Two new smalls

Hi everyone.  How did your already-the-second-week-of-December start?  Mine was cold.  I mean cold!  But at least no snow.  It was a long day Monday and we don't have any answers that are encouraging.  I'll leave it at that and fill you in later.

 

Here's my two other new smalls for Christmas.  I fell in love with the Jingle Bird.  I plan on larger rusty bells sewn to each corner for a finish but of course, that will probably change.  I'm thinking a pouch for the stag filled with feathers and greens.  Jingle Bird and Comet's Feather are from Tina Woltman. 

 

 

HoHoHo that I just finished is calling me for another stitch, done in a wild color.  Purple with lime green and yellow striped legs.  I don't know why.  Maybe he golfs with Rickie Fowler.

 

I finished the first color of the house on Mary and wanted the shading but didn't have an over-dyed that I liked well enough.  I used 926, 927, and 3768, starting with two strands of the lightest color, changing to one medium and one light strand, then to two strands of the medium shade.  Next group was one medium and one dark, ending with two dark, and then working in reverse.  Not too bad.  Will probably use that method for the next two colors.

 

Something tells me I will be kept pretty busy this week.

 

Stay safe - enjoy your day.

Thanks for visiting.
 

 

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Winner and answers

Greetings!  I had sun today for the first time since ????  I first want to answer a few questions about my last post. The linen thread I remove is never on the sewing line, it's 1/4" to 1/2" away from where I want the seam.  I use that line as a guide for the edge of my wide presser foot to follow.  When it's folded back to see and center the fabric beneath, the glue stick is on the outside edge of that line so the needle is not near it, not going through it or picking up any glue.  The glue is easily removed with a wet cloth but I don't even bother.  It's just a basting stick to temporarily hold fabric, better than pins.  No more surprises when I look at the back side which is great for careless sewers like me.  As for the fusible, I've done several that were wonky because the linen was a little stretched in places so I had to heat it again, remove, and start over.  Fusing after the thread is pulled allows me to square it and the edges of the interfacing can follow the lines making sure it will be running true.   Hope this answers your questions. 

 

It took quite a while to enter all the names.  Random chose Anonymous Dawn in Georgia as the winner of my Christmas giveaway.  Congrats Dawn!  Choose the shop you prefer and please send me your email address and name for the certificate.



 

And just in case you've wondered....yes, you can fit two tuxedos in a Land's End box.

Hope your week starts with a smile.

Thanks to all for participating!

 

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Plaid finish

Good day all.  No news on Carole.  She is having a difficult time breathing and will call an ambulance if she feels the need.  I did not have to convince her to get to the hospital.  I'll be there cleaning this afternoon (my drywall won't get done today either!) and Monday morning I need to take her for blood work (wheelchair) and then to the doc, and both of us feel he will have her admitted as emergency for the procedure.  Her appointment yesterday was only for a pacemaker check and he called the nurses in when he saw the reading, no doctor was there. The electrophysiologist is only there one day in the next two weeks so she has to wait for that day.  Going to Pittsburgh would be the same since she would have to see a doc first, they will want their own testing, and then schedule so she wants to wait it out here.  It has to be done by an electrophysiologist, not a cardiologist.

 

I wanted to show you what I do when backing with plaids.  As usual, you already know this, but a few may not.  It just makes it easier for me because I don't like to see wonky plaids. 

 

After I pull a thread out of the linen about 1/4" from where I want the stitch line, I fold back on that line and center with the plaid, use a fabric glue stick to make sure it doesn't move, and continue around the three sides.  I don't fuse interfacing until after it's sewn so I can see the removed thread line which my presser foot edge follows. 

 

 

 

 The stitching comes out nice and straight on the plaid, even when sewing from the linen side.  Then I added fusible interfacing on the linen side only.

 Storing my fusibles with the directions clearly visible for each was one of the best things I ever did.  I would usually lose the paper and not know what weight it was, steam or no steam, hot or not, dry or damp cover.

 Came out pretty good!  I guess I could have centered the plaid - maybe next time.

 The piece looked off, like more margin on the left.  But when I checked, they were the same.  When this happens, do you make a centering adjustment for looks, or keep the numbers?  I moved the seam over as the little gap on the left shows and it looked better. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Checked my rusty bell inventory and added a few at the bottom.

