The slub trap

Hello dear readers.  It's the final weekend of January - spring is getting closer.  But not close enough for me.  I haven't been out much this week so I had planned on going into town for a good cup of coffee this morning.  Not to be.  We are getting several inches, again, and I'm not taking a chance on another accident just for good coffee.  If you've ever tasted mine, you may disagree and feel it's not only worth the risk, but necessary.

My fingertips have a few painful cracks from using cleaners and washing so often to remove paint, so I decided to try charting the teal horses instead of stitching.  Not as easy as I had hoped, but it's coming along.  I plan on stitching it as I go, charting 1/4 at a time, so I can see if my colors and shading will work.  If I wait until the entire piece is charted, I may have to go back for changes.  This way, I can see what may be off and correct it in the next 1/4.  

I started a few stitches prior to cracking and learned something about linen slubs.  On dyed linen, they are a trap.  I know you aren't supposed to pick the fat fuzz off or try to lessen their bulk, but I do anyway.  When I've come across a break in a weave, I took a linen thread from the edge and wove it in after removing the broken thread. The entire way if a small project, or just where the break happened in larger cuts.  If you leave long tails of the weave on the back, you can add the new thread in the damaged area only.  It's really not difficult to do and so unnecessary if you are sane and do not pick slubs. 

Unbleached and natural is what I use most and had no idea about the trap.  Here is the big fat slug slub on the backside after picking.  See that white strand?  It was covered by the fuzz and I have no idea why it did not accept the dye, but it didn't.  Good thing I saw this and worked from the back because the front is still good.  If I would have paid more attention to the weave before starting to stitch, I could have avoided it.  It's smaller now and won't be messed with again!  Would this happen to every dyed linen?  Who knows.  I'm probably the only wacko that tries defuzzing, and in my defense, it has always worked before.

We rigged Squeak's house with a 25 watt bulb about an inch away from the styrofoam top and sides.  Doesn't seem that warm in there to me, but my brother (cat man) claims that 15 watt is better.  He still leaves at night.  I touched him yesterday while he was eating and he made his brrt sound and didn't swat me.  This is the new toy that they all seem to love.

Except for the steel exterior front door that won't be painted until the weather cooperates, everything else is finished in here with two coats. I think I finally found the trick to painting door panels.  I did the recessed areas separately, and used a wet rag to wipe any paint that overlapped onto the flat areas.  Once those coats were dry, I used a cabinet sponge roller on the flat areas.  You have to work really quick with that roller to get an even finish but it worked so much better than trying to do the entire door at one time.   I know you saw these doors before but they are done and I'm happy to move on.  I'm glad the new room's trim, crown, and base were coated before installation so only the final coat is needed, but not glad that I didn't use the final color.  The important thing is - I like it much better so the extra work is worth it.  I use leftover plywood and drywall pieces for paint tests and purchase the $3 samples first.  It helps tremendously!  But I still have a paint problem.  They really hate to see me coming.

I found out a little more about Bloglovin.  I have seen a few now that list their blog on the profile page, so the ones I viewed that had no option for that, obviously don't have a blog.  I was mistaken in believing that everyone using it was a blogger.  I still use my reading list on my dashboard.

Enjoy your weekend, stay safe and warm.

Thanks for visiting! 

 

The winner is....

Lady Jane, I will be emailing you shortly for your address.  Thank you all for participating!  Another offer will be coming for my anniversary in February.  I'm still painting! 

 

 

 

 

I'm not a big fan of broccoli, but when I make the stems, oh baby.  Peel them, slice into sticks, a little oil in a med hot pan, sprinkle with salt and granulated garlic.  Mmmmm.  So tasty.

 

And this is how easily a used candle can be removed from the glass after two days in the freezer.   Then use the wax in a tart burner.

 

Sorry, but since I haven't been stitching, I don't have much to show other than broccoli and candle bits.

 

So there you have it. 

 

One more thing.  When someone follows you on Bloglovin, how can you find their blogs or if they have one?  I clicked to follow a few and all I receive is updates on what they are following!  I see a profile but that's it.  Is Bloglovin for followers that don't have blogs?  Or younger people that have smart phones and brain cells?  I refuse to get a phone that is smarter than I am.

 

Stay warm - thanks for visiting!

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

The cats the cold the colors

What's happening?  Looks like another polar blast in the east and we're freezing again, but not much snow here.  I'm about halfway with my painting and wanted to show you a few things.  But before I forget, I mentioned about using jute knots for cat toys - found something better. 

 

 They shredded the jute so I used leather laces and knotted them.  The hockey rink is singing!  Even old man Bud who never played before is wearing himself out.  Because of the cold, I made a makeshift litter box for them because Mark wanted to keep them in, and they used it!  Progress!!  Bud will NOT allow me near him for fear of being put outside so he is camping out in the corner under the chair. 

 Here's the Studio Taupe color that I had Home Depot mix for me in an eggshell enamel.  The close up door on the right is the old color. I don't like a lot of sheen and this has just enough, plus being enamel, it's a very hard finish making for easy cleaning.  It's a taupe that's not pinkish, slightly on the green side, not real light, and not dark.  Just love it.  I'm thinking of stenciling in this foyer.  Now for the big question - am I going to use this over the other darker custom color in the new room?  That decision needs to be made today since it's the next to be painted and that will start late today.

