I Cross Stitch! June Cleaver did Needlepoint

The current blog question from Stitching the Night Away


Do you experience this same assumption from society in general that just because you’re being crafty you’re also driven by some unseen force to be in constant 1950s housewife mode? and then…. Who actually does the cooking and the cleaning in the household? I’d also really like to hear some words from the men in the crowd who stitch on this topic. What sort of societal reactions do you get and what ridiculously wrong assumptions do people make towards you when they see you working on needlework?


I am far from a 1950's housewife.  At this point my house is a disaster since the kids are home from college and I am recovering from knee surgery.  When things are "normal", I now do the majority of the housework.  When the kids were home they did it to earn extra cash.  (I always told them I didn't need a paper route.  I already have a job.  So cleaning was a win-win.)  The husband will do dishes and other chores if asked.  He does do all the yard work except the flower beds.  He has stepped up to the plate during this time to help with laundry and grocery shopping.   I think he is ready for things to go back to the way they were before my surgery.  


The most interesting response I have gotten over the years was when I was in Fort Lauderdale, FL visiting my sister.  She thought it would be a treat for me to visit her favorite needlepoint store. It was filled with quite lovely, handpainted canvases a bit out of my price range.  (That was one of the reasons I started cross stitching in 1982, was I needed an inexpensive hobby since I had just graduated from college and had my first apartment.  Not so cheap now, haha).  I made the comment that I cross stitch.  I was promptly informed, "Oh dear, cross stitch is just a craft.  Needlepoint is artwork."  I am still trying to figure that one out.  Maybe the hand painted canvases were "artwork" but, if it isn't originally your artwork then isn't it also a craft when you stitch it?


So check out all the blogs at Blog Hop at Stitching the Night Away
Thanks for stopping and keep on stitching.  I will, I don't care what anybody thinks.  I am the stitching honey badger.  


  

Concrete Legos and Project Updates

It seems like it has been a busy week around here even though it doesn't seem like I have accomplished much.  The road construction is noisy and dirty.  We can't leave too many windows open.  It is kind of interesting but, it isn't right.  They a suppose to have cut down the hill since is the second highest intersection for accidents.  Your view is impeded by the hill.  And, there is a retaining wall being built at the south end of our yard.  The retaining wall is five feet at the highest point.  This is an accident waiting to happen, with a kid falling off of it or a great place for graffiti.  The blocks are interesting. They have got to be two to three feet by four feet and look like giant concrete legos.  I think they are too big for a residential area.  What do I know, I'm not an engineer.  I do know that what I see looks pretty bad.  I should have posted a picture of that.  The DH is on the war path.  

 On a brighter note....the peonies are in full swing.  Katy picked some and brought them in for me to enjoy.  I think we had a bigger crop last year.  I love peonies.  I wish there would last longer.  I think my favorite is the lighter pink one.  The pink gets darker as it gets closer to the center of the flower.

 The pictures really don't do them justice.  Maybe someday I will invest in a better camera.

 The darker pink one is a little on the down slide but, still pretty.

 I did get out and about yesterday with Katy and did a few small errands.  We went to the bank, and Twisted Sisters the bead store.  They had just returned from the Bead Show and had all kinds of new stuff.  It was very exciting  I picked up a few small things for additional Christmas projects....to be disclosed later.  I will have to post about the other things I got...multi colored beads and some silver beads.  We ended our rounds at Pet Supply to pick up dog food for the super Shih Tzu.  He had a trip to the groomers earlier in the week.  We have tried a new groomer and it has been a match made in heaven.  Notice the groovy bandana she put on him.  Very Psychadelic.  Anyway, he was due for a new toy and he does like to play tug-a-war.  A loofah seemed to fit the bill.  He decided to take a little siesta with Loofah Louie.

 I am finishing cross stitch things.  I did finish all the cross stitching on my sister's birthday present.  I need to put it together.  I won't be able to post about that until she gets it since she is a member of my blog and I don't want to ruin the suprise.  I am hoping it comes out looking good.  Finishing is not always my forte.  I have a hard time with corners.

