Busy busy

Greetings!   Hope your weekend went well.  We had friends come in from Nevada and enjoyed some time with them.  The rest of the weekend was leaf blowing and painting. 

 

We finally heard back from the contractor, with apology, and he offered another name and phone number for the siding/windows.  So I called, he answered, and is coming out this week to take a look and offer suggestions.  I made clear that it will not be vinyl, silence on the phone.  We'll see.  But whether it be him or the contractor, spring will probably be the time frame. 

 

 

So I went to work with paint brush in hand, and did the doors back to the original color before they faded to a light gray.  What a difference.  At least the house is presentable until the work can be done. 

 You can't see how bad the cedar is from the road (except for one side) and with the doors and their trim a solid paint color it looks so much better.  The weathered cedar planks on the front door were weathered to a light beige and I didn't want them dark but it was all I had on hand.  I love it. 

The only color I have is the flag, rust, and a seasonal flower.

 

Mammo and doc week for my sister and I.  Hope you all get your boobies checked annually.

 

Have a sweet day!

 

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

Schoolers coming to Ebay and Mary Beale

Hopefully soon.  Way too complicated to do this on site and keep sales straight without a cart to show buyer's address.  If there are any here that you've been looking for, I will post the Ebay sale dates beforehand.  To see the charts you can image search online by title.

I'm selling all my Prairie Schoolers, in order...

#9    Johnny Appleseed
#10  Prairie Christmas
#13  Prairie Year
#14  Holiday Homestead
#16  Prairie Flowers
#17  Woodland Sampling
#19  Rabbit Folk
#20  St. Nicholas
#21  Doorstops
#23  Prairie Year II
#24  Prairie Birds  -  maybe
#25  Up on the Housetop
#28  Stockings & more
#29  Christmas miniatures
#31  Adam names the creatures
#32  Christmas ark
#35  Prairie Garden
#36  St. Nicholas II
#37  Holiday Harvest
#38  Prairie Lodge
#41  Still Life  -  maybe
#42  Angels
#43  Father Christmas
#44  Birds & Berries
#45  Garden Samplers
#47  Santa Rides
#48  A Christmas Visit
#51  Christmas Past
#53  Santa Moon
#56  Garden Birds
#58  Old St. Nick
#62  Kris Kringle
#73  Christmas Samplers II
#80  Old World Santas
#88  Old World Santas II

These charts have the original owner's name written in black marker, some have small address labels on the front, some have removed label, some have the original shop's inventory sticker.

 ************

  I have been going through charts for Christmas looking for a small Santa to stitch and came across the Mary Beale cards.  I have Family Christmas I and II, Merry Christmas III and IV and am offering them for postage.  I am very surprised at some of the prices on EBay when they can be downloaded for $5 on her site along with both Christmas wreaths for $5, angel stockings for $5, and sampler stockings for $7. 

http://www.marybeale.com/shop.html

 

Mine have worn edges and damage to the front where labels were removed (not on the photo or chart).  They are full size cards with charts on the back.  DMC threads.  If anyone would like one or all (Mary's only), please leave your request in a comment, make sure to include your email so I can contact you.  UPDATE - received an email to claim the charts.

 Photos from her website.
 

Family I

 

 

 

 Family II

 

 

 

Merry Christmas III

 

Merry Christmas IV

 

 

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

I like it!

We had an all day light rain for a change, and I got a haircut that I absolutely hate.   Bud has been enjoying the warm weather and it should continue though the weekend.

 

So what do you think?  Damn good looking I think, for only 3" wide and making it up as I went along.  It's only finger pressed right now and if it will hang on its own I would like the edges hemstitched.  But I'm also thinking that a long very thin hornbook style mount would be nice with a decorative top.

 

I'll show a few close-ups of the stitching when it's pressed and finished IF ..  the computer cooperates.  I've been getting the blue screen after downloading Windows updates.

 

I was looking through the papers that came with the new car and saw this - Mom would be proud!

 

Browsed birthday cards for a friend and saw one that hit my giggle button.  Isn't it embarrassing when you have a laughing fit in the card aisle?

 

"A fine wine gets better with age."

 

"Too bad you're not a grape."

 

Hope your week is going well.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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

The final border

 

After many trials and lots of errors I realized the bottom motifs needed to be large to balance with big bird.  Smaller vines, vases, and florals were not working and I could not understand why.  Finally have something agreeable and all I need is a bottom band.  Nothing has worked so far, and I think for the same reason.  Needs a little heft for balance so I charted one and hope to finish this tomorrow.  Three inches wide and almost ten long.  Skinny mini.

 

Have a good week!

 

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

What a difference ...

a dye makes.  Love the design, could not get used to the Tin Roof linen with my chosen floss colors.   Too drab and odd looking, not gray, not green, and the muted floss does nothing for it.  Red will tone green to brown but is really tricky and may leave it pinkish.  I wanted to brighten so I tried orange.  Just a touch.

 

Ahhhh.  Much better.  I can live with this .  The other two smalls were requested for purchase and are gone but no one wanted this drab one.  It's probably a keeper now!

 

And before you ask, no I did not disassemble the pillow.  I used a misting sprayer with the weak dye, then just water, dabbed to remove excess moisture, stuck in the dryer on a stationary rack.  The only thing that changed was the glue.  My other glue is waterproof, Tacky is not, so the bottom came open.  Heating with an iron softens all glues (including fusibles) but they stay in the fabric.  Tacky seems to have come out almost completely with the water. Who knew? 

I'm sure many of you wonder how I could take a chance on ruining a finished piece. The answer is easy.  If I don't like it, the color bothers me, or I tire of the design, it does not bother me at all.  Yes I put time into it and I enjoyed doing it, but I could say the same about blowing leaves.  It's the end result that's important and if I'm not happy with that, get a match.  So I make an attempt to correct what bothers me and if it works out as this did, great!  If not, that's OK too.

 

Yours truly,

the Reckless Stitcher
 

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

Getting close

to a finish on skinny mini. 

 

Used a verse from Proverbs 31 that I thought may be something found in a sampler.  Not sure if I will finish this off with motifs, A&E, a wide border.  But I do have a layout in mind and will chart it first, maybe a few others, and then decide.  This piece has had enough frogging and I would prefer following a chart to prevent more.

 

Have a great weekend.

 

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