Sit out back with me

 

After disassembling the swings and chairs, 2 coats of oil base, days to dry, reassembling, we're done.

 

 

Both larger swings

 

the chairs
 

 

my large copper kettle
 

the barrels are overflowing

Instead of purchasing new swing chain sets for $25 every few years because of rust, we decided to spend $59 for the stainless.  Oh my what nice chains.  They look like they may even be chrome plated over the stainless because they are really shiny, but heavier than our standard ones and will last forever.  She said to wipe them down with a rag sprayed with WD-40 to clean them when needed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have three Pink Diamond hydrangea trees and if you want to attract bees, plant a few!  They are loaded with hundreds of them every day for weeks. 

 All types, fuzzy butts, striped, plain, honey bees, and even the monster carpenter bees.  Easy to spot because of their size and shiny butts, unlike the hairy ones of the bumblebees.  Bumblebees live in the ground, carpenters drill a perfect hole in your house and live in the wood.  We had a colony of the bumbles under our brick patio years ago, never saw them again. 

 

 

It will be very warm for a few days, this middle of August, closing out summer, and I want to sit out and just take it in.  My little sampler charts came and I may pull supplies for Robina.  Sally is too cumbersome for outside.

 

Enjoy your weekend!!

 

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Pears & Strawberries Sewing Bag offer

This post is the offer for the STACY NASH CHART ONLY.

If you would like to enter this giveaway, please leave your initials or name since the majority of my comments are no-reply.  Name will be drawn Saturday at 8pm.

 

Linen offer

This post is for the LINEN OFFER ONLY.

It is marked 18th Century Rook and you can see the color compared to a tan cloth on the left.  It's more like a taupe color, not greenish at all, a shade warmer on the other side seen under the folded section.

18" x 28" 28 count, soft and silky 

If you would like to enter this giveaway, please leave your initials or name since the majority of my comments are no-reply.  Name will be drawn Saturday at 8pm.

 

 

Two small giveaways - no, not the bowl

Greetings.  I can't stand moving this linen piece around any longer.  I ordered 28 count 18th Century Rook a while back, they were out of it and ordered in another piece, it looks nothing like mine.  Not greenish, more taupe, not stiff, soft and silky.  It's 18 x 28, the other side is a little different shade.  I am also offering the Stacy Nash Pears & Strawberries Sewing Bag chart in a separate post.  I donated my finished bag to The Attic for their auction and won't be stitching it again.  I hope someone is enjoying it!  Rather than make it too confusing for myself, I am doing one post for the linen comments, and another for the chart comments.  Some of you may want the chart but not the linen and vice versa so I decided to split them.  So two posts will follow this evening and I doubt there will be many entries so I will draw a name on Saturday at 8pm.

 

Before I close, I wanted to show you for the last time (I promise) my cleaned and waxed bowl.  I am so glad I got it!  This is on my kitchen counter so you can get a better idea of size.  I used Real Milk Paint Co.'s Soapstone/Wood wax.  Food safe and not tacky like those containing beeswax.  I think I will do all the bowls with it.

And also for size reference is Ruth.  She not a little pillow like I usually do but because she is firm and flat (instead of soft and bumpy like....) she can stand nicely against a case or on a shelf.

 

OK.  The posts will be up this evening if anyone is interested.  You can certainly enter both, international welcome.

 

Enjoy your day.

 

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Ruth's finish

Hello everyone.  I decided to finish Ruth before I misplace her.  When a sampler has uneven edges, I never know how to center it.  A border makes it easier but it has to be stitched, and I have borderitis.  Measuring from the furthest stitch on each side makes the margin even, but not always appealing.  I tried centering it differently this time.

 

I fused the interfacing, measured the margin, marked with the Frixion, and then machine basted on that mark.  Folding the fabric on that line showed me if it would be a good seam placement.   Once it looked balanced, I added the backing (right sides together) and the basting was easily visible from the backside because I used a darker thread.  Since I needed to mark the front, the pen alone would not have been seen on the back. Sewing along the basting line was very easy and I knew it would be right, no more removing, adjusting, re-sewing.

 

Being lazy and liking primitive style works well together.  For the back pocket, I tore the fabric and left all edges frayed, used a zigzag stitch to attach, fringed the linen's top edge and folded it over, glued it shut.  I think I'm getting more lazy with each finish.  Two squares of thick quilt batting inside and I have a firm flat pillow.

 

The end.

 

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Slowly I turn, stitch by stitch

I only stitch in the evening and I've been sitting outside enjoying the weather instead.   Progress is slow but I'm getting the sections that I've been avoiding out of the way.

 

Finished the eyelet row..

that chain (?) dividing band, and now the over one but up two (or tall cross over one) (or single wide double high).  Not as bad as over one both ways but still a pain.  Good thing it's only a few words and letters within the lines.  Completing the next rows will be easy.  I really need to work on this more and get'r done.
 

 

I visited the framing shop where the baskets are going, and there isn't any primitive at all, but lovely china, Lenox pieces, jewelry, dining sets, and decorator items.  I saw a cherry chest on wood casters with original keyed drawer locks.  For a bedroom I guess, but for the price, I may get it for the parlor.  The tiny room is never used and I keep stitching supplies there so it may be a good fit.  I'm getting too old to wait for the "right" piece that compliments a colonial look, or to spend a fortune on it.  It's storage, it's well constructed, it's old, and it's reasonable.   The only question will be, how many times will I change my mind before someone else buys it.

 

Have a great day!

 

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