October Already?!?

Where the heck did September go? Seems like yesterday it was September 1st and I was wondering where the summer went. Fall is definitely in the air, and my only tree in the backyard has dumped a boat load of leaves everywhere!




STITCHY STUFF
Last week, I showed you the scissors and fob I sent off to Carien. This week, I get to show you what I received in the exchange.

My first humbug scissor fob!
Thank you, Carien. It's adorable.

Over the past few months, I've noticed that my wrist has been aching. I was going to get one of those crafters gloves from the LNS that closed, but they didn't have my size. On a whim, I went to the nearest drugstore to see what they had for wrist support. I found the Ace Rejuvenating Hand Support Glove.

Isn't it stylish? LOL It's made very similar to the craft glove except it has an elastic support that wraps around the wrist and attaches with velcro. I really like this feature. I've been using it for about 2 weeks now when I'm stitching and it seems to do the trick. No more aching pain in the wrist! The best part: The drugstore had them buy one, get one at 1/2 price.

Despite my anxiety over whether I will have enough of the (discontinued) HDF silks, I am forging forward on JG. I made quite a bit of progress last week:

I would like to send out a big THANK YOU to all those who have looked through their stash to see if they had the colors I need. I have leads on some of the colors, so I am hopeful. :) Stitchers are the BEST!!!

HUMOR FOR THE WEEK
This is a snip of a real ad. I saw this and bust out laughing.

Seriously?! We all need a footstool so we have proper potty technique. Bwahahaha!
(and it's only $34.95)
Until next time,

Marvelous Monday Update 9/24/12

A big thank you to all of you who commented on my cabinet upscale!  I really enjoyed working on it and watching it come to life... even if I did have to make a couple trips to the home improvement store while working on it. Ran out of primer mid-spray... broke a drill bit by knocking over the drill... you get the idea.

Speaking of primer, I thought I'd give my 2cents review about primers I've used.

Normally, I use Rustoleum primer.  It's thick and goes on evenly with little, if any running.  When I ran out of primer, I went to get more Rustoleum... the store was out. :(  So, I went to Walmart and they had Krylon with the rotating sprayer.  That was the only thing I liked about it.  The primer was very thin and there was so much over spray, it was like being in a fog!  Since it's a thin primer, you have to use very, very light coats... many, many coats... in order to get good coverage.  I will not buy the stuff again.

THE PEC THING
For those of you not familiar, The Pec Thing is big around here and happens twice a year. For 28 years, hundreds... and I mean hundreds of flea market and antique vendors descend upon a tiny town called Pecatonica (or known in these parts as "Pec"). Not to be left out, at least a dozen food vendors also set up camp on the 40 acres of fairground land.

The BF and I spent about 5 hours walking around looking at all the "stuff". It was interesting to see the price differences between the different vendors for the same items. The BF came home with a vintage stereo equalizer that he got for half price. I came home with this:

STITCHY STUFF
More goodies that I picked up from my not-so-local needlework shop that went out of business this week. Aren't they just devine?

The black matte ones are Putford Scissors. They're only 2.5” high x 2.75" wide with large finger holes. To the left of the little Putford are a pair of Hardwick scissors by Kelmscott. These ornate scissors are a total of 4" long with short blades which are great for hard to reach cutting. Right below the Putford are silver 2.5" long Lit'l Snips that can be used for hardanger and embroidery projects. Across from the Hardwick is a pair of Pink Snips by Kelmscott. Part of the proceeds from sales of these go to breast cancer awareness and education. I'm not sure what the scissors to the right of Putford is, but they look like a Kelmscott to me. Very pretty!

I have not one, but TWO finishes I can show!  Last week, I sent this off to Carien (no blog) in AR.

Stitcher Sampler

found HERE.

Fabric: 22ct Hand-Dyed Hardanger

Fibers:  DMC 3843

Embellished with handmade cording and tassel

 

Edited 2/23/2017: I researched to figure out where this freebie came from... The blog is called Nuestras Miniaturas. It was posted on December 29, 2010. The post can be seen HERE.

I made this for Theresa in UT. Notice the "T"?

Rouyer 248 Alphabet

Fabric: 22ct Hand-Dyed Hardanger

Fibers: Six Strand Sweets, DMC

Embellishments: Runched Ribbon Border

Last week, I pulled out Japanese Garden and made some good progress on the top blue border.  Right now, I'm stitching the gold parts with Kreinik #4 braid.  The 6" pieces are driving me crazy, but necessary otherwise it frays too much.

Lastly, I'll leave you with this photo...  I received them "just because".  Awww... Isn't that sweet?

Sorry the photo is a bit dark...

The flowers are white and purple

with a purple sheer ribbon.

Until next time,



You Know What They Say...

"One man's trash is another man's treasure"  In my case, it's usually true!  I'll take someone else's cast offs and make them in something beautiful I can use.

I've been looking for a small side table or cabinet to put beside my stitching chair. I picked this treasure up at a thrift store for $7.99 (well actually $7.98 cuz there was a penny in one of the drawers, lol). It's the same size as a TV tray, believe it or not.

The BF said, "Most people would burn that." Just look at this cabinet!

I am one of those people who can see something not-so-desirable and visualize what it *could* look like.

First some sanding to remove the old finish. 

 

 



A little more paint... Some wood trim... A bit more wood putty... and viola!

 

 

 

Isn't it beautiful?!?



Linked Up To:
My Repurposed Life
The Ivy Cottage
My Romantic Home

Sometimes You Just Gotta Laugh

Have you ever seen the Sandbox commerical on TV?  Every time I see it, I laugh at the tortured cat commentary. LOL


Just poop, already!!
GARDENING
Since the summer weather took a toll on my flowers and garden, I haven't been able to share many photos. I have to give them credit, my Double Knockout Roses and Hostas are hanging in there.

TREASURE HUNTING
I scoured four thrift stores in search of a frame for Fleurs et Papillons since it's almost finished. I couldn't find the right size, so the search is still on. With that said, I didn't leave empty handed.

I found 4 Hallmark Ornaments still in the box for 29cents each and 2 boxes of Christmas cards for 59cents each. For about a month now, I've been looking for a small side table to put next to my stitching chair. I found a small 2-drawer dresser that's no bigger than a TV tray for $7.99 (actually $7.98 because there was a penny in the drawer, lol). It needs some work, but that's OK. I'm the Queen of DIY, remember??

I also found a set of 11x17" Qsnaps with aida still on it for 59cents...

I don't use Qsnaps very often, but these will come in handy when I do.

I also found a framed southwest stitched piece on 32ct evenweave for $2. It's a beautiful piece and I was saddened to see it at the thrift store so I *had* to bring it home!

STITCHY STUFF
The only stitching I did last week was for a scissor fob exchange. It's going into the mail today, so I can't show photos until the recipient gets it. I can say that it turned out so cute, I'm thinking about making one for myself!

My not-so-local needlework shop is closing its doors at the end of this week. Right now, practically everything in the store is 70% off! I spent three hours looking through charts, chart packs, kits, fabric, and floss on Friday. I grabbed up what remained of the WDW and Kreinik silks. All the GAST was gone already *sniffle*. Somehow, a nice stack of 28 and 32ct linen found it's way into my bag, too!

Next week, I'll share some of the charts I picked up. At 70% off, I couldn't resist... When I was in the store, the BF texted me: "Just buy the whole store!" Too funny. I definitely used up my needlework budget for this year and next year!

Since I got some new stuff, I had the urge to purge some "old" stuff. I've added a bunch of items to my For Sale or Trade blog. I have another stack I've scanned and will be adding soon.

Lastly, I'll leave you with more humor... Ya just gotta love Maxine!

(As an allergy sufferer, I know how she feels!!)

Until next time,

TUSAL 9/17/12

Yowza! It's that time again...

The Totally Useless SAL is coordinated by Daffycat.

This month, my measly little pile features threads from:
• Bluebird Welcome Mailart (Here and Here)
• "D" Scissor Fob
• Fleurs et Papillons
• Scissor Fob #2 (Can't show a pic yet)
• Scissor Fob #3 (Can't show a pic yet)