Halfway better

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.