An old school crab-ass

Good day to you all.  Is time passing quickly for you?  The month of October and all its colors quickly faded to holy crap it's November, now it will be the 10th already!  I remember when my family decorated a week before Christmas; years later people started mid-Dec., then the beginning, then Thanksgiving, now mid-Nov.  Back then, it was much more of a religious holiday to the majority of people, kids were in church every week (like it or not), and that aspect of life created a second and more dire consequence to our bad actions.   So to speak, there was hell to pay!  My cousin's son who was taught in school that we knew Pearl Harbor was to be bombed and welcomed it so rich people could make money, was also taught that there is no God.   Yes, they teach their beliefs here instead of allowing kids to form their own.  Recently, he told me that aliens put us on earth.  I asked him who created the aliens.  ????  No answer young man???  Go ask your teacher.  Please don't take yourself away from your phone, open some books, research, and develop your own thoughts.  Just go ask your teacher.  He has every right to his beliefs, but so should the student, so let them do some work and come to their own conclusion, whatever it may be.  Yes, I am ornery and in one of my weird moods this morning.   Even though we got great news that a biopsy was negative, I still couldn't sleep last night so I'm crabby.

Every year I would like to stitch this little piece from Plum Street Samplers.  I want to have family members' names (furry ones too) and the year of their passing instead of the 1726.  The body is over one.  It's small and I love the design, hate over one.  I'm sure I could do the names over two, relationship, a few words of honor, but I never do.  Wouldn't a small tree with these done in different thread color ornaments make a wonderful memorial tree at Christmas?  Or scattered on a larger one.  I need to leave this out so I can work on it during the year instead of waiting until last minute.

I started another Santa, the mid sized one in the bottom right corner.  I have black fabric but don't have the desire for eye strain so I used the same 28 count as the others.  This time, I'm using GAST threads for a little interest.  I don't have many of the colors and can't believe the difference when I ordered more of the same.  As to be expected, but difficult to order online.  I much prefer seeing these in person.  Several of the deep reds I received lean towards purple and I would have chosen something else.  The only brown I have is a rust and will use it for his bag - I think it will look grand with that soft green.

My Squeaky wasn't in the condo with the others this morning and I hope he returns soon.  It's a very sad day in my area because of a horrific auto accident that killed two local students and severely injured their teammate, badly injured two young children, and killed the man driving them. 

I wanted to go to a shop in Ohio having a Christmas show this morning, but since my neck doesn't turn as well as Linda Blair's did in the Exorcist, I can't get into a limited parking situation flooded with cars.  Probably not a good idea anyway.  I always shop early in the day but after the appointment we ran into Wal-mart around 5:30 and steam was coming out of my ears.  I can't take inconsiderate people blocking aisles, screaming names at their kids, waiting until it's time to pay before taking out their wallet, or better yet - get out the checkbook after checkout is complete and THEN start writing the store name and date, shouting as if they were at a football game, and other rudeness that seems to be the norm these days.  Yes, I'm an old school crab.  I believe in respect, manners, courtesy, consideration, a helping hand, and a smile for others.  But some days I would like to............

Is it me, or menopause?  Don't care at this point.  Just get the hell away from me!!!

 

Enjoy your weekend, drive carefully, hug hard.

Thanks for visiting.

Squirrels, seeds, and sampler slides

Good day!  At least I hope it is for you.  I spent the morning at Hobby Lobby buying fabric I did not need and another piece of linen.  I checked Michael's and my store doesn't have the Charles Craft linen, just the Monaco and Aida.  The DMC (Charles Craft) website doesn't even list an Irish linen, just Carolina linen which is a cotton/linen blend.  So why do Walmart and other places have the Irish?  

I didn't stitch yesterday because I removed the pumpkin from the front porch and took it into the woods for the squirrels.  I always break it open for them, but this time when I swung it into the tree, my body became a human tuning fork.  Tough pumpkin.  After the vibration stopped, I swung much harder, hurt my wrist, the stem came off, the pumpkin landed on my foot, I jumped up in pain, got my hair tangled in a pin oak branch, stumbled backward over the pumpkin, poked a hole in my palm from the needle like short branch I grabbed on to, made up a few new cuss words, and there you have it.  To make a long story short, my hand and wrist are really sore because of my squirrels.  If they want the seeds they can dig them out themselves.

