It's shaping up to be an expensive but very satisfying weekend!
I took a trip to the framers this afternoon. I chose five different but similar frames for my five Prairie Schooler Santas. I am having metal easel backs placed on these so I can set them around on table tops and book shelves during the holiday season. Then, I chose a very wild and whimsical painted and highly varnished frame for Raise the Roof's Crabby All Year. The frame I chose for Lizzie Kate's Housework Never Killed Anyone is one that has alternating rectangles of ivory, green and purple that picks up the colors in the piece nicely and, again, maintains a certain whimsy. And, finally, the duty stitch done for my SIL of a cat entangled in toilet tissue [so not-my-thing] is going to be finished up with a nice mat and coordinating frame in a slightly greyed brown. Oh Lord, 8 items to be framed ... Even with today's deposit of $400, I can see where the bulk of the next paycheck is going. And they are still working on the Sue Hillis Pair Tree. It probably won't be all that terrible since I don't think they'll all be ready in the same pay period. And, I will only need to frame one more item between now and Christmas ... the as yet to be started Prairie Schooler Limited Edition Santa for 2008 ... a gift for my youngest sister. All the rest of my stitching for the next few months is going to require sewing finishes ... much less expensive.
On Monday, I'll head out in the other direction to the Happy Quilter to pick out fabric to make pillows for the 4 Sue Hillis charmed Santas, the I Love to Shop at the Silver Needle shopping tote and the Tea for Two tea cozy ... I'll need some fleece batting as well and some more quilting pins ... and, oh yes, I can never resist checking out the notions wall. I always come home with a new tool or some interesting buttons.
And in the meantime, I believe I'll spend the better part of Sunday on sewing finishes. I have all the materials I need for the LHN Seasons of ... these pillows have been sitting in the finishing basket [which is really the largest laundry basket I could find] for nearly nine months ... if I am to use them as a Christmas gift for my sister Ange as intended, I'd best get to them soon. And I'd like to do the sewing finish on the emory strawberry from last year's JCS Christmas ornament issue. That would make five less finishes in the backlog and that would be a very good feeling.
As to actual cross stitching: I have resurrected a UFO, a complimentary chart for a biscornu, from a European website [aurelle]. I had run out of Caron Waterlilies Peach Sherbert silk after stitching the top and one round of border motifs for the bottom ... since doing Spots of Fun and using so many different fibers in autumnal colors, I now have a multitude of silk overdyes on hand and have found one with a slightly paler but compatible color way to complete the piece. I've already put in several hours on this project today and could easily have it finished before the holiday weekend is over. Also, I just couldn't resist starting the clever and light-hearted Halloween ornament kit that Sandy included in my Halloween Exchange package. I don't usually work with aida [being an absolute linen snob, I am afraid] but this little clothespin doll of a witch with it's aida dress and hat is irresistible. A fussy but quick little stitch. I am pretty certain I will be able to hang this little witch from the Halloween tree on my desk when I return to work on Tuesday. And, of course, there is my current focus piece for October, Miribilia's Halloween Faerie which is turning out to be a relatively quick stitch ... perhaps, because I like her so very much.
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