Golden

 OK.  OK.  You're going to think my rocker lost a rail.  I hate to be selfish, but I've spent so much on the mandated sewer system and yard repair, Carole's transports, all her necessities, over 200 books in ten months, personal items, her upcoming dental extractions and bridgework, and I want a few things for myself.  I am so grateful for the anonymous gift, and I've sold a few pieces of non-favorite linen to purchase a few favorites.  Well, it was like having only one piece of chocolate.  I need more. I spotted this magnificent sampler and had to have it, and the linen for it.  So ..... I went through the few old 14K jewelry pieces, broken or missing a piece, and SOLD them at a gold exchange.  Yeehaw! 

Can you blame me?  The lions, the ladies, the birds, the checkered ?gate?.  Amazing chart, over 20 heavy glossy paper pages with very large colored chart, a photo of Kezia's dwelling and story.  The border is done over one so to accommodate crabs like me, they also converted that border to over two.  Turn the book upside down for that graph.  It's from Sassy Jack's, Sassafras Samplers.  I got Paperbark linen but the Hemingway may work better.

Now here's the kicker.  Yes I suffer from color phobia, but also asymmetrical affliction.  I didn't even pull threads yet and I already changed the chart in Paint.

I prefer a full skirt.

Tuesday Tuesday.

Can trust it either.

******************** 

That's better

 Switched to 503, may keep the 501 in a few spots of these first rows, but haven't decided.

The bottom area has a good deal of the 500, and I tried subbing 3051 and 3011 as a muted green and didn't believe it would do as well in that section.  I'm pleased with this change.  

I follow Wyndham needlework on Ebay (here), all of their proceeds go to help felines.  I placed orders with them when they were a retail business, they retired and have been selling their inventory and such on EBay since.  Lots of Mary Beale including her Pocketbook Needlework, stockings, and a very nice variety here.  Older magazines, embroidery publications, lots of charts always being updated.  I had not seen these before .... sampler glasses!  Twelve ounces.

 Monday Monday.

Can't trust that day.

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

DMC 500

 And 501.  That beautiful jade-ish teal series that is commonly used. Well I'm tired of them.  Seems they are pulled for at least every other project.  One of my favorite first samplers is Safrona Ager (The Examplarery) and if I remember correctly, the lighter 503 was the main thread and I love it.  Such a simple marking sampler on natural linen, and the thread color makes it special.

But although very nice as charted, and used throughout Jeny, I'm pausing with iced coffee in hand and heat pack on neck to ponder a change.  Whether it's up a shade, a dusty muted green, or a neutral mixed in with the golds, I need to decide before going further.  

I folded linen in half and started at center to make sure that skimpy inch margin was the same on each side.  I sort of panicked when I measured seven inches to see if a linen flaw would be in the stitching and it showed less than one inch on the right.  This Heartland was too yellow and I had previously dipped to tone that down, and as always, linen shrinks. So this measures 42 - 43 stitches per inch, and no problem.

It snowed and snowed and snowed and then it snowed today.  Stop it.

Miss my boys.

Have a decent Monday.

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

.

Ready to start

 Those of us without shops are at a loss when it comes to choosing linens for a new project.  I've read so many times that the stitcher was upset about the ordered linen looking nothing like the chart photo.   Agreed, understandable, frustrating, and I don't care.  I have to choose what I have on hand or prefer, never order the recommended since it may look different.  I saw the BBD new design on called for Veldt and I love it, but it appears more brown, Veldt description claims green.  Jeny's called for linen is Vintage Examplar which many have praised as a wonderful color and fabric, I don't care for it in the photo, never saw it in person.  Best for me is to find something similar to a chart's photo if I like that shade, hopefully in my stash.   My stash has very limited 40 count pieces (five!), and since I am leaning toward a pouch finish or something similar, 40 it will be to keep it small.  My Dazor lens is ready to go and I cleaned my readers.  

