Offering!

Hi everyone. I want to post that I am having an offering. Remember a few months ago, I showed journals and a box with a sampler snippet, wondering if I should try selling a few. Well this is one of them. It's a small 4" round painted box with a print of a sampler piece, and the cloved pear shown sitting on its lid will be inside.

If you would like this little pear box, just leave a comment here.  If you are "no-reply", please make sure to check back after the drawing date since I won't be able to reach you. I just decided to do this and haven't thought ahead.   I'm not sure what today is, so I can't tell you the date it will end, but it will be the end of this week.  I'll let you know exactly when next time!

No tree rockets.....yet

Hiya people.  I started decorating and realized that my patience erodes a little more with each passing year.   Surely a 100 teeny light string on a 3' tree should be manageable.  I really like this little guy and he's a newbie, so I didn't position into my throwing stance, or even threaten to.  The family room tree's lights are never removed so I only have to hang ornaments, and I noticed several burned bulbs which can be replaced.   I'm tired of the same old ornaments, and this decorating that I look forward to each year is becoming more tedious than fun.  Age?  Style change?  Laziness?  Whatever the reason, I am putting out less every year and preferring greenery, stitched pieces, dried naturals, and tin.   My feather style trees aren't even getting lights.   I love the big beautifully lit and dressed trees, but I can't seem to handle the task.  My mantel changed several times, I gave my sister most of the ornaments, and one 5' tree still needs lights.   My front door bough is now one branch instead of several, and the buckets of greens are gone.  This is the mantel today, but it probably won't be tomorrow.  The artificial will be replaced with live greens that are sitting in buckets of water in the garage.

 I used my little Schooler Santas and I already feel too cluttered and need to remove them and some of the fruit.   

I put the newly stained ornaments on a wreath in my small kitchen and my husband said he gives them a day before they're gone.  He's probably right.  They will end up on the tree.

One of the doctors I worked for gave everyone an ornament from Wendell August Forge each year, and the managers received a plate.  They have such beautiful items and now have jewelry also.  I thought it was a great idea for an office staff - not too expensive, everyone gets the same, and the longer you work the bigger your collection!  The back is stamped with the design name and year.  Check out their site if you need a gift.  They have ornaments with Bible verse, religious themes, angels, snowmen, Santas, military, baby, you name it.  Excellent selections.

Finally, I have this framed stitched piece that is displayed every year and I am growing tired of it also, even though the design and stitches are so sweet.   Love those big hips.  I still have this chart if someone would like it.   Just email and let me know.

That's it.  I'm done.  I wanted to show a few new charts but I can't find them, nor can I remember what I really wanted to post about.  I figured it would come to me when I started typing ...... ain't happening.  Next time I'll make a note.  I have tablets everywhere that do me no good without the pen, and I would misplace the note anyway so why bother?   Flashes have been really bad again and now my eyebrows are sweating.  My EYEBROWS.  I need them tattooed since the waterproof pencil can't even stay on. 

So have a great weekend everyone and if menobrain gets in gear, I'll post again with whatever the hell it was that I was posting about to begin with. 

Stay safe!  Thanks for visiting!

Whew.

Hello everyone!  I'm finally finished with the EBay sales and everything is shipped.  What a disaster here.  The shipping supplies and paperwork are put away and the rest of the charts are being recycled or burned.  Selling 75 cross stitch items within a week was a stupid thing to do but it's done.  All the Klostern is gone!  All the Cork linen is gone!  All the ceramic Bush buttons are gone!  If it didn't interfere with postal weight I added a few bonus charts to get rid of them.  A few that I think are beautiful Santas did not get a bid for $1 and those were Alma Lynn's.  Some Shepherd's Bush samplers didn't go either which surprised me.

Now I can get the ornaments on the trees and finish up decorating.  I found my Lydia Hinckley sampler.  Red Santa will hopefully show up tomorrow.  I throw everything in one room when ridding clutter so I'm confident he's there.  Green Santa is sewn and I wanted to show a few pictures of ornaments that I stitched many many years ago on a light sage Aida. 

