You Know it's Monday if we're Talking About the Pears!

My favorite work basket,  The Cape Cod, from Pennsylvania Basket Company. Why I like this: lightweight but good size. It has a solid wooden disc for a bottom It holds enough for almost any hand-stitching project. A quick grab and go produced my embroidery scissors, needles, a little tape measure, a pincushion, a little lidded box for stuff (?) another carved wooden box with a lid because it was already in there and the little pouch on the left holds my favorite thimble. The bubble-gum pink thing is a screw hoop.

Samplers and Santa's

Pears, that is what is on my mind.  19 (nineteen) days until the start date of January 1, 2015. I just want you to know that while I am gathering my supplies I am NOT working ahead. For it to be an honest chronicle I feel that I need to post as I go. Be prepared for lots of excuses. Consider these: the dog ate my homework, my sister is lost in the woods, I am having senior moments, I have too many quilts to finish! You get the idea.  In the process of my research to re-enter the cross-stitch world, after all it has been at least 20 years, I have compiled a short list of needful things.

First off, the linen. Dear Marly uses 28 ct. linen for this project. I thought I would have a hard time finding it but much to my surprise I was lucky. Now, after reading Marly's many in-depth posts about many types of linen, many colors of linen, the 'hand' of the linen etc. you need to know right up front I am just glad I found the linen! Now just sit down and try not to gasp. I found it at Joann's. In the back, by the bathroom and the remnant piles.  Nothing too fancy. Two pieces, in hermetically sealed bags, two colors. I got both (with 2 50% coupons) at a reasonable cost. If perchance they are total crap I will order it online.

 Second, I have enough DMC thread to start. I have a lot but I am not sure I have all the colors yet. They are all in little cases wondering why they have been in a darkened drawer for 20 years.

 Third, nice sharp little scissors. I dropped a hint the size of Gibralter to my DIL that I need (another) pair. I like to keep a pair of scissors with each project. I am spoiled. I admit it.

The thimble, silver, needs cleaned but I sort of like the oxidized patina.


Fourth, I even found my little magnetic hold-the-pattern-board thing. I thought Hubs had recycled that some time ago.

And last, but not least, a hoop. I know that Marly does these little projects 'in hand.' I know that I am really poor at maintaining equal tension in the stitches when I do it in hand. It's like making pierogi 'in hand.' Gut bombs I tell you, they were big dough ball gut bombs.   I will therefore use a hoop. Got that.

A Keeper, can't forget a keeper. That could be a basket, a tote, a wooden bowl or a specially designed and sewn little pocket purse, maybe even a large cosmetic case with compartments, or not. I have an idea.  

I picked this up in Erie on the Lake, Canada about 25 years ago. There are several in the collection now. They were carved in Poland.

 Now of course needles will be needed, I have like a thousand embroidery needles so there we go.

This little brass hang tab is on every basket I have purchased from the Pennsylvania Basket Co. They have a booth at the Shaker Woods festival every Summer. I love me baskets chickies!

So that's it for today. Well. there is one more thing. I am so un-Christmas this year I fear I may be reported to some neighborhood twinkle committee. I did break down and buy new candle (happy lights) for all the windows in the front of the house. Most of the back of the house faces the woods, who is going to complain? Deer?  Turkeys? Crows?  Then the Nativity set went up, that is a given. So friend drops by yesterday to bring Husband his favorite Chicken Pot Pie. I know, can you believe he asks this super busy friend of MINE to make him Food? I will be glad when he is moving again. Anyway, she remarked that I had no tree, no mantle dec, nothing was as usual. Right. So down I go into storage room (read damp) and pull out two little table trees that I thought I could plunk somewhere. Tree number one fell apart in my hands. Tree number two was intact but all the little homespun ribbons and gingerbread decorations were moldy. Blue/green/white mold. Yuk. So I removed all that junk, washed the little bugger in the shower, add a string of mini lights I found in another bin, and a couple red balls from some centerpiece in the last century. So here you have it, Merry Christmas!

Crock was out on the patio with a dead mum in it. Where am I going to put this thing?