Never Ending Source of Entertainment

Part I
My neighbors have not only become a thorn in my side, but also continue to amuse me with their passive aggressive behavior.

Remember the swing incident from a couple weeks ago? I have a little update… When the daughter moved in (which I’m *still* wondering if the landlord knows), the covered swing was placed under the trees in the backyard behind the garage. Ya’ll remember the sign, right? “Do Not Touch” Hmmm, yeah OK.

My nieces came to visit me last weekend. I suggested they go in the backyard to see what was back there. They came back about 10 minutes later. I asked them how they liked the sign. One exclaimed “Oh, they can break the tire swing” but I can’t touch theirs?! Then she proceeded to tell me that she removed the sign and taped it backwards on the swing. LOL (Can you tell we’re related?)

The story doesn’t stop there, though. Oh no...

The next day, I found that the neighbors moved the swing! They moved it to the side of the garage where it could be viewed from the kitchen windows. They also removed the sign. LOL

Part II
When my neighbor mows, she blows grass all over the concrete driveway and leaves it. I’m guessing she figures since she doesn’t have to drive on that side (and I do), that she shouldn’t have to clean it up. Two can play at that game... When my niece was over, she mowed the yard. The good kid that she is, she mowed the entire front yard, including the neighbor’s side, along side the driveway where the other neighbor’s house is, plus the front part of the backyard. The grass on the opposite side of the driveway was quite tall. Not as tall as the weeds up against the house on the my neighbor’s side, though. My niece was going to clean the grass off the driveway, but I informed her we don’t clean up area the neighbor drives on. Bad influence, aren’t I?

The best part was when I went outside the next day to let my dog out, the neighbor was over there sweeping up the grass! Now, I ask you... if she can sweep it up when she didn’t put it there, WHY can’t she sweep it up when she does?! I chuckled to myself all the back to the house.

I had plans for my niece to mow the ENTIRE yard all summer and was going to pay her to do it. Since my neighbor started the passive aggressive behavior, my niece gets paid to mow only my “bit”, as determined by the neighbor. Neighbor’s loss!!

SBQ - It's Always Nice to Share

How do you share your finished pieces with others? Do you frame them,scan and/or photograph them, or do you have another method that you use to share?

I have the framed pieces that I've made for myself, or have "rescued" hung on the wall going up my staircase. There's also a bathroom themed one hanging outside my bathroom, and one hung in my spare bedroom.


Scissor fobs and bookmarks are usually in use, so they are always "on display."

I always photograph every "finish" and put the pic in my Yahoo Photos album, and usually put an entry in my blog so all my stitchy friends can see what I've been up to.

You've Come A Long Way Baby!

When searching through my stash a while back, I came across this ornament I stitched way back in the early 90's when I first took it seriously. It was a free ornament kit you could get just by writing to DMC and requesting one. Curious as to how my stitching has changed over the years, I scrutinized the front. All stitches lay the same way, neat and orderly - Yes. Doesn't look bad, does it?



Then I turned it over to review the back side. Notice all the threads being carried? The good thing is that they weren't carried very far. If I were to stitch it again, I'd more than likely weave the threads under existing stitches. My-oh-my, how times have changed!



And finally after all this time, here is the finished ornament! (Does this count as my second finish of August?)

Stitching "Over Two"

Earlier in the year, I took the plunge into the world of evenweaves and linens. Some get confused because the counts are so high: 28ct, 32ct, 36ct. Relax.... What you have to remember is counts this high just means you're probably going to be stitching "over two" which essentially equates to 14ct, 16ct, 18ct if you were using aida. So, what's the "over two" language I'm using?

Simple. When stitching a design on an evenweave or linen fabric, work each cross stitch over two threads of the fabric. This means you should count across and up two holes instead of one in order to create each half of the X. What I do is count 'one, two' each time I make a stitch. It helps until you get the hang of it. The diagram below is a visual example of what I'm talking about:

My first project stitching "over two" is Japanese Garden by Martina Weber. It'll be 17x17 when finished and contains lots of specialty stitches. What was I thinking?? LOL It'll be gorgeous when finished. A completed pic of it is in my sidebar to the right. If you've never stitched "over two" before, I would choose something MUCH smaller and easier so you get the hang of it. I would also recommend you try evenweave first, as opposed to linen. I've been told it's easier. Since starting JG, I've made several smaller projects on linen. Linen or Evenweave, I like them both. The fabrics look more refined than aida. I haven't given up the aida, though!

