An eye opener

While watching Stitching in the Barn's video featuring Kay and her lovely home filled with samplers, I learned that the Dazor lamp company offers add-a-lens for their circline model.  Purchased separately, it is added to the bottom and attached to the two screws as an additional lens.  A 5 diopter lens can also be purchased and installed in place of the standard 3.  Another realization was that wearing +4.0 glasses (which is the diopter or curve) does not mean 4x magnification (it's 2x).  Who knew?  You and my husband, not me.  

Wearing magnifier glasses in conjunction with these lenses is a little tricky.  This 3 diopter lens alone is actually better and clearer than my Foster Grant 4.0 glasses.  Looking through the lens AND wearing the glasses, required me to pull the lens closer to my face and the linen closer to the lens.  Without the glasses, I needed to hold the linen further from the Dazor and had crystal clear excellent vision.  Their lenses are optical grade distortion free glass.

This is what it looked like through the glasses at a normal distance, much larger, totally blurred.  The closer I got to the Dazor, it became smaller and clearer, but I had to also bring the fabric closer.  I couldn't get the linen weave any larger with the glasses and changes in position than using the lens alone.  I am so confused.

My husband is very smart (I'm the smart-ass) and he failed to explain this to my satisfaction.  I don't get it.  Doesn't matter, I'm just surprised at the clarity from the light and 3 diopter lens.  I will first try stitching with just the mag light and no glasses.  My test was on 28 count, later today I will pull a piece of 35 and see how it looks.

From Dazor's website, here is an example of looking through the 3 and 5 diopter lens and also a chart showing the distance from the lens required for clarity.

Looks like a 5 still allows plenty of room for stitching with 8".  The field of vision gets smaller as the diopter rises also, but still enough to see surrounding stitches.

So that's my lesson for the day.  Month really.  I don't have an good spot for the Dazor but will haul it down here for now (it is quite heavy) and still order the Brightech.  Why?  Because I don't like the imposition of the large Dazor stand in my small rooms.  Since I will be using the other brand most often, I want to make the right decision but JoAnn does not have a 5 for me to test.  Right now, it sounds like the best option since I would like to stitch on higher counts.

I hope what I've learned and posted here helps someone who is thinking about a mag light.  At 68, I feel foolish but also get excited when I learn something new.  Problem is, I won't remember it next month.

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Question

Hello stitching buds. 

 I am asking for your input and help in choosing a magnifying lamp.  Another flare up, and I have been struggling with 28 count while wearing 4.0 glasses.  Over two has become over one or three and I am running in place and getting nowhere fast.  

Many recommend the Brightech and I like the flexible arm model.  The 5 diopter, what I think would be best, requires the work to be held closer to the lens for clarity.  The 3 diopter at only 1.75x may not be enough even with my glasses if I want to use a 35 count.  Does anyone have the 5 (2.25x) and is it hard to stitch because of the proximity to the lens?   Or would the 1.75x be enough with my glasses?  I would appreciate your opinions!!  

Thank you.

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A motif a day

keeps the slump away.  The larger vase by the tree, heart, a purple dog, a green dog, and a small stag (or unusual creature).  Hopefully I can continue this way so I don't feel overwhelmed.  My next decision is whether to move to the right or continue down the left.

I laid my book of floss bags in a plastic bin and it's like a Rolodex and easy to use since I am not moving it!  This bin is a perfect size for the Magma, floss, glasses, the large piece of linen, and everything else I need.  It's portable and accessible.  And when I throw the lid over, no curious cats can enter.

These new bags are a royal PITA to open which could just be my hand issue, but I came up with a solution.  By folding over a piece of tape on one side of the top, it makes it much easier.  The tape doesn't allow the plastic to stick together and I can slip my finger in to open.

I've been seeing different styles and types of thread catchers or whatever they are called.  Some are wool, others felt, and a few quilt batting.  Mounted to mat board or lined with soft fleece and foldable.  All great options.  

When using my sewing machine, the cut threads seem to be everywhere so I looked for something simple that could corral them.  Without gluing, sewing, or additional fabric, this small piece of felted wool was perfect.  Michael's and HL carry rolled pieces of this, some quite thick, and I cut small squares in various colors for the ironing board, sewing table, and stitching spot.

That's all I got!  Hope the last weekend of January was good.  Onward  to spring!

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Slowly I stitch

Step by step.  Inch by inch.

