Apr 5, 2020

Sunny Sunday

What are you up to?  I hope to work outside a little, depending on how well the sunglasses work.  I really need to lose this weight so I can bend without losing my breath and have a little more stamina.  Once again, new panties needed in a size up!  The others screamed loud enough for the neighbors to hear.  I haven't left the house since I got sick but may this week since I am much better and will have a mask, and I dread putting on jeans.  They don't scream as loud, more of a moaning since they are stretchy.  Carole can't get an order through to Walmart for pickup, they are just so booked for two days in advance and additional days are not offered.  We will have to do her shopping.  They are limiting the number of shoppers in the store and when I heard that I pictured the older shoppers I always see, bent over, barely walking, that will be standing outside in line.  I have never seen these older folks in sloppy clothes, the men and women both are dressed so neat and nice.  Compared to the younger with pajama bottoms, slippers, and hoodies that need washed.

  Whenever I am ill and my immune system kicks in, it also exasperates the Sjogren's.  So my lips are horrible, my tongue is again full of tiny splits, and I can't take any light.  I never had curtains in this room but the sun reflects off the wood floor and I can't even be in the room.  So I grabbed my osnaburg and without even ironing, hung these makeshift whatever-they-are to control the angle.  I guess I will need to get some sort of blind here or make my own roman shades.

The boys are enjoying the warmer weather.  Poor Petey is still trying his best.  He and Bud will raise one paw ready to smack when they get too close, I guess prepared for the unknown.  But Missy is running up to Petey and whacking his face like a high speed boxer.  For no reason other than she is a little bitch.  She could be thirty feet away!

Just in case it's been on your mind and bothering you to not know, here's my new knobs on the new paint.  Feel better?


Also today I am making masks.  Since elastic is no where to be found (unless you want a shipment from China in May) I am using what I have.  A narrow cording which can easily slip through the seam.  So I double knotted and applied E6000 to them.  They are hanging through my favorite paint stir drying.  I found out that my nephew's son who works at a juvenile center for offenders or problem kids, was not provided any protection and he was told to go to Walmart and buy the drinks for the boys every day.  He is of course reimbursed, but that is not his minimum wage job responsibility.  It never was before.  The boys don't leave the building, but Matt has two little ones at home and can be bringing in the virus to the school.  So I'm making a few masks for him. 

 I wish he would leave there and get a better paying job, but he is so involved with listening to these kids and their stories.  The majority don't even have a parent come to visit or take them home for a holiday.  Probably why most of them act out in the first place.  Very sad, but they write Matt notes thanking him for listening and caring and although the employee turnaround is very high, he just doesn't want to leave them.

Thanks for the suggestions on the white thread.  Since my eyes have flared up I can't stitch, even though the Dazor light is low and not eye level, I can't look at the lighted stitching.  So if you do the white last, it will be pulled through the red over and over until the length is gone, picking up more and more red fiber.  But I can see the benefit the opposite way too.  My plan is to stitch the red up to the white row, stitch the white, and then continue on the other side of the white with the red.  A little of both methods I guess but since I am confused, that's as good as it gets!!

Have a nice day folks.  Stay safe!

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Apr 3, 2020

Your help please!



Ready for the house!  There are outlines of off white throughout, so what do you recommend?   Stitching white first - you pull the red through the white. Stitching white last, you pull the white through the red!  Either way, if any tiny fibers from the red will deposit on the white, there is no way to get around it.  Does it really matter?  I remember (or obviously don't) reading about the correct sequence when using white in a design.  Tell me about it please!

 Or is that an assumption and tiny fibers don't adhere?  There does seem to be some top fuzz if you look closely at the stitches.  Would waxing make them less likely to release, or more likely to stick to the adjoining stitch when pulled through?  Yes I know I'm overthinking this and I usually don't give a bird's beak about the proper method, but I would prefer these single rows of light in a sea of red not turn pink.  Sorry Vickie.  So what say you?

Mark is out getting a few things and I am getting really nervous about being anywhere.  I saw photos of the affected people, hospital rooms, patients being administered care, and it brought back how my father suffered and gasped for air for weeks.  If everyone shut their mouth, pinched their nose, and tried to breathe for 40 seconds it may scare them into staying home.  It seems that compliance should have been taken more seriously in previous weeks.  But was it already too late?  New Yorkers were encouraged by deBlasio, Councilman Levin, Health Commissioner Barbot, to turn out for the Lunar New Year parade and to visit Chinatown restaurants, "not change any plans due to misinformation spreading about coronavirus.”  City Council speaker Corey Johnson on 2/13,  "The risk of infection to New Yorkers is low. There is no need to avoid public spaces. I urge everyone to dine and shop as usual.”  Pelosi did the same as late as February 24, worried about Chinese restaurants being avoided in San Francisco and encouraged people to get out.  No one knew.  Not to worry, use the subway, go about your daily lives.  No one knew.  And we are still learning.  Don't criticize unless you can do better.  If you can, why haven't you?  When are politicians going to put as much effort into their country as they do thinking of ways to denigrate?   At this point, your agenda does not matter. WE DO.  Grow up.  Get off the playground.  Come together as a team.  You don't have to like every person on it, I don't, but I still want the team to win.
I'm done.

Please be careful.  Be safe.  Be well.

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Apr 2, 2020

Winter Brew

Delightful!  I love it.   For those of you wondering about the difference in some neutrals, this may help a little.

