The heart box

Hey.  How you doing?  I was wrong when I thought we were going to miss the snowstorm.  Not as bad as other areas for sure, but still enough to create a problem.   If you're in it, stay safe and warm.  When I was young, we didn't have school closings unless we got two feet of snow.  In my area today, two inches and the doors are shut.  We didn't have buses either.

 

Remember my wooden heart box that I showed a while back?  Those quilt pattern designs would work very well on this, but I've decided to not attach a stitched piece to the top.  I don't mind using stitched pincushions but I think this will get more than the usual number of pin holes. 

After a lot of wasted time choosing, this is the fabric I decided on.  Well, two actually.  The same pattern, one a mid tone and the other a light neutral.  I want to attach the berries (treasures from a wonderful stitcher) and looked for an uncomplicated fabric. 

I'm having trouble with Abe.  I have counted and counted and the stitch numbers are correct, yet the house is over a little on the right compared to the chart.  The numbers are the same!  I want to make sure it's correct so the window placement fits properly.

 Carole heard from the Clinic and her surgery date is not until 2/25.  The surgeon has changed also from the TAVR procedure guy to the open heart cardiothoracic woman.  All appointments scheduled have been canceled since she saw this surgeon while there.  So unless the CHF takes over again, we are clear until the 25th.  Now I can schedule my procedures around her. 

 These cats are still in here and driving me nuts.  They play, but get antsy and jump the barrier.  All I see is a tail whizzing by.  I catnipped them to calm them down and well.... you get the idea.

Thanks for visiting.

Stay safe.

 

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When is enough enough?

Hello people.  How's the weekend going?  We had freezing rain with a light dusting of tiny ice balls.  Since my knees are not yet and will never be completely healed from my face plant onto granite, I plan on buying those elastic spike strips to put over my shoes.  Don't need another scene flying through the air.  Easy to slip on over any shoe and when I browsed Amazon, I found IceTrekkers, Stabilicers, Hot Headz traction cleats, Yaktrax for hikers and outdoor workers, a whole mess of styles and options starting here.

But here's my enough.  Floss.  One of every color up to 3830 in a bag, several of each color in envelopes in boxes, and the same in the floss box.  The boxes contain the very old skeins with the black labels and some of those are also in my wood box.  The new ones don't match the old in some shades.  I need to get organized.   I have two more of these wicker trunks, empty and collecting dust.  Why do I have three of them ?

Would I ever use all these colors?  Haven't yet.  Floss is expensive overseas, right?  I thought about a giveaway for shipping costs ($30) but many boxes are lost in transit.  The first time I mailed fabric there, the post office said I must use an international priority mail box.  Wasn't true. It may take some time to go through the old boxes to check inventory and if I decide to offer a set, you'll be the first to know.

  

I emailed the new owner of Shaker Cat and was surprised to see that the 1985 chart is still available.  Look how cute he is stitched. 

Cedar Hill has a lot of nice small designs, mostly floral with alphabet, none of which I had seen before.  There are so many designers and new charts that most of us miss without local shops.

 

I'm going to the sewing room to count floss now which takes me two stairs away from the chocolate.  Leslie Sansone and I didn't get along at all.  Starting with the easiest DVD, I was out of breath after 5 minutes. We were close years ago.  Keep going!
 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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The next little project

Greetings to all.  How's your weather?  Some areas will be hit with a storm today but we are on the edge and being spared. 

 

 

I waffled between Abe and Queen Esther while adding another small to make it harder to choose.  But I did.  I chose Abe but only because I don't have the correct linen shade for a quilt pattern heart.  I stitched two of these years ago and haven't seen them since we started the house mess a year ago.  The shape of the heart would be the longer skinny version that I prefer so extending the stitching area would be necessary. 

 These are the two that I would like to do.  The one on the left was previously stitched using that same rust color.   Eventually I will find it but I would like the shape and color to be different anyway.  I considered doing a monthly heart design as I did for the pears, but there has been too much going on to concentrate.  Odd as it seems, my favorite pears are the designs that were done quickly and required no tweaks. 

 

 So Abe it is.  Since I'm not using the charted silks, I chose my DMC colors and found myself following the photo instead of the chart.

There are a few spots of pink in the grass area - I'm assuming pink because it's the same symbol as the house - and I didn't want that so I chose to use all green with a few lighter areas.  The fence is charted as all one color but the original looks like there may be two shades of pink, which is what I'm doing. I may use two shades of pink on the house too wherever I see a darker area. 

 

 

This project shouldn't take too long and the hearts will probably be next, but you all know how that goes. 

