Creating tension

Hello people!  Before we talk stitching, in case you are browsing in a JCP store down those wide aisles, looking from side to side to see if anything catches your eye, beware of the lurking mannequins positioned right in the center.  That's all I'm saying.

  

For several days I've been working on February's pear.  Finally finished it today after so many color changes, that I would prefer watching a black and white TV show tonight.  Here's a sneak peek.

Originally I wanted this on a really dark background with light floss but once again, my stitches were poorly done.  I seem to always have this happen when using a very light thread. 

Nasty looking stitches. Why would the same stitcher using the same needle and same type of floss have a different looking stitch just because of it's color?  Is it possible that the linen is the problem and always has been?   I tried other fabrics and took a good look at the result.  Aha!  The lighter color still looks wimpy but there is a definite difference.  This Rook linen is stiffer and more coarse than the top linen.   After some testing, I realized that my stitches are better looking on a 26 count of stiffer linen than on a higher count softer piece.  Tension. I've always had a problem with it but there's no pill for this situation. I obviously need more support in my linen to keep my stitches uniform.  Scarlet Letter kits were my first samplers and they used a 25 count coarse unbleached linen.  My satin stitches always look angry and I knew that was caused from incorrect tension, but it never dawned on me that this also applied to the entire project.  Blamed the fabric!  I've always preferred a stiff linen and now I have another reason for that choice.   My latest dyed linens are soft and I have so much trouble with them ~ now it makes sense.  Do I want to practice until I correct my 30 year old stitching manner?  No.  Not a chance.  Don't want or need the frustration, especially if a solution could be found with fabric choice.  

 Why did it take me all these years to realize this?  What a putz.

My floss box is painted and ready for hinges but I've been working on a simple way to have my DMC color guide books attached to the underside of the lid.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend.

Thank you for visiting, stay safe!

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Box progress

Hi everyone.  First off, for those of you interested in rusty jingle bells, a reader was kind enough to pass on a link to an online source.  They can be found at Consumer Crafts website http://www.consumercrafts.com, just search for rusty jingle bells. 

Lots of goodies on this site.  I can't seem to add the link with HTML and I'm getting really tired of all the problems with Blogger lately.

Now for the box.  It took a while to decide on final colors and I ended up with my favorite.  Barn red undercoat

with a soft black topcoat. 

I'm looking for a old rusty plate from a mortised box lock or maybe just a hook and latch in iron for the front.  I've only done the back since I'm still trying distressing methods.   There are so many painting instructions on Pinterest and blogs for different finishes and they all work. 

Take a look at these Bosc pears. I'd never seen them this tall and thin! Stems are gone so I will need to add them but I'm curious as to the dried shape of these. Now I'm on a hunt at every store to find more. Most this year have been very short and fat and I still have a few bottles of cloves left.

Speaking of pears, I finally have next month's design worked up thanks to the help of a friend.  Her opinion allowed me to chose between two completely different ideas.  That's what I've been working on for days and I started stitching it last night. 

I just had to order a few more samplers from Etsy and also this new design from Nan (Threadwork Primitives).  I had all that saffron linen and dyed it!  What a putz.

I've been in a reckless mood so I'm taking a chance and ordering a bunch of linen colors.  No idea other than the lying computer screen as to tone.  Just hope none have a pinkish or reddish cast.

I see that Stacy Nash released a new design and I need to get that also.

 

It's a damn shame that we have an addiction like this.  We all say that we could never stitch everything we have, yet we continue adding to the stash.  Maybe we should pass on one chart we've lost interest in for every new one we like more.  Sounds like a plan.  Put that on the list.

Thanks for visiting! 

I appreciate and thank each and every one of you and welcome to new followers.

Stay safe and stitch happy.

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Done

Hello and welcome all!  Today is a fabulous day in the 60's but menomoods could care less.  On my way to the store this morning, I turned on the radio and heard that happy Polka music.  Made me cry.  What????  It's a polka....are you nuts?  I went from weeks of a good mood (very rare), to the overwhelming sadness of Sandy Hook, to emotional fuzzy feeling, to downright snarky, and now a crybaby.  

I completed Susannah (after changing the border color) and haven't picked another project yet.  I started working on the February pear and tried incorporating a heart for Valentine's Day.  Not happy with any of them.

