35 count close up

Hiya.  Quick post.  Received my fabric order today and as usual, not the same as my first piece.  But close!!  I think all they will need is a dip to darken and they will be fine.  That's sometimes hard to do because the tone can change depending on the dip. 

  I was really surprised at how easily I could stitch on the higher counts with one thread.  Really surprised.  Those numbers always scared me!  I use Dollar Store magnifiers for all stitching and didn't change the strength as I thought I would need to do.  Trying something new is so hard without being able to feel the texture and weight which many of us shop-lackers can't do. So I thought if anyone would like to attempt a piece of 35 count I would show the difference in these two from my order. One is 35 count Lambswool (Wichelt), and the other 35 count Beige (Weeks Dye Works).  123 Stitch offers smaller pieces to try and reasonable shipping rates.

 

 

 

 

 

Although the same count, one looks more open and easier to see.  So I will show a few photos for you to get an idea of weave in case you would like to try either.

 

 

 

 

 

As for texture, the Wichelt Lambswool (right) is stiff.  So is the 40 count and if you like a very soft hand, this isn't it.  But the weave is easier to see.

 

The Weeks Beige (left) is softer and has a more dense weave, not as open, but still fairly easy to see for stitching.  A little darker than the Lambswool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like both of these pieces for color and also their feel.  I have a 28 count piece of 18th C. Rook, soft and not the dark bronzey green, that I may offer for sale along with a Fossil iPad easel that I found at their outlet.  She told me it was universal and would hold my Samsung 10" tablet but it doesn't.

Gotta run.

Just wanted to have a show and tell for 35 count newbies like me.  If you're considering an online order to try out a 35 count, I hope this helps a little.

Spooning on a snow day.

 

Rolling and drumming

Greetings!  Lots of computer issues and memory lapses for passwords had me throwing things for a few days.  Still having a few problems and haven't been online much.
Since the post on linen folds, I decided to check my inventory.  A few readers commented about using skirt hangers for their finished pieces until framing, and I really like that idea for even linen stash.  So I unrolled my yardage but because I prefer the stiffer linen, they just weren't cooperating.   You don't have to have a paper tube for larger pieces, so I decided to get all of the pieces out of plastic bags, check them for marks, and roll.  Usually it's the hand dyed or colored linens that fade on the folds, but this time I found an unbleached piece of 35 count with the mark.  So the first photo is before, and the second after I VERY GENTLY and randomly used the archival ink.  It's not a match but close enough and it breaks up the line.











When I unrolled an older yard of unbleached, I found so many thread breaks I couldn't believe it.

 And the mother of all slubs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I rolled and rolled and rolled and I'm still rolling.

  Remember my free sampler bag chart? I couldn't stand it - had to try another drum. So here is the tiny 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" little bugger.

 

So cute!  I used the Mylar inside because it was hard to keep the shape when sewing on the top and bottom.










I sewed muslin strips first, then the side seam, used wool felt, and this is weird - a very flimsy little plastic bag inside to hold the walnut shells.

 I'm still ridding excess from my sewing and craft room.  And I have to do a little rant here.  I contacted the Women's Reformatory about donating stitching supplies, AWARE about dozens of new bras, nightgowns, books and exercise videos, two charities about new craft supplies, and no replies or return calls.  I'm so sick of people not doing their jobs and no one seems to care.  We went to Goodwill with new bags of fiberfill, quilt sized fleece, natural cotton fleece, and other craft items and were turned away because someone had brought in a fiberfill item loaded with bugs.  I didn't ask what kind, but they infested the store so stuffed items are no longer allowed.  Pulling out of that plaza, we saw an Amish man working for a contractor and stopped, offered, gone!  Took everything so I hope some young girls are practicing on my old stash.

Several more drawers to roll and cupboards to purge.
Stay safe (I refuse to mention this white crap again).
Thanks for visiting!!

Drum roll please!

Hello!  Forgot to show my drum finish.

