More Updates!

It is amazing how many things I missed sharing over the last couple of posts.  I guess these next few posts will be a little of "done that ages ago" and a little of "in the now".  

What seems like ages ago (which in reality was 3 weeks ago) I went to my favorite local antique store.  I had in mind to concentrate on stitching/sewing related items as the Annual Quilt Show was going on and vendors at the antique store usually cater their displays to event in town.  I came away with 3 wooden bobbins, 2 small oil cans and a pair of vintage scissors.  The bobbins are always a find as so many were just destroyed (burned) when the mills closed.    A few years ago I found a book on the history of wooden bobbins and it has been really fun to identify what type of bobbin I have and how it was used.  I've even have 1 or 2 considered to be rare finds.  

I signed up during the summer for the swap with Primitive Hare.  Rules are that it must be stitched on linen, must be a design from her Prim Atmospheres and has to be finished in some fashion.  It is to be shipped so it arrives before Thanksgiving and posted with tracking.  I knew from the very beginning that this was the design I wanted to stitch.  I can't count the number of times I've been interrupted while counting and had to restart.  Although to be useful this needs to be made into a necklace to hang around ones neck when counting to ward off interruptions it is not my choice for finishing.  Finish to be unveiled in a future post.

I learned something while stitching this piece.  I have been stitching so much 25 count over 1 with 1 thread lately that when I started stitching this on 40 count with 1 thread over 2 I did not like the coverage.  It seemed a bit sparse to me.  Thankfully I decided within a few stitches that I was going to like it so much better with 2 threads of 2 on 40 count.  I'm so happy with the way it turned out.    

Speaking of Primitive Hare - I'm making wonderful progress on Red Riding Hood.  I can't wait to finish this one to see if the frame I want to use looks as good with the red once stitched as it did with the skein of floss in hand.  It was so nice of the framer to loan me her display moulding for a couple of days to find the perfect floss.

Received the newest edition of Just Cross Stitch in the mail a few days ago.  I have to say there are several designs in this issue I would like to stitch.  First issue in a long time that had more than a single design that appealed to me.

I also forgot to share that I've signed up for an Advent SAL with iStitch.  You can read about it here.  (http://istitchaholic.blogspot.com).  I do know it is a band sampler done in 3 colors.  We will receive a piece of the design December 1 through 24.  I can blame this on Teresa (http://atwillowtreepond.blogspot.com) as she is the one who asked if I had seen it.  I already have a pretty good idea what fabric I want to use as well as my color choices for the red, green and white.  I would love to use 25 count over 1 but the design is over 2 on 40 count with over 1 stitching in the design as well.  Kind of rules out over 1 stitching the whole project when you don't know if you will be able to alter the design for the over 1 stitching to make it work.

Today I splurged and bought the Magic Trackpad for my Mac computer.  It works more like a laptop for navigating compared to the mouse I'm used to using.  I'm not good with navigating my husband's laptop at all so there are skills to be learned.  Hopefully I will have it down really soon to make it easier for me to assist/teach my husband on using his laptop.

Lastly, 

I am 8 days away from walking the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure here locally in memory of my mom.  Last year's time was a bit slower than usual for me as was walking with my niece (and family which involved pushing a stroller) and nephew.  As no one has signed up to walk with me this year, I'll be on my own and can put the pedal to the metal.  Depending on where I start in the crowd I'm hoping for under an hour this year.