Where do quilters shop?

We had a fantastic large fabric shop about 35 minutes away.  Opposite direction, much smaller but top quality.  Both closed several years ago.  JoAnn Fabric, now closed, did not offer the top lines, but at least we could see the fabric.  Hobby Lobby has basics, and that is the only option.  I found a quilt shop less than an hour away, very limited, cramped, and not polite.

Online is how I buy linen, most times not what I expected.  Can only imagine with all the prints and patterns offered for general fabrics, how the monitor's color will fool the eye.  Scanning bolts on display and folded fat quarters led my eyes to colors and patterns easily.  Online single or small group photos from one mfg at a time would take days.  

This color of a warm pink has not looked good with any of my limited fabrics.  So I chose a dark brown linen, not really happy about it, but how many pieces would I need to order to get a backing that would work?

The painting of the kitchen cabinets was finished today, the minor carpentry will be done by Scott in a few weeks.  I can get those charts ready to sell now, and other projects won't be nearly as time consuming. 

Should my next project be one of the berries I recently purchased, the Nash humbug, a small sampler? 

This is my favorite flower basket this year.  It's glorious and I wish I had bought two.  Lots of impatiens in pots this year, found a new greenhouse and their annuals are spectacular.  

Hope you're doing well.

Thanks for visiting.

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Just a few little motifs

 and this will be finished.

The dmc 869 was chosen over 611 and I'm really pleased.  I tried a few other off whites and decided to stay with 746.  

This photo makes the left half appear different than the right, but it's fine.  I panicked when seeing that so recounted and measured, it's just the way the linen is laying.

Will I do all the motifs?  I usually don't, especially the very small that sometimes clutter.  I shortened this by three rows, omitted the one over the large star, and raised that star a few rows.  Not sure if any others will change, but will complete this shortly.

Enjoy your day, be safe.

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746

 In choosing the lighter thread (only two colors in this), I assumed anything toward yellow would be wrong.  But I was.  The center flower in Ecru does not seem warm enough, and the 746 on the right is much better.  The skein leans to yellow but doesn't look so when stitched.  Better.  

 Not very obvious in photos, but is in person. I plan to try a slightly more yellow tone before proceeding, after another trip to the greenhouses this morning and afternoon painting.  

My sense of smell is better than most since Sjogren's, and I am more sensitive than others.  We have thousands of mosquitos waiting for the door to open so I had to use repellant.  It made me nauseous with a headache.  My only option to sit outside is with a fan directed toward me to blow them away.  Something bit the back of my neck creating a very hard but tender large lump that is spreading downward.  TMI ain't it?

Hope your weekend gets off to a good start.

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Finally .... we meet again

Good grief. ???

..... just thought about that. What grief is good?  Moving on.  Guess how many times this outline did not meet and was removed?  Four.  Well, technically three because this fourth stitching did meet.  I clipped three stitches off the top to shorten length slightly and widen the top, didn't like the narrow lobes.

Finally.

Reinforced my reluctance to use 46 count.  At height of 105 stitches on 40 count, this should be 5.25", not much difference with the three stitches I removed.  But this measures 4.75" which means this 40 count did shrink some.  Partly because of trauma I inflicted with four dye baths.  

So now I can move on.  Any other errors (and there will be) can be worked out.

My current favorite treat.

Toast topped with Nutella, fresh strawberries, powdered sugar dusting.  Not a good photo, but I kept taking a bite until I found my tablet.

Hope your ends meet!!  Enjoy your day.

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35, 46, 41..bingo!

Hi again.

I started on the 35 count WDW linen, decided it needed to be a little smaller.  Searched, no 40 count except one shop but would not spend 32 for a quarter yard when I need such a small piece.  I found 46, but have been struggling with worsening eye condition and wasn't sure it would be feasible.  Most times, different counts are slightly off a shade because of the tighter weave.  I love this one!

So I matched it on a 40 count.  This one took a while to dye using four colors, each a separate dip.  The other 40 count I dyed to a very light pink was not to be changed so I started over. 

Good!

Would love the 46 but as I said, do not trust my eyesight.  That zigging outline could easily be home to many errors.  Over one, even on 35/36 count, is easier for me to see because of the looser weave than 46.  I think this may actually be 41 or 42 now after wetting and drying so many times.

So I can get moving on this.

Still a lot of cabinet painting to do in this small kitchen.  Trying to spruce up with neutral colors.  No intention to purchase new cabinets since whoever would buy the house may want to do that in their choice.  I am liking the white, really showcases wood tone or painted furniture.  

Have a good day.  Middle of May.  What?

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Too small

Yep.  Over one on the 36 count Sanguine may not be what I expect.  I think this BBD design needs to be as charted, over two, six inches high.

I am loving smalls right now and thought it would be sweet, now I can't picture it finished over one.

So six inch it will be.  From the BBD book My Dear Hearts.

As stitched by a genius and finished by Faye on the pinky linen......

I got my standard Vista Bubblegum flowers, they are not very full and need trimmed in the center already.  I purchased a beautiful multi color that I could not resist for such a reasonable price.  When rains stop and we take a break from building an ark, I'll take a photo.

Been having a hard time again, tears flowing often if I had any.  It's the process of accepting loss, I'm not very good at it.

Have a good day.

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