Still learning after all these years

Thank you CL!  I tried contacting you to thank you for the tip, but you're no-reply so I'm doing it here and sharing.  The only thing I can't comprehend is stitching left to right. I could only do your stitch by going from right to left!  Either way, I am grateful for your instructions because after all these years, never figured it out.  Here's what I'm talking about.

I use the sewing method when cross stitching which is going in and coming out in one motion.  Like this.  Stitching the first half and then going back for the cross.

 

 

I mentioned in the Threads post about this not being the proper way to stitch overdyed floss so she kindly instructed me how to use the sewing method while making one complete stitch at a time.  You probably already know this and have used it for years, but I never have.  I always went from left to right and it just never worked out without being awkward.  I tried doing it on my tiny new project and I actually kept messing up!!  What is wrong with me!! 

It took a while so I made this diagram and printed it for 3x5 size without the "fit picture to frame" option and it will stay on my board.  The older I get, the more I need visual aids.  It's opposite the direction I'm used to stitching and to start the next row, turn the project upside down.  I always thought that would make the crosses wrong but it doesn't so I turn it now all the time when it makes it easier and less bulky. 

Using the full stitch sewing method also makes a neat back with no bulk.  I wasn't using overdyed so I kept with my regular method except for this one row.

 

 

If you're wondering what this tiny project is, and you're probably not, I've seen so many stitched flags recently on Pinterest that I decided to do one.  I haven't seen a heart used but I don't get out much, so if there is something similar, sorry!  I didn't want to use standard stitches for the stripes so they are something a little different.  I will finish in no time and post it for you if you think you would be interested in another flag.  I may fringe the right side up to the stitches and attach to a basket or just pin somewhere. 

 

And guess what?  It's raining!!  We had two beautiful days of warmth and sun, rain today, storms tomorrow, cool forecast for the rest of the month.  Where can I register a complaint?

 

Sorry if I bored you again, but when I learn something or want to keep information, I post it.  Otherwise, I would never find it again.  I use that little upper left box, enter a term or keyword, and it's much easier than searching the post files. 

Have a great day!!

 

Heart of Gold chart maybe tomorrow. 

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

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Winners and losers

Greetings all!  The sun is out and it's not raining.  But it's still cool enough in the evening to wear a sweatshirt.  I really feel cheated.  It's almost over and it never felt like summer.

I pulled an entry this morning for the threads and Gracie was the winner.  I emailed her and she also has a blog you can visit here.  Sorry I couldn't give everyone some!  The loser is me.

Since I got this little stone pot for the microwave, I've been popping that bread pudding in there WAY too often.  My sister uses one slice, I use two of the Nickles' 35 calorie Italian bread, 1/2 cup fat free milk, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 drops of vanilla. Tear, beat, pour, smash, 4 minutes (mine is 700W), heaven.  And this morning, 2 donuts.  I need to stop this and I keep saying TOMORROW but that day was a year ago.

 

My sis is having another cardioversion Wednesday and my Magma and I will spend the day at the hospital.  She has a really bad cold though and if she is still coughing, they will reschedule.  My knee assessment is Thursday.  Some swelling has gone down but there is no change in the sharp pain of certain movements.  The better knee is starting to swell again.  Fat knees, fat ankles, what can I say? 

 

I ordered five new samplers recently, still holding out on Rebecca and Jane.  One of them is this design that I found in the Free Domain (no copyright) to use on my journals a while back.  Always loved it - didn't know there was a chart!  I'm hoping it comes in soon so I can stick it in the Magma.  One color thread so this will be an easy take along.  You can find it here.

 

 I saw the young man I mentioned before in McD's this morning.  He was sleeping in the same corner with different clothes on and I believe he was being truthful with us. 

 

That's it.  I plan on sitting outside and enjoying the sun today.

I hope your day is a good one.

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

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Oldie but goodie - and free

Greetings!

Three quick notes.

First of all, in response to questions regarding the Gentle Art free chart that I completed for my little purse, I contacted them and they graciously gave permission for me to post it.  It is quite old!  The address on it was from 13 or more years ago, so I blocked that out.  You can visit their website for thread info and other free charts here.

