XXL Zip Loc Bags

It doesn't rain in Midland, Texas---ever. so, I was caught quite by surprise in austin one day with my stocking stretched on 28in bars and a drizzle coming from the sky! (Grizzle didn't much like the drizzle!!)

Here's a trick many of you might want to know about, because next time I will be better prepared. Ziploc makes an XXL bag with handles at the top which comes in a box of 3. Each is 2 ft x 2.7 ft. don't confuse it with their XL tote. this one fold up flat. I plan to keep one in my stitching bag JUST IN CASE!! It takes up NO room at all!

here's the link, and scroll down to find the product:

http://www.ziploc.com/?sid=SEM&cid=GOOGLE

Next week I will be back!!
Kathy

WHAT KIDS CAN DO TO CANVAS

this post on Janet Perry's blog sure rang true for me.
http://www.nuts-about-needlepoint.com/?p=1819

Why does a mother of four VERY active sons needlepoint? Because, unlike my home, it stays where you put it, it has a basic organization, it's beautiful, and it relaxes me!

I remember when my son George decided to cut something on my desk when he was young. He used a Swiss Army knife and just HAPPENED not to move the beautiful angel needlepoint canvas that was on my desk, resulting in a six inch slice through it. I've kept that canvas for some reason! Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately!) children grow up. I've also kept the egg he painted on canvas. It's mainly blobs of paint.

so, thanks Janet! I can stitch this canvas after all. But, I wonder if I would prefer just framing it and giving it to George.

ESTATES

What will happen to your completed needlepoint items when you pass on? I am not trying to be MOROSE, but those DYEING threads (Threads to DYE For) with names like cadaver, casket, and autopsy spark the question.

Will your kids or grandkids fight over them, or worse, will one of them just take them? Will they put your Christmas ornaments in a box in the garage with the rest of the decorations, feeding those poor hungry moths?

Well, something I did about 2 years ago may be of interest to some of you (is anyone reading this?) My tree was full of decorations! I could hardly identify my needlepoint treasures--had to really look for them. I decided that since two of my children were now married and had relatively sparsely decorated trees, it might be nice for them to have some of my needlepoint ornaments, RIGHT NOW. I had over 20 ornaments, and four sons, so I took a picture of each ornament, and created a Picasa web album. We drew straws for the order, and then we emailed each other as to whose turn it was and each son selected their favorites. Once completed, I took the chosen ornaments to the two older sons, and am keeping the ones for the unmarried sons here.

The nice part of this was how much FUN it was for them AND FOR ME!! I could see how much they appreciated my many hours of stitching. THEY know which ones are theirs, and I have the opportunity to make sure they take good care of them, storing them appropriately. The two older ones will have them on their own tree for my grandchildren to enjoy from the time they can remember, and so my needlepoint will be even more special to the grandchildren.

Even if you do not distribute them now, I recommend this procedure so that the "choosing" part doesn't come in a time of stress.

I think this is a much better way to divvy up precious needlework, than to risk hard feelings after I am gone. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Kathy

HELP!!!

Have you ever been online, and wanted to see something enlarged, but when you click on the photo, nothing happens? well, here's a trick for windows users....

Look in the lower right corner of your browser (for nontechies, that is the window you have open), where you will find a magnifying glass and 100%, and an arrow to the right. If you click on that, a pop up box will appear where you can specify up to 999%. the more you enlarge, the fuzzier the image gets, so you really shouldn't go that high. but, I have often used the 150, 200, and a custom 300% to enlarge images. Just this morning I was looking at the funnest (is that a word?) fibers, but the picture was so small I couldn't see the variations in the color well enough. voila!!the magic magnifier to my rescue!! And, I felt a RESCUE was most necessary because I was viewing fibers named cadaver, corpse, casket, deadly...well, you get the idea! These are Amy Mitten's (Calgary, Canada) new "Fibers to Dye For"---what a hoot!!! (click on "Help!" above to view directly, but do so at your own risk.

hopefully, I will see you tomorrow, if not, ...must have been "Col. Mustard"!!! (with the "Poison Berry" at the "Stroke of Midnight")
Kathy

Gells , Mediums, and Pastes

http://www.joggles.com/gelsmediums.htm

THE GARAGE

While we are on the subject of closets, we might as well talk about the garage. In my very first needlepoint class our teacher taught us how to make a "garage" to "park" our needles. I usually use random thread, like the cut off piece when I finish an area, but I have found this Rhodes stitch wonderful for storing my needles! I stitch it in the upper left hand corner of my canvas, outside the painted design area. (Left-handers would place it in the upper right area.)

I have also found that I can temporarily store my laying tool in the garage, but isn't that where tools belong??

Needleblending

http://thecapestitcher.blogspot.com/2009/02/mississippis-lonely-lighthouse.html

Anne Stradal