A little project in Polish

I sure hope it's right!  I found two translations to Polish for God bless our home.  Well, three really, and I chose what is found on many antique pieces.  I made this for a woman who is always giving of herself and offering help.  I hope she likes it.  I made the hanger knotted so it can be adjusted to fit over a large door knob or other display.  Polish colors are red and white.

 

If anyone is interested in stitching this (nice gift for a Polish relative), I will post the chart.

 

I get asked as do most stitchers about finishing so here's a few pics of the way I do it now.  Because no one told this nitwit to put the interfacing on AFTER sewing and I was doing it bass ackward.

First is counting the same number of threads from each side to create an even margin and marking it.  Love those Frixion pens.

  

I then pull a linen thread out three to five threads away from the margin mark, depending on how much fabric I have to work with.   The presser foot will follow this line, or I will use the Frixion pen to mark the thread.  I leave the bottom open but run the machine sewn seam about an inch to create the corners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

THEN apply the fusible interfacing extending it over the seam.  Press the seams open and then trim the fabrics.  I also clip on each side of the clipped corners. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I use Poly-fill Royal Silk fiberfill because they stopped making my favorite.  This material does not melt with heat like the other fills, so the steam and smash with the iron to create a dense fill takes more time and more steam.  But it makes a much nicer feel.  I do that as I am stuffing, not once it's done.  Having the corners already sewn makes stuffing them easy and I used a thin line of Tacky for the close.

 

 

 

 

All done.  I'll be mailing tomorrow and if she sees this post, I think she'll know it's hers!!  Sure hope I have the Polish right.  And her address.

 

Have a great weekend!!

Thanks for visiting.

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For the kids

I have two cards, one is Schooler's Mary had a little lamb, the other is Cedar Hill's Now I lay me down to sleep.  Could someone use them??

EDIT - BOTH CHARTS WERE REQUESTED.











 

This one is combined cross and backstitching.

Email with your address and I will mail them. 

 

I want to share a photo of my dear customer's collection of my boxes!!  WOW!!  I don't even remember most of them but counting the ones hiding in the middle, I think there are 18.   I  really like George but no longer have the file and that size box is no longer being made. So nice to see that my work is being enjoyed, makes me all warm and fuzzy.  Not because it's 92 degrees and the humidity frizzed my hair, this fuzzy is inside.  Thank you Mary!! 

This heat spared the life of a chipmunk (a distant relative of Karin's Steve) that ran by Missy unnoticed.  I always enjoyed seeing what Steve was up to.

Email if you want those two cards.

Double digit July!!
Damn.
 

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Framing Sally

Hi everyone.  We're approaching the double digits of July already.  Seems like we just started summer in PA!

 

I filled in Sally's door surround with the house color and plan to steam it, maybe the lines won't show as much.  The door frame was filled in with the window color and I like the result.  It's been a very long time since I mounted/laced a sampler and I am not looking forward to it, but she will be framed.  The boning has worked very well for hanging and there is no distortion in the linen.  Her 22 x 24 size will be the even larger with the wide frame and I plan to hang her on the dining room wall with a sconce on each side, keeping it simple.  I'm really glad I filled this in and it's made a big difference in the overall look.

 

So will we attempt making another frame?  Go to Michael's?  Hobby Lobby?  I have two local framing businesses that I will visit first, but my small pieces were all over $100 30 years ago.  I can't imagine what this one will cost now.  I've seen posts about a framer many stitchers use but I don't know about sending something this large.  There are several Ebay sellers that make custom sizes and since I will be mounting it, that may work too.  Not sure about glass, probably not.

 

Now I will return to ….  is it Ann?  I think so.  She's been tucked safely into a canvas pouch and hanging on my drawer knob to prevent another round of lost and found.

 

Have a good week!!

 

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Sally's door

Tough decision on the door color.  I really liked the 924 but looking at the large sampler overall, the lighter brown seemed to pull it together with the darker brown in the border and upper sections.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But what do I do with the other areas surrounding the door?  I see three options .. the same light thread on the windows, a shade darker than the house thread, or filling it in with the house color.  I also don't like the end rice stitches in the green below the door but will leave them.  To me it looks like they are messy, probably because of being singular.  But I do like the look of this piece much better with a stitched door.  Sorry Sally. 

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Paint sample tip - final!

You all know I am psychotic when it comes to beige or white paints.   I chose a white for the rest of the first floor trim that goes nicely with my custom White Dove.  Since those neutrals have very little tint in their bases, one drop can change it.  I thought it was my phobia making me see yellow or pink in my projects when the sample seemed perfect.  I now know why.

Do you see the difference in the two drops?  The one on the right is from the gallon I just purchased.  The one on the left is from the sample I tested.  Those sample jars from Behr are 1/16th of a gallon.  If I multiplied that sample formula x 16, it should match the gallon.  It doesn't.  Because they can't break down the tint (for samples) into small enough increments, the gallon could be off and it is.  The LL tint (raw umber) is 58 and to match the sample it should be 56, hence the yellowish white that I did not want and a major color change. 

So if you find a white or very light sample of paint,  DO NOT have them mix it from the formula in the computer.  Work out the tint numbers from your sample label depending on the ounces (or have the store do it) for a manual mix and it will be exactly what you expected.  No returns since the formula is for the color I requested.  No choice but to purchase another gallon with a reduction in the umber, and then mix the two gallons together.  That makes it easy for me to decide that this white will be all of the trim, even second story, I certainly have enough of it!  No more looking at samples and seeing pink or yellow, no more little jars everywhere.  I throw them all into a container, mix, and use as first coats since the whites are similar.  This discrepancy probably doesn't matter in colors as much, but one or two drops of tint in white certainly does.  If you can see a difference in just a dab of the paint, imagine the effect on a wall. 

 

Have a great Sunday!! I should be home from the birthday party in time for the sale.

 

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Box sale Sunday 7/7

I hope these photos are good enough!  Shipping is US only.  Prices include $5 shipping cost.   Remember that all lids have additional cardboard padding to raise them, otherwise the square labels would need to be much smaller in order to not be covered.  Make sense?  LOL!!

These are the two 5" boxes, each has the same labels.  Not four boxes, this is one box showing all four sides! 
BOX ONE IS SOLD - THANK YOU
BOX ONE $18.00    (plus 50 cents if Paypal) 
BOX TWO IS GONE
BOX TWO $18.00   (plus 50 cents if Paypal)

This is one of the two 4" boxes, each a little different.
SOLD - THANK YOU
BOX THREE $16.00 (plus 50 cents if Paypal)

The second 4" box.
SOLD - THANK YOU!
BOX FOUR $16.00 (plus 50 cents if Paypal)

And the cutest damn 3", both the same.. showing all four sides on two boxes.
BOTH SOLD - THANK YOU!
BOX FIVE $13.00 (plus 50 cents if Paypal)
BOX SIX  $13.00  (plus 50 cents if Paypal)

 

Sale starts at 8pm ET Sunday 7/7.  Check is fine, Paypal invoices will have an additional 50 cents for fees. Sorry about that but even though the boxes are not top quality, the work and ink involved was more than my others and fees add up when you try to keep prices low.

 

Questions please email!  Since some have purchased multiples (boxes and linens and charts) and offered them on Ebay, I am limiting sales to one each unless requested by someone I know.  If there are a lot of requests, I can order or purchase more box sets in the future but don't really want to!  Cutting/fitting lid fillers and all the other fuss is really not worth the price for me!  I did one for myself with two sides samplers and two sides houses.  

 

Have a good day!!

samplersandsantas@gmail.com

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