Four Days in the Dark

      For a little spooky Halloween preview, a nor'easter treated us to four days with no power!

      So let me first say, if you ever think that time is moving too quickly, you're tired, and you'd love a few days "off," just throw that main switch you have in the cellar... you will experience the MISERY of days that WILL. NOT. END. The STAGNATION of not having anything to do. The YEARNING for life to return to normal. 

(a house around the corner-- MISSED, thank goodness!)

     All that being said, I didn't have as much to complain about as some. As I frequently tell the artist-in-residence-- marry an Eagle Scout-- he'll always be prepared. And so we have been, since Y2K, with our handy little Honda generator. As most of you recall, it was not required at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 1999, but has come in handy a few times since Mr. SFO was out in the yard, ready to pull that cord on the millennium.

    Unfortunately, this time Mr. SFO was not at home, and it was up to me and the aforementioned artist to stand in 85mph gusts and drenching rain and pull that cord 100 times before our 21 year old Honda roared to life. We are able to save our food, charge our phones, and have a few lights. The episode is now passed and I don't want to harp on about the existential crisis I suffered--  I'll simply conclude by saying my frozen Thanksgiving turkey has been saved.

    So there's not much to talk about this week! I did a little cross stitching by candle light-- it will forever be a mystery to me how those ladies of old accomplished anything after the sun went down. Here's me feeling punchy on Day 3... I have a bit of ripping out to do, now that I can see it again, but at least my lovely AUTUMN piece did not catch on fire.

     Word games-- not a favorite of mine, as a kid-- do not require power and are now slightly more interesting with a cross stitch tie-in. I was able to think of A to Z Thanksgiving with no help from Google this time-- LOL. I'll be releasing this later in the week. This didn't start out as a monthly series idea, but I'm enjoying digitizing them. There are only so many words that begin with X, so if I have to use eXcitement every month, it may get a bit old!

    Worst of all, I had the Scrappy Oak Leaf tablerunner just hours away from releasing before the blackout-- hoping I can get this done early this week. I love it! We also made a video tutorial on how to machine embroider appliques-- you probably already know how, but there's a few tips you might enjoy. My cinematographer said, "At least you knew what you were talking about this time," and I took that very kindly, indeed.

     Another thing you can do during a power-out is, EAT, and when one occurs so fortunately before Halloween, you can eat candy. I worked my way through a giant BJs bag of 135 Hershey's chocolates, Heath Bars, Kit Kats, Reese's cups, and Whoppers. At Weight Watchers, they tell you to buy candy you don't like-- but I like them all!

     Despite supply chain warnings, I was able to restock yesterday-- so come on over! I'm gonna try to have a candy free week now-- except for ONE "Frankencup." I really want to know what that is-- but, I already know I'll like it!

So that's about it for this week! Today, I'm going to carve up my pumpkin, finish Scrappy Oak leaves, and make giant bags of candy for my trick-or-treaters. We live at the end of a half-mile long deserted road-- so any intrepid ghost or goblin who makes it this far  deserves to be treated very well.

Happy Halloween!

xox

Carol

Wake Up. Make Beautiful Things All Day. Go To Bed.

    Birthdays, summer, visitors, vacations... all are over now and there's nothing else to do but hunker down for a lovely fall and winter of stitching. I. AM. HAPPY. 

    Here's the update for what I accomplished last week and what I hope to do this week. If there's ever a reason to start you own blog-- it's for this-- documenting projects!

   So I made a little table runner goal list for myself a couple of post ago... binding my Fig Tree Burgoyne Surrounded piece was at the top of the list. As Mr. SFO says....  "CHECK-A-RONI!"

  I am so pleased with how this came out especially my quilting-- technically, a disaster, but well-imagined. I can't wait to take it out at Christmas. I've said this before, but if you're a little lazy at taking Christmas decorations down, go with red and it looks appropriate right through Valentine's Day.

    Then, I got Fat Quarter Shop's Bats and Boos all pieced together! There are a couple of things I would have done differently on this, but finished is better than perfect. I think I should have used some green in the flying goose border, but I'm going to try and correct that with a green binding. I wish the sunflower block in the middle had a gray background to play with those large squares. 

And I wish I had used purple-- LOL-- I used a filter in Instagram and look how fabulous it is with the "purples"! On the other hand, I checked and I do not have that particular purple in my stash-- hee, hee.

