This 'n That

We are back into the HHH - Heat-Humidity-Horribleness of summer.   I enjoyed an evening water ride on the Christiana River in Delaware with a friend last week and decided this needs to be my mantra for the weeks ahead.  

Since I last lamented about my garden beds getting away from me, I managed to get them tidy .....but they could be back on the verge of needing my attention.   I think the reality of it is not the heat but loss of desire to be in the garden.   Sad transition since I have taken many years of pleasure but I feel like I've already got that gardening badge for my sash of life experiences and now time to move on.   Instead of saying I'd rather be in the garden, I seem to be saying, I'd rather be stitching.  Then again, it could be the heat.  This kind of oppressive weather does take the starch out of your sails!

On the stitching front, I am happy with the progress I have made on my Santa Sampler.    He is not without mistakes but I am happy so far.   He is a really quick stitch.  Once I get the right side of his coat done, the bands should go super quick.

I can share this finish.   This is Brenda Gervais' Patriotic Poppies.    I stitched it on 18-count (yeah! no cheaters needed).    I made it into a pillow and although it is not County Fair worthy, it is good enough to sit out from Memorial Day to Labor Day.    I do need to still stitch it closed at the bottom but that part will be a no brainer.







While the sewing machine was going, I overcasting a bunch of linens I picked up.   Most came from our Stash Re-Allocation Sale at DVHSG.   Some were only a couple of dollars.....hard to say no to that price.  I need my own Stash Rearranging Event!

I took a quick weekend trip to Bucks County PA with a friend from Guild.   First stop was the Bucks County Welcome Center for a quilt show.   What beauties we saw.

Visitors were allow to vote on a show favorite and this was mine.    Sorry I don't have a better close up.   The free motion quilting on this was beyond stunning.

Next up was a visit to Ye Olde Cross Stitchery in Bristol PA.   Since they didn't open until 12:30 and it was only 11, we did a bit of consignment store shopping.   These are my finds.




























Love this God Bless America and only $6.  How couldn't I pass it up?   Also got these children's kitchen mini pans/molds.   I picked up two more flower frogs.   Didn't really need them but the larger one is footed on the bottom rather than being flat so it was different.

I have a pin cushion made out of similar pans and plan to do the same for my new finds.    Will have to whip up some quilted fabric, destress it and make some up.

Neat gazebo at the water's edge in Bristol.

Part of our trip included a day in Lamberville NJ and New Hope PA.     Lunch at Lambertville Station started with some Chardoney.

We meet with Stacy's cousins for a great dinner at a place called Karla's in New Hope before our late check into our room in Doylestown.   Below, not Karla's, but a typical house you see in the New Hope area.

What a cute destination town Doylestown is.   While there we visited the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle but I have to say the heat (neither are air conditioned) was getting the best of us.

 Above is a vampire killing kit.   Part of Henry Mercer's collection of 'tools' at the Mercer Museum.   Below, some of the needlework items in the general store display.

The driveway into Fonthill Castle the home of Henry Mercer.  

Fonthill Castle - Interested in preserving things, use of tiles from his tile factory on the property (The Morovian Tile Factory), fear of fire and the use of concrete - a new building media at the time - compelled Henry Mercer to build his castle out of concrete.

Above and below the Library.   Mr. Mercer had over 6,000 books in his collection most of which are housed in his concrete book shelves.

His house was a sort of showroom to potential buyers.   Buyers could see the variety of tiles and the varieties of uses while dining with Mr. Mercer.  Some of the tiles below on the column are babylonian from 2,300 BC that were gifted to Mr. Mercer.

The more ornate ceiling in the room Mr. Mercer created as a tribute to Christopher Columbus.

A few more consignment shops and then we spent the evening at a wine tasting.   The tasting was great and lead to bringing six bottles home with me.  We enjoyed a relaxing evening of live music, wine slushes and cheese and crackers at Bishops Winery.  I think I am stocked up for a bit.

Home again and back to reality.   Hope to dedicated time this week to my Santa.   I'd like to have him done by mid-September.   I've pre-stitching for a couple of fall classes that should be arriving soon.  And I want to get back to my 12-Days of Christmas ornaments so they are done by Christmas and then there are exchange pieces and......Ack!

Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching......

Check your copies!

This is my latest WIP.   It is called Santa Sampler by Needle’s Notion.  

Since I had to wait for the five skeins of Cranberry to be shipped, I started with the white and worked my way from the placard of the sweater up.   The Cranberry arrived and I went to work on the hat which I decided to stitch in long-armed cross.   As I worked from my copy of the pattern, I became increasing aggravated.   It was the lack of symmetry of the pattern that was troubling.   All the while I was really proud of how meticulously I was stitching....even the back was looking good.

