We had a terrific Thanksgiving weekend.  T flew back on Saturday and all his flights were on time.  Sydney searched his room when we came home without him.  She hasn’t quite figured out where he goes  :-)

I LOVE having extended knitting/stitching time!  The last cloth of the Christmas set is finished.

I made a few changes so the cloths would look like a set.  To make it roughly the same size I cast on an extra stitch, used a five row/four stitch seed-stitch border and subtracted one stitch from the body pattern to center it up.  Another very nice, quick and clean knit.  And, here’s the whole set.

Christmas Dishcloth Set

I’ve joined the Christmas Design Stitch-Along hosted by YoYo at Dragon My Needle.  Before December 1, we send her a picture of a Christmas design we’d like to stitch over the coming year.  The plan is to stitch 1/12 of your design each month so that by December 2010 you have a finished design for Christmas.  Each month we’ll send in a picture for a progress check.  And, of course, I’ll be posting updates here.  This is my first online SAL (except for the Totally Useless SAL) and I’m looking forward to it.  More details tomorrow.

Thanks for coming by and visiting.  I hope you have a great day!

Once upon a time, there was a young reindeer wandering in the forest. It was his first Christmas mission so he was a little nervous. But when he spotted 2 wonderful trees each wearing a bell at their top, he knew he was at the right place: Santa would soon come, with other reindeers, and he would invite him to join the procession, leaded by Rudolph.

He would be amongst the last to complete the herd. And like his other companions, he was proud he had been selected for this wonderful journey. A journey filled with magic and joy while Santa would distribute presents.

As our young reindeer was dreaming about his mission, his excitment grew stronger when suddenly the forest went completely silent except for the sound of bells… The sledge of Santa was not very far.

Hoping you liked my little story

Quiltingly yours

Out of curiosity (after reading Berit’s post), I flipped back to see what I was doing this time last year, and almost laughed out loud when one of the first things I saw was that I’d cut my thumb. Because believe it or not, I cut my left thumb while making dinner Thursday night. What a buggery place to have a cut – it really interferes with stitching! That night I stitched with a bandage on it – very slowly, and threading the needle was really a laugh as I had to do it with my index and middle fingers. (Today it looks a lot better, btw.) But after Harmien’s visit, I was eager to stitch and couldn’t let the evening pass without at least an attempt to keep the fire stoked. During her visit, I got an astounding 12 stitches made. Yeah, I know that’s pathetic, but I had to convert Beth’s DMC thread choices to Vikki Clayton silks (the only floss I did not pack) and that was surprisingly time-consuming. Here’s where I left off at bedtime. Not too bad for one-handed stitching, LOL.

Since Thursday night,  in between errands and while enjoying some very rare bursts of sunshine, I made a little more progress. As I told Beth, I was drawn to the design because it’s pleasantly different from the usual holiday offerings.

(For anyone interested, or so I can remember later, here’s my conversion for A Partridge, A Pare, & A Turtledove:
355 – Quince 1411
420 – BeWooded
677 – Yellow Spice 4161
729 – Gilded Cage
839 – BeSeeded
3782 – Bird Feathers 4101
3345 – Luteousness)

Niek’s been busy bringing boxes back from the storage unit so they’ll be here later in the week when the international movers show up. Everything has to be under the same roof before they’ll handle it. The house is going to be full of boxes for a few days! (It’s tempting to try to find the boxes with my stash, I have to admit!)

Thanks for coming to visit! I hope your weekend is full of joy!

I’ve finally finished her, 33 days later. Stitched 1×1 on 28 Jazlyn.

clickable

The only thing left to do with her now is to make her into the bookmark.

I’m now doing a few days work on QS Alexandra but I don’t think much stitching will actually be done over the next week or so, we’ll be doing things around the house; gearing up for Christmas. I’ll let you know exactly what later.

I had a visit to the HAED site and made a purchase or two. One of them is the newly released, too cute Frog Prince by Jennifer Nilsson.

I’ve also just brought the fabric for her and hope get this one going in the new year. I can’t wait to see what colours are used. No I haven’t looked yet. I can’t seem to get past the cover. Really too cute!!

A few months ago I did have the thought that I should make some gifts for Christmas.  “It would be thrifty and more personal”,  I reasoned.  How did it happen then, that I have nothing home made to give?   It’s really very simple, I got distracted.