50 Things About Me

1. FIRST NAME? Meari
2. NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Last week
4. LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes
5. FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Honey Smoked Ham
6. KIDS? No
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Most definitely!
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Just my blog right now
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Yes, LOL
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Heck no!
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Don’t have one
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Of course – My Daddy always said they’d last longer.
14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
I have to pick ONE?
15. DO YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE A STRONG PERSON?
Yes, have had to be
16. SHOE SIZE? 10 RED OR PINK? Red
17. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My quietness
18. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My grandparents
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS ARE YOU WEARING NOW? Black
20. IF YOU COULD BE 18 AGAIN WOULD YOU?
Yes, if I can keep what I know now
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Some dumb radio talk show
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Lavendar
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Lilac
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED ON THE PHONE? A banker
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? their face
26. HOW MANY SPEEDING TICKETS HAVE YOU GOTTEN?
Probably 8
27. FAVORITE DRINK? Non-acoholic: Ice tea, Sprite Acoholic: Amaretto Stone Sour
28. FAVORITE SPORT? If I play, volleyball or softball
29. EYE COLOR? Brown
30. HAT SIZE? Don't wear hats
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Sometimes
32. FAVORITE FOOD? Sushi
33. WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED AT THE MOVIE THEATER? Benchwarmers
34. SCARY MOVIE OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy ending
35. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Mocha
36. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
37. HUGS OR KISSES? Both (greedy, aren't I?)
38. FAVORITE DESSERT? All of them
39. WHAT BOOKS are you READING NOW? Learned Optimism, DaVinci Code, Ecology textbook -- obviously not all at the very same time
40. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Bits of dirt and white fuzzy things
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? My name is Earl, Everyone Loves Raymond
42. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Nature
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Neither
44. THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Caribbean
45. WHAT IS YOU PRESENT OCCUPATION? Accounting
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? In a hospital, although I wonder because growing up my Dad always asked me "Were you born in a barn?"
47. ARE YOU AN ONLY CHILD? No
48. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? Yes
49. ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON or A NIGHT OWL? Sometimes both, but usually a morning person
50. LEAST FAVORITE FOOD? Cottage cheese and Yogurt

Ninja Chipmunk?

LOL! That kitty cat never had a chance against Alvin, Supermunk. (That cat reminds me of one I had as a kid... Mama Kitty!! There you are!)

Cheap Therapy

I come from a family of crafters. Both my mother and grandmother crocheted and knitted. My mother also sewed. My father and grandfather did woodworking. It seems only natural that I, too, have crafting in my blood.


The plaque describes how I and many other stitchers feel about the craft of cross stitching. In a world where technology has taken hold and made lives easier, it has also created chaos and distractions from the simple joys of life... things such as pride in creating beautiful things with your own hands. Whenever I tell someone I cross stitch, the first response is: “You must have a lot of patience.” Indeed, cross stitch takes patience. It also takes commitment and dedication to get to the finish line, where an object of beauty is left for the entire world to see. I am notorious for starting HUGE projects – projects that usually take months and months to complete. It gives me great pride when someone looks at it and is in awe of all those little tiny X’s creating a work of art. Yes, stitching is an art and a therapy. While I am stitching, my concentration is on the fabric, needle and thread... which frees my mind from the stresses of my life, even if only for a little while.

SBQ - Always Travel With A WIP

What do you keep your WIPs and other stitching supplies in when traveling?




If I am only going to be away from home less than a day, I take a smaller project with me that's put into a ziplock bag.




If I'm going to be away from home for a day or longer, I have all my projects in an Amway messenger bag I picked up at a thrift store for a couple dollars. Notice my DMC mentor pin on the upper right part of the strap?

In addition to the zippered pocket on the front, the bag has the main storage section. In front of the main section, there's a smaller section divided into 3 areas (one has a zipper). As you can see, the interior is nicely lined with the red satiny fabric.


To carry my stitchy supplies, I use a $2 clear plastic cosmetic bag I picked up at Walmart. It's small enough to be tucked ina purse, or I can just drop in my messenger bag. It's great for all those little stitchy helpers.

Floss Frenzy

Picture in your mind stitchers swarming into Hancock Fabrics to get the deal of the decade. A sale that is unbenownst to managers and supervisors across the world. What sale am I talking about?