But I continued to be vexed by 21 stitches on one side of the face and 17 on the other.    Looking at the photo of the finished piece it was hard to see since the piece is finished as a stuffed stand up.    I expressed my frustration at stitching the other night and Pat (Thank you, I mean it sincerely!) found the problem.   Seems when I was doing that government job of making a copy of the pattern at work, the edge of the pattern did not copy.    Four columns of stitches were not shown on my copy.

Because I stitched each row as long armed cross and ended the thread on each row......I had no choice but to frog 5 to 6 stitches on each row.   It was a bit like weeding in my flower bed.

Below, on the right side is the TRUE edge of the side of Santa's face.

As of this morning, I have managed to weave in all the ends and re-stitch the hat and been able to continue with the white.   So very glad I have been able to salvage my screw up and so very glad this Santa now has a balanced face.

Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching......

Sunset

I took a time out last night and sat with a friend to enjoy a glass of wine and watch the sunset.    Something about being near to the water is a necessity for me.   I can step out my back door and a mere 15 feet I am in my pool; the river and the sunset are less than a mile away.    This just confirms what I always have known, I am a water person.

Humble Pie

Hot! This is the water temperature on Saturday afternoon!

I often reread my posts to remind myself of what I posted and what I need to follow up.   Well, I guess karma is bitch as they say......way to brag about a pristine yard a couple of posts back and now my haughty words don't taste so  good.......rain, rain and more rain, heat, heat and record heat and then a minor little mole removed and stitches with instructions for no yard work (because of the bending and lifting and sweating) until the stitches came out.    My yard is in desperate need of some TLC!   Dag nabbet! Stitches came out Monday and now I have a summer head cold.    It's all good, just a little pot hole in the road of my summer time.    Enough, woe is me, let's get to catching up and getting crafty.

I had great visit from William last weekend.  Just love watching the world through his little eyes.   Love how he calls  his uncle Steve - Steam instead of Steve.  Love that he can say Grand mom but I am still his Dam-ma.  We were in the middle of a massive heat wave and spent a lot of time in the pool.     But wait, when all were told to stay  in AC, we went hiking!   OMGosh, I really questioned my sanity when we loaded up the car and headed to Brandywine State Park.  A mile and 3/4's in, wading in the creek and then a walk out really wasn't bad.   It was an easy 15 degrees cooler in the canopy of the trees.  Wading in the cool creek water was a plus especially with a little guy that loves everything water.  When it was time for them to leave on Sunday evening, he was reduced to the biggest puddle of tears when he realized I wasn't going with him.   I don't think I have every seen such big tears.  He told his daddy his daddy was not his friend anymore.   And when they said they had to get home for his step-brother and their dog, there was a pathetic.....but I LOVE her.  

When is was time to leave, he took his clothes off and ran up the stairs.

.......just when I don't think I could be anymore in love with this little guy.    So blessed that we are able to travel back and forth for visits and use Face Time in between.  Next visit, end of August.

As for my for projects, I have finished up Hooray for the Red, White and Blue.    I have "placed" it in the frame but am not sure if I want to do something different with it.  

I am close to finishing Patriotic Poppies from With Thy Needle and Thread.   Problem here is working on the large count, it is eating up the thread like crazy.   I ran out of GA Endive.   I will first pull my ring of fancy flosses to see if I have something that is close and try to use up my stash.  If not I guess it is time to go to the LNS.     Plan is to make this into a pillow.  It's not the only project I have ready to turn into a pillow so I  need to get my machine stitching back on.  

With William here last week, the sewing machine got put away.   I had been on a great tear with my cutting mat set up on the dining room table.   I could take 20 minutes in the morning,  cut or seam pieces, and another 20 minutes at night and BAM!  I'd have a lot to show in one week with little effort.   If I have to pick between the sewing machine and the treadmill, hands down, the sewing machine wins.  

And I have been kind of happy with myself for all the projects I have moved from WIP's to finishes in the last year and gave myself permission to make a new start!    In true Jersey Girl fashion, we Jersey Girls are doing it as a SAL.   I think there are 5 of us starting it today!   I had to order 5 skeins of GA Cranberry that has not yet arrived so I started on the white.     It is called Sampler Santa from The Needle's Notion.

Thanks all I've got for now.....I think I am returning to the couch and a box of tissues.    Ugh, summer colds.  Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching.