Nashville

The beautiful city of Nashville has been my home for over 44 years. This past weekend we, the citizens of Middle Tennessee, experienced the worst rain storms in our history. This wasn't connected to a hurricane, it was just supposed to be strong thunderstorms. No big deal for the Southeast, we get them all the time in the spring and summer. Heck, we even deal with tornados with little warning.

But the tornados are somewhat isolated, they don't effect a third of a state. The storms dumped more water on us in a 48 hour period than had ever happened before. And it caught everyone by surprise.

Billions of dollars of damage has been done. Nineteen lives were lost - at last count. There may be more once the waters recede. It will take months, perhaps years, for things to go back to normal. But they will.

My brother sent me a link to an essay by Patten Fuqua, on the blog Section 303, which is usually devoted to the Nashville Predators hockey news and commentary. This beautiful essay, We Are Nashville, sums up what happened to Nashville - and why you may or may not even be aware of the scope of this disaster - in the most eloquent way I've yet to read.

And a haunting video, documenting the situation as of May 2. It got worse.



Say it loud, say it proud: We Are Nashville!

Weather and purple hair

So last weekend, I dodged tornados in northern Alabama to go to Redneck Mecca and watch the race at Talladega. We sat waaaay over toward Turn 1, just a bit past the start finish line. There is a tiny red arrow attempting to point to our general location.


We were way up in the nose bleed section - good seats actually. Great race, didn't care for the winner, but he did it the old fashion way and slingshotted himself into victory lane.


This weekend, just because I wanted to, I dyed part of my hair purple. I'm lovin' it. Thanks, PP, for the hair color! I'll probably do more went this fades a bit.


Last weekend it was tornados in Alabama, this weekend it's tornados and flooding at home. This is unlike anything I've seen here in I don't know when. The local news had pictures of dozens of cars and trucks submerged in water that covered one of the local interstates. Even from my front porch I've never seen water this high in the 26 years we'be been at this location.




Last time I saw the neighbor's trash can, it had sailed half a block away and then took a left down a flooded stream. They'll probably never see it again.


Everyone stay warm and safe and dry!

TUSAL for April

It's new moon time again (plus a few days) and that means it's time to post my progress in Dragon My Needle's Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long. This month, instead of embroidery floss and a cheerful kitty I present cotton yarn and a sour puss. (Really, Bob, I'm sorry about that incident earlier in the day.)

The needles I usually work with are about 1 1/4 inches long. I like the petites since you can stitch longer without reloading.

The needle I've been working with lately, though, is 5 inches long. Some difference, huh?

A friend's late mama was a crafty woman and he let me go through her stash and take what I wanted. One of the items was an old Weave-It loom. I had never used one before but it looked like something fun to try. This loom was first invented in the early 1930's by Donald Simonds but this one is probably from the 1950's - around the time she would have been starting married life. [Note: The more modern (circa 1998) Weavette loom was produced by Licia Comforti's Buxton Brook store after she bought rights to manufacture it. There's an article in the March/April 2010 Piecework magazine featuring Weave-It work.] The box contained the 4"x4" loom and instruction sheet but did not have a weaving needle. The LNS had a 5 inch weaving needle that seems to work fine, though a 6 inch one would be better.

I purchase several balls of Sugar'n Cream cotton yarn for weaving. It works well and had a good hand when completed. The 120 yard balls are good for 13 squares and a bit left over. I used the leftovers to make a multicolored square. Looks nice but I didn't enjoy tying off the ends to change colors. Oh, well. Got'sta take the bad with the good. I'm half way through the second ball (the third one is pink) and realize that it will take a few more balls to make the afghan I'm shooting for. I'll post pictures when I've got something to show for it.

Oh, and one other thing about these little squares: they make a lovely 9 count even weave fabric. I see embroidering (or at least cross-stitching) on these in the future!

TUSAL for March and a Craft Weekend

Whoops. I'm getting really bad at posting my TUSAL in a timely manner. My excuse this time is I was in Cincinnati over the weekend and went to bed early Monday trying to get over the triple whammy of time change for daylight saving time and Eastern time back to Central and not getting to bed before 4am all weekend. Yeah, lame, but that's what I've got to offer. The drab offerings in the TUSAL bottle are all dark brown and all from the "Get Over" piece I finished earlier this month. I need to do some more stitching to get some more goodies in my bottle. The TUSAL really is fun...and you can join in over at Yoyo's Dragon My Needle.

My trip to Cinci was to meet PP for the first time. We've been email buddies for over five years and we'd never spoken in all that time. On a whim, we decided to meet before the busy season for PP at work. We spent the weekend doing wonderful things like crafting, shopping for craft supplies and poking around in thrift stores. Weekends don't get much better than that!