Firstly by the Icarus shawl.  (Even though it’s just a mini Icarus)

Because it seemed absolutely imperative that I knit myself a shawl for the 40 degree days directly ahead of us. I do really like it though. Initially I thought I would dye the white to match the green, but now I like it as is.  I’m not sure if you can see but I knit the last two rows in a similar green so it sort of ties in.  The green is my handspun and hand dyed alpaca, courtesy of Tauret. 

Then I thought that I absolutely must design an embroidered cuff because I’m trying to figure out the best way to attach findings to embroidery so that it can move beyond brooches.   This one uses hooks and eyes – I wonder if somebody makes sterling silver hooks and eyes?

Ever noticed how hard it is to photograph your own hand?  Especially when that hand has rather short,  stubby fingers and,  since you don’t have a digital camera,  you are actually using the camera function on the video recorder.

Ahhh…That’s the one! The cuff uses feather stitch, chain stitch, lazy daisy stich and palestrina stitch for the side seams.  It has little glass beads between each “flower”

The other day I was travelling to Sydney by train and was probably meant to be making some sort of Christmas gift, but I discovered that I had no pockets in which to carry my ipod.  Fortunately I had a crochet hook, some cotton  and some newly aquired crochet skills thanks to my friend and excellent crochet teacher,  Salihan.

So I whipped up an ipod cosy whilst two bemused teenage girls looked on and talked about me while I worked  not one foot away from them.  It seems that crocheting makes one deaf.  Not that they were rude.  It was just quite strange to be talked about in the third person by someone sitting directly opposite me.

Thanks for teaching me to crochet Salihan.

well been helping santa and being a little elf knitting and sewing for the big day,nearly done now and will then start in the kitchen —I love Christmas it is great I love it all the occasion the big jugs of holly ,christmas cake, turkey, trifle, mince pies, friends, presents ,log fires and maybe snow if I am lucky .

A while ago I went to see this awesome punk band called Break The Habit.  They had the most awesome t-shirts with big killer squid on the front, but by the time I got to the merch table all the girly tees had sold out.  No problem, says I, I’ll get a big one (they only had large mens sizes left) and turn it into a minidress/long vest.

Months later, I finally got around to it!

My shirt before....

First, I found a t-shirt which had a nice shape to it.  I then turned the big t-shirt inside out and laid the smaller shirt on top of it.  With a charcoal pencil, I drew around the smaller shirt, then cut out the shape being sure to leave a seam allowance.  I then pinned up the sides and spent awhile hand-sewing the sides….

...and after - one minidress/long vest!

Et voila!  It’s rather more shapely than it looks in this picture, and I’ll upload a better one when I get time.

Seeing as how November has 30 days, I’ll list 30 things for which I’m grateful.

Of all the blessings in my life, thirty for which I am particularly grateful are:

1. My children.
2. My husband.
3. My family – parents and aunts and uncles and cousins and more; those who are here and those who’ve passed on.
4. My friends.
5. The way my kids have pushed me to be more than I was before they came along.
6. The amazing relationship I had with my grandparents.
7. My husband’s encouragement and support.
8. The unique personalities of my three wonderful parents and how much I’ve learned from them all.
9. My step-mothers, Gaby and Mary, who love my fathers and remind them of how special they are.
10. For the travelling and experimenting I did in my youth, which has probably balanced and deepened these quieter years of middle age.
11. For the wonderful women who are not related to me but who have guided and aided me in my growing up years.
12. I’m grateful that I could attend university, even though things didn’t work out the way they were ”supposed” to.
13. I’m grateful that my parents taught me early on how to plow on despite failure or setbacks.
14. I’m grateful I was taught to work hard and be honest, even if those traits have become old-fashioned.
15. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to be active in various forms of volunteer work and for all that it has shown me about different people and different ways of living.
16. I’m grateful that when my Mom needed help, there were those ready and willing to offer it.
17. I’m grateful that despite serious health issues, both my fathers are now healthy and happy.
18. I’m grateful that it really is never too late to try.
19. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to earn a living from writing for nearly my entire professional life.
20. For the beauty in small things – an autumn leaf, a still bird in a tree, a sparkling spider’s web.
21. For books – all the places they’ve taken me, all the people they’ve introduced me to, all the solace they’ve brought.
22. The failures that have made me keep trying harder.
23. A good cup of tea at the end of a difficult day.
24. The wonderful pets I have and have had, and the unconditional love they’ve given me even when I wasn’t worthy of it.
25. My health.
26. My creativity – even though it’s limited and faulty, it’s enough to make me feel hopeful about expressing myself.
27. Special memories that I can re-visit whenever I want or need to.
28. Laughter.
29. Kind words that came at rough times.
30. I’m grateful to be moving home to Maine.

