SBQ: Taste

A while back, Lee asked: Name your favorite designer(s). Have your tastes changed over time?

I have a totally smart ass answer to this. 

You think?

I started stitching in the late 80s when a lot of what was available was country. This is not to say that was all that was available! (You know I hate that revisionist cross-stitch history.) I also stitched some really cute samplers without geese. Alma Lynne* was a favorite--of mine and the industry--and I did a lot of pieces that she designed. (My mom still has that hanging in her house. Seriously, dirty hoop marks and all!)

My tastes are still pretty eclectic. I'm less of a fan of Quaker and primitive. Also not a fan of cartoony or too-cutesy (twee) things. I'm not sure if there is a designer I will follow to the ends of the earth. Colors, yes. Designers, no.

* And what a pip!

Leap Day

I had hoped to make Leap Day special, maybe take myself out to a movie and gorge on popcorn and candy for lunch...because it's not a real day or anything. Unfortunately the dude was home sick yesterday, and I didn't get the normal chores done. {Sigh.} And now I have to do them in the rain. Uphill both ways boo-frickin'-hoo, right?

Goals for February:

1. Get the work website up--I was supposed to meet with my sister and one of our friends to work together on this. We've delayed ourselves by four weeks, one week at a time. I am going to have to try a new approach.
2. See a movie--saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (fun!); The Artist (good but not nearly as great as you'd hope)
3. Read two books--read Christie's ABC Murders and Tina Fey's Bossypants
4. Do those little craft room projects-- reorganized the shelving unit, decoupaged pots, made embroidery hoop wall art. (I'd still like to make a dresser scarf and a sewing machine cover.)
5. Finish the Curse of the Raven--finished!
6. Work on Snowman '10*--finished!
7. Work on Red Snowman*--finished (At right, Shepherd's Bush kit.)

*Breaking News* The Bodleian Library (Oxford) will be displaying a piece of needlework completed by Jane Austen when she was 12. It will be displayed for one day only, March 1, as it is in private hands.

For March:

1. See a movie
2. Read two books
3. March is national craft month. I am going to try to complete a craft a day. Call me crazy! Some will be small, no doubt. I've started a list so that I have plenty of ideas and can make sure I have all the materials in place. There might be a giveaway or two as well. Watch this space.
4. Stitch in my free time.

Curse of the Raven

This past weekend, the dude and I decided to make up for our previous too-busy weekend by vegetating. I made banana muffins,  and I stitched. That's it. On Saturday, I didn't even get into the shower until 4 p.m. (Bet you're glad you didn't drop by!)

And the results:
Curse of the Raven
Carriage House Samplings
Called for floss
Random linen

I guess the old ladies are going to get to see a new project on Friday!

Maggie Monday: Don't Break the Bank

Recently, Maggie went to one of her restaurants (she has a schedule, you know) with one of her girlfriends.  Maggie reported that her friend was talking to some guy sitting next to her.  She was "telling him about having all her money with Barnum and Bailey*."  

Maggie said if her friend keeps saying stuff like that, no one will ever pay for their drinks. 

I am reminded of being in a bar with my best pal when we were in college, senior week actually. She never drank, but was having vodka and oj. We were b-r-o-k-e. Some guy next to her was chatting her up. He offered to buy her a drink, and she reported this to me.

"The bank says we can't refuse free drinks."
"The bank hasn't seen the psycho sitting next to me."

Of course if we had bragged our money was with Barnum and Bailey...

If you want to thank Maggie for bringing these bright little spots to this blog, please consider joining the others in sending her a birthday card. She loves getting mail, and especially opening cards. Please email me (it's in my profile), and I will tell you where to send it. Her birthday is March 13, and we're nearing our deadline of March 8. Let's get to 90 for her 90th!


If you are new to the blog, here are some of my favorite Maggie posts:
Another story about the restaurant featured here.
Meeting the dude.
The brownie story.


*Of course, she meant Smith Barney.  

