He got his drain out on Friday. A drain. He didn't even yelp when she took it out. I guess he got the one that hurt the worst out himself and so the rest was cake. He still has his stitches in. Those are in for 10-14 days. My mom was more upset about them staying that either him or I were. And the doctor said to keep his cone on, unless we were watching him. I couldn't get her to understand that, as happy as he was to see his feet for the first time in a week, he wasn't gonna mess with his stitches. Poor little man, I gave him a cookie on Friday before I got to thinking. It was a big one, the kind you need a leg to hold down so as to properly chew, and he couldn't eat it. He got so frustrated. I think my mom is taking him back today to get the stitches out. I left that up to her, because I can't take time off work to run him out to the vet's and I don't like scheduling her without her input. But we're getting closer. You bet I'm gonna watch that tiny hiney like a hawk.
My birthday went great. SO doesn't have my present yet, but it's our anniversary tomorrow, so I think it will probably be a combo gift, and he's having a party on Saturday for me. He did take me out for steaks, which is AWESOME! My parents gave me the Carriage House Samplings Fragments necklace I picked out in July. It's pretty, a small Quaker motif from an old Goode Huswife (I think) model on the back, a small portrait on the front, with an antique key and two chocolate beads attached on the bottom. I think it will go so nice with a sweater dress I bought last fall and I like that it's not the everyday. This is her website and link to Etsy store: http://carriagehousesamplings.com/fragments.htm . I think Whiter Shades of Pale would be lovely for a wedding day. My aunt is donating money in my name to a horse charity--with the economy so bad, people just can't keep their horses, and are turning them in to rescues, or, and I think this is horrible, letting them go in areas like Corolla on the Outer Banks, I guess because there are wild horses there? I am praying for those poor horses; there is a huge difference between a wild pony used to wintering on a barrier island and a domestic horse who has known warmth and constant food through the winter. That makes me sick. So I would hope my birthday present goes to provide a homeless horse with some comfort this winter.
I did pull out my geisha and stitched hardcore on her yesterday. I almost have her skirt done. After that, it's just half stitching and back stitching, piece of cake! I will be celebrating when it is done, I assure you. This will be a huge happy dance. But I do have to say, for as much crap as people give kits for the quality of the floss and fabric, other than having a small margin (which a good framer can mask, this is why we pay them the big bucks), the fabric has held together astonishingly well. Especially since it's been a UFO for so long. The floss might be a little ratty looking, but again, it's been a UFO for 8 years, these things happen. SO asked if I reused the leftover floss from the kits. I told him not usually, I don't throw it away, but that I usually just send it to one of the charities that asks for floss, especially if it's not DMC. Maybe I could start using it for ornaments or small designs like they have in WOXS.
OH, and I got the most awesome thing. SO is moving his family's business out of the shop they rent, because it's too much space, and too much rent. He had some cabinets in their kitchen/breakroom area that he brought home yesterday. I figured he would have some use for them and didn't want to ask, but he said, "You can use this for your floss dyeing. So I have a real workplace, with real drawers, and I can put my dyes away! And feel professional! I asked him if he knew an artist to do the logo for my little enterprise, he said he would ask his tattoo artist friend. I have faith in his work, it would be pretty awesome to have an award-winning tattoo artist do my logo, right? I just have to make sure he knows I don't want anything too wierd, just a line drawing of a happy cat.
I have gotten a couple comments on the floss dying. I think the link should be in the post. "my tutorial" links to my original post, and "Jennifer" goes to her blog. The posts are recent. I know Rit will work to dye fabric, although I haven't tried it with the dishsoap. It does take it pretty well with just the dye, and, knock on wood, I have never had a piece where the color ran or faded, even with laundering. Without the vinegar, it just takes a lot of rinsing with hot water until that water is CLEAR. And then you can iron to set as well.
10 November 2008
06 November 2008
Check this out!
Jennifer showed off her wonderful beautiful thread dyeing finishes she did using my tuturial
from over the summer. Didn't she do a fantastic job? Way better than I did! I am so proud of her! (And a little pleased with myself for writing directions people can understand and get such pretty results from). I hope she does start an Etsy store!
from over the summer. Didn't she do a fantastic job? Way better than I did! I am so proud of her! (And a little pleased with myself for writing directions people can understand and get such pretty results from). I hope she does start an Etsy store!
Whoda thunk
that if I used #8 braid instead of #4 braid, it would be just different enough to irritate me, and yet, strangely out of place on my Treaty Fairy? And, most intriguing, course enough to leave a gouge mark on the surface of my freshly-painted fingernail last night. Not I!
I had to go get another reel of braid, since I used up all my emerald following the directions for her. I confess, I didn't pay that close attention to the kind of braid it was when we were at my LNS, I just needed 009, not 009HL, which was up high on the rack. So I grabbed 009, and didn't look to see it was #8, not #4, and took it home. Sat down last night to stitch, and, realized it didn't feel right. Unfortunately, that was not before I got a dink in my nail polish because I ran the braid over it. CRUD. Looked and it was #8. Bugger bugger bugger. So I had to order another reel today. Kinda annoyed with myself.
As is my wont on Wednesday nights, I watched Ghosthunters. It was the recap of the live show, which I have to admit, I didn't watch because I was handing out Halloween candy and watching the Davinci code on Halloween. The Miz was a guest ghosthunter. I had to laugh. Does anyone else realize that the Miz was Mike from the Real World New York in 2001, back when I used to watch that show religiously? He's come a long way from being a dumb frat boy, but he was kinda aggravating in the brief clip he was on. He called the ghosts wusses. My immediate thought was, "If they are from the Civil War, is it really a threat to call them a wuss? Do they know that word is an insult?" I don't know--I imagine they are not up on the current lingo, beings as they may not even be totally convinced they're dead. And then with the voices that said, "You don't belong here" or whatever, that seemed a little hinky to me. For something to just come out and say it, it sounded like a recording. I don't know if someone got in there and was messing with them. It was wierd. But there was some stuff I don't know how to explain, like tugging on Grant's coat--that was cool!
We are almost finished with Robbie's treatments. We have one more night with the drains, hopefully. I have a 5:00 appointment tomorrow with him at the vet's, not the best way to celebrate my birthday, but not having to give him that hydrotherapy is a good gift. He is no longer even willing to come in the bathroom with me, LOL. This morning, he laid in the livingroom door while I was getting ready, just so he could make sure I got out safely, whereas normally, he would get in the shower with me if he could. He's funny. I think he'll do better once the therapy is finished, because all he knows about the antibiotic is that he gets cream cheese, and ain't nothing wrong with that. He was dancing on his hind legs for Mom last night while she was fixing it. I let her do the fun stuff for him, I get stuck with the hard work, cause he'll get over it. As soon as we get that cone off, he's just going bye-byes with Mummy, and he loves having me all to himself, especially in the car.
I had to go get another reel of braid, since I used up all my emerald following the directions for her. I confess, I didn't pay that close attention to the kind of braid it was when we were at my LNS, I just needed 009, not 009HL, which was up high on the rack. So I grabbed 009, and didn't look to see it was #8, not #4, and took it home. Sat down last night to stitch, and, realized it didn't feel right. Unfortunately, that was not before I got a dink in my nail polish because I ran the braid over it. CRUD. Looked and it was #8. Bugger bugger bugger. So I had to order another reel today. Kinda annoyed with myself.
As is my wont on Wednesday nights, I watched Ghosthunters. It was the recap of the live show, which I have to admit, I didn't watch because I was handing out Halloween candy and watching the Davinci code on Halloween. The Miz was a guest ghosthunter. I had to laugh. Does anyone else realize that the Miz was Mike from the Real World New York in 2001, back when I used to watch that show religiously? He's come a long way from being a dumb frat boy, but he was kinda aggravating in the brief clip he was on. He called the ghosts wusses. My immediate thought was, "If they are from the Civil War, is it really a threat to call them a wuss? Do they know that word is an insult?" I don't know--I imagine they are not up on the current lingo, beings as they may not even be totally convinced they're dead. And then with the voices that said, "You don't belong here" or whatever, that seemed a little hinky to me. For something to just come out and say it, it sounded like a recording. I don't know if someone got in there and was messing with them. It was wierd. But there was some stuff I don't know how to explain, like tugging on Grant's coat--that was cool!
We are almost finished with Robbie's treatments. We have one more night with the drains, hopefully. I have a 5:00 appointment tomorrow with him at the vet's, not the best way to celebrate my birthday, but not having to give him that hydrotherapy is a good gift. He is no longer even willing to come in the bathroom with me, LOL. This morning, he laid in the livingroom door while I was getting ready, just so he could make sure I got out safely, whereas normally, he would get in the shower with me if he could. He's funny. I think he'll do better once the therapy is finished, because all he knows about the antibiotic is that he gets cream cheese, and ain't nothing wrong with that. He was dancing on his hind legs for Mom last night while she was fixing it. I let her do the fun stuff for him, I get stuck with the hard work, cause he'll get over it. As soon as we get that cone off, he's just going bye-byes with Mummy, and he loves having me all to himself, especially in the car.
05 November 2008
Another day . . .
Robbie managed to get his cone off last night. While I was asleep. I don't think I have ever had a cardio workout that quite jazzed my heart like that moment when I reached down to find out who was pushing me while they were supposed to be sleeping, felt the nose, the silky fur that means Robbie, and didn't feel the cone. I was horrified that he had gotten it off and was working on his drains and sutures, so I raced across the room and flipped on the light. Thank God he either hadn't had time or access to his but get them pulled out and they were still in place. so I just shoved the cone back on and admonished him. He looked at me like, "Whatever. Talk to me when you have to wear this stupid thing."
I did figure out if I moved his drains when he was in the tub in the warm water, it doesn't seem to be as uncomfortable for him. It's still uncomfortable, but not as bad. He still doesn't like having the Neosporin put on. I can't do anything about that. But I take it, from his reaction, that the "pain relief" part of the Neosporin isn't working too hard. Or else my son is just a bawly baby.
I finished my primitive stitching piece last night. It was so easy to do and pretty fun. Mom couldn't believe I had it done in a day. Neither could I. But it was fun to outline and backstitch and stem stitch. Made a really pleasant change from messing with infintesimal beads. I picked Treaty fairy back up this morning and wanted to work on her. I found this site with really cute free primitive stitchery designs:
http://www.freecraftz.com/twigsnsprigs.html
I did figure out if I moved his drains when he was in the tub in the warm water, it doesn't seem to be as uncomfortable for him. It's still uncomfortable, but not as bad. He still doesn't like having the Neosporin put on. I can't do anything about that. But I take it, from his reaction, that the "pain relief" part of the Neosporin isn't working too hard. Or else my son is just a bawly baby.
I finished my primitive stitching piece last night. It was so easy to do and pretty fun. Mom couldn't believe I had it done in a day. Neither could I. But it was fun to outline and backstitch and stem stitch. Made a really pleasant change from messing with infintesimal beads. I picked Treaty fairy back up this morning and wanted to work on her. I found this site with really cute free primitive stitchery designs:
http://www.freecraftz.com/twigsnsprigs.html
04 November 2008
A pic
This was the square I did for Laurie in British Columbia as part of a quilt from 123. She sent me the most beautiful email thanking me. All I can say is Thank you to her for being a person in my life.
There comes a day . . .
When you realize, you just don't got it in you to make little x's. At least not that day. For me, that day . . . is today.
I don't know whether it's the fact it's Election Day and I am so fed up with politics in general. This could be, especially because I live a few miles from the nation's capital. So when the rest of you aren't having to have the political stuff jammed down your throat, we still gotta deal with it. Because of the inauguration and the changing of offices. I was at the polls at 7:30 this morning. They're in my hometown, in the elementary school I went to. It's funny; I go in every other year, and yet I still find it amusing that everything is so tiny. And of course the line stopped right in front of my 6th grade class' photo from 1988. Let's just say, the 20years between then and now were years of great positive change I can believe in, at least now that my eyebrows and cheekbones grew in, LOL. Anyway . . . I voted.
But it's probably not just that. We're 4 days into Robbie's hydrotherapy and wound care, and it's taking a lot out of me. It's not that the care is difficult, but my boy is difficult, and strong as anything. I realize that it hurts to have the care done, but he keeps wiggling, and my mother does not help me anymore than she absolutely has to. It is incredibly frustrating to have to hold his back legs, and a tube of Neosporin, to have to twist the drains, and to keep him from tucking his butt, and then hear, "You are going to pull those out if you aren't careful", while she's barely holding him. It takes a lot out of me, to the point where I am starting to hate doing it. At least I only have til Friday to deal with it. And I had to do it last night at 11 and this morning at 6. 2 times in 7 hours is draining.
So I started a small primitive stitching piece I bought on E-bay last week. It's fun. It's kinda relaxing. It was a little hard to draw on the muslin, but I figure if it's reasonably close, my brain will help me fill in and make it look nice.
I don't know whether it's the fact it's Election Day and I am so fed up with politics in general. This could be, especially because I live a few miles from the nation's capital. So when the rest of you aren't having to have the political stuff jammed down your throat, we still gotta deal with it. Because of the inauguration and the changing of offices. I was at the polls at 7:30 this morning. They're in my hometown, in the elementary school I went to. It's funny; I go in every other year, and yet I still find it amusing that everything is so tiny. And of course the line stopped right in front of my 6th grade class' photo from 1988. Let's just say, the 20years between then and now were years of great positive change I can believe in, at least now that my eyebrows and cheekbones grew in, LOL. Anyway . . . I voted.
But it's probably not just that. We're 4 days into Robbie's hydrotherapy and wound care, and it's taking a lot out of me. It's not that the care is difficult, but my boy is difficult, and strong as anything. I realize that it hurts to have the care done, but he keeps wiggling, and my mother does not help me anymore than she absolutely has to. It is incredibly frustrating to have to hold his back legs, and a tube of Neosporin, to have to twist the drains, and to keep him from tucking his butt, and then hear, "You are going to pull those out if you aren't careful", while she's barely holding him. It takes a lot out of me, to the point where I am starting to hate doing it. At least I only have til Friday to deal with it. And I had to do it last night at 11 and this morning at 6. 2 times in 7 hours is draining.
So I started a small primitive stitching piece I bought on E-bay last week. It's fun. It's kinda relaxing. It was a little hard to draw on the muslin, but I figure if it's reasonably close, my brain will help me fill in and make it look nice.
03 November 2008
Getting back to normal
Robbie ended up in the vet through Saturday. His gland ruptured, so when I went to get him on Friday, they told me he had to stay. I did get some visiting time. I tried not to stay too long, so he wouldn't get too upset, but I was in tears when I left. He came home on Saturday morning, but felt the need to tell the vet staff exactly what he felt about their abusive ways. Apparently, it was insulting to his dignity to have his tiny hiney shaved, and then to have to wear a lampshade, while there are drains hanging out of his buttcheek (I guess I would be insulted too). Unlike the cat, he was smart enough to do his smack-talking sitting by the front door of the vet office, and insisted that, if I had to pay for him to be abused in such a manner, I was not as smart a woman as he thought I was, LOL.
