January 25, 2009

Night of the Lepus

This has been a busy weekend on the stitching front. Work on Dicken's Mitten:

I spent quite a bit of time gathering the materials for "And a Garden Grew." I love the way the designer has put together the project: It is comprised of 18 sections, each of which is on a separate page of the booklet. Each page has a complete list of the threads required to complete that page. There are 51 colors on page 1, and I had all but 7 of them. And I didn't like the fabric I was going to use originally, so off I went to Everything Cross Stitch, where I selected a beautiful cut of rosy Lakeside Linen fabric in 32 count. The photo here doesn't do it justice. It's a little ruddier and blotchier than the photo of the model (which calls for Picture This), but it did well with the floss toss, and I really like it. The biggest challenge on this project is organization: how not to spend your entire allotted stitching break looking for the right number on the thread in order to put in about five stitches before you move on to the next elusive skein. I tried different systems until I found one I liked. I tried wrapping the thread on individual bobbins, labeling them, and hanging them on a ring. Too fussy and time-consuming for me. I tried putting them in the little floss baggies with the number showing through the bag and hanging them on a ring in order. Not as fussy, but not ideal either, and I didn't have enough floss bags. So I settled on putting a range of numbers in a series of ziploc freezer bags that I labeled on the convenient place on the front of the bags. So 100-299 in bag 1, 300-488 in bage 2, etc. That works better, saves time and doesn't involve fussiness or frustration.

Don't you love the little bees? What I especially like about this project--and it's probably the same thing with working on a quaker--is that you can sit down and work on a motif, large or small, and if you need to go off and do something else, like scrub a toilet, you've still accomplished something. I also like that this project is full of unexpected little bugs and animals: loads of bunnies, a badger, a fox, snails. Mary and I are both working on this in sort of a loose, no-expectations, no-pressure SAL. Anyone care to join us? It will probably take me 5 years--but then again, at one motif at a time, maybe not.

The other night, BF brought home a horror film that a friend had recommended, call "Night of the Lepus." There's nary a lepus anywhere, since a lepus is a hare, but this 1972 movie was a hilarious, campy look at the carnage wrought by bunnies who'd been given hormones to slow down their breeding cycle and destructiveness. Naturally, being a horror movie, they turned into 150-pound carnivores who rampaged down freeways, jumped through windows to attack people and rip them apart, etc. The movie featured a haggard-looking Janet Leigh and other actors you'd recognize.

Here's a horrifying, blood-thirsty bunny now. I was too sleepy to stick the entire thing out, so BF fast-forwarded through the various scenes. What was most hilarious was the "special effects," which consisted of regular-size bunnies running through models of little houses and cars and barns.

The movie was particularly appropriate for the weekend, since we had our own bunny horror story. We came home from work to a bill from our insurance company which hiked our premium by $900 a year, thanks to the damage done by Pink, who caused the Great Flood of '08 when he chewed through the water supply tube to the master bath toilet (needless to say, that door is kept firmly shut at all times now) and flooded the upstairs, causing the brand-new ceramic floors to be jack-hammered up so that the sub-floor could dry. Although we've been homeowners for over 20 years without a single claim, this incident reached deep into our pockets, as we suspected it might. After a little rearranging and switching to the company that insures my car and purchasing an extra umbrella policy (worth looking into in these litigious times), we wound up paying just a couple hundred $ more than we have been, so it's better than it could have been.

Pink: "I'm really sorry, Mom. Maybe I could get a paper route...."

18 comments:

imnverted said...

water damage will get you in the pockets every time! Be sure to check back with your insurance company in 3 years to see if your rates can be lowered. Happened to us thx to a lazy roofing contractor who used the old flashing around the chimney. Dinning room ceiling fell in and our rates went UP!

Your stitching is looking lovely :o)

xeyedmary said...

If you're going to take 5 years to stitch 'Garden', it'll take me 8! I thought I had the fabric, then realized it was way too small. After I dyed it in Pomegranite tea, TWICE!, to get a nice color. I ordered a larger piece from Wyndham Needleworks. Hopefully I can catch up with you by next weekend. Your looks so pretty!

