New Friends and Old

I took my new best friend, Bernina, for an outing yesterday. I took a getting-to-know-your-new-Bernina class at a quilt/sewing center. It's not exactly a new machine, since it's been tucked underneath my computer table for the last three years, waiting for me to get a chance to read the manual. My old machine was a used, much-loved simple Singer, so I was a bit intimidated by the new machine when I got it, even though it's pretty much the bottom of their line (quite deliberately--I sew enough to know that I don't need--could never justify--a fancier model). This model is the only mechanical one they make, and clearly the ladies at the sewing center found it kind of quaint and inferior. It was as if I'd ridden a bicyle into the local Mercedes dealership to request service. Most of the quilting center ladies, it seems, own several different models of the elaborately computerized Berninas which are capable of everything including driving the family car and running a CT scan on the brain. The computerized machines do an unlimited number of embroidery scenes--horrifyingly sterile things. And if I wanted my quilt to look store-bought, I would go to the store and buy one!

Not only that, but my mother (a couture-quality sewer who used to make our lined winter coats), could sew rings around them and their fussy machines (jeez, you look at your computer screen instead of the fabric) with an old treadle machine that had nothing but a backward and forward stitch.

I did pick up one handy hint though, even for us hand-stitchers: cut your thread at an angle, and it slides right into the needle's eye--no wetting or pinching required. I tried it, and it works!

Anyway, I'm pleased with my machine (even though it's disconcertingly quiet; I miss the thunk thunk thunk of the old Singer). I want to cut up this table cloth and stitch it into a set of curtains for my sewing/computer/fish room. My great-grandmother stitched this cloth, and whole load of others like it, several of which I have. It's not particularly delicate work, as you can see, but it's charming anyway, indelible gravy/wine stains and all. I love the idea that it will hang in my sewing room where I have my comfy stitching chair and now my new sewing machine sitting out on the table, ready to be used. Maybe after the curtains, needlework smalls!

And here's an old friend--and not a single stitch of it done by machine.

Sampler Sunday: House Hunting Edition

The first two days of vacation have gone wonderfully. We went IRL househunting today and looked at a house on a precipice. It had the best glassed-in sunroom I have ever seen and would be perfect for stitching. So who cares if you'd have to mow the lawn with a mountaineering rope tied around your waist anchored to a tree? It made me think of the Jeep? Subaru? commercial where the guy parachutes out of his house and to his waiting car.

Sampler Sunday wouldn't be complete without a sampler, though, would it? I have nothing to criticize in this one. I love it--the Plymouth Sampler--although I've seen it everywhere. I saw a stitched model done in a high threadcount in, of all places, Plymouth, at The Sampler, and I have tried test-stitching it on a couple of different fabrics to see which I'd prefer. I'm doing it over one on 38 count linen with DMC in half crosses (no room for the full cross, which makes it go a tad faster, although you have to stab rather than sew so it's probably a wash time-wise). This is fun, but only in the best light! The penny will give you an idea of the scale. My motto: why do anything the easy way and why stitch something you can actually see?

Warning: Adult Content Ahead

Because I’m a bunny mom, I’m crazy over all things rabbit and look for projects that feature them. I also like snowmen. So imagine how thrilled I was to find that Sisters and Best Friends, one of my favorite needle artist teams, who are also the designers of the Uncle Willy snowman chart that I just kitted up to stitch soon, which pictures a confused-looking snowman wrapped in Christmas lights and sporting a bright orange button nose, has designed a snowman looking at his little friend, a bunny. It’s called "Pals." This snowman isn’t sporting just a nose. He looks to be sporting a uh...um... Well. The bunny is too small, and his placement in the scene is problematic.

I am imagining the conversation over in the Quality Control Department at Sisters and Best Friends Corporate HQ:
"Sister, you know that I love you, don’t you? And you’re my best friend, too, right?"
"Of course, Sis. What’s up?"
"Well, I am not sure quite how to say this, but you know that cute snowman you just designed with the bunny friend?"
"Yes, Sis. Why do you ask?"
"They’re really cute and all, Sister, but perhaps you should take a few steps back and look at the chart again?"
"Sis, I don’t have time for this. We have to get these charts to the publisher!"
"Oh, right. But maybe we should stitch him some pants?"
That said, I do like the chart and the cute button pack that comes with it. The designers really are wonderful; is it their fault I have a smutty mind?