If you subscribe to Hancock Fabrics email flyers and/or were on their website early this morning, you were privvy to a bit of information: DMC Floss on sale... 20 for $1! By 11am, however the advertisment was gone... Poof! What happened, you ask? It seems that Hancock was trying to work a deal with DMC that fell through at the last minute and the guy in charge of advertising didn't get the memo. Corporate communication, ya gotta love it!

By the time he found out, hundreds if not thousands of stitchers around the world were worked up in a frenzy to cash in on this great deal. 5 cents a piece? Who could pass that up?! One sixth the regular price! In my mind it reminded me of fish at feeding time. Stitchers all in a floss frenzy! I had this picture running through my head of people doing calculations as to how much they could afford to buy and stitchers bombarding the store, fighting over the last skeins of certain colors!

I was told by this guy at Hancock Fabrics that as long as customers had a printed copy of the ad, stores would honor it. I was told by another stitcher who talked to the sales manager of HF (1-877-322-7427 Linda Jenkins) that all a customer had to do was mention they saw the online ad and stores would honor it. All stores received an email regarding this on 8/24 and 8/25. The sale ends Saturday, though. HF stores all over the world will probably saying, "Thank God!" LOL There have been reports of some stores limiting (or trying to) the amount of floss that can be purchased. Other reports have come in where clerks feigned ingorance and tried to charge regular price until the customer pointed out the sale. Some managers have been downright rude in claiming they "knew nothing" and refused to contact the corporate office about it. I know someone who went to a HF and after her purchase, the manager confiscated her printed ad. On the other hand, there have also been reports of managers being happy, helpful, and willing to sell the floss at that price.

First Finish of August

Ugg... Here it is almost the end of August and I haven't had any finishes. After digging through my stash, I came up with Bees and Clover Scissor Fob by Lorri Birmingham. It's stitched on 28ct Belfast white linen banding with DMC floss. It's hard to see them in the pics, but there are two gold bee charms. It took me about 8 hours to complete this.

Is this Freedom??

Ever have one of those projects where you think to yourself... WILL I EVER GET THROUGH WITH THIS COLOR?? I cannot... repeat cannot... stand dark drab colors such as browns and blacks. Freedom has a LOT of browns, blacks, grays, and let's not forget the *blended* browns, blacks, and grays! I faintly see a light at the end of the tunnel, though. Thank goodness!! Freedom is being stitched as part of the Soldier Memorial Project dedicated to fallen soldiers in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. The soldier I am stitching this memorial for is Brandon Ramey, a 22yr old from Belvidere, Illinois. So far, I have 111 hours into this project and if I do say so myself... It's turning out fabulous!

If you're interested in learning more about the Soldier Memorial Project, check out the following links:

MSN Group

Yahoo Group

Geocities Group

SBQ - Fabric Organization

I am so on the ball today! SBQ came out and on the very same day, I am actually answering it. How efficient is that?!?

Do you have an organizational system for your fabric? If so, what is it? If not, what do you store your fabric in? How do people store their fabric, especially those small but potentially usable pieces? Do they sort by count? How do they label itor otherwise know what each piece is?

Being the crafty person I am, I made this storage box that holds my cross stitch fabric stash. I came up with this idea while shopping for groceries at Aldi's one Saturday. This is a box that the packages of brown sugar come in. I snagged the box and the lid (You're allowed to do that at Aldi's) and used them to haul home some of my groceries. Then I used contact paper I had on hand and made a new storage box! It's 11"W by 13"L by 6.5"D. With the contact paper, the lid fits snugly. Not bad for FREE!


As you can see, I currently keep all my fabric stash in it. I have an Anne Cloth afghan, bookmarks, waste canvas, vinyl weave, aida of all colors and counts, evenweaves, hardanger, and linens. The ones that came in packages, stay in the packages until I want to use them. Little bits and pieces are kept in a ziploc bag - not sorted by count or anything (yet). Some of the packages are labeled, some are not. It's not a big deal to me that the aida isn't labeled since I have a handy dandy ruler that quickly tells me what the count it. One day when I have no projects left to stitch (Like that's gonna happen?), I may go through and organize it a little better. For now, this works for me. I did make a second box to separate the evenweaves/linens from the aida stuff but so far I haven't done it. LOL

I just read an article in the Oct 2006 issue of Just Cross Stitch that gave a couple of good tips:

• To minimize wrinkles, fabric should be stored flat with as few folds as possible. The longer the creases remain in the fabric, the harder it is to remove them. Hmmm.... Maybe I should rethink my storage methods!
• To label fabrics, write the count and color on a small piece of paper and tack it to the fabric with some small stitches using a light color. Don't use pins or paperclips because over time they can rust.
  

