My greenie

 Better than orange or yellow, without this highlighter marking the completed stitches, a disaster would ensue.  I have trouble with motifs and especially meandering borders, even when one color.  The grapevine and curly cues of several color changes would have caused so much frustration that I may have stopped work on Rachel.  Why the other colors are not as helpful, don't know.  But I (and all other stitchers) are grateful for highlighters in any color!   Much less counting which usually ends in misplacement.  And surprisingly, just following the completed stitches has resulted in not one error of this PITA border.

I have used several colors to mark the chart and distinguish the color changes, and it helps also, but I found that just greening what I completed every time I need a new thread is (for me) a greater help.

We needed to get Carole a new TV for her room and I told husband that after a month, I wanted to check my stamina outside of home.  Don't have an answer as to why since home isn't that great, but ..... 'ya know.  He dropped me at the door, I grabbed a buggy as an aid and walked very slowly.  By the time he parked and came in my knees were rubber.  But we got the TV, she wants a haircut and wash, a shopping list filled, so I guess we will be making the drive Thursday and take care of this.  

Today we went to the Italian store in Youngstown, it's a very small shop, and I did OK.  Except for the pounds that will result from our purchases.  The frozen wrapped manicotti were gone, the only ravioli left were lobster and veal (I don't eat babies), as were the prepared cavatelli and other dishes I usually get.  The only place to get large frozen bags of washed and cut mixed greens for wedding soup, and their various size meatballs are fabulous.  When Carole made the soup she pressed the meat mixture into a cookie sheet and then cut into mini squares after roasting.  And oh my their home made sausage, mild, hot, briar hill.  Stop it.

It's sunny and a little warmer, but I can't push it so won't be removing summer items from the deck to be stored.  Maybe tomorrow, a little at a time.

Hope your day is swell!

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Your choice

 of 3860 looks pretty darn nice.  I really thought 451 was better but I trust you, and wasn't able to envision the entire piece with multiple clusters in either color.  So although I liked the softness of the lighter shade in one cluster, I just wasn't sure it would be enough throughout.  

I'm thinking about the larger charts I have with the "fancy" borders, and hoping they will not be as trying as this one.  The highlighter pen covering completed areas on the chart is very helpful, but still, a PITA for me.

Adding to the difficulty is the extreme dryness that has not lessened at all.  

Have a sunny Sunday!

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Cluster color

 Hi folks.  Another afternoon of a promise to sit and do nothing, but this time I am stitching.  Errors galore, but when expected, not as maddening as ones found later.  Three bottles of Similasan in three days, need to order more.

Rachel's clusters were to be 3022, I knew from the start that would be the one color definitely changed.  Trying to find a subdued grape color wasn't easy and after first thinking DMC 28 or 30 would be perfect, neither were.  Too much color which baffled me since others in the piece were somewhat bright.  Moved to 3041 and 3042, still not happy.

Then I remembered a pear design that was a sweet soft amethyst/lavender and tried it.  I think we have a winner.  Sampler Pear #10 was stitched with 451, an odd and blah color in skein that I never used before this.  But gorgeous when stitched.

In the same family is 3860, deeper and another beauty but may be too much.  3861 is a little lighter than 451 and also a contender but again, for some reason, I was still crabby.  All of them are beautiful, not too blue, not too red, not too stark.  

The 451 is on the right and the 3860 on left.

And in the big picture...

Hmmm.  The 3860 does look good, doesn't it?   This photo is of course different than in person, but I'm looking at both and making my still woozy head spin.  Damn.

Oh well.  I'll continue with surrounding stitches until I decide.

I didn't fill the white areas of the vine on the right to prevent soiling, but will soon and then roll the top down and baste it.  I'm anxious to try the frozen linen but there are too many orange sherberts and ice creams in the fridge freeze.  And some protective guy won't allow me to use the basement stairs to the big one.

Have a good day folks.