I have been working on Silver Creek Samplers Do Not Worry and that is going fast.  This one I will most likely frame.

Therapy is going good.  I hit a 106 degrees of knee flexion (bending).  I need to ask them what they are shooting for.  I was told that once I get to 110 I will be getting on a stationary bike....oh joy!

Kind of rainy and dreary this morning.  Suppose to be a rainy weekend...I guess I will just have to stitch.

Thanks for stopping.  Keep on stitching!

FYI a blog giveaway At Willow Tree Pond

Just letting you all know that Teresa at www.atwillowtreepond.blogspot.com is having a drawing in honor of having 300 members. Check it out! Fabulous prizes! And I am totally jealous of her retreat!

Some Cheese with that Whine?

I am just crabby today.  Thankfully, we have central air otherwise I would be really crabby since it is 90 degrees outside.  I know things will start feeling better but, I just don't sleep.  So, I am crabby.  I should have some cheese with this whine.

On the upside, have started the decoy cross stitch project while I am doing birthday presents and Christmas presents.  This is so I have something to blog about.  I ordered this a while ago from Shakespeare's Peddler and she had done a conversion to overdyes from DMC and I really liked it.

 It is really stitching up quick since I just started it yesterday.  Not sure what I will do with it when I'm done.  The colors do fit in well with the general color scheme in our house.

I was really surprised yesterday when the mail came and I had gotten my order from Country Stitches, the new pattern from With Thy Needle and Thread.  This is the one that uses the 12 ounce Whitman Sampler Box.  I can't wait to sink my teeth into this one but, it is going to have to wait until some of these other projects are off the hopper.  

 There is the pattern for the box cover, huswife, pin keep and a scissors case.  I am looking forward to this.  It will truly be a keepsake when it is done.

 The threads for the piece.  Of course my pictures never really do it justice.

Finally the chenile as a finish for box top.  I really love the chenile as a finish.  The color is also a little over exposed in the picture but it is a bluish green over dye and truly lovely.  

I must end now because the good ole/new knee is squawking.  

Thanks for stopping and keep on stitching.  

A Finish and Top Secret Projects

So moving right along on the recovery process but it is slow going.  Maybe the Prairie Schooler Tortoise and the Hare was prophetic.  Slow and Steady wins the race.  I think the worst thing with the process is that I can't really be on my feet longer than 10-15 minutes without the knee swelling like a balloon.  I use the ice as fast as my ice maker can produce it.  I have been getting in a lot of quality stitching time in between the exercise sessions.  I finished the Tortoise and the Hare.  I haven't pressed it or mounted it yet.  Had I been thinking, I would have cut a bunch of cardboard before the surgery.  I'll get to it.

 Now, I'm working on Christmas gifts.  Since they are top secret, because you never know who is visiting, I can only show you the color of the thread.  I will post pictures after the holidays.

 These are the supplies for my sister's birthday present.  Can't show the picture of that but, I will after she gets it....in July.

I will have to start another project so I have something to post.

I have been waiting for the new With Thy Needle and Thread pattern to be released for the 12 ounce Whitman Sampler Box.  She posted it this week.  Here is the link to website.  I just love it!
http://www.countrystitchesonline.com/catalog.php?category=6 . I had to order the pattern.  I can hardly wait to see it in person.

Thanks for stopping.  Keep on stitching.

Tortoise Update and General Stuff

I am nearly finished with the Tortoise and the Hare.  I have had to do a little more frogging than usual but, I am blaming it on the pain medication.  I only took a half of one prior to therapy today.  That story will follow.   Back to the topic at hand, so initially I did the slow & steady wins the race in the pink color.  I didn't realize it was the wrong color until I was all done with the lettering.  It was a whole night's work.  I have a few more days work left on it.  I will iron it when I'm done.  

 I even had stitching group at my house last week.  Bob just pushed a recliner to the dining room table and my Ott light and I was good to go.  We did have some issues.  I was going to have my daughter bake a cake but, when it came time to turn on the oven it was a no go.  Fortunately, it only needed to be reset.  I really kind of like that stove...it has dials and not a computerized controls.  I figured when I bought it, it was less to go wrong.