 

 

And do you remember the ponies?  I still haven't worked out a finish but every time I saw it, I wished it was darker.  Yep.  Dunked it.  White threads and all.  Yep.  Dry brushed the stitch tops with bleach to lighten some outlines.  So risky, so stupid, so reckless, so me. 

And I have to mention something that's bothering me.  The other day I was approached by a polite young man in a parking lot asking for anything I could spare, even a dollar, because he ran out of gas.  I gave him a buck and told him the truth would have got him more.  Today, we were in McD's and while waiting for our coffee, talked to a very friendly woman also waiting.  We all eventually sat in a remote corner, where a young man offered her the higher table.  He was very polite also, and said he had nothing to do and was just hanging out there.  Lost his apartment, hadn't eaten, desperately seeking work.  He walks everywhere and had two prior jobs.  Father and step-mother lifetime military and don't want anything to do with him.  He enlisted and served a few years, felt it wasn't for him, and left. She helped him browse the online ads on her tablet, we had just cashed our check and offered him $$ and told him to apply where Mark works.  He can't without an address though and they only hire through an online service.  The lady also bought a gift card for him to purchase something to eat which he did.  When he went outside, the woman told me she didn't see signs of drugs, has a son with problems, and felt that we met and were all in that corner for a reason.  We're hoping it lifted his spirits to know others care and felt he was worthy of our time.  Not knowing what is the truth, what he is like, if he has problems, will weigh on me now.  Do I feel sorry and worry about him?  Do I forget about it because it was another scam?  So many times I have been approached with stories and I honestly don't know what the truth is, but hate to mistrust all these young folks.  If I don't try to help, I will always wonder if I should have.  But we got a few dirty looks from the employees when we were leaving, and we get along great with them so I have my doubts as to his sincerity.  I will have to ask next visit. 

And regarding the sampler prints, this is the link to Pixel's here and Jane Ballard is #82.  Just keep hitting the next arrow. 

 

 

BLT's and fresh Bodacious corn tonight!  Much better than Butter and Sugar or Silver Queen (former favorites).

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

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Cheating

Good day.  I will draw a name for the threads soon.  Honestly, I thought maybe one person would be interested and didn't expect a group. 

I'm watching progress of Jane Ballard on Sampler Lover's blog and am now on a search. I doubt if I will ever have the gumption to stitch it but I want it. Rebecca Cullin too which is still available. Oh wait! I think the Porcupine Collection was re-released a few years ago. Pretty sure. Almost positive.  ....   Yes! They were. It takes me a while to remember clearly. Kind of like a slow drip and then someone turns on the faucet.  Hold on - let me search....  OK.  I found it on Silent Stitches but there is no info as to size or stitches involved. I also checked Rebecca and know that I would never stitch her. I wouldn't use 40 count and that is a really large sampler with lots of specialty stitches. After doing a few on Mary Haslehurst I realized they are nothing to be afraid of and kind of fun to do (thanks to Mary Corbet's videos) but the size is intimidating. I think Jane is close in size. Never mind. Do you ever buy charts knowing you won't stitch them but you just gotta have them? Why do we do that? Have you ever bought a candle or fragrance that you love so much you don't want to use it because then it will be gone?  This is a sickness isn't it?  I got Misi's (1890 Gable House Goodes) soy tarts. Patchouli Moon is making me swoon and the Flight by Night is an outright delight. 

 So here's what I'm thinking.  Jane doesn't look as complicated as Rebecca, although neither are my simple style.  Is there another online resource that offers the chart with information?  Will I give in and purchase them anyway?  Silly isn't it?  Maybe I will cheat.  Have you ever been in a shop and seen the sampler prints?  When hanging on a wall, you really can't tell especially with the digital clarity.  So I found her print that is offered in various sizes up to 17 1/2 x 30".  For a stitcher, it's cheating, but if it's something I would never stitch, I get a pass.  I thought there was a print of Rebecca too but haven't located it.  Hedgerow House has several available framed, but Pixels offers items with or without frame and even greeting cards.  Very difficult to search these sites for samplers, maybe because I'm not thinking clearly.  But starting with #73 and clicking "next" is the only way I'm viewing them.  I think they're great for people who love samplers and can't stitch.  Me?  The more I look at her, the more I think I will get the chart. But on the other hand, will probably never get to it and I'm an instant gratification gal.  We'll see.  Either way, Jane will be hanging in my home one day.

