My Corner of the Stitching Universe

Blog 6 from Stitching the Night Away


Some of us have a favorite chair that we sit in to stitch, others prefer to enjoy a steaming mug of tea while they stitch. Maybe you need to get comfortable and put on your pajamas before you pick up your needle or you simply must rearrange all the sofa pillows before you sit down. Sometimes the ritual is in the clean up when we’re done and everything must go in a certain place. What sort of stitching rituals do you have when you sit down to work on your projects?


I don't know that I can really expound any more than what others have so eloquently stated.  It is amazing how similar we all are.   


I don't know that I would call them rituals.  I do have a favorite chair.  It would be my lazy boy.  I need to have my light on the left side since I'm right handed which, got my chair positioned directly infront of the TV.

 The table on my left has my thread catching things.  The one with the pens in it started out life for ORTS but, since my husband has started Sudokos, it has ended up with pens and pencils.

 My favorite pair of stork scissors he got me for my first birthday together.  I think it is the best gift he ever got me because he knew how much I love cross stitch.

This is the table to the right of my chair.  I usually leave my stitching on this when I walk away.  It becomes a catch all for a lot of things.  I'm not that obsessed as I should be with protecting my work.

Sometimes I have to share the table with Buster.  This is one of his favorite perches to guard the neighborhood.  

Inside the table is a Longerberger picnic basket.  It is great for holding the tools I use occasionally.  Things like thread cards, hole punch to punch a ring hole in overdyes, and rings.  There are lots of other things in there too.  One thing I always do as I get ready for a project is if I'm using DMC, I get a thread card ready with the number and the pattern symbol on it.  If I'm using overdyes, I just put them on a ring and re-loop the thread on the original card.  

My SIL is a Longerberger rep, so I have had to buy a few over the years.  I just have bought ones I knew I had a use for.  This is the magazine basket and it holds projects really well once they have been kitted up and in the queue.  

My space doesn't deviate too much.  Maybe that in itself is my rituals.  
Thanks for stopping.  Keep on stitching.  


 Check out the other blogs at Stitching the Night Away Blog 6.  For the life of my I can never get this to do the same thing every posting.

I Got Side Tracked by a Torturing Therapist

 I  think I have been making really good progress in my rehabilitation process.  It has been eight weeks since my total knee replacement.  I have been doing my home exercises twice a day and going to physical therapy three times a week.  I just last week was able to pedal all the way around on an exercise bike.  I now can go into my basement rec room and get on my recumbent exercise bike and do it for six minutes twice a day.  Do I complain....no.

Friday's therapy was especially difficult.  I didn't take a pain pill like they tell me to because, I had to drive myself since my daughter the chauffeur wasn't feeling well.  I did everything and then some.  I iced my knee when I got home.  It was feeling okay.  I thought I would just try Tylenol at bed time since it was still feeling okay.  Let me tell you, at two o'clock in the morning, my left leg was so sore I couldn't stand it.  I remembered what I had done with three pound weights that day and figured that was the culprit.  The PT kept pushing me...WITH NO BREAKS!

So at two a.m. I started plotting.  I had to think of something to reward his efforts.  This is what I came up with:

 I used Weeks Works Bethlehem.  It is a varigated thread in blues, purples, red, pink, beige and green.  Kind of the colors one would see on a bruise.  In case you can't read the lettering:  The Taskmaster and under it is ouch.

 The fabric on the back side.   I made the cord out of DMC:  738, 791, 917 and 3362, attached with the 738, which was close to the color of the 32 count linen I used:  expresso

A little bit of a close up shot.  The border around it barbed wire I found at this website:http://www.crossstitchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15551.  I did it in the Bethlehem and DMC 310 for that extra torture touch.

I think when I go to therapy tomorrow, if he isn't sitting at his desk, I'm just going to hang it from his bulletin board and remain anonymous. I wonder if he will think it was me.


I just want to welcome all the new people to my blog.  A BIG THANK YOU for the wonderful comments about my BBD finish.  Thanks for stopping by again.  
Keep on stitching.  

TA DA the Birthday Reveal a Blackbird Design

Finally, my sister opened her birthday present.  She was in Toronto for business and didn't get back to yesterday and in the office until this morning.  Now, I can finally post it!! 

It is The Tulip House Stitching Companion by Blackbird Design from A Stitcher's Journey Book.  

I am absolutely thrilled with how it turned out.  

