The Wall

 That's what I hit at about 8 p.m. last night.

I could not force myself to put a single, solitary stitch in this flower at that point.

Granted, I had been working on it all day. And there are 1,296 stitches per square inch.

Just writing that made me weak in the knees.

Anyway, I was planning to work on Heartsease today and maybe later do a few more stitches in the stem, but Lucy Worsley's "Queens and Kings" book arrived on the doorstep and I may have to fall into British history instead.

Striped Flower

 I was so close to getting this flower bud(?) stitched before I went to bed, but eyes and hands decided to stop working at about the same time. So, I'll finish that part today.

I'd like to say I would get the leaves and stems finished as well, but that's a lot of teeny tent stitches over one, and I think I would be overly optimistic.

And, speaking of being overly optimistic, I saw this project finished on Cathy's blog and knew I had to have it. Pdf from Lucy Beam was in my hot little hands before you could say "Lucy Beam."

I should probably substitute "Needlework" for Cross Stitch since I fall down a lot of stitching rabbit holes, but this may suffice.

Sampler September

It has occurred to me that this is Sampler September and I have yet to stitch on a sampler. I have also been remiss in keeping up with Sampler Sundays. This must be corrected!

So yesterday I pulled Spot out of her pillowcase and started a new motif:

 Because I had green in my needle after doing all the outlining, I just kept on stitching some of the sections that also use that shade. I think, though, that I may work on the flower today and save the green fill-in for the counted thread Special Interest Group (aka SIG) that EGA sponsors on Sunday.

Or maybe I'll work on Heartsease today.

Or maybe I'll go back to bed for awhile. I woke up after about five hours of sleep and couldn't get settled again, so I just got up. I'm drowsy now, so maybe I can get the rest of a good night's sleep accomplished. On only five hours, I'm not safe to be around.

Spoiler!

 If you order the Frostings boxes from Tricia Nguyen at Thistle Threads and want to be surprised, go no further.

If you want to see what's in there, here it is:

The new colors in the range were introduced in the last Frostings box. This one has those colors in other types of thread.

And there are metal threads and trims of all sorts and tiny little metal bits and pieces that can be added to your embroidery--some were used on the last Christmas Tree ornament project that is a free download on the Thistle Threads site.

So, I'm going to play with threads today.

Over one?

 Remember when I said I didn't want to start either of the projects I pulled out of the stash because of all the over-one stitching?

I think that may have been just yesterday.

And this is what I ended up doing:

These are the bits that will make up the waxer pocket on Betsy Morgan's This Ones for Betty. Do you see the motif on the right? 

That pretty, delicate, little design with the hearts and leaves?

Over one.

And I stayed up hours past my bedtime to finish it, so today I feel like I have been hit by a truck which then backed up and ran over me again.

I don't think I will work on Heartsease today. Actually, I may go back to bed. 

From the Vault

 I decided to rummage around in the stash for a bit. That always seems to jump start a recovery from a stitching slump. It also meant that I could rearrange a couple of bins so I would have all my linen in one place instead of stowed into whatever bin had room. That way lies madness when you want to kit something up.

So anyway, I found a small pile of projects that sort of tickled my fancy.

Well, this has been aging quite nicely for decades. I don't remember how or when or where I acquired this kit--it may have been in the boutique for Christmas in Williamsburg in the classic days when the Hoffmans were still running things.

So, I pulled it out. And I decided to glance at the directions. 

It's beautiful and I want to stitch it, but all those intricate details are worked in cross stitch over one.

Maybe later.

Then I found this:

Again, aging for decades but one of those projects that makes my heart sing.

Also cross stitch over one with fully filled in backgrounds. Not what I'm in the mood for.

And, close to my heart, a couple of Barbara Jackson projects:

Usually I jump right on Barbara's designs, but these arrived in the months after I finished RST 1779. It was totally Queen stitch, and I swore I would not touch a project with Queen stitch in it until I recovered. I think I've recovered and can manage the few Queens in either of these projects. I also have Barbara's scissors stand to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the country, so any or all of these projects could go on the stand.

However, in the middle of the night, I thought about Heartsease, and I thought about Betsy Morgan's "This One's for Betty" and I decided to stick a needle in one or both of those when I sit down to stitch later today.

I've also decided I need to pay attention to my Three-Day Rule. I have found that my attention starts to lag after three days of focused work on any project. At one time, I thought I should just move to something else after three days. Eventually, I do go back to everything I start (even though it may take years to do so), so that may be the best way forward.

So, All That Glitters is going to wait a bit for a finish.

I think we'll all be much happier.

