Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Another Tag Finish!

This makes number 16 of 48 tags finished. I'm still loving them!


As you can see - I've changed every dang one of them! Guess that falls under "stitcher's prerogative." Started Wednesday last night and am going with DMC 4210 - Radiant Ruby.

Radiant Ruby - Color Variations Floss (4210)

Today finds me waiting on the bride. We have a mountain of work to do today with the wedding and shower. If all goes well - we will be on the down side of the planning. Cross your fingers for me (us)! Maybe a prayer too?

Yesterday found me working on DS's new area. Years ago he took over a portion of the basement as his man cave. Now he will sleeping down there too when home from college. I painted the walls and we lay a piece of carpet too. Tonight he wants to move his bed.

Once he is moved downstairs - his packing begins for Kent. And I ---- I get to repaint his old room! Then my stitching room will be moving to his larger room. It's only a couple of feet larger but... My current stitching room will become a guest (read Garin and Alivia's) bedroom.

Maybe I haven't told you here but my sister is moving back into the neighborhood. And baby #3 is due in December. Tomorrow is (I think) ultrasound for baby's sex! Hoping for another girl.

Time to research bridal shower games!
Happy Hump Day!
Denise

Friday, July 12, 2013

Something New?

Well, I 'discovered' something the other night. Not sure if ya'll know this or not. Maybe I'm the last to know and didn't know it. What is the it?

Well...

I hope you can see this and follow my reference points. This is Rainy Day from the SamSarah calendar and I was attempting to make the green and blue strips very stripey and make it look like rain. As you can see the blue has very little variegation and the green looks much more stripey. But, when looking at the green floss it too was a pretty solid floss color with very little color change.

At the top of the left green stripe above the rain drop you can see four columns of green that are all pretty much the same color and then the 5th column is darker and the rest of the columns to the rain drop are darker. I used two strands of floss for the first 4 columns and another 2 strands for the darker columns. But, on the second green stripe it is wildly striped. What I did was stitch column (for lack of a better way to describe it) column A, then C, E, and G - at the half way point of the strand of floss I started to go back and stitch columns F, D, and B. This tended to spread the lighter color out into more columns and then as the floss got darker I went back and filled in the missing columns I hadn't done on the first trip.

I know we've taught ourselves to stitch with variegated floss either in columns or rows one stitch at a time to get the most of the color shading available. Sometimes we echo a motif spreading the color out and we try to rid ourselves of the linear issues in variegated floss. But, this is the first time I have been able to take a lightly variegated floss and use it in a way to mimic a more heavy variegated color.

I ask - is this something different or did you all know this and I missed that day in bloggerville stitching school? It kind of made me a little excited to stitch something stripey again to see if it always works. btw - I was not stitching those columns one full stitch at a time - I was stitching the length of the column in half stitches and then doing all the second crosses back to the top.

Also, the Fourth is finished too -


This is the one where I was amazed how well the red and purple meshed. More subtle than expected.

This week has found us without electric on two separate occasions and that means no a/c, tv, or internet. Oh the horrors! The second storm through the area caused two of our trees to tumble into the power lines and cause snap, crackle, boom, fire, and then BOOM. No lights for nearly 24 hours. Thank goodness for generators! Told my sister (who is moving into the neighborhood again) to start a generator fund now - she's going to need one.

Compared to some we got off lucky. Courtney lost some siding on her rental, an old co-worker who is on vacation has a tree through the middle of his house, and a local fire station was lost due to a small tornado.

This morning found me cleaning out the fridge and I ended up making taco meat, grinding some pork roast for Wedding soup, grilling chicken, and pre-making some Salisbury steak which is now in the oven. And doing all those dishes that I didn't do due to the power outage. The laundry and lawn mowing is fini too. Busy day, hoping for some stitching time later this evening.

Hope today finds you smiling!
Denise

Monday, July 1, 2013

Almost Forgot!

Seems I need to post on the first of each month and well, it slipped my mind.


How I wish I were snowed in at the moment. I like cold so much better than blazing hot! And then here is the overall with this one finished! It is filling in so quickly. 


Told you I just couldn't handle the light colored Sunday - so here's the re-do! Darker and bolder - more to my taste this way. Think my next day tag will be red.


I meant after Monday! I was shocked how closely the color called Halloween Eve (or Night - can't remember) matched Just Rust by CC. You almost can't tell the difference.


I've started on The Fourth and thought my purple polka dots would stand out on a Christmas Red background - seems it is waaayyyy more subtle than I intended. But, when it is placed with the other tags - it looks smashing. It will take me a another day or two until it is ready for its reveal.

Found myself in Bowling Green, Oh over the weekend. After living all my life in eastern Ohio - going up there seemed flat. But, watching storms come into the area was awesome. Then yesterday found us trimming trees and mowing the yard. Oh, and going to a child's birthday party - my first cousin twice removed for those with genealogy reference.

This weekend will find us attending a wedding reception for DH's step niece. I'm sure it will be an eventful time. That side of the family always keeps you on your toes! :)

Fireworks are going to be on the 4th and 6th in our area. I hope the rain holds off and we are able to watch. I love fireworks - it's the crowds that sometimes get to me. Our normal place for fireworks will be filled by the time we leave the reception so maybe we can get lucky and not have to walk for miles.

btw - today was the first time I have been able to return to exercising. My leg has finally stopped hurting. DH said the stitches look good although he thinks I may have a pucker. I can live with a tiny pucker on the back of my leg that I can't see - it has to be better than that ugly mole. Which the doctor called - both items removed were benign.

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful 4th of July! And to those Canadians I know - Happy Canada Day!
Denise