Bits of Stitch'n

It's been a busy couple of weeks around our house. Lots of electrical break downs requiring fixing up; I also broke my dining room chair ... again. Hubby is going to have to give in soon, that dining set is almost 35 years old. Honestly, how many times can he actually 'fix' it? Last month when the lawn mower reached 21 years of age and conked out on him one afternoon, there was no thinking involved... he came in the house and announced, "We're going in to the doctors' office day after tomorrow, lets stop and buy a new lawn mower," and we did. The lawn mower had only broken down about 3 times in the past two years and I know he's fixed one or more of these chairs at least a dozen times in that same period....when do you think he'll have had enough? (Say a little prayer for me, eh?)

Ok, I'll bet
Totally Useless SAL Nov. 16th

you all know what time it is (LOL). I know a few of you do, because I've seen a couple of TU SAL posts already. I actually have made outstanding progress on my Totally Useless SAL this month. After losing half of last month's stitching time to illness I really needed to make up for it this month. I only worked on three pieces but I worked on them every day, so I got an awful lot done...can't show you much because, naturally, they are gifts or exchanges. But you can tell by my new container contents that I've been busy. There was enough in this month's pile to do a whole glass tree ornament I think. We're going in to town tomorrow, I think I'll look for some of those clear ornaments and see if I can't put one of those together. Well, how about a look at what I've been working on.

Here is one of the three pieces, well, actually it's your last sneak peek at the mail art piece that will go in the mail tomorrow. Hopefully, it will be received soon and I
Last peek at the mail art

can show all of it. I tell you, I just love the way this piece made up. I'm giving some thought to doing it again as a pinkeep for a special friend ... but maybe not on 40ct fabric, boy that sure gets hard to look at after awhile even with my best magnifier. But even at that it was a really fun stitch so I hope my partner likes it.

I also managed a Happy Dance this month with Michael Powell's Spanish Hill Town Bookmark. Mr. Powell is a little difficult to stitch because there are lots of blended stitches and the colors are so closely related you can not(!) tell before the backstitching goes in what anything is so it's very easy to make a mistake. Even this small bookmark took me almost
Spanish Hill Town Bookmark
by Michael Powell. Stitched on
14ct Brown Fiddler's Cloth with DMC.
SAL with Alexandrina at CulinaryCat

a week to do and I worked on it a lengthy time each time I sat down with it. But it did turn out really well and I'm very happy with it, so let's dance, he he he he. I don't know why the photo looks washed out, the colors really are a bit brighter. I love the way that sky really does look like a sunset, it's all in the blended stitches -- so don't shy away from certain designers because you are afraid of blending, it really can make a beautiful design just magic! I used DMC threads because I wanted to be sure I'd have enough to make a really nice tassle and then I ran out of two of the yellows anyway. But since it's DMC I can get more when we go in to town, so I haven't cut the excess fabric off yet, but you get the idea. And I'm really sorry Lifers, this one is not going in the Library Treasure Chest. The third piece I worked on was St. George and the Dragon, but really, I didn't get enough done to take another picture yet. Hopefully, that one will come next time.

I didn't visit as many of your blogs as I should have this last period because I was really needing to get that mail art piece done. So this month I will spend a little more time at the computer and see if I can't get out there and see your TU SAL advances -- I'll carry the wet noodle with me, so work hard stitchers (LOL).

Have a lovely day!

Totally Useless SAL
NEXT NEW MOON -- DECEMBER 16th

More next time,