Down a Rabbit Hole

I have several issues of SANQ and I have the CD.  

I've been on the hunt for a Quaker Sampler to see if I would like it with the chicken egg colors.

In the meantime, I fell down a rabbit hole and have spent several hours quickly perusing issues. 

I have been keeping notes.  

Some have really grabbed me.

Ann Hicks 1820

Volume37

Margaret Ure 1794

Volume 49

Queen of the Sea (not an antique)

Volume

JaneThomlison 1851

Volume 25 

(The other side of the sampler was on the next page)

Sarah Lee 1806

Volume 39

Mary Oldfield 1806

Volume 41

Quaker Medallion Sampler (not a reproduction)

Volume 21

I thought I finished the Tree of Life on Martha Dawson but, noticed

I missed an apple on the top left branch.  

I'll fix it after dinner before I get too far on a berry bowl.  

Taking Brenda and the Serial Starter's advice I ordered a thread winder from 

rnrwoodworksky.  

I ordered a cherry finished with varnish.

It works so great for winding the DMC for thread drops.  

My colors from the chicken egg match are ready for when I find a pattern.  

Here's the eggs and the floss.  

The dark egg is with 400 but I may use 301 instead or maybe both...who knows. 

So pretty!!!

This week could potentially be horrible!

We are suppose to be moving into a new clinic....don't get excited

We were sold to a rehab company in August.  

The new company has a building that they were only using half of.  

Rather than gutting it, they decided to remodel half and and front office.

So it will most likely look like two different clinics which is not exactly conducive to blending two staffs.  Like a couple with kids from seperate relationships be married but, having everyone on opposite sides of a house.  YIKES!!

There are design issues too, like the cabinets are too high and too low for me.  

I'm 61, with one knee replacement so I don't kneel and I'm 5'3" and these cabinets are made for people six feet tall. 

UGH!  I just want to retire but, insurance is keeping me working.  Double UGH!!

Enough complaining.  

Hope life where you are is good and you have gotten lots of stitching time.  

May you get a vaccination soon if you haven't already.  

Until then wear your mask, hand sanitize and social distance.  

Keep on Stitching

Monica

 

Inspiration Strikes

You never know where inspiration is going to strike.  

Yesterday, it was some home grown eggs I got from someone at work.  

The colors were absolutely beautiful.  

We had some for breakfast but, I wouldn't let Bob crack the blue egg.

A photograph really can't show you the real color.  

I got my floss book out to try and match the colors to DMC.

I think it would be incredible.  

It took a while and more attempts but, I think I pretty much nailed it.  

I may take some more pictures later with the floss next to the egg.  

They aren't exact matches but, pretty doggone close.  

Not sure what I'm going to do with them.  

Looked through a lot of things today.  

I do have a floss winding tool coming to cut the right length for floss drops.  

Thought I might do a sampler and found this one in SANQ but, I've been watching Jacob from Modern Folk Embroidery and he had a really brilliant idea.  

I've been looking at Quaker Samplers and may cut the thread into lengths and just pull one and mix it all up. I could do that with the sampler too.  

My mother in law is in the nursing home and will be staying there.  

She fell and broke her pelvis in two places and can't stand for six weeks from the break...about three weeks ago.  If it heals she'll be in the right place for rehab but, who knows what will happen.  She was living in an Assisted Living and my husband and his brother aren't holding it any more.  She just turned 92.  

Bob and I went there yesterday to start packing up  her belongings.  

My mother in law wasn't the easiest.  Is anyone's MIL easy?  

It is very sad to be doing this.  

I brought home a piece I stitched her in 1988 after Bob and I were married for Christmas.  

Used Aida and DMC and it may have been a Leisure Arts design.  

Not sure where I'm going to put it.  

A close up on one side

I remember working on this and it was a lot of fun.  

I wouldn't do it now but, it is beautiful  

My taste has changed.  

Another thing I found was a box of beautiful linen handkerchiefs with crocheted lace.  

When Katy was a little girl she shook down all the grandma's for handkerchiefs.  

She had a passion for them and liked to iron them.  When I saw these, I thought of her.  

Excuse the butter dish...:)

My update on Pet All the Dogs.  I made a lot of progress this week.  

Now I'm putting it away for a few weeks to work on Martha Dawson.  

I think our cold snap is done.  We are back in the 20's but, then what usually happens, is it snows.  

I feel so bad for the people of Texas and hoping all is well.  

I don't know if any of you have been in one of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe clubs, I was in the linen club.  I know she has had health issues and supply chain issues but, I haven't gotten an order since November and had contacted her about it....I have had to since last summer.  Today, I had to escalate it to PayPal to try and get my money back.  I feel really bad and had hoped to just get the fabric.  I have emailed her about this a few times and gotten no response, just kept getting an invoice.  

I am hoping, I'll be able to get my money back.  I know there are a lot of people out there who are waiting.   I was watching Momma Loves You G and she is giving her a little more time.  Like I said I feel really bad because I really enjoyed her fabric but, need to cut my losses.  

I hope you are having a good weekend, have power, water and heat and you're on the short list for a vaccine. 

