Well, welcome to a late Friday! Normally, I write blog posts at least a day in advance. When in full Work Mode, I plan, outline, and write up to three weeks out! And then I adjust before publishing to bring current events up to date.
But it doesn’t always work that way when life is up-ended with other concerns. And so, here I am, on a late Friday morning, catching you up with a current project.
I always like to have a grab-and-go project on hand, for any circumstances, even when everything is going well. You just never know when you’ll have the opportunity to, say, stitch over at a friend’s house, or sit outside on the porch with someone, or when you’ll have time to stitch when you’re traveling. And that’s when a grab-and-go project comes in handy!
If you spend time taking loved ones (or yourself) to medical appointments, or sitting in hospitals, nursing homes, or the like, grab-and-go projects can be a godsend. They help while away long hours. And they’re also great conversation starters!
The last grab-and-go project I was working on was the Santorini Floral from Avlea (available here) – and which I showed you here, finished, aside from the hem.
I still haven’t had a chance to measure, cut, and baste the hem in, which I want to do at the studio.
So I started on another Avlea project that I like – the Golden Celandine project that you can see listed in the kits here. Instead of working it from the kit, though, I decided to make my own kit.
I also decided to change the design up a bit. Instead of a small mat size finish, I want a runner size that will fit the top of a piece of furniture in my house. I wanted something more along the lines of the size of this project (which was the first Avlea kit I worked) but even slightly larger.
The problem was that the original Golden Celandine designed by Krista West was for a much smaller mat size, so simply repeating the design in a larger space wouldn’t really do the trick.
The weight of the design wasn’t heavy enough to work well with a larger runner.
And so began messing around on my cross stitch software (I use MacStitch by Ursa Software) to make a more elaborate, slightly “heavier” design that would fill the space of a runner a little better. I used most of the same elements from Golden Celandine, but I added to them – especially the side banding.
I also added a banded box in the center of the runner design, to ensure it has enough “fill” to make it decorative and interesting.
Working on MacStitch is easy and intuitive (they have a PC version as well). As long as I had my laptop with me, messing around with the design was a source of entertainment while in perpetual waiting mode at the hospital for a week. And eventually, I ended up with a design I liked, that filled the runner space well.
I kept the 30-count design foundation, working over two threads of fabric. I’m using the same linen that Krista uses on the linen Avlea designs. It’s a European linen with a nice weave, the threads are plump and round, and it’s easy to see where to make each stitch even with my sub-par eyesight! Sometimes, in very low light, I can even get away with “feeling” where to stitch, by dragging my needle along the weave.
In any case, I like this linen for this use, so much so that I’ve stocked some yardage of it in case anyone else is looking for a good 30-count linen to have on hand for your own designs or projects of this sort. If you want some, reach out via email! If there’s enough demand, I’ll bring in more and I’ll create a permanent shop listing for it.
This project is great to have with me at the nursing home where my dad is in rehab. I can work on it in the room, in the lobby, outside. I’ve chatted with other residents about it, and it’s allowed me to open up conversations and establish friendly relations with ladies who used to do needlework and can’t anymore.
The morning light is the best time to do needlework in the room. It’s fabulous! And there’s a great view out the window! Afternoon light is better in the lobby or outside.
Learning a Lot
I’ve learned a lot since we began this particular life adventure, aside from the extra knowledge in caregiving.
For example, Go Bags – they’re essential. And I’m admittedly a Bag Lady these days! I carry two to three bags (and my laptop) every day.
One bag is a large over-the-shoulder tote. It contains my needlework project in a pouch (project, chart, hoop, thread, needles, scissors, screwdriver, tape, seam ripper, tweezers), a book, a water bottle, discreet headphones, charging cables, and any essentials I need to bring for dad.
The other bag is my insulated lunch (and dinner) bag. Doing this kind of thing long-term requires a way to carry my own meals, so I use an insulated lunch bag with a couple thin freezer packs in it. I tote some cheese, salami, an apple or two, nuts, tea bags, and some cream with me (for tea). Occasionally, I’ll take a container of homemade soup that I can microwave. Meals out are not a feasible financial option, and really, neither is coffee or tea these days. So I take what I need with me. It works!
I also carry a couple nano bags with me in my tote bag. These take up very little space when they’re not in use, but they open up and hold a lot when they are in use. These, I use for toting dad’s stuff to and fro, if I need to take things home and bring them back for him.
Bags are Life! #BagLife! Who knew?
So that’s what I’m up to these days. Anna is out of town this weekend, but she’ll be back Monday and shipping as usual. So if you’ve ordered anything today or you order anything over the weekend, it’ll go out as always.
Next week, I hope to be working in the studio for about three or so hours a day, while my sister and I rotate time with dad. Then, towards the end of next week, my sister from Massachusetts will arrive and stay for ten days, to take over some time, too. This will free me up for more studio time – especially as we will start putting together our Christmas kits and get the next stitch-along ready to launch. It will also give me time to prepare better and more informative blog posts ahead of time! So that’s the plan!
I hope you and those you love are doing well!
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