So we keep on stitching in times like this, don't we?
I did move my "sewing station" to the TV Room, as that is where the action is while Max and Esther are here visiting.
I've started embroidering over the cottage itself, and can keep steady work going in the midst of the family doings (watching "House" and playing the XBox). It's fun. Oh, and if you want a better view of that crazy quilt on the wall behind the Christmas tree, look here. Click on the image and it will get bigger.I can't "hoop" the cottage area for the embroidery, so I am using pins all the way around the printed image to stretch it taut.
Can you see the pins going all the way around the edge? This is working well.I've begun embroidering with a single strand of cotton floss around the rooflines and windows. I want to anchor everything in place this way before starting on all the leaves behind the cottage. When doing house portraits like this, it is best for me to start in the background and finish up in the foreground.
This is careful work requiring a steady rhythm, but so far is going well.
Meanwhile....all the blogs probably have their snow stories and I have mine too...except it is about ice.
As in, it is covering the entire southfacing side of the house. Remember that fine view I posted a little while back?
It is gone. Robert decided that "desperate times call for desperate measures," so he took matters in hand.
Arming his squirtgun with hot water......
He blasted a hole in the ice squirting the hot water on it.....
...so Esther could glimpse the view.Here is how it looks this morning.....
This ice will eventually fall off in sheets with marvelous crashes down below when it finally starts to warm up.Meanwhile, stay safe and warm everyone!
Yes, we have had lots of snow here in the Tacoma area, too, but thankfully our power stayed on! I'm enjoying your stitching progress! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteJackie
I suppose if I had that much ice, I'd be that desparate, too! That's amazing.
ReplyDeleteWhat you're doing with the pins makes sense to isolate the area. Many quilters will isolate areas with basting, too. I'm not sure that is ideal for this, but the pins work well.
I love following your process. It looks cozy in your family room. The quilt on the wall a perfect backdrop to your tree.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you pinning the quilt to? I have a scroll frame from my embroidery days. I've used it for things like this. It has a strip of twill that you can pin to, then tighten the tension top to bottom & pin side to side too. It works pretty well.
The ice is amazing. I wrote a paper in my college English comp. class about an ice storm we had in Michigan many years ago. It was a fascinating looking at the trees & grasses covered in ice, looking like a glass menagerie. We also had lightning & lost power for hours with that storm. Nature really put on a show for us. We were lucky to have a wood stove to keep us warm.
Happy holidays!
Thankfully, we don't have any snow or ice but it is pretty cold for Houston in the 30s. It promises to be in the high 70s by the weekend. No wonder I am sick. I tried a little stitching this morning but headed back to bed instead. Glad you are getting some stitching done-very determined, you are!
ReplyDeleteOh my!
ReplyDeleteFirst...I continue to admire your CQ project -- the outlining is lovely!
Second...Tbe first photo of Intrepid Fellow makes him look chest-deep in water/ice...but a second (and closer) look...and one realizes what he's doing. Brilliant!
May you and yours continue to be stitched into the warmth that is Christmas.
Marooned on an icy hilltop for Christmas week... and the kids are there, too... how perfect! Well, at least as long as you have enough food and the power doesn't go out. ;0)
ReplyDeleteI, too, would like to know what you are pinning the CQ to.
Wow, you are really buried! I would love it! As long as I had wine and food.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours.
Allie, I sure wish I had your healthy attitude about Winter. At the moment, we are in the midst of the storm you had earlier this week. I've seen enough snow for this month alone to last a lifetime! Thankfully, Spring is the next season and I'm already thinking of an Easter purse.
ReplyDeleteWill be sending you another little something in the mail soon. As soon as I can get to the Post Office. You may be able to use some of it on your current, gorgeous quilt!
Your Christmas tree looks lovely along side your crazy quilt. And that page with your quilts and some narrative about them is very nice.
ReplyDeleteStay warm and dry. We've had lots of rain, but this week isn't nearly as cold as last week.
Merry Christmas Allie,
ReplyDeleteWe spoke to our son this week end, and they canceled church for the 2nd Sunday there in Portland. She had a hard time getting to work on the bus's. I guess she was on one and it got stuck! Then either another came to pick up the people or something of the sort and that one got stuck too! My son works at NorthFace in downtown Portland and he decided to ride his snowboard to work! LoL... leave it to the kids to do what they can to have fun and work too!
Stay warm! Hopefully it will thaw somewhat... don't want you stuck forever!
Austin is just freezing cold, wet, and dreary - but we aren't used to it, so are huddled inside too. I'm so glad to see that Esther is with you for the holidays - the two of you will have great fun, and allies in a houseful of men.
ReplyDeleteHi Allie
ReplyDeleteRobert better hop on his plane with his de-icer and come over here.
I can't remember seeing so much snow and ice. It snows then it sleets and then it snows again. The plow covered the bottom of the drive after the guy plowed us out and then it froze at 9 degrees below zero so I have this mountain to go over if I need to go out which isn't very often.
Florida is looking good. We leave Sunday and wouldn't you know the temps are going to start rising later this week. Just in time for us to go.
Your quilt on the wall is beautiful. I went and looked at all of them. You do great work girl.
Merry Christmas
Your friend
Freda
You AND this piece are amazing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tutorial on making rocks way back there almost a year ago. That's one more trick I'll be adding to my bag of tricks.
Just re-read what I left you b/4... ahem... when I said She, I ment my DIL... I was trying to remember if I had written about the snowboarding! Too Funny! Apparently my son/dil went to get a Christmas Tree and the place was closed but there was a note on the door... it basically said if you want a tree put $9.99 in thru the door, and take a tree. Well, they did and in order to get a tree they had to hop the fence. They did all that and someone called the police! The officer stopped them as they were walking down the street w/tree. And they told him what they did and how they had left $ etc... they gave him their names/address ect... he just told them to have a Merry Christmas! Who said the Spirit of Christmas is dead? Then on the tram later people were soo happy to see a tree... lots of homeless people ride the tram to stay warm.
ReplyDeleteYour doing great... the cottage is looking very nice... the scarf set is cute too!
wow ! what a blog
ReplyDelete