O Susannah (French)

 

will be included in the sale as will my sampler sack.  I am tired of this one also and it's not like I don't have the chart to stitch it again (which I will not), in fact, I have so many that I can enjoy a little fire.

 

My surgery went quickly and was painless, wish I could say the same about the post-op.  It will get better I am sure but it will take quite some time to adjust to the gaping void.  Suck it up!

 

I hope I haven't irked everyone by showing pieces that I decide to add.  Just thought it would give you an idea of what is being offered before the actual offer. 

We had a heavy downpour and as soon as it ended, the birds appeared.  Chicks are growing but still small enough for the brats.

 

 

One in king size and his double in half size.   The lovers came in after the rain.

Enjoy your week.

 

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Happy Eclipse day

to everyone that will be viewing the event.  I did not get the glasses and nature would probably call me away at that very time anyway.  Damn antibiotics.  What really ticks me off is the tooth being extracted tomorrow does not bother me at all.  But I guess the dying nerve can wreak havoc in the gums which has happened.  I just hope the bone graft he will use to fill the root cavity doesn't make it worse.  And guess what?  Another week of meds and sticking close to the bathroom.  Certainly putting a damper on the end of what has been a very short and very cool summer.

 

So about the sale .... it will be next week.  I haven't priced the others yet and need to buy boxes or padded envelopes for shipping just in case items sell, I want to be prepared. 

 

As for stitching, I find I am searching for food in the evening because my hands are idle.  Maybe I should look for a small to work on.  I have all that dotted linen that struck my fancy a while back and designs on it would be very small, but then I have more pieces to display.  So they should be Christmas ornaments.  But do I still think those dots are the bee's knees?  

 

For some reason (hormones revisited?) I am changing once again.  This time, even my favorite candle scents are causing my delicate olfactory sense to find them quite objectionable.  In other words, my big snorter thinks they stink.  Carole has a new hoard of candles now.  And if I could find a decent piece of fairly private property that didn't cost as much as the house, I would be building instead of trying to fix this one.  It's like crabass at defcon level 1, just waiting for someone to light the fuse and release my claws.

 

One thing that hasn't changed is my preference for sampler shapes.  I am drawn to longer and thinner pieces, really like my Fiske and Redd large squares,

 

but these wide rectangles, not so much.  I fringed Susannah all the way around, another mystery linen that raveled and I hated but primitive enough for this reproduction.  At one time she was hanging free, but now she is lying on the bench or table.  I have never understood the usage of lying and laying so if it's incorrect, excuse.  (Seeing the result of modern day teaching of grammar and spelling on social media, I should be concerned?) I am considering adding her to the sale also.  Susannah was not very good at alignment and this one is very primitive.

 

Lydia would look very nice in a black frame, she was wrapped around a large mache box and fit perfectly, but I tired of the box displays, too.  What the hell? 

 

My hair is even changing from bulky fuzz to flat thinning fuzz.  When I say that to someone they laugh, and obviously have no idea how badly a large claw around their neck would hurt.

 

Have a good day folks.

 

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More

Not sure if this is the end, but here are a few more.  The long ones are lined padded cases for skinny magnifiers in Amber linen.  Not absolutely sure about the Goode Huswife's Pennsylvania Beehive piece yet, but I think it's going.  Was going to add Two Horses but not sure about that one either.  Mark is telling me to keep those two.  I just have too many and am keeping mostly reproduction smalls.  I really want to reduce clutter and also be able to notice the piece without it getting lost in a grouping.

 

I remember what a chore it was when I offered too many boxes at one time and had to pack them.  I may split the lot into two sales, just to make it easier for me.  I have a week to decide and when the page is ready with prices and all items, I will let you know. 

 

Hope the weekend is going well.

 

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For your viewing

I've listed the sale items on the For SALE tab under the header photo for you to view.  You can email with questions, additional information, comments, just click the link.  I haven't worked on prices for everything yet, the photos took quite a while and posting forever!  So I am done for now.   

 

I am having major pain again with the jaw and having a tooth extracted beginning of next week.  With this TMJ flareup, I don't even know how he can work on me since my mouth only opens so far.  Regardless, a little miserable right now and I'm sure much more next week so the sale may be the last week of August.  Did I just say that?  Last week of summer?  Just added to my misery.  I will post before the sale to let you know when it will be.

 

Have a good weekend.

 

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One more thing

Greetings folks.  Yes, I know comments are disabled.  I am tiring of dealing with an intruder, registered with Google so the only way to block is to stop it all.  Decided to report to Google and let them handle it.

 

The sale next week will be by email as were the boxes.  Still working on descriptions and photos for you.

