My needlework grade ...

A big fat F!!!

Hope everyone had the Christmas they hoped for.  Ours was very nice and the first Eve and Christmas we've had in a few years.  I don't even want to think about last year at this time.  We need to enjoy and cherish each celebration because life is always messing with us.

 

Sally.  Oh Sally.  I so wanted to finish her before year's end and I think I will.  But I picked up right where I left off.  Errors on top of errors.  I enlarged the motif area and colored in the symbols.  It helped.  So why am I continuing to make errors?  Many of you start several projects and then set them aside, but do the threads stay with them?  I have so many older skeins, new skeins, and some are noticeably off.  So if you need that color for a new start, do you get a fresh skein or take it from the stalled project?  Just curious.  I'm assuming the thread stays because by the time you return to it, a new skein may be needed and slightly off from what you were using.  I have always finished a piece before another start, but needed to set Sally aside.  She taught me a lesson - make notes and keep them with the chart when you change colors and placements!  I forgot everything.  I used the wrong gold when I picked her up the other day and had to remove it all and also forgot about the error in the vase which made it two stitches shy of the chart.  

Now the stems are making me nuts.  Look at the errors, and these are after removing the stems once already.  Top right is one extra stitch out, middle is missing one stitch which made the circled area off one row, far left is an extra linen thread so the row is over 3.  Ordinarily I leave errors but this is exactly the same on each side of the house and the stems are symmetrical from center.  I have been removing more stitches than adding.  

 

Rain rain rain rain and then it rained.  The only snowflakes I've seen are on Carole's sweater that needed pearls reattached.  I can't believe she was going to get rid of it because a few pearls were off.  I always remove embellishments before recycling an item so I had lots of extras to add.  I may be seeing the real ones by week's end.  Not happy about that.

 

Enjoy the last week of 2015.

Stay safe.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ready

Apple pie with vanilla ice cream dessert,  Au Bon Pain cranberry almond macaroons made, cookies ready for tomorrow, last of shopping done, hissy fits completed.

 

 

 

The last one happened when I was jumping out of the car in front of a store with cars behind waiting, as bags and merchandise fell out, caught on my shoes.  The fit intensified when my throwing arm missed the door opening and I continued picking up and throwing.  Always a bright side - the old fart behind us got a chuckle.  Once again, I was jumping out of the car, purse strap wrapped around my shoulder, filled bags (for exchanges/returns) slipped onto my arms, traffic waiting behind.  I can't get out.  I pulled at the purse strap, yanked the bags, maybe it's my jacket pocket stuck on something.  Fit is getting nasty and the cuss words are flowing.  I CAN'T GET OUT!!!  I'm caught on something but with so much on my lap, I can't tell what.  Horns are now blowing.  My husband gently hits a red button to release my seat belt and thankfully, my body didn't jerk forward hard enough to tumble out.  I still had to fight my way out of the belt since the bag handles were over my arms.  But I made it.  This time, there was no chuckle from the car behind.  He was young.  He'll get over it.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merry Christmas to all

Wishing you a peaceful holiday filled with love, memories, and good will.

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a few things, published before I was done typing

Hi hi hi.  How's it going?  Personally, I can't wait until the Pajamagram commercials stop.  But at least they don't bring tears.  Christmas is always an emotional time from one end of the spectrum to the other.  Songs, touching ads, holiday stories, St. Jude videos, ASPCA ads, everything smears my mascara these days. 

 

I seriously doubt this, but has anyone anywhere at anytime stitched my Christmas freebie?  Not the pear, this one.  I was considering starting this but with a simple border.  Then again, maybe not.

 

Once again, Bud got his clock cleaned.  Yellow Cat again.  I have caught him eating in the garage while Bud sat and watched him, and did not chase after him when I scared it away.  I thought all was good.  There is blood, urine, fur clumps, and three cautious cats in the garage.  I couldn't trust another encounter since Bud just recovered from an infection of a prior bite, so the brats are in for a while.  Missy is wild as usual and Nit will go back out in a flash.   My head is pounding and I really don't want to start allergy meds.  I have no idea what to do about that stray.  We also have another solid black chasing after Missy (or Midge depending on my mood) so it must be hot to trot time.  I was ill informed and thought spaying/neutering would change that.  They can't create offspring but the urge to is still with them. Something tells me my sister's strays will be producing.

I moved my floss box when trying to organize that little parlor, and took a good look at it.  I did a pretty good job of aging it.

I wish we would have made it a little smaller, but I have so many skeins of the same colors that they take up most of the box.  I used cranberry under black since I wanted that color and dark olive in the new upholstery but have since changed that to pumpkin and olive.  Weird huh?  My husband said not to worry, I will change it several times before I actually decide on a fabric.

Came across my R&R Reproduction stash.  Maybe one of the these designs will be the next project since they are some of my favorites and many are easy and smaller.

We ran into Mark's friend and found out that he was a victim of attempted armed robbery in Youngstown when leaving a popular restaurant.  Amazingly, he and his wife are alive because of a jammed gun.  Gun control?  Really?  When the people using them for no good and obtaining them illegally are not locked up?  Here's the details from the paper.

"He is accused of trying to rob a couple in the parking lot of a West Rayen Avenue restaurant Friday evening. Reports at first said one of the victims thought that Favors was using a pellet gun during the robbery, and he and his wife refused to give the man anything. However, City Prosecutor Dana Lantz told the judge that the gun was real. She said after the couple refused his demands, Favors pointed the gun at them and pulled the trigger but nothing happened. He then racked the chamber of the gun to try to get a round so he could fire. The couple were not injured, and Favors ran away. He was identified by restaurant employees, and Lantz said there also is video available of the robbery attempt. Lantz said Favors’ record dates back to 1973 and shows arrests for such offenses as breaking and entering, felonious assault, assault, burglary, intimidation and retaliation. She rattled off 22 convictions just in Ohio and added that he has warrants from Pennsylvania and Texas as well."

But of course he was on the streets and we're releasing even more.  And you don't see an attempted murder charge.  Why not?  He pulled the freaking trigger to shoot them but since it jammed, well, that doesn't count.  Mandatory sentence for using a gun?  Nope.

 

Pierogis are made, cole slaw chopped, Cwikla tomorrow, smelts ready for frying.  Fresh warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream instead of cookies since we will have so many the next day.  I am trying Au Bon Pain's macaroon copycat recipe.  I ate so many while wandering the Clinic and I know everyone will like them.

 

Went to Catan's and got the only 2 sets of square and 2 sets of rounds (5" & 6") that came in, haven't opened them yet.  Hopefully they will be OK inside and I can do a few more boxes.  Thinking of offering one design a month instead of a batch of choices which makes me confused.  Confused.  Believe me.  I am surprised I didn't receive a complaint that someone's order was wrong.  I'd like to try covering with fabric too.

 

Have a great week everyone.

Thanks for visiting.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

The pony draw

Holy schmoly.  I guess you guys liked the box!  Thank you everyone for participating.  Makes me feel good that so many of you would like a little piece of my work.  I started entering the names early because of the number of comments, plus the email entries.  I want to let everyone know (some of you I replied to, others are no-reply) that whenever I offer an item, it is open to everyone everywhere.  All the international entries were included, and please don't feel you shouldn't enter because of where you live.  Yes, it's costly to ship but if I don't specify that the offer is for US only, please enter if you would like. 

Now before I tell you who Random chose, I have to tell you this.  My sister has been having things moved in her house.  Little things.  She wakes up to items across the room from where they were, last night a large cardboard box of Christmas lights fell off a table for no reason.  Her cats are all gone except for the outside hoard of strays, no one else is there.  My friend who feels she is psychic, said that the departed souls start to warn you when your time to reunite with them is near.  Holy crap.  How scary is that?  Of course I didn't tell Carole that and maybe it's a chimney squirrel reeking havoc at night.  But I doubt it would be able to remove a little pillow from a hook and place it elsewhere.  I'll keep you posted.

 

And thanks for the skinny jeans approval.  I must admit that the curvy fit is better, but that is a misnomer for me.  I don't have curves.  I have bulges.

 

And the winner of the pony box is....Dogwood Farm.  I will email her shortly.  I guess the ponies are staying in Pennsylvania.  I really thought they would be taking a long trip, maybe overseas, but as usual I am wrong.  Just like with the boxes.  I always make too many of my favorite, and it is never the one you like.

 

Have a good week everyone and thank you again so much. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The skinny

Hello people.  One week from today Christmas will be over.  It's like planning for a wedding.  The unending lists, the baking, the gift buying, the plans, the decorations, the guest list, for what seems like an eternity and then POOF..... it's over in a day.  But the spirit and good feelings of the season start before the day and continue after.

 

Today, Saturday, while munching on garlic bologna and chocolate, my husband is tearing apart another room and washing walls and floors.  This is why his pant number stays the same and mine continues to increase.  I previously mentioned the so-called skinny jeans. 

After trying many brands (not that many come in a 34" inseam) I finally found them.  Surprisingly, they are extremely comfortable.  Some were half way up my rear and when I sat, the tight stretch would pull them down like worn out pantyhose.  Others were not long enough.  Of all places, I found them at Walmart.  Kohl's carries Lee brand in Long but these fit a little better and are much longer. Lots of stretch, not like other denim, the cut is bigger in hips and thighs.  Now all I have to do is find a tent tunic to cover those curvy fit areas.  My legs are like tree trunks, with large knots at the knee and ankle area.  I bought knee high boots to wear with them.  Between the tunic and the boots, several inches of my new skinny jeans will show.  I'm just tired of the looser and larger leg jeans that actually make me look even larger.  I've never purchased boots and special tops just to be able to wear something you barely see.  My first pair of skinny jeans at age 64.  Will I wear them or change right before exiting the door?

 

I haven't finished my patriotic Santa, don't know if I will.  Still haven't crawled out of my slump, but would like to start this little simple sampler.  Sally Fiske is still waiting to be completed and I'm so close!  Maybe I will try to do one half hour a day.

 

Carole is still not up to par but much better.  I was happy to find this gigantic pill box at the Dollar Store for my chewable gummy vitamins and CoQ10.  They fit, but they dry out in a few days and are like chewing on a tire.  I so envy people that can swallow pills.

 

 

 

We made Harvest Soup and Split Pea with smoked ham hocks, both were very good.  But here I sit with garlic bologna and chocolate.  Yes I'm weird.  Maybe that's why I lost followers.

 

So I will be back Sunday with the pony box winner.  I guess I should start entering the names today and just keep the page open to add more as needed.  If you can't leave a comment, please email me (link at top right) to be added.  Until then, enjoy your weekend and stay safe.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~