Strawberries Sewing Bag is back!  I don't know if it has ever happened to you, but I looked in all my stitching boxes several times, for several days.  I found her in the box of silks and overdyed - not a lot in the box - easy to see since there are no layers of supplies - I even went through those silks for the Pears Two - SHE WASN'T THERE.  She couldn't have been.  How could you miss a chart in a bag amidst little skeins????  There is no one here except for hub, and he knows what happens if he touches my stuff so I know it wasn't him.  In fact, he doesn't even set foot in the tiny parlor where my charts and supplies reside.  The closest he comes is shutting the door of an upstairs bedroom, considered my craft room, when he can't take seeing the growing clutter. 

I decided to start the Nash since I removed all the stitching from Pears Two and counted those eye-crossing threads - it is 35/36 count.  My eyes seem to do this sideways dance for a second whenever I'm counting and it always happens right before I mark the thread.  I had planned on doing the Nash design before the Pear and before she disappears again, I opened and read the chart.  I didn't know this was inside...

Isn't that sweet?  What surprised me is the size of this project.  I thought this was going to be about 6" or so and it's much larger than that, over 9" wide for the design area, and I'm a little disappointed.   My perception must be way off or those little scissors aren't as little as I think they are.  Doesn't this look like a small bag in the photos?  Maybe she used 36 count originally which is why she states one strand of floss.  I am using the 32 count recommended which is one of the few pieces actually marked in my stash.  Although the linen count is correct, I'm not using one strand of floss as suggested.  I didn't like the coverage and one of the colors is too close to my linen to show up, so I redid all of that.  Between the Pear and this, I've done more removing than adding.  I've been making a lot of errors on the top border circles - can't seem to get that pattern memorized, but at least the errors are caught right away.  I can't wait to get to the fruit.  I found the chenille trim on EBay after searching the web for suppliers, which aren't many.  I didn't see it offered on the online shops so I'm not sure if it's the same, but how many chenille trims can there be??  I think it's one of those small items that you find when you actually visit,  which is why not having a shop is sad.  All I see are charts, linens, and thread, oh my!  I received the colors I ordered quickly, they are reasonable, and she was very nice so I'm happy.  Well, I was then.  So here's my progress...

I'm still going to give PearsTwo a try on the 35/36 with one strand, so I may be working on two projects at a time - a first for me.  I have quite a few CBU's (completed but unfinished) to sew into something including the little Blackbird design I recently finished.  I was thinking of doing a roll and offering it as a giveaway but it depends on how many flashes I have during finishing.  That's a huge factor in quality of workmanship, let alone a possible demise.  Haven't decided about Fanny - frame or not.  I saw a frame that made my skirt fly up on the Queen's webshots.  You know who I'm talking about -  SamplerFarmer!  Check out this frame on one of her latest entries.  Never saw a frame like that and my local doesn't have it.  She posted Jenny Bean, Mrs. Pearson, E. Traill, and Two Horses recently.  Hail Queen! 

 It's 9am right now and the rain is just pounding my house and this is how dark it is....We saw the sun two days in four weeks and the rain is relentless.  I need boots to walk this yard swamp just to feed my birds.  Oh wait - look what came to visit yesterday - bad picture I know - an Indigo Bunting!   He's in the top left.

I had the orange Baltimore Oriole, my red Cardinals, bright yellow Goldfinch, this bright blue Bunting, and my usual  Grosbeaks (my personal favorite).  Our black oil sunflower seed went from $16.99 for 50# to $26.99 in one shipment, and the next will be $29.99 we were told.  The Grosbeaks (the guy on the right) are tearing into suet cages so hopefully that won't be rising too.

I hope you all have been safe and not affected by the ravaging storms. We had the May 1985 F5 tornado pass right below our home, and take our best friend while he saved two children.  Pictures on the screens don't come close to experiencing in person the shock and disbelief of the devastation that can occur in a matter of minutes.  Hopefully, better weather is on the way.  After the long white winter, we're having a dark wet spring!  As long as our loved ones are safe, I guess the weather really doesn't matter.  Puts things in perspective doesn't it?  