I wanted to add to yesterday's post but before that - if any of you use the PITA flea meds on your cats, here is a real deal.  Pet Armor Plus has the same active ingredient as Frontline for less.  I can only find 4 packs in the store, no longer the 6.  So I checked online and the 6 pack must be on clearance because it is only $25.  Great price for 6 vials if you have multiple cats.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/PetArmor-Plus-for-Cats-All-Sizes-6-Count/49911400

 

One thing I forgot to add about the naked samplers.  If there is a chance you may frame them at some point, do not use fusible interfacing.  I always do when making a tuck or ornament, but not for framing.  It stabilizes the linen for hanging but the fusing would prevent any stretch to the piece when lacing or mounting to get a perfect edge. 

 

A few Christmas designs which are packed away with the others, were done differently.  I wanted more structure to the wimpy linen so I fused medium weight interfacing to muslin, laid the fused muslin on the back of the linen, folded the side edges over it and pressed, and folded down the top to create the hem pocket for the braid or boning.  It completely lines the linen, makes a nicer presentation, no folded edges visible through a sheer fabric.

 

That's all folks!

 

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The fringed and the free

In response to a question regarding the way I display some samplers, here are some photos to show the backs of the pieces that are unframed, fringed, or hemmed.

 

But first there's this.  A few happenings from the last few days.  When I was on the phone scheduling Carole's Direct TV tech, he kept saying "Wednesday the 16th".  I kept saying "Wednesday is the 15th".  Since I was having a difficult time with his accent, I thought maybe I was hearing sixteen but it was actually fifteen that he was repeating.  ONE SIX.  Sorry sir, ONE FIVE is Wednesday!  This went on for a few minutes until I glanced at the top of the Carole's calendar to see that it is for 2018.  So if anyone is interested, August 16th is on a Thursday next year.

 

I was concerned about Nitzy since he has a wound on his leg and spend the entire day indoors.  That never happens.  But he bounced back and was fine the next morning.  For two nights, I have screamed his name out back to come in for the night.  When I scream, I open wide and suck in creating a vacuum that can be too strong for small insects.  It brought in a few moths hanging around the door light.  None flew down my throat and all were removed with a good mouth rinse.

 

Not paying attention to where I was going, I walked into the hummer feeder and had really sweet hair for a while.

 

I was cleaning out the grain bin in the back room, bending over to reach the bright orange lid to a spray paint can at the very bottom, and was surprised when it blew fluorescent orange over my upper body, the wall, and window.  Seems I left the ground marking paint which has a nozzle straight up and uncovered, in the wrong place.  That stuff is very difficult to remove once dried.

 

So here's the photos.  The majority of these are done on stiff unbleached linen, and pressing with a hot iron is usually enough to hold back the sides.  A few have machine sewn sides in a thread matching the linen color.  A hem is sewn on the tops and boning or horsehair braid is slipped inside.  Once the edge is pressed, before sewing the hem down, the braid or bone can be attached to the back hem piece directly on the pressed edge instead of inserting in a sewn hem.  Both items can be found at JoAnn's in the notions aisle with elastics and banding.  These samplers should have interfacing fused or a muslin lining since some are sheer, but I never did.  I would hang as soon as completed and expect to go back later.  It's later.

 

 This is typical of the stiff linens, pressed back leaving enough fabric for framing in the future (or not), top is hemmed with horsehair braid that is sewn to the back flap, or slipped through.  I count the linen threads out from the stitching on each side for proper centering.  This one has a machine sewn edge.  When fringing, make sure you leave enough linen at the bottom for future framing, before removing the threads.

 

This piece is over 30" long and has been hanging for a few years.  This one I am considering framing.  Same method, just pressed, boning at the top for extra support against sagging.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Another pretty long piece on a little softer linen, but pressing was still enough to hold the edge.   The contrast thread zig zag is only on the edge to prevent fraying.  This one definitely needs a muslin lining.  I would open the top hem to insert the muslin and let it hang freely, cut to fit exactly within the pressed edges with the linen sides folded over the muslin so it doesn't show.

Big girl Lucy Redd is hemmed on four sides by machine, basting stitch for easy removal, with enough fabric for mounting to frame.  A few other smalls are also finished this way, no fringe. 

 

Lucy and Sally Fiske (23" x 25") both have boning in the top hem because of their size, which is heavier and stiffer than the horsehair braid.

 

 

  

 

I hope this helps answers any questions, but if not, email me.  This started as a way to display finishes rather than have them lying in a drawer until framing.  But after seeing a few antiques hanging naked, even stretched out of shape,  I prefer the more primitive samplers naked and unafraid.

 

Have a good one!

 

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