September Slump

 I've hit a stitching slump.

This is the extent of my stitching since last I wrote.

Phooey.

I've made lists of things I want to stitch and things I need to stitch and rearranged some of my storage bins (mainly to get all my linen bits and pieces in one place so I can find them when I want to kit something), and nothing has helped. Even the thought of starting a new sampler for Sampler September hasn't shaken me out of the malaise.

It will pass, it always does.

And I know the cure.

It's to stitch on something--anything--and that will jump start the mojo.

So I will.

The Blues

 I'm back to the blue motifs on All That Glitters.

I got this much stitched during the Tudor Rose stitch-in last night. It was a lovely groups--lots of enabling and eye candy as we saw what everyone was working on.

There was some discussion of Sampler September. People were talking about whether they planned to start something new or work on something old. One of the participants said she was planning to pull out all her started samplers and put at least a thread or two in one of them every day in September--or decide if they no longer appeal and can be set aside permanently.

Meanwhile, I've wasted spent a lot of time thinking about scheduling my stitching projects and getting some older UFOs into WIP status, and some WIPs into FFOs. I even set up a calendar with each prospective project assigned specific days.

We all know that's not how I roll.

So . . . I'm still going to try to get a couple of UFOs into WIP status, and a couple of WIPs FFO'd but I'm not going to schedule them. I'm just going to stitch. And avoid wasting time doom scrolling and playing games on my phone. That alone should add literally hours to my stitching time!

Does this look familiar?

 I haven't had much brain this week, so I have poked at All That Glitters since it practically stitches itself without a lot of counting or thinking. 

The thinking will come when it's time to assemble it. As always.

Anyway, here it is at the moment:

I think I'm about at the halfway point, maybe a little further. I still love the way it looks, and I'm enjoying the stitch. There are times when repetition is soothing and needful.

***

I have to say something about the passing of Miss Dolly. There are some people in this world who just make it better by their existence. I miss knowing that she's here. I miss her wit and her wisdom, and the fact that she was proud of where she came from. People tend to underestimate the Appalachians and the South in general and stereotype us as ignorant, narrow-minded, Confederate-flag-waving jackasses. Miss Dolly, like Jimmy Carter, showed the world our empathy and generosity.

And then Tim Curry, whose acting range was so vast and, many times, under appreciated. I wish I had seen his portrayal of Mozart in Amadeus on Broadway. And his two-episode arc on Criminal Minds creeped me out so much that I had to stop watching the show for awhile.

***

And now for the petty aggravations of the week, also known as being nibbled to death by ducks. For the second time this month, USPS says they delivered a package which they had not. The first time the missing package appeared. This second time, it has not. I am more than aggravated.

Then the TV remote went kaput. I did everything YouTube and google said to do to revive it to no avail. Amazon came through and we received a new remote overnight. Dearly Beloved said it works. I've been afraid to try it.

And, finally, remind me that two elderly people should not eat dinner later than usual and include Brussels sprouts in the menu. No further comments are necessary.

May I Present

 Miss Sarah Ann Purdy 1844 is finished!

I really enjoyed stitching this one, loved the little motifs and wasn't driven completely crazy doing the border. Borders are generally where I bog down in schoolgirl samplers.

Now I need to decide what to focus on next. 

 I think I'm going to pick up Heartsease, the online class I took last weekend, or finally finish the Elizabethan Rose project from Zina Kazban. And I think I'm going to pull All That Glitters out of the pillowcase.

I've also been thinking about working on the more complicated or challenging things in the morning when both hands and eyes are fresher. My counted thread pieces could be my late afternoon and evening projects. Hopefully I won't burn out on my projects as quickly as I generally do if I alternate.

I had a friend who was an incredibly prolific stitcher.  She assigned each of her current projects to one day a week and that was it. She always made sure to set up for the next day's stitching before she stopped for the evening. I tried her method for a couple of weeks, but I felt too scattered--just when I got in the groove, it was time to stop and set up for the next day.

I still think I work best when I have a bunch of things going. It's just trying to decide which bunch of things to do that's the problem.

If this is the worst problem I have, I'm doing well.

One blossom short

 I thought I would get the big pot on Sarah Ann Purdy stitched today, but I'm one bloom short of a bouquet.

I may rest my eyes (and hands) for a few and make a valiant effort to get the other one done before I go to bed tonight, but I'm making no promises. 

I'd love to do it because then I have only the two doggies and the two urns and this will go in the Finish Pile and I can pull All That Glitters out again.

But meanwhile . . . 