But here's Sue finished, and also what I did with her and Sophia afterward.  Sophia is on a journal and since I love Sue's box size, I ordered again and may get around to making a few more.

I mentioned long ago that I have an unstable cervical vertebrae encroaching the spinal column and I am very leery of car rides. An accident could end it all or cause quadriplegia so I am extremely cautious on the road. We were in the drive-thru at Little Caesar's waiting for a pizza and Mark said "he's going to hit us".  Boom.  We get rear ended in a drive-thru! My arm was numb for only a few hours but it's still bothering me.  His car was damaged, ours wasn't, and it was just a bump but enough to cause my head to jerk.

And now that hunting season is officially over, the girls were back to bread and corn with a full head count.  They all made it!

Still need to catch up on blog reading and Pinterest.  What the heck do I do with my time?  Why am I always busy but accomplishing nothing?  My girlfriend makes a daily list of tasks and doesn't deviate from it.  Since I need one for everything else, I think it's a no-brainer to start that routine myself.  I'll let you know how it works, how many times I misplace it, and how many times I set it on fire.

Have a great week!

Thank you for taking the time to visit.

Stay safe - get a flu shot.

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Worry free stitching

Hello everyone.  I'm finally feeling better and thought I would show the almost completed Susannah.  I should be able to complete her this evening.

I changed DMC 3046 to 833 and used it incorrectly in the second border instead of 3013.  Does it matter?  Heck no.   Both colors are used in the numbers below that area. You know me by now - I'm a little reckless and certainly not a stickler for details when it comes to reproductions.   I seriously doubt I will change it but there's always a chance.  The really primitive look of this piece allows for a multitude of sins.  If you worry about errors, misaligned borders, and crosses that don't make a cross, these last two projects would be worry-free for you.  If you're a dedicated stitcher who takes pride in following the original,  perfect stitches would be your errors in many places. 

Take a close look at the E and F.  I really had fun doing Sophia and Susannah because I wasn't ready to be serious, just wanted to stitch something quick and easy.  These two young brats fit the bill quite nicely.  Now comes the hard part of choosing the next sampler.  Stay with the simple and easy?  Colorful?  A floral border?   I may need to wait until the sinus pounding stops completely for that.  It would also be nice to not have to switch between Compose/HTML to upload a photo.  I haven't been online much at all this week (really need to catchup on blogs and Pinterest) and was hoping that glitch was corrected by now. The floss box isn't painted yet either.  In fact, I changed my mind and came up with a much better idea for storage.  That just drives me nuts.

I'll leave you with a snap of my two boys.  As with all cats they are box lovers but this large one became a favorite perch too.  I had to reinforce the top after it caved in, but it looks like I should have used plywood. We have warmer temps and the snow is gone in most places, including their track so all races have been cancelled.

Thanks for visiting. Hope the flu outbreak hasn't hit your homes.
Take care and stay safe.
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Shall I make it an R+R year?

These are my other favorite charts from R+R so along with the smaller sized new dozen from yesterday's post, I have quite a few choices.  Some are specialty stitches, some involve over one, some are small, some are large!  Good mix for a year.  I can't be trusted to not deviate from a plan so I really have to think about this.
Hope you're all doing well.  I think I need a few days to do nothing.

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The new charts

Greetings folks.  Haven't done much in stitching or painting.  Still not over the head pounding.  Received my order today except for one chart on backorder, and thought I would show you half .  These are all from RandR Reproductions (Dyeing to Stitch) and mostly marking samplers.   Some have specialty stitches which I may choose not to do depending on the count, several are primitive. I love their samplers but have to admit that the color photo on the chart is not the best.

Oh heck.  I might as well show all of them.

I included a Primitive Betty design in this order that I've loved for quite a while.   Mary Ann, George, and Lydia are my favorites.  Not sure why I purchased Eliza Showman since I was going for small and quick marking samplers.

It may be a few days before I have a finished floss box or any stitching to show.  Putting a pocket on the inside lid of the box was a plan, but I don't know if I'll have room so I need to fool around with that too.

Hope you're having a great start to the week.

Stay safe - stay healthy.

I truly appreciate and want to welcome new followers!

Thank you so much for visiting.

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