Don’t forget to laugh when you count your blessings!

I’m still plowing my way through my UFOs via Tallgrass Prairies Challenge. I have a huge wooden bowl that has a nine patch, a flock of birds quilt, and my postage stamp quilt still waiting. Today I’m working on quilting this baby quilt in between school conferences and work. My hope is to be able to stitch the binding down whilst I watch football on Thanksgiving.

Over the weekend and Monday I finally produced some new pjs for my child who has been highwatering it since Summer. I’m a big fan of Joann flannel for the loungers. Most of it is awful, but sometimes you score.

These two lighter weight cotton are for our Florida trip to see the Grandfolks. I love the Coco Jungle by Alexander Henry. Can’t find it anymore.

These two are in my bag for some seam ripping while I sit somewhere yet to be determined. I add a four inch hem that can be let out. I LOVE the owl flannel.

Unless you have an Irish sister-in-law around that irons pajamas (I’ve seen her do it), I would recommend using flannel for the bottom edges. They don’t wrinkle up that way.

The Value Quilt Back is slowly getting some attention. I sat with my friend Noelle the other night. I was able to finish squaring up my blocks. Couldn’t help putting it up. Too many dots, but I’ll add more boy prints in.

God awful photo. but you get the idea.

Yeah to friends that knit. I bought this fabulous yarn and I don’t knit. Thanks Stacia! It’s soooo warm and beautiful! Not to mention it looks awesome with my purse.

The self proclaimed ‘Artist Extraordinaire’ and quite rightly too, Mrs Brooks is a Virginian Elementary school teacher who moderates the blog Wonder Brooks. Her writing style is friendly and involving and I couldn’t help but browse through most of her blog, each post seemed to invite me in to read it. There’s a great range of diversity with some lovely unit examples from pupils including those you see posted. Check it out and maybe even bookmark her, you’ll want to keep going back.

It’s a little while since I’ve posted a finish, but here’s a little fella I stitched while I was off work and travelling between family last week.

Mosey 'N Me - "A Cool Gift". Just Cross Stitch Ornie Preview 2006

It’s stitched on evenweave from a polstitches grab bag; the fabric is a marbled blue and white, but mostly white on this stitched section. I’ll probably make this up into an ornie.

I also started this design from Shepherd’s Bush – Holy Night

Shepherd's Bush "Holy Night"

I’m stitching this with DMC rather than the listed overdyes, but might try the Rainbow Gallery ‘Alpaca’ thread for the tiny sheep you can just see on the hillside here.  I haven’t used this type of thread before, but I understand it can be brushed up for a fluffy effect, which should be effective. 

Didn’t get much of this one stitched on, although it looks as if it’s going to be long and really skinny – once I sit down and work on it, it should build up really quickly. There is also a button pack to add the details of wise man, shepherd and more sheep.

Christmas by the letter is almost there… soooooo close. I need to finish off the fireplace at the bottom and then stitch on the buttons.

"Christmas by the Letter" - almost finished.

I would have finished this weekend, except I was distracted by season 4 of Lost and another cute little chappy

Humphrey and Rudolph - first update

It’s a long time since I’ve stitched this sort of design. DH bought me the kit for my birthday, and I’d put it away until nearer Christmas – which it nearly is… arghhhh. I swapped the aida fabric in the kit for another piece of dragon shades I had in my stash – this one called ‘pearl’; a lovely subtle pink.  This is stitching up quite quickly… but, the dreaded backstitch it yet to come. 

So, I haven’t just been stitching this month.   Homer and Homeric society has moved onto Classical Athens in the 5th century BCE… which I would probably be getting on with much more successfully if someone hid all my needles and patterns.  Oh, and the DVD remote.   I don’t know if Lost will stand the test of time in the same respect as Athenian theatre from 472BCE, but it’s proving an ample distraction at the moment.  I blame the dark and cold of this weekend.  Of course the beautiful sun and beautiful sea and beautiful people in Lost are better than November in soggy Derbyshire.   There are definitely times when reality is just not worth bothering with.

Wow!  I am so excited to share this with y’all.  I have to weave a little story though, because, well, I just think it’s kinda funny!  I came home from work on Friday, and when I opened my mailbox, there was the “hind end” of an Amazon box smiling at me.  I thought, wow, that was fast to get  my order from Amazon Marketplace (I ordered a new trackball for my Blackberry, which I’ve worn out…).  Now, before you read much further, I have to explain something.  I have been working 10-12 hour days the past several weeks.  Last week was spent in front of a computer, on conference calls with a developer while we worked out some system enhancements for a project that had to be ready at midnight tonight.  My mind was mushy by the time Friday night rolled around and I rolled into my driveway.  So, please don’t think I’m this thick all the time! Okay, now back to the story.