I may be able to change threads easily, but stumble when imagining those colors on the fabric. Since I don't think any of my choices will be right, it doesn't matter which.  Except for the Seaweed.  Good grief it is fabulous.  Beautiful rich green, bluish in places, toned toward wine in others, and these lighter muted threads would be outstanding.  Only two colors would need revamped.  I hate to use it!  I have a tiny (6 x 8) piece of Dames of the Needle's Redwood and I can't use it either, just too beautiful.   Most of my 40 are 8 x 12, what I usually order to see a color or use for ornaments/tucks since I have an aversion to cutting into a large piece of linen.

I will save the Seaweed, start on the 8 x 12 piece of Heartland I dyed over, will only have 1" margin, but that's all I need for a sewn piece.  If I decide it needs a frame (rarely), I can sew a muslin strip to extend the linen for wrapping around a mounting board.  Boom.

I went to the cardiologist, they refused to believe my claims of my sweater weighing seven pounds.  You just can't fool those folks.  They scheduled echo and stress (terrified of the dye since I have reactions to so much), next Tuesday but I had to change because of her appointments.  The doctor was called away so I had my favorite NP whom I adore.  Follow up with her also.

I bag cereal for Carole to have as evening treat or when menu isn't great.  Tried a new one, anxious to hear her reaction.  She loves flavored coffee and drinks, this is Post's Dunkin Donut Caramel Macchiato made with real coffee.  As a dry snack it is very tasty. 

Have a safe weekend.

Thanks for the visit.

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

Meet me in the middle

I'm just not feeling up to par and weighing pros and cons for a decision is hard enough even when I'm at par.  So I set aside the smaller project and will continue thinking about the BAP (yes, BigAssProject), and work on a midsize.  Last year I posted about Jeny Brimer From Milady's Needle.  She is the chosen one.

The four rows of initials?  Jeny was popular!  But not many ending in B.

Another project that is a mix of elements that can easily be handled.  Not monotonous, not tedious, not so large to have me begging for its end.  The only change may will be the queen stitch buds on the center tree.

Her finished size on 40 count is roughly 7" x 7.5", a good size for a pouch.

Be grateful for today.

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

The lineup

 A started project by Lucy Beam was picked up again but when unfolded, what the heck?  How did I cut this and not realize it was needed?  

Sometimes it is easy to choose a project, most times not.  This time ..... NOT.  I want a smaller piece and have five chosen but would love to have a BAP also.  Two projects at once has never been the case, but the only hope of completing the larger samplers may be to offer a break while not having to set aside the needle.  I know that the longer the needle is idle, the less willing I am to pick it up again.  If there another less daunting project to switch to and keep the needle active, well, we'll see how it goes.  

But which?  Several are included each time I am searching, a few are new and irresistable.  Sarah Pope has far too much over one but what about stitching this center area for a drum?  Their clothing is tent stitch, better than lettering.  What to do what to do!!!  I started with marking samplers, still my go-to choice, but so was 30 count back then.  I've since changed to single thread 36 and worked on several with scenes and motifs.  I would have never considered some of the following years ago, but are more enticing these days.

At the top of the list....

Very large but not not a difficult stitch.....

Close to the top.....

All lettering, so easy!  Free hand border.

HELP ME!!

I cannot continue living in procrasti-nation, the nation of which I reign.  I  must get moving on so many things that I failed to initiate plus additionals that were put on hold this last year.  Did that planner help?  Never wrote a day in it because I kept procrastinating to start entries!!  See?  I need help.  The young reliable and experienced man that we finally found for all house projects, sadly has cancer that he kept to himself, but is now affecting his abilities.  I used to rip down walls and help with construction and such, but have been dragging butt for some time.  Could it be my Sjogren's which can affect joints and also cause fatigue?  Or  maybe I am just worn out and old!

Cranky made me complete that border and she was right.  Maybe a strong recommendation of project would help me get moving.

Have you seen the news report video of the older Ukrainian woman crying, sobbing?  Breaks your heart.  I've seen the younger mothers sobbing, the children, all unbearable.  But this woman's despair has not left me for a minute. 

Stay safe.

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