Flutterby

I forgot to wash my hair last night.  I didn't realize that it was Wednesday yesterday.  So today I went and got my hair trimmed and the salon washed it for me.  Cool.  What was weird at the salon was that all the other customers were men. 

This is where I am on the Alison Cole butterfly.

I got all around the outside edge and now I have to do long and short stitch in the middle.  I'm not very good at it so I have been avoiding it. 

Two things have influenced me lately.  A well known FlossTube person has just decided not to do videos anymore.  And a very dear friend of mine has some serious medical issues.  This has caused me to re-evaluate what is important.  I am not sure that I wish to continue this blog.  I have many kind readers but I have to do what is best for me.  So I thank you for reading and commenting and for your help in my dilemmas. 
I wish you all the best.
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Color

I watched a FlossTube by Theresa Craig from Australia.  She is a phenominal cross stitcher.  She has finished and framed Death By Cross Stitch.  She had a chart she had worked on for a year.  It is huge and beautiful.  But she a problem with it.  The colors in the kit seemed to be way different than the photo of the project.  Soft pastel colors that should be blue were bright lime green.  So she didn't know whether to continue with it or to start over.  I think what she had stitched was absolutely beautiful, it would be hard to just throw or give the original away.  While I was working yesterday, I was reminded of her dilemma.  I was working on the mystery BAP.  I know that the best part of the whole chart is very near where I am working.  So I have been working like a crazy person to get to that point.  I thought I was there but then the chart showed a big orange sploch.  What the heck is that?  Maybe a flower?

But when you look at it from more of a distance you can see what it is:

It's a face!  I'm thinking that when all the colors are in around it, it will look fine.  I have learned from being a watercolorist that the surrounding colors can totally change how things look.  So what seems crazy weird now, will work out.  But I've still got my fingers crossed.

We had less than 10 trick or treaters last night. Now I have a ton of candy left over.  I guess it is time to break into those mini Junior Mint boxes.
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Biscornu

I am working on the biscornu that is the last piece in the Fraktur Sewing Set II.  I still have the part one set to go.  I just put in some cherries and they are so cute.  I love this design. 

I'm almost done with this side.

I started the Amy Mitten Darning Sampler.  It is more challenging than I originally thought.  First of all, it is done on 36 count linen.  Then a lot of it is just woven into the weave of the fabric.  It is kind of like working over one.

 I've made many mistakes and ruined more than one thread already.  I tried to pick out the thread and ended up pulling it apart.  I think I'll have to use a magnifier to make sure I'm using the correct holes in the linen.  Luckily this sampler isn't big.  It is somewhere around 8 by 8 inches.

DH is off to the grocery store.  I'm making sloppy joes tonight.  It is supposed to rain this afternoon and be around 40 degrees.  Chilly for the trick-or-treaters.  I can't wait to see pictures of Claire and Evan all dressed up for Halloween.  I hear they are going to be Moana and a 101 Dalmations dog.
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Peacock One

It is Monday and the bathrooms are clean.  The walking is done.  It was cold and blustery today and I didn't see anybody on the trail. 

This is how far I am on the Sassenach Sampler.

I finally got the first peacock in. 

I changed the colors a little.  I wanted to work my way up to the slope that the house sits on.
I love the design of this sampler but it sure would be nice to have a complete chart.  It is really hard to know if you are in the right place.  It is really hard to match the pieces of the chart together.  I admit I was a bit angry that the slope was not completely charted.  "Just continue the pattern" is not good enough, we should have a chart of the whole slope.  There should be a master chart of the whole sampler.  I have no idea of how many more strawberries I need to stitch for the border.  But enough complaining.

Things I am grateful for today:  I can still walk outside.  I am alive and able to stitch (and I happen to have enough stuff to stitch forever).  I can get down on the floor and get up again without help.  I am warm and dry and have electricity.  I have kind friends.  Oh, I wanted tell you about my friend Kim.  She is making FlossTube videos under the name Stone House Stitcher. 
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Eight Pages

I have eight pages done on the Mystery project.  I'm a little over half way finished.  All the confetti stitches just about did me in.  Two rows complete!

 I put in some more basting threads to help me not get lost.

 I looked at how many more pages I have left: nine through seventeen.  Several of those pages are only half pages though.  Can I get this done in 2017?  Maybe.

I went walking in the rain today.  At least the walking is done and I have nearly dried out.  I sent off the completed Shepherd's Bush afghan to the new baby (who was born early and not on my birthday).  I'm so glad to have it all completed.  (thank you, Chris) 

DH bought some more Halloween candy.  He made the mistake of opening the bite-size Butterfingers and Baby Ruths.  I love them.  It is so tempting to just grab one every time I pass the dining room table.  Last year we had fewer than 30 trick-or-treaters but the weather was awful.  We'll see what this year holds.
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Peace Love and Little Donuts

I checked out the new donut place yesterday.  Just for scientific evaluation, of course, I got a dozen donuts.  I have to give them a big thumbs up.  I got six different flavors. (mocha macchiato, Andes candies, strawberry cheesecake, banana crunch, lemon blueberry, banana split.)  They are made fresh and iced as you order what you want.  Yes, they are expensive, but, wow, are they good!  When you get them they are warm.  See the lid of the box is all steamed up?

I got a book in the mail.  It is Mary Corbet's fault.  She mentioned the exhibit and book on May Morris. daughter of William Morris.  I am a fan.  I ordered the book from Book Depository.  It is in the UK but they have free shipping (How can they do that?).  The book was a good price for a large hard cover.  It covers May's life and all of her crafts.  Who knew she made jewelry? 