Treasure Chest

Photo used by permission of Button & Needlework Boutique.
If I were going to own a needlework shop, this is exactly how I would want it to look. This is the Button & Needlework Boutique in Victoria, British Columbia. Isn't this inviting? I wish I had known it was there the last time I was in Vancouver! But since a five-hour flight isn't in my vacation plans next week, I called up and ordered a kit instead. It arrived promptly, sent by the nice person I spoke with on the phone.

If the B&NB is the treasure chest, here is the treasure:


This chart was designed by a Canadian designer, Bunny Tales Embroidery. (B&NB highlights Canadian designers, including Victoria Sampler and Jeannette Douglas Designs, on a portion of their website.) This particular chart, called Afternoon in the Orchard, is a recreation of a decoration from a margin in a Book of Hours. Bunny Tales has other Book of Hours needlework projects, but they are all much larger. This will not be a quick or easy stitch either, as it's full of fractional stitches, beads, Kreinik metallics, backstitching and sections of over-one. On 32 count linen, this project will be something like 3" x 26" before the framing margins. Because it uses mostly DMC flosses (about 60 colors) it will even be a fairly reasonably priced project. The beautifully executed stitching directions and symbols on five large sheets of paper look to be precise and easy to follow and hint at the glories to come. I will be kitting this up and starting it on my vacation next week, since I have the week off and have tried to keep my other obligations to a minimum. Poor BF: "Glenna, do you want to go out to lunch? How about a drive in the country? Or we could see a movie. How about a dinner at that nice place on the river?" Glenna: "No. Shut up."

And here's some more progress on Whale Hunting. Now that the ground is stitched in this section, I'm free to do ocean stitching and the big red house that sits on the hill. I'll work on that next week too. Plus Birth of Jesus. As you can imagine, I'm looking forward to this vacation hugely.

Sampler Sunday: Chiggers and Ticks and Fleas, Oh My!

This is one of the sight-unseen samplers I ordered over the 'net from the fabulous Homespun Samplar, in Rhode Island. From online order to my mailbox has been 4 days for each of my two orders. And their web site is wonderful for passing the time on a slow day at work, too, since they have samplers I haven't seen anywhere else, and you can work your way through their stock aphabetically by name of sampler (or by designer). As I've said, normally I see a sampler in a needlework shop, sometimes after having seen it on the web. Buying a sampler on the web can bring surprises, because the photos are small and indistinct and you don't necessarily notice features that reveal themselves only "in person." This is one of those samplers. I loved it online--it's a Scarlet Letter Sampler called "Sarah Ann Downend." With certain reservations I also like it in person, especially the flock of sheep, whose bodies are stitched in French knots. Interestingly, there are no people in this picture. Perhaps they are staring out of one of the 18 windows?

What I didn't notice online: check out the border. Now it may just be picky on my part, but doesn't that border look an awful lot like chiggers? I don't remember seeing chiggers up north when I lived there, although we have them down here. If you've never experienced one, they're tiny red bugs (they look like miniature red ticks) that attach themselves to your legs when you're walking through high grass or a field, and their bites are a terrible torment. Just think--we could do a whole series of pest samplers after stitching the Chigger Chart. The pest possibilities are endless: The Mighty Mite Sampler; the Green Bottle Fly Sampler; the Anopheles Mosquito Sampler. Two other things about this sampler: the verse is unpleasant--"the loss of a father is much/the loss of a mother is more..."--but it is a historical reproduction, so that's okay (and might explain why there are no people in it, after all). I don't care much for the awkward, off-center medallian with Sarah's name in it either. Too bad, because I really love that flock of sheep and the sheepdog.

Today I nursed a headache and did some more stitching on Whale Hunting but put the stitching away early and took a nap before dinner.

Laying Groundwork

I spent quite a bit of time this week stitching grass and rocks on Whale Hunting. Yawn--but it needs to be done. I'm excited about beginning to stitch whales and more ocean and the church that sits on the grass, so that will be my reward when I get the ground on this page completely stitched. The dark spot in the corner is my shadow.

Tomorrow is Sampler Sunday, otherwise known as my Sunday Open House, in honor of all those houses that BF and I have toured on a Sunday, finding glaring flaws of one kind or another, and then coming home to quarrel about--LOL.

