Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Mistakes were Made

Since the rest of us are willing to live in a society (and wait to eat the pie), I'm going to send Maggie to live with Katrina. Good luck!

Things haven't been going so well on the stitching front. First, I cocked up the "H" on my marquoir; it's one stitch too skinny. Then I miscounted the "8" on my Willow Trees Sampler and now the 9, 0, "S" and "T" are in the wrong place. Then the dude told me that I should be more careful in my counting. What nerve! I'd clock him but he's so damn earnest. I suggested it might be best for him to save his advice until he starts stitching himself. All this counting isn't as easy as it looks, as you well know.

A few days weeks ago, CinDC sent me this ornament. She is not lovely but I think she is perfect as an illustration for the grandma stitching stories, which is why C sent it to me. So I've been waiting to reveal her (and apparently to thank my friend) until we had some old lady stitching references in the media. The foreign press has obliged!

First the Calgary Herald tells us about the opening of the show "Ninety-nine Problems but a Stitch Ain't One:"
If you think cross-stitch is just for the blue hairs of the ladies' auxiliary, then you'd be wrong. The cool kids have laid claim to this crotchety craft, taking the classic fonts and forms of yore and giving them a thoroughly modern makeover.
Then the Sydney Morning Herald reviews local bars. As in cocktail lounges. Apparently Syndney (itself named after an old man) has a sudden influx of bars decorated with stitching.

Grandma's Bar offers its own version of retro. The bar, in a dimly lit basement, gives off an opium-den feel as you descend the staircase. After spying all the mismatched retro furniture scattered about the narrow space, Grandma's begins to feel more like the set in That '70s Show.
Low-rise coffee tables and framed cross stitch have been sourced from op shops by Melbourne-bred owner James Bradley. His prized score? A wooden rocking chair, flanked by balls of colourful yarn and knitting needles. 
Bradley, who welcomes us warmly and shows us around, says we can take the knitting kit to anywhere in the bar if we'd like. But we decline; we've come for a drink.

At least the writer doesn't drink and stitch. (I want to go just for the jaffles*.)

Anyway, now that I've photographed her grandma-ness, I'm happy to pass on this little ornament to a good home. Leave a comment.

*Don't get too excited; it's just a sandwich run through the sandwich press.

8 comments:

Katrina said...

LOL!!!! I say let them eat pie ;-).

xeyedmary said...

Well, I wish the story in the Calgary Herald had some images of Davey's work, but no such luck. The coincidence of the artist depicting an image of "Run DMC" is totally lost on the author, I'm sure!

Miriam said...

Um, "crotchety" craft? So stitchers are grouchy now? Sheesh.

Alice said...

I'm not a granny yet, and do my level best not to be crotchety either. I would say you aren't either given your extremely moderate response to the dude. Kudos to you for keeping your temper.

Unknown said...

I'm glad Granny is gracing your blog. :-)

This spring seems to be the season for do-overs for me. Not only did I have to restart my Lee project, I discovered over the weekend that I'd cut the fabric for my nephew's birth sampler wrong. It wouldn't have been a problem, except that I'd already stitched a third of it. The fabric is way, way too short to finish the sampler. Grrr.

Marcy said...

too funny!

Just tell the dude you are becoming a designer now.

Coni said...

Hey! Why can't Grandma travel the world like one of those damn stuffed animals that little kids bring home and then send to unsuspecting aunts, etc. as a "project"? You know..Grandma goes to Mishawaka, where she learns how to use profanity AND where to get a decent dirty martini...that kind of thing. She could have her very own little travel book that would document her travels.....(I think the kids actually call them passports when sent with the damn animals).

I would be thrilled to host her as my guest and then pass her along to another (somewhat twisted) stitcher.

Unknown said...

@Coni - I'm laughing so hard at the idea of "Drunk Granny" travelling the world like "Flat Stanley".