No progress on sewing my purse together.  Dominic called and  wanted to go over the plans.  He's an excellent cabinetmaker for basics.  But once again, my fridge cabinet was not the standard and he just couldn't grasp it.  I don't know if the other cabinetmakers that refused this job would have felt the same.   So I went back to the drawing board and measured again, nothing out of the ordinary, and met with him again yesterday.  Still a little confused and I think I should bring coffee and donuts to his shop and spend the day watching.   I wanted different doors on the sink and the fridge, just flush plank doors, and he looked at me puzzled. What?  Plank?  Plank?  What's that?  Just random boards with a support brace on the inside. Where's the frame? There is no frame Dom, it's just planks with a brace on the inside. What???  Never mind.  Here's your sign. 

Today I'm painting with my clothes inside out again, and the road crew is here.  Should I put my glasses on upside down and say hello?  Just to mess with them a little.  If you're wondering why I'm still painting cupboards of a very small kitchen, my neck can only take it for a few pieces at a time, I'm sanding, priming, sanding, first coat, light sand, final coat, and no where to really put them until fully dry so there are several days of waiting before starting another.  Rained again yesterday and I can't work outside with the weather we've had this summer, if you can call it that.  Still cool, not even a ripe tomato yet, and my hydrangea trees that always bloom in mid-July are still in bud.

Time to get moving, grab my glasses, and go say hello to the crew. Should I wear my boots too? 

 

Have a great week - stay safe - enjoy what's left of summer.  I just can't believe how fast it's gone by and how chilly and wet we've been.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Threads

So how many thread types do you regularly use?  Just like my panties, I'm a cotton gal.  I like using DMC and Sullivan floss, it's cheap, it's matte, it's not elegant, it can be tweaked with dye, even Wal-mart carries it, and it burns easily without guilt. Gentle Art Sampler Thread is my second choice but since I use the sewing method for stitching, the variation is hardly noticeable.  What about all the others?  No clue. I've been stitching for 40 years (with a very long break) but don't really know a lot about the materials used.  Color and feel are all I really care about but sometimes I get a bug to learn a little more.  Is it useful?  For me, probably not.  Simple samplers done with simple threads and coarse linen makes it pretty simple.  For detailed and intricate projects taking a great amount of time and skill, maybe knowing a little more about my supplies would make a difference in choice.  If that ever comes, I'll be ready.

I have a messy box with odd threads.  Most of them were given away.  I kept some that I may use one day like the flower thread, skeins of over dyed reds for Santas, wools, but I'm clueless about others.

 

What are Wildflowers, Waterlilies, and Watercolours used for?   I found the answers in descriptions on 123Stitch, and still have no use for them. If anyone would like this little batch, let me know.  Happy to send them to a good home.  

Has your thread ever bled when aging/staining a piece?  I was told at the quilt store that Sullivan (and Valdani) are colorfast and DMC is not.  And that Sullivan is long staple and DMC is not.  Well DMC's website states that it is long staple, as well as being colorfast. The next time I visit that shop I will ask them to check DMC's site and explain why he told me otherwise.  My DMC shreds easily when removing stitches but the Sullivan thread doesn't.  Regarding the long/short staple, a video explaining the difference is here and a text explanation is here.  Superior Threads has many video clips on all sorts of threads that are very interesting and informative here.  I think they relate more to quilting and hand sewing, but still interesting.

