So Deceptive

This little Martha Pullen work project looks so deceptively sweet and easy. In fact, it took me hours and a redo to get the little drawstring bag right.

I think I sort of knew this wouldn't go down easy and that's why I put it off 'til the last minute. I should have studied it just a little more because the first time around I got the embroidery upside down. I could have lived with that, though, if other things had gone right. In the same category, I made two extra buttonholes the first time around.

I learned that for embroidering and putting buttonholes on organza, Ultra Solvy is the stabilizer of choice. Just trim it closely and it will disappear just fine. I needed a special trip to the store to get a Dritz Mark B Gone with water soluble ink because my fine-point pen just wouldn't show up on the organza. With fourteen buttonholes to mark, I needed it to show up. My old faithful purple pen didn't work well either.

Then there was the invisible thread. I tried every trick I knew and never did get it to sew on organza the way I wanted it. I finally used bobbin thread in the needle and bobbin and it wasn't obtrusive and looked fine and was very easy to work with.

Starching the organza was a whole new adventure. Mary Ellen's Best Press worked lots better than the spray starch in a can. The second time around I kept unplugging the iron so it wouldn't get too hot as the layers of starch built up. Too much heat and it's very easy to melt a hole, especially on a crease. Enough said about that.

In retrospect, I wish I'd stitched the buttonholes in white instead of red because if one or two aren't perfectly straight it wouldn't be easy to see that. But with the gathers that becomes a non-issue anyway. And I'm ever so grateful for my machine's sensor buttonhole foot.

Now, I can go on to other things. I have a whole new skill set that one day I might be very happy to have.

Could Be

Could be that yesterday was the last really pretty fall day. And since it was November 13, and since I had the day off work, I'm ok with that.

The grands had a sleepover here Friday night and Saturday morning we headed to the park at the top of my street. There's no play equipment there, though, so five minutes of trying to catch leaves as they blew off trees was about enough.

We headed to the Fort Thomas park, which is always a hit. Aaron wore the shirt I got him for Christmas and couldn't resist putting on him early. It says, "Leader of the Pack," perfect for a little boy who insists several times a day, "I'm the leader."

Steph got there just as Aaron fell off a ladder and had a few tears. Perfect timing, Mom.

Totally Gets It

What joy to have a five-year-old grandgirl who totally gets it. Turn on the machine, thread in needle and bobbin, lower the pressure foot, needle in the fabric to pivot, change stitches here, step lightly on the foot pedal. And her foot reaches the foot pedal. I started her out with the pedal on a box but that wasn't necessary.

I got her this little machine at a yard sale, $10, nothing great but far better than the "toy" machines. Next time I'll introduce her to the joy of a top-drop bobbin and fancy stitches. For now, though, she's totally happy and so am I.

Advent Approaches

Advent approaches and I need a new church banner. Some months ago, I started putting together this crazy quilt from my mother. She did the squares and the beautiful handwork in them and I squared up the squares and pieced the top. Then I machine stitched in the ditches around the squares with a feather stitching. I remembered having quite a bit to finish, but it turns out that there is only the border on two sides to stitch. If I can get the binding on, all the better.

My plan is to have the quilt covered with red and gold organza on the Sunday before Advent, the 21st. Then, on each Advent Sunday I'll uncover more of it until the 26th, when it will be completely uncovered with the organza completely puddled under it. It should be very nicely visual.

My mother made squares for two quilts, completely from old neckties. Lots and lots of hand stitching. Then I speculate that she wasn't sure how to put it together. This is actually the second try for me - the first didn't work at all.

Just yesterday I got the new open toe attachment for the Viking interchangable dual feed foot. It should be just the thing for the feather stitching. I'd love to have the quilt hanging after the service on Sunday so it will be ready for the 21st, but if it takes longer, I can hang it before the service on the 28th. I can do this.

Saturday

Aaron's previous visit Family First Saturday at the Art Museum was not happily memorable, but on Saturday Steph decided to try it again. This visit was different. The little guy joined his sister in making an art project, listening to stories, and going on the scavenger hunt.

I'm sure he didn't know what his sister was writing on her paper, but he studiously copied her.

I was on my way home from work when Steph called to say that they were at Bridget's, which is on the way home from the museum and a few blocks from me. Life at Bridget's is wonderfully kid friendly. I found Aaron playing chess

and Nora hanging upside down from Bridget's lap.

There had been chicken nuggets and french fries and chocolate pudding. Cinnamon rolls. Sugar cubes here and there. Always good times at Bridget's.

Gypsy Red

I did it - painted one living room wall and one dining room wall Gypsy Red. I meant to paint both rooms red when I moved in, but at the last minute, literally just before Mike was going to the paint store, I panicked. Went with a pale pink, and a pale immitation of what I wanted. Even now I'm dabbling, poking in one toe before stepping into the water. And so far I'm happy. The play of light on the red reflects off on the pink walls, making them look deeper and changing. Every time I glance at the red walls I'm not surprised because I've pictured them in my mind for so long. I have to admit that usually I add a little color saturation to my photos, but the above picture has no tweaking. I will try to get a better and less reflective photo later.

It's turned cold and my body is trying to adjust. Tomorrow, I promise, I'm going to bring a space heater to move between my upstairs office and studio, depending of which I'm in at the moment. And find the controls for my electric blanket, not to mention the blanket itself. My personal theory is that I grew up a little north of here, where there was an actual spring and fall. Here, it seems to just go from summer to winter and my thermostat can't quite keep up.

Which is maybe why I'm a little under the weather. I thought at first it was because of the paint, but it's lingering and today I had almost no voice. Unusual for me, I can't remember that ever happening before. The lucky thing is that whatever it is doesn't seem to make me sick, just congested.

Today at work, the radio was playing Christmas music. Horrible. I never like the work music, but this is worse than usual. Ugh. Of course, I'm also working on Christmas samples, like the quilted postcards below. I thought that postcards needed to be 4" x 6" or smaller, but I followed the directions for these larger one. They'll probably just need more postage than the usual 62 cents. Viking Embroidery Club.

Showing Up

On my list of promises to myself was having a couple of small things in my guild's show at a gallery in Bellevue. (The photo is the view of Mt. Adams from a gallery window.)

They're small things, but they're there. My President's Challenge, top right, below.

And my other piece, bottom right, below. I didn't make the new piece I wanted, so I chose this one from my Berea days. I didn't like it at the time, but it's grown on me.

Today, voting. Why, oh why, are the choices so bad? Where are the leaders? I'm very discouraged, but I'll show up.

And on my list today, continue painting two of my walls, one in the dining room and one in the living room. Red. I've been wanting this for so long, but I'm not an experienced painter. Once again, I'll show up. Feeling a little panic-y because there are so many other things I need to be doing, but I'll show up.