More catch up

Today I'm going to give you a number of seam treatments in an effort to get caught up to where I am with my stitching.  Bear with me!

Blanket stitch (black); lazy daisies (pink); cretan stitch (green)

Straight stitches & cross stitches

Straight stitches, and crossed cross stitches

Straight stitches (black & red); cross stitches (green)

Straight stitches & French knots

All straight stitches

Three rows of Chevron stitches (black); straight stitches (blue)

and lazy daisies (red);  French knots

Today your quote is from Vic Patrice...."Don't let your loss today be the hindrance of your tomorrow" 

Playing catch up

I'm getting a lot done on my current black crazy quilt project and will try to play a little catch up with seam treatments, so bear with me while I do that.  I'm almost done the embroidery and then will start putting it together so the reveal is getting closer!

Another one made up entirely of straight stitches - and some French knots.

Straight stitches & lazy daisies.

And this one is yet more straight stitches and French knots.  

As you can see, sometimes the most effective seam treatments are made with simple stitches!

It's raining again today, but at least it's a lovely warm rain and my houseplants are all out on the balcony soaking it up.  Because of the rain, your quote today is from Bob Marley... "Some people feel the rain, others just get wet"  

I hope you always feel the rain.

A few more, and a little extra

Today I thought I'd show you the project that our CQTeers group did at our last meeting.  The door to my sewing room doesn't want to stay open so a doorstop was in order and why wouldn't I want to have a cute little fellow like this?....

Pattern is from Wee Folk Art

and can be found HERE.  

 This one is made up of all straight stitches.

Three rows of Herringbone stitch.

Another simple one made up entirely of straight stitches with some French knots.

It's finally turned summer here!  I'm happy, although I could rather do without the humidity.  So I thought this quote from Warren Buffett was appropriate..."Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago"

Yawn....

Yes, I know - don't you wish I could come up with something more interesting than yet more seam treatments.  What can I say - it's my passion at the moment.  And you get to suffer right along with me!

More cross and straight stitches

All straight stitches for this one.

Straight stitches (black) and Fly stitches (pink) with some French Knots

Your quote today is from an anonymous source...."It doesn't matter where you're going, it's who you have beside you"

Something different!

Today I have something different to share with you because I'm certain you're getting pretty tired of seam treatments all the time!  I just finished this crocheted poncho which will be gifted to a friend on her birthday.

It's called the Swirled Motifs Poncho and is a Mary Maxim kit  

Picture from the Mary Maxim web site

Because (shhhhh) the sun is actually shining so far today,  your quote is from Joseph Addison..."What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity.  These are but trifles to be sure; but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable"

I'm back - and have another warning too

I hate being the bearer of further bad news concerning computers, but thought I'd tell you the saga of what's happened to my friend.  He has always been quite computer savvy and this story just proves that it can happen to any of us.  He purchased a new computer and of course it came equipped with Windows 10 which he was unfamiliar with.  He ran into several things he didn't comprehend and so did what many of us would do and googled for a solution.  He found a really nice man who offered to guide him through and did so....for awhile.  Then the nice man wanted payment for going any further and instructed my friend to purchase a gift card.  Fortunately the sales clerk in the store was smart and got her manager who then tried to convince my friend that it was a scam.  Of course the nice man was nice and he couldn't possibly be a bad guy...right?  Well, long story made shorter - now my friend is getting threatening phone calls AND the not-so-nice man has complete control of his computer.  Luckily my friend was finally convinced that no money should change hands and at least he has that consolation.  

So folks - be suspicious of everything and be careful!!

Now....back to the regular dose of mumblings....

I had hoped to have a photo of something different to show you today but we've had several days of rain and dull weather so pictures are terrible.  So....guess what?.....more seam treatments...

This one is all straight stitches with French knots (or beads)

Cross stitches (black); straight stitches (blue) and French knots.

Cross & straight stitches.  I added additional cross stitches because I thought it needed it.

Today's quote is from an anonymous source (some of it is a little dated now, but still good) ...