Tomatoes, anyone?

These are the tomato plants growing in front of my back porch. My gay neighbors had tomatoes growing there last year and seeds from the rotted ones sprouted 4 plants this spring. I've been taking care of them. You can't see the tomato cages, but they're there. A couple of them are being held upright by ropes attached to the porch. The plants have long since outgrown the cages!

I cannot believe how many tomatoes are on these plants and how huge the tomatoes are! None of them are ripe yet, but they soon will be. I'm sure I will have an overabundance and will be giving a lot away.

A Bit Of Quality Time

A while back, I purchased a small sewing machine. Several women on a sewing group recommended I have it serviced – adjusted, cleaned, oiled, etc. I checked in my town and the only place that would do it wanted to charge me $70. I happened to be in Hancock Fabrics a few weeks ago in the next large city over and they put a flyer in the bag about a guy who comes to the store and services machines once or twice a month for $38 – repairs extra. So which do you think I did?

On Saturday, I went to pick up my machine and a Sam’s Club card my employer bought for the employees. I asked my sister to go along and we made a day of it. Both of us were short on funds, but that didn’t stop us from having a good time!

First we had lunch. Do you remember the newlywed reality show with Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey? The one and only episode I watched was the one where she questioned whether Chicken of the Sea was really tuna, since it said “Chicken” of the Sea. Well, my sister had a Jessica moment during lunch. She ordered chicken fried steak. Halfway through eating it, she looks at me and comments about how it didn’t taste like chicken, it tasted like beef. LOL I explained to her that “chicken fried” meant it had a fried coating on it like fried chicken and the “steak” part meant it was beef. She will not live that one down for a while… Wait ‘til I tell my niece!

We ended up going to Hobby Lobby four... yes FOUR times! The last time we were in the check out line and a lady in the line next to ours gave my sister a 40% off coupon that she wasn’t going to use. So we ended up shopping some more! My sister picked up some Christmas presents for the kids. We also went to JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, Starbucks, and Sally’s Beauty supply. Eight hours later, we headed for home.

I tried... really, I did! I tried to be good and not load up on stash. I came home with a few things:

Magnifier (40% off)
Bead Organizer (50% off)
Scissors (50% off)
Chart – The Surprise (81% off)
Chart - Victorian Elegance (91% off)

My sister and I tested out almost every magnifier we could find -- from the glasses to the clip-ons, to the table top ones -- well, the inexpensive ones anyway. I am so blind that the clip-ons wouldn't work with my glasses. The ones that were actual glasses, I couldn't see without my regular glasses! I tried the one I bought above and it seems to work pretty good. In addition to a clip-on base, it has a magnetic base and a cover to protect the magnifier itself. Plus the cover holds the magnetic base, too.

Victorian Elegance has charts for pulled thread work to create beautiful sewing accessories such as a needlebook, scissor fob, pin cushion, and chatelaine. The Surprise is an adaptation of Sandy Austin Stein’s painting and included the bead pack.


Other Stitchy Stuff:

I got a deal on a Bead Nabber and Bead Nabber Replacement Pads at Michaels a few weeks ago. Both rang up at a penny a piece! My sister is doing a beaded scissor bag and borrowed my Bead Nabber and Tacky Bob. Her review of each: The Bead Nabber is easier to use than the Tacky Bob. I haven’t used either yet, but will as soon as I get Japanese Garden stitched up.

I spent a few hours on Sunday stitching on Freedom. I’m sure I’m well past 100 hours now and will be posting a new WIP pic soon. All the browns and blacks in the wings is driving me batty. Such drab colors!


Calm Before The Storm?

As I perused my planner this morning, I noticed that I have nothing, absolutely nothing, scheduled for this week. Is it an omen?

The fall semester starts next week... Intro to Ecology here I come. Science is one of my weaker subjects. I purchased the textbook and lab manual last week. Shelled out $170 for both -- I am so lucky my employer pays for my schooling. I don't think I'd be going if they didn't... I couldn't afford it!