 After my whining about whether or not to dye the Amsterdam Blue a little darker, I did. My home made black walnut stain is kept in the fridge and while sneaking some Genoa salami, I spotted the container.  I'm good.  Take a look at how close this is to the original.  The Amsterdam was just fine the way it was and I took a chance staining it, but it was an impulse and thank goodness it worked out.  This was after three 30 second dips.  I pulled the colors and will be changing one group.  See that long middle leaf starting at the fold?  It's the same as the background colors so I will change the greens to bluish teal.  Still no word from the owner and she may have sold this piece since she is an antique dealer.  After seeing wallets stitched by a reader (whose work I will show in a future post), I realized that the background teal is not linen, it's stitches.  I'll use the linen!  Of course it would be stunning entirely in thread, but I also like to see linen with the texture of the raised areas created by the floss.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I started a few stitches and I think this should be done on 40 count, but I'll continue and see if detail is possible on 32 while attempting to keep it small.

See the streak on the printed copy?  Remember my new HP printer and how disappointed I was?  This happens for no reason and at any time and wastes a lot of my ink and paper when making labels.  I need to contact tech service again and demand a replacement.  Enough is enough.

A note to Marie-France.  I'm sorry!  I can't enter you as a follower because you are no-reply.  I do not have your email or Google account and need it to do so.  Please email me by clicking on the link at the top right column.

 

Back to painting!

Enjoy the day and stay safe - thanks for visiting.

  

 

If you like the box.....

you can win the box.  Period. 

You can trust me. 

 

Since this was such an easy fit for a label, and I think most of you liked this design, I decided this would be the offer for reaching 800 followers.  Although it looks like linen, it's not.  This is a paper stock label - a print of the piece I just completed - not the actual stitched piece.  The little box on top is mine, not part of the offer.  The box is 6" high and 6" round paper mache.  If you prefer the smaller 4" oval - it's your choice.

 Leave your name on this post only and Random.org will draw a winner on Thursday 1/23 at 8 pm EST or later if I forget.  I'm not putting it on a separate page because I won't be posting again until then.  The paint cans are calling my name.

 

Thanks for visiting!!

 

 

Finish

Good day.  Hope all is well.  Ed was here this morning and now I have 10 doors to paint, nail holes to patch, and the final coat on all the trim, baseboard, and crown.  I chose Sherwin Williams Studio Taupe for the foyer. Love it.  I'll be busy!  But I wanted to show you Two Horses finished.  I changed the top of the design and used DMC 221, 355, and GAST Mulberry for the flowers.  DMC 469 was changed to 3363 and 936 changed to 3362.  Horses were done in 3031.  No matter how I snap this, the linen weave is distorted in the photo.

 Frame?  No.  Possibly an envelope that is laced in the back with a flap.  Until then, it is the perfect size on 35 count for the standard 6" round paper mache box.  I will probably do the design on the teal linen when my arthritic hand is no longer stiff from painting.  I haven't decided if I will chart it first or just wing it.  I contacted the owner of the original and never received a reply of any kind.

Enjoy the weekend and stay safe.
I'll leave you with a snapshot of the brats looking like little angels.


Thanks for visiting!

 

 

 

Stitching update

Hello people!  Two Horses is now two horses.

I mentioned that I was not pleased with the coverage using one thread on this 35 count, but something else wasn't right.  The other areas were covered just fine which didn't make sense.  It seemed inconsistent.  I now know why.

Take a look at the upper leg area.  This leg was done with one strand.  The same strand.  And look at the color!  Some areas of the first horse look reddish and others really dark yet I was using the same skein.  Well here's where the reddish came from. Can you believe this?  I have two skeins of 3031, each different, and two of 3799, each different.  They aren't from my old stash either.  I'm really getting tired of having to keep only one skein of each color in my floss bags because of their inconsistency and now I can't count on a single strand being the same throughout.  I like variegated floss but not when I expect a solid color or when it's hit and miss.  I understand that dye lots are hard to be exact, but it's getting to the point where I'm losing faith in DMC.  Also notice that there are some stitches in the horse's rear that have a thicker strand.  So I guess it wasn't my imagination.  And it wasn't my fault which is the good news.  It's not going to matter since this is a really primitive looking piece, but someone doing a fine sampler would be upset.  When working two strands as I've always done, these discrepancies wouldn't be seen so I have to wonder if this is isolated or just not noticed before.  Could also be because I used the sewing method on the leg instead of completing the full stitch, which is why it caught my eye.

That's my bitch for today.

Here's my husband's bitch - remember all the trim board painting and waiting for Ed to install?  He called.  He can be here tomorrow.  Unfortunately, I'm already tired of the color.  My husband claims I've been looking at these boards for two months - why change them now!  Because I've been looking at these boards for two months, that's why. So another trip to the paint department and I need to repaint all the crown moulding when I get back.  I certainly don't want to paint it after it's nailed especially since the drywall is freshly painted.  Touching up the nail patches is all I'll have to do.  And of course, the baseboard, and doorway trim.  And the doors.  Two windows.  Question is, how long will I be happy with the new color?   And I thought I was doing really good with decisions in 2014.  Technically, this IS a decision.  I decided I don't like the color.  So there.

 

Thanks for visiting!