Rug Finish & A BAD CAT

 I just finished Posies in the Middle by Humble Rugs.  I picked up the pattern at The Rug Show at Sauder Village in August.  For some time, I've been debating the colors to use and how to handle the tongues.  I used 4 different golds for the tongue outline and 2 different wools for the middle row.  The middle row of each tongue is the same wool.  I'm happy with how this turned out.  

 The current home of this rug is on top of a standing cupboard in our dining room.  The funny thing is, both cats have decided they need to test it out as a sleeping spot.  Actually it's not funny - this story takes a BAD turn.....

If you have followed my blog for at least the last 6 months you know I had an egg basket with a broken handle. You can see the post about this basket HERE I finally fixed the basket back in June of 2012.  All was good.  

If you look closely at the photo above you will see the handle is broken - AGAIN - and to top it off, it broke in 2 completely different spots.  

 The broken handle......

I KNOW who did this.....

Look at that guilty face.....

Next, he tried to play the "I'm so cute" card.  It didn't work.  Frito, I know you knocked the basket off the cupboard and broke the handle.  

In a huff, he simply turned his back on me and

 proceeded to point his paw at someone else.....

The Graybinator!  Easily believed, but, for once completely untrue. 

Now I have to repair the basket again - thanks so much Frito.  

Have you been over to my basket blog?  I'm having a basket giveaway if you follow the link to the right.  Oh, and the basket doesn't have a broken handle!

~Ann

Confession: I'm a X Stitch Snob!

I started Cross Stitching when I was in college in 1987.  There was a cross stitch store in the small city where I went to college, full of charts of teddy bears and hearts and 14 count aida in a rainbow of colors.  Should I have studied more and cross stitched less?    

Probably!  

After stitching for years on 14 count, I made the change to higher count linen.  I loved my new  stitching look and discarded all my left over 14 count cloth.   

Recently someone gifted me a piece of 18 count.  I was never a fan of 18 count, what was I going to do with it? 

 I had printed out Pamela's free chart "BELIEVE"  (found HERE at Our Pioneer Homestead)  

I used 3 strands of hand dyed floss, stitched over 2 threads and backed the pillow with felted wool.  By stitching this way, the design measures approximately 5 1/2" by 15".  This was a perfect use for the 18 count!  Thank you Pam.  

Back to my usual higher count linen for this Stacy Nash design - Netty's Sampler Pinkeep Drum.  

This one still needs a bath in coffee to darken it a little bit.  

October word play by With thy Needle and Thread stitched on 32 count linen.  

I used hand-dyed floss on this pillow too - floss from Victorian Motto Sampler Shop - HERE

Here's the confession part - 

1.  There aren't enough hours in the day for me to keep up with my blog friend Marly of Samplers and Santas.  

2.  Her post showing off her Prairie Schooler Santas (found HERE) still has me drooling.  You MUST click the link and see her wonderful tree.  

3.  I haven't stitched on 14 count in at least 15 years, remember I'm a cross stitch snob!   

Using the Father Christmas Chart and 14 count I stitched my first 8 Santa's.  

I actually enjoyed stitching on 14 count again.  I think it might have something to do with the fact that I need bifocals....  

The Santa's are now sitting in my UFO pile.  I've come to the conclusion I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have a UFO pile!  

~Ann 

I don't like perfect

Our kitchen floor is made from pine.  Pine boards from Home Depot.  Plain Pine Boards.  

 I hand picked each board - my husband dug through and pulled out boards for my approval.  You will see the knots in the boards - they are all Number 2 quality.  I don't like Number 1 - I didn't want a perfect floor!  

I will tell you this floor was rather a battle between us.  My husband likes perfect.  He ofcourse would have chosen the Number 1 boards.  Since he couldn't do that, he spent quite a bit of time in preparation.  He put a tongue and groove in each board, planned a layout and nailed all the boards in place through the tongue so there would be no nails visible.  

Then came the finishing - no one was allowed to help.  He put on the gel stain by himself to get it perfect.  We used the color Pecan from Olde Century Paints.  

The floor looked perfect for some time - and then life happened.....

In front of the fridge where everyone stands, the stain/varnish have worn off

Our pivot spot,  coming off the carpet from the living room where we turn the corner to go to the basement or into the kitchen.  

 I wanted reproduction nails in the floor.  My husband wanted no part of nails in his perfect floor.  I don't nag, however every couple months I'd mention something about nails.  After letting him think about it for about a year the nails went in.  It was a family affair.  I had to drill the pilot holes exactly where I wanted each nail and the boys helped Dad pound them in.  Everytime the hammer hit the floor, Dad cringed and Mom grinned.  I LOVE the various marks in our floor.  

I will admit this floor isn't for everyone - especially if you like perfect.  If you don't like scrubbing on your hands and knees, this floor isn't for you.  I don't mop - afraid of too much moisture, it's on my knees using a well rung out rag.  I do have to vacuum out the spacing between the boards.  And there are places where there is spacing - not much but enough to collect crumbs.  

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A little progress on my hooking....our youngest is on his second day out of school.  We've never had one of our kids this sick.  Dr. said he was on his way to pneumonia when we took him in.  He hasn't moved off the couch and wants me sitting at the other end with him.  Thank goodness he "lets" me work on this! 

I need to do a little reverse hooking in the bottom right corner.  I dont' like the backwards letter R.  It's not supposed to be, just how the wool hooked up.  I'll never see anything but that R so it's coming out.  (Ok, so I don't like perfect in floors, but my crafting is a different story!)

~Ann

Finally a Finish

 I decided it was WAY past time to dig this piece out of my basket and finish it!  I stalled on it back when school started - I was debating putting in the date.  Several of you weighed in on the date debate - I appreciate your comments.  My friend Lauren, of Rugs and Pugs advised me to remove the numbers, which I did.  

I am happy with the piece as it turned out, thank you Lauren!  I decided that Lauren and I were together when I bought the pattern so I'd follow her advice.  

This pattern is from Wendy Miller of The Red Salt Box, called Easy Floral.  

The same day I purchased this pattern too - Posies in the Middle by Humble Rugs.  I've put in a few strips.....

I've been on Pinterest, studying rugs for color inspiration.  I am using different values of wool for the 3 rows in each tongue.  I've found several rugs with more of a hit and miss tongue and they are very nice.  I just can't do all sorts of different colors, I need the order of only a few colors - that's my personality!

I want a dark background for this one - I'm not sure there will be enough of a contrast between the tongues and the background - I may be doing some reverse hooking.  (groan!)  I know I'm taking out the centers of the flowers - way too light - I think......  

Hope you are staying warm this winter - it's typical NW Ohio weather here;  it snows and then warms up and melts it.  Only to repeat the process again.  

~Ann