Flower power

Simple simple.  Didn't I say that? No more hanging baskets or flowers.  ......  Going back to the Amish tomorrow for just a few little items but why make that trip?  To save a few dollars?  Or am I a compulsive flower buyer and secretly plan on more?  While getting a few more tomato plants today, I was behind a woman that had three huge hanging baskets of minitunias, one hot pink one yellow one purple.  That did it.  I so hope I calm down and don't buy any more but I think flowers have the power over me.

 

I added a flag to the sack and like it.  I think it will sit on a little table by the swing since it won't take up much room.  Love the Creeping Jenny color.

 

I've had this wicker fern stand for 40 years and it's very sturdy.  I am sorry that I sprayed it cream and didn't leave it natural.  Way too much work to remove it.  It's been in the attic for 30 years and thought it might work well for one of the ferns.

 

For some reason, it looks very odd to me.  The fern is too large?  Too tall?  When the fronds grow out they will cover the pot area and look better?   It reminds me of myself 40 years ago, when I was a skinny 125# at 5'10" with long wild hair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stand is over three foot tall and perfect in that shady spot but .... this just looks wrong!  My first year with ferns and maybe it looks as it should, just quite different from my usual.  Is it just me?

 

I've removed those freaking leaves on the PS several times because of being off a stitch.  Not a big deal on a sampler but you can tell if the edge of the design isn't straight on this piece.  What began as 32 count is now 35 after all the dyeing.  Whether you call it shrinkage or the linen just contracts and can be stretched out with an iron, I don't know.  Too late to press and stretch but I am getting 17/18 stitches to an inch and having a difficult time on this darkness.  But I think it's going to be great.

 

Have a great hump day. 

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Sad sack

Hiya.  My sack idea worked, but I didn't like it on the door. 

 

Too bulky looking or something.  And the container needs to be right up to the top edge of the sack for it to hang right.  If it's on a porch door it would probably be much better, but after I soaked mine to test it, it hung like a wet diaper.  The inside liner needs to fit very well and I'm sure I could sew this sack to achieve that, but it didn't snap my socks so I'm done with it.  It will just sit on a table or something.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for the PS design, I had a little trouble with the greens. Do you think I made the right color choice shown in the stitched leaf, or do you think the 3052/3 would be better?  I chose the others because I am thinking there will be too much "soft".  With the vines encircling the pale house, I thought the sharpness of 734 pulls it together instead of washing it out and nicely contrasts the linen. I wanted  3011/12 but you can see where I tested 3011 beneath the house and it's too dark.  When I cover half of this photo and see only one option, the left side seems better.  'Ya think?

 

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Canvas flower sack

Hey hey!  How was the weekend?  With the cold and wet weather, the cats came in.  The flea stuff is half applied to skin, and half applied to their hair.   The directions are to apply between the shoulder blades but I found a vet's video and they recommend the top center back of their head.  Totally agree!  I can grab the scruff and still get the head, plus I know where I'm putting it.  With all that loose skin around the shoulders and them usually lying on their side trying to avoid me, I never get the right spot.  Next month, head shots.  Bud is on high alert because another male must have been out here last night when they were safe in the garage.  He sprayed my grill, the tables, the door, and they all know it.  His head is constantly rotating and searching for him.  I hate this.

 

So here's what my scatter brain is thinking about for the front plank door.  I try to do something different because my neighbor at the beginning of our road copies everything I do, including the flags.  I'm at the end of the road so everyone sees hers first and thinks I'm the copycat!  I don't really care, but I like to mess with her head by sending her searching to find the same things.  She won't find this! 

 

I have several of these large size canvas (cheap!) bags from Pat Catan's or any craft store.  They come in denim too.  This size looks good and has sides, not sure if they are necessary.  I am going to age it a bit .....

and insert a plastic storage container for cereal or pasta, and drill two holes in the side bottoms.  I'll put some Styrofoam pellets on the bottom for drainage and then lay landscape fabric or newspaper over to keep the dirt in place. Fill with ProMix and add my green vines.  Insert into sack! 

 

 

 

 

 I think once stained and dyed, it will look great on the door and the canvas is heavy enough to survive outside.  I know she will search for a long time trying to find this in a shop. The denim on the cedar door with bright greens might look nice too.  The front deck has red geraniums in a tool box, shown in the header photo.  I bought the cheap plastic food storage containers at KMart for that. The tall rectangles fit inside perfectly.  I always look to those items first when wanting to have a display where a standard pot doesn't work.  All I need is to poke drainage holes. There are many brands of dry cereal containers in various sizes so I'll take the sacks with me to see what fits best.  I don't want to use this one (1.3 gallon Rubbermaid) unless I find another just as nice for food storage.  Then again, these older ones are probably not BPA free like the new ones so maybe I should retire it to dirt duty. 