PP is very good at paper crafts such as ATCs (Artist Trading Cards that are the size of baseball cards) and inchies (one inch squares.) She brought tons of paper crafting supplies to the weekend meet up and we had a blast using them.



Lucky for us, the tables in our hotel rooms were on casters. To make for a perfect crafting environment, some remodeling was called for. We rolled the table and chair from P's room down to mine and positioned them back to back. We then spread out and let the fun begin.

I hadn't done any modern paper crafting, ATCs and Inchies were new to me. P was very patient, showing me how to do things, how inks were used, and all the hows and whys of using the tools and supplies for paper crafting and stamping. This is my first ATC. The picture was one that I found at Foundmagazine.com (link to picture here) many moons ago. I love this picture and it was what first came to mind when thinking of making an ATC. I'm pleased with the outcome and may frame it. 8D

We also made some inchies. As the name indicates, they are one inch square little bits of art. As with ATCs, there are no rules - it's art and art should have no rules. In addition to all the goodies P brought for crafting, we had a bonanza of pictures and words from travel brochures we picked up in the hotel lobby and a few from a rest area I visited on the way to Cinci.

After a day of shopping and some lunch at a disappointing Chinese buffet, we went back to the hotel and I taught P how to do punchneedle embroidery. Most of the time P + sharp needles = blood and cussing (her words, not mine) but she and punchneedle got along well. I had kitted up a little punchneedle project for her with punchneedle tools, an embroidery hoop, fabrics, flosses and a Camel Snus tin. I free-handed a few mushrooms and used a transfer pencil to put them on weaver's cloth. After showing P the basics, she easily got the hang of punchneedle embroidery and created a sweet mushroom with a blue cap with green spots and brown gills. We finished the project Saturday evening Sunday morning and I gave her a quick little lesson in finishing it into a topper for the Camel Snus tin. P plans to add some cute little pom-pom trim and possibly some blue rickrack to her tin.












Here's my punchneedle project. It does need a bit of braid or cording around the edge, but it's still cute - even if I do say so myself.

After finishing the tin, we cleaned up and packed up all the supplies and rolled P's furniture back to her room. Housekeeping was none the wiser to our redecorating.

Oh, kudos to the Drury Inn where we stayed. Very nice hotel with a manager's reception and free mixed drinks (or wine or beer or soft drinks) and food (hot dogs, chili, chip & salsa, salad, baked potatoes and veggies) in the evening and free breakfast in the morning (not that we got up in time to eat breakfast.) All for a very reasonable price. Two thumbs up!

Awesome weekend with an awesome friend! Thanks, P!

Words to Live By

I'm so happy February is over. I grieved for the passing of Captain Phil Harris, watched my guy (Ryan Newman) get taken out toward the end of the Daytona 500 (on TV not IRL) and watched as much of the Olympics as I could, including the USA losing to Canada in the gold medal hockey game.

On to better things in March.

While watching the Olympics I started and finished a project that I designed a while back. Friend DP had given me some great overdyed fabric as a gift and I'd misplaced it for a, erm, let's just say a while. I really wanted to use it on this project. It had the look of old, damaged parachment. That, and dark brown overdyed floss (with the look of old ink,) seemed to be just the thing for my latest project.



These words I first heard from my late friend, ES. They seemed like good ones to hold on to and to permanently enshrine in stitching.

So, now I'll just get over February and look forward to the rest of March.

TUSAL for February

February is the armpit of the year. For some reason, February always ends up putting me in a foul mood. Can't really say why since this year because nothing really has gone wrong or happened that was bad. I'm just cranky.

But I have been stitching, mostly working on an original pattern. I'll post the finished piece when I'm done since I don't really like posting progress pictures. Though I did take one the other day because it was somewhat amusing. You'll see later. Appropriately, most of the stitching I've been doing is with a dark brown so that's what's new in the TUSAL jar.

Fiftieth post

Just returned from a needlework class/retreat in St. Augustine, Florida. Have I mentioned that's one of the places I want to live when I win the lottery? The class was a lot of fun and we worked on some fun projects. The camera didn't make the trip with me, so no photos. Too bad. The surf, rolling in from the Atlantic, was rather awesome. Pookie went with me. He spent most of the time palling around with B & T and had a great time while I was in class.