And speaking of samplers, I think we should all support companies that give us a nice tasteful sampler on their packaging. This is the Route 11 Potato Chip Company. It may be a regional company, so you may not have seen these in your part of the country/world. I liked the flavor of the Yukon Gold potatoes, but I prefer a drier, softer potato chip--I think the kettle fried chips are too hard and greasy.

Sold, for $6 Billion

We knew they were up to something, didn't we? Did anyone notice how plump the shelves had become? How many new brands of embroidery scissors there were, and the fact that the anemic-looking DMC slots were suddenly stuffed full? Well this is the answer. Michaels' shareholders on October 5 voted for a merger with a couple of private equity firms. Those firms paid a tasty premium to the shareholders; last spring Michaels' shares were trading at about $29/share, and the merger agreement is for $44/share. Once the purchasers have acquired all these shares, they'll then delist the shares from the stock market and take the company private. A lot of companies are doing that now. Once the company is private, they'll be able to get out from under the onerous chores of financial reporting to the SEC and the public. There was a flurry before the meeting of company insiders doing some perfectly legal exercising of their stock options to buy shares of stock for $10.50 (give or take) a share, which they will receive $44 for. Do you think the guys who brought you cut-rate crafts and cheesy materials and not enough of anything really (and who incidentally drive all the little scrapbooking stores out of the neighborhood when they came to town) deserve to become millionaires over their great craft and home dec insights?

So all that business with the overstuffed aisles and nice coupons and lots of choice? It's nothing more than someone getting gussied up for a first date. It'll be interesting to see what happens after they're married....

Here's some progress on a project that I didn't buy at Michaels (and I need to stitch poor Joseph's eye first thing). Isn't his robe a hoot? I didn't even mind that the pinkish stripes are actually mauve.

Sunday Open House

I'm conducting a small experiment in selecting a sampler online. While I like all of the things I am stitching, I have a hankering to find a "historical" feeling sampler, and I want to find it online. I want a pleasing design not overwhelmed by alphabet/numbers--not for me the samplers with nothing but strip after strip of alphabet. There needs to be an architecturally pleasant house, some flora and fauna (preferably sheep, rabbits, cats and/or birds--all other wildlife is optional). I want my real estate to have a water view, something I could never afford IRL. A stream or pond is nice; an ocean is preferable. If an ocean, there should be a ship, either docked or sailing. The colors should be vibrant--not muted and dull--and contain little--if any--mauve, since I despise mauve. It has to be something I haven't seen all over the net and in every needlework shop. The Plymouth sampler (which I own), is a perfect illustration of many of the elements I'm looking for, but I've seen it everywhere, so it's disqualified for these purposes, although I'll stitch it very soon anyway! The design elements have to be balanced--neither crowded/cluttered nor sparse. It has to be complex enough to be interesting, but not so complex as to be daunting. It can be all cross stitch, or contain other stitches. Specialty fibers are great but not necessary.

The contenders, chosen after squinting at the tiny and in some cases blurred pictures online (and I have a 17-inch screen at work; it's just as bad there) have begun to arrive. Yesterday I received four. I won't post them all today, but I will post them periodically, along with my impressions. You're free to disagree, and bear in mind, even if I'm critical, I like ALL of these things and would not insult a designer; I'm simply expressing disagreement with some elements of the design. In short, I'm no expert or artist, but it's like any househunting expedition--some houses that others may find attractive might leave you cold. And you might fall in love with the funky house with the awkward rooms and bad mauve carpet because you love the built-in shelves around the stone fireplace.

Open House Number One is "The Farm on Blueberry Hill" from Griffin Needleart Designs. I like this, but there is a problem. The colonial house is nice. The sheep are done in various colors of Wisper mohair fiber--fun. The colors are great, particularly the blue, and I love the twining blueberry vine. There's a cute pond with a bonus swan. The alphabet is simple and nicely balanced. What I don't like: there's too much empty space around the house--those flying birds don't fill it enough. And I don't mind charms and buttons, but they should enhance the design, not simply fill up some space. How I'd change the design: elmininate about 15-20 rows in the middle, pulling the house closer to the alphabet. Of course, the blueberry vine would have to be re-balanced as a result, but I believe that would be a winner. Not sure I want to go to the trouble, but I like the lovely colors and fuzzy sheep. In short, appealing, but not The One.

