Cold weather causes these things

Cold weather causes time to find things. Time to find this little tea towel in the stuff I rummaged through at Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It was thrown in a 3 buck pile of tea towels. It had to go home with me. I liked the edging, the rose color threads, the place for a monogram at one end. This is the after pic. After ironing, and ironing, and ironing........but I had the time.

This was on the tightly folded linen. The original tag. Anybody ever found one of these before?

To say it was wrinkled when I unfolded it, is to say the least. I would love to know how old it is.

But I ironed them all out and now have it on my table. This is the before pic.


Cold weather causes Abbie to seek and bring her leg warmers to us now. She has tried every trick now to go outside and play in the snow.

And cold weather causes husbands to have big appetites.......

Bodyguard went to town in the old pickup truck, or what we call the SSCheverlet because it's big..........and slid up the road and struggled to get to Wendy's for take-out. If he hit anybody in this big truck, I feel sorry for them! It's a big one.

Before he left he asked me what I wanted which was a potato and a salad only. I had eaten barbeque for late lunch and wasn't hungry. But when he came in with this bag, somebody was doggone hungry!-----Hey, it's all 0% Trans Fats.....so that makes it all fine, right? hehehehehe

I've never seen a Wendy's bag this large......I mean I've seen Ann Taylor, Victoria Secret, Bath and Body Works or any place but dinner for 2 people........I laughed.

But he did work hard today chopping wood and carrying it all up to the porch. Look in the very back of the picture and you will see an audience of 2.
Back and forth
And back again.
I'm glad I don't have to do this chore.

We still have ice on the ground but not like the pictures I've seen all over the country! Lots of snow and ice. I stayed inside and finished load number 15 of laundry. I washed it all and now I have to fold and hang all of it. I think I waited a bit long to do the laundry this time...........It may be tomorrow night before I put it all away! I didn't realize I had so many clothes. Oops.....did I really say I have too many clothes? Mark this date on your calenders. LOL

Strategies for Saturday

Baby, it's still cold outside! This morning about 2am, I couldn't sleep so I put this together for the upcoming Emma project. This is the first time I have used the Sajou thread card and the DMC threads were a challenge to get through those little holes. But, they look so pretty. I can't wait to see the design. My linen and floss are ready!

This card is cool because on the backside of it you can pencil in your numbers and then erase for your next project. I tested it out and it really works well. I tried to write neatly but the medical field has worsened my handwriting terribly over the years. You should see the grocery lists and BG trying to read them. This past week, he calls me from the grocery store and says "On this list what is the word to the side kinda sideways and says cheap....something.....?" Yep, it's not too good.


This morning out my window the ice is still on the ground. We have some icicles on the back side of the house that I saw as I just made coffee and had already downloaded my pics.
But the sun is shining bright. The high today is supposed to be around 27.


I hope to get this piece Vintagey after drinking my coffee this morning and letting some cool in a pan.
About 1am, I finally cleaned up my work area. This is one of 3 work areas in my family room. That's sad isn't it! LOL

Oh, please, please, look at this. I was searching through one of my stash boxes and forgot about this piece I picked up for 60% off this past year at The Dogwood Patch, now the Stitch Store.
Wouldn't this make a good Valentiney gift?
If I smoke my needles through Northanger Abbey and the Emma Project, maybe, just maybe I could squeeze this one in.
I have someone special in mind that needs to read this. This needs Weeks Dye threads which some I have and some not. So, I will inventory. You can use DMC but the effect would not be the same as this picture here.

So, my days of up till 2am, sleep till 10am are slowing to an end. Tonight I will gradually try to get myself back to a normal work week sleep schedule........right.........LOL

Have a great warm day somewhere nice and cozy. I just watched the weather channel again......and they say 80% of the country got snow yesterday and is under an Artic Blast.
Maybe this will delay the Global Warming issue now. ;)

Jennifer

Two finished Valentine Pillowkeeps, vintage-style

After much thought, I decided to finish the Be Mine by The Sampler Girl vintagey instead of leaving it white. I also stitched another one today by Primitive Betty's which is also a freebie at her blog site. This one says "Oh Sweet Valentine". I saw it this morning on her site and decided to stitch it today.
I went back into my thread jar and on the Primitive Betty freebie #1 I used some blue for the peacock. I also finished freebie #2 from Primitive Betty's site which says "Valentine" but I haven't aged it yet so stay tuned tomorrow.

This was before aging with coffee. I really debated hard on keeping it white or dying it. There's not much stark white in my house, so I tried these two tonight and I really like them.
The following pictures may not occur in order......sorry, this computer is not like my old one and there may be duplicates I can't remove. Anyway.......................

