Monday, March 23, 2009

Mrs. Abbott, advice please, and etc.

My my time does fly by doesn't it?

Here is my progress with Mrs. Abbott since my last post:
I think she's coming along nicely... I am really enjoying this pattern. It isn't particularly difficult (not many color changes) and it is so small that every small amount of progress feels like a leap forward in terms of "percent complete". I can't wait to have them both done and framed gracing the walls of our bedroom... they won't take up much wall space but will really complement what we already have in there.

After Mrs. Abbott is complete I'll resume (and hopefully finish very shortly) the Wheels Announcement for Amy. I'm starting to feel guilty for neglecting it for so long! Then it will be on to Mr. Abbott, and some other projects as well... I've done a bit of stash enhancement recently and will share pics in my next post or so.

Now for the advice part - Any hints on making a "neater stitch" (is there anyone that rewinds and repeatedly plays the scene in the Gwyneth Paltrow Emma where she & Harriet are outside stitching and Emma tells Harriet "if you pull this way dear, you'll find it makes a neater stitch."... no? um, ok... I don't either... I've just heard some people do) when stitching with one strand of thread? I've been railroading when stitching with two strands for a while now and find my stitches to be pretty much uniform (I think) when using that method, but am having a harder time with just one strand (which is what I'm using w/ Mrs. Abbott). Tips? Thoughts? Thanks in advance!!

You've probably noticed that I've added a playlist since my last post (shamelessly copying Terri & Vonna here). My question to you - should it stay or should it go?

My MIL is doing a LOT better. She is still in the hospital, but they are talking about moving her to a "Regular" room this weekend. We are still cautious, but are definitely breathing a bit more easily, and are far more optimistic than we were a week ago.

Well, that's it for now. Thanks so much for your comments! It's like a special treat when I see a new one has popped up. I really appreciate the time you take out of your busy days to read my posts and comment.

Happy Stitching! ~Robin

6 comments:

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

Mrs. Abbot looks GREAT, Robin!!! I love how she's turning out. I for one love the music on blogs. I love to hear what kinds of music people listen to. If I don't care for their selections, I just turn it down. Is your question regarding stitching with one thread pertain to over one stitching or doesn't really matter? I'm not sure about any trick for making one thread look neat when stitching except to let it dangle and unwind occasionally. I have a way of stitching over one so that threads don't pull under but not sure that's really what you're asking.

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

I think Mrs. Abbot is looking truly wonderful :)
I use thread heaven a lot when I stitch over one. I think it makes the threads lie better...but other than that...that's all I know to do :) Sorry not much help,huh?

Oh no...you may have opened a can of words about your playlist! LOL! I get some people that e-mail me to tell me they "hate" that I have my playlist going because I guess some surf the net with their own music on. I personally love to listen to what others like..so I say keep it. I just moved my playlist player up on my side bar so that people could turn it off if they wanted to. When I took mine off I got many more people asking me to put it back on...so I did because it is my blog and I LIKE IT! (and it seems many others did too!)

Deb said...

Mrs. Abbott looks great! I like your playlist so I say keep it. I like hearing what kinds of music other people like!

Deb said...

Me again! Thanks for making a comment about my quilts. What a small world with your mom living so close to me. There are two stores close to here that are worth going to - Sew Elegant in Port Huron (that's the one I had the heart failure in) and Country Stitches in Lansing. Both are great stores. You won't be disappointed - bring lots of cash! LOL

Deb said...

Robin - I feel like we're playing phone tag here! LOL Unfortunately most of the cross stitch stores in the area have closed. There are two that may be worth a visit - The Rocking Horse in Farmington, and Stitch 'n Time in Saginaw. I do a lot of ordering through her. I also remembered another quilting store you might be interested in. Linda's Country Quilt Shop in Davison. They carry a lot of primitive and civil war fabrics if you like those kinds of fabrics. If you have any other questions, email me at droman1445@gmail.com.

The Scarlett House said...

First off, glad to hear that your MIL is improving. I'm wondering what you mean by neater stitches? I think your stitching looks fine. I think using Q Snaps is a pain, but that's just my opinion. I don't think they keep the fabric taut enough. I've always used a wooden hoop, but not one of those cheapies. Email me if you'd like, and I'll give you more info on them.