I'll leave you with a picture of my latest WIP: "The Birth of Jesus." I'm using 34 ct Legacy Linen in "wren's wing" and Needlepoint silks. Love this project so far, especially the lazy daisy stitches that form the fronds of the palm trees. I wish this were a larger, more complex project, because it's a blast to stitch.

Distractions

There are lots of distractions this weekend. It is chilly and rainy, and I'm thinking about that impossibly soft yellow sweater I'm knitting. I really should pick up the needles for a while this weekend.

Then there's Charles Frazier's new book, Thirteen Moons. He's the author of Cold Mountain (loved the book, but despised the choice of actress--the brittle Nicole Kidman--and I thought the screenplay was awkward and clunky), and this new book promises to be interesting. Like Cold Mountain, it's off to a bit of a slow start. I love his voice, though; I can hear western North Carolina in every sentence. I lived there for a while, and in Eastern Tennessee, and I've spent a lot of time camping and hiking in the Smokies, so it's like a return to a dear and familiar territory.

I'm off to the library too, to pick up some books I reserved ages ago and still want to read (although I may decline a couple of them since I won't get to them quickly, and others might as well read them first). Doesn't it figure they'd arrive when I have all these other things to read and do?

Some stash arrived in the mail yesterday including the rest of the fibers for "Birth of Jesus," and I'm becoming a total fan of Elegant Stitch in California. In each case I've ordered from them on a Tuesday afternoon and have received my order in the mail Friday. I've started "Birth of Jesus" which is working up to be far more colorful than the picture hinted at. Pictures of all that tomorrow, when I've made enough progress to share. And I've moved into a fourth page (out of twelve) of "Whale Hunting." There's lots of ground to cover, quite literally. Funny that I am not tired of stitching the ocean but don't much enjoy all that yellowy-green grass. Fortunately, I have a week off planned later this month so I can get some of this stuff done!

A Nice Morning to Stand on the Side of the Road

Two mornings in a row they closed I-95 so a helicopter could come in and wisk someone away who'd met with misfortune in the form of a couple of tons of moving metal. In each case we sat for a long time. Today we got off the bus and looked around, enjoying the sunshine and the novelty of walking up and down the HOV lane, if not the prospect of being late for work a second day. For those of you who live in Northern Virginia, you'll recognize that lollipop sign in the distance as being Potomac Mills. To the twitchy, anxious federal agent who looked like he was going to fling himself out the window and sprint the remaining 25 miles to work: a portable hobby helps.

So when I got back to my seat, I got out my portable hobby and completed the Christmas Sampler in Red by Plum Pudding Needleart (one strand of burgundy Needlepoint Inc. Silk over two done on 38 ct Italian cream linen): I need to do French knots on the "P" and the "E" (or is it just the "E"--I have to consult the chart), but I might use some beads instead. I like doing French knots, and they turn out well, but I think they'll be too small, so I'll use gold or burgundy beads.


I've enjoyed working on this sampler and will go back to working on Whale Hunting until the rest of my fibers arrive for Birth of Jesus. And in the meantime, I got busy with the Internet and ordered some stash I've been wanting from Em-Li's in North Carolina, the sweetest lady who calls herself "elderly," but who has a positively encyclopedic memory for the name and designer of every sampler we talked about. Then I purchased a couple of items from Homespun Samplar in Rhode Island. I'm feeling as if I want to do a traditional sampler, a big, complex, historic sampler, maybe something different than I've tried before. We'll see. It's harder to choose something on the internet than in person, though, isn't it? There are just those thumbnails that blow up into something just a bit bigger, but never big enough. So this will be an experiment.

And Michelle, if you'll permit me this once to imitate your wonderful idea of a gratitude each day:

I am grateful for having a bathroom on my commuter bus.

Sail Into the Mystic

Picture of Gay Head Light at Aquinnah courtesy of Capecodphotoalbum.com

"Hush now, hear the sailors cry
Smell the sea and feel the sky
Let your soul and spirit fly
Into the Mystic.
When that foghorn blows,
I will be coming home....
Yeah, when that foghorn blows,
I want to hear it.
I don't have to fear it."

Van Morrison

St. Peter's Church on the Canal, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
St. Peter's was moved all in one piece, by floating barge, down the Cape Cod Canal, to its present location. It has a ship's-bow ceiling, and the altar has carved wooden fish and a ship's wheel.


