Almost done

Closing in on the finish - just the light threads to do and then the sewing.  Sewn into what?  A skinny sack of course.  Hopefully offered Wednesday evening, Thursday for sure.  Hope you'll like it!

 

 

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Barometric pressure and minutia

..minutia - you know...trivial crap. 

Hello people.  How's your weather?  We have and will continue to have, high humidity, heat, storms, and rain.  That means the barometric pressure is falling....and my joints are terrible.  Dr. James Fant (University Specialty Clinics) stated  "if the barometric pressure is decreased, then that would allow the inflamed tissue to swell more, simply because there is less atmospheric pressure holding the tissue back. If there are nerves in that tissue, then those nerves would be stimulated by that swelling and that would translate into pain."  Well la-d-da.  Sounds science fictiony but the size of my swollen foot/ankle and my right index finger joints prove his point. 

 

That's not the only reason I didn't get the project done that I wanted to share today, but a big contributor.   I am planning a giveaway of a little design I worked up and wanted to stitch it as the offer.  I would have finished it before this front came in, but I changed it four times.  I have four different ways to stitch it, except for one element.  So I will yak about other things. 

Remember the post on how I stabilize the top edge of samplers when hanging unframed?  I used horsehair braid from JoAnn's.  It's in the boxes on the bottom shelf, notions wall.  Well I bought something else this time, flexible boning.  The traditional boning is not flat and much stiffer.  This is also very stiff, narrow, and there is no way it will allow anything to sag.  

 

 

I put it out in the sun with weights on the ends to get rid of the roll shape from the box.  The much flatter horsehair is perfect for small and medium samplers, but for big girls like Lucy and Eliza, I will slip it out and insert this boning.  Both had double strips and held up well, but I want to test this.

 

I've had this dried grapefruit for a few years, thinking it would make a great pumpkin head for a sewn figure.  Look at the nose on this guy.  Paint the eyes, drill for a neck pole and give him a hat.  But I never will.  Would dried fruit crack if drilled?  It's really hard and thick so I doubt it but who knows.

For those of you with smooth cooktops, I've tried the homemade concoctions for cleaning and they were a pain without great results.  Bought all the top names and did not like the waxy feel left behind or the cleaning power.  Until I tried Affresh.  Oh my.  Shake it, a few drops smeared onto the burned area, five minutes later it is easily wiped off.  They don't carry it locally so I ordered online through Home Depot and had them ship it to my local store free.  Great great stuff.

And if anyone has soapstone water spots, placements rings, all the marks left from anything set on it, let me know how you get rid of them.  It's been waxed and cleaned many many times, tried the oil, it's always looking like a mess.  I thought it may be our water, but distilled, spring, bottled, all do the same.  It looks fabulous when first waxed or oiled, but it needs to be done every three days and you can still see the outline of the ever increasing spots.

Since Budman likes to be enclosed, I threw a rug over the bench to create a little shady cave for him.  He's a happy guy.  So much rain that I had to remove the flower pot from the blue pan that had filled with several inches of water.  I think that's it.  Will pop some Advil and see if I can get this done in the next few days.  If not, I will come up with something else for the offer.  Until then, be safe!

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Is it Sunday again?

Hey!  I'm painting and thought I would show you what we did to the bar.  I love it.  When we added a few cabinets, one base was left out.  A narrow 12" that was 24" deep.  Originally I had planned on a cupboard here but it would have had plank doors that didn't match the kitchen's and no drawer.  Option two was no door and open shelves but that would not be useful, just for display = more dusting.
 

 Mark cut down the 24" depth to fit beneath and here it is.  No legs yet, just a template.  There is a tiny little drawer perfect for pens or pills, and storage beneath.  This is the new color, Behr's Riviera Beach.  It's very close to Olde Century Color's Linen but less pink.  I love it.  I said that about the first color too.  I tried SW and Valspar but neither could mix it close to Behr.  Makes sense since it's their color and beige is a tricky bugger.  Eggshell finish Marquee.

 

 

 Because of the 12" depth of the above wall cabinets, you can't really sit at the very end anyway, so this filler is the perfect size and it matches.  Bonus - support for the stone overhang.  Ain't it cute? 

I sometimes get excited about something and if I don't share it right then and there, I may forget.  I didn't want to bring it up but I'm sure you've noticed a huge lull in my complaints about hot flashes.  They decreased, became less intense, but my brain didn't heal from the fried cells yet and now they're back.  I'm assuming because of the months of stress with Carole and I thought if I ignored them they would go away.  Doesn't work with extra pounds either.

 

I'll stay away now until Sunday.  I worked out a little design last night and want to start it today, hope to share it then. 

Have a great weekend - already the middle of June - summer is flying by.

Damn.

 

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References

What do you use to learn a new stitch?  I got out all the books for stitch reference and wanted to browse for some that I will need to learn for the sweet bags.   I've found several stitches that are in one book and not the others, so I don't rely on just one for reference.  Could be that they are under a different name, but I also browsed the illustrations. The nun's stitch (or open sided square) which I needed to finish edges, was only found in Linen Stitches.  I remember looking for the turkey too and not all had it.  That one, Needleworker's Companion, and the J&P Coats are my favorites. J&P Coats features 100 stitches in a flat 34 page booklet that doesn't take any room in a stitching bag.  I've found so many in that little booklet that aren't in any of the others and I almost tossed it years ago. The Complete DMC one is going to the library sale.  Includes knit and crochet and I don't care for the illustrations at all.  Online reference and video is better, but if I don't feel like taking the time to get on the computer or it's not convenient, having one of the these smaller books in my bag works out fine.