Please Do Not Pick The Flowers!

I’ve lived in the same 2-family townhouse for almost 5 years now. When I first moved in, there was a young family next door. They were friendly and aside from the occasional spousal spats, I had no problems with them. Too bad they couldn’t pay the rent - oops. Then came the gay guys… Yes, homosexuals. Their sexuality didn’t bother me. However, twice when I arrived home I found that they were in the process of using MY garden hose and MY water. They conveniently waited until I left and then helped themselves without even asking me! Another time I came home to find they had built a flower garden with my landscaping bricks. Did they ask? Noooo. So I left a note on their door one morning before I left for work, praising them for a what a nice job they did and a check for $45 would cover the cost of the bricks. Imagine my surprise when I went home at lunch and all the bricks were put back where I had stacked them. LOL On the day they moved out, I was at work. I arrived home to find my windchimes taken off the hook and thrown in front of my screen door. Is that their way of having the last word?

So what’s all this have to do with picking flowers? Before the same gay neighbors had left, they planted a rose bush in our shared yard. Also in the yard, there is a lilac bush and a peony bush. In the spring, I cut a few flowers off each – No, I’m not a hacker… leaving a bush looking like a swarm of locusts attacked it. My new neighbors (a grandmother a bit older than me and her 8yr old grandson) must have seen me cutting some of the flowers. When the rose bush started to bloom, they put a sign on it: “Please Do Not Cut The Flowers.” They’d only been there 3 months and staked claim to a bush they didn’t even plant or own?!? Keep in mind, we share the yard.


Here it is summer and that poor rose bush is dwarfed by weeds about 3 feet high. You wouldn’t even know it’s there except for bits of yellow color. It’s a shame really...

This past weekend, the neighbor’s grown daughter, my age and mother of the grandson, moved in with her while I was gone. How do I know this? Because I when I left the house, they were moving stuff in and I heard the daughter say “I’m putting this in my room.” When I went to hang laundry yesterday, there was a canopy covered swing in the backyard. I noticed a piece of paper flapping in the wind so I walked over to take a closer look. Another sign! “Do Not Touch. Thx.” What the…. ?!? I detached the sign (LOL) and dropped it on the seat of the swing. When I went to take the laundry off the line, the sign was taped back up. LOL I was sooo tempted to take it down again, but I didn’t. So what happens if I touch the swing? Will the skies open up and lightning strike me?? I feel like writing a letter:

Dear Neighbor: Who is the sign for? The squirrels? The rabbits? Is it there so that your grandson and the neighborhood kids don't destroy it, like they've done to my nieces' and nephews' play fort? Surely, it isn't meant for me because I would ask before I used my neighbor's stuff! Some clarification, please?




Of course, I’ve already mentioned the passive aggressive behavior when it comes to mowing the yard. That behavior continues on. Tired, my fannie! Seems pretty convenient that she gets tired after doing the whole entire yard except the side her apartment isn’t on. Yet she leaves the weeds grow 3 feet high right next to the house on her side! Isn't that attractive going down the length of the driveway?

I would like to know why people don't have the courtesy to ask before borrowing stuff and why all the passive aggressive behavior? I'm polite, I don't make any noise when I'm home, and I'm rarely home -- Is it too much to ask for decent neighbors??

Now you see why I’ve been shopping for a house!

Stitchy News

In today's mail I received a beautiful hummingbird bookmark stitched by Cate Estes from North Carolina. It will come in handy since school is starting up again in a couple of weeks. Thank you Cate! I love it.








I recently found out that my ILCS secret sister gift has finally made it's way across the big pond (Atlantic Ocean) to the UK. I stitched and mailed it back in June! My SS received her last two packages, so I can post pics of the stitched gift I made her. She had a lot of witchy stuff on her wish list so I stitched up "I'll Get You..." by Sue Hillis and put it on a little tote bag for her. It took me 10 hours to stitch and was stitched on gray 14ct aida with DMC threads.

SBQ - Overdyed Floss Storage

For those of you who use hand or over-dyed floss, how do you store it?


I have a very small stash of overdyed and silk floss. I store both types on bobbins just like my cotton floss. Then I put them by brand and color into the floss away bags. If I'm using them for a project, I temporarily put them into a small floss storage box.