All 35/36 count

Far left - R&R Winter Brew
Second from left - Lambswool
Third from left - unbleached natural
Right edge, Weeks Dye Works Beige


The overdyed threads from Colour & Cotton are very nice, very subtle.  I don't think there would be a problem wondering if colors would have radical variations if ordering online.

Have a good day!!

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Apr 1, 2020

I said six feet!


No one listens to me.

Another rainy morning.

Its always a good day when your border meets.  The pink dog at the top was to be carrying the basket and the date stitched to its left.  I don't like current dates so I've omitted and moved the basket over to compensate.  Not much left to do before starting the house which I'm sure will take some time.


Mark is out for the weekly shopping, I am still not well enough and shouldn't be spreading my germs.  No testing. Not necessary.  No fever and am improving.  

We're painting the trim on the second level and changing the door hardware to black.  My knobs on the first floor were purchased long ago from Emtek, black wrought iron, but are very pricey today.  So I opted for black with a similar rectangular rosette in a standard knobset.  I will try to sell the other oil rubbed bronze from Emtek that we are replacing.  Whoops.  I forgot about that blue project case I was to offer.  I think I boxed it for shipment and if I don't see something, I will forget about it entirely.

Stay safe.
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Mar 31, 2020

Delivered

Didn't expect two orders in one day and so soon!   My small linen piece is the same as I ordered a few years back, Lambswool in 35 count.  My older one is lighter and pinker, the new one (same color) is darker and nicer.  Here's the difference in the old and new, I like them both.
And this is Lambswool compared to Weeks Dye Work's Beige.  One of my favorites, it leans toward green, even more than this photo.  I'm anxious to see the Winter Brew in a few days.


I adore Nash's Paisley and always have.  Lots of fill-in stitching which is fine.  All the samplers will be great and one will be chosen for the next project.  Paisley will be a summer project, easy to stitch while relaxing on a swing.

Hannah Jenkinson from Nash (photo from Country Sampler) will be stitched on a lighter linen than called for.  











The only disappointment is the Hinkling chart.  It is high quality paper and the detailed chart is over 10 pages, very nice.  But one color is a very light gray and I really can't see it unless pulled close to my face.  Even then the satin stitch lines are almost unreadable so I have to choose a color and fill this in myself.  Do not like marking a chart but the faint lines will not transfer to a working copy (which looks like a child's coloring book when I'm done).  

I love this sampler and I think it will be stitched next. 

Have a good day buds!!  Be well.

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Mar 30, 2020

Finds

A piece of R&R's Winter Brew 17 x 27.  It took a while since the online shops I use were all out of stock, but there was one piece left at Cardinal Needleworks 
so I jumped on it before I had a chance to browse their other products.  It's happened to me before, when I took my time with an order and lost out so I clicked that Place Order button quickly.  This morning, I see that they dye their own linen and also threads, Colour and Cottons
Their threads are DMC based and 8 yard skeins of one yard lengths.  Never knew about this company, will be browsing this afternoon.

Another place I found the Winter Brew is Ye Olde Cross Stitchery if you've been looking for a piece.

As for threads, in addition to Colour and Cotton there are also Valdani 6 ply colorfast in 10 yard skeins.  This site has them on sale for $2.69 and many other shops carry them also. 
 Great selection of colors.  The shop in Boardman has the full line and the colors are rich and gorgeous.  Don't know when she will open again but I may email to see if she could mail them.  I've ordered 10 yard cards of GAST before but I can't say if all their colors are offered as such.  Someone on FB mentioned a company's overdyed floss and they were impressed, but I didn't write it down.  You know how that goes.

I found another skein hiding on the ring and I think this one will work very nicely with the 3777 I've already used, so I'm good to go.  Any red I order without seeing will be a shot in the dark.  The brownish threads would do well for the people pants but since there isn't much variation I don't know if it would be noticeable in such a small area.  Probably won't remove and restitch, but we'll see.

This week's mail will yield NWP's EF 1836-1837, 
Stacy Nash's Hannah Jenkinson sampler, 
Lucy Beam's Family Sampler,
Stacy Nash's Paisley (animal crackers)
WDW Lambswool linen
Gigi R's Mary Ann Hickling sampler
R&R Winter Brew linen.

My lymph nodes are now larger than my boobs.  But that really doesn't take much to do.  New round of antibiotics since I am worse, but no fever.  In fact, this morning I was 91.1.  You think the battery may be running down?

I tried to reply directly to some of you that asked a question but remember, you're no-reply.  I tried my best to reply through blogs or here but I've not heard back from several.  If you expected a reply and never received one, please understand I can't if you don't email me directly.

Making progress on this small piece and happy to not be holding a large piece of linen in hand!  Also enjoying one thread since I am a sloppy and tension-ed stitcher.  My new fabrics are 36 count, I think I'm pushing it if I attempt 40, but the coverage still isn't that great.  Maybe because I'm coming away from two threads and expecting too much of that skinny single strand.

Stay safe everyone!  Sit outside and take in fresh air, nice deep breaths.  If I do that, it initiates a cough that sounds like an elk calling for a mate while stepping on a goose.  The cats lay low on high alert and start looking for a predator.  Silly animals.  My nephew's company (steel) shut down and laid of all employees once the stimulus package was signed.  He can't sit still for two minutes so this will be much harder for someone like him.  

Be well and stay safe.

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