Samplers have not been on my mind, Santas have.  But I'm looking ahead.  Well, not really.  I happened to throw the new linen into the stitching mess which hit my pile of stash creating a chartslide.  As I picked them up while incorporating my new words into complete sentences, I quickly browsed. 

 These Essamplaire charts caught my eye, but they may be too fussy for me right now.  You see Sarah William's hips?  I think she had too many Mounds bars because I had a similar reaction.  I need a simple stitch with all the house projects going on and thought Lise Bagg would be good.  Lots of nice bands, but I don't like the colors.  I may do the alphabet one color and the bands different.

But I may come across a Scarlet Letter or R&R chart at the last minute, which is usually what happens.  I have quite a few R&R small and simple marking samplers (really?).  Lise is short and wide instead of my usual long and thin so it would be something different for the display wall.  That's another problem.  How do you decide which cabinet to hang where, which samplers, which sconce, when you change things continually?  It's so hard to make holes in a freshly patched and painted wall.

I picked my trim color, or rather it picked me.  I am so tired of this that I took the trim's gallon in for adjustment, brought it home, and what it is, it is. 

So that's all I have to report.  My hand is better today and I will pick up some threads this evening.

 

Enjoy your day and stitch away!

Thanks for visiting.

 

Note to Heritage Hall Mary - you're no reply.  Please click on my email link so I can respond.

 

 

 

 

Three sizes of Santas

Hiya.  Here's my finish.  His coat trim was supposed to be cream 738, and the beard and moon in Ecru.  Not sure if I made the right choices in color changes.  I stitched the trim last so it will be an easy removal and something tells me it will be 738 when it gets to the sewing machine for finishing.

 

 

 And an idea of size difference. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

I want a few Santas larger than the ornaments for bowl fillers and shelves.  There are two that I like, a little larger than this blue one, in book 53 (bottom corners) and I want to do both.  Not sure if that is what's next - or another from 88 - or maybe #62 Kris Kringle.  For Cathie J  (you're no-reply) the Santas are all Prairie Schoolers and I refer to them by the book number instead of chart name.

My sister's car broke down again and I hope it doesn't cost me too much!  I took her to the church this morning before my therapy, to make pierogis.  Oh how I wish I could find dry cottage cheese again, our favorite type of pierogi and palacinke (nalesniki).  I like my dough better than the church's.  It has sour cream in it and is so silky, easy roll, and quick pinch!  Enough about food.  That monster machine hasn't helped with the girth increase from Halloween candy. 

I got the windows washed with Dawn and hose rinsed yesterday so today will be an easy wipe with Cinch and my microfiber glass rag.  The hose was already put away but I pulled it back out and left it stretched in the yard for hours so the woodpeckers could see it.  Hopefully they will remember and fear the jumping woman with the wild hair and jet stream.  Like they care.  They're at the top of the second story where the water jet becomes a trickle,  drumming a tune called Squirt Me If You Can.

Have a happy hump day - and Happy Birthday to Chris!

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

 

 

No leaves today!

Greetings!  Just came back from the chiropractor and will see the brutal therapist tomorrow.  Stopped at the antique mall and it is loaded with ugly old furniture.  

Really.  Packed!  I brought home this little milking stool that had been there for quite a while.  Some days I feel like buying something and this was the only item that appealed to me.  It's so small!  6 1/2 x 8 inches.  I think that's what I liked most about it.

 After several days of pushing that machine, today will be a break.  Tomorrow it will be warmer and the windows will get washed.  I hate that.  So how's your week starting? 

 

 

My mail yesterday brought the new issue of Simple Life and also this Early Homes.  Oh my.  A quick browse and I can see this issue is one of their best.  Many times the features are too formal but this issue is clean primitive.  I order from the publisher's website because no one around here carries it. This is the email and phone if you're interested and can't locate a shop.