I have a few large Prairie Schoolers done on the same fabric.  I decided they needed a change so .... you guessed it....I stained them!   I used very strong coffee and dabbed with a soaked cloth.  I made sure I saturated the white beards first with water on a cotton swab.  I avoided them with the coffee and again flushed with a water soaked cotton swab to dilute after staining.  I like the difference and plan on doing the whole lot tomorrow.

The velvet hangers will be changed to hemp or homespun strips.   The small Santas are from Prairie Schooler's book #20, St. Nicholas.  Required fabric is 24 count cottage brown Heartland, which I found stashed in the leaflet.  Love the feel and color of that fabric which I may one day use to re-stitch them.  As for the Santas I finished and had in the bowl, I tried the garland idea....

I don't like it and I think I will just place them among the greenery on the mantel.  

Another little tree, this time a short cheap one that I hacked up.  It started out as a regular fully branched tree.  I used wire cutters and removed every other section, wrapped brown electrical tape around the trunk to hide the amputations, and will go over that tape with either brown matte floral tape, or a small brown print homespun strip.

Here's the Green Santa (without the brown jingle bell corners as of yet) from BOAF and I made a decision about the next finish.   If you notice the bottom, it's not very smooth and this is my biggest problem now when finishing.  Whether I hand sew or glue, I can't get a good line.  I stick a long needle into the backing and use it to move filling to the seam edge but it never comes out as nice as the other edges.  So.  I plan on machine stitching all four edges, using an envelope overlap on the backing.   Doing contrasting X's (Nash style) over the flap would be a nice touch, or a few dabs of glue would work too.  How easy will that be!  Access to all seams and corners for perfect edges and even filling.  

 Lydia Hinckley.  Short and sweet.  I missed out on a few sampler graphs that sold out on Scarlet Letter's sale.  She is still having a 50% off sale on selected graphs and kits so get your orders in before they're gone.  I totally missed Essamplaire's sale.   My list (lists) of charts to purchase is still missing, hoping it's in the mess room. 

 I went to my seamstress today with a jacket, and forgot the jacket.  Maybe I was flustered because I was trying to start the car with the house key.  And yesterday was very very strange.  I started crying in the car.  Don't know why, and it was very hard to control.  It was four years ago on December 1 that they took mom from my home for the final time, but I know when the tears are for her.  For an unknown reason, the day before, I had a flashback to 30 years ago.  I have claustrophobia which is why I can't go underwater.  It's like putting a plastic bag on your head to me.  Panic.  But as I laid at the pool on vacation in Florida, some odd colors or reflections on the water caught my eye .  I stood up and saw huge eyes and tiny little hands reaching up at the bottom of the pool.  I jumped in and grabbed the baby.  No one even knew he was gone and until they heard his choking screams, I had no idea who he belonged to.  They didn't speak English, took him from me, and moved on.  For some reason, this came flooding back and I don't know what, if any, connection this had to my crying jag. 

And finally, here's Junior.  You can see in these pics how he is a clone of his dad.  They both have white sandals on front paws and white boots on the back, same chest and throat markings.

Whoops! 

 Hit the publish button by mistake.  I had more but I guess that will be saved for another day.  Thank you for visiting!  Have a great week!

It's been awhile!

Hi everyone.  Aren't the weeks flying by?  I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.  We're having ours next Sunday because my brother wasn't able to attend.   I already ate two pumpkin pies so apple and elderberry will be dessert with the turkey.  My thumb finally healed and I completed the little sampler along with a few more sewing projects.  Husband was sweet enough to wash the walls for me and while we were moving everything around, I kind of misplaced it.   The fabric and chart for the second sampler in the set is with it and I'm sure I will locate it soon. 

I'll be decorating my little trees with lights tomorrow and am hoping there are no incidents.  I have no patience with light strings.  None.  Last year, a six foot pencil tree (the skinny ones) became a tree rocket.  I tried so hard to be patient and calm, but after so many tries, I slid open the window next to the tree, and threw it like a javelin.  It didn't go very far but far enough to clear the window frame and have the squirrels scatter.  Felt good. 

I bought teeny lights this year and they work really well on primitive trees.  The bulbs I use on the window candles are silicone coated.  They sell string lights with the coating but they are pricey so ..... I make my own.  It works on the teeny bulbs or the regular miniatures.  You can purchase clear 100% silicone caulk, or use white or ivory.  The clear allows more sparkle and light and the solid gives more of a glow.  It has to be silicone, not the acrylic blends. 

