Last Week in January

Today is dreary and overcast.  No rain in the forecast, but a gloomy sky.  A little breezy and the chimes are sounding, leaving that long, deep resonance in the air.  

Stitching.  Finished the third panel for 25 Million Stitches!  It will go in the mail this week, leaving me having to begin a new stitchery project to keep myself calm.  :)

 About 7,000 + stitches in this one.  I quit counting when I got close to 7,000, but kept adding more elements.  The stitches are fairly large and the pearl cotton is a craft variety, the kind that comes in packages with assorted colors and is very inexpensive.  I bought them when B.E. was interested in sewing, and they came in handy for this panel.

As soon as I finished the final panel, I had to begin a new piece so I could play with the beautiful, hand-dyed, fine pearl cotton from Stef Francis.  I've been buying her beautiful threads for about ten years.  Tiny stitches in this one.  Another hand stitching project with no goal or purpose other than to enjoy the process and use the beautiful very fine pearl cotton from Stef Francis.  Maybe at some point I will figure out what to do with it.

I rediscovered these mini tart molds when straightening up.  Bought at a flea market years ago for a baker doll I was making.  Since the muslin was already out, I traced the edge of the mold and outlined it in back stitch.  Moving on to a center with a circle of stem stitches and then, filling in with French knots and seed stitches.  Improvising as I continued with more circles.  

Mail

from Connie

2nd letter from Sherlock Holmes

Have to admit that these letters aren't as much fun as I'd hoped.
Fee, on the other hand, is delighted with his historical letters.

from Penne

Penne also included this magnet!

Of course, reading shapes dreams--

I love it!

Goals--another week of goals completed!  My "get out of the house" goal was to the recycling center.  Not much fun, but still satisfying.  Maybe this week, I'll get the GoodWill stuff delivered.

Books/Reading--Finished Nicholas Delbanco's Why Writing Matters.  Currently reading The Indomitable Florence Finch.  Both are fascinating for such different reasons.

Podcasts-- A Needle Pulling Thread is a series of excerpts from a wide assortment of folks who discuss the importance of stitching in their lives.  

January is almost over!  This month has flown by.  My pantry is neat and clean again, but I'm a bit tired of cleaning and organizing.  The cabinets await--they may be waiting for a good while.

Hope you are having a good week! 

Stitching, Reading, and Stuff

Stitching

25 Million Stitches.  Still working on panel #3.  I seem to be spending all my spare time on this panel.  Which is a good thing for my blood pressure as I avoid as much news as possible.

Christmas bags finished.  Both of these were started a year or two ago,  and it took very little time to finish them up.  When I get a chance (after finishing the last panel for 25 Million Stitches), I'm going to select some fabric from my stash for making more bags, not necessarily for Christmas, but for gifts of various sizes.  It will help cut back on my stash and be useful for avoiding wrapping paper for birthdays, etc.  

Well, Darn--I discovered multiple tiny holes in one of my favorite cotton sweaters;  evidently I was backing up to close to the fire when more logs were thrown on at the camp.  Sooo...I decided to try darning.  

Books/Reading
Just finished these two mysteries.  I enjoyed both of them.  

















Goals--another week done.   Shortest yoga practice 26 min.; longest 55 min.  At least 2 miles a day.  A visit to an Antique Show for my "get out of the house" goal.  :)  A third week checked off!  I may get all the way through January after all.

There were some beautiful things at the Antique Show, but I didn't need anything and was happy to walk the aisles, view, and appreciate all the interesting booths.  I did find a couple of gifts for the girls.  

Love these ceramic thimbles

which will go to Erin at some point.

Two of these coffee cups in Desert Rose for Amelia.

She has my mother's Franciscan Ware in this pattern,

but the cups are different.

It's cold and rainy here, and my internet connection has been off all day.  It just came back on, but slow, slow, annoyingly slow.

January Week Two, Done and Dusted

Recently, I've been reciting this mantra:  Time to adjust my crown and get to work.  (I don't remember where I saw the original version, but I've been using it several times a day.)  

This morning while I was making an organizing effort, I spotted my real crown, which sits on the head of a papier mache cat, and decided to actually wear my crown for a bit.  

Outgoing Mail

Week 2 Goals:  daily yoga (shortest practice 7 min.; longest 50 min.), walking (as long as I make two miles, I'm pleased), and out of the house (twice this week!)-- all accomplished.