He's starting to do better. The lampshade is not working too hot, but that's more a function of him not being able to comprehend that it's longer than his nose and wider than his body. We have to do hydrotherapy twice a day which he hates, but when I get the warm water in the tub, he doesn't mind sitting in it. He really loathes when I have to move the drains, and that hurts me, but SO said I had to keep doing it, because I have to do it to help him. He is being so good about his antibiotics (god bless the inventor of cream cheese), but I think he must realize cream cheese isn't supposed to be chunky, because he watches when I am sticking the Clavomox in the cheese. But he's taking it.
Stitching wise, I didn't do very much this weekend. I wound the threads from my Ooops packs on Friday night while waiting for the trick or treaters to come to the door. The pitty bulls were in the garage for the duration, and one of them decided to add to the Halloween atmosphere by sending up the most un-earthly howls whenever a child stepped onto the front steps, and it was kinda funny to watch the kids reacting to him. And for some reason, they seemed to think that the lockbox for the spare key was a bomb. They kept yelling, "Don't touch it." I had to stop myself from laughing.
Saturday was pretty much filled up with taking care of Robbie and working. Came home and SO informed me that he had eaten candy for lunch. It was pretty late, so I didn't get my stitching out.Even though I was annoyed at myself for not having Treaty fairy done.
I did pull her out yesterday and commenced beading her. I hate beading. Not when it's two or three or four, but this was some long runs of beading, and I was so afraid it would start to fall out, like SO's stocking did . . . at the fair, waiting in line to enter. So I was very slow. And my hoops aren't big enough to hold the whole piece, and I am not good at beading in hand, so I had to go today and found a large set of Q-snaps to use so I can bead.
Oh, and I did find that Michael's is having a sale on their fall baskets. I thought it would be pretty cool to have a fall basket with a piece mounted on it, and they had such pretty baskets 70% off. So I found an adorable tiny pumpkin shaped one that I can probably find a small design to go into. It was 60 cents--I couldn't pass that up.
He's starting to do better. The lampshade is not working too hot, but that's more a function of him not being able to comprehend that it's longer than his nose and wider than his body. We have to do hydrotherapy twice a day which he hates, but when I get the warm water in the tub, he doesn't mind sitting in it. He really loathes when I have to move the drains, and that hurts me, but SO said I had to keep doing it, because I have to do it to help him. He is being so good about his antibiotics (god bless the inventor of cream cheese), but I think he must realize cream cheese isn't supposed to be chunky, because he watches when I am sticking the Clavomox in the cheese. But he's taking it.
Stitching wise, I didn't do very much this weekend. I wound the threads from my Ooops packs on Friday night while waiting for the trick or treaters to come to the door. The pitty bulls were in the garage for the duration, and one of them decided to add to the Halloween atmosphere by sending up the most un-earthly howls whenever a child stepped onto the front steps, and it was kinda funny to watch the kids reacting to him. And for some reason, they seemed to think that the lockbox for the spare key was a bomb. They kept yelling, "Don't touch it." I had to stop myself from laughing.
Saturday was pretty much filled up with taking care of Robbie and working. Came home and SO informed me that he had eaten candy for lunch. It was pretty late, so I didn't get my stitching out.Even though I was annoyed at myself for not having Treaty fairy done.
I did pull her out yesterday and commenced beading her. I hate beading. Not when it's two or three or four, but this was some long runs of beading, and I was so afraid it would start to fall out, like SO's stocking did . . . at the fair, waiting in line to enter. So I was very slow. And my hoops aren't big enough to hold the whole piece, and I am not good at beading in hand, so I had to go today and found a large set of Q-snaps to use so I can bead.
Oh, and I did find that Michael's is having a sale on their fall baskets. I thought it would be pretty cool to have a fall basket with a piece mounted on it, and they had such pretty baskets 70% off. So I found an adorable tiny pumpkin shaped one that I can probably find a small design to go into. It was 60 cents--I couldn't pass that up.
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