To Everything There Is a Season and Purpose

Hello and Yes.....it's been awhile, 18 months or so since my last post. For the last 13 months I have been recovering from a major car accident. I was on the interstate on January 16, 2018 going to a new job that I know I would have loved for sure when my life changed in a crash. I don't remember much of the first 3 months except getting a concussion again a month later falling down stairs from vertigo. It has been a tough year but I'm so much better now. I had to go through months of speech therapy to basically learn how to speak again. It left me with a TBI and stuttering/stammering. Needless to say that was very isolating but I've since on most days sound normal again but if I'm tired or anxious I still may stammer or stutter.
At the TBI center I went through alot of memory work and still make it a point daily to exercise my brain using apps, games, reading, knitting, writing, etc.
For a long time I wondered why on Earth would God allow this to happen but then I remembered that everything happens for a reason and I may never truly know but............I do know whatever it is God will make it for the good!
Being grateful is top priorty!

Things I learned from the experience:

• life is short. Don't take one day for granted.
• God allows things to happen for a reason. We have to trust Him to heal us and prepare us for the next step in life.
• Persistance is crucial. Its 2 steps forward and 1 step back.
• We are stronger than we think we are.
• Don't take speech for granted.
• Make lists, and more lists
• write everything down!
• not everyone will understand but that's ok.
• do everything your doctor tells you. Everything.

I could go on and on but to keep it shorter, let's just say I'm lucky I'm alive. Although the journey is long, I have been through most of it. I'm more aware of things that matter. People that matter and those that really are draining.

The cross stitch bug is biting me again lately. I'm frequently torn between knitting and cross stitching samplers. I love both!!!!

I also started an ebay business last Summer that is doing quite well. 

I'm in the process or organizing a knit group. 

Alot going on but I'm so ready for Spring!!!!! 

And ummm........flipping through some ideas online and considering moving this in our kitchen for functional use. Found a really neat You Tube video of kitchen decor and functional use of the Sellers Hoosier cabinet that would work well in our house too and allow me to use the flour sifter in the middle (built in) and the extended ceramic top for baking needs.

Yep, this may just get a new purpose in the kitchen.

I think Mr. Darcy did a good job at refinishing this cabinet years ago.

Here's to new purposes on a Monday!!! ✍

The Scarlett Letter Sampler Finished and Framed

This week I finished up the Antique Alphabet Sampler by The Scarlett Letter. I enjoyed the color and variety of the silks that were in the package.

 So one more WIP completed from my stash!

 

 

The measurements the sampler called for did not turn out to be the ones on linen but it's all good!

 

 

 

 

The Antique Alphabet Sampler

designer, The Scarlett Letter

 

25 count unbleached linen

silk thread supplied in kit

stitched 1 over 1 as directions in kit

 

I framed this myself with hubbie's help as well. This frame I had in my stash, found once in a junkin' store and contained a very old black and white photo of a young man dressed in late 18th century clothing. He was quite dapper! It was not until I peeled the paper off and removed the old wire they had for hanging that I saw a name and date.

 

There are slightly rusty nails that held the picture in. I actually used them again to hold in the sampler on a board piece.

 

The frame has one ding in it and also 2 of the joints are not tightly flush but this is what you get with vintage frames and to me it adds character.

I often wonder when I find such items, who the person was, was he a local or did the framed picture migrate from estate auctions to the junkin' store from states away?

I had the picture but misplaced it and I'm sure it's somewhere in my stitching space.

 

 

The rest of the frame has been well preserved. If this young man, who appeared to be no older than 25 years old, was truly born and died in the years written, the frame would date to be mid 18th century.

 I paid 2.00 for the frame. I'm glad I can repurpose this with a small sampler.

 

Something right off that also told me later this frame was old was the odd dimensions. It is not a true to size 5 x 7 but more like 4 3/4 x 6 3/8.

I know that frames can be made to fit certain pieces individually but there was quite a bit of space around him in the picture.

All in all, I like the walnut wood and will treasure it on my sampler wall in the family room.