I took the package into the house.  I set it on the table, took care of saying hello to my dear mother, the two dogs and the cat.  I sat down on the couch, and looked at the package.  I thought, “Well, that’s a big box for a little trackball.  But, what the heck.”  I opened it up, not really paying attention to the return address.  When I opened it, I thought “Why would my trackball be wrapped in pink tissue paper?”  Then, as I opened it, and it was obvious that there was more in there than a little ole’ trackball, a light went on in my brain.  I just got giddy folks.  That’s it, good old GIDDY.  I remembered the SBCC and the package I thought I might never get.  I thought, “Well, maybe my partner just had a rough couple of months.  Maybe s/he killed two sewing machines making my exchange piece, like I did making Judith’s… Maybe…    I opened the card, and saw “May all your birthday wishes come true!”…. Hmmm, and it was dated 11/22/09, even though I received it on the 20th.  And, suddenly, like my knee on a cold winter’s morning, it clicked.  Val must have been given the 22nd of November as my birthday, and not September.  And, sure enough, that’s what happened.  Hee, hee.  I tell ya folks, I’ll wait as long as it takes to get such a wonderful package, with such fine stitching and finishing.  So without further blabbing from me, here are the goodies that Val sent:

– A wonderful matching pincushion and floss keeper stitched from La D Da’s Tiny Sampler on 32 count platinum linen using the recommended threads, with GAST Brandy added for the flower stamens.
– LHN’s Mayflower Landing chart, with the CC floss for it (from my wish list)
– The 2009 Prairie Schooler Santa, which I hadn’t picked up yet… woo-wee… how did she know?
– A great little note cube in earthy colors which has my initial on it, which I love and which will sit on my desk at work
– Some floss bobbins, which I needed (again, HOW did she know?).
–And, some Ghirardelli’s chocolate.  Not only do I love chocolate, but Ghirardelli is one of my favs (you’ll just have to believe me on this item, because I’ve already inhaled them).

I just love them.  She picked the perfect thing to send, and in the perfect colors too. Her stitching and finishing are superb. Don’t you all wish you could see these beauties in person?  Here’s probably how the mix up happened:  I sent Edgar all of my info, EXCEPT my birthday… DUH.  Bless him, he tracked me down, and I sent it in a later e-mail, just before he probably finished up all the matching and planning for this year.  The man is busy, really.  I can tell from reading his blog.  And, what with all the exchanges going on, and my not including my b-day in my original e-mail, well, I can completely understand how things got mixed up!

When I asked Edgar if I could participate in the Stitching Blogger’s Birthday Club exchange this year,  I just really wanted to work on a project that would be for someone I didn’t know, and that might stretch my mind a bit.  I thought it would be fun to receive something too, of course, but when my birthday rolled around in September, I just didn’t think too much about not getting a package.  I just figured that whoever had my name had run into a rough patch, and if I didn’t get something by the end of the year, I would just let Edgar know.  Funny, huh?

So, THANK YOU to Val, and THANK YOU to Edgar for really making my birthday gift a surprise.  Ask my family.  It’s not easy to surprise me.  I usually guess exactly what I’m getting, when, and where.  Not this time, no sir-ee.  And, what better time to have the package arrive, when I’ve been up to my eyeballs in work and needed a pick-me-up!

And, thanks for all your comments! It’s so fun to chat with you all, in this blogging world. I wanted to respond to a few. Katrina and Siobhan, I have some R&R 18th Century Red linen, and it doesn’t look like it will have the “rub off” problem like this piece of Cranberry Bog. So, my experience was probably just a fluke with this particular piece.  Siobhan, you may find your piece doesn’t have this problem.  I love the piece anyway, so it was worth all of the hassle.  And, Ruth, yes, the look on our faces says it all.  If I’m right in my guess, the lovely crocheted hats and vests were made by my Grandmother, and while I completely appreciate the time and effort she put into them now, I wonder if, at the time, I felt a little bit like Ralphie from “A Christmas Story” when he opened the bunny suit from his aunt (one of my all-time favorite movies, I’m sure that’s because I can relate).  I’m sure that this picture must have been taken at a time when we were given these items.  I’ll have to tell y’all about my Grandmother’s “sweater of many colors” sometime… she surely was of the “waste-not-want-not” generation and I do love her for it.

