Of a Tuesday

I was very bad yesterday so I have to be extra good today.  I had two pieces of pizza when I shouldn't have had any.  I went walking and to exercise class and then walking some more this morning.   I didn't get the page for Claire's busy book done.  But I did go digging for fabric for the doghouse.  I think I'll make the dog out of felt.

I worked on the impressionist painting project.  It occurred to me that this might be great inside the top of a casket.  But I'll have to see how it looks.  This may look best when viewed from a distance instead of up close.

The mailman was good to me yesterday.  I got the kit for the new Needlework Nibble from Thistle Threads. That will be fun to start but I must get Claire's book done first.  That ought to motivate me.
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Butterfly or Bee

I finished the butterfly/bee page in Claire's busy book.  It was pretty easy.  I took the easy way out and just drew on the eyes and mouth with permanent marker instead of embroidering them.  The wings make a sound when you bend them because they have paper in them.

Today I take on the next page which is a dog in a doghouse on a ribbon leash.  I have to go digging for appropriate fabrics again.  It really is amazing how many fabrics I have stuffed in the closet of my sewing room.

I worked on the impressionist painting project and it is starting to take shape.  I see a house and a tree.  There will be a lake and a boat too.  It is still weird to work with three strands and usually three different strands of floss.

I'm off to see Dylan  for the last time this school year.  So we will have pizza today and I'll get a larger one so we can share it with another kid and his mentor that will be in the room with us this week.

It is a beautiful day.
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Momma Bird

I finished the bird page in Claire's busy book.  The nest is a fuzzy material.  There is velcro on the edge of the nest so that when you pull it down eggs are revealed.

Next up is the butterfly with crinkly sounding wings.  It won't be too hard.  After the butterfly page there are only two pages left.  Yeah!

I finished the lesson in Mermaid Treasures.  What an interesting project.  I think the rocks come next.

I worked some on the impressionist painting project.  It is starting to take shape.  I was beginning to get lost so I put in some basting lines to guide me.  It is very interesting to see the effect of using three strands.  On one hand it looks kind of crude.  But on the other hand it is surprising to see what brown, orange and green plies of floss look like when they are stitched together.

In two weeks I have another project coming up, Amy Mitten's Needleworker's Pocketbook.  Nifty.  I am so lucky.
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Corn

I finished the corn page in Claire's busy book.  DH didn't recognize what it was.  I guess it is stylized corn with a zipper.  The ear of corn is a little too close to the edge of the page but, again, Claire won't care.

Next is the bird in a nest page.

I started the water that is on the mirror of Mermaid Treasures.  I was off a bit at the beginning so I had some frogging to do.  But now I am adding the vintage metal threads.  I love how sparkly it is.  Cool.
I think I can finished this lesson today.

I'm not sure you can see the sparkle.  There are three different metal threads alternating through the gray water.  I really like how it looks.

I got some luscious strawberries in the mail today.   Happy Mother's Day to me!  I also got a gift card that I have half spent in my mind but I'm waiting to really spend it tomorrow.

The Farmer's Market opened today.  It hasn't been warm enough for a lot of stuff to have grown around here.  The first asparagus of the season is here.  The Fruit Market up the street is for sale and doesn't look to exist this year so it is really nice to have the Farmer's Market.
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Flower Page

So I worked on the flower page of Claire's busy book and got it finished.

Then I made the kitty.  It turned out okay but it is not centered very well on the page.

 I measured it and everything and still it looks uncentered.  Oh well.  Claire won't care.  The nose makes him look like a pig.  I have to change that.

Now on to the corn.  The next page is an ear of corn with a zipper.  I'm not sure I have the right fabric but I'll make do.  The husk may be blue instead of green.

I am making good progress on Mermaid Treasures.  I got the cloud, mirror and hair done.  I just have to work on the water and the tail and I will be all caught up on the lessons.
I am loving the weather.  This is the best time of year for where I live.
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Cover

I got the cover done for Claire's busy book.  I found a pair of shorts that I should have thrown out years ago.  They had a hole by the pocket but I wore them anyway.  So I cut them up and made the cover:

I like it.  I wish I had cooler letters for her name but these ironed on very solidly so she can't pull them off.  Then I started on the first page.  I made the hands and it didn't look too creepy so I'll go with it (unless DIL doesn't like it).

Next is the flower page.  Three flowers button on.  I have a great sewing machine that makes very nice buttonholes.  My zigzagging around the edge of the flowers is not very even but I don't think it is noticeable.  My goal today is the finish page two and go on the page three which is a kitty cat with jingle bells in his bow tie.  Whatever.

I was so close to finishing the Erica Micheal's scissors fob when I thought, this is too big to be a scissors fob.  Basically I don't like scissors fobs anyway.  But one that is too big is not good.  So I went back and reread the directions trying to find any place that says to go over one.  Maybe I was supposed to go over one on 40 count silk gauze instead of over two.  I couldn't find anything.  The directions only mentioned the pin cushion and said to go over two using one strand of floss.  Then I looked at the picture.  The fob is small.  My fob is not.  Uh-oh.  I bet I was supposed to go over one and I went over two.  It isn't all my fault as the directions were not clear.  Rats.  All that work and I totally messed it up.  I think I have some more silk gauze somewhere but I'm not going to go looking for it today.  Maybe this will be a pin cushion instead of a scissors fob.  It is a little discouraging to work on something and have it not turn out as planned.
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Busy Day

It's been a busy day already.  I'm up to 8500 steps and may even get to 10,000 today.  I've found that the easiest way to get to 10,000 is to go shopping.  But that is not good as I tend to spend money when I'm shopping.
So after exercise and about 7 trips around the walking track at the Y, I went to the fabric store to get stuff for Claire's busy book.  I want to do a page a day.  I've been thinking about the cover.  I want to cut the top off a pair of jeans for the cover.  But I have to see if, first of all, I have a pair of jeans to cut up and secondly, can I get a large enough flat piece of jean to use.  Then the first page is peekaboo.  I ironed freezer paper to muslin and cut it out so I could run it through my printer.  It worked!  So I think I'm going to use my muslin face but use the felt for the hands - unless it looks creepy.

It is going to be messy making this book as I have to dig into stash and find things.

I got some new directions for Mermaid Treasures.  I am stitching on the stumpwork mermaid mirror part.  I don't think I could do this if it didn't come in just small easy steps.  Thanks to Amy Mitten's great instructions, I am doing fine.  I started the cloud at the top.  Doesn't look like much yet.

I finished Spring Jumble.  I love it and want to frame it and hang it up.  Maybe in my bathroom.  I haven't gone looking for frames yet.

I still haven't framed  B My Valentine that I did last year.

There is a new Needlework Nibble on Thistle Threads so of course I had to order it.  It is called Lady Catherine's Slipper.  Nifty.
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