I ♥ you

For you.....

a heart freebie.

Will post the chart and details Monday.

Is this really July?

Hi everyone.  How's your weekend starting?  Ours is dark, damp, raining, and some evenings I need a sweatshirt.  My aunt turned her furnace on a few days ago to take the chill out of the house.  Mid-July!!!  The brats have been staying in at night again.  Rarely do I see them during the day, but come 10:00, the are peeking in the door.  Budman of course never leaves.  Squeak was AWOL for a few days and ate a pile of food this morning.  He'll always be a very thin cat but there is much improvement.

Here's where I am on the heart and I hope to finish it today.  Very quick stitch.  I'm using the newly dyed linen and glad I am.  I'm not so sure that this is the one for Sally.  Sometimes the linen gets softer when wet, dyed, smacked, thrown into a dryer.  It still has body, not quite as stiff,  maybe just a little too soft for my coarse preference.  When I remove an error and the threads smoosh together and leave a space, it's too soft for me.  Best find out now before starting Sally.

 

As for the paint, I learned something else yesterday.  Different grades of the same brand of paint (Behr) use different bases and take tint differently.  The reason it did not match was because I used the Premier series and decided to use the Ultra for the final coat.  This Ultra series used three tints that were completely different than those in the Premier gallon. There was no way to get the same color unless they mixed the Premier base.  The Stix (water based) primer I am using over oil, was offered at Benjamin Moore's as the best for over oil.  At Sherwin Williams yesterday, I was told absolutely not.  You MUST use an oil base primer over oil and then you can coat with latex paint.  Two top quality dealers with different information.  Drives you nuts.  The Stix is sticking just fine.  I cut a straw to lay on the inside top of the door/drawer, stuck duct tape to the inside, folded it over for a tab, and this is how they will stay until the paint is cured so they don't stick to the frame. 

 I'll be staying in today, as will "others".  If you look closely you can see she is still giving me "the look" even through the smallest slit.  She loves the catnip cardboard and although a tiny little brat, she will knock the boys off it.

 My Budman is a happy camper.  I'm not.  Two horrific stories of abuse (child and animal) on the front page today.  Both will recover physically after extended hospital stays and surgery on the dog, and I hope the young boy responds well to counseling.  Unless the child dies, punishment around here is minimal for neglect and abuse, and this 24 pound 7 year old was a month away from that.  The mother and grandparents are charged, and the other 3 siblings are fine.  They are back at home.  Once again, no one checked on this child who was taken out of school.  If you are so inclined, a prayer for his healing.

 

I hope the heart design ends well and I can share it with you.

Until then, have a safe weekend.

Thanks for visiting.

 

 

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Warping wefting weaving, oh my!

Hi all.  When I was cutting into the linen yardage, I wondered which way the sampler should be positioned.  Should I measure the width out from the selvage so the length would be parallel to it?  That's what I always assumed.  But what about all those small pieces that give no hint of edge?  Since I have found only little information on this, it can't be important.  If it was, every instructional book and website would make mention of it but if they have, it is not easily found.  I did find one, in Shay Pendray's  Needleworker's Companion (Amazon).  In one small segment she talks about the direction of stitching and suggests that you should follow the grain (direction) of the canvas.  That means keeping the selvage edge on the sides, not top or bottom, claiming the stitch will lie flat with wide coverage.  If you don't see the selvage, pull one vertical and one horizontal thread from the linen.  One will be more crinkled - the warp thread.  So the crinkled linen threads should run top to bottom, and the smoother from side to side.  I also read that warps are harder to pull from fabric and weft pulls easily.   This is because the warps are tightly stretched and are the core foundation of the weave, while the weft is woven through with less tension.  Easy to remember - weft runs left.  The selvage runs the same as the warp, top to bottom and is created from the weft wrapping the edge to continue the weave.

 

 

  This is the way they used to cut yardage at my LNS years ago.  Most pieces included the selvage.

 

 Seems like the only way to do it.  So the 18" side on a 13 x 18 piece would run the same as the selvage, and that would be ideal. But a larger sampler requiring a fat quarter or long half would have the selvage edge to the top/bottom, not the side. This may be important for serious stitchers but I am the opposite.  Especially with smaller projects, I have no intention on checking the warpy wefts. I use whatever size fits the project and honestly, I don't know why I questioned it in the first place.  So I say get wild and stitch dangerously!  Grab that linen and turn it whichever way you would like.  You already knew this anyway.

And just so you don't think I make up paint stories, I went to the store for more this morning, same formula SAME formula.  This small board shows what I brought home compared to the finished frames and doors.

I am not crazy.  This is lighter, pinker, and the doors painted in this will NOT match. The label matches the other!!  I am out of Dove after this one.

My heart design is coming along nicely and I will start the stitch this evening.

Enjoy your day!

Thanks for visiting.

 

 

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How to ruin a yard of linen

Good day folks.  Today we are going to learn how to ruin linen with dyeing.  We first start off with a yard of beautiful soft yellow called Golden Steak.  If you are a dull stitcher that likes the unbleached monotony, or muted dirty colors, you may not be happy with this.  Sitting in a drawer for years, it is time for action. 