Step by step.  Inch by inch.

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It did help

but unfortunately, only after I screwed up.  When I sewed my row to help with alignment, I started it at the edge of the grass.  Why?  That wasn't even close to the edge of the graph.  So using it to count down and start my motif section where it should be worked perfectly.  But counting in from the edge was a huge error.  Thank goodness I caught on two birds later.  It looked odd, and since I'm not referring to the finished piece photo, I didn't realize it at first.  I was so happy my method worked and I didn't have to be concerned with the errors above, I just hummed along in ignorant bliss.  I altered this photo to show where they were initially,

and this is where they are now after the correction.

Can you imagine what would have happened had I not caught this and positioned the other motifs off of them?  Holy crabass.

My floss bags on large ring have been a mess, even though in numeric order.  So I moved them all to the booklet style and that was another mistake.  The rings are extra large but there is too much floss in my bags, or too many colors.

So it stays open all the time, but I guess that's OK.  What am I doing wrong?

As a last resort, I plan to move the bags to the stand Mark made for me and honestly, I would love to make these to sell because they are very nice to use.  This one is the short version but the very tall one is better because it secures beneath your seat cushion.

We drove to Boardman today to browse the huge selection of golf shoes at Gold Headquarters, and I wanted to visit the With Needle in Hand shop.  For the third time, this clueless old lady failed to check their website for hours.  They are closed on Tuesdays, and I should have remembered that from the last two failed trips!  Oh well.  Mark got his shoes and we stopped at two Italian stores and came home with pounds of chestnuts to roast, the last of holiday figs, and aged Asiago and Fontina that are not found locally.

This happened today.  First of all, this sweet cat is the one being driven away and attacked by Petey, both have injuries to face and ears, possibly elsewhere.

And then there was this.  A show of dominance?  An exercise in tolerance?  There was no fight, and Nitzy blocked the exit a while, then went inside the shelter when Petey left through the back.  That poor boy looks inside the door several times a day and wants to be a part of the brat pack.  Missy still will not accept him at all.  I found a pile of what looked like angel hair pasta on his patio area and realized he is loaded with round worms.  I called the vet for an OTC liquid to add to his food and explained what I saw in the vomit.  He won't prescribe anything for worms or a sedative because he hasn't seen him and I can understand that.  There are online products that may offer some help.

My sister was in Urgent Care yesterday, she has cellulitis in her toe and foot.  Being treated with antibiotic and hopefully this will take care of it and it won't lead to a more serious treatment.

Pretty soon, it'll be February and onward to spring.

Thanks for visiting!

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This should help!

Hi folks.  Spending the weekend at home because of weather, and I came up with what I hope will help me with the motif placements.

I started at the bottom of the grass and highlighted the graph into five rows.  Using a bright thread, I wove it into the margin matching the graph.  This should allow me to check the position of the motifs along that left edge.  It's difficult for me to see the linen threads and I am very unsure of myself.  Counting off of them will be much easier and I can be more confident that my placement is close to the chart.  

I've been using my new Oxo duster, and these old bentwood stools took only minutes.  They were always a PITA because of the tight curves and this duster took care of it all.  Happy dance.  I've been looking for new stools for quite a while but since we have only one furniture store and they have ... well.... nothing that I like, I am forced to order online.  I don't know about you, but I prefer placing my rear on the seat to test comfort and not have to assemble, but I have no choice. I guess cushions can always be added.

I sprayed a lot of the Feliway on a mat inside the carrier, and Bud handled the vet visit much better than before.  He did cry, but only a few times and actually laid on the mat instead of pacing.  Even at the office, he was afraid and anxious but not like before.  I hasn't worked on their favorite napping spots in the house, but I do believe it helped in the carrier.  We are trying the tiny cut of Valium to get Missy manageable but there is always a chance it will have the opposite effect.  Carole took Valium once and felt like she wanted to crawl up the walls.  We'll see.  He's on an antibiotic and his heart is not doing well, so we are also to give him 1/8 of a 81 mg aspirin every three days.  No more.  That is very difficult to cut into such a small piece.  He should start to feel better in a few days.

I was gathering fabric to make my own little thread catcher/holder, and found uncut corduroy to work really well, as did velveteen.  I was working on a pattern to make one with two sides, two colors, one for dark threads and one for light.  Not sure I will go any further.

Hope the weekend is going well!