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A little blog about my big loves; family, friends, stitching and yep, chocolate!

Chocolate Loving Followers!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Adam and Eve

Dear friends,

     I am so pleased to tell you that Eve has joined Adam in the garden of Paradise and I think she is as happy to see Adam, as he is to see her.  Although, like most women, she is more beguiling and significantly more subtle about her desires than Adam appears to be!  I think the sunlight is washing this out a little bit - the colors are pastelish but they're prettier than they look here.   That's okay, it's only a progress update, right?

Pics are clickable for a better look.

Here's a little close-up of the over one verse.  The white band between the two rows of letters gave me fits and I had to frog it twice (the first time was a complete row) before I got it to an acceptable level of stitching.  The first time I dropped down a thread in TWO different places, so the whole thing was wonky.  The next time, I jumped up a thread.  Aaargh!  The third time was just right, almost.  There are too many threads between the bottom of the band and the 2nd row of letters but I'm done with it. 
It is good enough.  
It's staying.


My next project is going to be with my friend Marilyn, in France.  You likely know her from her blog and if you don't, go visit her and tell her I sent you!

click here to visit Marilyns beautiful blog:

Anyway, we are going to be working on an Adam and Eve Reproduction Sampler from an old issue of Cross Stitch and Needlework Magazine.  
I did not care for the threads as charted so of course, I converted them to WDW and GAST.  
Marilyn liked my suggested conversion so we'll be using the same colors unless something just doesn't work with our fabric, then we'll make changes as we go.  I'm already not sure if the blueish color is blue enough so that may get changed.....

Once we are done,  we will post our floss conversion for you, if you're interested.

I am normally a one project at a time gal so I will be racing to finish the SB A&E while also working on this one.  I have wanted to do this A&E Repro for a while and am anxious to get started!  Tonight.
My fabric is 36 count, Lakeside Linen, Magnolia.  36 count may make the over one verses in the upper corners difficult but I'll give it a go.  
We will each be posting our progress every two weeks on Sundays but will work at our own pace.
Thank you for doing this along with me, Marilyn!

Fun Finds:

I want to show you a scale I found at a little resale shop last weekend.
Carrie is the owner of the store and it's called "Our Little Shop, Consignment and Resale Store" on Auburn Road.
She was really cute and fun to chat with and I found a few little things:

The Scale:
I will use it to display a portion of my tomato pincushion collection.  It's a great, light turquoise color and I love it.  I think it's porcelain over cast iron - it's heavy.
It was missing the counter weights but I'll improvise or will find some one of these days.

Isn't it cute?  LOVE the color!
I also love my tomato pincushions!  
I especially love it when I find them loaded with old pins or, like the one with the tape measure coming out of it, on the left of the scale bowl  
I got that at Carrie's shop, too.  Isn't it cute?

The tiny tin was a find at Carrie's shop, too.  It used to hold tape of some sort.


I will use it to hold a bobbin of thread, like the one pictured, to go in my sewing basket.
For those of you in this area, the shop is moving this summer.  It will be in a bright yellow house, on Auburn Road, just down from the Joe Dumar's Field House.
Go in for a visit.


The little doll with the tin is teeny-tiny (not quite 2" tall from head to toe)!  I found her a while back at an estate sale and she lives in my sewing basket.  Her face, hands and feet are not plastic but I'm not sure what material they are - porcelain, maybe?  
I love the lace detail on her little apron and dress.

This little crochet doll I found at an estate sale.  She hangs off the knob of my sewing basket lid and I've never seen another like her.    Her face is drawn or painted on and is wearing away a little bit.  
I wish my wrinkles and lines would fade like that, don't you!?
  Not sure what those pompoms for hands are supposed to be.  



Entertainment News:
Blog updated to say, oops!  I called Elvis' band the Pretenders, they are The Imposters!

 Rob and I went to Canada last night to see Elvis Costello and his band The Imposters in concert.  My son used to call him , Elvis Costellio when he was really little and we still do call him that.  Elvis put on a great show! He had a big wheel set up on stage and would bring people up from the audience to spin the wheel to determine the next song, or set of songs that the band would play.  Some were big hits - the others, more obscure (he's written TONS of songs). The folks that spun the wheel got to sit on stage at a little bar and would eventually dance in the go-go cage on the left side of the picture.
So fun!

Finally, here's a picture looking across the river from inside the casino in Windsor to Detroit - the grime on the pic is from the window....

Here's a quick drive by shot of the Canadian and British flags all standing at attention.
So pretty! 

We had a great time, eh!  
Oh, here's an interesting little bit of something:
The two couples sitting in our row, to our immediate left, were from our town.  
Not just the Detroit metro area but OUR little town.
I thought that was pretty unusual, given the size of the crowd and the fact that most of the crowd was Canadian.  
Small world.

Thank you to all of your for your lovely notes on my last post. 
I hope my little joke about Adam didn't offend anyone.  This really is a PG blog but truthfully, how many PG'ers do you think read stitching blogs?
I'm betting exactly zero!

Anyway, thanks so much for you comments and I'm so excited to see some new followers.  If you have a blog and I haven't visited you, please send me a note - I'd love to visit you.  Sometimes, between work and life, I get so busy that I don't even realize there may be an added follower for whom I've not visited.  I'd love to remedy that.  Let me know so I can thank you for following if you don't have a blog, or thank you and follow you back, if you do have a blog!

Either way, please, let me know!  
Blogging just wouldn't be fun without you and I want you to know how much I appreciate you stopping by!