    I was going to hand applique some pumpkin leaves in the border, but honestly, I think it just doesn't need it. Instead, I'm going to quilt them in. If I draw things out in those washable blue markers, I've been tremendously successful in following the lines on my longarm. I am far from the point where I could just stitch in a beautiful feather with out any guides-- or even a straight line-- lol.

  On another note, I promised myself that I would only use my stash if I allowed myself to do this-- OOPS! Another broken promise. I didn't have enough Butter Churn Basics to make that wide first border, even if I pieced it, which would probably have looked a mess. And, now that I am liking this so much, I'm going to also spring for a fabulous Tim Holt Halloween plaid backing. My stash, while massive, really does not have much more than a fat quarter of any single print-- it's a problem. I guess when you calculate the time and love put into these things, is it really worth it in the end to save $20 by using less than ideal fabrics? What do you do?

     Anyway, the Fat Quarter Shop certainly deserves the sale after giving the pattern free.

    I try not to show this too often, because I know some of you roll your eyes now that cross stitch is as popular as quilting!

This is a 1990's UFO-- truth is-- I bought but never started it. This has become a complete guilty pleasure-- every morning, I put my hour in while I wake up. Why do I feel so guilty about it? It's a kit-- NO CREATIVITY required, just rote work. But I think that's okay when the rest of my day sucks up all the artistry. Then I do guilty pleasure quilting at night. That's my day.

I watched some of the "Cross Stitch University" videos on YouTube and my friends made fun of me, because, after all, what is there to learn about cross stitch? I vociferously defended myself-- there's always something to learn! And learn, I did... I learned that on 14ct Aida, most people are using two strands?? Also, I saw someone make a straight stitch over, like, twenty threads!! haha. I guess I'm an old fashioned stitcher-- it's THREE strands on 14 ct for me-- I mean, you can see their Aida cloth showing through all the dark colors. And I would never make a two inch straight stich-- that might end up as a wiggly mess under glass in an expensive framing job! 

   One common theme we all agree on-- there's no cross stitch police, either, so do what brings you joy! I heartily agree I'm not the expert,  and modern stitchers may as well roll their eyes at my chunky, bead-like, stitching-- and the fact that my Aida cloth does not show through like it should! So I have really enjoyed a bit of "Flosstube" as they call it-- yes, it's been an education.

   Here's the plan for this week: 

    First up, I just about have all the parts stitched up for the Acorn Table runner. My next YouTube video is going to be on machine embroidery applique-- thank to all who subscribed and watched, by the way. I am working toward monetization, and it is with extreme love and gratitude that I realize you will all pull me across the finish line, somehow. xoxo The artist-in-residence is professionally editing the videos-- she, oh, so kindly, suggested I am talking too much. This is the first time in my lifetime anyone has complained of this with me, so I took it well, and intend to heed the advice as we go along.

   So here are the appliques and the borders-- it the same layout as the Scrappy Carrot table runner this spring, so I just have to follow my own instructions to finish it up-- that again, should be an education!

I'm using Lella Boutique Folktale fabric. This will be my October Table Runner of the Month and I will be right back on track! Instead of the rabbits, we have squirrels.

On Stitches of the Sea, I have written the Quilt-As-You-Go instructions to assemble, and at some point this week, that shell design will be stitched right on the piece-- then three more designs are needed to complete the edges and corners. Now that I have the first one done-- the rest are easier. I've decided to completely finish and release the Quilt-as-you-go instructions and then do the All-in-the-hoop set. It just helps me focus to tackle one at a time.

I guess the spirit of Thanksgiving has hit me early this year. I've been really feeling grateful for my little life making these beautiful things, and for having you here to sew with me. It's a wonderful life. Go sew.

xoxo

Carol

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!

 So the quieter sights of home are now being enjoyed again, after the spectacle of Vegas. I am now snuggled in for four months of sewing. I am really glad I made the trip, because I have a sneaky feeling I won't be traveling again anytime soon and I'm not sure why.

In terms of my garden-- I was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat-- squirrel jaws, that is! With the assiduous use of coyote pee dust, they must have been trained to look elsewhere. Once the leaves got bigger, I think the "salad" also got too tough for the discriminating rodent palate. No first frost yet, so everything is still getting more lush by the day. Every afternoon I go out and take pictures, thinking it will be the last time-- and then the next afternoon, an even better picture presents itself! I hope this cycle repeats for a couple of weeks yet. I still have roses blooming, too. We live less than a mile from the ocean-- so the weather is a tad more temperate than you would think of for New England.

I headed back to the sewing room before I was even unpacked. I am NUTS about fall, and always wanted to make zen acorns. The Zen designs have a select, small group of fans that buy all of them, and there are my favorites, so it's one of my most long running styles that I do.

I would love to make this style a block of the month, but it's not a large enough following, so my fall back is to do the four seasons. Remember the carrot set last spring?

I'd really love to make the matching acorn table runner for a set and I have started it. I'm using Lella Boutiques Folktale fabrics which I LOVE... and my next YouTube video is going to be SHORTER and discusses applique.

I can't thank all the people enough last week who not only read to the bottom of the last SFO email, but also took the time to go in and SUBSCRIBE to my new channel. Here's where we stand:

It's not that I expect to make a great deal of cash from this, but I'd like to know I'm spending the time for more that two people, heehee! The artist-in-residence has graciously consented to edit. I love the music she picks-- it sounds exactly like what I hear in my head!

So you notice we are over the hump to get 1,000 subscribers, and the next thing I'm gonna ask for it that 100 GOOD WOMEN go in and just run the binding video-- then, you are welcome to just walk out of the room and get on with your life while it plays. 100 GOOD WOMEN x 40 minutes will get us to the 4,000 watch hours required to GROW WITH YOUTUBE. I tried to play it on my own, but I don't think my hours are counting towards my total. I'm not above opening a fake account and obsessively playing "Easy Mug Rug Binding", if it comes to it. Never say never to me. xoxo

If you don't know what I'm talking about, the YouTube Channel is here:

San Francisco Stitch Co. on You Tube

I've never actually seen a SLOWER start to fall sewing in 19 years of business. Where are you all? In addition to supply chain issues, I'm not forecasting a whole lot of handmade gifts this year-- it's alright. Maybe we need a grinchy Christmas as a reminder of what's important. So instead of doing Christmas designs, I made the decision to spend the time finishing Stitches of the Sea. I saw a gorgeous aquarium in Vegas-- my conscience got quite a tweak!

So after months of marinating ideas (no butter, lemon, or pepper needed), I finally did something I'm happy with.

We need four pieces in two methods (QAYG and ITH), so even though the hard part is over of conceiving it, the time consuming part of testing is mostly still ahead. We will finish this, this year, bottom line. Here's a not entirely accurate Photoshop to wet your whistle.

It would be great to start a new BOM next year-- what would it be? I have a couple of ideas in my head.

"FABLE"

(based on Aesop's stories)

"FRUIT OF THE MONTH"

(you know how I love the months)

"NOSTALGIA"

(since I am hopelessly nostalgic right now for a simpler time we all know never existed-- could I take past favorite designs and really "do them up" in quilt size blocks?)

So I don't get a lot of comments on my blog posts, which is fine, because I see that I have hundred of views, and many of you write to me privately. But if ever there was a time I'd like to hear from you it is now. Let me know what resonates for 2022.

Of course I did get back to some fun piecing last week as well! The big sunflower finally got made for the center of my Bats and Boos (free Fat Quarter Shop stitch-a-long).

I kept the pattern they gave, but used my own colors-- I just wanted something a bit more colorful.

I would have loved to hand applique some pumpkin leaves in the border-- they are such a pretty shape. But it's time to get real about how much time I have-- I'm going to make a flying goose border. I tried to like and accept the plain fabric border the pattern called for, but I can't-- I didn't have anything, and I promised myself no new fabric for this.

If you sense a tad of bittersweet in this post-- yup, it's that time of year! I've been yearning for the projects I didn't get to this year-- I had a beautiful, big reindeer quilt block to make. A peach tree to applique on a piece from 1997. I wanted to make a swan applique block from one of the Once Upon A Time winter designs. Being 60 makes me realize that time is short-- we have a super time-consuming hobby, and maybe it's just time to be more judicious about what we choose to sew.

xoxo

Carol

A Quilter's Guide to Vegas

So let me start right off by saying-- the headline here was just to suck you in-- no quilt shops or even any hand sewing took place on this trip! It was a straight up vacation-- the culmination of my month long 60th birthday party. I am not a gambler, drinker, smoker, or sinner, unless you count Diet Coke addiction-- but Las Vegas has always been on my bucket list. Mostly, I always craved the spectacle of it, and wanted to visit the Hoover Dam and see the desert. So if you've never been, or if you just need a little five- minute virtual break, read on.

We stayed at the infamous Mandalay Bay; there really was no choice about this. And just to put that fact behind us as quickly as possible, I'll say that no one there was talking about it-- sadly, perhaps there has just been too much continuing tragedy for it to stay in memory. Our room faced the airport-- I didn't like the idea of that, but we really did enjoy watching all the helicopters and airplanes buzzing around and the moon rising each night over the mountains became our favorite "show." 

