Rolling along

on a sweet cheese Nalesniki kind of day.  A short time before serving from the oven, we top with sour cream and a sprinkle of sugar.  

Terrible storm last night.  I move my flowers under the swings when heavy rain is predicted, but the wind actually knocked a few over.  My Grabber Buddy helped with the loads of fallen branches.

Sending a few crepes and other goodies to Carole along with some laundry.  Chris and Matt are taking it all up today for their visit.  This was one of the hankies being pressed, we love this black edging against the colors.  Wouldn't this make a great sampler border?  Pastels outlined with black is not in a design I remember seeing but that doesn't mean there isn't one.

Hope your week gets off to a good start.  Mine starts in the dental chair finally.  

Be well, stay safe!

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Options

Knowing full well that the pouches will be added to the pile in need of sewn finish is pushing me to do it now.   That pile is large enough.  After a load of options and closures, I settled on two.

 Fringed flap on front piece that won't interfere with opening.

Simple drawstring.

Since I plan to age and stain a little, the construction should be fairly simple and primitive.  Adding closure buttons or loops would appear a little too modern or cute to me.  This week anyway.  Next week may be a button and loop party.  

I haven't found a chart for the third pouch, two may be enough.  If I do add another, it will be very small and have a leather flap.  Sort of like this rosary pouch on Etsy from CLNleathercraft, but I envision an oval shaped bottom.  Leather lacing for a strap, maybe just initials and a few motifs.  A leather flap will be too heavy and the body needs to be structured enough to hold it.  How do I know?  I've tried it before and failed.

We visited with Carole and took food goodies, one was the Tortellini crock pot soup/stew/something.  Very easy.  Crumbled cooked Italian sausage, 6 or 8 oz bag of fresh spinach chopped, 24 oz low sodium chick broth, two 12 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes with juice (or one 28 oz), an 8 oz brick of cream cheese chopped.  Low for four-five hours, stir a few times to blend cheese during cooking time.  Half hour before serving, add 19 oz bag of frozen cheese tortellini.  Continue cooking until tender, anywhere from 15 minutes to 30.  You can use seasoned tomatoes or add Italian seasoning to taste.  A few years ago I started to lay a towel over the top of the crock and secure with the lid to catch the liquid.  When wet, I slide the towel to the dry end and it works great to keep the meal from getting too watery.

Sunny and warm today.  There is a fat hairy spider between the screen and window which will now not be opened all summer.

Enjoy the weekend, be safe.

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Pouch #2

 Just posted to Instagram, Ooh la la finish of the second pouch.  It's not sewn yet, will wait until the grouping is stitched before deciding to flap or not.  

30 count unbleached, DMC two strands over two.  I was surprised at the DMC conversion to 647 and 648.  The are quite dull and not the recommended conversion for the GA colors which are 522 and 524.  I used 503 and 3053, because .... well, you know how I am.

As for aging, I may dab/drip a brown or gray dye in a few places after testing in the margin area, especially where the pouch would have been handled most.  Adding a drop of water immediately after sometimes creates that ring that mimics a stain.

Missy is starting to eat a little, not much though.  How a cat can eat the head, bones, fur, and paws of a mouse or mole and turn down $2.00 a can food is baffling.  But she was on her own and survival depended on that hunting, even 12 years later, habits die hard.  She will not leave me, and is continually talking.  We are allowing outdoor time since she loves it.  I have not removed Nit's favorite "hut" on the deck yet.  She still goes to it first thing, several times, sniffing and rubbing.

Have a great weekend folks.

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Halo halo halo

Hello.

Going through a pile of crap in the spare bedroom, I found another piece of the Waverly upholstery fabric.  I had a camel back sofa upholstered in it many years ago and have 2.5 yards extra.  I don't want to lose that sofa but with no upholsterers, have no choice.  If anyone wants this piece for chair pads or something, you can have it for the shipping cost.  Yardage weighs 2# and would probably fold into a medium Priority Box.  Email me if you want it.

I had such a difficult evening.  All the old photos were gone through and I burned the duplicates and ones of unknown persons.   The kids with ratty clothes playing outside, row houses with front porches and everyone sitting out and talking after dinner, picnics with the guys playing cards, just so emotional.  My aunts, my parents, uncles, cousins, looking at how they lived and struggled with very little.  Yet they found pleasure in getting together, playing cards, and telling stories.  Connecting.  Wireless meant something different back then.  Nothing plugged in, it was person to person, face to face, this was the original wireless.  How I wish I could go back, spend more time with Nona and learn some Italian, take my aunts out for the afternoon, and more importantly, have my parents tell me in their own words about their early days.

And then .... the tiniest little frick of a tick has caused inflammation and itching.  I got him with my gifted tweezers for stitching.  Hated to use them but needed that pointed end.  And now we wait to see if anything develops in a few weeks.  Geez.

I have never seen a rainbow on a bright sunny day, nor one that is not arched, nor one that has no beginning or end!  Weird huh?  I must have snapped the lens 25 times to get the right area.  I can't look up at the bright sky for more than second so just held up the camera and clicked.  The second photo shows a ring around the sun and after searching online, it is not uncommon.  Called a halo, certain conditions can create a rainbow ring.  Huh.  A rainbow ring.  Who knew?  Probably my husband.

May is half over.  WHAT???

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A good match

 With the prices and selection this year, I am glad we bought the petunias.  No sense searching for anything else and that bubblegum pink with lime green vines looks great against the dark house.  But the front door gets only a few hours of sun and they will not do well there.  So what did I find today that is the same pink and tolerates part shade?  

Bingo!

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Wow

 Unbleached thirty count, two strands, over two, blast from the past.  What a difference.  So quick and easy.

Following the chart color of 407 for the border, but changed the 3777 to 347.  I think the really bright red looks close to the original piece and a little more primitive.  Surprising since muted and dusty is the norm for an aged look but on this coarse dark linen, none are.  Can't figure that out but it is what it is.  And I like it.

We went to four Amish greenhouses in search of the Vista petunias in Bubblegum pink, Silverberry, or Paradise.  Carole wants ferns and Bubblegum for her house as always, and I was so worn out I decided to purchase the same for here.  Only one greenhouse had the Bubblegum, no other Vista colors.  We found one large Vista mix in another greenhouse, that was it.  Prices were quite high so I am glad the tunia we were looking for was in the smallest 8" pot and less $$.  I am very surprised that the other colors weren't available and especially that the Bubblegum best seller was not even offered at several places.  Or were they already sold before Mother's Day?

Our garage door will be coming in soon and I still haven't found a paint to match the stained cedar or even come close.  Computer matches have had green or red tones.  Almost impossible to match a charcoal brown.

Happy hump day.

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