Do you feel left out?

Nashville.  Disneyland for stitchers.  There should be a live video for those of us stuck at home wondering what everyone is lucky enough to see, feel, purchase.  Maybe there is, and I'm left out of that too!  One thing in particular bugs me, and it shouldn't.  But it does.  The limited edition designs and kits.  I saw one on Facebook that I would love to have.  Don't even know if I could afford it or be willing to spend an inflated amount for it.  But it is very limited.  I saw a few shops posting that all kits are now spoken for.  Do I have a shop to notify and request one?  No.  Do you?  Does it bother you to be left out?

 

Well snotty crabass that I am went through a boatload of freebies and smalls, easily put together a similar design, bought the little basket, and will use the money I saved to pay for Carole's (my!!!) car repair.  Not the same as the real thing, but better than nothing at all.  

 

I have several very old Basketville buckets with lids.  I think they were called lunch totes.  Considered something for the lids years ago, changed my mind. I have various sizes with single and double handles. 

 

Made the Rootin Tootin Bean Salad today.  If you haven't tried it, hop over to the recipe blog and do so.  SO good.

 

 

Done for the day!

 

Have a great weekend.

Thanks for visiting.

 

*******************

Simple finish

 

Decided on a mini pillow.  Even though this is a primitive sampler in content and style, the colors are too light for a pouch.  Don't know what difference that makes, but my other sacks are darker and this looked too delicate.  From the beginning, I wanted to use a lighter linen for this project and it would have looked more primitive with either dark linen or much darker threads.  But for some reason, I just couldn't envision it. 

 

It looks good hanging with the drieds, but I may change the stair railing display from baskets to stitchery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 In like a lion.....

can you hear me roar?

 

 

 

 

*****************

Edit -
Color changes requested shown in blue

A box for treasures

 

 

 

a journal for their secrets.

So glad I kept the paper.  Too bad I burned the small boxes.

 

**************************

1739 finish

Finished.  What to do now?  Maybe frame this one?  Stuff and smash?  Another pouch?  Depends on my mood at that time.  I did use darker shades of recommended floss and changed the very light ones to another color. 

 

You can see a light aging with a few spots.  I didn't want the overall light mist of dye that I most times do, preferred a more distinct mottling.  So I changed the spray to medium and then added a few larger drops of dye here and there.

 

 

R&R repro charts have every little detail of the original but as I mentioned before, I did full stitches everywhere.  I did add the knots and oddities including a few repair stitches.  Considered clipping the linen thread beneath to make it a true repair but didn't.

 

For now, it will hang by pins on the wall, but for its size, I am considering another pouch to hang with Rosanna.  An advantage of a pouch finish like that is the option to slip batting inside, close the top, maybe shorten the strap, and it can become a small hanging pillow.

I think my next project will be a tiny.  I missed the sale at Pineberry Lane so I decided to make my own boxes and tiny.  I have tons of paper that I thankfully did not toss with the other craft items, and still have very small boxes that I rescued from the burning pile yesterday.  For the first time in a long while, I am excited about doing something different and have a few ideas.

Hope March is a good month for all.

Thanks for visiting.

****************************

I forgot

 

 

to mention the change in product at JoAnn's.  Touch of Silk, our favorite bagged fill, is no longer available there or at any other place locally.  It's been replaced with Fairfield's Silky Soft.  I tested it this morning (I use steam and smash for density) and it did not melt.  Until Carol at Stitching Dreams informed us of this product, my standard fill would melt together when steamed.  This will become dense, requires more steaming, but does not harden.  So far, this tested about the same as Touch of Silk, except for having more loft.  I don't like it as well, but it's comparable.

 

 

Regarding the Magic Extra Crisp Sizing, cannot find it anywhere, only the Light Body.  Decided against actual starch, and tried Mary Ellen's Best Press again.  The first times I used it, I saw no difference in wrinkle removal or body.  None.  But I decided to try again with several coats and it did help with WDW linen.  Not as crisp as the starch but an improvement, and non sticky.  So I used my 60 off coupon at JoAnn's and got another bottle, also like the pump instead of aerosol.  It is an add-on item for only 5.49 on Amazon (here).  It comes in scents but I think with several coats, it would be overwhelming so I stick with the clear unscented.  If you try it, make sure you do several coats.

