Winner

Good evening all.  Random.org scrambled every comment entry and seven email entries, and then generated number 49, which was assigned to Annmarie.  Hello Annmarie!  You're no-reply so I can't notify you other than this post.  Please send your address, country, and planet along with your choice of design.  Thanks to everyone for participating.  I will probably offer another pear at some time and I may just keep my list of entries from this post and have a surprise notice of a winner when I get bored.

Having a little relapse tonight but will start going through charts before bedtime.  I think Eliza has linen and threads at the ready so starting her would be the easiest.  But where is she?  I can put it aside if I change my mind and really do not feel like going through all the linen colors, especially trying to find the right cut.  I still hate cutting into a large piece and will search until I find one that is close, even if I'd prefer the color of the larger piece.  I am so weird.  But I make everyone else feel normal.  Nothing boosts the spirit like knowing there is someone more peculiar than you.

Thanks for participating again!

Knots - stitching & stomach

Good morning.  I'm in the middle of a dark and windy rainstorm, trying to catch up on blogs.  The cats came in to eat like they were shot out of a cannon.  Well they're finished, and I can't get them back out. Under the hutch, the chair, anywhere to hide.  Now I'm stuck at home until they're out.  I just came from Carol's Stitching Dreams blog and she mentioned colonial knots with a link to an instructional video.  You can't beat Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread for detailed videos on almost any stitch.  I couldn't remember the difference between Colonial and French knots and wondered which of those are my method.  French.  I've never had a problem but will give the Colonial a try.  Mary's photos of her work using both methods makes me want to knot all day.  Love the look. 

 

 

 

The Colonial knot video is here 

 

 

 

and the French is here. 

Both photos are from her site.

Oh boy.  I just heard the rush seat chair fall.  The boys are roughhousing again.  When I visited Agway for squirrel corn yesterday, the handsome orange tabby with the wide face, so calm and sweet, was still living in the small cage.  No one has adopted any of the adults for a long time.  This tabby is such a handsome well mannered gentlemen.  I spend as much time as I can trying to stroke them through the cages.

 

If you're sick of reading about the damn cabinets, go away now.

As for the cupboards, they are well constructed, but there are a few problems.  I helped him carry them in and immediately saw the leg (bracket - whatever) problem.  He rabbeted in another piece of 7/8" thick wood - I don't know why.  He's never seen this style and I guess he didn't look closely at the drawings.  I can't even add vertical 3/4" slats to fill that area because his wood is thick and it should certainly not be down to the leg bottom.  So we will try to carefully cut it off, but I seriously doubt it will end up straight and smooth.  I am not having him transport these large pieces in his open bed truck again with three days of rain scheduled.  If we fail, we will cut the legs off. 

The drawing specifically stated a fixed shelf in the middle of the two smaller cabinets on the end.  There is none. The center stile on which the 18" doors close, is missing on both pieces.  My heart really sank when I saw this.  He said the doors are butt doors.  NO THEY ARE NOT!!!!  There is no center overlay on any of them and the center stile is on the drawing.  I got out the tape and measured, realized the opening was too large for the doors and he had forgot to install the stile.  Whew.  They can be added.  Now for the final disappointment. 

 His method is to recess the back in 3/8" instead of flush, and adding this 3/4" blocking to the bottom shelf in addition to the thickness of the plywood back = my dishes don't fit.  I can use a higher shelf but I've always stored them on the bottom.  Even then, they just fit because my doors are partially inset.  So. I'm not as upset as I should be because I've been disgusted for so long.  Having to reach up to get my dishes is the thing that bothers me most.   The heaviest and largest items should be on the fixed bottom shelf, not above.  Whatever.  I'm done.  The next time you see them they will be painted and on the wall, and the kitchen changes will end there.  I can't do this any longer.

If you made it this far, thanks for listening to me whine.  I wonder if my husband prefers that over shouting.  Dare I ask?

Enjoy your day! 

Well...duh!

Greetings.  Didn't tell you when the drawing will be did I?  Since I am feeling better today and half of my mind is back, how about Wednesday at 8 pm EST?  I guess there are some readers who can't leave a comment, so just click the email button at the top right and I will add you.

Many have stated that they are concerned about finishing the pears.  Try the pattern on fabric scraps first.  My older post Finishing a pear plus the template shows my method, which may not be the best, but it worked for me.  Here's the template again, and it's also at the bottom of the Pears page.

You would think that scanning something this simple would be a sharp image, but not on this HP.  Open this in Windows Live Photo Gallery and choose full page to print.  You can sew in further at the top and outward on the hips to exaggerate or create the shape you want.  Enlarge on a copier if needed.  I think the biggest help is the fusible interfacing which holds the shape very well, clipping the seams, and definitely pressing the seams open before clipping.  The bottom bends gets bunched when turned and I use a very wide V to trim excess here, fabric glue to close.

Right now, I am waiting for Dominic to deliver the two large cabinets that we can't fit in the SUV.  I have a jar of my hot pepper butter and some chocolate for him.  So grateful he came through for us in short order.  The pepper butter is hot, and dark chocolate calms the burn.  Wait - he's here. 

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I'm back.  The cabinets aren't right.  He pulled out my DETAILED drawing, and saw that he was wrong.  Whatever it is, it is. Mark and I will try to add the missing center stiles, but nothing we can do about the legs.  I opened the tightly wrapped doors from the cabinet company and see one miter that is open, another is half open, two rails are cracked.  Life is good - get over it.

