c_ann53's Xanga

Prairie Thistle's new home.

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:23:33 GMT

Since starting this blog, I've grown more and more dissatisfied with it. There have been changes made lately that just aren't a good fit for me, seems like it is getting harder to modify the look and feel. Of course, that could also be the steroids making my brain foggier than usual. Anyway, I have started a new blog here. I have no way of transferring the older posts from here to the new blog unless I do it manually, which won't be happening. There will be no new posts here but I will check in from time to time.

Come visit my new place and let me know what you think.
P.S. - You will need to update your bookmarks or RSS feeds.

Soggy thread.

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:32:53 GMT

In my stash I have quite a few vintage threads that I have inherited or bought from yard/estate sales. Included in these I have some perle cottons that are on wooden spools. While Josie was here visiting I had the perle cotton organizer open on the floor while I was stitching. She kept sniffing the older spools, I figured they must have really interesting smells and didn't think more about it until I reached down to pick up the pink thread that was on a rosewood colored spool. It was wet, I guess the spool must have tasted good. So in my collection I now have thread that has been kissed by Josie.

I only did one more variation of the herringbone stitch for TAST. I also will be doing the Stitch Along with the Hand Embroidery group on Stitchin Fingers, so I will be able to experiment more with this stitch later on. I'm posting a picture of the last herringbone variation along with my buttonhole stitch variations. I have this week to work with the detached chain stitch then I will be caught up with the rest of the TAST group.

Other than finishing up the TAST stitches, I need to go shopping this week for a new blouse to wear when Kerry and I go see The Phantom of the Opera. We will see the show on July 2 and then spend the next day together going to museums and just visiting, we also have to make a trip to Umberto's for calzone. Since I will already be in the Tulsa area I'll go on up to Owasso and spend a couple of days with Steven and Jess. That way I get to visit everyone and also save on the cost of gas.

A bit of stitching.

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:17:55 GMT

Josie is visiting this week while her mom and dad are in Vegas. We have been keeping the yard safe from birds, butterflies and toads. She wants to play with the toad so bad but I won't let her, I'm a mean grandma. She's a very active little dog and keeps me occupied, so I haven't gotten much done in the way of stitching.

I did finally get started on doing the herringbone stitch for the Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST) on Stitchin Fingers and discovered that I really do need a new pair of glasses. Even using a magnifier I couldn't keep my stitches even, but since this is a sampler I'll just claim any wrong stitch is a design variation.
There are still a few more variations of the herringbone stitch that I would like to do before moving on, but I am posting a pic of progress so far. Don't look too closely at the stitching. If you squint your eyes, maybe you won't see all of the mistakes.

The mystery revealed.

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:44:25 GMT

I just received a phone call from Pam saying that she had received her package. This started out to be a quick and easy little project. Had planned to make a small boot shaped needlebook. While I was drawing the details I decided that the sole and heel of the boot should be a different color, then the foot, toe and leg shaft should contrast. The leg shaft looked bare so it needed some embellishing. Do you see where I'm going with this? The little boot took on a life of it's own and started telling me what it wanted to be. Pam likes western things and whenever we have round robins or challenges, you can count on one of her "not wants" to be flowers. So out of sheer orneriness, I had to embroider flowers on the boot.

The front of the needlebook.

Click on images to enlarge.

The inside back of the needlebook.

I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights which made for not feeling the greatest. So in the midst of having a pity party for myself, I received this postcard in the mail from some special Skrappy Ladies.

Cheered me right up. Thank you!

Mystery project is finished.

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:27:35 GMT

The mystery project is finished, packaged and awaiting the trip to the post office. I will post finished pics after the recipient has it in her hot little hands.

Also, the "Prairie Thistle Bed & Breakfast" is finally furnished and awaiting it's first guests this weekend. Hope the bed is comfortable. I like a really firm mattress, Bill likes a softer one, so we went with the one in the middle. Haven't done much in the way of decorating the room, but that's coming in the future. The important thing was replacing the air mattress with a real bed.

I'm off to the post office.

Channeling the muse.

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:31:04 GMT

When the creative muse pays a visit like this, the only thing I can do is just go along for the ride. The current project was just supposed to be a small, quick, get it in the mail project. But it has taken on a life of it's own. Outside of the sewing room I think about all of the things I need and want to do, then the second I walk in the room this little project leaps into my hands and the channeling begins. I'm amazed when I take a break to look at what I've stitched, because I'm not really planning the design, it has progressed far beyond what I initially envisioned. I'm not saying that it's a "great" work of art, but it's not the simple little project it started out to be. Still isn't finished, but below is a pic of the progress.