25 Million Stitches:  Panel #2 mailed; panel #3 started.  This is the longer panel and a much more open weave.  I'm using pearl cottons and making bigger stitches.  Still a long, long way to go!

Books/Reading: 













I loved Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins by Katarina Bivald.  Review scheduled for Jan. 16 on my book blog. Another win in reading was The Hollows by Jess Montgomery.   Just posted the review.


Interesting podcasts:  
The Power of Words to Save Us
Tell Me a Story:  What Narratives Reveal About the Mind

I'm pretty new to the podcast thing.  Do any of you have favorite podcasts or sources?

First Week in the New Year

25 Million Stitches Project.  Panel 2. I think I'm finished with this panel.  Time to get it in the mail.

I enjoyed working on both panels while making my way through some Netflix shows and listening to podcasts.  Often, however, I would sit down to stitch and simply let my thoughts take me where they would, in silence.  Both panels are typical of the way I stitch, improvising on patterns, threads, and stitches as I go, but I loved finding the quote for this panel to give me a more thoughtful beginning.

It also pleased me to include a series of French knots that (hopefully) spell out "refuge" in braille and some knots and dashes that say the same thing in Morse Code.  I checked different sites to get the two alphabets, but don't know if they are truly readable.  

The next panel, the long one, will be more challenging.  A few thought are beginning to float through my head:  heavier thread or 6 strands of floss and larger stitches.  :)

Three 2020 Goals.  So far so good.  

Walking.  I am walking more.  Not as much as I was during July, August, and Sept., but much better than the past 3 months.  

Yoga: 16, 23, 45, 40, 42, 20, 45 minutes for Jan. 1-7--and I am pleased with that.  Knowing that my goal is only five minutes helps me go for it, and then I only do what I feel like doing or have time for.  Since I love yoga, it is easy to keep going, and not worry about the 60-75 min. sessions I used to do.  With such a minimal goal, there is no excuse for skipping a day.

Out of the House.  Although not a particularly inspiring "get out of the house" accomplishment, I made a trip to Michael's.  I only go to Michael's two or three times a year, so I am counting it for my first weekly "get out" goal.  I didn't need anything, but I did buy a couple of baskets for organizing and storage and two pens. :) 

 Christmas Projects.  I mentioned that Annie (Annie's Musings)  worked on Christmas projects throughout the year this past year, and I decided to give it a try.  A couple of unfinished projects from 2019 and 2018 and several things I want to make are on the list. My first one attempt this year was to finish the mouse/rat eccentric in a red sweater and a tutu that was supposed to be for Erin last year.  Yay, for one project on that list completed!  

 Books/Reading.  I found it too difficult trying to sort out my favorite mysteries, but other favorite books I listed on my book blog.  

So far this year, I've read The Stillwater Girls and When I Was You by Minka Kent, and I'm currently reading Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins by Katarina Bivald, and the nonfiction The Idea of the Brain:  The Past and Future of Neuroscience by Matthew Cobb.

How is your new year going?

Miscellaneous Assortment of Topics :)

Dementia is something that almost all of us have some personal experience.  This video is about Bournmouth University's trial using Tai Chi with dementia sufferers and their carers.  Preliminary results find fewer falls among patients who participated.  An added benefit is that both patients and carers enjoyed the process.  I still love Tai Chi, although I rarely practice any more, but given this impetus, I may return to a daily practice.  Well, I'll think about it anyway.



Stitching.    25 Million Stitches  --The first thing I stitched on the second panel was the quote, then I began filling in the background.  As I did so, it occurred to me that although mainly running stitches, the background was beginning to look like a sampler.    

 This reminded me of the TAST project in 2012 in which I made prayer flags using the stitches announced each week.  

The idea of the challenge is to work as many of the proposed stitches as you can. Each stitch is announced on Tuesday mornings – hence the name! As I announce the stitches, I list them below. With every announcement, there is a link to one of my stitch tutorials in my Stitch Dictionary that way, if you’re unsure of the stitch, you can find out how to do it.  Source:  TAST at Pintangle

I looked back at my  prayer flags, which were little samplers of sorts using various stitches from TAST each week.  The two stitches were fly stitch and buttonhole--and variations of the two stitches.  I used other stitches as well, but those were the first two for the first two weeks of TAST 2012.

Now have some more ideas for filling in the background of the second panel using variations of stitches from TAST 2012.

Mail.   

 Incoming 

A handmade card from Iliana, one of Marc's fantastic Christmas photos, 

letter and card with those whimsical stamps from Annie.  

I love the Christmas postcards with pics of kids that grow up a little more each year--

so funny to compare the pics of kids from year to year! 

Outgoing

More will be going out today.

Worm Farm.  I crushed up egg shells until they were nearly all powder and added them to the bin.  :) 

There are several reasons to put eggshells in your worm bin. Eggshells provide calcium, which reduces acidity in the bin. This prevents high acid conditions that can harm your worms. Also, crushed eggshells provide grit to aid the worms’ digestion. And, it is believed that eggshells help worms in the reproductive process.  Source:  Uncle Jim's Worm Farm 

Reading. 
I finished The Splendid and the Vile:  A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Eric Larson.  I will review it on my book blog soon, but it is a compelling account that kept me engrossed throughout!

Hands.  Steve McCurry's photographs are always touching, but his The Silent Language of Hands post seems particularly apt at expressions of love and caring, both in the photographs and the quotes.  

Back of the closet.  I made this Christmas gift for my mother over 15 years ago and after she died, I brought it home with me.  The pics aren't very clear, but it is a patchwork of fabrics with appliques cut from other fabrics.  It was a gift that I loved making and today is the first time I've worn it--a warm hug of memories.

Night Visitor.  My friend Rocky was back again.  A little shy, but extremely curious, he comes within a few feet of me and watches cautious, but not terribly afraid.  I followed him on his journey, then sat down and he came up and regarded me seriously.

I know these little bandits can be destructive, 
but he is really charming and cuter than the
much shyer possum who sometimes visits.

Fabric wrapped birthday gift.  I stamped a cat on muslin because the gift

was for Bryce Eleanor, young cat lady turning twelve.

Our cats are not so much of a problem now,

but this does appear to be a solution to the

cat/Christmas tree events.

Stitching, Snail Mail, Reading

Stitching.  I began working on a second panel for 25 Million Stitches as soon as I finished the first one. 

Silly.  I don't know why, but feeding the worms is much more amusing than feeding the cats.  Another smoothie should keep them happy for a while.  

 Sometimes I just put a Ritz cracker topped with a lettuce leaf from the garden and a banana slice because it makes me laugh at the idea of the worms feasting.

Mail.  I really like this envelope, simple and lovely.  Jacque makes the most beautiful cards and her Christmas card below is one of my favorites.  She and her granddaughter visit nursing homes and deliver cards for them to mail to friends and family and cookies for them to enjoy.  Although she and Zoe do this all year, it is a wonderful example of seasonal spirit during December.

I love the stamp on Hannah's letter!

I'm so behind on my own mail.  I've been spending all my spare time stitching.

Wrapping.  To avoid adding excess wrapping paper for the trash pile, I've made fabric bags for gifts for several years and purchased half price fabric bags from Michael's when I could.  They can be re-used, so they are better for the environment.  

I've used Christmas themed fabric from my stash (which has gotten pretty low since I haven't purchased Christmas fabric for years) to make bags, but I have plenty of other fabric to use.  This year, instead of making bags, I plan to use the Japanese Furoshiki method--much simpler and quicker.  The link shows several different variations for different items.  

Advantages:  
1.  Nothing to purchase, I already have what's needed.  
2.  The fabric can be reused, for wrapping or for other purposes.
3.  For fabric lovers, quilters, crafters-- the wrapping is more fabric to play with.
4.  Clearing out my fabric stash.
5.  I can also use plain, inexpensive muslin and use stamps for decoration.

Source:  Furoshiki:  The Art of Japanese Fabric Wrapping

Reading.  I've been reading The Splendid and the Vile:  A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Eric Larson.  I usually read nonfiction a little at a time and  alternate with a fiction read at the same time.  Hasn't been possible with this one; I can hardly put it down and am eager to pick it up again.  Absolutely fascinating!

Inspiring.  I continue to search for uplifting news to counteract all the negative news.  It seems important to realize what is being done in positive ways to keep me in a happy mood.  As a gardner, I especially loved this:   In the UK, a project to plant millions of wildflowers to help save bees.  Beautiful flowers and a way to attract bees and butterflies--a good thing!