What do you do

with old tablecloths?  Linen that needs pressed, one little coffee stain, patterns no one wants?  I got rid of mom's because of the stains that would not come out, now my brother is throwing more at me.  Beautiful fabric, but who wants these old style that appear to be linen and wrinkle like heck?

 

This all over pattern is so pretty and I believe it's linen, just like the huge hemstitched off white and gold one.  It would take forever to search for small stains in natural light and I don't have the time, nor do I care.  Some are cotton, maybe a blend, but you can't offer them unless you're sure there isn't a stain yet throwing them out is unacceptable.  Maybe I'll cut them up and add the pieces to a ridiculous mountain of other saved fabric I have no intention of using.  Drives me nuts.

 

Anyway, this afternoon we will hopefully have more information on treatment, if any, to help Carole.  She just can't breathe, walk very far, and diuretics are not removing enough fluid.  The only good thing is the lungs are clear.  From what the cardio said, I don't think there is much they can do and the drastic surgery that this doc is insisting on, will not address her difficulties.  So.  Whether they decide on the surgery, treatment, hospitalization, I will be tied up.  Her food, house, decorating, shopping, everything.  She just can't do a thing.  Which brings me to a dilemma.  I have not heard from Dawn.  I can't wait because I may not even be on the computer for a time and want to take care of this.  The other time I thought a winner did not contact me, I offered it to another and the first winner also claimed it so I ended up with two.  The mistake she made was replying to the email post she received from Blogger.  If you receive posts through your email, you cannot reply.  It goes no where.  So Dawn, if that's what you did, please use the email link at the top right to contact me. 

I carried mom's wheelchair down from the attic, lifted it in and out of the car a dozen times for several appointments Monday, will do it again today.  So just like bending over a hundred times while raking leaves doesn't take a pound off, neither does weightlifting.  I'm still a growing girl.  Damn.  It's also not easy to push her weight up a sloped parking lot, over a rubber covered threshold, through manual double doors that automatically close but not open, and then hold to prevent a runaway chair down the parking lot hill.  We had a good laugh.  This is a transport chair with small wheels, not easy like the big boys and although they are offered inside, she needs it from her home to the car and before we enter the buildings.

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Take care - enjoy your day.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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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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