I will definitely make more, but maybe not the same method.  Next time I will sew the top circle by machine and attach the muslin strip to the bottom. The bottom board can be added before closing if needed.  I doubt if others will be this tall so I won't have to use two different fillings, and maybe not even the Mylar although it does help the shape. 

 

 

 

  The strawberry I made for the top looked lost because of the drum's height, so I added mom's hat pins, her old fancy buttons, and one of her wooden thread spools. 

  

This is what the top looked like before the finish.  I removed the gathering and just hand sewed it shut, using the batting beneath to hold the walnut shells.

Do you remember my sampler bag freebie? I made a long pinkeep from that and use it all the time. I'm wondering what it would look like as a miniature drum. Maybe too small for machine sewing but one day, I'll find out.








 

 

 If you haven't tried making a drum, give it a chance. Once the sides are evenly matched and sewn, the only critical part is having the circles the correct size and marked for your seam.  If you have trouble with that, sew the edge with a muslin strip and finish with lined top and bottom circles, or Theresa's method of using a piece of wool.  Or..sew the top and bottom on but leave an opening in the center of the drum's side seam for turning and filling, then sew shut.  Or.......follow Stacy's instructions in the chart!

Have a great day.

 

Thanks for stopping by!




 

Linen folds

Hello people.   Decision time - next project.  How the heck can you choose one sampler from the dozens that wait patiently in your stash.  We love all of them, or we wouldn't be holding on to them.  I'm preferring a greenish linen for the fabric so that narrowed the field.  When I pulled my recent online purchased fabric I was a little disappointed. 

 

It came folded in a little bag as always, but when I opened it, the fold lines were obvious because of the faded color.  Hand dyed so I can't wet or wash it.  A little hard to see in the photo but believe me, those horizontal folds are light and the vertical line is really light.  On top of that, it's not 13 x 18 as I ordered, it's 16 1/2" on one end and 17" on the other.  That means my 15" project that could squeak by on 18", will not work.

To prevent fold lines, I use the cardboard rolls from wraps for storing hand-dyed linens and others, but keeping them from unrolling was a problem.  I was concerned that tight rubber bands would leave marks and certainly didn't want tape, so here's my solution.  My Walmart brand premium stretchable wrap!  Just roll it over the linen and it sticks to itself, keeps the linen clean, and I can grab the tubes during searches without worrying about lotion sticky or chocolate smudgy hands.

Darth Vader has his wand, I have mine.  Mine is from the wide roll of foil and holds five colors of smaller 35 count pieces.  You could use pieces of plastic pipe too.  I have another with 30 and one with 32.  A few pieces of the wrap hold them on and I can pull this out and check the size and color on the tag, without having to rummage through all the shorts.  These were gifts and I loved the colors so much that I ordered larger pieces in two different counts.  I need to make a notebook with sample scraps clearly marked for color reference.  My paper rolls are wrapped with plastic wrap, sometimes muslin, to prevent contact with cardboard that isn't acid-free.  I have pieces from years ago that are not protected and are still fine, but it's a concern to many stitchers.

I pulled the colors (along with my changes) for Harriot and this may be the next start. But that usually changes the last minute. This linen color is the same as the fold marked piece, but larger and from a different source.  The more I look at this, I'm changing my mind.  We'll see.  I think I need a small. 

 

It's in the 30's and 40's this weekend. Usually during a hot flash, the cold outside air is refreshing, but those frigid temps made me feel like a bonfire in an ice cube.  Unfortunately, the brats don't care about the warmer weather, they want back in.  Forget the padded outdoor condos, the heated box, room to run and play.  Look at the pitiful stare I'm getting.  This little one (who is afraid of the litter in the box) is hurdling the 4 foot plywood barrier without a sound and we've found her in closets, under the bed, in the basement....and she is not catchable.  Right now she and Bud are playing hockey with the leather toys and if they don't nap afterwards, back outside!

Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks for visiting.