The Secret is Out (Almost)

Yesterday was in the 60s. I wore a thin sweater and a jersey under my fleece at the dog park. Today it's 44. I am still not used to wearing a coat this winter, so I didn't. I popped on a sweater and went to old lady stitching. This particular sweater is kind of...it's what my sister calls a "cozy." It's that sweater you can't let go because it's so warm and squishy. It's so warm and squishy, you've worn it too much. It's not really the kind of sweater one should wear out of the house. Friends from cross-stitch camp will recognize this as the description of that sculptural fleece jacket I used to wear all the time. (Eventually, you come to your senses, and you finally put it in the trash where it belongs.)

So there I was dressed poorly with a dime-sized zit on my right cheek, stitching and rapping with my old lady friends when in wanders a reporter--with a camera--from the local weekly to do a story on stitchers at the library. I hang out there all the time so it's one thing that I find a story or two to share with you. But seriously? A whole story on us?

Anyway, she wandered around to all the ladies. Asked how long we'd been coming...why we started...what the group gives us...how long we've been knitting/crocheting/"is that...uh...cross-stitch?" And took pictures of us. At least I put on make-up today. Fortunately, she approached me from the left (it's my good side, while this boil has taken up residence on my face). She took close up pictures of me stitching with dry, wrinkly hands and a manicure studded with black paint. (I've been working in the craft room.) Hopefully, I won't fit the story the editor has in mind. (C'mon I'm 40 years younger than most of the women there!) (And just to make sure I endear myself to everyone, I said it was like having surrogate grandmothers.)

If we make it to the website (as promised), I'll find a way to let you know about it. I'm not sure I want to link to it because I don't want any back tracking to the blog. I don't want to have to stop sharing what goes on on Fridays.

I had hoped to finish Curse of the Raven at stitching today. It will have to happen later this evening. Photos soon.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Lee says, "February's SBQ is about break-ups.  Is there anything in your stash that you are ready to end your relationship with?" I am. I am done with these napkin rings. Well, this napkin ring. I'm not really a hardanger person. I'm not really a napkin ring person. And you don't even have to look that closely at the edging to see that I've done a lousy job keeping the tension even. Plus if you do look closely, you will see little red flecks on the white fabric. No idea what that is.


I think I held onto this project for so long--I started it at a Spirit of Cross-Stitch Festival in 1996--for two reasons. First is that the designer, Stella Bjerg, a Dane (?) came out to do an internship at my LNS (the now-defunct Rose Cottage) in California. (Smart cookie!) It was nice to meet someone who was studying needlework seriously. But once her internship was over, she went back home. The next time I saw her was when I showed up for this class! It was a delightful surprise. The other reason is that I took this class with my broken finger in a splint. Anyway, the projects seemed like a real accomplishment and a souvenir of a friend. 


But what kind of a reminder is it if I couldn't even finish after 16 years? I'll remember Stella for other reasons. (I can pretend my dog is named for her.) And frankly I don't need napkin rings to remind me of the time I went to SOXS with a broken finger. You don't forget that kind of thing easily.

Psst...Old Lady Eyes...This is for You

People have been Up At Arms over Blogger's new word verification. Gone is that sole colorful  word. Now there are two, one often blurred, and the middle-aged-to-old eyes of the stitchers (stitchers!) are unable to play.

You've probably never thought of yourself as handicapped before but that's what you are. And because we have the ADA in this country, Blogger is required to have an alternative approach. It's right there, didn't you notice? See the word verification box where it says "Type the Two Words"? Right next to it are three icons: a refresh icon, an audio icon (volume button), and a question mark. You need the audio icon (pictured). If you hit that, you will get spoken words to use for your verification. It will sound like you are at a party but there will be about five words that are spoken very clearly for you to write.

Of course this does nothing for the deaf person or the nonnative speaker who may have more difficulty deciphering spoken language, but it will definitely help a number of you.

And now that I have written this, I am going to link to it when people complain about Blogger's new word verification. You can feel free to do the same.

Snowless Snowman

Despite being super busy this weekend, I managed to finish a little something. I picked up the missing color for Snowman '10 on Friday. I love the colors in this one!

I spent Friday evening trying to make appliqued onesies for a Saturday shower. Fail! First thing Saturday, I went to the nearby Carter store and had to wait until they opened to buy two outfits. I raced home, wrapped the present, and the dude dropped me off at my ride's house. After the baby shower, I made these meatballs, and we went into the city for dinner with friends--a great time! Sunday, I cleaned the house and everyone came over for two birthday celebrations.

You can imagine I was happy to pick up my needle for an hour or two once everyone had left. Even happier, there was a finish!

Snowman close-up.

Colorful trees. 

Maggie Monday: My Card

Maggie sent me a brilliant stream of consciousness piece this week. I just had to share. You're in it!

I was looking at all the cards I received last year read them all from your friends (+ relations) on the Blog --they all think well of you--nice people. I've been using [the dude's] blueberry jam (really good), big decision do I keep or let them go* they're beautiful I'm really lucky. Thanks once more. I've been doing my usual 1 martini @ 4:00-4:30--depends where--Martha's--Surf--PAC**. I get out as much as I can, I'm a little restricted. Frankie broke his arm--not driving--Marcia*** flew from Dom. Republic I guess. So no Martha's--but I go to Surf on Tues. cab to + fro thanks to your Mom and Dad. Hope you are well. Hi Stella!! PS bad handwriting. {It's true, she didn't sign the card.}

See what I mean when I tell you you've made an old lady's day? Almost a year later and she's torn about getting rid of them. I'm going to tell her to keep them. They can't be taking up that much room. But 90 should take up a lot more space! March 8th is the deadline for me to receive your card. (Two and a half weeks.) Thanks!


* at this point, she leaves the jam and goes back to the cards. Took me several tries to get there!
**Polish American Club
*** his sister

Crawling from the Wreckage

First let me sing Sissy's (childhood) song of thanks to you for your well wishes:
Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you uuuuuuuuh uuuuuuuuh. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you uuuuuuuuh uuuuuuuuh.

Denise hit the nail on the head with her comment, that it feels "like you were puking up your toenails." Definitely! It feels like your whole body will turn inside out with your stomach as the pivot point. Making up the grocery shopping list this week was a killer. I could hardly think of anything I wanted to eat! But I am functioning among the living again, happily.

I worked a bit on Red Snowman while I watched  the entire back catalog of Psych on streaming Netflix. (Not every show, just the ones I hadn't seen. Which were a lot more than I thought!)

Every day I've been getting cards for Maggie. I'm adding a little list over in the sidebar so you can check to see if your post has arrived. I appreciate your participation again this year. I know how a little card really makes the old lady's day.

But this day was about me! The card was addressed to me! It was from Charlene ♥ SC. I wrote just to be sure she hadn't left off Maggie's name but she hadn't. And what was inside but this awesome folding ort catcher! It's wonderful. I'm sure the staff in both the hotels I've stayed at lately would have been grateful if I'd had it then.  (Honestly, I not only police the orts, but I pick up before we leave the room. There's nothing worse than trying to clean a cluttered room.)

Charlene, thanks so much! People I visit the world over will thank you! :)

That Didn't Go As Planned

Dear Friends, yesterday I was going to post a little Maggie Monday story and remind you that I am trying to collect 90 cards for the soon-to-be 90-year-old. Instead, I was emptying out my stomach. Food poisoning. It was atrocious. I'm better now, though I feel like I've been steamrolled. It's only noon, and I've already used up my energy bringing the dog to the park. I think she and I are going to snuggle on the couch and sleep. (She will definitely do this either way.)

I do want to thank you for feeling my pain with the eyesight issues and for politely refusing to comment on how crazy I am.

Last weekend the dude and I were in an airport hotel (oh, romantique) for a chess tournament (we're bringing sexy back!). I spent most of my time stitching and reading and hanging around with best pal. It was good to see her. I nearly finished Snowman '10. I am missing a color, and I will have to wait until I feel well enough to drive out to the stitchery store.

You're Not Helping

I know these shoes aren't meant for me. But I'm positive they aren't going to make cross stitch cooler.

They will be available here, someday. Of course, you'll probably find them at a DSW near you in two years.

A Little Help Here

I am working on transforming worn out jeans into not-so-worn-out looking jean skirts. I continued to organize in the craft room by...ahem...sorting the boxes of pins. Now there are no miscellaneous boxes that house safety pins, straight pins, sewing needles, tapestry needles, and a stray button. Now they are all happily nestled into their own separate boxes. And peace shall reign on the second floor. The craft room still needs a good vacuuming though.

