A Wet Wednesday

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends your super nice comments about my glasses have made this morning much better and a bunch brighter!!  Thank you so much!!  Although I really didn't need new frames I thought what the heck - why not!!  I like getting something new and since I really hate shopping and new clothes bore me to tears not new shoes (Converse All Stars ((chucks)) ), just clothes.  For example... I have been wearing the same 9 pairs of jeans for at least the last 4 years, if not longer.  I just rotate them through the closet and the wash so they will wear evenly....  and don't get me started on shirts -  for me it has to be... only short sleeve, 100% cotton, dark/dank solid colours - I replenish these about every 3rd year or as they wear out.  So I felt some totally new glasses would do the trick for my over all shopping feel good mojo.

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Reading the comments I thought it was interesting that I was not the only wobbly toddler out there - how odd that we get bumped and bruised as we learn to walk.  I guess that's part of the learning curve for life.

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Last night I did some more cloud stitching - pretty grey and monotonous so no snapper - maybe tomorrow.

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There were some questions in the Comments yesterday that I thought I should answer this morning...

Linda asked about “How to Post a Comment without going through Anonymous?"  I really don’t know of a way without having a Blog.  You can always just open a Blog, but then not post to that - and use it as a way to Post Comments - I have seen that done.  She also asked about using Linen or Aida Cloth - I think it is up to the individual stitcher and what they feel most comfortable with.  I know for myself - I prefer the feel and look of linen - and 36ct is about the smallest count I can handle - but I did learn on Aida Cloth and only used that for the longest time.  I think it was a fear of linen issue for me.  When I came back to cross stitching after not doing it for about a decade - I just felt it was time to take the plunge and so I order a piece of 25ct linen and tried it out to see if I could actually handle it.  I found I could and have never looked back - but, I say again this is a hobby and you should enjoy the stitching and not get stressed out about the fabric you are using.

Kerri mentioned Q-Snaps - for me I used only hoops for years and still do occasionally.  I bought my first and only Q-Snap and found that I really liked it much better than a hoop - it holds the linen much tighter - I also only have the one 8 inch Q-Snap - bought one - use one - I really do not need another.  I have replaced the top snappy part as they tend to get little cracks after a couple of years of use, but they only run about $2.50 for a pair so they are cheap enough.  For really small pieces, like ornaments I fall back on a small hoop - which works for me.

Kirby mentioned another stitcher and their issue with and uneven piece of linen and stitching ATS.  I bought my piece of Linen from my LNS - Needle in a Haystack over in Alameda - and totally checked that sucker out while I was there - I had read about that wonky linen issue and was really careful about it being even from top to bottom.

There you go -  my thoughts....

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I will leave you with a little You Tube Clip - a Blast from the Past!!!!

Andrea True Connection "More, More More" - released in February 1976 and became her signature song.  I remember this song when it came out I was in 6th grade. I had it on a 45 (remember them!!) and palyed it all the time!!!  When I hear this I always remember it playing on my little grey record player, over and over and over !!

That's about it for toady sports fans.  Thanks again for stopping by and for your super comments!!!  Stop by again soon!

Take care,

edgar

I Can See

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends thank you so much for your input - I knew all these great minds working together would basically agree with my crazy and obsessive lunacy.  I worked on the cloud some more last night and think I will go with the smoother less striped version.  Although I am working 1/2 stitches cross and then crossing them back the subtle shading of the GAST "Pebble" floss is still coming through.  There are darker spots and lighter spots - kinda like the way clouds are - so I am sure I'll be content with the finished product.  In regards to the "Burnt Orange" star - I will leave it until the end and either love it or hate it - and make a decision then - I love procrastination!!

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I picked up my new glasses yesterday - and overall I am very happy with them - they sit nicely on my nose and sort of "clamp" on behind my ears with little built in springs at the hinge.  Here's a snap (do look past the vulture feet and grey hair!!)

They are called "Madrid" and are by Etnia from Barcelona, the colour is Oxide.  I really like the subtle little checkered pattern of dark brown and dark grey squares along the temples.  There you go - my glasses for the next couple of years.  