If you have a basement or garage to hang them, it makes it easier since they will be drying out of your way.  Secure each end so the string hangs high enough to be accessible for dipping.  Make sure it can't fall or you'll have a real mess. They really should be hanging down so the long swirl tip won't bend over.   I squeezed the caulk out in a little pile into a cut off styrofoam cup but it works better on something flat.  Dip or roll the bulb until it's covered and either leave the top swirl or just pat it into a ball.  Move on to the next one hanging from the string.  It takes several hours to dry and you can go over them again for a really thick coating if you'd like.  Mistake?  Just peel it off and re-do.  It's best to wear a pair of exam (latex) gloves because the silicone is completely waterproof and very hard to remove.  The caulk starts drying quickly and becomes thicker and more difficult to dip, so squeeze out small amounts at a time.  I may try one with ivory/beige this year too.  It lasts forever.

I had a few emails about the nut garland that I mentioned.  All you have to do is drill any nut and string with fishing line or wire.  I hold each one with channel locks or large pliers because they can roll while you're drilling.  For my small trees, I use the hazelnut garland which I display all year hanging over a window.

 

I haven't found the bins of nuts this year so I resorted to buying the bag which is more expensive.  Almonds do not string well and pecan shells crack more easily so I stick with walnuts and hazelnuts.  I make large garlands with pomegranates, walnuts, and dried oranges, but for small trees, only hazelnuts. 

 I've been checking EBay for santa charts among others and they aren't even selling for $1.  After Ebay fees and especially Paypal, if you charge .$50, you end up with $.15 so it's really not worth the massive amount of time to scan and list each one, then pack and mail.    You can list up to 50 items free every month and those fees are only if the item sells.   But it's so much time to scan and list and I see many of the same charts not selling so I plan on donating or recycling.  I did list and sell the Shepherd's Bush stockings, mainly because the Cork linen was included.  I have a few things on now, and will be listing the large Cinnamon Stick santas with fabric next week.  At least I got rid of all the 19 count and am hoping these charts w/fabric will also go, along with a full yard of Klostern.   If you are interested, my Ebay ID is early-works and you can find me here.

That's about all I have for 'ya.  Hope you have a great week and nice weather.  The "s" word is in our forecast.   Drat. 

I welcome and appreciate my new followers.  Thank you thank you thank you.  I hope I won't disappoint you and plan on showing more needle to fabric.   Till then, thank you for visiting, stay safe and warm!

A wonderful surprise!

Hello everyone. I received the most wonderful surprise and personal gift in the mail Saturday from Connie and have to share it with you. She stitched and finished this Notforgotten Farm design from the winter issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine. I am so thrilled! Connie left the strap very long so I could adjust to my display (and the buttons holding it are so sweet) and it worked perfectly.

  

It will hang on my window trim in the family room but for the holidays, I decided to hang it in the dining room with my orange slice garland and my five foot tree decorated with dried citrus. The colors are perfect and Connie, thank you again, I so love it!

Here's the third and final finish for the PA  Redware, now hanging in the kitchen. I was not real happy with the mounting, but kept my mouth shut because I like her and it was a slippery day. Some days I let things slide off my back, and some days it's like flypaper, sticky from a flash, the smallest irk trapped, held there, grinding away, digging into my back, until I have no choice but to rip it to shreds. Today was her lucky day. I also finished all the little Santas with the stiff interfacing and am very pleased. SO much easier since Vonna's site showed me how foolish I was in rushing and not evenly trimming the piece at the start. My presser foot rode along the edge and I wasn't concerned about following the weave.

I purchased small rusty looking jingle bells today and may outline the edges with a few, or just the corners, or use a homespun strip for garland and attach to the top corners with big buttons, or not, just use big rusty jingle bells hanging from the homespun between the Santas.....OK.  Strip of homespun, very large rusty bell between each, medium bell hanging from the bottom of the pillow.....no.  Oh hell.   Never mind.  Whatever I do it won't be the end of it anyway.

