Slow stitching

Greetings!  I keep seeing posts and pages of early Fall decorating, many excited about the onset of their favorite season.   We had nothing but cold and rain all of June, a nice July and part of August, and I've had a heater on for a week.  Six weeks was about all I got this year of my favorite season.  My house is 64 degrees and I need a sweater in the evening.  Morning shoppers have jackets on!  Ridiculous.  High temps coming this weekend but it's too little too late.  It's over and I'm about as crabby as I can be. 

 

My fingers are numb again from my neck after a chiropractic treatment.  Hard to hold a needle between the numbness and cold but I'm plugging away at the house.  I do the first half of the stitch horizontally using the sewing method, and then the second half vertically.  Big areas like this end up looking like corn rows if I follow the same route.  A few houses in prior samplers have obvious "rows" going two different directions when I did large horizontal sections and then narrow vertical ones, like between windows.  The method works very well for my tension.

 

The kids have been giving me trouble.  Tiny little Missy Midge took off after the baby turkeys, even though big mama bird was right there.  Nitzy has spit out and drawn blood three times during a worm pill fiasco.  Still didn't get it down.  The pill plunger is all the way back but he makes sure he hocks it up every time.  Filthy dirty Bud will not leave me alone and obviously the flea stuff isn't working.

 

The fawns are not around as much but the turkey moms and poults are.  Probably because of the very wet and cold spring, they must have lost their first brood and had another because they are very small for this time of year.

 

 

The squirrels are happy that without the fawns visiting, there is more bread for them.

 

 

No decision on the car yet.  I am kind of upset that I am losing my bright yellow Escape.  2003 and it's been perfect, still is.  Carole always got her cars from my Dad and he was always upset at what they looked like a year later from neglect.  I am already feeling that.  I am still considering leasing a mid size sedan for her but what about after the lease ends?  One of us may be needing a new car then and I can't do two payments.  I hate decisions.  And you know I can't make them. 

 

  

 

 

 

And this pic is for friend Krissy B.

 

 

Have a nice calm relaxing weekend!

 

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Once again...

you have my answers.  Thanks!  Now I know what the ground cover is and my strange looking fuzzy friend.  I forgot to mention in the prior post to Karen B - I can't answer you.  You're no-reply and I cannot comment on your posts without signing up for Google+.  I don't know why Google has played around with our comments, changed our status, prevents us from communicating with other bloggers, and tries to force us into Google+.  Since I am not + and have no intentions to be so, maybe that's another reason why the majority of my commenters are shown to me as no-reply.

 

I had a wasted afternoon yesterday because of a mishap with a quart can of dark walnut stain.  While sitting on a stool in front of the base cabinets, using a little sponge brush to stain the sanded edges on a door, the brush slipped.  When I tried to quickly retrieve it before it immersed into the stain, my butt tilted the stool, I slid onto the floor, and a quart of dark oily stain flew everywhere.  What a mess.  The light paint cabinets, the floor, dishtowels, and my legs and feet were completely covered.  It took a LOT of mineral spirits and my rough heels and Polish ankles are still pretty dark.  My sandals and clothes were dark to begin with but were victims also.  I was so surprised that no tantrum or wailing session ensued.  But my affliction is still a part of me as later in the day, we visited a car dealer.  First thing - "let's get the keys and take a few models for a ride".  Listen buddy,  I know how to drive and all new cars ride nice.  I want a plain vehicle, all wheel drive, no frills.  "But you can get a screen and Wi-Fi with" ..... stop right there.  I am driving, not entertaining myself.  I don't want to look at anything but the road, don't want to be distracted with nonsense.  I want wheels.  All wheel drive wheels.  With a cubicle attached to those wheels and keeps me dry until I get to where they are taking me.  That's it.  Don't give me your pitch, give me your price.  So I got the price and told them I will call if I want to take the vehicle for a ride so no need for them to call me.  Mark said "something tells me they had no intentions of further contact".   It wasn't the dealership where years ago I walked around with only one lens in my sunglasses.  I haven't been back there since.  I've always wondered if they had video surveillance and there is a lunchroom photo of a frazzled frizzy haired woman roaming around Lincoln Navigators oblivious to wearing .... 

Nah.

 

Have a great day.

 

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Questions and photos

Good morning.  How was your weekend?  We've had beautiful weather, but it feels like fall.  I have to wear a fleece jacket by evening for several days now.  Almost over!!

 

Progress on Sally has reached the bottom, no more letters or verse.  It's hard to see the house outlined in light thread so I circled it.  Sally's a big girl and needed a big house, it's 6" x 6".  The vase and flowers to the right of the verse are specialty stitches so I will attempt that area after the house is finished, before the other motifs.

