Wooly balls

 If you have pets, be very careful with the wool snowballs that are a big seller this year.  I read that several pups thought the little balls were for play or food and the wool felt stuck in their throats.  Please pass on to friends!

I have one more color to fill in the right border (still not stitching the white until the end), and will go back to removing the entire center motif including the wonky gold rice.  One of the reasons they aren't even or "firm", this area was frogged once before (thread was too light) and the same linen threads have been poked one time too many.  Another reason they lost their body is from dyeing and washing, which could have been a number of times.  I'll use Best Press to size and stabilize the linen threads, should help the stitches be more uniform.  Then, on to the house and beast.

We're going to Pittsburgh Monday for Carole's appointment.  

Very soon ..... December.  Closer to summer.

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Masking the truth

 Just a little tidbit, hope it offers a giggle.

I went to the store!  Got a haircut!  Visited Carole!  Then collapsed but I made it.

While walking to the check out, a man wearing a face mask said "hey, how's it going?".  Mark proceeded to tell him how sick I was, and I've seen how involved he gets in expressing this so continued down another aisle.  I didn't recognize the man nor want him to know about my body and its malfunctions, but knew Mark had shared the situation with friends.  Rounding another aisle to make my way back to the checkout, I see Mark still in conversation.  As I approached, the man said "I just heard your life story".  We wished him a good day and parted.  Mark asked "who was that?" 

Whoever he is, he knows me well and every detail of my miserable month.  I doubt he will ever casually ask how it's going to another shopper.  Damn masks.

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Hiding in plain sight

 Still working on Rachel and anxious to get to the bottom area, but there is a little sneak that keeps showing up.  See her peeking out?  Some times exposing just a corner, other times quite brazen, a few times in your face.  I don't want to conceal her.  She is studied at times as I do all charts (not instructions, just the chart) and I am afraid that she will disappear as most others do in the unorganized mess.

She's really pushing the button, I'm not mad, but getting anxious.  Next thing I'll be doing is pulling red threads.  I must resist!  Rachel will never be finished if I set her aside.  

I investigated the link for Optilight Martha was sweet to send about the latest treatment for dry eyes and it looks promising.  I even called my specialist for more information.  Not available here, but he checked more details and found that glands dead from Sjogrens don't revive (his opinion).  If I had a choice between treatment for eyes and mouth, I would definitely choose mouth.  Eyes can be soothed, even if needed every 15 minutes, but there is no product that can make eating enjoyable again or heal my tongue.  I appreciate the referral to this site, thank you Martha!  I'll continue to ask and investigate, never accept one opinion.  Unless it's mine because according to all that know me (and still speak to me) I know everything, and I'm always right.

Have a nice day folks.

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Rice

 One of the food items that is almost impossible for me to eat.  Even water with each mouthful, it sticks and will not go down.  Why isn't a liquid aid similar to saliva available?   Geez.

The rice stitch isn't much easier for me.  Please don't think that Krista was being critical, absolutely not the case, it was a comment about her Rachel finish.  I'm grateful that she did because I decided to change the large center flower since the white thread fill was not done yet.  The alphabet and band would not be noticed and will stay basic.  

I started on the center and proved once again that I have issue with tension and uniformity which is important for speciality stitches.  To me anyway.  After removing the flower, I will move to the right border for a bit.  Lots of appointments and I have to get to the facility for several things, Monday to Pittsburgh.  Then I will take my time and attempt neat rice stiches.  

I love these on sandwich, salad, anything.

Have a good day!

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Lazy know-it-all

 Holy crap.  Krista commented on my Rachel photo on Instagram and mentioned the rice stitch.  ???  Did she decide to do rice on her own or am I that arrogant and oblivious to instructions?  The latter of course.  Not only is the very large central flower rice stitch, the dividing band above it is also.  Why would that band be in rice you would wonder.  Because the three rows of large alpha above it should be dipstick!!  Part eyelet, part rice, and nary one in sight.  Dammit.  

Each graph square has a symbol, and usually a large specialty stitch symbol covers all four squares or has a different symbol.  But that's my fault entirely for not reading the chart.  I could excuse my lack of attention to a covid fog but I did the alpha before that happened.  And we're past the menomania.  Well, not completely.  I still use that defense for acquittal and sympathy while wiping my forehead from a not as hot as they used to be flash.   And thanks to masking, my face is always a little damp so it's still believable.  

But not with this flub.  Does it matter?  Unless very close to the stitching to study, rice is not as obvious in alphabets.... to me.  Eyelet?  More obvious.  Basic cross stitch?  Good enough.  But that central flower is already completed with three colors, and I believe it would be a nice feature in rice stitch.   Do I want to remove and do over?  

Give me a minute to wipe my forehead.

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Love this product

But before that .... Rachel progress.

I used to sew my own clothing back in high school, even my prom gowns, there was no option for tall skinny girls over fifty years ago.   And I hated it.  Still have the same machine.

When caring for mom, I started altering her clothing to cover coffee and food stains.  This led to other family and friends bringing tops for me to play with and do the same.  It was fun!  Also hides holes from cat claws.  The easiest was a wide print center band from top to bottom with buttons.  Recently purchased tall tops from Old Navy that are LONG to wear with leggings and I'm considering adding decoration.

Using a fusible for applique, these were so easy, I just outline the edges with a machine zig zag after fusing.  But learned that the cotton fabric MUST be washed and dried first!  On some, the edges were left to fray with just a straight stitch outline.  The top center back always had a smaller coordinating element.

I've tried sewing stretchy jersey before and it was a mess, never flat and neat.  Adding hem or other lightweight fusible offered flat hems that were stiff and obvious.  This product is not fused.  A thin strip of tacky hold that will be removed when washed, no residual stiffness.  No hot iron, no heat at all required.  You just press it on the edge (hem, zipper, applique), remove paper strip, fold over or secure the second fabric, finger press.  It held the jersey secure enough to stitch without stretching and IF my machine was working, it would be even better.  It won't pick up bobbin thread for any stitch other than straight.  

But it's a nightshirt that went from floor length to knee length and was so much easier, and the hem is neat!

About the kids' gifts.  I used to love spending hours in stores looking for top and bottoms that coordinated, but Miss Sophia has become so fussy that is a waste of time and money.  Autistic Matt rarely will accept all items so their mom is better at knowing what they will wear.  Last year we went with new blankets, comforters, pillows, underwear.  So more underwear this year and I'm thinking sleeping bags.  They use them for watching TV and unzip to add to their bed when really cold.  Been a few years, I'll bet they are tattered by now.  Cash?  Visa cards one year were not spent on them, another story, absolutely not an option for such young kids.

Monday monday melting snow.  

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