Possibilities

Greetings everyone.  I'm itching for stitching alphabets, so I grabbed a few charts.  Lori's design will be perfect to work on while taking my sis for more tests.  I'll run errands while she is in the magnetic hole but will still have time in the waiting room for a little fill-in stitching.  While going through the pile of possibilities, I can't seem to stay away from the marking samplers of RandR.  The simplicity and colors of Mary Ann Bradbury, Frances, Rebecca, Thankful, Lydia, Julian and so many more are calling me and so is little Dorothy Allen.  So small and a quick stitch.

She is AVAS threads and instead of going back through the blog to find conversion sites, I just Googled and found this site, Cherished Time.  Lots of websites listed for a wide variety of threads.  I clicked on the AVAS to DMC conversion from Needle Graphics ~  just what I needed.    I may change them all and do her on a dark fabric.  I wish I could use all the darker linens I dyed but for some reason, I still see only the warp or the weft, not both.  Very strange.  Some coarse linens like the dark 18th Century Rook are OK, but not on my wimpy crap.  My other consideration is was Harriot Boardman from SL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I originally had the Scarlet Letter's 25 count green that is required but that fabric's warp and weft are two different hues and that created the same problem.  I dyed it a darker brownish green but I'm still having a little trouble because of the thin threads which make it really sheer.  I need fat threads as I've said before.  I also said I wouldn't do any more samplers rated for intermediate stitchers but that's what Harriot is. 

Looking closer, I see over one in red above the deer.  This isn't good.  Specialty stitches in the bottom area and a little freehand......I'm thinking twice.  Look at the gorgeous colors in this sampler on the darker linen.  I love it, but with my patience and anxiety lately, probably not a good idea.  Best to stick with simple marking samplers which are my favorites anyway.  I'll choose tomorrow morning since I'm weird.  I can't chose linen and pull threads for a new project in the evening.  I have to have it all ready to go when I sit down. 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of sitting down, check out Nitzy trying to sit in the squirrel's chair the other day.  Sunday, the deer came for their Easter bread. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next year, it's back to baking my own.  We haven't been satisfied with any locally and I used to bake bread almost every day for mom.  I made my Aunt Nancy's Angel Mousse dessert which we love, and with the rest of the pineapple, her cake that is so easy, rich, and moist.  The Mousse has a little pineapple, cherries, almonds, and macaroons in a Cool Whip/gelatin base.  Light and luscious.  The cake was the pineapple with juice, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla, oil, baking soda.  Easy and different and very good.  In fact, I think I'll finish it off now.

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter and weekend and your week is off to a great start.  Stay safe and stitch what you love!

Thanks for visiting.

Sampler Pear VIII

Greetings to all. First -
I want to wish everyone that celebrates Easter, a happy and blessed day. And to those of you in school districts and states that have banned the word Easter, let me say it for you...
EASTER!!!!
How can you preach tolerance when you teach the opposite?
Moving on ~
Here is the eighth pear!  Only four more to go!! Chart is available in the Pears page under the header.  I saw so many lovely spring designs with pastels, vibrant greens, rabbits, and chicks.  Although beautiful, just not me.  So I chose the 730's and 830's in their glorious odd gold/green/brownness and I like the result.   I have to say, that last pear was yuk to me.  I just couldn't handle it.  I dipped my paintbrush in black coffee and saturated it the other day.  It helped, but not enough.  I think the heart threw everything off and it should have been solid and much smaller, but I tried that on paper and didn't like it either.  Too late.  You know I always set fire to things that aggravate me and if I didn't need it for a group photo, probably would have by now.  Chances are really good that I will disassemble and change the center.  And yes, the fusible interfacing is on the back, but reheating it under a pressing cloth will allow it to be removed .  It softens the glue bond and will come off in one sheet.  Just heat again if it doesn't.  With that off, I am back to linen and can make changes, or light a match.

This one goes so well with my little mustard drawers.  I didn't attach leaves this time, just wrapped the grapevine stem with heavy hemp.

I'm back to working on Lori's design but the house is pretty large and I'm missing my usual letter stitching.  I may pick out a sampler to switch back and forth, but that's not something I like to do. 

 

I was at the grocery store the other morning and shoppers close to me thought I was having an attack.  I was!  For the first time ever, I saw these.  A friend sent this bar to me and I loved it, but never saw it locally.  I could have been missing it which is entirely possible, but not this time.  Guess how many of these are left as I type?   Nope.  Try again.  ......  One more time....... yep!  You got it.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, a blessed Easter, a joyous Passover.

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Finishing a pear

 

Hi everyone.  I receive a lot of emails from stitchers about finishing the pear designs, so today I snapped a few while doing the latest.  Lots of boring photos in this post.  First off, here it is - pattern needs tweaked a little and I will post it this weekend.

 

I use the template that I originally posted with the first pear, on a bright color cardstock (so I can locate it). Whether it be square or shaped, I always fold my templates to make sure they are the same each side, and then mark the fold in black.  Depending on the pear size, I resize it on the copier.  After fusing the interfacing to the linen and the backing fabric, I hold the linen up to a window with the template on the backside. 

 

You can see the center line through the linen which helps a lot.  Two pins to hold it, and then I use a chalk pencil to outline right onto the interfacing.  This is NOT the cut line, but the stitching guide.  Some times I go a little over since I can always go back to make it a little smaller.  I always use basting 8-10 stitches/inch to make it easier to remove if necessary and it holds with the interfacing very well. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turn it right side out to check the shape and then either sew it in further or remove the stitching to make it larger (that has never happened), or hopefully be perfectly pleased and no changes are needed!  Clip the seams and trim the excess fabric.