Last night I was enjoying the conversation and enabling during a Zoom stitch-in, when one of the participants reported that a neighbor in her condo development was worried about her because all she did was "sit on her a** and stitch all day."

Excuse me?

And what's wrong with that?

Quite frankly, I spent decades of my work life sitting on my a** and staring at a computer screen and no one commented on that. I remember longing for the days when I could sit on my a** and stitch all day. I found the neighbor's comment quite offensive. 

Harrumph!!!

Twin Pines

It took all day to get two simple motifs stitched.

Actually, it probably didn't take all day, but they were so boring to stitch that I had to stop and do other things to avoid nodding off.

These same trees show up on a lot of schoolgirl samplers. It occurred to me to try to find out if there was a particular area or school that used them, so I spent some time gazing at the Wall of Needlework Books in the stash room. I thought I had a book on sampler motifs, but I couldn't find it. Actually, this is not the first needlework book that has gone missing since we moved. I know I packed all my needlework books. It is possible that either one box never made it onto the truck, or didn't make it off.

But the search continues.

A Leaf and a Letter (or two)

I took a wonderful class from Kate Barlow this past weekend.

As usual, I didn't get much stitching done in class. Actually, I got the prep work finished and half a leaf, then I finished the leaf yesterday.

 Kate said that it would be possible to finish the whole design in a week.

Not for me.

The older I get the slower I stitch, and most of this is worked with a couple of strands of filament silk that are each about the size of a hair.  If you have very fine hair . . . so you may be seeing this on the blog for awhile.

However, in the evenings, I did a little more on Sarah Ann Purdy. Her border is finished and I've stitched part of the attribution.

As soon as I get the rest of the lettering done, I can go back to the fun stuff in the middle. I have a couple of trees, two more urns, a big flower arrangement in the middle, and a pair of dogs.

There may be more to do than I thought. Hmmmmmm . . . .

It Matched!

The border connected and it matched! 

It took me way longer to stitch this last bit of the border than I anticipated, but it met up and I didn't have to do any compensation. So now I can do the strawberries without fear of the Frog.

But it's going to have to wait for the next several days since I am taking a class online from Kate Barlow. It starts at 9 tomorrow morning, which means I have to be out of bed, dressed, and ready to thread a needle at the time I'm usually staggering out of bed.

Obviously, my whole schedule shifted later when I retired.

Taking sides

 I stitched the border down both sides of Sarah Ann Purdy yesterday.

I have a dreadful feeling that I am one stitch off on one side or the other.

At this point, I have determined the best course of action is to add or subtract a stitch to make it work somehow because I am absolutely not going to frog a border for one stitch.

And because the alternative is to have a bonfire.

Catching Up

 I have had difficulty wresting the laptop from Dearly Beloved this week, plus I have been unusually busy, so today is catch-up day.

First of all, I've had my last class on needlelace this past Wednesday. I have two big problems--my tension, as mentioned earlier, and my spacing, because I cannot estimate what 3 millimeters actually looks like. So, after another series of drunken spiderwebs, I have set up another piece of fabric, stitched more little blocks, and drawn lines within each one that are exactly 3 millimeters apart. And I'm going to work the stitches on those to see if there is improvement.

With my failings admitted, I do want to say that Amy Burt is an excellent teacher, very patient and encouraging. I do wish the class had been longer--maybe three hours instead of two--since, as I have mentioned many times before, I don't stitch well in class, and have a hard time listening to instructions, watching the instructor's demonstrations, and stitching myself simultaneously.

But, in the evenings, I've been enjoying some downtime with Sarah Ann Purdy.

I am almost to the halfway point, and I am still enjoying her tremendously, to the point that I think I should keep a schoolgirl sampler going in the background all the time. Or, rather, a schoolgirl sampler when the girl has learned her alphabet and likes stitching pretty designs.

I'm thinking I may try to extend the borders to the bottom today--maybe even finish the whole border before I go back to motifs. Or I may get attracted to something else--All That Glitters is also calling my name as is This One's for Betty.

Now on to the mundane:

This week's Domestic Disaster: the heating element in the oven died last Sunday. I think I mentioned that we are renting the condo where we live, so we have to deal with a property management company to have repairs done. It's taken a week for them to assign the job to an outside contractor, but hopefully we'll have a functioning oven by Monday evening of next week. I did not realize how much I use the oven until I couldn't. Oh, I have peaches that are getting very ripe so I should bake a cobbler! NOPE! Oh, wouldn't some baked apples be lovely with those pork chops?  NOPE! I'd like to have a summer squash casserole with the baked chicken. NOPE to BOTH!!!

It's put a crimp in my style.