 

 

 

Ann's wallets

Hi everyone.  I mentioned before about showcasing a few pieces of Ann Madges' work.  Here's a little about her in her words.  " I love stitching (belong to EGA, Dayton and Cincinnati Chapters and to the Queen City Sampler Guild) and have samplers on many walls. Since I have little wall space left, I have now become obsessed with doing smaller 17th18th century reproduction pieces such as pinballs and men's wallets."  I asked to see her work, she obliged, and I think they are well worth viewing.  Beautifully stitched and finished!  You can find Ann on Pinterest here, and check out her boards for a variety of needle arts. 

The first one is Casper Yeakel which is a kit from The Essamplaire here, stitched on 30 count with Appleton wool, linen lining and tape.

 

 

 

The next one is from The Scarlet Letter, Ann Davis 1762 found here, which Ann stitched on linen with linen lining, DMC threads, and wool tape.

 

 

 

This is available from Colonial Williamsburg, Ezekiel Teel's Pocketbook kit, here.  Irish stitch on 27 count using Appleton wool, linen lining, and wool tape.

 

 

This is from Susan Siegler's book Needlework Patterns from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Paternayan wool on 32 count in tent stitch with wool lining and binding.

 

 

Next is Scarlet Letter's the Gardner Pocketbook of 1755, found here.  Done in cross stitch and eyelet on 35 count, wool lining and binding.

 

 

The last is also from The Scarlet Letter, E.S. Pocketbook here, Irish stitch with Appleton crewel wool, lined with silk, edged in wool tape.

 

Ann inserts a photo of the original piece inside each wallet, and told her family that each can choose a wallet as a remembrance when she is gone.  But she's not giving them up until then!  Aren't they treasures?  What a collection to display.

Thank you for sharing Ann!

I hope you all enjoyed the show!

Beating my drum, part 2

Well I feel foolish!  I cut another circle for the bottom, marked the 3 1/2", eased the circle as it went along, and it ended perfectly!  No excess, no problems. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So why did I have so much trouble with the top piece?   Here's the perfect bottom, and how I pressed the edges.  

Now for the inside.  I cut a piece of foam board (cardboard or mat) to fit in the bottom, and a piece of Mylar (plastic sheet) that is 1 1/2 times around the outside and 1/8" shorter than the height.   I stuck my hand in to pull the seam allowance up so the board sits flat on the bottom. 

 

 

Double sided tape would have helped because it was moving around a bit.   I rolled the Mylar, inserted, and it unrolled itself to fit the inside.  Pushed down on it, and then added a piece of quilt batting at the bottom, hoping it would keep the filling from wandering.  I used those little plastic beads because I've had them for years and want rid of them.

I stopped 3/4 way up the tube, and smooshed them down, tapping lightly to settle.  When I pressed on the beads, they expanded the Mylar to the limit and made a firm drum.  The reason for cutting the Mylar much bigger than the drum is to have an overlap inside to keep the filling from getting behind it.   

Added another layer of quilt batting over the beads.  Next will be several inches of crushed walnut shells for the pins if it would be used as a pincushion.

 

  

 Then gather the muslin over the walnut shells, secure, and trim excess.  A single layer of thin quilt batting to cover the muslin, and then hand sew the lined top to the drum. Maybe tonight!  Maybe not. For a shorter drum, I don't know if I would use the same method inside.  This is tall and I want it to sit well.  Using all sawdust would make an excellent drum and I'll see how stable this is before the final stitches.  If it's not, I'll try the sawdust.  I'm just glad it worked out because I really like this finish for a sampler I thought I wouldn't like.   All that's left is the little bit of hand sewing.

This wonky bird is on an antique wallet that I saw on Pinterest.  Still need to show you Ann's, (who has piqued my interest in wallets) work .  So for the next drum, will I machine sew the top and use the muslin on the bottom?  Probably.  But I will keep this drum finish in mind for short and wide samplers like this one.  I think using the Mylar and bottom disc would allow a much bigger round but shorter drum, too.  Theresa gave me a great idea to use wool or wool felt for the circle, which doesn't ravel.  Just press or tuck the drum's top edge, and hand sew a wool top to close.  Thanks Theresa!

Thanks for visiting!

  Hope I didn't bore you with this!