Wear your mask, wash your hands and social distance.  

Keep on Stitching 

Monica

 

Kitting Up Some Projects

The infection rate has gone really down with only a few new infections a day.  

Don't think we have had an up tic in any of the variants just yet.

It was the middle of the week so Bob and I decided to take a little shopping trip to Escanaba, about 50 minutes away to go to Hobby Lobby and Meijers.  We haven't been there since last April, the last time we strayed from home to shop.  The only place to shop here besides grocery stores is Walmart (puke).

While I was in Hobby Lobby, Bob went to Harbor Feight for a few things.  We were home within a few hours but, got a lot done.  

I probably have enough kitted up but, I did get some DMC floss for projects.  

I have talked about Esther Benson from HATS.  I can't believe how beautiful the colors are.  Haven't decided on a fabric.  Whatever I pick, I will probably grunge it up some before stitching.  

I saw someone working on this a while ago.  I have  the SANQ dvd but, did have a subscription for a while.  This is a 2002 Rhode Island Sampler.  There is also a small Adam and Eve in this issue I'm going to need to do.  These colors are gorgeous too.  Haven't decided on fabric for this either.  

Henry Ford has a girlfriend.  My friend Jan has a GWP too and she sent him a valentine bandana.  

Henry asked me to help him send her something.  We printed up his picture with the Sprocket to make a card.  We also made her some lovely hair bows.  

Included a little snap of Buster.  Ignore the glare on the lower picture.  

Making progress on my latest pair of socks, going to Katy.  

This is wonderful self stripping yarn from Opal.  Love the colors. 

Finished  the second tree on Pet All the Dogs.  Working on some of the small motifs.  I really love the colors in this piece.  There are alot of stitches in this piece. 

 

It was -11 this morning with a windchill of -31.  It has been really cold for the last ten days.  It will gradually be warming up a little every day and a high in the 30's by next weekend.  

Dinner is nearly done:  chicken, sweet potatoes and green beans.  That means it is time to go.  

Hope you are warm and safe.  Remember wear your mask (we do), hand sanitize and social distance.  Now is not the time to let your guard down.  We were very cautious and didn't dally.  

Have a wonderful week and Keep on Stitching!

Monica

SQUIRREL!!

Got distracted by a Squirrel.  I decided I needed a small and well Valentine's day is coming.  I downloaded La D Da's freebie Love Ya.  Working on old Weeks Parchment 36 count with called for threads.  Just started working on this Thursday.  Not sure if I will finish it as a pillow door hanger or frame it.  If it will fit in a conventional frame, I may frame it.  To be determined.  

I have made some significant progress on Martha Dawson.  Like I said last week the wording over one is done and the top section of the border.  It is just so beautiful.  I am loving the silk.  

I'm working on getting the  first four pages done before moving on.  This is a bird start (I think).   

Started another pair of socks for Katy.  Its self stripping Sweet and Spicy Chili.  I am trying a new pattern that has only a ribbed heel, not a turned heel.  Even more mindless.  I usually knit during the news with Lester Holt.  

Like I don't have enough to do, I made Butterhorn Rolls yesterday, getting a late start.  

We've been watching Doc Martin on Hulu since there really isn't much on TV.  They only have the first five seasons on Hulu but, someone told me that the Library had all the seasons.  I haven't been to the Library in quite some time.  I usually buy books because I only read a little while every day.  I'd rather stitch.  You can only enter the library with an appointment and they had two at noon yesterday so, both Bob and I got new library cards.  It was 3 degrees outside.  Since we were out and about, we stopped at the grocery store.  We didn't get home until after one, hence the late start on the rolls but, they were all done by 9 pm, ready to be sampled.  This is my Aunt Helen's recipe and so delicious.  I was going to have her come over do talk me through it on Thursday but, we had a terrible snow storm, then the temperature has dropped.  Decided to go for it.  I need to work on a few technique issues, like getting the size more uniform.  I also figure that I need to stagger rolling them out and getting the second rise ataggered so the oven isn't too crowded.  

Before the second rise

After they were baked.  

We had some this morning for breakfast and I had some melted butter left.  I re-melted it and made some icing.....OMG!!

We did go to the farm this afternoon to see Aunt Helen and brought her some.  Katy had sent me some saffron to bring her for Easter Saffron Buns.  We had a great visit. 

Henry in his bird pose.  Such a tall dog can wrap up into a pretty small ball. 

Can't have a picture of Henry without a picture of Buster, sleeping on my lap.  

Some day, he's going to fall off the chair on his head...LOL 

I have been contemplating The Scarlett House Smith Sampler and finally ordered it.  It came last week.  Saturday, I  decided to order the silks from 123 Stitch.  They didn't have the Gloriana but, they will let me know when they are back in.  

Well that about sums it up.  Dinner is ready to come out of the oven:  Pork roast, roasted redskin potatoes and fresh asparagus.  

Hope the weather hasn't been too bad where you are.  It is going to be bitter cold this week but the sun will be shining.  

Wear your mask, social distance, hand sanitize and Keep on Stitching 

Monica