I find it odd that my little "toddler" scar gets more pronounced as I get older.  If you look by my left eyebrow you see a scar from when I was about 3 and I was still unsteady on my feet.  I banged my head or just fell onto the edge of a coffee table at my Great Aunt Mary's in Tarboro, NC  - I have been told I bled profusely but didn't cry... and had to have 2 stitches.  These are the only stitches I have ever had and hope to ever have, but the scar lives on!! Now, that's and odd bit of edgar trivia!!!

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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by and for your super comments!!!  

Do stop again!

take care,

edgar

N.B. Weekend

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends it was a total N.B. (numb butt) Weekend.  There were no Estate Sales in the City, no travelling about to garage sales or consignments shops - nor to any thrift-o-ramas - we ran out to breakfast and did some grocery shopping, but other than that we stayed home!!  It was very nice!

The only stitching I did was on ATS - since it was on top of the heap it got my attention.  I wanted to thank you for all the kind comments and emails about this old war horse - I am stitching it on 36 LL Vintage Sand using the recommended floss colours.  Here is a snap of the progress I made...

There are a couple of things going on here that you might want to chime in on....  I made a colour mistake in the second "quakery" motif to the right of the large angel.  On the colour key the symbols for both "Burnt Orange" and "Nutmeg" are very similar... I have a list of things to watch out for and this tops the list and ding bat that I am I mistakenly stitched it in burnt orange and not nutmeg - I may just leave it... but then again I might not.  The other thing is in the cloud...  it is stitched it two very similar shades of grey/steel...  and to give it a less "striped" look - I am trying on the left I to smooth out the colour but not crossing every stitch as I go along and instead laying down rows of stitching then going back over the whole row.  On the right I stitched as I normally would with over dyed floss -  I stitched every stitch  for a few rows and it is really stripedy (is that a word?) Not sure which I like better, but I am leaning towards a more smooth gradation of colour.      

As I was stitching the two snakes I kept thinking how "those snakes look like they have the pox!!!"  

I also had a question about the linen...  here is an over all shot...

This shows the piece and how much there is to go.  It also shows how totally crazy I am and how I stitch off center.  I am continually afraid I will start something too far over to the right that more times than not I start a bit too far to the left - oh well, who cares - it really doesn't matter a bit. 

I was also asked do I use a hoop or q-snaps or in-hand??  I stitch using an 8 inch q-snap and just move that sucker around and the extra linen just sits rolled up in my lap - not very high tech by any stretch of the imagination, but it works for me.  Sorry about the wrinkles but I am not going to iron this monster for every snapper.

I spent the whole of yesterday watching some super films on TCM - both the 1937 and 1954 versions of a Star is Born played - great films!!  and then finished off the evening with the Oscars - no surprises there - most everyone I thought would take home one did and it was a pretty nice show overall!!

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That's about it for today sports fans - thanks for stopping by do come again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Steamer Trunk Full of the Past

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends thanks so much for the kind comments about March Cottage - I really like that these little bits finish off so quickly.  Today's post is about things from the past....  I think of it not as just my baggage but as a gigantic steamer trunk of memories and schtuff - more descriptive and antique sounding....

edgar's trunk of tricks from the past......

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Last night at a loss to start something new (if you can believe that!!) I hauled out the WIPS's and then pulled out ATS - you remember that.  I started that a loooong time back.  For who knows what reason I put it in its bag and into the "Basket o' WIPs."  So this is a piece from the past - there are quite a few pieces that need some attention, but it was ATS that got it...

As you can see I am still working on the angel - getting the picture before I stumbled off to bed -  I was even to lazy to -  1) take the piece out of the q-snaps and 2) even remove the needle, but you get the idea.  I have seen this piece popping up recently in the Blogosphere, both finished and in the process of being stitched and was happy to put some more stitches into mine.

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Now on to some mail that came yesterday - not only do I enjoy old films but I enjoy old many TV shows  - now long out of production and only available via DVD.  This led me to thinking just before Christmas when asked by a certain person "hey, what do you want for Christmas??"  Now, I thought about it for a few daze (notice I did not say days) I did not want something practical.....  so I came up with "How about the "Roseanne Series" on DVD??"  We did some research and found that not only are the DVD's OOP and available only on the secondary market, but the entire series was just stupid expensive.  So I said "let me find one on eBay - I had seen them crop up pretty frequently - so I have been trolling the bay of evil for the last few months or so and have finally gotten my set....  it was for the entire series as a "Buy it Now"....