No stitching to share, but I do have a story about my eyes. Like most eyes their age, they need a visit to the ophthalmologist. I've been noticing that I need cheaters with all my projects lately, not just the small counts. I'm also having more trouble putting on eye makeup. I have one eye that sees near and one that sees far which works out well for the most part, until I go to put make up on the nearsighted eye. Then I end up with a thicker line on one eye and it's back and forth adding eyeliner until I get close enough...and look like Taylor Momsen. So the other day in the grocery store, I happened down the cleanser aisle and there hanging at eye-level was a magnifying mirror. I had been thinking of getting one because, let's face it, I can't spend all day putting on makeup.

So I look at my face in it. Then I close one eye to see how the making up would go in the mirror with that eye. Then I close the other. Then I notice that the mirror makes my pores look HUGE. And, what's that there? Are those the "fine lines" I've heard so much about? I reach up to touch my face and see a flicker out of the corner of my eye. I am no longer alone in the cleanser aisle. No, a man has just happened into the aisle. Dude, it's the middle of the day what are you even doing here and ohmygod how much of this have you witnessed? So of course, I start laughing at myself out loud just to draw attention to the fact that I am  a crazy woman obsessed with watching her rapidly aging face in a magnifying mirror.

Reader, I didn't buy it.

More Kooziness

My friend received this canning jar from her grandmother. She's planning on making it into a drinking glass. (I'm not sure I know quite how beyond, you know, just drinking out of it...) She asked me to make a koozie for it. I used a felted sweater for the wrap. The leaves are needle-felted roving. The flower is from a regular piece of felt. For a pattern, I used a paper punch. I embroidered accents with navy perle cotton.

These are the things I used:
* brush mat
* buttons
* felt and roving
* needles
* perle cotton
* paper punch
* scissors
* sewing thread
* sewing machine

These are the things I put away before I left my fabulous craft room: brush mat, buttons, felt and roving, needles, perle cotton, paper punch, sewing thread, and sewing machine.

Wait...what?

Here's Something I've Forgotten

We had the Frank Lloyd Wright Tree of Life Window framed as a Christmas gift for my in-laws. The interior of the frame is silver with a goldish hue. It's perfect for my SIL who is a museum curator. (Or so I tell myself!) The colors are perfect for her house--they did just buy a new one, but I'm hoping they won't change too much!

I'm a little peeved at myself--there's a loose thread. Not unstitched but just not tight enough. Because it's so graphic, it's all I can see.

Checking In

I guess I never set goals for this month beyond starting nine new pieces (check), reading two books (check), and seeing a movie (check). Last night, I started the last of these new starts. Carriage House Samplings, A Mind Independent and Free. I love the quotation on this. I am doing it on a piece of cream fabric with DMC and some overdyed cotton substituting for the NPI Silks.

I did say I would get my business website up and running but I haven't. I have started meeting regularly with some others who are working on career moves, and we all agree that this is my next step. Instead, I've been spending so much time working on the craft room redo. There are a few more projects I'd like to do in my new fabulous crafting space (and next week, the curtain lady comes). When a bit more decorating is done, I'm going to post a video tour of the new craft room. Exciting, right?

So, for the 29 days in February, I shall endeavor to:

1. Get the work website up
2. See a movie
3. Read two books
4. Do those little craft room projects
5. Finish the Curse of the Raven
6. Work on Snowman '10*
7. Work on Red Snowman*

For those who want to send Maggie a card, please email me. My email is in my profile. If your email were in your profile, I could simply shoot you a message with the details but we all see how that is working out for me. 

*Because there should be snowmen this winter, even if the weather won't cooperate (about which, no complaints).

Here, There, Everywhere

Heather of Firefly Dreams was the 10,000th commenter! Yay, you! Responding to the post I wrote during the craft room makeover, she said:

Right now you can make the journey across the pond and you can do the whole of my house, thank you very much ;) 

That's a laugh! As you know, it took hiring another person at great cost (to my mother) for me to get this far! But I will send you a consolation prize of a puzzle and some fabric. Heather, please email me your address. I do hope people will keep commenting even though the only prize to be won is my gratitude...