A little aging using a dark brown archival ink pad and a soft brush.  Of course I changed the thread colors.  Santa is 3858, the vine is 3051, beard is ecru, 640 changed to 830.  Thank you Pineberry Lane for this sweet guy! 

I'll be back tomorrow with the gift certificate winner.

Thanks for visiting, and for your prayers.

 

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Another surprise

 

 

Hi everyone.  Just a quick post to show my gift from Shirlee (aka The Easily Influenced Stitcher).  I told her she should change her blog name to The Generous Stitcher because she sends her wonderful ornaments to grateful recipients every year.  It arrived on a day that I needed a smile and this certainly did the trick.  Thank you so much dear Shirlee.

And - I stitched a Santa.  Very easy, quick, and I love him.  Well, I love everything from Pineberry Lane.  I'm on a new laptop and the settings are different.  I found lots of emails in junk again including theirs so I missed the Thanksgiving sale.  My Santa is finished but not sewn yet, no time, will show him next time.  He is a free chart from Pineberry that you can find at the bottom on the page here. 

 

 

I decided to add a lighted tree outside my kitchen window because I love the soft glow, and I'm buying all the old style strings I can because I do not like the dead -no-warmth - no sparkle of the LED.  Just not for me.  I'm making Mark string the lights and hope to have it up this weekend.  Can't wait to see the sparkle outside the window.

 

 I got the tiny shepherd hook in at the step and decided it was too much.  Then I removed the rocking chair and added the grapevine tree that I made several years ago.  I like it.  I plan on making another next year to use in the back so it's not all green.  

 

My sister is at the hospital now, and will have to have to AV Node ablation done soon.  Really soon.  I'm waiting to hear from her and will go to the doc with her Monday.  From the last visit, we weren't expecting this and she doesn't want to do this before Christmas.  I will have a fight on my hands but if the docs feel urgency, I will have to convince her.  I know how she thinks, and she will be afraid she may not be here for Christmas if the surgery goes awry like last time.  With this drastic procedure, there will be no coming back.  We'll know more Monday.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Merry Christmas to you

Here ya go.  I decided to use four online shops for the gift certificate BUT if you are international and have a place you prefer, check to see if they will accept US funds through Paypal.  Many of you use 123 Stitch, Silent Stitches has gorgeous scissors (and The Porcupine Collection) plus lots of other little (and big) goodies, and Anita's has some items for quilters and other stitching accessories too.  If you have enough charts and want something different, I'm sure you can find the usual to unusual, tools, buttons, patterns, storage, aides, and whatnots.

http://www.silentstitches.com/
It takes a long time to see everything they have to offer and I wish I could find a way to search!

http://www.123stitch.com/

http://www.anitalittlestitches.com/
Charm packs, quilting, linen, and other goodies.

and....
http://www.nordicneedle.com/
For everything and anything regarding needlework, goodies, storage, and then some.

 

I will have Random draw a name on Sunday December 7 at 8pm EST for a $30 gift certificate from the above options, your choice.

A few of you wondered why I decorate my back area.  This is my view from the kitchen.  I have stone laid around the front entrance but am trying to get a short shepherd's hook into the ground to hang a bucket of greens at the step.  I wonder how much force it takes to bend those iron hooks.  We shall see.  My arthritis is flaring in the right index finger but I will try my best.

 

 Enter with your comment on this post only.  Remember to include your initials if you are no-reply or anonymous. 

Good luck!

 

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The spinning wheel

Hiya.  I mentioned previously about my lack of knowledge regarding my spinning wheel.  Is it early?  A basic type?  Unusual?  I've seen others similar but they have a smaller wheel with fancy spokes and the wood is smooth.  Maybe one of you could enlighten me.  I took photos showing the rough cut wheel and other details.  The loops holding the ???? are leather, the nails holding the spokes are tiny squares, the ones holding the edges are round and pounded over.  You can still see the scribe marks for the cut openings.  It's been sitting upstairs in an unused room for a long time and needs a good cleaning with a brush.

 The guy that ripped me off I purchased it from 30 years ago claimed it was covered with straw and dirt and if he would have cleaned it first, he wouldn't have sold it.  I purchased two from him, both found in a barn, and the other was a huge walking wheel which I sold.  It has developed cracks in the very dry wood but I didn't know if oiling/waxing it would help. Really too rough to wax. 

Any ideas?  Is it just an ordinary wheel? 

There you have it.  My wheel.

 

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