What is so crazy is that most of the Seasons in this "used" BIN where never even opened so they were still NIP - thanks so much to my sweetie!!  and a very Merry Christmas to me!!!!

Keeping with the nostalgic DVD theme today - we found - last weekend at the Goodwill a complete set of...

H.R. Pufnstuf - I remember watching these every Saturday morning in the weekly cartoon lineup in the early 70's and then in syndication for years afterwards. So to my everr growing collection od about a bazillion DVD's I add these!!  You just can't beat Witchiepoo!!!!

Witchiepoo played by Billie Hayes

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There you go sports fans.  Thanks for stopping by and for your great comments - keep em' coming!! 

Take care,

edgar

Another Cottage Finish and Some Sweet Mail!!

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends so sorry to not have posted yesterday - but, I needed to get through a ton of emails - and for me to be the least be coherent I had to focus a bit more than usual.  

Last night I finished up the third installment of the CCN Monthly Cottages "March."  I even remembered to take one of my craptastic snaps.  Here it is by itself...

I was all set to make about four changes in colours on this piece.  I did not think I would like the DMC Greens - and - I had about 10 skeins of different WDW, GAST and CC shades of green pulled and waiting to substitute.  But, after I got to stitching I got to really like them so the greens are the called for floss'.  The single substitution I made was with the WDW "Pecan" - my skein of pecan was so very close to the brown used in February that I change it out for GAST "Sarsaparilla."  Other than that "March" is what it is - for some reason I just cannot get the linen to photograph well - here is another snap showing the first three months stitched together...

This snap makes it look like I am stitching on some sort of grey burlap....  the linen colour is a great shade of vintage butter crème, so there is a slight yellow cast to it,  you would never know looking at these pics - sorry.  Now just waiting for April...  I am doing these 3 across by 4 down so April will go directly below January.

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The mail brought a lovely gift I won over at Nancy's "Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe" - she was having a drawing for naming her line of Plum colored floss - I was one of the very lucky winners she let pick a chart of hers and get some of that gorgeous Plum colored floss - the floss in real life is a lovely claret or port color!!

I chose a one of her wonderful Quaker inspired charts "To Thine Own Self be True".  A wonderful Shakespeare quote from "Hamlet."  

Polonius' last words to Laertes....  the entire quote is..

This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!

Hamlet Act 1, scene 3

Thank you so very much Nancy!!!!

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That's about it for today sports fans - thanks again for you super comments about "Tis the Season" and my cactus!!  I do enjoy reading them and they do warm the heart!!!  If you get the chance stop by again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Weekend Posting

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends I do hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  Mine was great - since it was three days long how could it not be!!  Thank you all for all the kind comments about the Valentine I sent to Carol.  it seems that Blogger makes it harder and harder to use, sorry for the odd word verification.   I read that my HOE Ornament arrived at its new home with Erin over at Fairy Tales and French Knots.  Here is a snaperoo of the piece I made for her...

Quite a few of us stitched this piece from Mary Garry for this Exchange.  I have always liked this chart and was happy that Erin likes what I sent.

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Keeping with a stitching theme today I had a finish over the weekend....  

 "Tis the Season" Blackbird Designs - 36ct LL Pear - using the recommended Belle Soie

I have been dragging out and enjoying this stitch far too long, but all good things come to an end. 

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We also got to an Estate Sale - and to call it a mad house would be an understatement.  There were way too many people crowded in one little house and way too many grabby types!!  Eventually I made my way upstairs and in one of the bedrooms was a gigantic pile of linen - from tablecloths to napkins, lace, tatting, pulled work, Berlin lace everything just in a great big pile -  most of the pieces where in not very good condition, lots of holes and stains.  But, digging away (I love to dig) I did pull out a small sampler - not very old and in a very crumpled condition, but very sweet...

The linen is very thick.  I think this was some sort of kit that was printed linen and the stitcher did the decorative stitching.  It is about 8x10 and you can still see the tape that must have held it to some sort of backing for framing.  I think that for .50 it was a total bargain!

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It is also that time of year for candy makers to go into overtime....