On Saturday afternoon a handful of us when to the Lightner Museum, close to the Bride of Lions in St. Augustine. Otto Lightner was a tycoon from Chicago that made money during the Depression. He published a magazine titled Hobbies and it seems one of his was collecting. For his health, his doctor thought getting out of Chicato would be a good thing. While in St. Augustine, he noticed that there was a larger, empty hotel across from the hotel where he was staying. He thought it would be a perfect place to store/hold/show his many and varied collections. So, he bought it around 1948. Unfortunately, he died in 1950, but he left his collections and the building to the city of St. Augustine. What we went specifically to see were some beautiful antique needlework pieces, a fabulous button collection, and lovely antique laces. There was also a wealth of antique furniture and stunning glass and mineral displays. There was a LOT of stuff we didn't get around to seeing. I tried to talk Pookie into going back to day to do more looking, but he was having none of that.

Hmmm. Just notice this is the 50th post of the blog. Ay, ay, ay. They grow up so fast. That's at least 40 posts more than I ever thought would be in here. Big hug to Yoyo and all the TUSAL folks for getting me back to blogging.

Enjoy your week and keep warm and dry.

January TUSAL

I blew it. The first TUSAL for the new year and I missed the date. Phbbbbt. Well, better late than never. I could cop out to excuses of being busy at work and writing a tutorial (I'll post here soon) but, gee whiz, I just plain forgot. Most of the orts were generated by the Pat Rogers sampler. There are also some finishing snips from creating the covered binder.

Like the new quart size jar? Since last year's bottle was so full after just seven months, I figured the bigger size would be a good change when shooting for a full year of clippings.

Idea Binder

I have a binder that started its life ten years ago holding seminar materials for a software development conference. Not a very pretty thing to hold ideas and charts for future (and past) needlework ideas, but it was still in good working order. Besides, it couldn't help it if it had non-inspiring printing on it. So, I decided to doll it up a bit.

Presenting the new and improved Idea Binder!



I spent the weekend working on this idea and bringing it to life. Do you know how scary it is to take a nice sampler and start pinning, sewing and cutting on it? I learned that it is better to tape down the vinyl and needlework and then sew the opening than it is to trying pinning it all down. Trust me on this one. The tape worked so much better!

All the work was documented in pictures, I may do a tutorial on it in the future, but now, I just want to enjoy it and reload all the ideas.

First finish for 2010

Here 'tis: my first finish for 2010. This is Pat Rogers' Counted Collection A Lady's Alphabet, mentioned a couple of posts ago. This sampler gave my TUSAL bottle a nice start for the new year.

The designer's notes on the pattern mentioned that the omission of the letter V was intentional. Samplers were used as teaching vehicles in earlier times and since fabric and thread were precious, one would try to conserve and not duplicate lessons. Since the V is incorporated in the W, the V was some times omitted. Ms. Rogers did provide a chart that included the letter V, but I chose to go with the original design.

I've got an interesting finishing idea for this piece and I'll post it when it is completed.

Insomnia post

I almost always have trouble going to sleep at a decent hour, but diphenhydramine an hour before bedtime helps. Only problem is I have to remember to take it. On those occassions when I forget, I'm up until an hour after I do remember. Meh. Thank you, A&E, for Criminal Minds reruns.

The last of the handcrafted Christmas gifts has been delivered. It was a Lori Birmingham design for a scissor case and fob. The actual needlework had been finished for a while and dear friend PP even gave me some fabric perfect for the lining. What was missing was the actual finishing work and I admit I was scared of it. On second thought, scared for it would better describe my feelings. It was such a pretty thing, I was sure that badness would occur and it would be ruined while I was finishing it.

As it was, my fears were unfounded and it turned out pretty well. Oddly, the lining fabric - which is actually a lavendar color - looks way too blue in the pictures. All the rest of the colors appear true, so I'm not sure what's up with the color difference on just the lining.



I love to learn new stitches and techniques when working on projects and this project did not let me down. Interlocked slanted queen stiches were used to make a lovely lacey pattern on the scissor case. Click on the pictures to get a better look. I also loved the double running stitch laced with gold blending filament. Those can be found beneath the point on the front and in a square around the heart motif on the back.

Ok, I've got to ask: do you strip the white part away from the blending filament before you use it? I do and dont' seem to have much problem getting the filament to behave. I've had folks tell me I'm doing it wrong but, hey, if it works don't fix it! That being said, I'd still love to hear other opinions about working with blending filament and what works for you.

I really like the way the closure was worked: satin stitches were used to outline two adjacent rectangles. The interior was cut away and ribbon threaded through. A heart-shaped Swarovski AB crystal was hung from the point of the cover flap and the ribbons are tied over it. Very pretty and clever.


The fob was a bit of a challenge. I'm used to finishing fobs using the same evenweave material front and back. That makes them easier to join together. This time, though, I used the lining fabric as the backing for the fob and had to break out the sewing machine. That almost felt like cheating, but it was the only way I could see to join the two different fabrics neatly together.

