Stuff and Thangs

The Walking Dead fans will recognize the reference in the title of this post, others will read it as my Okie accent bleeding through!

Lots of stuff has happened while I was off gathering myself. I finished Merry Sunshine:

Design ~ Merry Sunshine

Designer ~ La D Da

Fabric ~ 32 count Daffycat-Dyed Lugana

Fiber ~ Gentle Arts

I adore this finish. Merry was such a pleasure to stitch. I really enjoy stitching letters and words and La D Da really made some fun ones to stitch!

I got another tattoo:

The verse reads:

Take a Breath

Gently Blow

Spread Your Dreams

Let Them Grow

A little tribute to my Mom (who loved growing things) inspired by Silver Creek Samplers design "Dandy Dreams." Have I shocked you? Have I even ever mentioned I like tattoos???

I also taught myself to cuff too-short jeans into capri pants, as shown in the picture.

I think maybe I freaked everyone out enough for one day!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Two Frogs

 I created two frogs on Merry Sunshine the other day. I couldn't bear to look at the "Cornhusk" Sun and Moon any longer so I frogged both of them and restitched in "Grecian Gold" instead. I know the "Cornhusk" was an excellent match to the DMC but on my very dark fabric, it did not look good.

Frogged thread is so curly!

Gosh, now the Stars look so pale! They may need a darker color as well. What do you think?

Oh, hey! Look at that Big Purple Dress! It even has it's pompoms on the bottom now. This is getting close to a finish...if I can keep from frogging, that it!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

The Big (swoon) Purple Dress is nearly finished! I think I got too swept up in sewing machine restoration and dawdled on my stitching. I've only stitched on Monday's for a while now. Since stitching is my stress relief, I find myself keyed up a little.

Monday's are spent at my parent's house. My Mom has Lewy Body dementia and Dad is her full-time caretaker. I help watch my Mom and visit with my Dad. He runs errands or messes about outside. The nurse aid comes to give Mom her shower. Dad and I often sit and chat while I stitch. 

We usually have lunch and it's usually Thai. I make Dad pick our lunch 'cause he's the one stuck at home 24/7. We both love Thai, extra spicy. I look forward to Monday's but I wish we lived closer so I could visit more often. 

Probably 90% of Merry Sunshine has been stitched at Dad's kitchen table! I should lay off my Kindle and stitch more at home. 

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Late ORTs

I'm late with our Totally Useless Stitch A Long post! I was so tired yesterday I didn't even turn on the computer. I think I napped in my chair all day! But here I am now and my ORTs are all purple:

I have been a lazy stitcher the past few weeks and haven't finished that (swoon) big purple dress. I have also been a bad blogger with the lack of posts too. 

Last Thursday our meteorologists were tracking a cold front and noticed radar was picking up the migration of Monarch butterflies on their way to Mexico ahead of the front. How cool is that? Can you imagine so many butterflies they look like a line of storms on the radar? People were posting photos of their trees just full of butterflies. I didn't see any at my house. Boo.

=^..^=

Now it is YOUR turn...we want to see your ORTs! Leave a comment on this post with a link to your October TUSAL post so we can come to visit! If I hold a Totally Useless giveaway your comment will earn you an extra entry.

Wondering what a TUSAL is and why all these people are posting pictures of rubbish? Click here to learn more and join the fun!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

May I Borrow a Cup of Sugar?

I made really good progress on Merry Sunshine yesterday at my Dad's house. My mom was occupied with the nurse assistant for her shower and dad spent a lot of time clipping bushes so I got the left side of the (swoon) big purple dress outlined. 

I will work on getting the right side done and the lacey bottom hem filled in, then it will be easy-peasy fill-in stitches. You know how I love zen stitching!

Now, about that cup of sugar...

For the past month, I've been putting out about four cups of nectar every day for these little beepers. Can you see, there are six hummingbirds on this nearly empty feeder? This is right outside the window over my kitchen sink. I've never had so many hummingbirds! I've tried counting but can only get around ten or twelve before I lose track of who got counted...they just zip around too much! They are so much fun and I will miss them when they go south in a few weeks.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Totally Useless Box

Hello TUSALers! It's the New Moon! Let us see your ORTs! Mine are a little different this time:

Lindsay gave me this little box many years ago and it's always been used as my travel ORT container that also holds my pinkeep, scissors, and extra needles. Right after last month's New Moon, I started saving my ORTs in it since my year-to-date jar is so full. After the pic was taken I put them in that jar and I'll show it in December. I tote this box to Dad's house each week and occasionally he asks, "What is it you do with those again?" LOL

=^..^=

Now it is YOUR turn...we want to see your ORTs! Leave a comment on this post with a link to your September TUSAL post so we can come to visit! If I hold a Totally Useless giveaway your comment will earn you an extra entry.

Wondering what a TUSAL is and why all these people are posting pictures of rubbish? Click here to learn more and join the fun!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Pigtails and Polka Dots

Here is a quick update on my Merry Sunshine. The crazy hair was a blast to stitch, HaHaHa! Then I started on (swoon) that purple dress. When I reached the polka dots, I realized it'd be easier to count between dots than to count purple stitches so I started on those. All 34, yes, thirty-four of them! I think I've ten left to go, whew! Then I can get back to (swoon) that purple dress.

I think I expected this to take me much longer than it has so far. Or maybe it's just so much fun to stitch I lost track of time? I do know I would have gotten more done if my library holds didn't all become available at the same time! And giant puzzles that needed finishing. Sewing machines to restore. Who has time to get bored?

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Merry Sunshine

Ta-da! My new WIP is Merry Sunshine by La D Da! I've had this in my stash for ages...about time I get to work on it!

When I was a girl, I had a record player and a small stack of albums. One of my records was nursery rhymes set to music and sung. Merry Sunshine was one of the tracks. I loved that album and played it well into my teens...it was one of my "house cleaning" records, along with Disney's Mary Poppins, and played whenever I cleaned my room. I wish I could hear it again, alas, it isn't in my album stack any longer, although Mary Poppins is still there.

Here is my progress so far! 

Whoa, that first border was long! I bet I counted it a dozen times or more. I just don't trust myself. Not even when using pins. 

I've been fooled before.

This last photo shows the fabric color a little better. I am really liking the Gentle Arts threads I chose so far. I freaking can't wait to start stitching that giant dress. That giant PURPLE dress! I love it!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox