June 14, 2009

Color My World

I love the colors in Christinia. They're bright enough to put out your eye. The designer says the original is like this--that it's common for Scottish samplers of the time to use these bright colors. I got some more done this week. Definitely you can't be gloomy while working on it.

I worked on Product of My Needle also--lots of black and yellow. Also a bright sampler.

There's been some talk among needleworkers about getting out their WIP "Bay Samplers." Here's mine. I'm not sure why I set it aside, especially since it uses--yikes--18 different skeins of Silk n Colors, a commodity that has performed better than most stocks, and much better than real estate. It's roughly doubled in price the three or four years since I started the project. I don't dislike the design, although I'm not in love with the fabric. I'm forgetting what I'm using, but it has a muddy mottling that I'm not fond of. And the design's a little too...what? Rudimentary? It's almost as if there was a lot of effort put into the ship and the flags and the rigging and the seven sailors, and then a bunch of other elements were sort of plopped in there. I particularly dislike the mermaid (not shown here) shaped like a kazoo, and also the kazoo-shaped purple-striped fish. But I'm going to finish the darned thing, because it has cute aspects, and the silk is so darned nice, and in my head (only) I have a sampler wall devoted to maritime and beach themes.


Once again, the soundtrack in my head began running when I thought about all the colorful samplers I'm working on these days. "Color My World" was my high school prom's theme (and probably Chicago's worst and sappiest song). What was our other song? Michael Jackson, singing "Ben" I think. Hah! A prom with a rat theme would have been perfect. I didn't go to the prom; it wasn't cool to go to the prom in those days and one certainly didn't DANCE--hard to believe in these days of over the top proms: revealing gowns (in our day prom gowns were pink or blue and long and not form fitting. The sleeves might have been see-through, but the bodice wouldn't have been. We looked more like Doris Day than Beyonce.) I can see my parents' faces if I'd asked for money to rent a hummer limo, and none of us had our own cars either. If you were lucky and old enough, you could borrow the family car; otherwise, someone's mom would drive you to the prom. Anyway, my boyfriend and I skipped the prom and went to the beach and parked in his car. This was his car. My parents disliked him for that car, and also because he had long hair, and they believed he had only one thing on his mind. Ahem. They were right about that of course.

Yesterday when I went to the store, on the way home I passed no fewer than 20 houses in my neighborhood with graduation balloons and parties in progress. Apparently the local high school graduation was yesterday. My next door neighbor hosted a graduation party for their son. We have met the son's girlfriend, who came to our back door at 12:30 a.m. one night, and stealthily tried to enter our house, thinking she was next door. She was surprised when we answered the door (we knew he was hosting a little party while his parents were out of town because we saw the kids sneaking across the back lawn so the neighbors wouldn't notice). We thought it might be fun to stock the end table down there with brochures on contraception and health warnings about STDs for future visits. His parents think he's an angel, of course. They hosted the party yesterday, so we didn't have to pick the beer cans off our lawn this time.

Man, I miss bench seats. I think we can pinpoint the end of civilization at the point that bucket seats were introduced.

Car photos borrowed from Allpar.com.
Mom, can I borrow the car? Sure, Peachy--be home by ten.

I'm off to make Ina's pastitsio. Happy week ahead!

22 comments:

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

Where is Peaches going to go? Kids these days think they invented sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll; maybe it's just easier that way. Don't have to think about your parents being teenagers themselves, TOO SCARY! Course I do remember being the same way back then, surely my parents were born old.

You are welcome to stitch an armadillo, anytime!

Melissa said...

Glenna, I'm doing a quick pass-thru as I have to go outside! But just looking at the stitching - great stuff!!!

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

Well, at least if you let Peaches take the car you don't have to worry about her coming home with a litter!

Jan said...

YOu are right, Glenna, those projects are so bright and pretty! Must be so enjoyable to stitch on them. Keep up the great work!!

Oh boy do I remember those cars, and THE boys...things really have changed that much, when you think about what they have on their minds! LOL

Hi ya Peaches, now be good and do what Momma says!:)

Margaret said...

Gorgeous WIPs. I'd never seen that Bay Sampler before -- nice! It's prom time around here as well. And bench seats -- my kids hate the bench seat in the back of my minivan. :D

Deb said...

Wow, all your WIPs are fantastic. And it's graduation time around here too and all the crazy parties. That bench seat brought back a lot of memories of my parent's cars. My kids don't even know what a bench seat is.

The Bunns said...

Hey Peach ... bring the rig over here and pick us up. Then you'll have a "litter" .. or at least a car-full.

mainely stitching said...

Your prom reminiscing makes me laugh. I didn't go to mine, either. My boyfriend was older and I went to his, and by the time mine came up, we'd split up and the whole thing seemed such a farce anyway. The gown I wore to his was a "Gunnysax" and is so laughably modest compared to what kids wear now that it makes me feel like a Pioneer woman just to think of it. LOL.

Your brightly colored samplers are fab, and gosh, I wish I'd bought in on Silk N Colors stocks, too!

staci said...

Beautiful stitching as always!

The Scarlett House said...

I love the fancy letters on Christina. Yep, they are certainly not shy colors.
I had to laugh when I read that about "Color My World". We slow danced to that song over and over. My 35th class reunion is this summer. Man, I feel old.
I miss those bench seats, too.

Kellie said...

Peaches is so cute!!! Is she taking Elvis and Pink out for a spin? :) I love your samplers. You are making great progress. I have one of those sampler walls in my mind as well--If your wall is like mine, in reality, it is empty and there are several samplers started with good intentions. Have a good week!

Ranae said...

I love the WIPS.
The bay Sampler is gorgeous.

Kajsa said...

Lovely WIP's, the ship in bay sampler is gorgeous.

To funny about the graduation parties. We have had quite a few here too.

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

Beautiful colors on beautiful WIPs, Glenna! I love your reminiscing - parking was an art way back when and the bench seats made is all that much sweeter. Parking just can't be the same in a car with bucket seats with a gear shift in between!

Lelia said...

Your stitching is awesome! I love your samplers : )

Maren said...

Lol, I'd be too afraid of letting Peachy borrow the car. Heaven only knows what'll happen in that backseat!

Lovely WIPs! I love the bright colors in Christinia. The Bay is lovely to look at, but I can see how it would be difficult to stay motivated.

Siobhán said...

ROFLOL at the imagery of the girl sneaking into your house. Can you imagine??? LOL

Great progress on your WIPs! Perfect colors for a nearly-summertime stitch.

Kit said...

You have me rolling with laughter thinking of that girls shock at getting the wrong house! The brochures might not be such a bad idea. Your samplers look so beautiful.

Brigitte said...

You are so right, Glenna. Your projects are bright and joyful indeed, and sometimes one just needs to stitch something with bright colours.

Katie P. said...

Hi Miss Glenna, you are the bunny lady...Mommy shows us pictures of your bunnies every now and then :)
Thank you for visiting me!
HUGS,
Katie P.

Tammy said...

Your WIPS are great. I so love the colors in that sampler you're doing now. Ahhhh--bench seats. They were great!

quiltcat said...

I love the colors in Christinia, too. In the Bay sampler, is that a cat on the yard arm of the ship?? I agree with your critique about the haphazard design, but it looks worth finishing.

Fun to hear about your prom/party reminisces and experiences. I was an over-protected goody two shoes so didn't have any prom or parking experiences...just went to college and went wild there!