Louisa!

 Long ago a sampler was offered titled Louisa B. Snow.

Twelve years later, I purchase it. Takes me a while.  Larger than I plan to work on going forward, but those roses with the gold body above, grabbed me.  1857 is out, Louisa is in.

After seeing other finishes of 1857, although lovely, I wasn't as taken as with Carmen's on Duxbury.  Couldn't find the linen in 40 and realized no two stitcher's finishes will look alike, especially when threads are silk vs. cotton.  I know the majority of stitchers add to stash regularly, I am not.  Quite picky, feeling I will slump at some point, and cost is also a factor.  Stella is always sitting on my shoulder and honestly, I won't spend close to $30 for a small chart even if I love it.  I know, that's foolish, but there are so many designers offering excellent samplers and designs for much less.  As linen continues to rise, the total cost is a consideration.  If the chart is a must have for me, and not a small, that's different.  But I gotta love it. 

 I guess I'm getting old!!  I think I have saved more cardboard boxes than I have charts.  Hey.  They may come in handy, you never toss a good box!!

The end.

Hope your weekend is peaceful!

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New project

Always a problem.  I told myself to kit projects I intend to start soon.  But being a bonehead, that crab does not follow my instructions.  Well, anyone's instructions.

But there's a larger outdoor project, getting the material today.  This space needs something, and I've wanted a large vintage metal sign to hang year round.  If there was a place to find one here, it would probably be quite costly.  So I am getting corrugated metal and also cedar boards to paint an old looking advertising sign of ..... something.  Costing less than a finished piece, but so much work.  The metal one will probably hang on the shed, the wood here, but that depends on the result of my attempt. 

This is one found on Etsy, metal, three sizes.  One is not quite wide enough, the largest is a little too wide. The second is from Etsy also but too small.

Not sure you could help with this problem, I've searched online for a week without a fix.  My emails are in an unreadable code, and not from the correct sender.  One from blogger opens as dh gate - not the sender, BBW as Taste of Home, so on.  Restart, reinstall, followed forum advice, and a few emails arrived as they should, but then changed to code.  WTH?

This will give you a chuckle.  Sophia, just turned ten, didn't realize that the body wash she always bathed with was a mens product.  She said "oh no!  For men!  I'm washing my chest with it and that's why I'm not getting boobs!".

I'm going to go kit now.

I hate picking a linen.

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Finish

 Just posted to Instagram.

Bernarda Bellon

The Wishing Thorn

4" x 5" on 40 count with dmc.

Two rows removed from design, minor changes.

Hope you had a safe 4th.  I have never heard thunderous, disturbing, scary, finale as this one.  Unbelievable sound level.

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The answer is out there

Where?

I had to call my doc since I received no calls or results from the test.  She said I have early beats, skipped beats, and general palps, nothing would cause this feeling.  She doesn't feel the magnesium is high enough to be the cause, and since my rate for 48 hours averaged normal, those drops are ok.  The worst episode happened during the test, so now what?  She offered to make an appt with cardio, but doesn't believe their findings will be different.  No ideas regarding the cause of my episodes.  So the answer is floating in the twilight zone.  

Bernarda is taking much longer than expected.

Now about those cats.  Condensed fiasco ... they were left to die in a rental that is being razed about an hour from here.  The property owner found them and called since he knows they were friends.  No agencies would help, overloaded.  She had no choice, and several escaped.  Daily drives back and forth to trap failed.  I found out yesterday that 12 were kittens about 7 weeks old, all failing.  One died that night, four others two days later, an agency 90 minutes from here took the remaining 7 yesterday (but not the two mothers) as an emergency.  I don't know if they have an answer about the cause yet.  Several adults are still here and looking for homes, four she knows were neutered several years ago.  That really wasn't condensed enough.

Adding to my beautiful collection of Brenda cards, this is the latest.  Handmade by her, perfection.  Thank you once again Brenda!

I can take off the hoodie worn the last few evenings, hot today.  I hope everyone has a safe 4th, I wish fireworks were only in shows and homeowners had nothing more than sparklers.

Be safe!  But enjoy.

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1857

Holy smokes and stitches!

I saw this sampler offered and mentioned, everyone had to have it.  Meh.  I just didn't see it.  The photo was more bits and pieces and motifs to my eye and the sampler itself was not so special.  Don't tell my husband, but I was wrong.

 Instagram photos of the finished sampler, especially Cardamenpins reel, blew me away.  So.  Do I order since larger samplers are not in my wheel house?  I don't have many, lost the drive to tackle the big gals, but that doesn't mean that feeling is forever.  Does it??  But if that's the case, I should consider several others that I failed to add to stash because of their size.  Just in case.  Uh-oh.  I'm getting a twitch.

Have not heard a thing, which I feel is good.  If there was a serious issue causing this I'm sure I would have been notified.  My doctor is quite lax, didn't even make a follow up appointment after I told her I can't breathe and feel life draining from my body!!  But I had NO episode yesterday and after two weeks of worsening symptoms, that is puzzling but welcome.

And about those 24 cats..... they are in my sister's basement.  Several were not found and are now on their own (not local).  Makes me sick.  Finding homes for that many will be impossible.

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Progress

 Hi folks.  Thanks for the good vibes, no one has called with test results.  Maybe today.  Only two episodes yesterday.  

 Bernarda is coming along, the photo does not capture how soft and complimentary these three colors are.

And after the Dane destroyed the Bluebird piece, this is the save.  I was weaving new linen threads in the tears but continually came upon another, so I quit.  The stitchery was glued to a covered back board with the poms glued between, can't save the trim. Not important.  She's lucky I was able to save this.  Removed some of the design, will add buttons or knots on the corners where ribbon will be attached.

This is the gate (to keep Dane from escaping) for Carole's deck that hubs made.  It is the width of her ramp, quite wide, so he put a caster on the bottom of the latch end to make it easier to swing open.  Hinge does not allow to open out, only in, should work well.

There is a very heartbreaking situation happening, no resolution, no help from any agencies, I don't know how this will end.  Not good, I'm sure.  It involves two dozen abandoned pets.

Hope you have a safe and comfortable weekend.

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