The leaves I had planned to do were a lazy daisy type, but that's not what I starting stitching, I like these better. That's what I mean about channeling, my brain has one idea but my hands do something totally different, almost like they aren't my own.

Waiting and stitching.

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:04:55 GMT

On Saturday I finally finished sorting the guest room contents into trash, donate and keep. 90% trash and donate. The donations filled 3 boxes and were then pushed into the closet to await the call that a charity would have a truck in the neighborhood. Now the room is bare, except for the extra dining table chairs and a small cedar chest. That is, the room is bare until the furniture store delivers the new bed and nightstand today. And the Special Olympics called yesterday to say there would be a truck in the neighborhood today picking up donations, so the boxes are on the front porch awaiting pickup. I love it when a plan comes together.

I didn't get any stitching done on last week's herringbone stitch for TAST, and the stitch for this week is the buttonhole stitch. So while I'm waiting today for pickups and deliveries I will stitch. I did play with wool felt and thread, but I can't show a pic of the project, it is for someone who reads the blog. Here is a detail pic, but it doesn't show what the project is. Just to prove that I did actually work on something this weekend besides knitting a few rounds on socks.

Click on image to enlarge.

Hello stitching! Here I come.

The best laid plans....

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:37:42 GMT

Yesterday, instead of finishing the cleaning out of the guest room, I decided to spend the day in the den of good intentions doing some stitching. Six hours later I emerged, never having picked up a needle.

I started out looking for a certain thread and ended up sorting ALL of my threads. All of the silks, overdyes, buttonhole twists, metallics, etc..... are grouped and stored together. The only ones that are sorted, but still homeless, are the DMC cotton flosses and the hanks of perle cotton. I'm going to look into getting a multi-drawered rolling cart or carts for storing them. Due to my purchases and the kindness of friends, family, and strangers, I have enough cotton floss to last several lifetimes.

Hopefully there will be stitching over the weekend.

Things are looking up.

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:32:30 GMT

The evil "P" (medication) has worked it's magic once again. The cough is almost totally gone and I am able to talk without sounding like an obscene phone call (gasping, panting, and heavy breathing). Of course, now the side effects have to be dealt with and we will have to find out how low the dosage can go without the problem rearing it's ugly head again.

Dad has been moved to the rehab ward and is doing well. He walked across the room with the aid of a walker, so he is regaining strength in his legs after being bed bound for so long.

I haven't been very creative for the past week or so. I pick up the "why?" project and some socks for a bit in the evenings, but not progressing very fast, so no pictures. The other night I felt the need to create something. Just wanted to hold fabric and stitch a little even though I was a little fuzzy about what and how. Finally I stitched another seam on the "world". It's not the greatest or most interesting stitching I've ever done, but I'm leaving it in and it may get more added to it later.

Cllick on image to enlarge.

On the stitchin fingers site I've joined the Take a Stitch On Tuesday group. Every week a different stitch is presented for everyone to practice and experiment with. The difference in this second go around from the original stitch along is that we will get a new stitch every week for three weeks and then the fourth week is for more practice or for catching up when "life" gets in the way. I'll be practicing my herringbone stitches later this week and will post pics.

Through the years I've acquired a lot of embroidery threads, fibers, perle cotton, etc..... from garage sales, antique stores, inheritance or the kindness of friends and acquaintances. Since beginning to stitch again I've discovered that I need a better way of organizing and storing all of these threads. Any suggestions? I would appreciate any ideas. You are able to leave a comment without having to join Xanga, just click on "Anonymous" at the top of comment area.

Sunday Stitching

Mon, 26 May 2008 15:01:00 GMT

Most of Sunday afternoon was spent working on the new CQ project. I really need to come up with a name for it, instead of always calling it the "world". For as much time as I spent working on it, there's not a whole lot to show. Between steroids and not breathing well, everything from thought process to execution proceeds like cold molasses.

I added some lazy daisies to the tops of the dk. blue chevron stitches. On the wavy silk, I emphasized the waves with running stitches in a variegated perle cotton the same colors as the background. Then attached a piece of hand dyed rick rack left over from a seascape challenge with friend Marsha. While rummaging through the bead boxes I came across the tiny lavender flowers and thought they would add a little more interest.

The blue satin was begging for something of interest in between the two feathery designs, so I added a glass fish bead. Will probably add bubbles also, either in beads or french knots.

Also good news on Dad's recovery. He is off of oxygen and will be moved to the rehab ward soon.