 

Finished with 1739, will show you tomorrow.

Have a good day.

 

************************

 

It's good looking

but takes forever.  This sampler would have been finished by now without this stitch.  Simple looking and easy to do but for some reason, very time consuming.  Could very well be because of my road map method.  If I had rhythm, a pattern to follow, maybe it would move along.  Regardless, not much more to do now.  I'm liking the one thread on 35 more and more, can't imagine what a mess I would have using two threads for a four sided stitch.   I was gifted a very nice laying tool and should use it along with railroading, but I get more reckless as time goes by.

 

 

Thank you for the kind words in your comments.  A review of my cousin Marcia's story that I had posted about over the years.

When visiting here, she would develop crushing pain in her chest for several minutes, so severe that she would stop her car and get out.  This went on for a few years, tests run, they said it was esophageal spasms.  She injured her toe and when leaving the hospital ER, she suffered a massive heart attack in the parking lot.  If elsewhere, she would not have survived.  Sextuple bypass was immediately done throughout the entire night.  Lots of rehab.  When healed, a hernia that developed from a prior surgery was taken care of, and once home and healing from that, she suffered a massive stroke from a clot.  Almost a year in a nursing home for rehab, still paralyzed on one side, unable to speak fluently, in a wheelchair, her family brought her back home.  Her husband was killed in Vietnam. Her 50 year old son lived with her, was unemployed, and cared for every one of her needs.  Shopping, cooking, cleaning, doctors, 24/7.  His 13 year old son by another idiotic woman who should not have children, also lived with him.  (After a year or two she would drop her children off at their fathers' homes with a note, never to see them again.)  He unfortunately was the one that found his father dead in the garage from an apparent heart attack this past weekend. She has lost her son and caregiver, along with her grandson.  The legal custody chain sends him back to another state once they find her.  Other family members work, no one is willing to give up life to take care of her 24/7, but maybe they could pull their resources and help pay for someone to do that.  Her siblings are very well off and I hope this is the decision.  She is beside herself with grief and also fear of leaving her home and rescue dog, which no one would take.  Many years ago, she also lost her 20 year old mentally challenged son to a car while riding his bike.  Insult to injury, she was denied a settlement from the driver's insurance because they told her being challenged as he was, his life had no monetary value.  Can you imagine telling a mother that?  Things have changed since then, I am sure.

 

So we are continually thinking of what she is going through.  He has been her rock and loving caregiver, her home is now empty, grandson's grief and future also taking a toll.

 

Brings up the question in our family which my sister continually mentions.  She refuses to leave her home and expects someone to care for her in it, if that situation should arise.  She doesn't have enough income to pay basic bills let alone a caregiver, neither does Marcia.  Carole started saying that Marcia's sister should do whatever it takes and move her into her home.  I told Carole that it is not right to expect someone to give up their life for another, regardless of how much they love them.   Silence.  "Well then just bring a gun and put me out of my misery."  I told her do NOT put me on a guilt trip, I gave up 8 years to care for my mother.  Carole didn't help me until mom was very bad, and I had to offer pay in order to get her here. 

So what would you do?  It's a tough situation that most families experience.  Helping is one thing, but constant care in home for years is another.  This isn't Hospice or end of life.  Marcia is 73 and in otherwise good health.  I may be selfish but I don't think I could do it.  I think of Francine and her loving sisters and family and know that they would not hesitate.  But me, I don't know.  Maybe if the situation would arise I would feel differently.  Probably would.  But I feel Carole is wrong in criticizing others, especially when she was not willing at all.  There are many reasons why some people are not comfortable with caregiving, or not willing, and no one should be condemned for them.  But we are hoping there will be a way to keep Marcia in home.

 

Well that was a way too long gut spill wasn't it?

 

*****************************