Sorry this is so long!  Ta ta for now friends… and make sure to make time for creativity in your day!

It really does!  I have 9000 words to do, and it’s getting in the way.  I’m trying to get my pink vest top finished so I can wear it over a shirt while it’s not quite cold enough to require a jumper, and I’ve managed barely an inch

I was given the cutest cupcake tree ornament by my housemate very cute, felt and everything!  It’s inspired me to have a go myself, and I’ll be making my own ornaments this year I think to hang off the stair banisters as I’ll be in Swansea on me own…

Don’t you find that little reindeer button cute ? I couldn’t resist stitching a little something to keep him company

Quiltingly yours

Last May, when I was in the most manic phase of my recovery from ME-CFS, I could not sit still to stitch. I couldn’t bear to work on the Elizabethan embroidery I’d been laboring since January to learn. You may remember that hanging on my portable design board was a piece of orange silk scarf with some sample swatches of silks and some novelty threads. It had been there for a couple of years, I think, while I wondered what I might do with the materials. Here’s what it looked like.

Yesterday I finished the project I’ve been calling my crazy recovery improvisation. Now it looks like this. (Click to enlarge.)

You know that when I began, I had no idea of what I was doing. In fact, this piece is just a doodle cloth. There was never any design. Whenever I could make myself sit still long enough, I’d grab needle, thread, beads, or whatever came to mind and do something on this cloth. (By the way, every swatch, every patch, has been embellished.) I didn’t even count on keeping the darn thing. It was just a way to make myself do some stitching, something creative, something productive.

The closer I got to completion, however, the more I liked this crazy patchwork, this wild thing. So, how to finish it? How to make it presentable for display? It had to be stretched over foamcore to keep some of the sequin waste, motifs, and stitches in place. It couldn’t be a quilt-like wall hanging. It had to be firmly mounted. It also had to have a border, as I had stitched right up to the edges of the orange fabric. That made adding a border problematic. See what happens when I don’t plan?

I knew I wanted to use the purple scarf for the border, but it is thin silk, not sturdy enough in itself. I pulled out all my fusibles—6 or 7, looking for one that I could use to back the scarf.  No. Wouldn’t work.

I just folded the scarf so that I could use it doubled.

As you can see here, I had almost no margin of orange fabric to which to attach the border.

Moreover, the border fabric did not give me enough material to wrap around the foamcore and it is not strong enough to take the lacing to stretch the piece.  As backing and extension, I opted for more of my salvaged bedsheet. I hand-sewed strips of the cotton as extensions for the purple border, which then had to be hand-sewn to the orange fabric. Here’s the border, backed with white bedsheeting, pinned to the edge—barely.

With the border attached, I was ready to mount the piece over padded foamcore—padded with two layers of Pellon fleece, wrapped over the edges of the board and glued to the back. Then began the lacing. Does anyone know a better way of stretching a large work like this over mounting board? I used fine crochet cotton for the lacing and the biggest-eye needle I could find.

Using pins to hold the yarn/thread in place, I estimated how much I would need

And what a lot of loose “string” I had to deal with, repeatedly tangled, of course.

But here it is, successfully laced and stretched taut.

Now, with such an opulent front, I couldn’t leave the back like this. Did I have a piece of fabric large enough to cover the back? The first piece in my under-bed stash that caught my eye was Tibetan brocade, the kind that’s used to border thangkas. I’ve had it and some other pieces of Tibetan fabrics for years.

This brocade had to be hand-stitched to the wrapped-around border with the foamcore underneath. Not easy. Not easy.

And after I’d done that, I belatedly decided to put a label on it. I printed the label on cotton, then stitched over the printed letters and numbers. To attach the label, once again, I was stitching to fabric already stretched over board.

What a job of work I made for myself when I started this project—without a plan. Everything about it was so much harder to do than it would have been had I planned it out in advance, had I known what I was doing.

Nevertheless, I am surprised at how pleased I am with this project. Not elegant. Not, definitely not, impeccable stitching. Not refined. As far from Elizabethan embroidery as I could get with a needle and thread! Wild, exuberant, flamboyant. Crazy!

As crazy as I’ve been feeling since I began to recover. Though I am 100% functional, can do anything that my circumstances allow, I am still dealing with residual symptoms of ADHD—agitation and anxiety, restlessness, and difficulty getting to sleep. Some evenings I pace the hallways, sometimes seeing one or two other, perhaps equally frantic, inmates. I am not the calm, content, reclusive contemplative I was for 15 years or more. More work to be done, figuring this out.