Lori Viator – lviator@homebuyerpubs.com
Or call her at (978) 282-3170 during business hours, ET

 

 

My next Santa is the smaller one from book 58, that is holding the crescent moon and has stars on his coat.  I left the trim and the moon for last because I'm not sure of color.  The starts that will be backstitched on the blue will be the beard's color and the moon.....maybe a very light gold?  Will find out soon enough because I want to finish him this evening.

 

Just a reminder, if you are interested in anything from The Essamplaire, their 20% off sale on charts, kits, and books is on until the 9th.

 

 

 

I'm going to relax with my McD's coffee and make a plan of which room's mess I will tackle first.  Maybe a laptop toss out the window will be at the top of the list.  The touchpad is going crazy and pulling me down with it.

 

Hello and welcome to new followers!  I appreciate each and every one and want to thank you so much for taking time to visit.

Stay safe, enjoy your week!

Sack it to me

A piece of Mylar, (stencil blanks, plastic sheet, plastic canvas, flexible kitchen cutting mat) will be inserted to size if the greenery distorts it too much. 

 Heavy fusible on back, light on front.  I used the pulled linen threads to hang rusty jingle bells with the fringe, but removed them.  They may appear again, you just never know.  If you ever use stitchery to hold greens, make sure the stems are secured with plastic to prevent sap from staining.  I plan on using only one sprig, two at the most.

 

 

 

I'm on my way outside for about 6 hours of leaf blowing, but wanted to show you this. 

 Closer and closer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EUREKA!! Eating together in the rain!  A long way to go, but it's progress.  Squeaky is not neutered, Bud and Nitzy are, but Bud is very territorial and attacked Squeak many times.  He cries a lot and looks in the door but I can't really get near him. 

When Bud was lying on his mat for his nightly scratching, my husband alerted me to grab the tweezers.  He saw the disgusting oval shape of a bloated tick on Bud's shoulder.  He held him down and I tried to twist and remove the tick, and it came off so easily. Too easily. 

Upon closer inspection......

It was a piece of a Cheeto.  I guess the floors need swept.

It's getting late and I need to stop procrastinating - the leaves are waiting.

Thanks for visiting!

Hope your week starts well.

 

 

The big boy of book 58

Hi everyone.  It's November.  Can you believe it?  Husband keeps saying "you're another month closer to your favorite season".  He doesn't understand that I prefer a summer of being 62 instead of another year older.

Here's the big boy.  Love him!!  I haven't decided if I should add Merry or something to make it a little longer.  I prefer the simple look of Santa alone and am leaning toward a top cuff of fringe or a cuff with rusty bells.   Here he is with the ornament size.

In addition to the color changes, I filled in the few blank stitches at mouth and cheek corners with 644 on the 3866 beard.  Leaving them unstitched did nothing on this linen background. The outline on the collar with 644 started as an error but I like the look so left it. 

Getting back to my prior question about doing the light colors last; if a dark color was used for the antlers, wouldn't they also look like dots if done first?  So maybe it's not as much the color, as it is to save small details for last?  I plan on doing a little research to see what the experts have to say.  Not that it will matter because I will either forget or do what I want anyway, but it's good to think you're knowledgeable and just choose not to use it.

The candy bags are out of the car and in the freezer.  Well, what's left of them is anyway.  Not one trick-or-treater.

Just the cats.  Squeaky sounds like a bad wheel and cries a lot.  He is tolerated and comes on the deck to eat, but the others stand back.  I think he wants to be part of the group and Bud sits all day, watching the woods where Squeak comes from.  Seems like he wants to be friends and they roll together, but you can't trust Bud. 

 

 At least he is staying in the setup I made for him for some protection from the weather. 

 

 The boys just watch him.  And the girlfriend keeps showing off her cuteness.

We had very high winds and rains which created a thick blanket of soaked leaves.  It took me hours and hours of pushing that heavy machine to blow them and I hope that negated a few Mounds bars.

Today will be pick up sticks day with an Advil chaser. 

  

Time to move to another project but I may sew the last few samplers into finishes first.  Will probably do a few more Santas before moving to a larger project.

Enjoy your weekend!

Stay safe.

Thanks for visiting!