Have a great week ahead.  I'll be chatting with you in two weeks, if not before.
I'm hoping Mary Gibson will be back from the framer in the next week and I can show you how she looks.  I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about the frame.  I think I may have picked wrong.  Time will tell.  This is the first time I've ever been nervous about my frame selection.
Keeping fingers crossed.

Be well,
Peace,
Terri

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Makes You Wonder


Thank you all so very much for the overwhelming comments on Mary Gibson.  I can't believe how many of you took a minute to leave me a note and I am so appreciative.  
I also found some new stitching friends as a result, so for that I'm grateful as well!

I dropped Miss Mary off at the framer late last week and she will be happy to make an appearance again once she is completely outfitted.  
I was flattered to have my Mary featured on the Needleprint Blog yesterday which is where I first discovered her.  
What a thrill!  Thank you, Jacqueline!

After stitching Mary, I took a couple of days rest and then proceeded to work on Eve's Garden by Shepherd's Bush.  A complete change of pace, but a nice one.  This piece is really pretty with its very soft, pastel colors and gentle look.  I always think one thread over two on 32 count is going to look blah but somehow, 
these pieces always look wonderful. 

Don'tcha love the pink flower and cute sheep?

Pics are clickable.....


And, I don't know about you but I think Adam's oak leaf is disguising the fact that he is, uh-hum, very excited for Eve's arrival!

Makes You Wonder, doesn't it?


Eve should be making an appearance this weekend and lets be honest,
Adam is beside himself with excitement!

Moving on.....

I spotted this pine tree with cones just beginning to show themselves a couple of weeks ago.  
Aren't they a beautiful color?

And, because I love all things pink (and red) my sweet mother sent me these pretty pillow cases she found while she was out and about:

 I love the pretty pink, accented with red, flowers and that beautiful crocheted edge!
I'll put them on a bed but there better not be any heads actually resting on these!  Nope, these are just for lookin' pretty!
I doubt these were ever used because they are in pristine condition.  
I love 'em!
Thanks, Mom!


While visiting an out of town antique store not too long ago, I spotted this little beauty:


I didn't buy it (too pricey for me) but I thought it was really pretty. 
Frankly, I'd have put a prettier color of thread on it and it would have looked better but they didn't ask me to style their booth. 
I believe this type of machine was once mounted on a sewing table but don't quote me on that.  Two bills (for those not in the US, that means $200) was more than I was willing to part with to have another thing to dust.

What I did buy was this:


                                  
A small wheel that I will, one of these days, turn into a wind chime to hang in my garden.
I'm thinking that I'll string some pretty beads/crystals and add old silverware to make the chimes.
I have a vision in my head (no, I'm not hallucinating) and hope it will be as sweet as I envision.

That's it.  That's all I've got today.

Well, except for this:

Someone told me that she thought this blogging thing is all just a big 
"pat each other on the back" society.  
And it is, but it's bigger than that.  
Lets face it, in the world scheme of things, we're really a pretty small group and we should be encouraging and applauding each other.
I love seeing what you're working on and I love being inspired by the things you create.  
I am grateful for your visits, your comments, your creative and sharing spirit and your friendship.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Be well.
Peace,
Terri

Monday, April 2, 2012

Mary Gibson, 1824 Sampler

I finished Mary Gibson last night.  
On April Fool's Day. 
I put the last stitch in, gave it the once over and cut it off the scroll rods.
I thought I would brag share my completion with my two best stitching compadres:
Julie ~ our new guild president - congratulations Julie!
and Deb of the Threadgatherer blog!

 I snapped a picture with my iphone and sent it on its way.  

Pride goeth before the fall....

or

April Fools!

They texted me right back with their congratulations and then I looked at the picture I had sent them.  

Oops.

I had failed to stitch the vertical mullions on the house on the right on the two bottom windows.

D'oh!

So, a bit of frogging, a bit of re-stitching and now, I'm really calling her done.  

Oh, there are other mistakes.   

I know there are.

Some I know about and I'm sure there are others I've missed.

No.  I'm not going to point them all out. 

If you see them, keep it to yourself, okay?  ;-)

Mary Gibson, 1824 Sampler
36 count Lakeside Linen
Vintage Light Exemplar
stitched mainly in silks, one strand over 2 
 
Love the colors!

I love the houses!

 I always sign my reproduction samplers, even though it won't show once it's framed.
I also write my name and the date I finished it on the paper backing of the frame. 


I am really happy with how she turned out and I will take her to be framed later this week.
If you are interested; here is my conversion:
Note:  The birds beaks and legs were charted with pink floss but I changed them to orange which looked more like the original (at least on my monitor) and seemed to 
make sense.
For the A&E I used NPI 986 because they were charted to be pink and I wanted them to have a nice suntan.

Original, called for floss on the left, my conversion on the right:

DMC 3033, No Change
DMC 168 > Soie Cristale, #1081
DMC 310, No Change
DMC 315, No Change
DMC 317 > Soie Cristale #1071
DMC 601 > Soie Cristale # 2044
DMC 817 > Soie Cristale, #3041
DMC 961 > NPI #944 (Carnation Pink)
DMC 936 > NPI 356, (Grey Green)
DMC 934 > NPI #298 (Old English Range)
DMC 932 > Soie Cristale #7003
DMC 921 > NPI #626
DMC 3727 >Soie Cristale #2006

That's it.  Easy Peazy, Lemon Squeezy!
If you're interested in ordering this chart, you may get it 
by clicking here: Haslemare Museum in the UK:  
Have a wonderful week and thanks so much for stopping by!
Be well.
Peace,

Terri