June June June Day

June Morning
The Goode Huswife
32 count black Belfast
Prescribed DMC

Running in Place

I have some photos to show you as a catch up. I put two threads into Tall Guys (Holiday and Sparrow) last Friday, and I started June Morning (Good Huswife) on Saturday.

But I have to admit I haven’t been able to keep up with my goal of stitching two threads every day.

On Sunday, I went to take out Fish Tale—Teresa Layman’s mermaid. You may remember that I had lost the color key. I was so on top of it, I emailed Teresa requesting the color key only for the parts I had yet to finish, and she sent me a whole new one. Color key in hand, I went looking for the project—and I couldn’t find it. I’m sure it is somewhere but I was a little disheartened. So I started grabbing other WIPS—St. Basil’s Cathedral, seems I’ve thieved all the fibers from this one for other projects, same for Watercolor Geranium; I’m still waiting for my orders from three of the four stores (one of those is my fault); I just felt discouraged by it all so I just went and sat.

On Monday, we had Cookbook Club at the library. I don’t think I’ve told you about that. The dude and I joined last summer. Every month, the program director at the library* chooses a cookbook. Sometimes with our help; sometimes with our general direction; sometimes whatever grabs her fancy.** Anyway, we all sign up to make a recipe from the book. Then we get together to eat and talk about what we’ve made. It’s quite a diverse group—a grandmother who loves to cook but is married to a meat-and-potatoes man comes with her adult granddaughter (and sometimes her daughter), mothers and teen children, mothers and adult children, husbands and wives—one of the husbands has over 2000 cookbooks in his collection—single young women, older women with families who leave them at home. It’s fabulous. In fact, it’s such a hit they’ve started Cookbook Club Junior for the littler set.

Anyway, we ate the tiramisu I made on Sunday (soooooo easy! And good!). (The dude made roasted pepper salad.) Then I had an appointment; we didn’t get home until 9:30. And I just didn’t have it in me to face the basket of projects to put in two more threads.

After another day of sitting, I dragged out Off the Deep End for Wednesday stitching with my knitting peeps. And when I pulled her out of the bag, I found Fish Tale. Emerald Mermaid was in there too, so I guess it was a little underwater maiden party. Sometimes you just got to stick together.

*she’s not an MLS and hates when I call her a ‘librarian’ but dude, you work at a library…most people don’t know the difference. Though all props to those who are trained.

**June – The Dean Brothers’ Get Fired Up

July – The Everything Ice Cream, Gelato, and Frozen Desserts cookbook

August – Main Course Salads (agreed: “A lot of work for a salad”)

September – The Greatest Ever Jewish Recipe Book

October – The Dead Celebrity Cookbook (disappointing, but of course)

November – 1896 Boston Cooking School Cook Book (early Fanny Farmer)

December –Appetizers, Finger Foods, Buffets and Parties (we missed this one when the car died)

January – The Soprano’s Family Cookbook (surprisingly good!)

February – Our own family recipes

Home Sweet Home, Finis

I'm hacking up a lung right now. I should be preparing for my interview on Monday but I'm so tired and unable to focus. I hope I get well soon so I can get through all the things I need to do to be ready to dazzle them with my brilliance and wit.

I've spent the last three evenings stitching Home Sweet Home by The Goode Huswife. It's stitched on silver 32-ct Belgium linen with the called for silks. I finished it in a year...with about nine days of actual stitching. (Here's the start and here's the last time it was in a rotation.) I'll have to bring it with me on Friday so the ladies can see I finished something. There will be great rejoicing throughout the land library.

Day Nine

Football season is back in full force. Can I get a woo-hoo?

This past weekend, I turned my attentions to "Home Sweet Home" by the Good Huswife (released during her brief comeback tour in 2009).

 

Today it looks like this:

When I see this kind of progress, I think this may be the most brilliant rotation every. Thanks, Molly!

I was already pretty excited by what I had to show you, when I got a package in the mail from our fine and friendly finisher, Faye. I have about 50 items that need finishing. Let's face it, I could wait the rest of my life for me to get to it. I decided to speed things along by giving Faye a few pieces to try. Two of them--angels both--I had just no idea how to finish. So I sent them with no direction and no expectations.

Here's what came in the mail.

Heart in Hand, Wool Whimsy Angelic

Love! Love! Love! If I had to pick a favorite it's the Heart in Hand angel with the lace. I would never in a million years finished it like this, but there you go. Sometimes you need to crawl out from the box! Each of the finishes has nice little touches. I think a lot of people on my Christmas list may be getting something I stitch but Faye finishes this year! Of course, I'd have to stitch a thing or two for that to work! If you were thinking about having Faye finish some items...trust...and send them to her! Tell her I sent you.

Bent Creek Red  Holly Berries

Bent Creek Flower Arch Angel

Back! Oh, so cute.