The book gave me some ideas for the design of one of my caskets. 

My walking is done.  There is no Farmer's Market.  Rats.  I'm hoping to complete the page I've been working on the BAP Mystery project.  Next week daylight savings time begins.  It will be good to start out walking when it is light out.
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A Small Finish

I got the little red scissors fob all stitched and yesterday I put it together.

Cute!

Now I have a set.

There is a rumor that a new mini donut place has opened.  I want to go check it out today.  BFF#2 told me about it and said it is similar to the Fractured Prune.   I'll have to try that out.  I hear that the strawberry cheesecake donut is to die for.

I got my Amy Mitten Darning Sampler kit. 

It has beautiful colors of interesting thread that I think is similar to #12 pearl cotton but it is silk.

  Her projects are always challenging but with great directions.  I can't wait to start it.

I got my walking in before the rain.  It is a nice day to settle in and stitch.
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More Stuff

I got more stuff on United Nations Day.  DH surprised me with some flowers.  How lucky am I?

I got a Frostings box through Thistle Threads.  It is filled with special limited edition threads.  This is Janet's fault!  When I was in Indy, I saw what she had done with her box of threads.  It was amazing.  So I ordered one. 
I love the box.

This is what was inside:

 I love this blue nubby thread.

I really have to work on my caskets.  I have so much stuff and I have ideas too.  I have stitching that is started.  I have the papers to line the interior.  Yes, I'm feeling guilty for not doing more. 

I wore my winter coat this morning when I went walking.  It was 30 degrees.  It may snow tonight.  I'm not ready for this!  Come back Indian Summer, I miss you.
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Stand

I got the Theresa Baird pin cushion stand.  It is just gorgeous.  Very nice workmanship.  It was pretty easy to put together although I didn't follow the directions. 

It has  a drawer:

Side view:

I laced the bottom of the pin cushion so that it was small enough to fit the circle (2 1/2 inches) for the pin cushion.  Then I cut a 2 1/2 inch circle of mat board and laced it to the bottom of the pin cushion.  That didn't look deep enough so I cut another 2 1/2 inch circle of mat board and taped it to the first one.  I used some gorilla tape to tape it into the recessed circle in the stand.  I think it looks good.

I started the biscornu which is the last piece to stitch from this Part II pattern.

Here are the completed pieces:

Love it!

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United Nations Day

Did you know it was United Nations Day today?  It was raining again early this morning so off to the Y I go to walk.  I found my Silver Sneakers card.  It was where it was supposed to be, in my purse.  Duh.

I got my last Stitchy Box yesterday.  Here is the stuff that was in it:

This is how the red scissors fob is coming along:

I got some neat stuff to celebrate United Nations Day.  I'll show you some of it tomorrow.
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Miscellaneous Monday

First of all, it is raining.  I decided to go to the Y to walk but I couldn't find my Silver Sneakers or whatever it is called card.  I ended up just going without it.  The guy working the front desk looked me up on the computer so I was okay.  He said he would make me a new card if I wanted.  I think I can find my old card if I look long enough.

As I was looking for some thread on the floor yesterday, I came across these.

 I didn't know I bought two of them!  What an idiot!  One is from House of Stitches and one is from Inspired Needle.  That reminds me that I need to get back to working on Lesson #1.  I started it a while back but the over one makes progress very slow.

The bathrooms are clean.

Marly suggested that I make Flosstube videos.  I have thought about it but I'm not very tech savvy. I am also a bit shy for doing videos.  I like to watch FlossTube and I even have a Jimmy FlossTube t-shirt.  On Jimmy's latest video he shows a project bag made from one of his t-shirts.  I like that idea. 

I went up to the small Farmer's Market at the library yesterday.  I didn't really need anything but just wanted to see if the Bakery place was there (it wasn't) or if I could get some Salmon pate (they weren't there either).  I got some brussel sprouts on a big long stem.  We had some last night and they were good but what do I do with the leftover part? 

I tried to cut it off but I couldn't.  This morning DH got irritated with it being in the way and got a hand saw and cut off the stem so it could fit it in the refrigerator.

DH has been dragging stuff out of the crawl space to clean it out.  Most of the stuff I can just pitch.  One of the thing he dragged out the other day was a Strawberry Clock cross stitch kit from 1981.  Why couldn't I throw this away?  Maybe tomorrow.

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Stitching Circle

I got the Silver Needle With a Little Help from Our Friends Stitching Circle kit in the mail yesterday.  It is a drum (if you want to make it that way, you don't have to) designed by Sam Sarah.

I love that everything is included.  I especially love that there are some jelly bellies in the box,  I don't have any photos of those as they were eaten immediately! 

Peoria Purple linen, chenille for the trim, wools for the top and bottom and all the threads.  There were some great pins included too.

One square inch of the red scissors fob got stitched.  Maybe if I get one square stitched each day it will be done by next Sunday.

Happy Sunday!
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Dudley

How is poor headless Dudley doing?  Much better now that he is all stitched.

Just a tad more (a branch and leaf) and this section is done.  Next is over one crowns and hearts.

I started the scissors fob that matches the red pin cushion from yesterday. 

I went to see Mary Chapin Carpenter last night.  It was very cool to see her in person.  Her voice has not diminished with age.  She was great as was her whole band.  I could have listened to her for another hour more.  When I was walking this morning I listened to her music on my Ipod. 

Today was the last Saturday Farmer's Market for the year.  I bought all I could carry.  I also got a cinnamon roll, yum!
We've had some really lovely days this week and today is beautiful. 
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