Holy cowpies!

Geez.  I was a few minutes late posting the For SALE page, and I couldn't keep up with marking things as sold!  Thank you so much.  Makes me feel really good that after all this time, you still like the boxes.  Thank you again!

 

Does anyone want to guess how the stitching is going?  Anyone?  .....  I heard someone shout "frustrating", give that gal a skein of floss!  In my constant attitude of knowing it all, I did not pay attention to the chart.  Usually the space between eyelet letters is two stitches, but these are only one.  Thaaaaaaaat's right.  One.  Not four threads, two threads.  Since I am not sure I will have enough of that color, I had to carefully remove the threads from those big ass letters, instead of my usual snip and pick.  Do you have any idea how that irked me?  Not only did I make the error because of cockiness, I had to be gentle!! 

 

After viewing several Flosstube videos, I was reminded that just because I don't want any more little pillows or wall pieces, doesn't mean I can't stitch them.  So many stitchers have a hoard of finishes resting in drawers, rolled in cloths, stashed in stitching bags.  So if I see something that I think would be nice to stitch, it doesn't mean I have to honor it for life with a display.  That's a freeing thought.  And it doesn't have to be samplers and santas!!

 

Enjoy your weekend!  I plan to sit outside and sweat.

 

*****************

Easier to choose colors

when there are only four.  The top flowers will be 3777, her name is done in 3787, and the alpha will be GAST Soot.  My skein is more blue than gray, used, and I'm hoping there is enough for completion.  The green stem stitch and leaves will be chosen after more is stitched.  Maybe a very light green would look better than what I'm planning, so I'll wait to see. 

 

 I have several smalls done on very dark linen (my usual favorite), and the designs are not too noticeable because of minimal contrast.  I didn't want that to happen here, and I debated between a lighter tan and this 32 count unbleached Belfast.  After the first row is stitched I will step back and see how this looks before proceeding.

 

My favorite dark linen pieces had plenty of color for contrast and stand out easily.

 

 

 

Dorothy Allen by R&R and  Barrick Sampler's 1848 (abbreviated). 

 

Household tips - put your Bar Keeper's Friend (the best thing on earth for stainless steel sinks and pots) in a Parmesan cheese container.  So much easier to use than the canister.

 

 

For wood filler and spackling that always dries out, lay plastic wrap (heavier the better) over and press down on to the material to seal. Cleaning the excess from the sides and sealing the material allows it to stay pliable for much longer.

 

Have a good weekend!

 

**********************

Saturday sale

These boxes will be for sale starting Saturday at 7pm.  No prior sales.  Will have better photos and prices then. Tall one is 5", round Bugle is 5", 1776 is 4".

 

 

The sliding lid wood hearts have white wool in the red ones, and red velvet in the white ones.

 

This is an older 4" box, with the rough paint finish in black, and a printed fabric REALLY primitive label.

 

Details Saturday.  Mainly because right now, I can't think clearly.   

Have a good day.

 

*********************

A fix that works

Greetings everyone.  Hope your week is going well, I know it's going fast!  Just wanted to mention that I tried the other comment fix found on Jo's blog (here) and it works perfectly.  Thank you Jo!  My first attempt failed because I did not Save after deleting my email but when I went back and did it correctly, it not only works but brings the Yahoo and AOL comments through which I didn't get before. 

 

Thanks for the suggestions and links and help with my curtain search.  Vermont Country Store does indeed offer some of the most popular curtains from Country Curtains.  Jane's Plain and Simple are not muslin, but an easy care blend of the style I have now and come with tiebacks.  Decisions decisions. 

 

Why stitch a reproduction if I am going to change it?  Because I can.  And for most of them, I do not care.  She had her shot and made it the way she preferred, now it's my turn.  The larger samplers like Lucy Redd and Sally Fiske have only minor color changes but a small piece like Ann Greanawalt, quite a few.  On a higher count linen, Ann would do nicely on a hornbook style mount, but I may move the top flowers directly above her name and abandon the top alphabet.  Perfect for a door or knob hanger size.  We'll see.  The other change?  I picture it stitched in faded blue (like GAST Uniform Blue) with rusty red flowers.  Again, too many colors is distracting to me.  The more I envision it my way, the more enticing it is to pick up that needle.

 

I hope to have the velvet inserts done today in the little heart boxes and will offer them this weekend with the last three sampler boxes.  Yesterday was such a fudged up day I wanted to scream.  But Mark said it would not be much higher of a pitch than my usual speech. 

 

Have a good day!!

 

********************

Purge

Seems to be the current trend.  I visited Sharon's blog (Moosecraft) and then checked her sale (EBAY) and was impressed with how much she's letting go.  Then I clicked completed listings and saw even more that already sold.  She's not the only one from what I'm reading on many blogs.  It's hard.  But sometimes freeing.  And necessary. 

 

At this current time, I don't even want my samplers on the walls.  Never felt like this before but maybe it's the aftermath of a wicked menopause.  The hot flashes are less frequent, the moods have leveled to a more consistent bitchiness, and I now need a panty liner everyday.   My tastes have changed, but from something I've enjoyed most of my life?  Why the hell are all these little pillows everywhere?  Everywhere!  If I gather them to fill a bowl I only see the ones in the front so they're spread around almost outnumbering the empty foils from Dove.  I know the alphabet, do I really need to see it over and over?  Good golly Miss Meno what has happened to you!!  How could you take a perfectly unpleasant hyperactive skinny female and turn her into a big hipped nasty sloth that needs a pad?  She used to wear nice clothes and lots of bracelets, now she wears stretchy pants and oversized t shirts.   Wake up girl!

 

My surroundings needing to be serene and clean and sparse has been coming for a long time.  Baskets and drieds from beams, loads of dusty looking wood pieces, quilts and throws and pillows, walls filled with shelves and dookies, have slowly been removed.  I've admired a shaker look and sparse decorating for some time now and maybe that has nothing to do with the menobeast.  I feel like a change is needed and everyone goes through that.  The beast years probably held me back with the moods and lack of focus.  The plan is for everything to come down and go into bins.  When the painting is done and furniture is replaced, only then will I know what will come out. 

 

There are a few items I know I no longer want and selling off will come soon.  Ebay?  Or here?  A few books and a few stitcheries.  But I know more will be coming.  Charts I will never do for sure.  Just have to decide if it would be best to do it all at one time.  Probably. 

 

Better buy another bin.

 

Have a good day folks.

 

************************

The final box

One of my favorites from all the freebies I've charted and offered.  And I gave it away, so I plan to stitch it again.   I may keep this box for myself, but after a friend chooses her gift from these four, I will offer the rest.  Probably the same time as the wooden heart boxes.  I though it would look good with a grayish blue box and if another one shows up in one of my piles, I'll try it.  But I think I've exhausted the inventory.

 

 

The last week of June.  AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

********************