Tree Tops

I can almost taste a finish of The Owl and the Pussycat.  I got the felt padding in and the gimp around the tree trunks.

 Only one spot I need to work on.  I started the tree tops. There is three of them and they are all done in different techniques. I'm almost done with the sequined tree top.

But today will be mainly getting ready to go to Williamsburg early tomorrow.  I've printed my boarding passes and I have some last minute packing to do.  I have one more package to mail off at the Post Office (more torture!).

It is warm outside.  It may even get to 60 today.
I got a package in the mail yesterday.  It is cardboard from Australia.

Why on earth would I buy cardboard from Australia? It is all the cardboard pieces needed to make Home Sweet Home.  I have the roof done so now I can lace it to the cardboard roof piece.  I just have to find it.  Story of my life.

I'll be back with tales of my travels next week.
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Trees

I worked on the trees of The Owl and the Pussycat yesterday.  Great progress was made!  All the spangles things are in!

 All the Italian mesh ribbon is in!

Both of the trees are in the process of being outlined with gimp, gimp and more gimp.  Oh I am loving how it is looking.  Just wait until I get to put the boat in.

The bathrooms are clean.  I've been to the Post Office to torture the workers there.  DH has been using up his stamp collection on the packages we need to send.  This morning package had 138 - 34 cent stamps on it!
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A Long Way Home

I didn't stitch very much yesterday.  I tried to buy a book on Amazon.  Amazon told me I already had the book.  So I tried to cancel the purchase.  Then I couldn't find it on my "devices".  But I really wanted to read this book.  I don't often go see a movie.  When a movie is based on a book, the book has so much more information than a movie can have.  Besides the fact that stuff is changed (Hollywoodized) to make the movie more interesting.  I wanted to see the movie "Lion", based on a true story.  I went looking for the book that it is based on.  The book is called "A Long Way Home".

  That is the book I wanted to buy on Amazon. So because I really wanted to read it, I ended up buying it again.  I spent all yesterday afternoon reading.  I'm not quite done with it.  I'll finish it today.  It was very interesting, an easy and quick read.

I went back to the Queen's hair and filled in all the spaces.  Now I'm ready to add the rest of the loops.  Then it will be done.

 I know, it doesn't look much different but I am much happier with it.  I didn't really realize when I started the hair that I needed to cover all the area.   Hindsight is 20/20.

I need to get back to The Owl and the Pussycat.  I want to finish the left spangled tree today.

I saw on a blog that someone had finished the Just Nan Limited Edition scissors roll.  It was very pretty.

 I have that kitted up somewhere.  I just have to find it and I'll take it with me on my trip to Williamsburg.  It will be so nice to see my friends.
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I Wore a Hole

Do I dare go to Target today?  Yes, I must.  I need to color my hair before my trip on Wednesday.  So I need some #9 Natural Blonde (yeah, right).  Let's hopeTarget isn't slammed.

I worked on the left side tree of The Owl and the Pussycat.  The trunk is covered in spangles.  You need a beading size needle to go through the spangles' holes.  Each spangle has three stitches to hold it down.

 I wore a hole in my finger putting on spangles and I'm not even done yet.  I started the right side tree.  It's easier as Italian mesh ribbon covers its trunk.  I got a few pieces of purl pearl put on too.  I know it doesn't look like I did much but handwork like this takes forever.

  This piece is starting to look close to being done.  Hey, I found the mica moon that I couldn't find a while back.  And I found the guitar that will go in the hands of the owl.

I decided to add more bullion knots to the Queen's hair before I put the loops on.  I tried it on one side and it looks good.

I got some eggnog made from coconut milk.  It's good!  Especially for the lactose intolerant.  I saw a video of Martha Stewart making candied orange peel and I want to try it her way. It takes a long time though.  Then I also saw a recipe for cinnamon and sugar pretzels (Pampered Chef).  I want to try that too.  There are just too many good things to eat this time of year.
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Back to the Future

We had a low key Thanksgiving with lots of turkey left over.  I even had some time to stitch.  We also got to see Claire and Evan on FaceTime.

I got the decorative lower corners on The Owl and the Pussycat done.

  I started attaching the eyelet tree tops.

 I'd like to get the left tree done today.  I wonder how far I could get if I worked on this all day.

I got the first part of the Queen's hair all done.  That's a lot of bullion knots!

I went back and looked at what it is supposed to look like and my bullions are kind of skinny.  I'll have to see if it looks better after I put on the loops.  What I don't want is for the background to show through.  This photo makes it look pretty good.
Now my days are all mixed up.  This sure doesn't feel like Friday.
I've got to think about packing!!
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Happy Thanksgiving!

I am grateful for a good life and friends and family.  I'm very lucky.  Here's wishing you a wonderful day.  Happy Thanksgiving!

The turkey is stuffed with sausage dressing and is in the oven.

 It is starting to smell good in the house.  I am not overdoing it this year as it is just DH and me for Thanksgiving dinner.  I even cleaned off the dining room table.

 It tends to get loaded down with miscellaneous junk.

I am working on the decorative corners of The Owl and the Pussycat.

 I am also working on the Queen's hair.

Have a great day!
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Thanksgiving Eve

It was raining this morning.  It is supposed to rain all day.  Ugh.  I decided to walk in the rain since it was only raining lightly.  I had to change my clothes when I got home because half of me was soaked.  I was so proud of myself yesterday.  I went shopping for Frozen gift tags.  (Didn't find any but look what you can print from the internet).

 But I racked up over 16,000 steps!  It's a good thing I got a lot of steps since I stopped by my favorite candy store and got just a few chocolate covered orange jellies.  They are the next best thing to chocolate covered orange peel.

I didn't get as far as I wanted on The Owl and the Pussycat.  I have two sides to finish putting the purl pearl on.

 Then I can do the corners.  Delfi asked me what I was working this on.  It is in a hoop.  The hoop isn't quite big enough and the book cover hangs over the edge in two places.  I'm trying to be careful  with it.

I didn't want to take it in and out of the hoop.  So I found some roller bars to put the Queens Ruff on (until my new hoop arrives).  I am just about half done with her hair.

 I know it looks weird right now.  But it looks like is should.  In fact, I was worried my bullion knots weren't looking messy enough. LOL  After you do a bazillion of them, you get better at it. More will be done to the hair later.
I decided against pumpkin pie for right now.  We will have too much to eat as it is.
Williamsburg in one week!
Have a happy Thanksgiving!
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Progress

I have made some good progress on The Owl and the Pussycat.  I padded one tree then I decided I needed to do the outside border because some stuff need to go over the border edge.

 I reread the directions that I didn't understand the other day and they make more sense now.  Essentially I have to stitch around the opening five times.  Mesh ribbon, other side of mesh ribbon, gimp on one side, gimp on the other side, and purl pearl.  I really want to get to the decorative lower corners today.

I think it looks pretty good.

I got my Paper Pumpkin kit all put together.  It was fun.

I have to cook for the next three days.  It may kill me.  Today is chili.  That's easy as I make it and put it in the crock pot to cook all day.
It is really cold today.  21 degrees when I went walking this morning.
Question of the day is, do I make pumpkin pie or not?  Right now the answer is maybe.
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Resistance

Mary Corbet tempts me into many things.  This time it was a kit by Canevas Folies.

 I saw it on her website.  I liked it.  I already have about three Canevas Folies kits that I got from the French Needle.  What am I doing ordering another?  Well, what appealed to me was the butterfly on the lower left. I loved the combination of colors, the black, white, red and tan.  So I ordered it from France (I think).  Anyway it came the other day.  There is the design printed on linen.

 You have to get your own threads.  Some recommended ones are DMC.  Some are House of Embroidery.  There aren't many instructions.  I sort of hate instructions that say "To leave you the pleasure in making this design your own creation, we give no indication of color."  What!?  I don't want to use my own choice, I want to know how to make mine look like the picture on the front of the chart.  Needless to say, this will be a challenge.  Floss numbers that are used in the parts of this chart are listed.  So we will see how this goes.

I went to Target and got the grandchildren wrapping paper for their Christmas gifts.  It was busy!  But luckily I found what I was looking for (Frozen, Minions, Paw Patrol).  I also found some candy that I should not have bought.  Bad girl.
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Sunday

I was smarter today and wore my winter coat to go walking.
I finally got the book cover stitched to the satin main piece of The Owl and the Pussycat.

The boat isn't attached yet.
 I was confused about the next step and I couldn't find a packet of supplies for it.  So I went on to the next step after that.  (What to do when you don't get it?  Nothing!)  I've started the tree tops.

 Essentially, I'm making eyelets that will have a shiny disc or sequins showing through the holes.

I got my Paper Pumpkin kit.  I got all the supplies to make these cards.

I think I will make up all eight of the cards today. They will be great Christmas cards and a gift card will fit nicely inside.

I got a new kit in the mail yesterday.  I'll show you tomorrow.
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Freezing

It was freezing when I went walking this morning.  I should have gone to the Y.  Now it is just snowing.

 SNOWING!  First time this year.  Well, it isn't really freezing (36 degrees) and it isn't the first time we've had snow this year but you know what I mean.  I guess it makes it feel more like Thanksgiving time.  Speaking of Thanksgiving, I did some baking yesterday.  I managed to screw up two of the three recipes.
First I made some prune bread.  Of course, I had to try a piece to see if it was edible.

Then I made some cookies.  You are supposed to put 2 teaspoons of the cherry liquid in the batter.  Not me, I poured in all the juice. The cookie dough was a bit gooey and very pink.  They taste good though.

Finally I made some buns.

Now when I took the last of the cookies out of the oven,  I didn't realize that I turned the oven off.  Then I put the buns in to cook.  Why aren't they brown on top?  I thought when I took them out of the oven.  Then I figured out what I had done.  Duh.  I put them back in the oven that I turned on this time. I hope that are okay.

Let's hope I do better on Thanksgiving.

I got the Queen's face embroidered (Lesson 2).  I love how the face is done.  Easy, and it looks nice.

Then on to lesson 3, The Queen's hair.  This is the interesting part.  You do messy bullion knots all over her hair.  That is going to take some time.  Eventually, you add loops as well.  It is really hard to pull the thread through to make the bullion so that's why Amy Mitten included the hemostats.

I got some hair to do.
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Mixed Bag

It was 56 degrees when I went walking this morning.  Wow, was it nice!  It is supposed to snow tomorrow so I'd better enjoy it today.

Yesterday was a mixed bag as far as embroidery goes. I got the peas sewn onto the boat.

Did I get the book cover attached?  No.  It was because my hoop was otherwise occupied. I have another hoop on order and it is in the mail. I was finishing up the backstitching on the Queen's Ruff.  Then I cut out the padding for the Queen's face.  I goofed that up as I cut one out of batting that should have been cut out of felt.  Oh well, no harm, no foul.  I stitched down about five pieces of batting.

 I had a real problem finding her nose.  She has a little foam piece for a nose.  I looked all over.  I was ready to give up,  I looked through everything in the kit for the fourth time and boom, I found it.  It was small and I overlooked it several times. Then I got to the exciting part, putting her face on.  When I was about half way around, I discovered my error.  I had assumed.  You know what they say about assuming.  I thought you matched up the front and back dots and stitched through them.  Nope.  You want to stretch the front a bit so the dots are 1/16 inch beyond the back dots.  Ugh.  So I took out what I had done.  And that's where I am, ready to redo the backstitching of the face.

 But what a face!  She is beautiful.  This is a fabulous kit and Amy Mitten is a genius.

DH is off to the grocery store to get the stuff for next week and Thanksgiving.  I should get my Paper Pumpkin kit today. I have so much fun with those.  With the cost of cards, this is a bargain.  That's besides the fact that I have fun anticipating it's arrival and fun making the stuff in the kit.
I hope you have a fun day too.
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Three Peas

I stitched three peas yesterday.  You may ask, "Well, what did you do after lunch?"  No, you don't understand, it took all day to stitch those three peas. It was a bit like trying to make porridge for the three bears.  Too big, too small, too hard, too soft.  I started off with this:

I rolled a bit of the stuffing into a ball.

Then I looked at how big they were by the boat.

They were way too huge!  So I tore them in half.  I knew it would be good to try making a practice one first.  Slight adjustments were made (even smaller!).
The first one was a bit messy but it will do.  By the time I got to the third one, it was looking much more even.  They are really about the size of a small pea.

It was very challenging to make these.  I have to sew them onto the boat.
My reward was to get to cut out the book cover.  Wow, does that make a difference!  From this:

To this:

I am getting excited now that I can see it taking shape.  The boat still is not attached yet.  Today's goal is to get the peas sewn to the boat and to anchor the book cover to the main piece.
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