The heart decision

Hello stitching buds.  Hump day. 

 

 Fourteen years today we lost Dad.  Received sad news about a friend.  Received bad news about my nephew, Carole's son.  Obviously, someone got lab results mixed up as they did with mine years ago because after his illness over Christmas, they said all was negative.  Mine was malignant and after major surgery - whoops!  Didn't find any cancer - must have been a mixup.  This happens WAY too often around here.  We'll know more tomorrow but he has to get to Pittsburgh for a surgical procedure right away.  Carole is starting to have difficulty breathing again, but it's only 2 weeks out from surgery so she has to give it time.  Lots of time.  I think the cardioversions and Torsades episodes took a lot from her, and then it was the pacemaker, then the AV node ablation, then new leads and a different pacing unit, then the valve replacement.  I don't think she fully recovered from any of these before going into another.  The frustrating thing, the valve was the problem all along and the other procedures were not needed.  It will take time but we're confident she will be feeling so much better this summer.  Thank you Cleveland Clinic, doctors, and staff.
 Mark had a bad fall on the ice this week and went to the chiropractor this morning.  A box on the counter filled with chocolate covered pretzels was to raise funds for a therapy horse.  There were a lot of empty wrappers when he came out of treatment.  His head turned right to me.  What!  You know I go above and beyond to help animals - don't give me that look.

 

I did find Spot the Horse.  As for the heart giveaway, I dyed the flax Belfast to a slightly warmer shade, and am using the recommended floss color.  This one will be more of what Stacy designed it to be and will be the offer.  I love chenille on pieces - other than mine - so I will decide on its fate later.  I have difficulty sewing a smaller backing onto shapes, like a heart.  On square pieces, my corners are never right.  I need to practice more.  Thank you for your suggestions and help!  ..wait...  I just had a tremendously hot flash and a vision of the heart with chenille trim appeared.  Looked good.  See what I mean?  Nothing is ever in stone.  When I first saw my bright yellow car, I laughed at whoever would be fool enough to drive it.  Four hot flashes later, I became that fool.  The heat must soften my aversions.

 In my browsing yesterday I found several antique samplers very similar to Mary Antrim.  So were these stitchers from the same area?  I'm too lazy for not into researching.

   I will work on your heart and be back when it's ready, taking a few days off the computer.

 

Hope your week ends even better than it started.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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When you start getting into a hole...

do you dig yourself deeper?  Never ever have I done that.  But since the hotel and food bills from Cleveland, filling her heating oil tank, and all the other spending, I am continuing instead of slowing down.  I know the other expenditures were necessary, but now I'm just buying what I want for fun.  First time for this penny pincher, but that's OK.  I'm getting older and if it makes me happy, it's mine.  I ordered some other colors of linen, a few more charts, more cotton prints, and then I spotted this.

How did I miss this one?  From Carriage House Samplings titled Spot the Horse.  This photo is from Priscilla's Pocket where I found gorgeous frames like this one.  One good thing leads to another. You can visit them here.  The chart shows it on a darker fabric.  Either way - I had to have it.  I recently purchased Merry Wind Farms first release, Elena Tratman.  What a nice, large, easy to read, fun reproduction.  Not sure when I will start it, but I wanted it now.  Visit her blog to see and order Elena here.

While searching for a shop that still carried Spot, I also came across the piece hooked from Primitive Junky in October 2010.  The blog is here and you can visit her Etsy shop from the left column.  Makes me want to hook. 

So what am I doing today?  Shopping online of course.  

 

Hope your day is as much fun.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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New Belfast

Hello hello hello.  Spent the day trying to locate new kitchen bar stools.  Geez.  I didn't realize what a nice looking bowback would cost.  I have two sources not far from us, both carry the same makers.  One could get Benner, similar in cost to the others, none of which I have the luxury of sitting in to see how they fit my growing rear.  That's a lot of $$$ to be spending on something you will use every day without seeing first.

 

Traveling another 10 miles or so would take me to the only needlework shop in the area.  Hit the gas baby.  I came home with 4 Belfast colors.  I really prefer 30 count but didn't want ivory which is all she had.  The first is Antique Copper, overdyed (is that what it's called?) bronze with a grayish blue.  I'm using the two darkest finishes I have to show the depth of color for those of you that are shopless.

 

 

The next is Vintage County Mocha which is stamped like an overdyed.  I don't care for these types with a lot of pattern to the dye, but you can also use the back side for a solid look.  The dark blue is Blue Spruce, all are 32 count Belfast.  I also got a piece of Flax and it's lighter than I thought.  Platinum was a very nice color, warmer than Flax, and the next trip to that area will include it.  

  

I still plan on dyeing a dark grayish blue but didn't want to pass up this shade.  The first thing I thought of was ..... remember this?  I wish I would have used a darker teal for the fabric, even this new blue.  As you can see, I have not finished it into a bag yet.

Changing the subject - I noticed how photos with linen get really crazy online so I resized in the Photo Gallery to the smallest size at 640 and I think it helps.

 

Now for the steam smash.  When I use batting, I don't need to smoosh it down because it has a low and even loft.  But whenever I use packaged fill, I overstuff and then press the back and front (with a pressing cloth) using a high steam setting on the iron.  It compacts the fill, makes it dense and reduces the loft.  This picture from an earlier post shows how it looks after a steam.  When I use the cheaper fill the steam and heat really compress it.  I'll try it with the Touch of Silk and see it if compresses as much.  I always use a fusible interfacing on the linen so I don't know how it would feel without it.