 

Well, I couldn't wait so I grabbed my Tan Rit and sprayed away. More random, less work than dipping, this will make a nice primitive display for summer. How about a USA stencil on it and add two small flags inside?  A small flag stitched to the bag's front?  A metal star.  Merry Christmas with greenery in six months!  I'm using Creeping Jenny which should trail over the front so best to keep it plain. May have to shorten the back strap to compensate for the bulk so it lays flat against the door.

 

 I think it's a good idea but...any bets on whether I change my mind?
 

 

Have a good one!!

 

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Up next

Still having an issue with wanting to stitch so I chose what should be fun and a change from the marking samplers. 

I stitched PS's The Fox and the Grapes decades ago, and have always wanted to do it on linen instead of my original Aida.  What do you think of using the dark blue/gray that I dyed recently, sort of a night scene?  Looking closely at this linen, I will definitely need to move up in the cheater glasses, probably to 2.50.

The fox's rust will stand out nicely, the greens can be lightened, the berries brighter, but do I want the house that light?  I think it may be too much on this very dark ground so I am looking for a grayish taupey neutral without a yellowish tanish look.  Ya know what I mean?

I'm leaning toward the 644.  And you know what?  I'm actually getting excited.   And that doesn't happen very often to this crabass.

 

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Any interest?

Before I start painting some boxes for a June sale, does anyone like this one?  Should I work on something else?  The ones that I prefer, simple primitive letters, are not your favorite so I thought this might be different.  The actual box would probably be black since the letters are.

It's in the 50's, dark, raining.  Again.  I should not have put the cold weather clothes away and have been pulling the sweatshirts back out for weeks.

 

I need to apply the flea meds to the cats and they are so wild lately there is no way I can do it.  In the winter, they do nothing but sleep and are used to our presence but not now.  Gloves are too cumbersome to part their hair and hold on to those little tubes.

 

My last remaining aunt is 92 today and we will bundle up and venture over to see her with some cupcakes and banana bread. 

 

Please give me your opinion on the box before I start.  Personally, it's not for me but my favorites sell the least so my judgment is a little off.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Flower shopping

Hello people.  How's the week going?  We're still chilly but the sun is shining.

 

My summer flower plan this year is pared way down.  Remember this from last year?  Plus the other side and front had just as many baskets and planters.

 This year, two barrels will have purple, pink, and yellow supertunias, one hanging basket of the pinks, and the ferns.  For many years, white was all I had.  Then the Vista Bubble Gum petunia's pink was everywhere and although I don't care for pink, I tried it for something different.  Now I want those striking colors for impact and would have tried all yellow, but I'm not sure if they fade in sun or may be less prolific than the others.

I sure hope I can resist having more than that.  The older I get, I prefer simple and eye catching to volume. Just like having so many items in a room that you miss their form and beauty.  Your brain is taking in too much at one time to process and focus on a stunning piece.  I think that's what happens when there are too many flowers in various places.  Some high, some low, big, small, too much.   I don't know if it's true, but therapists say that having a bedroom strewn with too many items causes the brain to have difficulty resting.  Too much stimuli even though you see it every day.  Makes sense I guess.  So I'm trying overloaded barrels of color and one massive hanging basket instead of my usual here there everywhere. 

But I couldn't resist these, Wave petunias in yellow.  Rather than line with landscape fabric and dirt, I purchased large plastic dishpans for $1.50 and will drill a few holes, perfect size for a smaller wheelbarrow.

 

The hunt started at a new place for us (Amish), out in New Wilmington, and it ended up being an all afternoon ride to five places.  Tomato plants were horrible everywhere, no Inferno peppers (our favorite), BubbleGum supertunias almost sold out, and prices increased as we went along.  I purchased most of the flowers at Mast's, the largest Amish nursery, $2.75 for 4" pots of healthy plants that were $4 at another nursery.  Back in town we found scrawny little geraniums for a whopping $4.50 each that were $2.79 last year.  I got twice the size for $3 elsewhere. The hanging baskets increased by $2 - $4 each from last year's prices. Sweet potato vines and Vinca vines, single and wimpy, were also $4.50.  Good thing I'm paring down this year!  Mast's is my favorite place to go and when checking out, I extended my sympathy to him for the loss of his young son last summer to drowning.  I was hesitant to bring it up, as sometimes we are, but he thanked me for not being afraid to speak of him saying it acknowledges their grief and their son's life.

 

What's your color scheme this year?  Do you plan it before buying or get inspired at the nursery and just buy what catches your fancy?  Whether a single color or mixed doesn't matter because I will complain, reverse my preference, whimper quietly, and curse my continuous waffling.  Right now I'm thinking three colors are too much!  Maybe just the pink and yellow. 

 

Enjoy the week's end.
I may look through charts this evening and hope that something gets me excited enough to want to pull out a needle.  Good thing I totally loved Mary and she was skinny, or this slump may have prevented her finish.
 

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