Seeing spots

Heart and template

 

Chart and template are available in the FREE tab under the header photo.

Just right click and print.  The template will probably print a little smaller so you can save and open in Photo Gallery, print full page.  Problems?  Please let me know.

To hang --- or not.

I took two threads out of my linen to check for the crinkled warp, and they looked the same to me.  Maybe a different piece would be more noticeable.  It's not that I plan on doing it properly, I just wanted to see if I could tell.

And now for a story.  For some reason, I have a momma crow and 2 young hanging around my patio.  They haven't shut up in weeks.  All day.  Caw caw caw!  Right by the open windows and although I love crows with their goofy walk and even their call, it's getting on my nerves.  I don't know if I ever told this story so forgive me if I'm repeating.  Many years ago, I pulled into the drive thru at my bank.  The back of the building is where the cars get in line along with the parking lot.  Adjacent property is a vacant grassy area and a house farther down.  When I pulled in, I saw several crows milling around one that was flat to the ground, his right wing completely extended.  They were making a lot of noise and circling him.  I assumed he was hurt and the wing was broken.  No one else got out of their car, probably because they had better sense than I did.  I hunched over, slowly and quietly approached the bird from the back, feeling like I was in a covert operation but without a ghillie suit.  I got within two feet of him.  As I extended my arm to grab him, his head turned, he let out a blood curdling screech while pulling in his wing and took flight just missing my face.  Scared the crap out of me.  That's a big bird!!  I think my move was similar to one seen in Psy's Gangnam video. The damn bird was just airing his armpit.  I guess the others were squawking that break time was over and trying to get him to move.  The people at the drive thru tried not to laugh as I walked back to my car, but I knew.  I knew.  This is one of the bad things about having a bright color car that you keep for 10 years. 

People remember.

 

Have a great day.

Hope you like the heart.

 

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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!!