And as for trees, I bought another small one, a three foot that is the same style as the two foot I showed last post. I have enough trees in my attic to open a Christmas shop, but I can't help myself.   With so few shops around here and even less that offer a more primitive tree, I grab it when I see it or it will be gone.

This is a another three foot and one of my favorites that will get tiny lights with tin and pewter ornaments..... or not.

  Maybe just nut garland.  Yes - nut garland!  And tiny lights.  Silicone dipped lights!  Originally, the Santas I just sewed were to be ornaments but the older I get the smaller my trees get, and they are too large for a small tree.  I would love to have a large sampler tree like Linda Wallace's tree on Mary Beale's site. She notes that some of the designs are parts of a larger sampler. Neat idea - I never think to do that.

 

  And finally, here's Junior.  Dad is still watching over him while he plays with absolutely nothing.  

 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend, whether at home and quiet, or out with a group.
Thank you for visiting and Happy Thanksgiving.



 

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Fingers and food

Hello everyone!  Hope there is sunshine in your day.   It finally broke through the clouds today after days of wind and rain and it is cold!  The sun makes it a little easier to tolerate, but I still hate it. 

First of all, thank you thank you thank you to my followers.   I know I don't always show enough stitching and usually get off track, so I appreciate your sticking with me.   So what have I been up to?  Not much.  I tried fully opening a pair scissors to use one blade as a scraper, and it sliced right into my right thumb.   The slightest pressure caused it to bleed so I used surgical strips to keep it closed.  Trying to grab the needle was difficult to say the least, especially with a bandage.  In another brainless move, I removed the protection and although extremely sore, I managed to grab the needle, until the eye hit exactly in the cut and sunk in.  Yikes.  It is finally better and not throbbing so I started a small project.

I plan on doing both of these small samplers and trying to frame them myself.   Lydia is first, and I only made one color change.  The linen I chose is the SL 25 count that I bleached, dyed, and dried on high heat.  Here is the comparison of the before and after.  Look how that weave tightened.  It's very soft in hand but substantial and I like the results.   After starting the project, I checked stitch count and here it is - looks like it is now 28 which is great.

 So now, for the first time, I have three projects in the works.  Lucy, Red Santa, and Lydia.  It's not as bad as I thought it would be considering my difficulties with decisions. 

Next, I want to mention that I posted several new recipes.  Two are Thanksgiving standards that can be made ahead.  The first one is a better green bean casserole.  The second is sweet potato pie casserole.  Our other favorite for turkey day is the cranberry walnut salad.  I also added an odd sounding dish but believe me -it is good - corned beef with peaches.  I know - doesn't sound even remotely compatible but you'll be surprised.  And finally, a few new purchases.

I love drawers and purchased this locally with a 20% off coupon.  I hated to pay that much but it is really necessary to keep me organized with receipts.  How does that sound?   Justified?         It's on the kitchen counter and on top of it rests my new little tree...

It's 18" tall and in the crock, perfect for the kitchen.  I am getting away from the big trees and prefer something smaller but it's not easy finding one that I like.  Very few shops around here carry something different. 

And finally....are you ready for this?  I think I may trying dyeing/staining my sofa.  WHAT?  Woman are you crazy?  Of course. 

The sofa is like new (but too large) and I know I wouldn't get enough $$$ selling it, so I thought before I have it recovered, why not try changing it a little first.  The fabric is Waverly's cotton and has sizing or protection because water is beading up.  So I sprayed it with water that had a touch of Dawn in it and let it dry.  Then - black walnut stain.  Here's the sample of fabric I worked on.  Next will be the back of the piece to test a large area.  If it works, I have a matching wing chair so I better stock up on the walnut juice.  Wish me luck! 

Final note, to those of you who emailed about the Postman Santa - the wonderful people at Leisure Arts located the chart.  That design is from Christmas Portraits, a hardcover book from the Christmas Remembered series, published in 1991. It is discontinued and no longer available but EBay and Amazon have the book.  The little chubby guy on the box from my prior post is Mosey 'n Me's Hanging by a Star #34.

So ladies and gents, thank you for visiting with me, and I hope you have a great weekend.  Can you believe how late in the year it is already?  Closer to next summer is the way I look at it!