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A pressing matter

 Regarding pressing Rachel, I'm not careful.  Sometimes I would use a lightweight terry washcloth but most times do not.  Why?  My old linens pressed easily, today's do not.  At all.  The overall crinkle just doesn't change, with Best Press, diluted vinegar, and other tips you've offered me.  Pressing on a cloth does little to smooth them, and I don't mind them since I like a more aged primitive look.  But it annoys me when I can't get a crisp finish on anything.  To me, a light dampening or spritzing is important but I found for the first time, a few hand dyed linens can be ruined.  Rachel's linen I dyed myself after several attempts to remove an unwanted undertone.  Obviously PTP or ??? because I had no issue at all.  But the new colors (like the green Buttermilk) can't even take a spritz without bleeding let alone a full dip to tone the green.  So how do we press if there are fold or obvious creases?  Steam is not enough.  Dare I try a dampened pressing cloth?   Maybe that would work since the moisture is evening distributed.  Any suggestions?

Husband is exhausted. Every day, this is what he cleans up.  One of us would use the hand blower while the other had the push behind, the tractor if the yard wasn't wet, and a lot of hand raking.  Still a ridiculous amount of work but manageable when there are two old farts working together, but I am no help this year.  Chris has even more, all oak, on a very steep hill.  We have a few, but the back is mostly maples, red sunset maples on sides.

I did receive a notice about the book cancellation in my junk folder late yesterday, along with a ton of emails that should not be there.  FB claims I have messages to read, but there isn't anything showing.  I've switched from Google to Bing, many times testing a search showed more reliable and broader results.  But I'll also check into a few others to compare.  

Carole is having some concerning issues today, I'm waiting for the nurse to call.

Hope your day goes well.

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Not what I expected

Whoa.  I found my Magma.  Stitching in hand can be a little messy sometimes but I always fold my project neatly before closing the folder.  I was surprised to find this but Mark said my actions were sometimes not reasonable.  The fever didn't come until after the treatment and from that day on, my days were spent in bed which means I was this reckless before then.  Crazy baby!  So I will need to press poor Rachel before finding my place on the chart and proceeding.  Do I want to?  I don't have an answer, to anything really.  I'm sure the fog will lift when my strength returns, but even with good mojo my eyes have been unbearably dry and scratchy.  I want to be ready when they improve so I'll look for Rachel's floss ring, smooth out her creases, and also choose another smaller project in case she is put aside.

And I guess I won't be struggling to read the Book of Days I ordered.  After not receiving a shipping or even order notice, I went back to the online shop to check for myself.  It was cancelled.  But no one notified me that the listing for one remaining in stock was incorrect.  Searching on Bing offered various sites with instructions and other ideas, good enough.  In fact, maybe even better for the project I am interested in.

Mark is very tired from doing leaves and he also went golfing today for the first time in a month.  The guys were glad to see him, not sure he will be up to the Friday group round.  I had to prove that I can be trusted to not use the stairs or walk around too much.  I passed.

It's late and I need to get back to bed but I slept too much this afternoon and won't fall asleep for a while.  The Advil has not kicked in to help my pounding head and stuffed sinuses yet, not a relapse I'm sure, just an oncoming case of sniffles.

Have a great day.

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A few treats

 Hiya.  How's everyone?  I'm sure all of you realize it's November, but that fact came as a real shock to me this afternoon.  When did it happen?  The last I remember it was the teens of October.  But there is a block of time that has escaped me I guess.

Mark went for groceries, the bank, drove to see Carole, and I stayed on the sofa all afternoon and browsed a little online.  I found a note about searching for an old Bonanomi book (Book of Days).  Available from an online quilt shop, but $14.50 shipping on a $14.95 book turned me away so I am glad I found it elsewhere.  I will have it to read soon along with her other that I received before covid, the firsts for me from this talented artist.  

 I've wanted a stitching journal from Primitive Stitcher for a long time, but will never nab one.  I'm hoping this booklet may help me create my own.  And with Hobby Lobby moving into the old Pat Catan store where Michael's failed, it will be nice to actually see and feel products.  Catan's was so highly rated, great prices and outstanding supplies, greatly missed.

I also ordered more linen colors from Hobby House hoping I like them, but if not, that's OK too.  I don't remember much about Rachel (is that the chart?) and where I am on her progress, really strange.  Tomorrow I hope to look through the stitching drawer and see what's there.  I know I received several new charts (and they are ....?), but I really feel as if I just landed and haven't been here for weeks!  

I hope you have a great day.

Stay safe, be well, treat yourself.

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