"Whale Hunting"

In the Red: Christmas Sampler and New Stash

I've been doing lots of stitching in the last few days, not concentrating on any one project though. The Plum Pudding Needleart Christmas sampler is progressing; I should be able to finish it this week. A celebrity stopped by to view it and to graciously overlook my re-naming of her design: Barbara, the designer of this very sampler! I'm so tickled that she got to see it in progress! She's starting a blog herself--visit her at Plum Pudding Needleart and Crafts.

I stopped by my LNS, Everything Cross Stitch, because the wonderful Celeste had ordered some Needlepoint Silks for another project I'm working on, Aesop's Fables-- one which, sadly, I have a major frogging to complete. Having the silks has reawakened my interest in it, so I'll have to finish frogging and restart it. So discouraging when you mess up the very first square you work on! While I was at the LNS, this project caught my eye. Hopefully I can get it done by Christmas--although I probably will, since it knocked down all my other Christmas projects a notch the moment I saw it. It's "Birth of Jesus" by The Stitching Parlor, and it involves the most fun stuff: Needlepoint Silks, my favorite fiber, Wisper, the mohairy-type thread that fuzzes up (for the sheep), a scattering of 30 By Jupiter brass stars in the trees, and finally, a Mill Hill gold star button. It's an appealing design but not too large to reasonably finish, I think.

I had also brought this chart along from my stash and purchased the Gentle Art Sampler Threads to complete Uncle Willy. He looks like a really quick stitch, although, oh-my-gosh, I pulled the instructions out of the bag to take them to the shop, and now I can't find the bag with Willy's orange "carrot" button nose in it! Yikes--off I go to find it--hopefully one of the cats hasn't eaten Uncle Willy's nose!

Good Will Towing

"This is where Grandma was gathering berries last summer when the grizzly bear got her."

I went back to TJ Maxx yesterday and purchased these Spode plates after doing my Internet research to determine that yes, indeed, they were a bargain at $7 apiece. Now, I'm not a Christmas decorator to speak of, as I've said. Most years we're lucky to get the tree up straight and hang the wreath on the door before the stuff on it dries out and falls off. And the only festoons are generally cobwebs. But we're staying home this year (we spend most years hurrying hither and yon to everyone else's house), and I want to at least make an effort since we'll be in our own house more than five minutes.

Here's the progress on Good Will Towing, as I now think of it. I had the worst urge to stitch that when I got to the bottom and see if anyone noticed, but figured it was too much work for a practical joke. If I had a towing company, that's what I'd call it. That's not a stain on the fabric--it's a shadow from the lamp.

And speaking of bargains, I used my "50% off one regular priced item" coupon at Michaels and bought the fabric pictured here, 1/2 off the regular $15 price. It's Zweigart 32 Count Belfast Raw Linen (18" x 27"), and it will work well on several smallish projects I have planned, including "White Christmas" by Ewe & Eye & Friends, which I might start as my next thrifty Christmas project, since I already have the white silk (Thread Gatherer Silk n Colors). I have a love/hate relationship with Michaels, and I normally let the coupons expire, but I notice they must have a new buyer in the needlework section back in Corporate HQ. There are lots of nice embroidery scissors and other implements, Mill Hill Beads, Balger blending filaments, a few fabrics other than Aida and what look like fuller racks of DMC and different brands of notions than they've had in the past. While they are no threat to my LNS, it's been fun to explore the aisles again and I actually could have used the coupon on three or four different items that I spotted including some new books on knitting and decorating. In fact, the store seemed stuffed full of things when I was there, although no doubt it's because of the upcoming holidays. In today's paper there was another coupon, for 40% off a regular priced item, which I'll use this week. And good prices on framing too. I won't let them frame my needlework though, because I've heard horror stories about framers unaccustomed to dealing with needlework. Have any of you used them for framing something you've stitched?