I have also had steroid shots in both knees this week, and I can walk comfortably for the first time in months. And the sports medicine guy I saw is referring me for physical therapy to help continue improving the mobility issues, which had gotten really bad. When I say I was tottering, I mean tottering.

BDE also mentioned that the steroids have made me talk faster than usual. This may be why Dearly Beloved has had the headphones on while watching something on the laptop.

It's all making sense now.

Tension!!!!

I finished the first three samples for my needlelace class, and AGHHHHHH!!! the TENSION!!!!

That is my downfall when it comes to needlelace.

The corded Brussels (which we call "detached buttonhole with return" on this side of the pond) is ok.

The double Brussels is mostly ok--this is the one where I switched from one thread to another and then another as I went.

The triple Brussels looks like a drunk spider on a bender did it.

I didn't even try to work on the next three samples.

I think I'm going to make another little box and try the triple Brussels again. If it's not any better, I'll say that third time's the charm and give my fingers one more chance to get it. If that one looks as bad if not worse, I will look for projects that do not involve triple Brussels and call it a day.

Already August

How did it get to be August already?

Suddenly I have a lot to talk about, so this may run long. You have been warned.

First of all, obligatory stitching photo:

 Here's the bottom? Base? Whatever, of the waxer carrier for Betsy Morgan's "This One's for Betty." Lots of specialty stitches (which I like), pretty colors, I am enjoying this.

However, this was done Friday and a needle was not threaded at all yesterday. Best Daughter Ever and I went on a road trip.

Williamsburg isn't all that far away, and America's Tapestry is on display at the Muscarelle Museum at William & Mary. I've wanted to see all the panels together since I had a feeling you couldn't see the details from the photographs online. I was right. It is an amazing body of work, the result of thousands of hours of stitching from talented fingers. We were both amazed and impressed at the variety of needlework skills embodied in each panel--everything from lacemaking to goldwork and in between.

The exhibit will be in Williamsburg until September 6, and if you're anywhere in the area--or want to make a road trip--I highly recommend the experience.

The additional allure of the trip was a chance for brunch at Le Yaca. Just check their website and take a look at the brunch menu, available on Saturdays and Sundays. The food is amazing, the service is impeccable, it's a lovely way to spend a relaxed hour or so. 

And, no, I didn't need supper when I got home.

Now, on to August and stitching plans.

I've been following the Snitch Stitcher on Instagram for awhile. She announced something she called "Annihilation August" a week or so ago. Basically, we all have projects that are very close to a finish, those things that will just require a little more work and they will be done. So, she suggests we "annihilate" them in August, just pull them out of their hiding places and finish them off.

I think I'm going to get my class samples for the needlelace class I'm taking finished, and then get the needlelace petals attached to Elizabethan Rose done.

There seems to be a needlelace thing going on.

And then, what would I like to see done?

I'd really love to significantly lower the level in one of the finishing baskets. I don't know how far I'll get, but I'd like to try to see some FFO's instead of UFO's in my life. 

Then maybe I wouldn't feel so guilty when I start yet another new project.

A Day Late

Happy World Embroidery Day!

Yes, I'm a day late.

I was trying to decide which project I wanted to do in celebration of my favorite pastime, and I couldn't make up my mind. I have a lot of coulda, woulda, shoulda projects but nothing really calling my name. Actually, it has nothing to do with the projects themselves, just that I've had a bad case of the blahs and don't feel like doing anything that requires thought or movement.

Basically, I've turned into a summer slug.

It ain't the heat, it's the humidity.

Which is dreadful.

Anyway, I finally decided I had to do something to celebrate, so I started something new.

New-ish.

I've had the kit for Betsy Morgan's This One's for Betty in the stash for maybe twenty years, and now is the time for it to come out of hibernation. I got this much done:

This will be the waxer pocket. I think I'm going to work on it for a little longer today. Or maybe I'll work on my classwork before the last minute before class.

BDE says waiting to the last minute before finishing my homework is one of the things I nagged her about when I was attempting to civilize her, and she finds this ironic. I think this comes under the heading of "do as I say, not as I do" and she should show some respect for her aged mother.

We'll see how that goes. 

A little at a time

You may have noticed that I'm blogging more lately than I have in quite awhile. 

Part of it has to do with keeping a record of when I started something and when I worked on it and when (or if) it was finished. But the major reason is simple. If I'm going to blog, I need to stitch. Even if I only put in a thread or two, I'm stitching. And I want to winnow down the size of the stash, so I need to stitch daily.

The last few days, I've barely threaded a needle, but a needle has been threaded. I don't have much to show, but I do have a little, and here it is.

