After many changes....

a little finish.  I took your advice and used the 729.  Something still wasn't right.  I ended up leaving out a few things, adding snowflakes, giving him cheeks, moving the mouth, changing the colors, and here he is. 

A little skinny pouch to hold a greenery sprig on a cupboard knob.  Only 2 3/4" wide, he's perfect for a little accent.  As with many Santas, I make changes when the stitching is completed, after already making changes, which sometimes is the reason for the final changes.  Get it?  On this one, the face had a backstitched nose, no cheek color, and darker beard (3033 but I used 822).  I didn't see enough contrast so decided to make him more like the PS Santas.  Instead of removing beard and brow and face, I just went over the existing stitches with another color, since there is only a slight variance. 

Beards and light colors never seem to have good linen coverage so this warped method of mine also helps with that.  For the beard, I went over the 822 with white, two strands, only a half cross.  I could have done one strand and full cross but this method creates a little more texture to the beard.  At least that's what I tell myself.  You can see the small section on the bottom right that hasn't been "over stitched" yet.

For the cheeks, I used one strand of 407 over the 3774, full cross.  After removing the two red stitches for his mouth, I filled those in with white and added two red stitches above that, over the existing thread.  I know this is making some of you shake your head but no one - and I mean no one - pays attention to my needlework but me.  Once completed, I can't tell if I over stitched or not, wouldn't remember if I did, and don't really care.  As long as I like the look, it doesn't matter to me how I achieved it.  Does that make me an unorthodox stitcher?  We already know I am, but I'm also reckless and impatient and willing to use flames.  It's best I do what is the least frustrating for the end result.  I don't believe there are any set "rules" for needlework, just basics, techniques, methods, and good judgment.  What I did doesn't fit into any of those categories but I got a sweet Santa sack anyway!

 

So now what?  Another Santa?  A small sampler?  Back to Sally?  Call it quits for a while?  Haven't decided.  Lori's sneak peek of new designs certainly piqued my interest so maybe the spark is still there and instead of setting the flame to my linen, I can ignite my mojo.  A word I never liked.  Mojo. 

 

Thanks for visiting.

Have a great finish to this week.

 

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The one color holdup

Greetings folks.  How was your weekend?  Ohio had quite a few really nice antique shows and I'll bet some of you snagged some goodies.  We had really nice warm days last week but I doubt we will see those temps again.

 

I picked up Niky's Primitive Christmas design last night and once again, tried a different gold thread that didn't stay in the linen very long. 

 

The recommended color is 371 and it doesn't show at all on my dark linen so I tried 833, trying to stay in the greenish golds.  Removed it.  Moved on to 729 which looks really nice, but I thought it might be too gold with the other muted colors.  Removed it.  Back to 833, started on the border this time instead of the hat trim, and it's barely noticeable.  Move up to 834?  Brighter 729?  My DMC 680 and 3829 look exactly the same and don't show very well either, also have more orange to them.  But who knows?  That may be the choice.  Since the border, star motifs, and band are that color, I'm stuck.  I've been stitching and removing on what should have been a very quick finish.  I guess I need to hit the gas pedal or get out of the car.  I've been idling WAY too long on a small project that is only displayed a few weeks of the year and would look good with any freaking gold!  Move on menoblock!  Geez.

 

From the tiniest to the biggest, birds through my windows.

 

 These wrens were squawking outside the window for days and for a tiny bird, they can be pretty loud.  Their usual lyrical call is not what they've been shouting. 

These guys have a quick cluck if you scare them but you don't hear them too often.  They are so comical to watch, running single file from the woods to reach the corn, still ten offspring and one hen.  They scratch the ground and peck as they move along, heads up only when you disturb them.  Not the prettiest birds by far, no color or special patterns, but I do like their variety of feathers.

Raining all day and I'm taking it easy this week.  Very uncomfortable, not feeling great because of antibiotics, and pain meds make me ill.  I don't know why my body isn't compatible with drugs, even Tylenol doesn't sit well.  Thank goodness for Advil because it's the only one that agrees with me. 

Have a great week!  Thanks for visiting.

 

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Never ending mess

Geezowhizzers.  All I did was look through the drawers and packets for linen to send to Carol's friend and now my parlor looks like Walmart after Black Friday.  Why do I not put anything back where it came from?  I think once I reach my goal of actually finding what I am looking for, I get so excited that I skip away and don't look back.  Well I went in there last night.  Because time has passed since the incident, I can't remember where the items should be kept.  A while back I worked hard to identify the count, possible color, and had each drawer organized as to such.  Some of it is back in place, but most is a question mark.  Under that pile of fabric was ..... Niky's Primitive Christmas.  Once AGAIN, I am delighted with a new chart for the second time, since I completely forgot about it.  Hence, the Santa pants.  Should be a quick stitch and cute as heck. 

I've decided to work on Sally when I am recuperating next week.  No details, nothing serious (as long as I wake up), in fact, a choice not a necessity.  I greatly enlarged the motifs again and hope I can wrap them up next week.  The border later.  But anxiety has been taking a toll and after the stress of The Year of Carole, I needed something fun and simple. 