Sally Fiske is a big girl and after counting the graph many times, I came up 340 x 317 approximate.  On 30 count, 21 x 23 stitched.  I have an unhealthy fear of cutting into a yard of linen, but this color didn't bother me as much.  So I did.  My unbleached rolls are saved from slashing once again. 

I cut a small piece off the yard for a Santa and tested it in a purplish bath.  Violet removes yellow but it's tricky.  It was good.  So I cut the 28 x 26 piece and dunked it.  This is how the linen mottled from dyeing, which has happened before, depending on the color and company.  I never figured out why, but think I have an answer now. 

This yard was pressed and without creases, yet the original fold lines dyed darker, even though they were not visible before dyeing.  I'm assuming that any prior crumpling may somehow break the fibers of the stiffer linens and they grab more dye.  Sound reasonable?  This dye bath was very concentrated and I think this definitely contributes.  A soak in less color may yield a better result than someone (who me?) who is always in a rush and wants a 1 second dip. 

 Regardless, the color is good, no longer yellow, and the mottling is barely noticeable when dried.  It will not be an issue because this design has little background showing, most is filled with letters.  Would it really matter if it showed?  Some linens are purposely mottled and irregular and this very slight pattern is insignificant in comparison.  It kind of looks like my legs.  You know, veins?  The more I peer above the laptop screen, I like it.  And every time I pass for another slice of salami wrapped in provolone, it's appealing.  So I have my fabric for Sally and I'm hesitating the start because of her size.  I plan on working up a simple small heart design to work on in an effort to stall Sally even longer. If it looks good, I will share it with you. 

I also need to ask you about selvage edges and which way is up, down, sideways, correct, and how to tell.  Next time. 

  I need to get back to the cupboards now.

 

 

 

Until then, Bud and I have a question.

 

Thanks for visiting!!

Organized stitching - the finale

Hi all.  Hope your weekend has been enjoyable.  This is the final mention of the two new boards I am so happy with and I'm sure you're happy you won't hear the word Magma anymore.  Last time!  I'm just so pleased with the portability and feel comfortable taking a project with me now, instead of worrying about loss or leaving something behind.

 

The Magma went with me to a doctor's office along with a project I am stitching for someone.  In a very large comfortable chair, I opened, laid the chart side on my lap, pocket side hanging on my crossed leg, and everything was right there.  SO nice.  My floss would sometimes catch on the Velcro because I didn't have it bagged.

When I returned home, I sat outside and did the same, and found the Magma works just as well with the pocket hanging to the side.  Or with the strap snapped fully open, perched on my legs when they are elevated.  The magnets that came with it (I already lost one) are very strong and my scissor snips are very secure.  Of all the pretty scissors, my arthritic fingers love these best.  I want to buy the small version for small charts, but I also have a plan to sew a few.

Lisa from The Inspired Stticher commented about turning the large LoRan upside down if the lip is bothering me.  I told her it was paint fumes that caused that mental blackout.  So I turned it upside down, added a strip of fabric secured with magnets to the back, and it's held on the stand perfectly.  Still may use the cookbook holder because it's wider and more stable.   Check out Lisa's Snooty Parrot progress.  First time I saw the parrot close and it's a great sampler.

   

 These magnet clips are in Staples and Walmart's office section.  I love them too for the double duty.

 

So that's the end of my yakking about my new helpers.  I haven't started  - what's her name? - yet because I need to finish this other project which should be done tonight.  I can picture the new sampler, but can't remember her name.  Or where I put her.  The heart design I asked about in a prior post is older and from Nash's From Me to Thee book.  Thanks for your help!!

 

We put a lot of white knuckle miles on to see countertop stone.  We walked in, saw the soapstone, and if I didn't melt from the hot flash the soapstone would have done it.  I had no idea that it looked that much better in person.  Leathered/antiqued/flamed finish on black granite is very nice too, but I can't get an apron sink.  Decisions decisions.  Chocolate chocolate.

 

Have a good one!

Thanks for visiting.

 

p.s.  Am I the only one who found 90% of comments in the Junk email folder?   I don't know if that is Blogger or my mail program but it's very annoying.

 

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The big LoRan

Got my 12 x 18 LoRan magnetic board from Walmart online and thought I would show you.  I was going to have it cut in half, but changed my mind. 

 

 

 

This is great for viewing two pages of chart at once,

 

 or an open leaflet,

or having a side free for notes (some people change colors and don't follow instructions), a copy of the color symbols, or magnetic clips to hold floss, scissors, whatever.  I put a magnet inside a little denim pouch to hold glasses,  Lift 'n Snip, or other accessories. I don't care for the strip magnets and get packets of stronger ones in various shapes from hardware stores and love the big clips. I'm very pleased with the Magma and this LoRan for being more organized and having everything in view with quick access. It sure beats sitting on them or looking through sofa cushions.  Here's the only thing I don't like about it. 

This large board has a lip and it will fit in the LoRan stand, but a slight move and it's out.  It needs to be more secure if I will be taking items off of it.  Cutting that lip off would work, or bending it up so it fits in the stand's groove.

Or I can use my MIL's old cookbook stand.  Perfect.
 

That's it.  Another review of something you already knew about and either have or don't want.  I'm a wealth of unwanted information.

 

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