And for the last time

there will be a small sale this weekend.  I only have a few sets, a few hornbooks, maybe some of the journals I found buried in the closet.  Mark wanted to cut more acrylic but I think you've probably had enough.  If I could settle my brain and choose one or two designs it would be much easier.  But I can't.  This is the last one I made today, I love it, and I'm keeping it.  If there are many of you wanting sets, I may continue but .....

As for the sale, since there are so few, I may do an Ebay thing for three days.  So many tell me that they aren't able to get to the computer at the time of the sale and I always receive many requests for early sales. When I have a good inventory that's fine, but not this time.  Last sale was a total of 73 pieces, this will only be maybe 10. 

 

Santa is not going very well.  I thought I was pulling a thread from the darker pieces but obviously not.  There is a large area of the same shade instead of the variation I was hoping for and I was waiting to see if more progress made it acceptable.  I think the more I fill in the more noticeable it is.  If this continues, I will remove a few rows and stick in darker threads because so far, not acceptable.

 

Sorry to be boring you with all the square posts but I had fun choosing and matching, no one else to share it with!   And from the various options I showed, you can see that my lack of decisiveness applies to everything I do.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Bristle feather trees

Hiya.  Visited Meander Hill in Austintown today.  It wasn't planned but when I saw their post of two 20 year old DR Dimes red crackle bowbacks for less than half of the new price, I told husband to get the keys!  As you know, I am directionally challenged and can get lost in a store.  So he drives while I white knuckle.  There was construction and detours and orange cones everywhere.  I almost had him turn back.  Anyway, the chairs came home with me.  The store is decorated for Christmas and lovely.  Lots of great items, two floors in a converted barn.

 

Now for the tree.  I've been asked every year if I know of any place that has the type of tree that I have my ornaments on.  Well, this year, Meander has a 50" and a 72" bristle feather tree (not real feather of course) and they will post photos of the tree on their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/meanderhill/. It was really difficult to not purchase another tree that I do not need.

 

I asked if they would ship and they do have some trees still in their box so if you would like one, please message or call them.  Very nice trees, the 6' is $75.  Reasonable for this style and very hard to find.  Just thought I'd let you know!

 

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Finished

I'm out of acrylic and won't be doing any more.  Maybe in a few weeks.  These are the wallet series.  This first one's middle should be much darker green to match the others but I decided to keep it for myself instead of working it more.

 

 

This set looked good with the bargello or the queen, I chose queen. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because I am.

 

I love the darker background with the stag also.

 

 But from the beginning, customers and husband agreed, this is the best.  Made for Ann, (who hasn't received it yet!) with a piece flaunting her initials.

 

They need to cure a few more days and will be leaving my home Monday.  Since the printer is not as sharp and these are tiny stitches, I used a high gloss finish to accentuate detail.

 

Several readers were kind enough to inform me that I did in fact give away the October freebie.  Whew.  It's a relief to know that there is sometimes a valid reason for an item to be missing.

 

Feels good to take a break.

Thanks for visiting!!

Enjoy the weekend.

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Excuses excuses

for not making good progress on Santa.  How long has this been going on?  Why can't I let it go and just ship and settle?  Three packages were mailed to correct my error and the missing one.  I am still disgusted with the print quality, and I must stop this and move on.  How can something so frustrating be so much fun?

 

Carole's birthday is tomorrow and I planned on making a roaster of stuffed cabbage, but her back is so bad she prefers to stay home.  After taking her for the license renewal, she will go back on the heat, her driver (moi) will take her to the chiropractor Monday.   Mark is still finding mushrooms and met some other fellows in the woods.  They started talking and when he mentioned pizzarelles, the guys went nuts.  They had tasted them and the few people that have old man Joe's recipe, aren't talking.  Mark told them how to make them because life is too short to not enjoy all you can.

  Here it is if anyone is interested.  They are like the zucchini cakes and we've adapted this to other veggies too.  Also on the recipe blog.  The mushrooms can be sautéd separately if you want to release their water.

 

 Middle of October.  Damn.  I came across this photo and it took me a while before I realized it was a freebie from me.  Then I wondered where it was.  Did I have a giveaway for this?  Too lazy to start searching through the blog so someone let me know please.  Then I can stop wasting more time looking for it (not the chart - the finished piece).  Where has my mind wandered off to?

 

Have a great weekend.

 

Thanks for visiting.

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The slow Santa

Hi folks.  Is everyone happy it's cool?  Well I'm happy you're happy but I'm a bigger crabass than usual.  Get with it Spellcheck - crabass IS a word.