Stuff is starting to bloom in the garden.  I would take more pictures but, it is still a little tricky getting around and my knee swells if I do too much.  Here is the first poppy of the season.  I love poppies.  Too bad they don't last longer than they do.  The first time it bloomed a few years ago, it was only one flower.  I had moved the plant all over to find the right spot.  When it did finally bloom, I excitedly called everyone to see it.  As I was doing that, my big dog walked past it and just chomped the flower off.  I was a little miffed but, it was really funny.  I still miss that big dog.

Such a happy flower.  In the bottom left corner is a ground rose, and the two of them love being next to each other.  The rose has thrived in the shadow of the poppy.

And today was the first day of outpatient Physical Therapy.  I can completely straighten my knee and I have 87 degrees of flexion.  According to my therapist, I am on schedule.  I thought I was doing very well.  It is rather sore tonight so I doubt I will do much more than ice and maybe do a prolonged flexion stretch.  I did bring a treat.  I also work in this Rehab department.  I  was accused of bribing him to not inflict pain.  I made a rhubarb cake.  This is a very old recipe I got from my grandmother years ago.  It is by far the best rhubarb cake on the face of the earth.  Here is the recipe.

Rhubarb Cake
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour
1 c. buttermilk
2 c. peeled and chopped rhurbarb (1/4-1/2")

Topping:
1/4 c. white sugar  and 2 tsp. cinnamon mixed together

Directions:
Cream shortening and brown sugar.  Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Add the salt and baking soda, 1/2 the flour and 1/2 the buttermilk, beat in and then add the rest.  Beat well.  Fold in the rhubarb.  Spread into the greased pan.  Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over the top.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

It is more like a coffee cake.  It is positively delish!  It only took me three hours to do it this morning.  I could only do a little at a time to give my knee a chance to recover.  The worst is sleeping at night because everytime you move, it hurts.  It is overall getting better.  At least I can stitch.

Thanks for stopping.  Keep on stitching.

Who Really Needs a Goal for a Reward

The latest entry for Stitching the Night Away blog hop:  

Do you set stitching goals for yourself and how do you plan them out? (Weekly, monthly, annually?) What are your current stitching goals (if you don’t mind sharing)?

In addition to setting goals for yourself, do you have a special reward that you reserve for when you reach a stitching goal?

This is by the far the hardest question I face.  I get asked this every year with my work performance appraisal.  The answer that always comes to mind is "not to kill one of my co-workers and keep putting money in my retirement account so I can retire as soon as possible."  Luckily, I don't get fired.  I think my boss could kill one of my co-workers too!

So, when it comes to cross stitch goals, the only ones I set are the ones that I'm doing as a gift.  Usually, the ones that I have to set goals for, is the projects I do for my stitching groups Christmas presents.  I start looking in January to see if there is something that really pops, that isn't too complicated and I won't lose interest in because I do at least four.  If it is something I really like, I will do one for myself.  Sometimes, I bite off more than I can chew.  One year, I started a Just Nan box.  It was too much work.  i think I did one and chucked the whole thing because it was just too much.  I try to start early enough, usually the summer so that I don't resent the project.  I also mix it in with other projects to avoid boredom.  

I usually don't set goals for stitching.  I want it to be fun.  It is my therapy but, I can't say its cheaper than Prozac but has fewer side effects.  

I don't have goals but, I have a box full (and I mean a Banker Box FULL) of projects, some just patterns, others are kitted up.  I rarely have more than one or two projects going at once.  I'm very pragmatic.  I like to finish things.  I like to see progress.  

 Seventy five projects but, some of these are multiples...Prairie Schooler so more than that number.

Possibly the next one's in the hopper while doing the Christmas projects.  

As far as rewards, I can always find something to reward myself at the cross stitch store or website.  There will always be a hank of overdyed that tickles my fancy, a Prairie Schooler pattern or some embellishment that I can reward myself.  There is always a reason for a reward.

http://www.stitchingthenightaway.com/2815/stitching-bloggers-blog-hop-3/#more-2815