title explained

Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Monday, March 6, 2017

Unforeseen Contingencies

Now, you all have me nervous about the Monster on the Wall.  I keep looking up at it, wondering when it is going to come crashing down, killing my monitor, a window and a cat or two who love to sit on the wide window sill below and no doubt, decapitating me with its long "tail".

I can see the newspaper headlines now.  "Local woman killed by falling driftwood."  Should make an interesting obituary read.


Look at that "eye".  It does look menacing!!!

You asked how far I am on the Nativity Scene cross stitch?  No?  You didn't?  Well, I'm going to show you.  With an explanation, because, there is always an explanation.

I do like to work a cross stitch from the right side to the left.  BUT--to start, one must first find the center point of the cloth and the center point of the pattern, start there and work outwardly.  This cloth is 25 inches wide.  The pattern comes on five different pages.

I could not count the teeny squares over to the right side of where the pattern starts on the cloth, so I started at the middle point--which is Joseph's head.  I did the top part of part of that section.  Then jumped up to the ivy border and did that over to the farthest right point and down a bit so I could count on where to start the Wise Guys.  That guy on the right is one of them.

Now, IF I have counted correctly, I can work from the right of the cloth/pattern over to the left.  IF I have NOT counted correctly?  

Saturday, I got the other Wise Man started.  His crown of golden metallic thread starts just below this guys red head scarf.  Got his crown done and all of a sudden---I was tired of it all.  

I took it out of the hoop, folded it up nicely and stowed it, the thread and pattern in the lidded box next to my chair.

Sunday morning, after TV church, I opened up the NEW, sealed Noah's Ark baby quilt.  There was no thread included!!!!!!!  On E-bay the description read, "NEW!  Sealed in its original packaging." On the front of the packaging it stated, "thread included".

Someone lied to me.  So, not to be deterred, I entered the color numbers in a Excel spreadsheet, sorted them from lowest to highest number, printed out the list and headed to Michael's.  I got 26 out of the 29 colors I needed and walked up two stores to JoAnn's to get the other 3.

Came home, ate a bit of lunch, and sat watching movies on TCM while I wound the floss around the paper bobbins--4 hours!!

I started at the upper, right-hand corner of the quilt and I stitched while I watched/listened to "Mercy Street" and "Victoria" on PBS.  Would you believe it took me two hours just to get one cloud almost finished!  If you have ever done a large cross stitch project, you know how time intensive these things can be.  

I figured, if my colonoscopy comes back "bad", I should try and get this, the last of the 9 baby quilts done.  If I croak, my sister can finish the Nativity Scene.

.................always planning ahead for any unforeseen contingencies.

20 comments:

  1. Since I am the one who was concerned, about that large piece of wood, hanging on the wall, I am who scared you. Or maybe... I wasn't the only one, who was concerned...

    Anyway, I still say, get its secure safety checked, by someone who is qualified.

    Or maybe, find a nice place for it, not way up on a wall. Propped against a table somewhere. Nope, that could be tipped down on a cat. How about having it really secured, along the hall wall, but not way up at the top?

    Hey, its your memory piece! And yours to deal with. Not mine. :-) I'll stop now.

    Annnnnd, I didn't get my Gold Stars, for "stifling" myself, in a past comment!!! I really expected those Gold Stars!!!! >,-)

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    1. Quit scaring me about the dang wooden monster and I will give you a gold star--right in the middle of your forehead. Until then? You get black coal in your socks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  2. Boy, you've been posting a lot lately---I love it! I hope the people who get your baby quilts appreciate how time consuming they are. Do you put the baby's name on them as well? The date?

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    1. Nope--I have them stored for whichever grandkid as a kid, they can pick out the one they want. I may have an extra one left over as I doubt my 2nd grand daughter is going to have kids.

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  3. I got q headache just reading about you starting that huge cross stitch project! I certainly hope you live to finish it so you can show it to us!

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  4. It been a very long time since I did any type of needle work. One Christmas I did up some embroidery pillow cases.
    Coffee is on

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    1. I have done those too, Dora. I have yet to see them on any pillows in my kids homes, however.

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  5. Those baby quilts are wonderful. If I had another grand baby coming, I would be tempted to see if I can still see well enough to cross stitch. I used to love cross stitching. You do sign and date them, don't you?

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    1. They are easy to see because the pattern is stamped on the cloth. I scan parts of the pattern and enlarge it. HAH!

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  6. OMG!!! you are so funny. you have been busy, i know how long those counted cross stitch pieces can take, i did them for years. it's coming along beautifully!!!!

    i won't tell you the story about the chandelier in my entry way - this would not be a good time for that story!!

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    1. You and Luna get NO gold stars!!!!!!!!!!

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    2. Yes, Debbie, we want to hear about the chandelier in your entry way!!!!!

      -Ducking-Running-And hiding-

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  7. It's wonderful that you have the baby quilts for future great grand's. That's a lot of love you're sharing, Judy.

    xoxo

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  8. OK. I have a little clue how long cross stitch takes, and how good it is to see the forms takes shape. I can obsess with a small space in the garden, so I can relate in that way. Not a cross stitching bone in my body.

    How did you like Mercy Street and Victoria. I am going through withdrawal. Waaaa! I love series about strong, deeply feeling women who care. LOVED the PBS series Call the Midwife.

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    1. I never got caught up in the Midwife series, but I have enjoyed Mercy Street and Victoria. Like Downton Abbey--now we have to wait until next winter to see the continuations. Bah Humbug!!

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    2. I LOVE "Call the Midwife". Have you watched Dr. Thorne? Recently watched Queen Elizabeth (I think also a Masterpiece Theater). LOVE a good series!

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  9. Up until the late '90s, I had some sort of needlework going--cross stitch, crewel,macrame,crochet, knit. I loved them all, (had to try them all!), but finally, I began to get awful headaches, and neck and shoulder pain. I had done about 80% of one of those beautiful angels when I just had to fold it and put in a drawer. had been working on linen by then, and you just couldn't get off-count. Now I knit when I feel like it, but when my shoulders start hurting, I have sense enough to stoop for awhile.

    By the way, my cataracts are so bad that I thought what I saw on your wall was some poor animal being eaten by a long snake!

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  10. You are always SOOOO busy. I feel like a slug. Thanks for blogging!!!!

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