Last night was our local EGA chapter's meeting. I took All that Glitters because it is the ultimate fill-in project, and easy to do and still talk to people and ooh and aah over what they're doing. I got a little of the glitter done:

  I believe that's going to be my evening stitching for a few days.

And then, today I had my RSN class on needlelace:

Really not much to see here at all!

As usual, I don't stitch much or well in class. And the three stitches we did today require a lot of care in terms of tension. And tension is my downfall when I'm doing needlelace. I am not a relaxed stitcher. There are those who would say I am not a relaxing stitcher to be around. (Dearly Beloved has been listening to my ranting and raving when I pull out the stitches on Carmen, which were quite firmly stitched to the linen.) In class, I'm so busy listening and trying to take notes and remembering what the teacher is talking about that I generally can't stitch at the same time.

So I have a lot to do before next week's last class. I'm going to take everything slowly and try to relax so I don't strangle the stitches.

Christmas in July

Nope, not stitching for Christmas in July--but I got something that should count as a Christmas present!

And it didn't arrive all wrapped up in pretty paper. Actually, the box was so beaten and battered and torn on one side that I am amazed that it made it from the UK to the US.

The kit for my next class with Sara Rickards arrived.

This was (thankfully) wrapped in bubble wrap inside the box, tied with pretty pink grosgrain ribbon:

And then you open it, and WOW--raspberry colored tissue!

Honestly, I almost hated to tear the sticker that held it closed. But I did, and here are the goodies inside:

I must be patient--the class doesn't start for several weeks, and I have my online class on needlelace to finish and that beautiful design from Kate Barlow to stitch--but then I can jump into this one.

So today I will work on my needlelace homework and add this to the pile of goodies I want to work on.

One Thing

I only needed to order one thing, one little spool of Soie Surfine.

 Well, it couldn't travel alone, so I filled in some Weeks Dye Works threads for a couple of other projects.

It most definitely didn't travel alone.

Although why I think I need threads is the question. The last couple of days I've been in a bit of a slump and this is all I managed to get done.

I think I'm going to make myself finish this motif today and then switch to something else entirely.

Like, maybe I'll get my homework done for my online class?

Seeing Double

 The problem with schoolgirl motif samplers is that they tend to have two of everything.

The first time you stitch a motif, you can be entertained by figuring out the best way to move from one part of the design to another, seeing how the colors look once they're stitched in and are affected by what's next to them, and discovering any little quirks or idiosyncrasies of the stitcher.

Then you have to do it again.

Unless the child goes off on a tangent, it can be just a shade boring.

My plan for today was to get the right side stitched to the same point as the left side on Sarah Ann Purdy.

I didn't make it. The longer I worked, the more sloooooooowly I stitched.

I got this far.

I may pick this up again after a little break.

Or I may work on All That Glitters.

And I just realized that I will be filling in the red motifs on All That Glitters.

Which I have done before.

Ah-HA!!

Shout out to Sandra!

She found my flower--it's a bearded iris, and it comes in the colors Spot's stitcher used almost four centuries ago.

Mystery solved.

Here is the first row of motifs:

 I got all excited because two of the motifs on the next row are birds and a lot smaller than the floral motifs.

Then I looked at the other motifs on that row. Three of them are tent stitched flowers. Humongous tent stitched flowers. I mean, REALLY BIG tent stitched flowers.

Four year project, for sure.

Meanwhile, I started my current online class yesterday. It's a three-session class from RSN on needlelace. I have samples for two of the stitches started.

Don't laugh, this is more than I generally stitch in a class.

And I love the tutor already! Her name is Amy Burt, she is encouraging, she is definitely accustomed to online teaching so her demos are clear--and she's already provided tips and techniques that I didn't get in previous classes. I am chuffed! I'm even looking forward to doing my homework before the next class, and I've never looked forward to doing homework.

But now I need to shift loads of laundry.

I definitely never look forward to laundry.

Done!

 I buckled down and finished the fourth motif on Spot last evening.

Please tell me what this flower is!

I thought it might be an iris from the outline, but once all the colors were added, it wasn't. I'm also thinking that maybe it could be a fancy tulip, or possibly an exotic plant of some sort. The 1600's were a time of exploration, but the descriptions of the animals and plants the explorers saw weren't always accurate. The various faces on illustrations of lions are a good example.

I asked Dearly Beloved what he thought it looked like, and he said a face. So now that's all I can see.

And this face has harlequin glasses on.

If you're of a certain age, you might remember those fancy glasses that ladies of a certain age propped on their noses. They especially remind me of Miss Bess. If you're here for the stitching, you can stop reading right now.