I plan to start using my Leslie Sansone exercise videos today because - I've gained another 7 pounds.  This has to stop.  I needed hypnosis to stop smoking and this addiction seems even stronger.  I've tried the protein shakes and they are terrible.  Horrible!  The only one I can tolerate is Special-K's vanilla cappuccino.  Does it make me feel full and not want to eat?  Not a bit.  Not a bit!!!  But I'll keep trying. 

 

Have a safe and stitchy weekend.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Project Portfolio

Hello hello hello.  Squeak was here!  I stayed in bed a little longer this morning and Mark came back in to tell me that he was here.  He fed him two cans of food and off he went!  He looked good and I hope he comes back tomorrow.

 

Trying to organize the linen mess and everything else stitching related, I came across this Project Portfolio by Courtney Creek.  What a well made organizer.  I checked online and couldn't find the company so maybe they are no longer.  Here's what this heavy nylon piece looks like inside.

 

 Pockets on the inside, pockets under pockets, zippered and not....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plush spot for glasses with Velcro closure, little needle pocket...

 

 

 

 
 Heavy clear zippered pouches for seeing your projects....

 

  

 

Pockets on the outside too and thick enough to hold a lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You probably have one and this is nothing new but I'm really impressed with it.  It was buried in the back of the hutch and every time I pull it out I get excited all over again.  Do I use it?  Nope.

 

This little thimble holder is new to me.  Found it on the floor when pulling supplies out so it was hidden in something.  I did not make this.  Sweet, padded, holding a painted thimble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then the mail came.  YAY!!  Look at my gorgeous wools!  I would like to try wool applique and also a few Christmas items so I placed an order and I can't wait to get more.  Even if it just sits there with all the other fabric and is never used, I WANT IT.  Rose (Three Sheep Studio) and of course, Rebekah Smith, make me swoon with their work.

 

Feeling better today and the doc appointment went well.  Mark wheeled her up the ramps since I visited the chiropractor the other day to help with my back.  She is anxious to get this over with and start feeling better.

Have a great weekend everyone.
Thanks for visiting.

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The Harriet two pouch

hanging thingy?  Two pocket hanging pouch?  It's not open on top like a pouch, so that isn't correct.  It's a two pocket hanging flat thing.  I used linen on the front and osnaburg on the back.  I didn't think it would have the look I prefer if I used a print fabric. Whatever it is, I sewed once again without measuring or taking the time to do it properly.  I don't know why I refuse to use the tools to prepare the piece for the sewing machine.  I used to.

I just decided I have enough little pillows, didn't want to frame, tried to come up with something different or odd.  I like it.  The bottom is fringed and open so I can slip in a piece of Mylar if I want.  Right now I have a piece of cardboard in the top pocket to keep it from collapsing.  What do you think?

 

I have eight names for the Cat chart and have been sick since last night so I may do it tomorrow.  I will email the stitcher after pulling a name.  Being frustrated with this sewing project was enough for today and I'm going to bed early.  Mark is home tomorrow and can take Carole to the doc if I'm not up to it.

 

I got an email about the Pineberry Lane free chart I did and I wasn't able to pull it up on her website, so I wanted to mention that if you are looking for the Pineberry free & fabulous little goodies, you can find them at Pattern Mart here.

 

That's it.  Going to sleep and hopefully it will be in the bed instead of the bathroom. 

 

Thanks for visiting!

Have a good weekend.

 

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The Harriet split

I'm done with the divided Harriet Hazlin and it looks like my seams will be quite short.  I guess I misjudged but it will work out.  I tried to chose a fabric that goes with both floss colors and this is the best I can do.   Looks good in the photo but the green in the print is really green.  This size works great for a drum but I'm doing two pillow/pincushion finishes.  Or should I do something odd and sew them together with a decorative stitch and then frame?

 

 My Squeak is still missing.  I wonder if he is trapped in someone's shed.  He was here several times when the orange one showed up and was afraid of him, but they didn't fight so I doubt there is a connection. 

 

My sister heard from Cleveland Clinic and they can't do the TAVR, which is the valve-in-valve replacement done through the groin with a catheterization.  Her femoral artery is not large enough for the valve delivery so they are going through the chest directly into the aorta to reach the diseased valve.  That's a big hole!   I guess they stitch it closed after the valve goes through.  We'll find out more end of the week.  At least it's still the same method, just a different delivery point.  Much much shorter and easier recovery.  Her son is still not doing well and is seeing the specialist this morning.  Hopefully a change or addition of medication will help him keep food down.  He's lost almost 30 pounds in three weeks.

 

Got the Thread Heaven and Queen Esther chart, may start that instead of Abe.  Depends on what I pull out of the linen pile.  And I do mean pile.  What a mess.  The whole house has been a mess for so long, why not my supplies too? 

Got several names for the Shaker Cat and will pick from the hat tonight.

 

Have a good hump day.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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