Inside Front

I am almost done with the inside front of the Painted Lady Sewing Case.

It went fast since there isn't that much stitching.  It is more or less a border for the needlebook that will go in the middle of this page.  I love the needlebook as the front of it is the door pattern.  I am trying a couple of new things with the inside.  First I changed the stitch to a straight stitch and then I changed the color it is done in to the lovely light blue instead of the dingy light green.  Big improvement!    You can see the comparison to the front.

I want to work on the needlebook next.  I probably should just go on to the inside back but that is boring.

I finished the little purse front.  I worked hard and am happy with the result.  Then I realized that I have to stitch it all over again for the back.  I may change a couple of things just to make it interesting.   I think I want to make the scissors a bit darker so they show up more.  But I don't want to do them in "walnut" like the pattern recommends.   Maybe I'll try to change the color of the flowers too.  Purple?

Here are photos of the back yard with all the branches covered in snow.  It really looks gorgeous outside today.  We got at least 4 inches of snow according to DH who shoveled the driveway.  Luckily I was able to get to exercise today which is good since I was feeling guilty about going out to eat last night.
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And Now for Something Completely Different

I have been itching to cross stitch.  The Painted Lady Sewing Case is needlepoint and some of the other stuff I've been working on is embroidery.  So I picked up one of Country Stitches little purse charts.  I was too lazy to go find the overdyed floss so I just grabbed some silks leftover from a three different Drawn Thread projects.  The linen is 40 count and I am getting very used to it now.  I used to think, how can people work on 40 count?  Now it doesn't seem any different than other linen.  I like how it is turning out.  I have another one of the little purses stitched but not finished.

I bought a couple of the little Russell Stover hearts boxes of chocolates.  One is for Dylan, and one for the Country Stitches heart design that just came out.  It has the same lady with scissors on it.

I also picked up the Cabinet of Curiosities butterfly design that I have been playing around with.  I finished off the stitching.  Now it needs to be finished off into a mattress shaped pin keep.  I like how this one turned out as it is more "me".

We are expecting a bit more snow today.  The estimates range from 1 to 4 inches.  So who knows?  The bad part is that it starts with sleet.  Ugh.

I'm going to work a bit on Painted Lady today.  I'll show you my progress tomorrow.
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Trying Out

Could I let that Rose Trellis kit just sit idly by?  No I had to check it out.  I wanted to try out the linen and then try some non-overdyed linen.  The trellis is made using linen thread that is the same color as the linen.  When I tried it on the kit linen it looked okay.  Sometimes over-dyed linen is wrinkly and doesn't look nice.  But I think this linen will be fine when it is ironed.  So I am going to use the kit linen.

The second photo is my regular linen.  It looks nice and even and smooth.

I went out to see Dylan yesterday.  We still couldn't make smoothies or have pizza as there are too many other people in the room that we would disrupt.  So I'm hoping next week we can get back to Mondays when we have the room to ourselves.  We were able to make the hand lotion and package it up for his sister's birthday.

I finished stitching the main part of the scissors case for Cabinet of Curiosities.  I pulled out the waste canvas to see what it looked like.

Last night, my decision was to pitch it. I have to look at it again today and reassess.  It looks so amateurish and it has glaring mistakes in it.  It is not worth finishing.  I got a big laugh from a blog where the lady actually burned her stitching.  Set it on fire.  I know the feeling.

I'm trying to decide on what retreats to go to this year.  I'm already signed up for Spring Fling in April.  I'm watching the classes for Celebrations and my BFF is signed up for Dyeing to Stitch's retreat in October.  Other retreats in the mix are the New England Stitcher's retreat and The Attic in November.   I was going to stay home this year!
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Cabin Fever

I've stayed home because of the bad driving conditions since last Wednesday.  I was supposed to see Dylan yesterday but cancelled after DH said the roads were awful.  But today is a different story.  I went to exercise and the roads are finally plowed.  I'll go see Dylan this afternoon.  We are making my hand lotion (Baby Magic, aloe, vaseline, Vitamin E cream) as a gift for his sister's birthday.

Yesterday the new happy chair was delivered!  It is wonderful.  Comfortable with good back support.  The biggest plus is that the arms are low enough not to interfere with stitching.  I don't have to hunch.  Nice.  I am a lucky duck.

