Cutting it short

Once again, I am shortening the design.  I wasn't planning to, but once I saw how striking these two figures are on this linen, I didn't want anything else to take away from that.  It would still be a great piece with the top motifs but I am liking it just as it is. 
 

 

I thought a type of wallet or purse would be great for a finish, but that's a lot of work without a pattern.  A needlebook is perfect.  But that isn't as visible and mostly displayed in one area.  I like this enough to want to see it often and move it easily so a hanging accent fits the bill.  Framing in a 4x6 works too, but then I leave a hole in the wall every time I change its position.  One thing I would have done differently if I had known the finish .... make both figures the same height.  Other than that, love love love.   The blue fabric will be the back.

 

I am so glad I finally got the hang of blocks of stitches.  My older pieces that had houses or lawns, anything solid, looked striped.  The tension (or maybe the sewing method) created striations that were obvious. 

 

Once I started doing the first half of the stitch from side to side until the area was filled, and then crossed the second half in rows running top to bottom, it made a big difference. 

You can see the arm looks like there is a tiny space between the rows, but not on the dress, chest, or block beneath her. It helps my work look more uniform and that is certainly an improvement.

 

Bud agrees.

 

The doc said xrays show no break.  I have a bad sprain on the right ankle and the left foot.  There is one spot that is very painful to touch and with this amount of swelling and sudden sharp pains, I thought it was broken.  I wish the swelling would go away - can't wear my sandals.

 

 

Hopefully will be painting boxes and making a few corner squares today.  But it's nice outside and Mark is golfing, I'll probably have my butt on the swing enjoying some solitude.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Consistency

Hello hello.  I can't believe we are in the third week of July.  Why is summer flying by so quickly?  Many of you have high temps, we are getting them too.  But I can sit on my swing and not have it bother me.  It just feels like an extended hot flash to me and I am so used to them.  Mark's friend's wife sleeps on a ChiliPad and keeps it at 60 degrees or she can't sleep.  The newest is BEDJET which fills a special cotton comforter with either warm or cool air, dual zoned.  One is beneath you, the other is on top of you.  Never heard of either but a perfect solution to the he's cold she's hot dilemma.  The older I get, the more important a good night's sleep is.  And the tighter with the buck I get - neither of these are cheap.

 

Anyway, received my second order from 123.  It included some linen colors from the first order, and these additional.  I like the gold and surprisingly, Grasshopper.  The Copper Penny isn't mottled much, perfect for me, but there is a red spot.  I will start the stitching there to cover it and work out from there.  That should work.

 

But here's what I wanted to show you and why it is so difficult to order online.  You purchase a chart and order the specified linen and sometimes you don't know that it's very different from the designer's piece and will not look the same.  Case in point, this WDW Dolphin from two sources.  Drastic don't you think?  I don't want the new one, I want the first one.

Under table lighting or a flash, there is no similarity.  My first piece is the right side, dark and gray.  The new piece is light with a tinge of aqua.  I can understand that each dye bath will not be exactly the same but this is too much.  If I had not ordered a second piece, I would have thought Dolphin is the dark, which it may not be!  Who knows which the designer had and which is the real Dolphin?

 

 

Lucky is the stitcher with a linen loaded shop.
Hey.  That's good.  Should be on a T-shirt.

 

Have a good day.

 

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Purple

Tried and removed four different purples until ending with 208.  I need to remove the light trim on the dress and change it to more of a tan or pale yellow so it shows against the light skin.  It just blends right in on the sleeves and neck. 

 

 

Found a beautiful tunic for Carole and will check for tiny rhinestones between doc appointments today.

 

Making more strawberries.  Fat ones and little ones.  I haven't decided if I will sell finished berries, sell the tops, or give out the source.  May take some time to decide. 

 

Have a good day, be safe.

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I ate cake!

A lot of it.  And as I am typing this, a news report is coming through that police were set up for an assassination and 3 are dead, more are injured.  This will be brief but lots of photos.

This is what I made this morning with many more to come.

 

 

For those of you that would like to make the sponge cake, here are the pages from mom's booklet.  Her addition of the chocolate shavings are added at the bottom corner.  The Mahogany is wonderful too, never tried the Maple Pecan on the other page.  These cakes are not the moist soft box or bakery cakes.  You can click on the photo and then click again to enlarge, print if you'd like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I have more photos but sadness has turned to anger and I am done here.

 

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Well that was silly

Why did I order 18th Century Clove when I knew it would be close to what I dyed a few years ago?  And the Broom Stick Brown isn't really to my liking. greenish with slight brown variation.  Not sure if I will sell or dye.

The bottom linen is mine.  Same color but different count.

I have been online looking for a particular top Carole wants for her reunion, I have been to all the stores, and back again with the returns.  Right now, I have five items waiting for her approval that she will see today when they come for the birthday dinner.  Then I will have to make the returns once again.  I think one of this group will be the chosen, and I will bling it a little more with tiny rhinestones.
 

My cake is coming out of the oven now.  Our traditional chip chiffon.  I wanted the Mahogany chiffon and started making this one before I realized the flour and sugar amounts were different.  Too late.  Maybe next time. 

  

I did get my larger boxes for Eliza Pomeroy and would like to offer a few soon.  Will let you know.

 

Have a great weekend.  Eat cake.

A luscious white sponge cake with unsweetened shaved chocolate throughout.  Not real sweet, unique flavor from the baking chocolate, a different texture than traditional cake, our family tradition.  I try very hard to not slice off the golden exterior to devour before adding the whipped cream icing.  No one will see that it's missing!  Once I'm gone, it will never be made again.

Thanks for visiting.

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And the sadness continues

 

 

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