 I had to order rick rack, seam twill tape and Briwax from Amazon.  Amazon sent me to other providers.  So now I have 20 yards of white rick rack, 72 yards of cotton seam twill tape and a one pound container of Briwax.  It was still cheaper than ordering from cross stitch sites.  I am in love with the Briwax and have several projects I will be using it on.  The buttons I had salvedged from the in-laws clean out last summer.  I have three tins full of buttons.

 I hand dyed the rick rack, tape and chenille per directions in the book with tan Rit dye.

 The parts before they are all put together.  It was such a fun stitch.  I love this book and plan on making more projects from it.

 I was going to make some cording with floss and a drill but, when I saw how Brenda Gervais from With Thy Needle and Thread had finished the thimble purses with the button fringe, I thought that would be a good way to finish the scissors fob.  I used more twill tape on it.

 The Briwax really changes the color of the paint.  I used the dark brown and it added depth and dimension to the paint.  It also gives it a nice shiny, glow.  I really love this stuff.

 The top glued into place on the box.

 The art shot.

 The inside of the box.  A small pin cushion, rings for thread, the fob fits right in.

 

 Then, I took the longest straight pins I could find and used Bead Loc to glue some pretty Swarovski crystals and fresh water pearls with silver seed beads.  I just can't get a good picture of these.

 Initially, I had the pin cushioned tied in with a bow.  It was too much so, I just tied a simple square knot and I much preferred that one.

 One more peek at the finished product.

 TA DA, It is finished and posted.  She loved it!

 Update on Strawberry Hill.  I don't iron anything until the stitching is done.  This is coming along rather nicely.

 I wasn't so sure about using a single strand of floss on 35 count linen.

I can keep you updated on this one as I progress.

Thanks for stopping.  I love getting all the wonderful comments.
Keep on stitching.

No Sleep and Teaser Pictures

It was a lovely evening.  We were able to turn off the AC and open windows.  I think that may have been a mistake because at 4 am the birds start singing like nuts.  The robins in particular are very vocal.  I really like hearing the birds but, since I had my knee surgery, I am sleeping in a bedroom on the east side of the house.  This means, that one wakes up even more as the sun came up at 5:13.  Then, at 6:30 the road construction starts.  Yesterday, they poured some concrete for sidewalks.  This morning at 6:30 they were cutting the sections.  At, 8 am they were pouring more concrete.  

 It's amazing how much noise this all makes.  This has been a poorly run construction project.  It was suppose to be done three weeks ago.  The road is only partially paved with the first course of asphalt. The batch plant has been moved 100 miles away.  And the retaining wall that ruined our sprinkle system will withstand an Richter scale 8 earthquake, which rarely happens in Michigan's UP.  But, we'll be ready.

 Who knows when this will be done.  Our house is covered in dirt.

 Teaser picture of the Stitching group's Christmas present.  All the cross stitching is done.  Now I just have to assemble things.

Thanks for stopping.  You should have brought some cheese along to the wine party.  Keep on stitching.  

Strawberry Hill Start and you gotta check out this freebie!

The temperature has definately improved.  We haven't had triple digits but, it has been well into the 90's.  I do have the house opened this morning.  I may need to turn on the AC as the day goes on but, we will be able to sleep with windows open tonight.

I have started Strawberry Hill Sampler by Brenda Gervais of With Thy Needle and Thread.  This is going to turn out so cool.  The colors are marvelous.  This is going to be a great stitch!

 The colors aren't exactly true to life in these pictures.  The fabric is more yellow than grey as it appears in the pictures.  

 The pattern didn't come with a scissors fob pattern.  I will take one of the motifs and make one.  I loved the way she finished the thimble purses, some the other With Thy Needle and Thread summer releases  with button fringe.  This has become one of my favorite finishes and have used the idea on other things.  (Wait for a future post)

Reading through the finishing instructions for Strawberry Hill;  she recommends using shoe polish on the box.  I did order some Briwax a furniture polish made of Bee's wax, canuba wax and solvents. I have called several hardware and woodworking store within a 100 mile radius. ( I found it through Amazon.  I adore Amazon.)   I used it on my sister's birthday present.  It is awesome!  I need to use it to finish several things happening in the next few months.  I can't divulge since it is still super secret.  This much I can tell you, I sent her her b'day present and her birthday is July 12.  As soon as I hear she has gotten it and opened it I can post.  It is killing me not to show you since I am terribly pleased with how it turned out.  I took a pile of pictures so be prepared.  


