Leg-O-Mutton

Happy Sunday, everyone! The wicked blizzard delivered an unexpected and much appreciated consequence of all the snow we received last weekend: the federal government, whose openings and closing my employer follows, was closed Monday and Tuesday and opened at noon on Wednesday and Thursday. Extra stitching time! (Also, a daunting number of meals. I ran out of ideas at about the same time we ran out of eggs, but we ate out of the freezer and pantry so I wouldn't have to go to the store and deal with the parking lot.) Besides, I'd rather have a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner so that there's more time for stitching.  Tonight we had seared scallops, which cook for approximately 2 minutes on a side.  Genius dinner preparation wise, other than the fact that I despise the things, even though I grew up in a place where nearly every family had a scallop license.  I threw a piece of salmon into the oven for myself--quick and easy.


I spent some time with Mariam Chilvers Sampler 1833. I got interested in her leg-o-mutton sleeves, which apparently during the early 1800s were a thing. I did a little research into it (can't remember what site or I'd link to it), and it seems that the sleeves got larger and larger until they had to be stuffed with cotton or other materials to keep them properly poofed, and a lady entering a room might have to turn sideways because the sleeves wouldn't allow her to go through the doorway.

I am coming down the home stretch with Carriage House's "Gingham Dog and Calico Cat."  Love the colors.  I can see it in a bright red frame.

One of the reasons I am happy to get back to blogging is that the blog serves as such a good journal of our stitching progress. I have updated this project for the first time in about a year. "Sampler Tendresse" by Anagram Diffusion. This is the last square in the first column. When I finish this square (Y), there are just five more columns to go. I love the color of the fabric, which is PTP Sand (40 count). I am working with three colors of Needlepoint silks.

The design will fill this entire piece of fabric to the right side. I am thinking it will take a few more years, although you never know.

Here are a couple of small projects I'm going to start in the next few weeks when I've finished Miriam and Gingham Dog. This was an ebay win. I love Midsummer Night Designs and it really is a small sampler.

And Valentine's Day is coming, so in honor of that holiday, is a little something from New York Dreamer. 

I've been perusing the fabrics at Fabric.com.  What a wonderful website, with lots and lots of quilt fabrics perfect for backing little projects like this.  You can save your fabrics to a "wall" and go look at them from time to time before you place an order.  It's quite addictive and is a delightful waste of time at work. Maybe this one for the above design?

Off I go to put a few more stitches in the Yak. Happy week!