Time to hit the Dove bags!!

Pear offer

Good morning.  Hope the weekend is going well. 

If you would like to enter the drawing for one of these four designs, please leave your entry on this post.  Initials if anonymous or no reply. 

 Checking to see if you are no-reply is not as easy as it used to be with upgrades to Blogger and Google+.  But if you want to know for sure, click here to see the steps.  If you don't have your own blog on which to leave a comment, just follow the steps.  I'm sure some of you prefer that setting and don't want a reply to your comments.   Not all blog owners reply to comments and some feel that is rude, others feel it's unnecessary.  Note to anonymous Karen - the pear designs are all free under the Pears tab beneath the header photo.

 

The boxes were painted and ready for labels. Remember the first HP laptop crash and having to start over with labels on another HP?  My newest one is a Dell after the second HP crash, and adjustments in color need to made again, but minor compared to the last time. 

The printer is also HP (Photosmart series), less than a year old, and uses more ink than you can imagine, even on normal settings.  But some times, it likes to throw out more red, then stop the red for a few lines, and then start over.  Like this.  Why haven't I had it replaced under warranty?  Because they will only replace it with another HP and this being my third, I want nothing to do with their products.  Why haven't I bought a different brand yet?  Individual ink colors!  I run out of yellow but have $80 of other ink still usable.  Needless to say, I am so frustrated (and out of red ink again) that I don't know when or if the labels will be done.  I spent two entire days printing over and over and trying to adjust colors.  I think this will be the last offer for boxes.  For the amount of time I put into them, it costs much more than I charge. 

 I have so many blank 3 box sets, large and small, and don't know if I want to bother doing Ebay to sell them, or if a good fire is in order.  Sometimes I would rather incur the loss and have it over with immediately.  No waiting for a buyer, no buying packing boxes, stuffing, labels, just get it done. Which is exactly the attitude I'm taking for a new printer.  Just forget about the ink costs.  Wait - the Animal Welfare thrift store!  Perfect.  I'm sure they will take the boxes. My two little square favorites are the only ones ready.  I'll let you know when and if there will be a sale.

The bug that I thought was invading is not a bug.  There is something wrong and it's robbing me of sleep and food, so I am crabbier than normal.  I know which tests the doctor will order and that thought puts me up to Queen Crab status, and the current exalted ruler of Bitchdom.

So here we go - if you want a pear, leave a comment here.  No need to give your preference in the entry, you can make that decision if your name is drawn.

Thanks for visiting!

My choices for you

Hello all.  Just wanted to let you know that Sunday morning I will be posting a few boxes for sale, and opening the giveaway for one of my pears.  I'm offering you these choices ~ you can decide which you would like, should you win.  Don't leave an entry yet!  I'm only posting this now because if I don't, I will be waffling all weekend on which designs to offer.  See?  I'm learning.  Make your decisions official so you can move on.  No looking back, no changes, no more wasted time. 

I haven't been feeling up to par, not ill, but not well.  It's like a bug is trying to invade but as soon as it gets close, it's gripped by fear and takes a step back.  Another benefit of bitchdom. 

I was in Ohio at a doc office this week and saw an Animal Welfare League thrift store.  Damn.  I just got rid of all those good sweaters and bowls and stitchery!  Next time, my items will be going there.

Enjoy the weekend.

Back on Sunday ~ no entries until then. 

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

 

 

 

What's next?

Hiya.  How's the week going?  Mine has been unproductive so far.  I have so many tasks to do, and starting another before the prior is finished, is creating total confusion.  And nothing is done.  Much time was wasted looking for the yogurt I just started eating and set down somewhere.  I didn't want to wait until the odor led me to it, so I took the time to search.  Good thing I realized it was missing.

I'm not anxious to go through the charts and linen rolls to choose the next project.  I can't decide if I should use the Swiffer or Reveal mop, so how can I pick a project?  This afternoon I will make a hole in the clutter on the table, and paint some boxes if I can find my brushes.  I was using them to test wall paint samples and now....????  I'm sure when I start searching, something else will catch my eye, I will become distracted, and either change my mind about painting or forget what I was looking for.  The tall 4" oval was discontinued so I bought them all and have loads.  Some will be covered with fabric, some papered, some labeled.  I can be thinking about the next project while I'm working.  Eliza Pomeroy and Ann Wragg at still topping the list.

Cabinets will be coming next week and I need to decide on latex or oil based paint.  We will probably install them before they and the walls are painted because I don't have room to set them somewhere.  They are 36 x 42 and 52 x 42, plus the legs for a total of 54" in height.  Only one wall is being made right now.  He didn't have time for anything else so I took what I could get.  Saw these on Pinterest and loved the simplicity and clean lines.

 

 

I still like primitive, but am leaning more toward a very sparse look in every room.  I usually start simplifying in the spring and adding more and more as the year goes on.  Too much to take care of and dust.  I'm not 60 anymore.  When the cabinets arrive, I'll probably celebrate with a little giveaway. Yes, again.  Boring isn't it?  This time, it may be a pear.  That's little!!  I like them, but I don't need 12 (well...11 - I threw out the shamrock).  Well...10 - never did like that first one on Jobelan either!  Which was your favorite?  

OK.  Off the computer and on to hunting for brushes.

Thanks for visiting - enjoy the week's end.