The hotel was really lovely-- it had an three amazing pools-- plain, wave pool, and lazy river. I did not get down there as much as I would have liked-- it closed at six. We were pretty nonstop every day!

No doubt you have heard of "the Strip." This refers to Las Vegas Boulevard that runs north to south and most of the casinos are along it. My first impression was from the airplane-- the city rises up out of nowhere in a valley between dry, spiky mountains. Then on the ground, it was hard to believe how long it was-- four miles, and from one hotel to the next is a long, long walk-- either outside in the heat, or inside from one to the next through shops and casinos. We learned how to take a tram from one to the next-- problem is, it was always a long, long walk to find the tram, or a long, long walk to even find a cab. In all we walked about 15 miles a day as my Fitbit would attest!

Here's a free map we were given of the monorail-- it became my "Bible" (bad metaphor, heehee) of things to do.

The Mandalay Bay was on the extreme South End, and I cannot tell you the enjoyment we had walking up past the Luxor, the Excalibur, New York, NY, MGM, Caesar's Palace, Paris, the Bellagio, the Venetian-- this aspect of Las Vegas is very "Disney-ish" as we went from one theme to the next.

Las Vegas just inherited the Raider's football team and this fact was everywhere.

We had this lovely little lunch at a restaurant on-- well, nothing would have convinced me we weren't really on the Grand Canal in Venice, but this is actually inside. The canal with the gondoliers was the only thing that was a tad smaller than I imagined on the whole trip.

That afternoon, we drove out to Red Rock Canyon. We were so fortunate to get a rental car, and this was just a half hour drive west.

There's a fourteen mile loop to drive... 

Mr. SFO loves a hike, and I had thought we might stop at a few of the stops and walk a mile in or so-- we would have DIED. All we had was one little bottle of water between us, and the heat in this place was incredible.

Then it was back for dinner, a gorgeous sunset over the airport, and more enjoying the spectacle of the Strip at night.

I was beyond tired at night... you cannot even imagine it!

Day 2 was the Hoover Dam. If there's one thing I love, it's a gargantuan engineering project in an even more monumental natural setting. So I'd say this was the highlight of the trip for me. I was kind of afraid it wouldn't be as big as I imagined it!

Well, that was a wasted worry! Can you see the little tiny cars parked way down there at the power plant?

 I believe it is 700 feet down to that roof, and there was nothing to stop me from leaning my camera over the railing to get this snapshot. It was terrifying!

The best view of the dam are from that bridge-- you can walk out over it, but it's a highway and trucks and cars are just zooming feet away from you. Again, there was nothing to stop you from leaping over if a giant truck careened off the road.

You can see by my smile how much it meant to cross off this bucket list item.

And now here is Lake Mead, created by the Hoover Dam:

It is two-thirds empty, and you can see by that little island top in the center, it has quite a bath tub ring. 

No one is trying to say it is all about climate change-- it turns out, they grossly overestimated how much water runs through there each year before the dam was even built. Then, they grossly underestimated how much would be need for all of the development in this area. A lot of water is lost by soaking into the rocks, and even more evaporates in the heat. And still the building continues. It crossed my mind, that maybe the desert was never meant to bloom as it said on a plaque. :-(

I couldn't make it back up to the parking deck, so tired was I by the end of this visit. Mr. SFO had to go get the car. So then he cheered my up on the way back with this:

So you can't have water in the desert, and you can't have this in New England, either-- boohoo!

My hour I gave myself to write this post is over, so I'll just leave you with a few more pictures of all that we jammed in to five days. I did manage to get myself kicked out of a place-- a badge of honor for an old lady of 60 in Vegas, and I'm keeping my kids guessing about why. (I took flash photos in the Titanic exhibit-- OK, so I kept thinking flash was off, but it turned out it was on automatic, and it happened like three times, heehee.) And I did a little gambling and won 50 cents. 

In all, taking a vacation again was so relaxing and enjoyable after the past two years. 

We laughed at places that decorated with fall leaves... you can't beat New England for that!

The Fountain of the Gods in the Venetian...

Featherweights in Vegas..

The Bellagio fountain-- bigger than a football field!

The High Roller Ferris Wheel...

So if you are not a gambler, smoker, sinner, or drinker, and you ever have a chance to go, I'd highly recommend the spectacle of Vegas. I kind of wish I was walking past the Sphinx again right now.

xoxo

Carol