 

 

I didn't know the name of this stitch and searched the illustrations for it.  Fairly sure it is the nun's stitch.  This is why I should have kept a stitching journal for the samplers.  I don't remember color changes, special stitches, changes to the chart, fabric count or color.  Big surprise, huh?  I have to say that forgetting specific words in a conversation is really starting to worry me more.  And the frustration makes a few other choice words leave my mouth.  I don't seem to forget those!

I'm still going through fabric and found these oldies.  Anyone remember Back Street Designs?  I haven't received my second order of BOAF linen yet.  Waiting for cabinet hinges too.  My tracking number for the hinges shows Oklahoma received them on June 5 with no other activity.  Today is the 10th.  The other order left Oakland, CA on the 6th.  No other entries.  The info was always up to date before but lately nothing is scanned until the day of delivery. 

Went to the antique mall for the second time in months, and I didn't have the same reaction as last time.  I thought about Patti and felt more acceptance of her passing, didn't enjoy browsing, but handled it much better.  Thought I would show you what might make a good thread cabinet.  $295, on legs, and about 18" deep but the drawers are not divided.  Still a great piece.  Didn't buy it.

Isn't it strange how many Sundays are in a week?  I know I said that would be the post day but I've been out of sorts, mixed up, and yakky.

Until next time, whatever day that may be..adios!

Thanks for visiting.

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The hunt is on

for slugs.  I started slug hunting early this year and found tons of very small ones, hard for the blade to cut in the grass.  It was at dusk after a rain, still drizzling.  My hair was frizzing by the minute and falling in my face. 

Adding to the presentation were shorts to show off my Polish knees, an old t-shirt full of paint, and my husband's mocs because of the swollen right foot.  I was hunched over staring at the ground using my bright blue wicked blade as a staff, stabbing the grass with a "gotcha!".   Every year I treat the neighbors to a spectacle that allows the voyeur in all of us, to hide behind a curtain, peek out, watch for quite some time, and mumble out loud...what the hell is she doing?  My back was killing me from the bent position and walking in shoes too big for me wasn't easy, but I persisted. 

 

Ready to call the game because of darkness, one of the larger slugs caught my attention.  He looked furry.  Upon closer inspection, it seems I killed a lot of maple whirlygighickeys.  Next hunt will be in better light.

My husband slipped his mocs on to check the garden and wanted to know how they became soaked.  My usual answer that always stops him from asking anything else - "why would you ask me that?"  He knows it's time to move on. 

 

Have a great day.

 

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The safety pin

Good day fellow stitchers.  I hope your weekend is enjoyable and peaceful.

The early sun rays are breaking through....

 

the pinks are showing off,

 

the giants are showing their blue,

Mom's old chipped planter is gleaming against the dark shadows.

What a quiet, peaceful, and beautiful morning.  Until the scream of Yellow Cat, Nit, and Missy in a brawl.  Good grief.  I think the cat is a stray that just wants food but unlike Squeak (who hasn't been here in almost a month), they will not tolerate him and vice versa.  I don't know what to do.  He is extremely skittish, and too smart for a trap.  I think he would hurt himself if he was trapped, but my goofball Nitzy would probably be the one in it all the time.

 

As for stitching, nothing.  Buying more charts and linen, but when I got to Sally's over one part, I pooped out.  I think I may have to set her aside and do something small before the mojo takes a hike.  I will definitely finish Sally, but if it's not the right time, I should switch to a small.

 

 So I've been messing around with pieces that are not in their final pose yet.  It would be easy if everything I did was framed but as you know, it's not.  Originally I mentioned doing a side-sack (you know I love sacks) of Hannah Haines but ended up with a stuffed pillow.  This is how I closed her on one end, just in case!

And here she is today.  Took off the pin, pulled out the batting, added the leather.  I can always go back to the pillow.  Just like cutting down the button sampler from the larger size, I like to keep the options open and usually don't cut off all the excess linen.  Glued?  I've been able to open the seams even though it's permanent.  Putting it in the freezer usually makes ungluing anything easier.  Except wood. I like safety pins even though my life started out with a very unpleasant experience.  I screamed and screamed all the way home from the hospital.  Once there, opening my blanket revealed blood on the diaper.  The nurse had gone deep through my skin with the pin.  In those days of long ago, there was one large pin in the center and I had a little scar by my navel until I was an adult. 

 

I wanted to show you how Truus from the Netherlands finished my Bold Heart.  A tray - isn't this a great idea?  She changed the color too.  Thank you Truus!!

I'm going to sit outside with coffee for a while, trying to locate Nitzy who took off into the woods when I broke up the fight.  Stupid tiny Missy jumped into the fray too.  Someone will definitely be hurt and needing attention.  I did after attempting to de-flea Nit.  Which hand did he get?  The arthritic one of course.  That's an expensive little vial to waste, and I wish manufacturers would give people a break.  Ridiculously expensive for people that take in strays and have many pets.  They are miserable with fleas and ticks and owners can't afford that kind of money every month.

 

Thanks for the suggestions on OTC remedies for the stiffness and pain.  As long as I can crush, chop, split, or chew a pill, I'll get it down. 

 

Have a great week!

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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