In fact, I'm back in the craft room with the organizer today. You may have noticed my to do list over in the sidebar gradually shrinking. On Saturday, the dude and I drove all over hell and high water getting some furniture. I had found a nice dresser in really good shape for a steal on Craig's List. However it was 58 1/2" long. Our largest car can only hold 50". I looked up renting one of those $19.99 pick ups from U-Haul. It would have cost over $75 with all the driving we had to do, so we borrowed my BIL's SUV. Of course, he lives an hour away. So we drove over to Lawrenceville to the SUV then over to the dresser in Doylestown down to ours where we unloaded the dresser. Then we had to go pick up the bookcase at the local consignment shop. It was the last day before they started charging me a storage fee. (The dude asked why I bought it before I had a plan in place to get it home. This from the man who once wheeled a garbage can 2.9 miles from the Home Depot because it didn't fit in the car.) (This still cracks me up.) Anyway, I figured I knew several people with transportation; something would turn up. Then we drove the SUV back to New Jersey to pick up our car. Then we drove back the next day for Sunday dinner. (I asked the dude if we could just ask to keep it until Sunday, but he thought they were doing us a big favor so we shouldn't push it.) (Sigh.)

Anyway, you can imagine that five hours in the car, a stitcher can make some progress. Instead of starting my ninth Crazy start, I worked on my "for show" project (for the old ladies).

I'm hoping later today I can race over to the last day of the Strawberry Sampler's framing sale, but I'm not entirely hopeful that I will arrive before the store closes...

Maggie Monday: Slammin the Scammers

Someone called Maggie last week, needing her bank account information so they could send her a new Medicare card. Um, right. She should go get her checkbook now.

She wasn't sure what she should do so she told them she didn't have her checkbook with her. When he told her to go get a bank statement, she hung up.

I would love to tell you that she totally recognized this as a scam, but she called my aunt to ask what she should do. Auntie Em told her she did the right thing, but then, Maggie's reasons for not engaging came out:

1. "He sounded foreign."
2. It sounded like he was calling from a bar or another busy place, not an office. 
3. My aunt also estimates that Maggie is a little put off by men. She thinks they are trying to outwit her, so her guard is up. (And in this case, absolutely right!)

Remind your old people that no one who is legitimate will ask them for this sort of information. Tell them not to give in.

Speaking of Maggie, her 90th birthday is coming up in mid-March. I am going to collect 90 cards--I've already received a proclamation from her governor!--to send up to her. I know some of you (nonscamming types) already have her address, but I'd appreciate it if you could send cards to me, so she gets 90 at once. If you don't already have my address, email me. Deadline to get them to Pennsylvania is March 8. Many thanks.

Thanks too for the increased commenting. I wish I didn't have to bribe you but I do love bringing people out of the woodwork! We're almost there!

10,000 Comments

Oh goodness! I don't blog for a week and then it's twice in one day. I'm inching up to 10,000 comments. (I'm also closing in on 2000 posts!) I've got a little prize for my 10,000th. I bought this puzzle at a thrift store a few years ago. Cool, huh? I know I'm also going to have to cull the fabrics before I put them in the dresser. (That organizer, such a stickler!) So who knows what treasures will join the prize?

Two Words

I've been seeing these words written together lately and they are not supposed to be. My head is going to explode. Please check yourself. I thought about linking to actual examples, but then I thought I like having friends. (But if you don't cease and desist, I may change my mind about that.)

• after all not afterall
• each other not eachother (Seriously, why?)
• in fact not infact (Don't confuse it with intact.)
• everyday--Sometimes everyday is incorrect. It depends on what is being modified. If you mean each day write every day (two words). If you mean "the usual" then it's one word. (Every Day with Rachael Ray vs everyday clothes, everyday life, everyday event)
• Thank you NOT thankyou. I see this a lot on British blogs, but I checked. It's still wrong unless you are talking about thank-you notes. Then it's thank-you in the U.S. and thankyou in Britain. But if you are just straightforwardly thanking someone it's "thank you."

Watch and learn:
Thank you for visiting my blog. It is, in fact, a wonderful way to for us to keep in touch with each other every day (or thereabouts) after all.