Reflections...

Hello everyone.  I visited my framer today.  She is a warm and lovely person who also took care of her mom, and lost her not long after mine passed.  She's had this business for as long as I can remember and I though you might like to see some of the items she has on display.  You probably have several framing studios to choose from and most bigger than mine, but this is all I have so pretend you're impressed.  It was very difficult to take photos because of reflections from the window and ceiling lights so most of them I'm not even bothering with.  But I was introduced to Tru Vue museum glass.  Not having anything framed for a quarter century, it's new to me, but not you.  I did have one piece framed last year at Michael's with a coupon but requested standard glass, thinking the frosty looking non-glare of years back was the only other option.  I thought I was getting a bargain with the coupon but found the pricing comparable to Margaret, so I will stay with my local independent.

                                         

I was amazed at the difference in the museum glass.  Some times I feel a little foolish for being out of the loop for so long, like someone awakened from a long sleep and discovering the transpired changes.  I call it mentalpause.   Margaret has done some wonderful shadow box collections, but all I can show you are hers personally.  A customer had one done showcasing an antique cloth doll and related items with an aged looking dark background and frame.  Surprisingly primitive and early looking display. This one is so unusual - the narrow silver edge is the outside frame, the wider silver frame is behind the glass and part of the interior, along with the matching silver fillet bordering the mat. 

  

An heirloom plate done with the museum glass.  You can see a slight reflection of the ceiling light and my outline, but the others were like looking into a mirror.

Here's the grouping and you can see the difference in reflections compared to her other items.

                         

I don't know if this would convince me to frame more items or not since the price may be the sticking point.  I didn't have anything for her to quote, so it's hard to tell.   How about you?  Do you use the museum glass, or would you if the price was considerably more? 

She has some other gifts and framed military branch patches that a local guy has embroidered in India.  They are beautiful, but pricey.  The patches are $150 and $239 framed.

                                          These pottery bird houses with removable lids were $69. 

But these mugs and vases really got me going!  A lot of the local pottery was very reasonable such as a large pitcher of browns and blues for $26.

I started stitching last night on what I though was a small quick project, while I await the return of Stacy.  It calls for 36 count so I grabbed what I thought was 32, and started.  I'm not sure what the count is, but two threads are almost two much, and one wasn't enough for me.   Look how big that needle looks compared to the stitches!  I have to count this - it may be 36.  AUGH!!

 I haven't stitched on this count for a very long time, if ever, since I'm not sure of the true count.  I was having much difficulty going over two for the eyelet, and could see right away that I was actually doing three.  Easy to correct when it's immediately obvious.  Then I actually did something I am guilty of not doing the majority of time - I read the rest of the chart.  Crap.  That sweet little design is over one.  I knew the letters were but not the whole design!  Say it ain't so!  I'm having enough trouble with this count let alone having to do the much hated over one on it.  But I put on my big girl panties (my usual size) and continued on.  Did I get frustrated and annoyed the more I stitched?  No, not really.  After completing the A, I got the hang of it and it became fun.  So much fun, that I figured what the hell!  Let's stick a fork in my old fillings or maybe chew on some aluminum foil.   But speaking of panties - we have one dressing room in Macy's that is about the size of a fridge, with a half door so your legs are showing.  I was trying on jeans in this tiny room, got one leg in, bent over, hit my head, which shoved my ass into the wall, making a LOT of noise as I bounced off the walls trying to regain my balance hopping on one leg. By now the entire department is hearing the commotion and looking at the door and then it happened.  On the floor in the door's open bottom sat a large rear wearing white cotton Hanes full briefs.  In the modern world of thongs, and $8 fitted low riders, there I was in large white cotton up to the waist.  At least I didn't knock the door open and fly out into a rack.   Now go back up and look at a nicer picture to rid yourself of this image.

                                                                                   

Finished!

Hope you all had a nice Easter and are still safe from the storms.   I tried using the push mower today for the really high grass areas and the little wheels were buried in mud.  I think all the work from last year on landscaping and shrubs will need to be redone.  We'll never be dried out enough to put in a garden, and may not be able to cut the grass for weeks. 

Fanny is finished!  Took a while - I made more pomanders, a day of stuffing cabbage, making cwikla (beet horseradish relish), kielbasa, and mom's rice pudding, but today I sat outside and stitched. 

I changed the colors of the bottom motifs and I like the way it looks.  Now the big question for me....do I want it framed?  My preference on displaying stitched items may be a little weird, but I prefer seeing the texture of the pieces which is some times lost behind glass.   Margaret's blog header has several gorgeous samplers just folded together and you see the character and weave of the linen, the thread, and that appeals to me.  I am drawn to Shaker and simplistic primitive decorating so having a sampler lying on a desk or in a basket, even hanging with frayed edges, is OK with me.  Perfectly pressed?  Or slightly wrinkled?  Like me, wrinkled.  Well, not THAT much, but some.  Some of you are probably cringing right now that a treasured work of time and talent would be lying around, free to collect dust or be handled by a guest.  Now, something like Deb's Ann Medd is a different story.  Something of that size needs framed and it looks magnificent.  They all do!  Being perfectly mounted behind glass doesn't detract at all from the beauty of the piece.  And all of mine from 25 years ago are framed behind glass.  Today, I may prefer hemmed edges showing, mounted to a backboard, rather than stretched under the frame's edge.  I really like the way Fanny looks hanging on her own on my cupboard door though.  I guess if you have one or two, it's OK to have them on display without the formality of framing, but with a collection, framing is a must.  Did I just have a hot flash?  Am I contradicting myself?  No.  I prefer to see Margaret's pieces "free", but I have to be reasonable about how many can be displayed in such a manner.  For now I will scrunch Fanny a bit, even up the fringe, and hang it with nicer pins.  My favorite (now closed) shop's models were almost exclusively samplers, very few framed, all on linens.  They were attached to valances, draped over small side tables and basket handles, pinned to walls.  Unrealistic for a family home with pets!  But I loved being able to hold them and closely examine the stitching.

*Chocolate break*

Yes, I went to the sale.  But I only bought a few 2 oz., perfect for a treat, which will go in the freezer.  Yeah, right. 

*Back to stitching*

I can't remember why, but I visited The Scarlet Letter's site.  Not a good idea.  Why do I want to keep purchasing charts I will probably never stitch?   I know that most stitchers do the same, but at least they have SOME desire to stitch them at some point.  I'm not in that groove baby and haven't been for years so it doesn't make sense.   Several have been drawing me back for another view.  One is Mary Jones.  The colors on that green linen are stunning and I still have a yard of that beautiful green with the teal tinge, but it's 25 count.  The others are Sarah Brown and Maria Theresa Wilkinson.  There are so many others on her site that are magnificent, and I spend a lot of time perusing, in addition to the catalog photos.  So what's my next project?  Not sure.  One more pear to go and I'm trying to plan a few projects for giveaways in June leading up to my 60th.  Maybe paint a Santa box?

No, not this complicated and big.  

 Maybe a gourd.  But that's another hobby I haven't kept up with and stitchers want stitchy stuff.

SIXTY.  A new decade.  Where has the time gone?  Well, a lot of it has gone to searching for Stacy.  Nope.  Not yet.  

Happy Easter, Happy Birthday Mom

Hello to all - hope none of you have experienced the terrible storms across the states.  We are drowning in rain again.  Thanks for your comments on changing design elements.  I wrote about this issue before, saying that we are interpreting and personalizing and it's perfectly OK to embrace our errors and leave them in just as the young ladies did years ago.  But I didn't take into account how a designer would feel if we made changes, and none of you feel that they would mind.  So that's settled!  Here's my unapologetic changes to Fanny...

The big motifs at the bottom are all monotone, so I changed the flowers to blue (311) and rust (400) with green leaves.  Haven't done the last one yet but it will be similar.  Seems to perk it up a bit and I felt less bored about stitching this now.   I'll move the star motif over and probably do a brighter gold, so the bird errors are staying.

I am still in awe of Thread Gatherer's Ann Medd, and she recently posted a sweet little Singer that she snatched at an antique store.  I have one.  HAD one.  All I have left is this....

I searched for the machine for years with no luck.  I wasn't fond of it (at the time) and it was displayed on the table in the guest room.  We searched the attic, all closets, basement, everywhere, and it's gone.  Stacy is still missing too.  My husband asked if I'm sure I had it.  YES.  I just bought the chart and posted a picture of it!   He still calls me toast.

                                                  Today is Mom's birthday.  She passed at 89 and I still think she is sitting in her room, waiting for me to bring her something sweet.   It's been three years, and I miss her so much.

And speaking of sweets, I will try my best to NOT participate in the crowds on Monday at my two local chocolate makers' half off sale.  But I'm not making any promises.  Dad and I used to stand outside in line with the crowds and load our baskets with nut eggs and solid chocolate treats.  You can't beat our Daffin's and Philadelphia chocolates.  But just in case I regress, I ate a bunch of this...

 I LOVE Waldorf salad.  I'll be making stuffed cabbage tomorrow.  Easter was Mom's favorite holiday and her parents were from Poland so we're doing Polish food.  My Dad's parents were from Italy and that's usually our Christmas meal.  Bolbaki (sweet poppy seed and bread) was my favorite dessert from my husband's Slovak grandmother and I usually make that around Easter, but not this year.  I end up eating a LOT of it and just in case I'm in line Monday morning,  I'll refrain from baking. 

Hope you all have a joyous Easter.

Changing insults?

Hi!  Are any of you losing your mind today?  Is it life....or is it menopause?  Not only have I not found my Pears and Strawberries yet, but I was changing my header photo to this

until I realized the current photo is gone from my files.  What?   If I change it I'm afraid I won't get the header back since menobrain lost it.   How could I lose it?   So until I find it there will be no changes - just look at this one and pretend it's at the top.  Now....here's Fanny.  Another error.  I said we should just keep our errors and call it "personalization" and I planned on doing that until the star crashed into the border.   See the star to the right of the birds in the chart's photo?

Well mine doesn't fit.  My birds are missing are few feathers being one row shy of their true height.  Both of them - because instead of looking at the chart, I looked at the completed first bird for stitch count since they are the same.  Trying to take the easy way out again has cost me. 

 So I'm two rows up and had to rip out the star.  I decided to stitch the outside border and start from the bottom up now.  It'll give me time to decide on ripping the birds or changing placement - right now it's changing - by moving the star and circle over.  Hey - there's room - and Fanny has been planted for many years so she doesn't care.  I also think I may add some color in the motif flowers.  I wonder how the current designers feel about someone changing their designs, even slightly.  I mean, a counting or minor error aside, would it bother them if you moved something or really changed the colors?  They put so much time into making it a work of art, and then some woman with red boots and a bad attitude thinks she can improve it.  Well, Fanny's dead so it doesn't matter here, but would I be insulting the artist if I changed their layout?   It's like getting a good haircut, going home and seeing a flip so you cut it off, but now there's a hole, so you trim around the hole and before you know it - it's butchered.  Like pulling a loose thread that ends up unraveling the entire seam, once you start messing around, it never ends well.  My stylist is insulted and gets a little snarky when I mess up her work and I don't blame her.   She is afraid friends will think that butcher job was done by her.  If we changed a design creating a not-so-pleasing result, would the designer be upset since it's her name on the chart?  I doubt if any of us ever change anything other than a variation in color, but what if we did?  Would some feel insulted?