 

 

Can anyone tell me what this chartreuse ground cover is?  We had a large patch of it and it just glows in the shade, but our fierce winter killed almost all.  The spring bloom is a small light lilac spike.  I've searched online and can't find it, but you gals always seem to know what I can't locate. 

 

I wanted to show you my Limelight hydrangeas.  HUGE!  They are a creamy white, not stark like the Pee Gee bloom behind it.  This is a bush and I wish I would have purchased the tree instead.  The trees sell quickly in the spring and local nurseries have none by June.

 

Now these are the old fashioned type called Annabelle.  Obviously, the deer prefer this variety which is right next to the Limelight.  It's odd how they pick and choose.  Annabelle suffers every year but never the others.

 

I see lots of stitchers are starting to work with yarn which I haven't done in decades.  But while searching for Acorn wrought iron hinges, I came across another Acorn site that carries clothing and saw these.  I love them and will search for a pattern.

 

 

And what is this little thing?  I see it every year with lacy wings, a frayed butt, and a long snout.   Acts like a hummingbird, quicker than a bee, large and long. 

 

All went well with Carole's epidural.  I almost fell over when the nurse came out to call her in.  She was the nurse, exactly a year earlier, that tried to keep us calm and informed when Carole was slipping away after the Tikosin induced torsades.  One year to the day.  I got all meno weepy and thanked her again, while Carole was listening at the exit desk. Carol did not know the nurse because she was, well, dying over and over again and not coherent.   The nurse did not recognize Carole because she was not part of her cardiac team and there was always someone sitting on top of her waiting to pound her chest for CPR so she didn't she her face. This nurse, Patty, came from the cath lab when the emergency started and decided to be the liaison since Carole's team could not leave her side.  She was off-duty and left after the pacemaker surgery when Carole stabilized.  Neither really saw each other that day but had a little joyous reunion in the office.

 

The king of the swing is still keeping watch over his domain.

 

Have a great start to the last week of August.  You have no idea how crabby I am about that.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Done with the over one!

Finally.  Four more short lines over two and it's all motifs and the house from there.  Can't wait to finish this, starting Niky's Primitive Christmas for outdoors.  An attempt was made to work on Big Sally outside (for the politically correct version of Big - she is quite adequately proportioned for the amount of stitches).  I hung the floss ring from the swing's chain, added the magnetic clip for the scissors, and may be organized enough to give it a go. 

 

Have a great weekend.

 

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You're the best!

 

Thanks to fellow stitchers, she has ordered the Four Angel (Scarlet Letter)

 

and also the Life How Short Mourning sampler from Morning Glory Needleworks.   Both beauties.  The latter is very interesting with motifs used representing death and mourning. Thank you all very much for your help.  (Photo from her Etsy site)

 

I just finishing spraying my hand dyed Sea Glass linen with tan/taupe blended dye and hung to dry. Result - stiff and brown/green.  Looks good.  I was afraid it would be ruined since you are not allowed to wet hand-dyed fabric but the fine mist spray worked great.  I also gave a squirt to Robina.  You knew I would.  But she is still bright and happy.

 

This has nothing to do with stitching but I am a fusspot about (well...everything really) dishcloths and towels.  I found all cotton at Kohl's, Sonoma brand, that I love.  I had the 30% off, they were on sale, so I ordered online and stocked up.  They wash and dry so nice!  And there is another source for the old fashioned string type, including matching towels here.  Don't know if you've ever browsed Mast General Store online, but they have a Made in USA tab here with various items including the cloths and a foolproof ant barrier for your hummingbird feeder.  Haven't had an ant problem in years, but still have to use bleach to remove that black bacteria that forms around the ports.  Some items are mighty pricey, others are unique and reasonable.  I love the No. 3 leather key ring.

 

Taking Carole tomorrow for an epidural and we're hoping it goes smoothly.  She never has good luck with even the simplest of medical procedures, so you just never know.

 

Thanks again to you all for your help!!

 

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Any help?

Hello people.   I received an email from a stitcher asking if I knew of any memorial samplers.  She lost her 28 year old daughter several years ago and would like to stitch a piece in her memory to be passed on. 

  I looked back in the posts because I remember someone sending a photo of how they personalized my little free piece.  Denise stitched it for her sister with their parents' names and added her mom's angel pin.  I searched for memorial samplers from real designers for her, but I didn't find many at all.  These two from Midsummer Night designs are very nice. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or sources that I could pass on to her?  Are there others that you know of?  Surprising to me that there aren't more or if there is, how hard they are to find.  Would appreciate your help.

 

 

I finished Robina with linen and thread color changes and used the brighter red.  Robina at 13 was playful and colorful, and me at 64 is dull and drab.  I thought it was time for a little fun.  The colors will look great on my lighter paint hanging from a knob.  Hope to finish her in a few days.  When I see it, it will remind me to have fun and be a little more colorful.  The only way I am currently, is with my language.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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