 

I have been watching this tiny raccoon and his little opossum buddy the last few days.  With the weather finally breaking from frigid temps, they are searching for food and looking like they are sick from the harsh winter.  My sister had baby raccoons way too late in the year and we wondered if they made it through these months.  Obviously, we had babies late in the fall too because he is very young.  I have been leaving cat food and bread for them along with corn.

Not sure if they are actually sick or starving, but neither are in good shape.  My sister is feeding another stray cat she has named Junior.  She seems to be doing well except for the pain from opening her chest, slowing gaining strength, and we'll be taking her to the doc Thursday.

 

That's all folks!

 

Have a great start to your week.

 

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The little white line

Hello people.  Happy weekend to you.

 

 

 

 

 

Whenever I had some spare time today I worked on the heart.  Not happy.  I usually don't use a lighter back and don't know if that is the problem or if I screwed up somewhere.  This is the back of the heart, using the ivory background Old Script, and a beautiful fabric for a pocket.  But I am seeing this light fabric from the front and it's bugging me.

 

See the light outline on the side and humps?  Not that much, but enough to bug me!  The pocket fabric isn't noticeable.  If I was keeping it, I would let it go or stain the light fabric, but because it will be a gift, I'm not satisfied.  I know.  You think I'm too particular.  Keep in mind I beat, deliberately create holes, break linen threads, clip floss, stain, and sand other pieces.  But this is special.  Stitched in the Clinic under stress, but calmed by the gesture of friends.

 

I already pinked the seams close and hate to take it apart, but I may.  This is what I planned to offer for my blogging anniversary and your friendship.  It really helped me through these last months. Because of the generosity of many in offering this chart to me that I so love, I want to share it, and will stitch another for myself.  Maybe it's best to keep this one rather than disassemble it and offer the second. Stitch the gift on the lighter linen as Stacy intended?  I'll think about it this evening. 

I remembered Carol's (Stitching Dreams) post of finishing tips and decided to try the one thing that I do differently.  We both interface, pink, and steam smash, but I use quilt batting and she uses Touch of Silk fill.  So I bought a bag today at JoAnn's half price sale.  What a difference.  It can loft with such soft volume and not crush, or be packed so tightly, and it doesn't melt when steam smashing.  I never thought there would be a difference between bagged fill, but there definitely is.  Thanks Carol!  It's what I used in the heart and am very pleased with it.  See?  I'm not a crabass about everything. 

 

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Going to the dark side

Greetings!  I'm sorry for those of you that were hit once again with this ridiculous winter weather.  We were north of the snow and had a sunny day for the trip to the Clinic, sunny today, but below zero again last night.  The parking structure was huge, completely filled, and after driving in circles until on the edge of vertigo, we parked on the roof, farthest from the elevator, in bitter wind.  She is home and we are still making adjustments to her house for comfort, like getting a full tank of oil since her supply ran out and the house is 48 degrees.  Yes, my sister is a great planner and thinker.  This is why most of the tasks we need to do for her are unexpected.

 

The dark side.  Much darker than my unbleached.

 

I did a basic finish on the blue bird, with one thick and one medium layer of quilt batting.  I just love this 1" stuff.  I bevel the edges slightly, sometimes put a little bit of loose fill into the corners, but it makes such a smooth finish.  No lumps or having to move fill around.  Fusible interfacing on both front and back.

 

I have more of the this color, it's close to my favorite dark Rook, and I am on a kick to use dark colors.  Really.  Big hard kick.  I will attempt dyeing a grayish blue next, starting with a cream piece and also trying an unbleached. 

Dorothy Allen from R&R Reproductions (you can call or order at Dyeing 2 Stitch) has always been one of my favorites and I'm loving the dark side!

Need to get dressed and get over to Carole's.

Have a great day!

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Coming home

Good day to all.  Carole has improved enough to send her home.  What a difference out of ICU.  She is weak but will get stronger every day, now that she can walk without gasping for air.  Amazing.   Mark and I will make the trip tomorrow and stop at a Whole Foods market we saw on the way home Monday.  Never been to one before, and we saw other shops to visit also.  Thank goodness the freezing rain is over but other areas in the Northeast are going to get hammered again.  I hope this is the end.  Can't imagine what they are dealing with.  And of course, I worry about the starving and buried animals in that amount of snow.

 

I ordered more raw/natural Belfast and was surprised that it's not easy to find in all shops.   I ordered two pieces and she said they are from different bolts and one is darker.  I wish there was more consistency with linen colors.   One of my favorite pieces of fabric was a gift from a stitching friend, 18th Century Rook, on little Dorothy.  I purchased several pieces online and not one was even close to the odd bronzy green that I loved.  My latest came in as this, which I dislike and will never use.  Not as scratchy and rough, much softer and finer, not for me.   Don't you just love that Dorothy Allen sampler? 

 

As for the Fraktur Friends, not sure if I will use the tent stitch on silk gauze or cross stitch on linen.  I never used a hoop and understand that it's the method for gauze.  We'll see.

 

We're off to get groceries and fill the fridge for Carole since she won't be driving for a while. 

 

Have a great day!! 

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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