Anyhow, my recovery crazy patchwork improvisation announces that I have recovered, right in the entry-way of our apartment. At Ernie’s suggestion, it is attached to the wall with Velcro.

Now I have to prepare to teach my course. I’m having even worse panic attacks!

4 in a (to be) series of 20

]]> http://timrachel.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/thanksgiving-sale-at-haed/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:54:43 +0000 timrachel http://timrachel.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/thanksgiving-sale-at-haed/

If you’ve been after a Heaven and Earth Designs chart. They now have their annual Thanksgiving sale on.

25% off

Why not grab yourself a new chart to start for Christmas. I might before the sale is over.

Speaking of stitching, I’ll have an update of Iron Dragon AND another of Moon Fantasy after the weekend.

I’ve completed the top left corner of Dragon and since I want Moony done before the year is over I thought this was well suited for another weekend on her.

A lot of people find my blog searching for upcycled gifts…. so I thought I would share a few more.

Crowns any king (or princess) would love to wear. Image from Bitter Betty Blogs

Any girl under 6 ….and not a few boys…. would love one of these.

They look so delicate and authentic.

Like real filigree.

Would make a great wise man or King as well. Not difficult. See the tutorial here at Bitter Betty Blogs

Sooooo pretty .... Martha Stewart image source.

Odd pieces of china sell cheaply in op shops, and you can often find candles there too. Try these for family friends, teenage nieces or use them around the house for a delicate Christmas feel. Find the tutorial here.

Image from Needle Book. Coasters to make you smile.

I love this idea from Needle Book.

Children’s book illustrations are some of the best images around. Think Dr Suess……. but don’t stop there. Use quotes from your favourite people, favourite passages from books,  bible quotes or small pieces of your favourite fabric/paper.

Every gift needs a tag! Picture from Eco Etsy Street Team

These are a simple yet beautiful gift tag idea.

If you don’t have fabric lying around, use paper….or old Christmas cards one on another ….. and then stitch. Beautiful!

I am still keen to see what you have made or are making. Drop me an email and share, or leave a comment with a link to your magic.

Thanks for stopping by!

This was a really quick stitch.  The only complaint I have is… well, remember my raving about that R&R Cranberry Bog linen?  I DO love the color.  I’m not ever really enamored with the base linen that they use (too scratchy and stiff for me), but because this was a small piece, I thought, hey, this is a great color, and I just love it. Then, after stitching on this for a few hours one night, I looked down at my dumpy gray T-shirt (dontcha know that I just have to plant myself on Clifford, my big red chair-and-a-half, in my lounge clothes) and what did I see?  A big tinge of red that had rubbed off the linen!  I know these things aren’t color fast, but sheesh.  I wore that same T-shirt every time I stitched on this… yes, it was a ritual.  So, while I have plenty of the linen left to stitch this again, and I absolutely love the finished look, I’m not too happy about the rub off.  There are even spots on the linen, that before I realized what was happening, I rubbed them near-to-white!  Here is the finished product:

I love the GAST Dark Chocolate that was used for the body of the bird.  I used the overdyed threads called for in the chart, and the R&R Cranberry Bog linen, 28 count.

And, I thought I’d share a photo that has been cracking me and my family up for a few days now.  Apparently my dad has been digging through old photos, and we had never seen this one:

Circa 1969

Yep, that’s me and my sister, in all our Garanimals* glory, sitting on a couch that my mother won’t claim, yet, my dad says was our first couch purchased from the Goodwill when we moved into our house in Arleta, California.  Karan (my sister) said it best when she said, “Oh, and look… my pants clash.”  Mine do too, of course.  I wonder if my mom decided I liked plaids at this point in my life?  Because she purchased a white/red plaid pair when I was about ten, which I promptly went out and rode my bike in, purposely not wearing my pant-leg-clip-doohicky, which protected my flared bell-bottom from the bicycle chain…. She never bought me plaid pants again, after she had to cut me out of them.   I do like plaid.  Just not on my behind.  Really.

Well, have a great day!  And find some time to be creative!

*footnote: Okay, Wikipedia says that Garanimals was started in 1972.  I swear this was about 1969 or if we push it… 1970.  Maybe they were trying out the matching outfit thing earlier?  But, you get the drift.  When Garanimals did finally come out, I think my mom must have been in heaven.