First up, in an effort to get 'er done, I am focusing all my stitching attention on Double Dutch. It's coming along as you can see but really not as quickly as I would like.
Did you all check out the Online Needlework Show?? What did you see that you liked? I went through each shop and found only 1 thing I wanted for myself but then I had to knock myself upside the head in order to bring myself back down to earth. I mean really, I so do not need another BAP in my stash. Especially one with 100 colors of floss. Seriously? Why am I attracted to things like this?? And the Name...The Tree of Life. More like Death if I were to try this.
In my head I can see it stitched up over one on 40 count using the tent stitch. It.Would.Be.Stunning. I.Would .Be.Stupid. Perhaps if I keep telling myself that I might even believe it.
Now for a framing project I recently finished up at the shop.
This sweet little southern gal brought in some buttons right after my surgery that she wanted to have shadowboxed. The buttons were originally attached to the uniforms of civil war soldiers. Specifically from the states that seceded from the Union. Some were in perfect shape and some not so much. It took me a while to figure out how to attach them without doing any damage. Some had shanks and some did not so stitching them on like you would a button was not an option. Glue is never an option so finally I decided to use netting wrapped around each button, then pulled through a hole in the mat and attached on the back side of the mat/foamboard combination. The next hurtle I had to jump was getting it all spaced out correctly. That took some time too. Finally I was ready to assemble it all. You can't tell from the picture but the top mat is raised about an inch above the bottom mat. It was very time consuming getting everything attached the way I wanted and put in the frame but it was well worth the effort I think. The buttons are in the order of when the state seceded and the two nipple like objects on either side of the belt buckle (reproduction) are bullets. Those suckers weighed a ton. I would not have wanted to be shot with one. Well really, I wouldn't want to be shot with any bullet or projectile but you know what I mean, right? :)
Dan is back to working on the kitchen again. He has finally caught up with his bird orders. Good thing too since I think we will be hosting Thanksgiving and right now I don't have anywhere to put anyone since he has been using the dining room as his workshop for the kitchen. It's also time to start thinking about our Village Open House. We were planning to add a waterfront this year so I have been slowly buying a building here and there but no waterfront has been built yet. It has occurred to me that the Holidays will be here before I know it and I am still not moving very well. Decorating will be a several week project because if it so basically if we want to be ready, I need to start putting up the trees long about November 15th. At the latest. Yikes! So sometime in the next 3 weeks, the kitchen needs to be completely done, the old refrigerator needs to be moved out of the library so I can clean and be able to get a tree in there and a waterfront needs to be built. Did I mention in order to move the fridge, the garage needs to be cleaned out???? We are so screwed.
Gonna call this good. Thanks for all the comments on retreat and hello to the new followers!
Take care till next time!
Julie