big and little..

I was so happy to be able to get one of Karen Ruane's little pin pillows because it let's me see the stitching of a master.  Right up close and personal.

Her pin pillow on the right....my own block of fabric on the left....

Her photos of her works are amazing and she definitely gives all the information we need to complete beautiful projects...her videos are fun and full of detailed explanations...  and she does the best job of instructing, but, it still just isn't quite the same as being there.  How I wish I lived close enough to be there watching her in person and seeing the sizes, the fabrics, the textures .....  even watching her hands flutter daintily around her fabrics isn't enough to give perspective on size.... and, believe me, I've re-watched things umpteen times in my own attempt to copy her stitches.

Yesterday I did some buttonhole lace stitching ... "Karen size".... on one area that was perfect for testing it.  What a difference it makes in the overall appearance ... not that my original stitching is bad or poor or does't look perfectly acceptable on the size of the block....but, just to see some stitching done in the same size she does on my own piece produces a whole different look.

That unfinished edge of the broderie Anglaise, next to the ruffled ribbon, ..  just above the fan shaped bit of lace is where I am talking about.  

I'll be using different sizes of the exact same stitch in different areas now....and of course, on the day I make my very own tiny pin pillow.... tiny stitching will be perfect...

Here is a sample of my original buttonhole stitching.... and below it...the new area of tinier buttonhole stitching  ....

See?  It looks like a whole different stitch doesn't it? ... and gives a totally different look to the edge.  I love it.

I've gone green...

....... yaaaaaaay!!!

These guys are good.  Three weeks and we have a fence pretty much built,  (some areas left open on purpose to bring in rock etc..) a hand built lattice privacy screen ..sprinklers repaired and set..yard cleared of old reno debris, stumps ground out and removed, piles of old grass and dirt and blocks...(several loads to the dump) ..  the whole yard was newly levelled; trees and shrubs planted and beds mulched... some lilies, dwarf mugo pines and grasses on the south side.. almost a xeriscaped area...very little watering and it gets the hot sun all day, so grass suffers on that side and I decided to remove it and go with a desert look...

It looks great....  and I added some mulch to my old rock garden (which I call my friendship garden because most of the plants were traded or given to me by friends, my sister and brother...)  I didn't think much would survive in there as the construction guys stomped all over it last summer and fall and tried hard to kill all of it.  They failed!  Almost everything has survived in spite of them.  Buggers.

Brand new sod... freshly watered... ohhh, it is so nice to be able to open windows now without dust flying right in.... this week, I'll need to hoses the house down and wash the windows.  Then, I'll get some little plants for all the big pots and... wow.... then, I can just enjoy the yard for the summer.... well, of course, with occasional weed picking etc... as I love to do.
woooohooooooooo........ almost finished.... still one or two little things to complete inside and the MAJOR RENO is complete!  None too soon and I know for a fact, this is never happening again.  I'll put a stick of dynamite under it before I go through what we've put up with the past 8 months.

delicate stitchery ...

I'm taking a class with Karen Ruane.... learning about embroidery and embellishments..... making a little wrapping cloth.

She was making some pin pillows at the same time ... tiny pin cushions... and when they were done she listed them for sale.... lucky me... one of the first to check out the site and managed to get one.... it arrived today and I get to see first hand her fine needlework.

The biggest surprise to me...??  how tiny it all is.  The stitches ...so miniature ... Lilliputian really by comparison to mine, and also to what I thought they were in all the photos.... just amazing to see in person.  Perhaps on some of her larger blocks they are a bit bigger ...but, all of sudden I am having second thoughts about size of stitching...and size of pieces of fabric in blocks etc....

Look at the delicate lace and teensy stitches....

Hey Karen, if you stop by my blog...thanks so much for my lovely little pin pillow.... now I'm more keen than ever to make one of my own.... let's see.... where can I find the tiniest bits of dainty lace and trims..... much tinier than I have around here ..... the search is on!

adding to my stash....

When my doll making buddy came to play .. she brought me two pieces she had found in her travels...

A few people are now on the lookout for bits of fabric that can be used in my new endeavours.... the piecing of wrapping cloths.   What fun I'm having with my latest crafting adventure... and thanks everybody for saving special bits of fabric for me when you find it.

In other news... the landscaper/fence building guys are still at it... the final step in our ongoing renovation that began in July.... well, with the exception of a few other things that are still not completed...

The easy way to dig a big hole for a tree....

Ooooops......

Oh, alright, in this case it didn't matter...and yes, they did actually know the pipes were there .... although, they did twist one of the solenoids in the box whizzing through and twisting the pipes in circles for a bit.  We moved the sidewalk and had new cement poured last year ..... all the pipes and heads had to be moved anyway.... however, we do want to re-use the solenoids and the fittings etc.... so hopefully it can be repaired or replaced pretty easily.

The sprinkler guy is coming today to re-route all the other heads and piping..... then, later today and tomorrow.. planting shrubs and some trees... bringing crushed rock for the non green areas ...and hopefully by Friday...sod!!  Woohoooo ...then it is supposed to rain for 3 days ....perfect !!

My little inside plant... this ancient, old Hoya.... bloomed this year.  It doesn't always.  And, it only has one peduncle, or little stalk, which is where the only cluster of blooms happens, time after time...I don't know why it does or what type of schedule it keeps...but, some springs/early summers.....all of a sudden, a cluster of blooms happens.  This morning I could smell it before I know the blossoms had opened.  It has a very heavy honey scent... only in the early mornings and some evenings .....

Wherein Goosie gets some legs...

My crafting buddy Maggi made me do it.  Yup...she got here yesterday, took one look at my poor legless girl and said...haven't you got those legs on yet?  That better be the first thing you do today.

And, ....I did.  I felt bad the other day when Lin busted me ...and then yesterday ...well, I just got busy, poked some holes in there for insertion and laid on a bit of glue... stuck them in and voila.... done! They have been painted and sitting around for weeks now.  Ridiculous.

Man, it makes me crazy that I procrastinate like that. And, then ... it takes 10 minutes to do the job. Sheeesh .... just like when I was in school.  Remember waiting 'til the night before a big project was due? ... did you end up bleary eyed at about 1:00 a.m... still gluing and writing and doing? ...I did.

Ms. Goosie loved them.   It was 'happy feet, happy feet', all over the place after that...showing off her feet and legs... the DTBs (dining table birds)  approved.....

Then, just to be cheeky...she danced all over my wrapping cloth....I hope she wiped those big ol' brown feet.... it's all whites for heaven sakes...!

Wheeeeee !!!