Miss Bess was a character in my hometown. In her youth, she went off to NYC to become a famous actress. Apparently she became a flapper and danced on tables with a cigarette in one hand and a gin & tonic in the other. It's said that her father dragged her home and told her she had to behave herself and get married and settle down.

She did get her teacher certification so that she didn't need Daddy's money. She also became a constant member of the local Little Theater's casts. 

By the time I was aware of her, she was up in years. She taught 4th grade at the elementary school I attended and she sang in the same choir as my father. (She is the reason that my father said that sopranos should retire at 40, with very few exceptions.) She also lived in our neighborhood so we saw a lot of her. She always wore Lily Pulitzer flowered shifts. In the winter she teeter-tottered around in very high heels. In the summer she clip-clopped around in gold slide-ons with big flowers across the pedicured toes. She wore big clunky jewelry and bright blue eye shadow. Her hair was an improbable shade of red.

She loved the sun, to the point that her skin looked like well-tanned leather. Wrinkly leather. Which may have led to the reason why she stopped teaching.

Apparently, according to the story my father was telling my mother very quietly, thinking that no small and curious person was in the area, she was "layin' out nekkid" which is Southern for sunbathing in the nude. It seems a neighbor found this offensive and called the cops. When they arrived, she met them in the door in the altogether.

And invited them in for a little drink or two.

My father told my mother that the two young police officers didn't know whether to sh*t or go blind. It was said they called for back-up.

Anyway, the result was that her teaching contract was terminated. It seems that she had lied about her age for so long that she was actually beyond retirement age, but her paperwork indicated she was ten years younger. I do not know what the resolution was, but we then saw her driving around in her convertible at all hours. And when I say driving, I mean that her foot was on the gas and she was more or less pointing the car in the direction she wanted to go.

She lost her license.

Her nephew put her in a home.

She escaped. Several times.

Nephew finally found a live-in caretaker who could tolerate and handle her, and that's the way she lived out her days.

She died when she was 97. She had a drink in her hand and a cigarette smoldering in the ashtray next to her.

Normal-ish

 I was under the weather for about 24 hours. Actually, I was totally useless all day yesterday, and I'm still moving a little slowly, but I have been able to thread a needle.

And I believe I am going to work on this flower until it's all filled in.

There are only four colors, and it's pretty much all block stitching, so I believe I can handle it.

Hopefully I will be back to full stitching ability by tomorrow because I am starting a class in needlelace. I have my threads, I have my fabric, I need to make sure I have all the needles suggested, and I need to set up my hoop on the worktable.

I also feel the need for a nap.

Filling In

 It's Sampler Sunday again and I am filling in Motif 4 on the Spot Sampler.

There isn't much to see yet. I stayed up way too late finishing a book last night so I allowed myself to sleep in this morning. I got a very late start on the day, then the Great Lakes Region of EGA offered a lecture this afternoon with Dr Lynn Anderson on schoolgirl samplers which I wanted to watch and listen to. Usually I can listen and stitch while the lectures are going on, but this one had a lot of eye candy. I spent more time with the needle held motionless in my fingers than I did moving it in and out of the linen.

I really want to get to some of the petals today so I can see how the colors actually look. I'm still thinking it looks like an iris, but maybe a tulip? We'll see. But first I absolutely have to get the leaves done. Veggies before dessert, you know.

And speaking of dessert, I am going to assemble a banana pudding before I start stitching again. I figured that would be cooler than making banana bread. Even with AC, the oven can add heat to the house. The house is hot enough. 

The older I get, the less I like summer. You can always add layers of clothes and wrap up in blankets in winter, but you can only take off so much in the summer before you start scaring the family, horrifying the neighborhood, and creating opportunities for incarceration for indecent exposure.

It's the Heat AND the Humidity

At the moment, I think I want to move to Maine, just so I could take a dip in a chilly lake. Taking a cold shower isn't quite the same.

As it is, I think the heat and the heat index and the notices about "excessive heat" are doing me in. To the point that I don't even feel like stitching, even with the AC running. 

And that is why this is the only thing I've accomplished with needle and thread in three days:

And that accomplishment occurred only because I attended three stitch-ins and worked on this potted plant during all three.

I am now going to get another cold drink and read one of the Longmire books that takes place in the winter in Wyoming where the snow is three feet deep and still coming down.

If that doesn't help, I'm going to look at summer rentals in Maine.

Hurray for Stash!

 I am taking a class on needlelace from the Royal School of Needlework, starting next week. When I received my class confirmation, the message mentioned a kit that would be sent in plenty of time prior to class.

