Monday, January 2, 2012

Experimenting







So far, no Joe the contractor. ARGH. But the bathrooms are clean and I am ready for the week. School is still on winter vacation so no Dylan today.
I scrounged around and found some muslin so I could try the embroidery on the Home Sweet Home etui. I'm not great at embroidery. I took the class "Succulent Strawberry" from Barbara Jackson and learned a lot about doing embroidery correctly. So I put the 40 count lambswool backed by muslin in a hoop and tried stitching a flower that is for the back of the tape measure just to see how it went. I am fairly pleased. I need a darker tracing pencil. The one I have has pink lead. One that has blue lead would be much easier to see. I look at a blog called "The Unbroken Thread" and I have seen how she does her embroidery. I've seen her do the split stitch and padding stitches and then satin stitch over top. She does such a nice job. It seemed dumb to stitch with just one strand of silk floss but the results are fine and smooth. So I'm happy. That means I feel confident enough to start the front of the house. I don't have the called-for threads but I can make do. I need to make a run to the fabric store as I can't find any more muslin.
I put the sleeves in the smocked dress. I need to finish the smocking part as the rest of the dress is pretty easy and quick to finish. I still don't like it but I am determined to finish it anyway.
I put some more words on the Winter's Cottage. If I concentrated on it all day (not likely)I could come close to finishing the back.
I never did get those thank-yous written. Today is the day!!!
I keep pulling stuff out of the Unfinished Drawer. Today's lot includes a Just Nan design. I like Just Nan even though she changes colors with every stitch. I heard one person call it "confetti stitching" and that's about right. I think the butterfly one is a Sweetheart Tree, then there are chicks in an egg shape.
I've got my fingers crossed that Joe shows up and we can get this floor done already!
A

2 comments:

  1. Amy,
    Make the chicks into an Easter egg for the new baby and then you will have to start some more eggs so you have enough for her Easter basket.
    More projects to stitch. I may have some patterns if you need them.

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  2. Amy, Your "unfinished drawer" is like the wardrobe in Narnia - it keeps on giving up its treasures. I am loving all the pieces. Winter Cottage is looking great and progress seems to be getting faster for you. That satin stitch flower looks beautiful too. Hope Joe comes very soon!

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