Looking through the PS charts I came across a few that I may have stitched but aren't sure.  I know I didn't do the Nutcrackers because frankly, they scare me.  I'm sure I can leave off the toothy backstitches and find a few designs that are more Santa like. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These were originally stitched on Aida and I want to redo them on the 24 count fabric called for, over one, which I gave away.  When I sold the extra chart on Ebay I threw in the fabric.  But do I really want to do over one?  Nope.  If I choose a few of these I'm sure another count would work just as well.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know I did a few of these but could find another in this series too.

Did I do Kris Kringle?  I could search the blog to find out but I am not keen on spending that much time on the computer.  I could search for the storage box and go through them but that will be Walmart after sale day all over again. 

 

I am definitely searching for a stitching journal today (online of course) and ordering one for Christmas and one for samplers.  Years ago there were many available but I haven't seen much to my liking, if any recently.  My SIL never stitched a thing without a record of linen count, color, threads, chart name, date, and most times a photo.  It makes good sense doesn't it?

 

And I thought Nutcrackers were scary.  I saw a video of Steven Tyler and realized.... that's my hair!  Haven't had a cut in quite some time.  I guess I'll have to wait a few weeks now.  Who am I kidding?  Doesn't matter the length, it's straight, wavy, frizzy, curly, soft, and steel wool.  I gave up trying to control it many years ago.

 Sorry if there are spelling errors.  Spellcheck died, probably after the first word of Geezowhizzers.  Hysterectobelly hasn't been included yet either and I have definitive proof of that word.
 

Enjoy your day. 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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What's new?

 

Santa pants.

 

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The old lady's cupboard

Essamplaire sale Nov 2 - 8   20% off all kits, books, charts, antiques.

http://www.theessamplaire.com/
There's a small scroll at the bottom of right hand column about it. 

 

Hello people.  All day yesterday I sat outside on my little stool and scrubbed an old cabinet inside and out.  I purchased it when we first moved here from a garage sale at the little farm house on the highway.  An elderly woman, short and round, was always outside tending to her front flower gardens.  Obviously painful for her to stoop and bend, but she used her cane and took her time.  I never had the opportunity to meet her, and when she passed the family immediately had a sale.  I entered the tiny house and made my way among the lookers, not for a sale, but wanting to see what surrounded her daily.  There was really no room to move around and after leaving the house I saw a few gentlemen sitting in the back garage.  I went to talk to them, asking for information about the woman who for some reason, I was sort of drawn to.  The woman lived alone and was not a very pleasant person from what they told.  (Maybe that's what drew me to her, crab to crab.)  I saw a cabinet on the wall and asked if it was for sale, they said no but for $10 I could have it.  What?  They removed it and Mark later went to pick it up.  It's been in my garage for 30 years, all the time wanting to clean it and use it inside.  Is it an antique?  I doubt it. 

But it has the flush doors that are mortise and tenon with a small beaded edge, and the flat panel is a 1/4" planed pine board, not plywood.  How do I know?  They weren't glued and the doors keep coming apart (rubber bands for now).  They must have used it to store oil cans and grease guns because it took forever with Lestoil and Simple Green to remove the layers. 

Now it's finally in the house and I'm staining a dark walnut after the scrubbing lightened the wood.  Quite large to hang at 36" wide x 43" tall.  Quarter sawn oak sides and shelves, very hard figured pine elsewhere.  Not a showpiece for sure, but I am still drawn to it as I was to the woman.  I purchased wrought iron handles and hinges but not sure if I will change anything yet.  I want to remove all furniture in my tiny parlor and have this on the wall or setting on a table, a farm table with chair in the center, and sampler walls.  I saw the Mary Goodburn sampler (All My Scattering Moments) and it got my attention so there is still hope.

My 20 times daily visitors are here now.  I didn't think they would eat grass seed but they were in the straw scratching away ever since we had it put down.  I guess I have to call the landscaper back.   Remember him?

Look both ways troop!  It's hunting season!  See that wide cleared area?  The gas company right of way which they cut down every fall, just in time for hunters to have a clear shot.  That's not why they do it, but it coincides with the season.

Have a good week!

Thanks for visiting.

 

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And the box will be mailed to...

Cynde Marschner.  Please email your address to me Cynde, you're no-reply and I can't contact you.  Thanks to everyone for playing along. 

 

I'm having a hard time once again with Sally.  The tree next to the house (identical on each side) was stitched by a lunatic crab and she messed up three times on rows that affect height.  Count em.  Three.  So it's higher than the other side's tree and I don't know if it will be noticeable since the house separating them is so large.  If it is, I will rip out the entire tree and start over but want to wait until I get further into the other motifs for an overall look.  Of all the reproductions, this one had to have matching sides.  If it isn't noticeable, I will leave it, but it certainly kicked sand into the crab's eyes. 

 

I'm taking a break for a day or two, maybe work on some labels, but I'm getting to a point where I don't even want to look at new charts.  Maybe things will change and a few Santas will draw me back in.  How can you not want to stitch a Santa?

 

Hope November starts off warm and sunny. 

And stays that way.

 

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