Pearl Cotton vs. Floss

The results are in, I kinda like the Presencia No.12 Perle cotton.

Pros:

• No separating of threads
• Shiny
• pre-wound
• Did I mention no separating? 

Cons:

• not as many colors as DMC or Cosmo or Anchor
• not as easy to get if you run out
• harder to use the frayed ends than floss

A few pics of the test:

Size 8 and size 12 in the bubble.

2 strands of floss and one of the size 12 

darker pink is floss

a sampling of the stitches I use most often

Brown is two strands of dmc

green is the presencia size 12 pearl cotton

back stitch and stem stitch

split stitch and chain stitch

double french knot and single french knot 

The ends after the stitching 

Red is size 8 dmc pearl cotton

Good enough to use on the hubs napkins...here 6 of 6

All in all and good go to if you use two to four strands on a regular basis.

I use two a lot...a. lot. I also use one strand a lot, so no totally giving up the stranded floss.

I may try it with some big stitch quilting instead of the size 8 next time.

Hope you found this helpful. Afterall, knowledge is power. 

Happy Crafting!

Presenting Presencia

I will be invovled in a Blog hop in March....embroidery!! (Check the button out in the column on the right).
As a perk of joining the hop, we got to order a good sized package of presencia size 12 pearl cotton. EEEEEE, it came today. I need to play with it and give you a report.

http://www.presenciaamerica.com/

I know nothing about the brand other than some people rave about it.

I heard the same thing about Cosmo brand floss. I don't care for it as much as good ol' DMC.

Let the testing begin........................

LRs National Hobby Month BLOG HOP

It's national Hobby Month and our very own Ms. Leslie Rahye has us hoppin!

I have several hobbies...the hubs would say too many. LOL

Here are a few highlights of how I like to invest my creative energies:

My dressform holds bits and pieces of my many thread heavy hobbies

Quilting

 Costuming

Period correct costuming

Especially period underwear

This is a regency corset and chemise

Back view

Victorian Era Underwear

Love the "mary had a little lamb" undies, no? LOL

Embroidery...my hoops, some as tools and some as frames

My latest finished embroidery

Where all the "magic" happens.

Seems collecting fabric is a hobby. lol

 

And Star Trek is a serious hobby......serious. Obsession really. 

I should point out the my friend Karen invents the best Trek critters...ever!

And my apron hobby. Making them, wearing them, keeping them, giving them. 

L  O  V  E

Follow this link to my 27 Aprons post...all modeled my me and my mini me!

I'm even in one of my costumes. lol

Please check out the other hoppers to see how they create!

Happy Hopping!

Spongebob Fleece Blanket

The Dot has been feeling poorly for over a week. The flu bug bit her big time. I made her a little bit of comfort and joy. Of course she won't use it until it's been through the wash...where did I go wrong? LOL

My non patented mitred corner technique

Fleece blankies are quick, easy and oh so warm.....ahhhhhhh

W.I.P. WEDNESDAY

I am afraid I haven't got much stitching done of late. The hubs took the opportunity to use up last year's vacation days and I spent most of my time hanging with him or being his minion while he worked on a few house projects.

I am slowly, but surely getting napkin 3 of 6 done. It's a royal coachmen fly.

My progress...so far.........

Not sure I like my add lib on the wing. I may take it out. 

It just didn't look feathery enough to me,  ya know?

I stopped counting after 50 french knots. 

I have several other projects that I WANT to do so I better get this sucker done asap. lol  
Two blog hops and a possible swap are in my immediate future. Not to mention that I so want to make a shirt and jammies out of my Trek fabric.

What are your crafty plans?

* * * TREK FABRIC - TREK FABRIC * * *

Joann's went and done did it!! They had some Star Trek Fabric printed up. Lots of different prints that sold out faster than a super nova's shock wave.. If you are lucky, you can find some for a regular price. If not, etsy.com has several people who are selling the one with Kirk and Spock for $22.00 a yard....can you say rip off free market?

I scored a few yards of flannel and some ships in the cotton, my friend went to her Joann's and got me 2 yards of the faces and the comics. Oh how I wished I asked for more of the faces.......it looks great in person...better than I thought...not cheesy at all. Okay, maybe a little, but it's the right kind of cheesy!

The flannel

The cotton

I know I want some jammie capris out of the flannel and a semi fitted shirt from the faces.....after that....who knows!?

Out. Of. This. World.

FINISHED FILES

Making a set of six napkins for the hubs. Here are the first two. They're all ready to have the sticky-solvy washed off. If they make it through the machine, I'll know I did quality work. lol

EEEEK! I'M A GREENIE! * * and a contest * *

**Evolution Alert**

I said I thought my car wouldn't make it to the 2014 mark. Sniff, sniff, I was correct.
She went in for a few little noises and left with the same noises with my hubs making noises about how much it was gonna cost to fix the noises.

The next day, we hung out together and ran some errands. Causally he mentions that since it was just down the road, we should, maybe, if I wanted to, go and look at some cars that get good mileage. Honda cars. Sure. I knew how his mind worked. We would look and look and think and think and look again and then talk about it for weeks and then get a car when mine finally gave up the ghost.

I. WAS. WRONG.

He had already made up his mind the day before while hanging with the guys. 

We ended up test driving 4 or 5 cars and, 5 hours later, my PT Cruiser was dropped off and I drove home in a brand new Honda Insight. I did get a little misty and the hubs freaked out when he wanted to go home and get her but I said no!!! I had to do the last drive. I REALLY liked my Cruiser.

She isn't red, a (very tiny) compromise I made, but I really like her. I have a thing for gutless hatchbacks. Although, she has a little bit of giddy up in her go!

Her "baby" pictures....

Yep, a hybrid. It's official, I'm a greenie. 

Not the first car I have purchased on a rainy, January day.

The color is called Truffle Pearl

I haven't been able to replicate this mileage....yet!

I am averaging 42.4mpg

She isn't the fanciest, the flashiest or the fastest, but she suits me just fine!
Now, what do I name her??

Hmmmmmm, do I see a naming contest in the immediate future?

Yes, yes I do.

If I pick your suggested name, in the spirit of being a greenie, one me-made cloth grocery bag will be the prize. 

She's not too girlie, just sayin.....

Let the suggestions fly.........contest ends when I pick a name.

Kno Kmore Knots

The postman dropped off a little, noisy, box yesterday from etsy. I knew what was in it......

Fun Stuff

Useful stuff

Prrreeetttyyyyyyy stuff

Handy stuff

Vintage Stuff

Daisy Cut canning lids in pewter and bronze

I know, I know....dang pinterest
I need a few more jars, but I think I am gonna like this!

What little item, you never even knew you needed did pinterest interest you in?

The Now Mee

Just to keep me honest, here's a pic of me in my Nuu Muu. Oy,
The goal is to have this sucker not be tight by the end of the year. At least in the midsection.

Ready, set, get fit!!

Nuu Mee

Or should I say: a Nuu Muu for a new me?

Every year I say I want to drop some tonnage. Last year, I finally did!! Boo and yah!

Wellllll, one of my evolutions is to get a pair of yoga pants, or at least try a pair on and see if they are the "all that" I've been told. The Dot says they will make me look like I have a butt....a magical feat to be sure, but I digress.

Last week, I decided that I needed a workout outfit so I can be cute while I try to get fit. I got an email about getting fit for the new year and some of the really  neat items that "you never heard of" that are out there. It was too dang much money, even on sale, but I HAD to do it......H A D, I tell ya.  
A few reasons:

• Cuteness. 
• It will hide panty lines in tight yoga pants, cover that pancake I call a behind and not ride up to my boobs during stretches.
• Red. 'Nuff said
• Ruby......cuz I am a woman of worth

They she is....a ruby nuu muu

She will be tight as a drum head to begin with since they, currently, only make clothes for people who are already fit. What is up with that anyway? Exercise wear, cute stuff anyway, seems to be made for the slimmies, but it's us fluffies that need to work out more. lol A conundrum, to be sure. 

My goal: to have my Nuu Muu fit me loosely by the end of the year. I figure that means somewhere between 10 and 20 pounds have got to go bye-bye. I lost 18 last year, I think this is a very attainable goal.

Gee, I hope I like it when it gets here. Ha!

What will you do Nuu this year?

Coffee's done!

My first "finished file" of 2013!   Can I get a woo?   Can I get a hoo?


I have a quilt buddy (she's kind famous in quilt circles) online who's been hounding encouraging me to practice my machine quilting skills. As a little thank you, I embroidered one of her drawings.

Front

I left the back open because us stitchers like to see what's going on. LOL

The original

Not too bad. I do need a bit of work on my fill stitches,but as Teri says, "practice, practice, practice."

I hope she likes it as much as I liked making it!

Happy Stitching!

Trekkin After the Holidays

My friend Karen rocks! Rocks, I tell ya!

She creates the bestest Star Trek Stuff.....ev-er!

Seriously, I could have a whole tree of these!!!!

See how little he is!!!

And I casually mention how cute her new pincushions are and one shows up too!!

 The packaging is soooo gosh danged fun!!

And some cute addy labels (I didn't show my addy)

Danke, thanks, muchas gracias, domo arigato, etc.!!