Melissa said...

Your Garden looks like a lot of fun to stitch and already looks very pretty! Sorry to hear about the insurance hike - ouch. Pink looks very embarassed about it.

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

I like the bees on the stitching, but I think I like the little birds even more.

And wow on the ongoing expense of innocent-looking Pink! I'd say you should take him up on the paper route offer, but he'd probably just chew the papers and cost you more money in the end. *sigh* Bunnies.

d. moll, l.ac. said...

Badgers and bunnies to stitch sound nice, I'm not sure I could start a project I wouldn't finish for five years, the patience and faith required for that are most admirable. Pink looks quite contrite. BF has discovered some places where the Spots have chewed the woodwork and is very much not happy about it.......I could tell him the story of Pink, but that might have the opposite of desired effect.......

RG said...

Pink does look so contrite .. but I think it might be an optical illusion because I also think Pink does not give a rip about your insurance bill! PS - shouldn't you check up on Elvis???

Fancy footwork getting it reduced though ... and certainly we have not seen any disaster of nearly those proportions reported on the bunny blogs .. so it should not happen again .. for a while?

mainely stitching said...

OMG, he looks so contrite in that photo!!

This is the sort of horror film that belongs in my personal "how to do New Year's Eve" style. I'm going to look for it, and see if I can have a few films like this lined up for myself when Father Time rolls the calendar again.

YowlYY said...

Your needlework is lovely and yes, love the tiny bees :)
I didn't know that such a sweet and innocent looking bunny could cause you to pay so much on insurance... but he looks also so contrite, you cannot surely be upset with him for long.

Tammy said...

Your projects are beautiful, and that Dickens piece sure doesn't look that gorgeous on the leaflet front, does it? Poor poor Pink, being the cause of all that damage! I actually saw "Lepus" when I was a little girl, and thought it was hilarious even then, lol!

Siobhán said...

Poor Pink. What we will do for the love of an animal!! Youch on the bill!

Good luck with Garden--it is going to be stunning when you're finished! Here's a sickening comment for you... I have a friend who stitched Garden's companion, And A Forest Grew, in 26 days. Can you imagine? Your Dickens piece looks great, you're making good progress!

Annemarie said...

That is one gorgeous sampler you're working on, Glenna, but HUGE!
Hmm. A paper route doesn't seem like such a bad idea...

Coni said...

I propose that we have a Pink-a thon! All Pink all the time! Make it like a membership drive that the public television station does, and you'll be all set! Don't sweat it, Pink. Your mom will love you no matter what. With love from your pal, Stewey.

Anonymous said...

Love both of your projects! I have seen And a Garden Grew, but didn't realize it had so many little cute details. I will look forward to seeing your updates. :) Poor Pink...he really does look like he's sorry for causing so much trouble.

Anonymous said...

Oh no! Water damage is the worst and will nail you every time via the insurance companies. But really, one look at a face as cute as your bunny's and I think it'd be hard to hold a grudge. What a pretty boy!

I love your projects too! That fabric looks great with your Garden project. If I didn't have so much on my plate right now, I'd love to join you in that SAL.

The Scarlett House said...

Hi Glenna, "Garden" is going to look stunning on that fabric. I love, love , love Lakeside Linen. Those little critters are as cute as can be.

Michelle said...

Love your new start...that is one of the things I love most about these designs, all the little surprises you find while stitching. Can't wait to see the fox!

Theresa said...

Hello Glenna,
Thanks for visiting my little blog.
I LOVE your garden project, and might have to get one for myself!!!!

Jeanne said...

Your new start looks fabulous - I have a piece of that rosy pink linen too but haven't found the perfect use for it yet. Poor Pink! I knew a coworker who had chewing problems with his rabbit as well - chewing up electrical cords etc. Good thing Pink is so cute, right?? Our pets can sure cost us some money. LOL