 

I told myself to never have a sale with variety.  Too many items to keep track off and the probability of error is high.  I did pretty darn good until this last sale and two orders were switched.  Another was delivered according to tracking, but missing. 

And I need you to check your Antrim sets (peacock) to see if the middle square's hole is drilled.  I know I spotted one but can't find it now!  Did we drill it?  Did I misplace it?  Did I mail it?  Good thing I hadn't finished all the bargello requests and could use a few blanks to replace the errors.

 

Carole's mammo was good, no need to return for one year.  She is relieved to say the least.  Her surgeon is fine, nothing serious, and she will see him the end of next month.  The doctor that performed her surgery was asked to leave this hospital (executive decision) so he is back in Pittsburgh and his patients here are heartbroken.  Wonderful man.  Between my appts and hers, we got the inside scoop.  My mammo was moved to next Monday.  Make sure you are all getting yours!

 

I took my Santa to work on while waiting at the clinics and because Carole was in a wheelchair (with electric brakes!) they kept moving us.  Once I got everything organized and started to stitch, I had to pack it up and move again.  He should have been completed by now and after these last items are mailed, I hope to make better progress.

 

 

The overdyed red that I chose has more of an orange tinge than the bluish reds.  I like it on this fabric because the other reds were too cool for the cool linen.  I changed the belt to black and need to pick a color for the sack.  I don't use overdyed very often and therefore, a misstep.  I should not have filled in on one side of the belt and then picked up the other side.  If I would have moved along the entire row, the shading would have lined up.  Noticeable to me now, but once the rest of the coat is filled, I'm hoping it will appear as if the light is hitting his overhanging belly.  Good thing I realized the proper way to use this thread or the coat to the right of the center trim would have been completely different.

 

Mark is at the farmer's market searching for the last of the tomatoes, and also more jalapenos.  We were going to make the jelly but decided on the cowboy candy.  That will be the last of the canning.

 

Have a great day everyone.  Check your boobies.

 

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What was I thinking?

Taking a break from print work and decided to make a path in my tiny parlor, aka stitching stash disaster of a room.  Missy/Midge/Monkey runs in there and in a matter of minutes, she is tearing into floss and fabric.  There is so much dust on the floor that you can see where she is sliding a fat quarter of linen, which helps clean the room.  My orders placed online the last few months have been for small pieces and eighths, all in dark shades, so I organized them by count instead of color in see through files.  To my surprise, 35 carries the most pieces!  How the hell did that happen?  I guess if a piece I wanted was not available in my comfort zone of 30, I upped the count just to get the color.  The 30 file is the least, 32 (which is acceptable) is running a hair under the big girl file of 35s.  The lone little file of 40 is because I could not pass up Dames of the Needle's Redwood.  Yep.  The big 4-0.  Worth it.  Even if I don't stitch it, the color is spectacular on it own.

 

Do you have a favorite color of linen?  Mine may be the 18th Century Sea Glass from R&R, followed by Dolphin, Antique Copper, Tin Roof, 18th Century Brown, and a few nameless dyed by me. I think my 28 count inventory may be moved to the sewing room.  I will keep a few pieces here but have always preferred the 30.  I do not need all the fabric.  Much of it is dyed and I'm not sure of every fabric's count, not something I could list to sell.  But I am finally selling my Land's End 8 Tall shirts and 10 Long Dockers that were never worn.  I expected to loose 5# and fit into them.  That was a decade ago and 5 turned to 40 in the opposite direction.  I may go with Ebay.

 

It will be a busy week, my doc appt. tomorrow.  Taking Carole for her mammogram Tuesday. My mammo Wednesday.  Taking Carole to Mercer Thursday to get her driver's license photo (which expires on Friday).  She didn't even mail it in yet to get the photo card to take to the center.  I'm hoping AAA will be able to take care of it and she can get the renewal before it expires.  If you wonder why I have to drive her everywhere, it's not that she can't.  They don't enforce handicap parking space violations and people park where they want, she can't walk any distance.  Our heart center and lab are both ridiculously long walks both outside and inside.  So she needs someone to drive her, drop her off, and get a wheelchair inside.   I told you the devastating news of our cardiologist's fate, and she was called Friday to cancel her appointment with the breast surgeon for her yearly exam.  He is now also suddenly on leave because of an unexpected diagnosis.

 

I hope you've had a nice weekend.  Mine turned way too cold for me!

It seems like summer was so long ago.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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