Apparently that is a form letter that isn't edited for specific classes.

I had emailed to ask about the kit for this class since it hadn't arrived, but the kit for the class I'm taking in August had. I had no answer.

Anyway, I woke up at 5 a.m. this morning, wide awake, but knew if I got up then, I'd be a zombie by 7. So, I decided to check my email on my phone and hope I'd get sleepy enough to go back to bed.

And there was a message from the RSN Eduction department, telling me the supplies I need to get for the class.

Apparently there isn't a kit.

You need a variety of needles and Perle cotton in three sizes, plus calico ( which in the US we call muslin).

So I spent the morning stash diving, looking for Perle cotton in three sizes. No idea how many skeins or balls needed, if the colors need to be coordinated (from the photo of the project, the answer is "nope."), no indication of the size of the piece of calico needed. It would appear that we are either being given a great deal of latitude in our choices or we'll find out when class starts if we chose wisely.

Here are my choices:

I have needles and I have some white cotton that is the weight of muslin. The only thing I need now are the paper covered cake wires that can be used for raised embroidery, and I think I have some of those left from the Deep Dive into Stumpwork class I took from Sara Rickards. Otherwise, I have an excuse to go to Michael's with BDE. I also need to be sure I have hoops in assorted sizes that aren't otherwise occupied.

Once again, I'm glad I've spent a lifetime accumulating stash and didn't downsize that when we had the Big Move. You never know when there will be something in one of those bins that will come in handy!

But now I really need a nap.

Frameworks

 I started to title this one "doing the boring stuff,"  but I am trying to put a positive spin on my needlework experiences.

And, yes, I'm still frogging Carmen and not feeling particularly positive about that experience, but I'm trying to persuade myself that I will be much happier when it's done and the frogged stitches replaced.

Anyway, I got the red motifs on All That Glitters outlined. From here on out, I just have to fill. I don't have to count anything, just go on autopilot.

And I decided that maybe I needed to get a little more of the border done on Sarah Ann Purdy:

I'd like to get the next two motifs on the left side of the sampler stitched, then move over to the right side and catch that side up to the left.

I really wish my lousy photography showed just how gorgeous Sarah Ann is looking! One reason I like working on 40 count linen with overdyed threads is that I get a very delicate look, but the colors are saturated and vibrant. I don't like seeing the "legs" of my crosses because I think that takes away from overall effect of the design.

And this is a small-ish sampler--it will be only slightly over 10" wide and slightly less than 10" tall when it's done--but the intensity of the colors will make it stand out.

I have the opportunity to participate in two stitch-ins tonight, so maybe this will be a good day to get some things accomplished.

Another Good Mail Day

 I have absolutely got to stop cruising the innerwebs late at night.

It was another good mail day:

On the left, the kit for a class I'm taking through the Royal School of Needlework at the end of the summer. Yes, I have already opened the box. Yes, I have already reviewed the directions. Yes, I think I could stitch it without the class, but Kate Barlow always has a tip or technique that elevates your skill level, so I will wait.

I am a little concerned, though, since I have another class set to start next week, also from the RSN--and that kit hasn't been mailed yet, nor do I have a materials list. I am wondering if the wrong kit was sent before its scheduled time and the other hasn't been shipped--so I wrote to ask.

And then the Strawberry Sampler from Liz Matthews. I was absolutely NOT going to buy any more schoolgirl sampler charts (other than Country Sampler's Threads in History kits) this year. I was not. I solemnly swore to myself I have enough to keep me busy.

But this one has all the things that I like, like motifs rather than alphabets. And no big honkin' house.

I succumbed.

And, I am not surprised I succumbed.

Neither is anyone else.

A Tisket, a Tasket

 Three pretty little baskets!

I'm still in the midst of trying to bring order into chaos on my worktable, and I think I'm making a bigger mess than I had when I started.

I had to stop for a little and actually stitch something to maintain my sanity, so Sarah Ann Purdy wound up on the frame stand--and I have three little baskets in the center of the sampler.

I wish the picture showed how vivid the red and white are against the linen--they glow!

Back to arranging--I do get a break this afternoon when we have one of our EGA region stitch-ins, and I think that All That Glitters is going to get some love then.

On to the Next

The next motif on Spot is outlined and ready to be stitched.

 It's a little like coloring in a coloring book, once you get the outlines set, just with needle and thread instead of crayons.  Now I wonder when graph paper was invented.

Does this look like it might become an iris?

Anyway, this may be the only stitching that gets done today. I have domestic duties to attend to, and my worktable to organize since it has parts of four different projects strewn across it, meaning I can't do anything with any of them until order is restored in the kingdom.