 

 

I have one from the Scarlett Letter on the far left bottom that is actually part 1 of a two part sampler. I already have the matching frame for the second sampler and had started it long ago. When I complete this one, I will need to rearrange my sampler wall in this room a bit.

 

 

This is the next WIP in my stash I picked up. The NPI silks are gorgeous for this coverlet piece. This one is designed by The Scarlett HOUSE........a different designer than above.

I miss counted 2 threads off to start the head of the bird so I am frogging out back to the neck and restarting, hoping to get the count right. Just 2 threads off would have put it off in appearance.

 

 

This one when finished will most likely be framed very similarly as above in the picture.

 

 

Abbie is finally getting some peaceful time.

 

 This week has been a real chaotic time but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank heavens for homeowners insurance but OMG at the deductible and at such a bad time... (really when is a good time LOL)

The pipe that burst is cleaned all up. The hammers and machines that sound like jets have ceased, just for a little bit. The new flooring for the kitchen will be on order tomorrow but will take a week to come in. This project has propelled my sweet hubbie and I to be able to do some re arranging in the house for our needs and more practical.

The kitchen island although very useful 10 years ago with teenagers at the time, now is going to the utility room in the basement for storage of linens, quilts, and the big counter top for folding.

The wood table that really was an eye sore in the basement will be repurposed with a little oil based painting and cutting down the legs to a picnic area outside looking over the mountains on the property. My DH will build benches for it.

The kitchen will have a large braid rug with our table for cozy eating for 2, 4 or 8 actually.

And on and on with re-establishing our home to fit our basic needs.

 

I think all in all it will be more functional. The guest bedrooms will be also rearranged for better function. We also will have some painting to do maybe in the kitchen cupboards.

 

Feathering the nest is quite a job but as long as love is in the home, it's worth every bit and we feel so blessed to have a home.

 

Hope your weekend is a good one.

 

Jennifer

 

 

Thrifty Thursday---Old Sterling and Tortoise shell knitting needles

These were dull and I shined them with a silver polishing cloth. They have an F monogram. I really like them. I do not know what size exactly they are but probably a 5-7. The ends also are silver.

They are 13 inches long. Marked STERLING on the back of the holder. This dates them to be quite old as most sterling is marked .925 in the past years.

The tips are still good and functional.

seen anything like these?  any guess at what year?

And to add to something I started this morning, I have another silvery bling scarf started.

 

This is Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in the colorway Constellation

 

Using my number 13 glass straights for this one.

I like my circular needles but didn't have a number 13 in my stash except these glass ones.

So all is bling and bright here on the homestead!

 

So many chores to do today, but later this evening methinks I will be knitting by the woodstove watching a Christmas movie.

 

It's nice and sunny here in the mountains today but quite cold.

Sipping my second cuppa,

Jennifer

My day came to a hault yesterday but.......I have a NEW stitching chair

without telling you a long sad story of how my eye got this way........the consequences of domestic violence years past still follow me daily. I've often been told that something will either kill you or make you stronger and through all eye trouble due to being hit in it so much in younger years, I hope I live to see judges REALLY hold domestic violence perpetrators responsible for the sequelae they induce that go on years and years. I'm a surviver, not a victim. As a survivor, I hope one day that real justice is served for men who choose to hit.

However, besides glaucoma, yesterday I woke up with really bad deep eye socket pain. I took some pain meds, went on with the day and it kept getting worse and worse until I called my eye doc to look, I knew something was wrong and losing my eyesight is a fear almost like no other for me. So I drove from work to the eye doc who is fixing to stop accepting my insurance so that's a whole different ball of wax.

The light from the windshied was really increasing the nerve pain but she looked and did a stain test. I knew I had an old scar on my cornea from a certain individaul's rants in the distance past but I tend to sleep with my eyes half-way open so if they become dry it's a problem. So happens to be in the same eye as I have glaucoma. The glaucoma is doing ok with the eye drops to make sure the pressure is lower. But this, a corneal ulcer is not what I expected to happen. Evidently my eyes were so dry that my eyelid stuck to the cornea and ripped off the surface of the scar on the cornea so I had to put meds in and sleep with an eye mask and will have to for 2 weeks.