This is the finished Valentine freebie #2 from Primitive Betty's blog site.
This is the pretty fabric before which I could easily have kept white with white linen but.........you know I changed my mind at the last minute.......it happens sometimes lately.

Here's my pan, just an old cookie sheet of which I poured some old coffee leftover from the perculator this morning in the bottom and then took a deep breath and threw them in there!

After soaking and rinsing them, I then soaked again for a few minutes. I didn't soak it but about 10 minutes max. Different linens will take up the stain faster sometimes so you have to just work with it until you have achieved the color you want. Remember that usually (usually) the linen will dry slightly lighter. So for a really, really vintagey, old look I just take the grounds with my fingers and rub like I am in First Grade with a new pack of Crayola's. Speaking of that, I start to remember sitting in the corner in the "No Fun Chair" in my kindergarten because I couldn't stop using my crayons when I was supposed to......LOL Ok, back to the present..........

I'm preheating the oven here. I recommend 200 instead because I almost scorched the bottom of my linen. Again, watch it. I really didn't let it get all the way dry. I left the coffee grounds on the linen until dry, then brush them off----that's if you want a really aged look.

More coffee and cookie sheets (with alot of stains, sorry). I knew how this would turn out because I cut a inch piece and tested it beforehand. I loved the change in color.


Rub, rub, rub. I wouldn't recommend rubbing this red floss very much. There was a slight bit of color stain around it but only my Virgo self probably can see it. Of course this floss is DMC. Overdyed threads are not color-fast, therefore if you want vintagey linen and use overdyed's, always stain your linen first before stitching.


Inserted in the oven here for a brief 10 minutes max.
Lots of pressing and cutting out seams so a little of the heart fabric would show up in the front.
I had an old ball of yarn that Thomas brought to my attention as I was in the basement at the sewing machine and he was perusing the basement, lounging all over my laundry piles and stuff......LOL So, I used it and my and an old red button for a little accent.
Don't they look sweet together?
My hands still smell like coffee right now! ;)
One thing I want to do is to finish staining Primitive Betty's freebie "Valentine" that I stitched tomorrow to add to my basket. I plan to cut out some fabric hearts and sew them to also add to a larger wooden bowl when I'm finished. This is definitely keeping my mind busy and I need to keep my mind busy right now.
Have a great restful night.
Jennifer

Frozen Friday

Abbie begged me in her fashionable sweater from Tarjae to go out in the dusting of snow yesterday about 4:30p when it all started. It looked promising with big snowflakes but at first it didn't stick.
No, Abbie, we are not going out in the frigid weather.

She continued to beg and so I felt sorry for her and she snuck over and got a few shredded wheats from Ren's snack. Yes, Ren likes Frosted Shredded Wheat but he had finished and taking his 29th nap of the day by 5pm. So guess what I found.

The Paper Shredder turned Frosted Wheat Shredder

yep, busted. I read her the Miranda rights at that time and she opted to get an attorney before she could further defend herself.

This morning was not much more snow here but I'm watching TV and it looks like Atlanta got more than we did.

This morning out my bedroom window.
Yesterday at 5pm out my bedroom window.

Raven liked it. She got a extra large treat which actually looked like twisted rubber Twizzlers and was happy for the day.

Again, this is the pic from yesterday afternoon. Just a powdery picture.

And this also happened at about 4:30pm on the TV. My previous camera always took good pics of the TV. They were clear and colorful; however, I guess I have learned the function on my present one as when looking through the lens a constant black line rose higher and higher, over and over, almost making me dizzy. But, I caught a few no-brainer statements from our ......Commander in Chief. He made the earth-shattering statements that "even the best intelligence can't identify every individual who would us harm." To decipher that statement he really meant" hey.... don't blame me, --it just happens"

Another brilliant suggestion is "Strengthening criteria used to put people on watch and no-fly lists". Duh?
It gets even more earth-shattering new news. He says "We have disrupted plots at home and abroad". Now, that really was a no-brainer Mr. President. Ya think? I think that's a nice way to put it actually.

He is "urging greater use of screening technology including scanners."

I think that his brain has stretched too much here. At this point, I turned the rock-shattering news off. I couldn't stand any more narcisism.
If that sounds cynical, sorry. I'm completely frustrated with him. I can't imagine where we will be in 3 more years with his slow unrealistic thinking.

At least he didn't talk about Global Warming as a priority above security right now. I guess the winter chill has convinced him we are not melting right now. LOL