Toxic Torts

Big Law is experiencing a little plague. Most of us are sick with a juicy cold which I have been coming down with for the last couple of days. Yesterday I reached for my box of soft Kleenex. Big Law provides the scratchy grayish kind in narrow, stingy boxes, so I treat myself to big boxes of the premium kind. When I reached for my box of Kleenex, it was empty. It made me rather cross, as I had just bought it, and there wasn't a single sheet left. Someone stole a whole clump of my private, personal Kleenex! All at once! I wonder if it's the same person who regularly helps him/herself to my skim milk which I buy to go with the oatmeal I get at the cafe downstairs. Someone isn't stealing just a bit for their coffee--skim milk doesn't whiten well and it's disappearing half a 16-oz. carton at a time, and Big Law provides enough (free) Mini Moos on any given day to fill a bath tub. Obviously the milk thief is calorie and/or cholesterol conscious. What makes me shudder is the possibility that he/she is lifting my carton to his/her thieving lips. Next time I will buy pink Kleenex and then patrol the floor to see who has pink wads of tissue in their wastebasket. The milk might be harder to trace.

So I took the day off today (because of the cold, not because of the outrage), and in between blowing my nose into large amounts of Unfilched Kleenex and sleeping the sleep of the antihistamined, I've been stitching on this:

Tiny Sampler and More Whale Hunting

Here's some stash that came in the mail on Saturday from The Sampler in Plymouth. It's supposedly a mini needlepoint sampler, but I'd describe it as petit point, although technically that may not be correct. In any case, it's tiny, measuring just 1 1/2 by 2 inches. I've taken out the silk gauze and placed a penny on it for scale. Silk gauze has an interesting texture like fine, strong net and is not as flimsy as I anticipated. I may stitch it in hand, although the pattern gives time-consuming directions for sewing it to a piece of cloth, stretching the cloth in the normal way on a Q snap or hoop and then cutting away the cloth behind the silk gauze. Yikes--I'm way too impatient for that--only as a last resort. I think I'd buy a larger piece of silk gauze and stretch it directly first if hand-stitching doesn't work. Oddly, silk gauze is relatively inexpensive--that piece purchased alone would be about 75 cents. I would never have bought the kit based on the package picture; I don't think it looks that striking. But I saw it IRL framed with a lot of other mini samplers by Threads Through Time at The Sampler, and it blew me away. So tiny, so intense, mounted in its tiny frame. An eensy work of art. Probably perfect over the mantel of a dollhouse fireplace if I went for such things.
One drawback to it, of course, the very helpful woman at The Sampler warned me, was the near impossibility of frogging out the stitches if you make a mistake!


This picture's a bit bleached-out because of the flash, but here's a progress pic of Whale Hunting. I looked back through my posts and realized that I have been working on this less than a month, and I have most of a set of three vertical charts done and can then move left or right and do another column. Three charts is roughly 1/4 of the design, since it's comprised of 12 charts, so I feel happy with my progress.

Red Work

I started the Plum Pudding Christmas Sampler in Red. Although it called for Aida (tea-dyed if you wanted, with instructions), I am using 38 ct Italian linen in cream and instead of the recommended Gentle Art cranberry, I am using Needlepoint Silks in one of the burgundy shades (I threw away the wrapper, so I'm not sure which one). Because I had the linen in my stash and the sampler only required one skein, it's a very thrifty project. Since one thing leads to another--isn't that always the way?--I found myself wandering the Christmas aisles in TJ Maxx (I went for inexpensive towels to take to the gym--yet another way that one thing leads to another. My office building has a free gym, and I never use it, but starting this week, I think I will, especially since I did my maiden-voyage walk in the new shoes this morning). Anyway, I love TJ Maxx for unexpected bargains and finds in their housewares/linens department. I found red transferware plates and bowls for about $7 apiece. Very Christmasy, especially considering my sampler work today. I didn't get them but think I will go back and pick them up later in the week. They had lots of fun Halloween and Thanksgiving stuff too. And I looked for a long time at ornaments and garlands and interesting artificial wreaths with fake fruit as big as a cat's head on them. Think I'll get one of those too. I can't tell you how out-of-character this behavior is. And all because of a Christmas Sampler!

And here's some more red work that I accomplished this afternoon.

A-Shopping We Will Go

I'm not a huge shopper, except of certain things. I avoid malls, and I dislike department stores. I hate trying clothes on. But I love the stash-trip, as you know, and also I love, love, love athletic shoes. So I went to Everything Cross Stitch, my LNS in Fredericksburg, and the lovely ladies there helped me kit up Victoria Sampler White Christmas and this Plum Pudding sampler that I spotted. I'm in the mood for a Christmas sampler--never mind the continuing 80-degree-plus temperatures forecasted for this coming week--and if I'm going to get something done in time to hang by THIS holiday, I'd better get started:

Then it was on to Virginia Runner where they have my foot measurements (8.5), arch (low) and stride (overpronater) in the computer and produced a comfy pair of trail-runners and a pair of street-runners. I should mention that I'm not a runner but a walker, but prefer the softness of the running shoes. I need to get walking again and lose some weight and perhaps even take the quilt and the shirts needing ironing off the treadmill. I had to have the Nalgene bottle of course (I hope they gave it to you free, said the BF, eyeing my purchases. Nope--bought it.) There's something about new running shoes that makes me think of training to run a marathon... Fortunately, they're also great commuting shoes.
Back tomorrow to display progress on Whale Hunting and maybe a Christmas start.

Rolling Along

I'm still enjoying Whale Hunting, and it's amazing how clear the action of the little whale hunters is, even though neither one of them has a "stitch" on--LOL. I haven't had as much time to stitch this week between the longer commute, the dark mornings (we've had rain all week) and the accounting homework. I'm looking forward to doing a bit more this weekend, and since I have to pick up some fibers I've ordered at the LNS, there's no telling what kind of mischief I'll get up to.
Speaking of mischief, this is some more of the stash that I got in Plymouth, which I think I'll kit up this weekend. So many of the samplers at The Sampler were done on high thread count fabrics, and I really liked the delicate, oh-so-precise look, so I'm thinking 40 ct or higher for this one. And athough it's charted for DMC, maybe I'll try to do a conversion for Needlepoint Silks. It's from Little House Needleworks.

So, in regard to the black pants: I decided to do a little online shopping today, thinking that what I need is some nice restrained plaid or perhaps a birds-eye tweed. And I found these:

Who dresses like this? I'd have to lose a good many pounds and years, and gain about six inches in height. And learn to walk in really high heels, which I never have managed. But I did find a nice conservative pair of dark-green tweed pants. They'll look good with the soft yellow sweater I'm knitting, so I'd better get going on it. Unfortunately I don't like to knit in the summer, so I haven't gotten anything done on it since early spring, or the pink one I started last year either.

Black Monday

I actually had a cheerier, more straightforward (less whiney) entry planned (and executed earlier) today, showing just my progress on Whale Hunting. But I'm bummed about going back to work, and it all crystalized when I was going through my closet to check my wardrobe's readiness for the week ahead. The fact is, all those black pants hanging in a nice neat row depressed the heck out of me. They're perfectly nice pants, and are made of a variety of fabrics and in different styles: crepe, or with a slight stretch, with pockets or without, small pleats or gentle drape, slightly flared or stick-straight, cuffed or plain. I wear them with silk short-sleeve sweaters in the summer, long sleeves in the winter, and throw on one of the jackets I keep in my closet at work when clients are afoot. All of Washington dresses in black it seems, particularly in white shoe law firms, and it makes sense. But I'm tired of black, tired of my job and mostly, tired of DC.

There are only two things to be done short term (longer term is the accounting degree I'm working on and some chats with BF about finding some other part of the country to live and work): eat some licorice piglets (I bought them for my rabbit really, but he prefers Good n Plenties for some reason) and stitch the evening away.

Anyway, here's Whale Hunting. Spending time around some of Massachusetts' seaports (Fairhaven, New Bedford, Plymouth) this week fed my enthusiasm for this design even more, and I got a decent amount done while I was away but almost nothing on my other projects. I'm enjoying it so much, though, that I don't think I'll pick up any of my other loose "rotation" for a bit, so I hope this isn't too boring.

Plymouth Rocks

Got home today after a 13-hour drive. Normally it takes about 10, but I veered off into Pennsylvania after spending an hour idling on the Cross Bronx Expressway and noticing how traffic was building rather than thinning out as I got farther south in NJ. I took the "leisurely" route, and was going to stop at That Pet Place in Lancaster, PA, but a sudden thunderstorm convinced me to motor on--good thing since I'd misjudged the extra time involved in passing through all those little picturesque towns.