I finished the outside of the Painted Lady Sewing Case.  Yeah!  There are some things that I don't like about it but I am very glad to have the outside done.  I plan to try a couple of new things when I do the inside.  I don't like the light greeny color that is the background, it looks dingy to me.  So I'm going to use the light bluey color when I do the inside.  Also, the diagonal stitch distorts.  Why not use a straight satin stitch?  I'm going to try it.  I have the double nun stitch around half of the inside. Nun's stitching is really going faster now and I don't mind it so much (knock on wood).

I found out that the Vintage Strawberry class starts on the 15th.  I guess I have a head start as all the stems are done and I have a start on the leaves that are on top of the berries.

I picked up the scissors case for Cabinet of Curiosities.  Not much left to do on it now.  I hate it though.  I don't like the thread:  it snags on my fingers and slips out of the needle and it is hard to rethread the needle and three strands is a PITA to work with.  I don't like that I am making up the shading as I go along. I'd rather have a set pattern.   My stitching is crap.  Not neat or even.  ARGH.  I'm not sure I'm even going to keep this when I am done.  Just looking at it is a humbling experience.

Thanks to my chair, the sewing room is cleaner than it has been in years.  I still have a pile of stuff to deal with though.
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Something Else

I worked very hard all day on the Painted Lady Sewing Case.  Now I'm sick of it, I need a break.  I am pleased with what I got done and I am close to finishing the outside front.  I just need to do the background and a few odd stitches here and there.

So I decided to trace the top of the miniature box design in my Cabinet of Curiosities class.  I don't like the side front design which a bunch of lumps and water.  We are going to start the embroidery of it next month but I would almost like to see what I could do on my own.  We'll see....

Then I picked up the Vintage Strawberry design and put in a bit of split stitch on the stems.  I don't think this class has officially started yet.  I expect to get an email invitation to the classroom.  Maybe we are waiting for everybody to receive their kits.  So far, so good.

More snow today, we expect another one to two inches.  I have to drive in it to see Dylan tomorrow.
Homemade pizza for dinner for me.  DH is having something new and exciting - swordfish.
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Package

It seems I don't go looking for something new to start - the starts find me!  I got a package in the mail yesterday.  We have a lovely mailman who brings my packages to the door.  I ordered a kit from Thistle Threads.  It is a teaching kit.  What a great opportunity to buy a teaching kit and not have to have all the expense of traveling.  I'm so glad Tricia is moving and clearing our her studio.  The kit I bought is called "Rose Trellis".  It comes with a box.

I really like this box.  It is a nice quality and well done.  I like that it is lined with yellowed newspaper.

 I'm not sure I like the 40 count linen.  Overdyed linen loses its stiffening/starch when it is dyed.  I like a linen with some gumption to it, I don't like limp linen.  So I may switch this out.  I'll try it first just to see if I like it.  This kit has nice silk threads and some very cool buttons to make a waxer out of.

I want to start this but I'm not quite ready as I have the Vintage Strawberry ready to go and I am hot and heavy into Painted Lady.  I also got some spangles and some mica.

The mica is much smaller than I expected but it will be fine for experimenting with.  I think we will be using mica in the Mermaid Treasures class.

The Painted Lady is going well.  I have much of the door area done.  It is keeping my interest.  Would you believe that I am on Page 42 of the directions?

We are getting more snow today.  I am very bad, third day in a row that I haven't gone to exercise.
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Knock, Knock

I am working on the door of the Painted Lady Sewing Case.  It is really starting to take shape now.  I found the pictures of the project that I couldn't find yesterday.  I taped them in the back of the binder so I could use them for reference.  Because of unclear directions, I had to take out some of my stitching and replace it with a different color but otherwise things are working out.

We got lesson 10 today for Cabinet of Curiosities.  It really is a fascinating class.  This month's lesson is about  using some thread that I have never tried before, silk wrapped purl.  We got a design for the little box.  I already have in mind what I want to do with it but I may stitch this design anyway.  It reminds me of the Lounging Hare project as it has a bunny on it.

I skipped exercise class today - again.  I didn't want to drive through all that snow.  I probably should have sucked it up and gone but alas, it is too late now.  We actually saw the sun today although it is very cold and there is still more snow coming.  I am cozy warm in my house.
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