 

 These are some other cotton overdyed, described by various online shops ~ 

Weeks Dye Works -  sold in 5 yard skeins. The colors are variegated enough to be noticeable, yet subtle enough to blend naturally, $2.20

Valdani - 6-Stranded skein in hand-overdyes and hand-dyed solid colors, colorfast. Solid colors and subdued variegates, eleven yards per skein (twice as much!), $3.00.

Crescent Colours - a hand dyed floss that begins with cotton DMC six strand floss and gentle fabric dyes designed specifically for cotton, 5 yard skein, $2.20. 

Gentle Art Sampler Threads - six strand hand overdyed cotton floss, 5 yards, $2.00.

ThreadworX - hand dyed, 6 strand, 20 yard skeins (TWENTY!), $3.90.

 

Many stitchers prefer silk for their projects, some are reasonable, some very pricey.  Is there a difference justifying the price?  Probably. I had a giveaway for the whole batch of YLI that I got from a friend but still have a small amount of various silks.  I used them briefly and wasn't happy but guess what - I don't remember why.

Some of the more popular ~

NPI floss - Needlepoint Inc. Silk is reeled, not spun, making the filaments longer and of higher quality, 5 meters, 8 ply, around $3.50.

Gloriana - This spun silk has silk's beauty, luster, and shine but doesn't catch on your hands. Gloriana Silk is soft and remarkably easy to use. 12 strand silk, 6 yard skein, around $7.50.

Soie D'Alger (Au Ver A Soie) silk. 100% silk made in France. Easily separated, moderate lustre. Dry clean only, 5.5 yards per mini skein. 7 strand, about $4.00.

Belle Soie (Crescent Colours) 12-stranded spun silk packaged in 5-yard skeins, $7.50.

 

A site that gives information on other less commonly heard of silks is Thread Needle Street.  If you're interested in the difference between reeled and spun silk, you can read a little more about it at Silkewerk, or Treenway Silks.  Mary Corbett's Needle 'n Thread has very good information for working with silk and her article has Needlepoint Inc. listed as spun but their site states reeled.  After reading this, I don't think I would be interested in using the reeled or filament silk, even if you offered me 10# of chocolate to do so.  And once again I can't say enough about Mary's website.  Unbelievable amount of information on anything related to stitching - the Tips & Techniques listing is a long one and well worth reading, and the instructional videos are the best.

What about strands?  Is a strand the same as a ply?  I found several confusing answers.  Some descriptions state "2-ply strands" and from that I assume that several plies twist together to form a strand.  DMC has 6 strands that we separate, but I think each strand is 2 ply.  NPI is listed as 8 ply, but there are 8 strands to separate, not 8 twisting filaments to form one strand.  You probably know this and I don't think it really matters.  Valdani's floss description uses both "6-ply" and also "6 stranded" for the same product and others interchange the terms too.  Why did I even bring it up?

 

 

Well, this was pretty long and boring wasn't it?  I hope I have everything right - I was getting dizzy going from site to site for information.  But I did learn quite a bit about thread quality and terminology from those sites I mentioned.  Will I remember it all?  Hell no.  That's why I do these posts!  I can always go back to the post and links for reference.  Did you know that you can search a blog by entering a subject in the top left box?  Took me a while to find that out.  I want to talk about storage options for specialty threads but I can't hold my head in this position any longer.  It took several sessions to get the entire post typed sooooooo ..... storage in the next post!

 

 

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Starting with linen

Hiya.  It's raining.  And cold.  Just a quick post on learning to stitch on linen over two threads.  In the last few weeks I had several comments and emails about difficulties with this.  This may not help anyone, but it's how I managed in the beginning and still look at my fabric today.  My first linens were 25 count and I kept literally counting two threads for the "over two" method and getting really frustrated.  One day, I just happened to view the fabric differently and it helped.  I saw a cube.  A little four sided square hole and realized that I couldn't poke it.  Just go to the corners and leave the hole alone.  Does this make sense?  Not sure if I'm explaining it properly but I see a hole instead of threads.  Kind of like this.  Maybe it's just my wonky brain and this won't help anyone, but it certainly did for me.  Thought I would share my cubicles.

 

 

Have a great day!

 

 

 

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