I haven't made as much progress on Strawberry Hill since I am also working on the Christmas presents.  I have 8 parts done and have 8 more to go.  One part of 4 is small and won't take long.  It will be a lengthy process finishing it off.  I will have some time since I will be off work another five weeks.  


If you aren't a blog member of Notforgotten Farms you gotta check it out.  Website:
http://farmhousenotforgotten.blogspot.com/ and the July 6 post.  She has a very charming freebie pattern.  I printed it and will get the supplies to stitch it up.  I did order some of her upcoming 32 count hand dyed linen just to add to the fabric stash.

Hope you are all staying cool.  Thanks for stopping by.  Keep on stitching.  

Happy Star Spangled Day

Welcome new Blog Followers!  Glad you have joined!

This is a good post to follow Stitching the Night Away's latest blog hop question, talking about seasonal designs.  Today is all about seasonal blog...The Fourth of July, that Star Spangled Holiday.  I finished Prairie Schooler July on July 1 and framed it yesterday.  Plenty of time and you know it will be up for the whole month.  In case you didn't already know this, PS is one of my favorite designers.  I should do a few of the small ones to scatter about, maybe someday.  I should keep a list of these things somewhere so I don't forget.  

 I got out the rest of my Fourth of July pieces to decorate.  I have done these over the years.  This one I am particularly pleased with since I had to sew all the pieces together.  It is a Homespun Elegance.  I think now you can get the pillows done, you just need to stitch them up.  I even put piping on it and I had never done that before.  I have done several Homespun Elegance over the years and they is another one coming up further down the blog.

 The sheep buttons by the barn are particularly cute.  I should have done a close up of that.

 Another Homespun Elegance....Bringing In series.  I should have some sheep in my backyard since I am keen about them.

 I think this is a Bent Creek.  I think there is a button theme going on here.

 Shepherd's Bush.  Lots of buttons.  This was suppose to be done on larger count fabric but, I have done all of these on smaller count to make little knob holders.  I need places to put things.  The smaller size just seemed to fit better.

 Not sure what this is.  It is either a Bent Creek Zipper or a Lizzie*Kate.  Somebody will know I'm sure.  I used hemp for the hanger since I thought the design was more rustic.

 Another Shepherd's Bush.  I am quite fond of these designers.  I have done a few from them including this whole year series.  I had to adjust November and Septembers to fit in the little strip of wall I hang these.  I hang them just as you coming into the kitchen from my laundry room.  It makes me smile.

 A little needle roll.  I really liked doing these and I have a few Shepherds Bush kits for other seasons.

 The Sweetheart Tree bell pull.  This is another little strip of wall I have several bell pulls I interchange through the year.  Some are Homespun Elegance.

Finally, the last picture.  These were Prairie Schooler smalls.  The one with the Hand was one shops would give out.  Had to get the other one to match.  I just painted cheap frames blue to match.  These get hung on a small strip of wall between two doors.  

We had natural fireworks last night.  For a long time, we were between storms and there was lightening every where.  It was quite a show.  About an hour later, we had storms of our own that lasted a couple of hours.  We needed the rain but, it wasn't good for the sleep patterns.
I go and see the surgeon today for my six week check up.  I think I'm doing okay.  I will be anxious for it to start really feeling better.  I am getting tired to sitting on my butt.

Have a great Fourth!  Stay Cool!  Suppose to be 92 here tomorrow.  Thank heavens for AC!
Keep on stitching.

SNAP...a New Season!

The latest Blog Hop question from Stitching the Night Away. Do you find yourself stitching seasonally or do you just stitch what moves you at the moment? What’s your favorite holiday or season to stitch for?

 I guess I usually stitch what moves me for probably nine months of the year. Once September hits, you get the hint that fall is in the air, something goes snap in my head and I get the urge to stitch seasonal things. I absolutely love fall and the fall colors. It really doesn't last long enough for me. I start with fall things then go to Halloween and have to do some of that. Then I start looking for turkeys. I did a Prairie Schooler turkey that just makes me smile every time I look at it. Then I have to hurry and get a Christmas stitch or two in. I like to get my Christmas presents done before I have to so I can stitch seasonal things. It's hard for me to pick a favored season. I do wish there were as many spring and summer patterns I like as fall and winter. I do like Fourth of July patters too.

 Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.