 

The bottom is folded and pressed as is the seam to open it.  I use a plastic letter opener to crisp the seams by sliding it between the backing and the seam allowance, never on the linen side. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A smaller piece of cardstock is inserted (so the batting slides easily) and after cutting the batting smaller than the original template, slid inside to fit the shape. If I use Mylar to hold the shape, it's cut slightly smaller than the pear and kept in.  For a flatter pear, one layer of the thickest batt, but usually it's two, one on each side of the paper.  It's easy to insert the stem between the batting through the top opening now, while the paper is separating the two.  Remove the paper and fold the fabrics over the batting. 

 

 The bottom is usually wonky and I open the seam where necessary and hand stitch or glue to shape and close.  A little strip of additional batting is sometimes needed here.  Done.

I'm sorry I haven't been reading blogs or responding to comments.  I have so much going on right now and my head is spinning, unfortunately in the opposite direction that I would like.   When I was getting quotes for home owner's insurance, I told the agent that we are classed as a Type 2 alarm system.  She asked what we have - I replied a menopausal woman with a gun.  She laughed so hard she snorted.  I wasn't kidding.  The moods are raging!!!!

The chart for this will be posted in a few days and until then, stay safe, have happy thoughts, fabulous food, and good stitching!

Thank you for visiting!

First day of what?

Good day to you!  I was hoping this latest storm would miss us, but a very fine, wet, heavy bunch of white crap is falling.  I don't know how long it will last, but I am printing the mailing labels and going to the post office today.  Thanks to everyone for your orders!  My oval boxes came in Friday and I purchased 60 of them.  Hopefully, I will be painting them soon and have them ready for labels.  Starting over is not something I look forward to.

I wanted to show you some finished pear designs.  First one isn't even a pear.  Daniela in Finland made this as an exchange for Pokua in Australia. 

She moved a few letters that resulted in this sweet pincushion.  

Plumbrod's sweet finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

A bowl of pears from Jubama. 

And the latest is something different. Dorothée made this wonderful pinkeep - take a look at the back!

Well, after having to start completely over with downloading these photos and signing in again over ten times, this laptop may see the white crap up close and personal.  My old Vista with the new hard drive is 20 times slower than before, and now this new one is giving me fits by logging me out of Blogger, Pinterest, Ebay and others every few minutes. 

So the tags will be mailed today, I charted the next pear last night, and will stitch it this evening.  I'm sure there will be changes in colors as I go along.

Have a great week - stay safe - thank you for visiting!

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Tags

Hi everyone.  My ground is white, my thermometer is 20, and there is no sign of spring!  I sent emails to all those that requested tags.  If I missed you, please let me know.   I have two Karens, a Kathy L, Lori, and backporchcarver, that are all no-reply so I can't contact you.  If you are still interested, please send an email (not through Blogger) so I can reply.  I am listing the designs on the Box/Tag page, and will probably be selling the beginning of April.  More wood needs to be cut and stained first.  Thank you so much for the response. 
I did a little scissor tag for myself to match my Ghoul.  I only have a few cuts of this size and don't plan on any more so they won't be offered.  Just wanted to make you jealous.

This is my progress on Lori's free chart after removing the house start.  It is charted for 611 but I love the colors it printed, and decided to change it to 3011.  Looks better on the mystery linen color.

And I found a solution to my little girl's ivory necklace.  What a putz.  All I have to do is add more beads or chain!  The double string is accessible through the screw clasp so I can change the entire piece with different beads or just add the chain to the back.  I used my Dremel (LOVE that thing) stone to grind down the bright yellow flower centers.  All these years of searching for a little girl to give it to and I could have been wearing it.

I think a cup of hot chocolate is in my immediate future and the thought of elderberry pie popped into my head this afternoon.  I still have some in the freezer along with the dough for crust.  Oh my.

Have a great evening, stay warm and safe, enjoy the sunshine if you have it, rain if your land is thirsty, and curse the white crap.

Thanks for visiting!

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Stick a fork in me

Please!  I'm done!  I can't keep playing like this when I have so many other things needing attention.  But this is me.  Thirty years ago when I was working and the company was changing over to computers, we worked morning to night.  Well, I did.  Just couldn't stop because I was never satisfied and couldn't leave things for the next day.  I wouldn't leave my desk, didn't eat, just smoked, until my tampon weighed 48 pounds.  My world has done a 180 because I became procrastinator extraordinaire.  Anyway, in answer to emails (Kathy and Kathy L- you are no-reply so I can't), I will list all of the tags with numbers for your final choice.  Anyone who has already requested Clare w/wo others, I have it.  When I email you about payment, you can change anything then, and let me know your final order in your reply.  Then I will list all of them, probably on the blog under a page for now.  These are yesterday's and today's, (so much easier to tone with blue houses instead of red), and I will choose who will stay and who will go.  Dancing with the tags. 

 I think the Ghoul tag looks best the way Paulette designed it don't you?

All done.  Taking a break and I will start varnishing and emailing those of you that have ordered tomorrow evening, after I show them all with their numbers (and a better photo).  That will give me the weekend to cut, sand, stain, glue, and finish.

Thanks everyone!