I've made some progress on the owl.
I get easily addicted whenever I start a new embroidery project. Then I burn out. Hopefully, I'll finish the owl before there's nothing but embers left.
Here is a close-up of the eye.
I'm suffering from second-eye syndrome. In the past I've written about second-sock syndrome. It's not terribly exciting to start knitting a second sock immediately after finishing the first. The same holds true for embroidered owl eyes. So I'm skipping around, and yes, I'll draw in the top of his head before I'm done. I just forgot that little detail when I had the fabric taped up on the window.
Today I took a road trip out to Anaheim to my favorite discount fabric store. I used to go with my friend Barbara, but since she moved to Arizona it's a little too far to pick her up on the way. It's always more fun to go with a buddy so I asked my high school friend, Lydia, if she'd like to come along and she jumped at the chance. She'd never been to this store before, and, like me, she's disappointed that local fabric stores have become extinct. The two of us sewed most of our own clothes back in the day. I think that activity is pretty far along the road to extinction too.
This particular fabric store has an ever-revolving inventory. Sometimes the pickings are so-so, and sometimes there are so many wonderful choices I have to hold myself back. Today was one of those wonderful days. We each stashed a big bag o' fabric in the back of my car before setting off for home. We thought briefly of making a stop at Disneyland, but decided against it. When you're our age, sometimes the happiest place on earth is a discount fabric store.
I have a sore back from needle-felting. Yep, I know it's hard to believe but it's true. So I've put myself on the 15-day disabled list and I'm taking up embroidery during the interim.
Here's a picture I posted earlier this year. The clay bird is eyeballing a Kleenex box with an owl that is just begging to be stitched. Actually, there are owls on each side of the box, so that makes 4 owls--all begging. I've chosen one of the other 3 to start with. I have in mind to stitch 2 owls that I will frame and hang on the wall in the Concondo powder room. If I get really carried away, I'll do all 4 and find a more impressive place to showcase them.
Here is an enlarged copy of the owl I'm going to do first.
Here is the side of the box I cut out so it would lay flat in the copy machine. It is also my color guide. I took it with me to the craft store to find just the right colors of embroidery floss.
We have a big sliding door in the Calcondo that works as a great light box in the late afternoon. I taped the copy to the door, and then taped my plain white fabric over the copy. It was fairly easy to trace the owl onto the cloth with a pencil.
And now I've begun the fun part--the stitching. I'm using an outline stitch for the borders, long and short stitchs for the fill-in parts, and back stitch with some French knots for those little whisker thingies at the top.
I'm looking forward to lots of nice, relaxing stitching time....unless my arthritis flares up and I must extend my time on the DL. Then I'll just have to go to the beach.
Here's the embroidered project I did for Big City Girl. It's a patch that she can attach to something. Or not, although I would be happy to know it doesn't end up in her junk drawer. Does everyone have a junk drawer like we do? It's nothing but a source of guilt. I always feel I should be cleaning it out....or at least putting the junk into one of those sectioned trays so at least it would be organized. But back to the patch. BCG goes to a gym and boxes, and she just replaced her old worn-out boxing gloves with a brand new pair. I admire her dedication. She gets up at 5:30 a.m. to go before work...and she likes it. Definitely her dad's daughter.
Here is my most recent sewing project.....for BCG and her boyfriend. They both like to cook....he more than she (she knows how to pick 'em)...and were in need of aprons. The only request they had was that I put pockets on them--one for cell phone and one for e-cigs. They both quit smoking well over a year ago, but do still use e-cigs. Mr. Gadget and I never smoked and we were under the mistaken impression that we were being good role models for our children, but peer pressure is a powerful force.
So Mr. Gadget is off on a bike ride. He headed off to the beach with his bike affixed to his new bike rack. He usually keeps me posted while he's underway--mostly by bragging about how far he's gone. But this morning he texted me a photo of someone doing something I call exercise gone wild. They were running up a long stairway carrying a bowling ball. I guess it's possible they were just late for their Tuesday morning bowling league. So now, all of a sudden, I'm feeling motivated. I think I'll walk the garbage out to the dumpster.
I found the chair fabric at a local fabric store--one of the few local independent fabric stores that has managed to survive. They carry some unusual fabrics that are more expensive than those available from the big chain stores like Joann's. But the quality is better and it's great to sew with. I always go into the store with the intention of just browsing but, as usually happens, one or two of those lovely bolts just reaches out and grabs me. There must be some sort of paranormal explanation...
Lately I've been sewing, and also working on an embroidery project. The embroidered piece is finished and has been mailed to Big City Girl. As soon as she receives it, I'll post it here. It's a little bit of whimsy.
Two of the sewing projects are also intended for BCG. I should be finished with them in a couple of days, and then I'll start on the chair-fabric project--a bag for me. I bought enough of the red lining fabric to have enough for a Santa.
So, Mr. Gadget now has his new bike, and he's been pedaling all over the neighborhood and beyond.
The other day after he returned he said he'd taken a spin by the seedy bar, I mean the upscale cocktail lounge, where we met almost 39 years ago.
"How did the old place look?" I asked.
He said it was being renovated and he couldn't tell what kind of business would be going in.
"Probably a nail salon," I said, "or a Korean restaurant." Every corner seems to have one of each.
This morning he left at 6 a.m. for a quiet, traffic-free ride to the beach. I rolled over and slept for a couple more hours and got up just in time to unlock the door.
"How'd it go?" I asked.
"Great!" he exclaimed. "You should think about getting a bike so you can ride along with me."
"But then I would miss out on the important sleep work I do," I said.
Then I got to thinking. Maybe we should have gotten a bicycle-built-for-two. That way I could sit in the back and just pretend to pedal.
