Lantern

A few tweaks and it's done.  Perfect size, will order a battery candle with remote.  Copper top, but I like the steel of the original also.

Working on Rachel, can't find the 310 for the other.  She's looking better as more color is added.  After today is over, no more large gatherings to work on and I will have time to search for the black dmc.

Enjoy the weekend!

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Oh Rachel

 Our relationship isn't going well.  It's not you, it's me.  The 152 was too ghosty and the 407 I'm using is too dull.  The original has more pronounced color even on its darker linen.  Far too much to remove, I'm too lazy to start over.  Maybe the stronger colors at the bottom will allow us to reconcile.  

I am switching to The Primitive Needle's Crescent Angel this evening for a break.  Larger than I want, so ending this under 1632, moving bottom border up beneath it.

Also saw this darling snowman, a free chart on her website.

Dinner went well.  We had a nice time together, but sad.  Missing our sisters who were always the queens of this gathering.  And one of my cousins has dementia.  Of my very small group of cousins, three have died, three have dementia.  I have 12 for dinner on Saturday (that's a lot of ravioli).  

At the same time, the landscapers showed up.  Added soil to raised bed areas, used the rest of the barn stones.  This little brat thinks we made giant litter boxes.

My back and side are worse.  I can't help with leaves now.  Husband is exhausted doing it alone but no pills or patches are helping.  Landscapers removed my swing last week for easier access. When they hung it back, two of the four links weren't secured, and down I went.  May have caused the worsening symptoms, even though fine when it happened.  The swing survived too.

Beautiful weather this week but too much to do to enjoy it.

Be safe everyone.

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Grin and bear it

When my intention of ravioli dinner with ribs, balls, and sausage was discovered, one local cousin is coming into town and his wife is cutting girl's weekend short, and their adult son would like to see the cousins.  I have a set of 12 dishes, there will be a few luncheon sizes used.  Chairs?  Hmm.  I can't back out, this was planned.  Others invited previously, that's a lot of guests.

Today I am prepping the bean salad, kugel, Hawaiian sliders, and hot beef for shredding in the old crock pot.  Any new one I've tried, does not match up.

My thinning hair can be tied up but stragglers can't be trusted.  These neck gaiters sold for masks during covid are ideal!  Pulled up over my head, all hair beneath, comfortable, reliable.  Finding a hair in my guest's dinner is a real fear!

I had visitors this morning. 

 They came with him.

Salonpas is wonderful.

Adios!

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I don't stitch with silk

But am hitting the silk floral department often.

Never cared for exterior decor that wasn't natural, but these branches (three different) caught my eye.  I'll add a few bare craggy branches to this.  Mums are fading, pumpkin rotted, the old lady's back is hindering her every move.  The walk-behind blower is quite heavy to handle on sloped ground, I'll switch to the tractor next time.  If hubs allows me. 

Finding a large enough flat basket has been a chore and this one has seen better days.  But I found a used one online and am so pleased, anxious to receive.  Plans to make this simple style with grapevines never seem to take place.  Call me crazy, but constructing this with leather has crossed my mind.  Sun, rain, snow, but if properly oiled, will it hold up for a few years?  I think so, and I want it.

Anyway, I haven't been stitching.  Cousins arriving with spouses in two days, my other two living local are spending days at their lake camp three hours away.  Up to me to have the dinners and visits for the week, adding brother, Chris, and GF for gatherings.  Lots of prep, expense (they all drink different liquors, none cheap!) and food.  Stitching on hold for the week.

Nice weather, but it ain't summer.

Have a good week!

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Took a while

But I finally came up with a solution for those pots that

I like.

Not sure where these will go, if anywhere.

And the lantern will be an option for a change, holding a battery candle and a few greens for holidays.  He made this exactly the width of the copper sheet, no cutting needed, just wrap and secure. Deciding on paint or stain.

My tri-color mums are starting to open as the yellow ones fade.  Perfect timing, five for $47 at my Amish greenhouses.  Massive!

Here's Rachel progress.

Rainy day, rushed leaf pick up early this morning before it came.  We did them yesterday but there were so many this morning the grass was not visible.  My flaming red maples are again this year, barely colored and rapidly shedding.

Good day to make soup.  Which one?

Have a good day.

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Back to green

Yep.

The 936 was too strong for me on the Mink, didn't attempt on Sand.  But the dividing band of green and pink is better than using browns, quite a bit of that throughout.  All I had to do was substitute 3051 and it's fine.  

So I changed the three letters back to green (3051).  3052 may have been a better, lighter option, but I couldn't find it.  No energy to search for it.  Or patience.  It's a snark day.

Done.

We're attempting to copy this lantern for between the copper pots.  This is very dark and a little too wide.  

Wood is cut, ordering a piece of copper for top and will look up aging methods.  I could also use aluminum and mimic a copper tone.  Wish me luck !

I so miss the colonial shops we used to have here.  And the antique malls.  And the flea markets.  And department stores. 

Be safe.

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