That's one thing I have apparently lost since I retired. I used to be a paragon of organization. My desk was a marvel of efficiency and I was on top of all my work obligations at all times.

Now I flit from one thing to another, but I've decided that it's past time to give up on trying to schedule my stitching and just enjoy the journey.

My two cents for Monday the Thirteenth!

Whew!

 I finally got all the highlighting and missing stitches worked into the third motif on the Spot Sampler.

This is the point at which my eyes said they had had enough and weren't stitching any longer. So, after a week, I talked them into getting this done. And done it is. I think that, so far, this flower had the most aggravating shading. I know it doesn't look like it, but it was the most aggravating for me.

There is one more flower for this row and the top of the sampler will be stitched.

For some reason, it feels as if I can get the top two rows done, the rest of the sampler will be easier. 

Obviously, I am deluded, since the more complicated techniques start after the top two rows. Maybe I'm just tired of tent stitch over one.

That makes more sense.

Potted Plants

I thought I was going to get a lot stitched today. After all, I had two lectures on needlework to listen to as I stitched, and that usually means a lot gets done.

Nope, the lectures were fascinating and the photos of the work were engrossing, and I just put down my needle and made no attempt to stitch. The first was with Theresa Baird, who designs the samplers for the original 13 colonies--she just published the one for North Carolina and it is nothing short of amazing. It was interesting to hear about the inspirations for each sampler she's done so far and how she got started in designing.

The second was offered through EGA's lecture series and featured Isabella Rossner, who talked about needlework in times of crisis and chaos. The lecture covered a thousand years of history, starting with the 1066 Norman invasion of England and ending with Covid, including stories about the English revolution and the Great Plague as well as the sorrowful situations arising from incarceration.

So I got my intellectual stimulation for the week, which I decided I really needed after trying to remember if I had applied shampoo once or twice while showering.  Have you ever noticed that some things are so automatic that you don't quite notice whether you did them or not? Or am I showing my age and decrepitude?

I finally got a couple of pots stitched on Sarah Ann Purdy:

I used to be a stitch-the-whole-border-first sampler maker--you know, eat your veggies and then you can have dessert. However, I finally figured out that it was less boring and more interesting to work sections of the border while I was doing the insides. That way I could check the placement of both border and interior against each other. And hopefully have less frogging to do.

And, yes, I'm still frogging Carmen. I will be frogging Carmen until the next millennium.

Meanwhile, in other news, I realized that today is the 15th anniversary of Stitching Foolishness. I never planned to be blogging for 15 years but here we are.

And I plan to continue blithering on.

and now for something completely different . . .

Stitching a sweet little strawberry border can be very soothing.

 Sarah Ann Purdy 1844

The Scarlett House

Country Sampler's Threads of History Club project

Slow Start on Another Good Mail Day

I have done today's ripping.

Sigh . . . it has definitely taken the wind out of my stitching sails.

However, today was another good mail day. I got my fabric order from Hoop & Frame:

 I love 37/38 count Legacy Linen, and Hoop & Frame has a nice selection. They also ship quickly, which is always nice. Anyway, I invested in a yard each of Cloudburst, which is a pale bluish-gray, and Lady Baltimore Cake, which is a creamy off-white. 

Now I just have to get over the funk that Carmen threw me into and decide what I want to stitch today.

( I think I may try stitching first tomorrow, then put in my hour on frogging Carmen, and see if that helps my stitching mojo.)

Disaster Strikes

 I came downstairs with a song in my heart. Little did I know that song was going to turn into a dirge.

The plan was to work on Carmen today.

Until I realized that the cartouche in the center with all the letters and numbers was in the wrong place. It is not centered. It took me three days to stitch all those numbers and letters. I do not enjoy stitching numbers and letters. It also meant that the sideways bird was in the wrong place, and there wasn't room to stitch the next motif.

I did not throw things. I did not say dirty words. I ripped out most of the bird. And I decided on a plan of action.

I am going to spend an hour a day ripping out and restitching until I'm back to where I was when I realized the error of my ways. 

Just an hour.

Then I can stitch on something else.

Today wasn't a total disaster. There was good mail, Barbara Jackson's George & Martha scissors rest arrived.

This was a project offered by the Shining Needle Society. I wish they just had an automatic sign-up for Barbara's online classes because I always want to do them.

And I finished the blue and gold motif on All That Glitters and started the framework for the next set of red and gold motifs.

This puts me almost to the halfway part of the stitching for this project.

And it's stitched in the correct spot.