 Needless to say, I'm determined to keep stitching, reading, writing, but rest my eyes when I can. The pharmacy is getting the med in today at noon. I just had a sample to get me through the night.

HOWEVER, on much better thoughts, I wanted you show you my new stitching chair. It was a find at an antique store for only 60.00. I fell in love with it. It is OLD!. The trim was loosened but Body Guard is going to fix that. He wiped it down good and took the tiny wheels off the bottom so it wouldn't tear up the hardwood floor. It looks low now but it's actually MUCH better stitching position with my needlework stand. And it's comfy for the hiney too. They actually labed it The Cross stitch Chair!
One call and BG brought his truck over and helped me get this beaufy. It looks good in the house and actually better as the other chair blocked alot of light from the window.

Take a looksee:

The really bright sun is not helping cooperate with good pic taking this morning.

I stitched this pillow with my initial back in 1981 (YIKES)

I love it.

I worked a little more night before last on the inner border as well just to get a feel for how Ann Hill would be bordered. If eyes cooperating today, I hope to get more work on her done.

The kit has DMC floss, no numbers, just description, so I put through my Sajou thread card and penciled in the color names as a guide.

And even with eye patch on, I plan to perservere today and work on stitching in this very chair! ;)

And the first person to contact me was Pat M. and she has been notified as I continue to clean out the Aida and old patterns to send. Stay tuned because I may have other things down the road.

I hope your Thursday goes well, you have good "sight", and pleasant company.

And remember. Never, ever, give up.

Moving and grooving in the Summertime, to keep or not to keep

Today went VERY fast!  A bit on the tired side but oh so thankful to my friend Dot, who unfortunately moved (fortunate for her so I'm happy for her) but had some furniture that I was so very thankful for the opportunity to purchase from her.

In my never-ending nesting in our spot of the woods, I knew exactly where I would put these pieces. Right now, they are hanging out in the basement level which is undergoing a bit of reconstruction. Please excuse the mess surrounding the pieces but if you are like me and LOVE antiques and older colonial pieces of furniture, you will see why I did a happy dance!!!

Please excuse the mess around it (sigh)

Right off the dolly into the basement. I love it and will treasure it forever.

She has been so good to us in the past 8 years and is my Godmother. The armoire is old but in very good condition, as all her furniture is. Great storage space.

Three pieces of colonial pine furniture as well!

Basement floors still unfinished but sooner rather than later will be finished with something---anything at this point. ;)

There is another cabinet I simply couldn't photograph as it was in an awkward way off the truck. I plan to paint it and use it for storage as well.

See those big AC ducts above....yeppers, ALL of that is coming out in the next month as the AC unit is hanging on a thread for the 2 lower levels. Furnace is toast. So, the ductwork will be replaced as well, as the AC guy said that as old as it is, probably needs it plus the new furnace will be much smaller than our old, big one.

And so, the stimulus for me to continue to part with items to make room for a good cleaning before all this is taken down. Floors last. I can only imagine the mess this will all stir up, but it will be worth it in the end.

My office space also got a new computer and printer. It's about time to be able to rely on a printer better!

And that space of the basement is already my spot to study, do paperwork if needed, research, read, just hang out, etc.

I do have a bit of old patterns and Aida cloth pieces that I know I will not use as I stitch only on linen and I'm sighing between what to do with it. Where should it go?  Anybody still use Aida cloth and need some?

Interested in really old patterns? (I mean OLD!)

It has to go to a new home, if not, I will donate along with Body Guard's 1980 something "casual white dinner coat" and other stuff I have that should have left a good while ago.

Email me if you are interested. First come, first serve on the Aida pieces and old patterns. I will pay shipping. I still am working on the box I'm putting these in.

Last night I also got into organizing fat quarters and fabric and MAN, did I EVAH have lots of it!!!!

But that, dear friends, will stay close to home. ;)