LIFE BEFORE THE COMPUTER

a memory was something that you lost with age

an application was for employment

a program was a TV show

a cursor used profanity

a keyboard was a piano

a web was a spider's home

a virus was the flu

a CD was a bank account

a hard drive was a long trip on the road

a mouse pad was where a mouse lived

and if you had a 3 1/2 inch floppy...

you just hoped nobody found out.

Touching base

Just thought I'd drop in quickly to let you know that I'm still here and that all seems to be well in the land of  Chez Magpie's computer.  

If you get that red screen that screams at you to call a certain number right away - shut down your computer and leave it for awhile.  Do NOT, under any circumstances whatsoever, call any numbers or make any response to it!

The regularly scheduled mumblings will return tomorrow....

If I disappear.....

I just had a momentary 'red screen of death' on my computer that wanted me to call the number stated and pay the ransom for 'unlocking my computer'.  I immediately shut it down and when I re-started it seems to have sorted itself.  BUT.....if I happen to disappear from here, don't be concerned!  

Fingers are crossed.....

Two more

This one is entirely made up of straight stitches, with a few French Knots (or you could use beads).

Another simple one - straight stitches and French knots once again..

Today your quote is from Melanie Joy...."Educating yourself does not mean that you were stupid in the first place; it means that you are intelligent enough to know that there is plenty left to learn"

More seams - and another mini-rant

Here's a continuation on of some more seam treatments...

Buttonhole stitch (black); straight stitches (orange & blue); lazy daisies (blue); French Knots.

Cross stitch (black), straight stitches (pink & green).

Whipped back stitch (black); straight stitches (pink); lazy daisies (green) and French knots (blue).

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Further on my rant from yesterday, I have to tell you about the latest scam that's hitting my computer.  I've been getting regular notifications from 'Amazon' stating that my order has been cancelled.  Now, I do order from Amazon on occasion so it would be pretty easy to click on that particular email and get into real hot water.  I have reported it to the real Amazon and their scam department told me that it is NOT from them.  

I could very easily have fallen for this one because when I got the first bogus email (I've now had several) I did, in fact, have an order outstanding.  What twigged me to the fact that it wasn't on the up and up was that the notice appeared in my other email account (not the one I have ever used with Amazon).  Anyway.....thought I'd post a little head's up and tell you to beware!

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Today your quote is from Christopher Reeve...."So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable"

a couple more, and a small rant

I'll begin with the rant (and feel free to skip down!).  

Sleep is a wonderful thing.  As it becomes rarer at my 'certain' stage of life it becomes precious.  Well, imagine this scenario....it's before 8 o'clock in the morning....husband and wife happily asleep (and, no doubt, snoring)....phone rings.  Wife leaps out of bed, minus glasses so can't see, snatches phone and with fear in her heart, says hello.  Only to be greeted with a cheery voice wishing me a good morning and sincerely wishing to share with me that there were unresolved issues with my computer.  I, in turn, sincerely wished to utter very unbecoming and unladylike words.  I rather vehemently informed the cad exactly what time it was and that he woke me up and I was not pleased.  

How I miss the old-fashioned phones that you could slam down thus venting at least a small element of frustration - instead I crawled back into bed and lay there and fumed.  And the day can only get better, right?

Now, on to more seam treatments!

 This one is all straight stitches...

Cross stitches (black); straight stitches (blue) and lazy daisies (pink). 

Feather stitch (black); lazy daisies (green); cross stitches (pink); straight stitches (blue) and either a bead or French Knot (orange).

The quote today, fittingly enough, is about frustration and comes from an unknown source..."All frustrations are self-induced.  The outside world can invite us to become upset, but we ultimately accept the invitation"

Words I need to learn to live by!

A new beginning

Today I am starting yet another series of seam treatments for you to play with.  I won't, however, be telling you what I'm making with them.  I want it to be a surprise when it's done!  I know - I'm mean, aren't I?!!  So...here goes....

and here is how to make them...

Cross stitches (black); straight stitches (red and green):

Fly stitches (black) & straight stitches (red):

Today your quote is from the Dalai Lama...."Our prime purpose in this life is to help others and if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them