Ok, the diphenhydramine has kicked in; bedtime has arrived!

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe it's 2010. Isn't that the title of a science fiction novel? Let's hope it doesn't turn into a horror show.

I spent a quiet evening at home stitching on a new project: "A Lady's Alphabet" by Pat Rogers. Several years ago I bought the pattern - already kitted up with fabric and floss - at the estate sale of a lady from Knoxville. The design is copyright 1992, not current but not old enough to be called retro or vintage, either. It was just something in my stash and I needed a new project.

Many years ago, I made a resolution to not make resolutions and it's the only one I ever kept. So, no resolutions to not buy stash or only to stitch from my stash - that's unrealistic for me - but I will make an effort to cut down on purchasing new projects and work the ones I already have.

So, enjoy a nap, a football game or stitching time. Happy new year to all!

Gifts for stitchy people and a tutorial

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas - or at least a good day.

This year I made Christmas gifts for my stitching buddies: fabric covered tape measures with matching bottle cap pincushions (thank you to VeryBigJen for her Flickr tutorial on bottle cap pincushions) and personalized magnetic needle books for most everyone. (One gal mostly knits, the other already received a different personalized needle book on an earlier occasion.)

It was a lot of fun to select fabrics, color combinations and buttons that I thought the recipient would find pleasing. It was also fun engineering the magnetic needle books. There were a few false starts on those but I finally worked it out. Would you like to see the process? Here's a tutorial on making the needle books:

Fidget's Magnetic Needlebook

What you'll need:
fabric for exterior
fabric for interior
iron-on interfacing
flat flexible magnets
sharp scissors
tweezers
iron
a sewing machine or hand needle and thread
Aleene's Jewel-It glue or a multi-purpose glue that works with fabric


Getting ready:

Cut two pieces of fabric 2 5/8" by 3 1/2". One piece is for the exterior where the stitching will be done - if you want stitching. The second piece is the interior and will be mostly covered by the magnets. Use the same material for both or don't. Do what makes you happy!

Cut four pieces of iron-on interfacing about 1" by 1 1/4". This is roughly the size of each face of the needlebook less the top-stitched edge. Adjust the size so that there is about a 1/4" open border around the edges of the material and about a 1/4" in the middle for folding.


Cut two magnetic strips 1" wide by 1 3/4" long. I bought a roll of magnetic tape that was 1" wide, so that part was easy. Unless you're making many needlebooks or have a use for the excess magnetic tape, buying a roll may not make sense. You could use the flat magnets that you find with advertising and/or calendars on them but because these are thinner you'll need to either adjust the size of the magnet (make it a bit wider) or the size of the needle book faces (make them narrower.)

If you want to add stitching to your needlebook, now's the time to do it. I centered the stitching on the bottom half of the exterior fabric so that it would be on the front cover once assembled.

Putting it all together:

Flip the interior and exterior pieces over and position the interfacing in the four quadrants of the fabric. Be sure the interfacing is bumpy side down so that it fuses with the fabric, not your iron. Iron the interfacing according to the manufacturer's instructions.


Match the interior and exterior fabrics right sides together and pin in place. Sew completely around all four edges.


Trim the seams and angle the corners. Flip the piece over so you're looking at the interior side. Take your sharp scissors and cut a slit in the center of the interfacing on one side. Make the slit large enough to turn the piece but don't go all the way to the edges. Don't worry, we'll cover the hole later.


Use your tweezers to reach into the slit and grab a corner. Gently pull the fabric and turn it right side out. Use the tweezers to poke the corners out, but be careful not to poke through the seam.


Press the piece flat.


Top stitch about 1/8" from the edge of the needlebook on all four sides. I found it easiest to set the needle position to the left and stitch counter-clockwise (or to the right and stitch clockwise) instead of at center. This allows both feeddogs to move the fabric instead of just one if you tried to stitch that close to the edge from the center needle position. Trim any loose threads.


Put the magnet faces together. If you're using a tape or flat magnet that has sticky sides, put the sticky sides to the outside - but don't peel off the backing yet. If you're using an advertisement or calender magnet, put the printed side out. Test fit the magnets to the inside of the needlebook and make any necessary adjustments to the size of the magnets. Remember to try closing the needlebook. Once you're happy with how they will sit, peel off the backing on one of the magnets and put a drop of glue on the sticky side...


and use your finger to spread it around to all the edges.


Turn the magnet sandwich over and position the gluey side inside the needlebook. I usually do the side with the slit first.


Peel off the second backing paper and apply the glue in a similar manner.


Press closed and wait for it to dry.


Taa-daa! You're done!


Add needles and repeat as necessary.