I won't bore you with all the stuff we did and saw, but thought that those of you who live in New England might want to pay a visit to the Sampler in Plymouth if you ever get a chance (Hi, Mom--that's Mom keeping an eye on things). It's a lovely store on Court Street, stocked with a very thoughtful selection of different kinds of samplers. I bought a few charts, including two shown here and some others, and ordered some they were out of ("Plymouth," for one), including the most amazing little (measuring maybe 2 inches by 2 inches) sampler called "Mermaid" to be done on 40 count silk gauze. I especially loved this shop because I'm finding that I'm a sampler purist at heart.

Stash: the larger one is by The Sampler Company and is called the "Church on the Hill Sampler." The smaller one is called "Dear Diary," although I'll call it just "Boston," and is a Little House Needleworks design.
After a fabulous seafood lunch (baked scrod) at the East Bay Grill just a couple of blocks away, we explored the waterfront nearby (Hi, Sis!) Okay, I'm a New Englander, born and bred, but what the heck IS a scrod, anyway?

I was disappointed by the Brimfield Antiques show in one respect. There were literally acres of vendors--and too much stuff even to contemplate in just a day. I felt like we just took a little bite but I felt as if I were running from table to table, searching. I'd scan quickly and then run to the next one--NOT the best way to spot that treasure. Next year I'll come back on the day they do the textile show. I did see some lovely embroidered pieces and gorgeous linens offered by a couple of vendors, but they were way out of my price range (I saw an amazing hand-stitched table cloth that I'd like to have bought and made into curtains for my sewing/craft/computer room, but for $400, I wasn't going to take the scissors to it, so I passed.) I found a couple of old samplers, but they were in pretty bad condition and not particularly attractive either, so I came home empty-handed.
I stitched lots on Whale Hunting and will show pictures later this weekend. I'm happy to be home and looking forward to catching up with everyone's blogs.

Beach Bound--Or Not (The Best Laid Plans)

This is a very old UFO, although it's still in print. It's a Thea Gouverneur kit called "Seascape," and it's done with DMC (I think) over 2 on 30 ct linen of some sort. I've had it forever and the confetti stitching drove me batty, so I put it away. Maybe I'm ready to start it again...or not, since I got some stash at the LNS in Alexandria and in the mail today.

I was supposed to go to Cape Cod tomorrow or Monday, depending on the weather, which at least here in VA is now sunny and clear, washed thoroughly by Ernesto, who knocked out our power a half-dozen times and threw leaves all over everything and rained our cherry tomatoes to the ground but didn't cause any real damage locally. But now I have a cold I think, so I'm going to let my mom decide if my germy self should even cross the Cape Cod Canal and infect everyone within 100 miles. My parents are in their mid- to late-70s, so particularly for my dad, who's 79 and prone to URIs anyway, it's a consideration. Bummer, because I was particularly looking forward to going to the Brimfield antique show, which is an enormous batch of antique dealers stretched along a mile's worth of sites along the highway in Brimfield, Mass. It's held three times a year, and if you're ever in the area, you should attend. Of special note is the antique textiles show on the Monday before it opens (Labor day for this fall show), which features everything from dresser scarves and monogrammed table cloths to samplers. I hadn't planned to attend that this year because of my schedule, but I was going to check out the rest of the show.

If I stay home entirely or go later in the week though, there's always stitching and napping in the company of BF and the kitties and the bunny, so all is not lost. And in case I get bored with my current WIPs, I received some stash in the mail today from SBB: Sheepish Designs "The Grass is Greener," Sheepish Designs "Meg's Bunny," and The Victoria Sampler "White Christmas" and its embellishment pack. From In Stitches, my LNS in Alexandria, where I drove through a horrendous traffic jam to pick up some fibers they had ordered and held for me for an embarrassingly long amount of time, I bought a sweet litte Ewe & Eye & Friends sampler called "White Christmas," which they had a wonderful stitched model of on the wall. The two White Christmases I got today couldn't be more different, and I love them both, since neither one of them looks particularly Christmasy in the traditional sense. It's unusual for me to do Christmas projects because in general I'm not fond of the holiday and the junk that goes with it, but I'm making an exception here--LOL. In fact, I bought three other Christmas projects this year, none of which I've started yet. They may go in the basket with last year's Christmas ornament issue of JCS--the whole thing makes me queasy and I'm giving this this year's issue a pass.

So I'll be typing to you again in a week or so if I go, or in a day or so if I don't. Happy Labor Day to you all.