So, of course I did my part and made it to Walgreens for a sack of delicious black jelly beans!!  A most delicious treat!!

I think I'll wrap up todays post with a snap of my ever-blooming Christmas Cactus'....

This crazy thing is blooming about every three months now - and even the little red one is sort of on the same schedule - since I took this shot on Saturday a bunch of additional blooms have popped out on both plants.

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There you go sports fans - thanks again for stopping by, do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

A Valentine Exchange Arrived

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends I heard that my Valentine Exchange arrived yesterday at Carol's.  So, I think I will make a quick post about that piece.....

Here is a snaperoo I took before wrapping it up....

I used "Truly Thine" a BBD Loose Feathers chart - I think #6 - the folder is actually two projects.  There is a sampler and there is a heart piece.  I used a mystery piece of pink linen and the called for GAST floss.  The finishing was my own inspiration, the chart had it finished as a pin pillow, well, my sewing is nonexistent - so I decided to transform a pin pillow into a pyn keepe.  I dug around in my "craft stash" and found that I actually had some pink pins and ran to Cliff's Variety Store in the Castro and found some great velvet/lace ribbon et voila a Valentine was born.  I sent along a couple of little extra goodies.  I really enjoy making Valentine pieces - and was so happy to have had dear Carol as my Partner!!

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There you go sports fans - another week gone and only 311 days until Christmas!!!  Gotta get stitching!!  We are off on Monday so I will be back posting on Tuesday - Have a super weekend!

Take care,

edgar

A Great Film and a not so Terrible Re-Make

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends such wonderful comments and kind wishes!!!  Thank you so much!!!  With not too much going at all - I am caught up on my Exchanges, for the moment. I really enjoy them, since they let me stitch on smaller things and have those quick finishes that are so good for the ego.

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A week or so ago I took advantage of the Warner Archive Sale - what's the Warner Archive I hear you say??  For movie fans that want the more obscure or hard to get films that are not going to be released in wide distribution - the WB Shop  has created the BOD (Burn on Demand)  DVD's - It is a great site to get DVD's of films you love!!  One of my favorite films is "The Women" - 1939 -

Starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russel, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard and Joan Fontaine.  A really snappy movie from the play by Claire Booth Luce.  Absolutely a top notch film and if you've not seen it you should.

This film has been remade twice, once in 1956 and called "The Opposite Sex" - a giant CinemaScope technicolor musical.  It was remade again as "The Women" in 2008, but that was just not very good.  It is the 1956 musical version that has never been released to DVD that I finally acquired on BOD from the WBShop.

This version of 1956 starred June Allyson, Joan Collins, Dolores Grey, Ann Sheridan, Joan Blondell and Ann Miller.  This over the top beautifully shot super colour saturated film is lots of fun.  It retains much of the dialogue from the original film, but goes at a slower pace and is set in the world of the NY Theatre.  Although shown occasionally on the Tube - they usually show a Pan and Scan version, this DVD is the full letterbox edition and has been remastered for a great looking film.  So my suggestion is to see either the superb 1939 or the good 1956 version and skip the 2008 one.

Here is the original trailer for "The Opposite Sex" from You Tube via TCM....

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That's about it for today sports fans, thanks for stopping by ... do stop again!!

Take care,

edgar

More Valentine Treats....

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends I hope you all had a super Valentines Day and evening - mine turned out to get even better as the day wore on....

The mail came and I got cute cards.....  and I got some lovely roses.... wasn't that sweet of Rico!!

I got them home and they add such a splash of colour to the dreary winter.  Rico also picked up a Valentine's Day cake..... so I ran out a got some ice cream - whats a cake without ice cream??

We rounded out the evening by having dinner at Alice's restaurant - our favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant. You can;t beat the Kung Pao Prawns or the Sesame Chicken - just delicious!!!

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...  and two of the who hounds were just nuts over their new squeaker....

 I got this snap last night and as you can tell - it is Smokie and the Peach that are usually in a tussle over a squeaker.  That little sucker puts up quite a fight and if the picture had sound all you would hear is grrrrrrrrrrr - and bark, bark!!

It was a nice little Holiday break here in the mid-winter......

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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks again for stopping by and commenting!!  Do stop again.

Take care,

edgar