Blame it on the New Glasses, Maybe?

Okay folks, I'm back in the embroidery groove once again!

So far this year -this month - I have completed two pair of pillow cases and have a third set almost completed too. I had to stop work on the 3rd set though until an order I placed last week to my favorite online shop (Herrschners) arrives with the floss colors I need to finish this project. I also ordered colors needed for several other projects sitting in my "Stash" pile now too -larger items, like tablecloths that are mainly 52x68 inches in size.

So, while waiting for my order to arrive, I started working on a large tablecloth -52x68 inches -that is a floral piece -featuring tulips! Very pretty, I think.

This cloth has a bunch of three tulips in each corner, with a bunch of three tulips in the center part along the side, plus it has two bunches of three tulips in the middle of the cloth too -and also, four single tulips too along each side of the cloth.

This piece is done in cross stitching which I'm okay with most of the time. (It's that bloody counted cross stitch stuff that I like but it absolutely give me -mainly my eyes -fits!

So anyway, I started working on this piece a week ago today using what floss I already had on hand in the colors required for it.

These tulips -in the corners, middle, center of the edge -in the bunches -are done with one being a light yellow with a darker yellow, the middle tulip is to be a light coral and dark coral and the third tulip, in two shades of purple/lavender.

I was moving right along, getting a lot done on these tulips and I got all the floral display I could do with the colors I had in the middle portion completed. Just need to finish two tulips there in the lavender as I only had one of the purple/lavender colors needed.

So, I started on the flowers then in the corners and along the sides of the cloth -working first with the lavender/purple shade I had. I got I think two bunches of those flowers finished when I realized I had "misplaced" a color! Meaning I had embroidered the wrong tulip on one of the corner bunches! I debated about ripping those stitches out and then decided to heck with that. I would just change the arrangement of the colors in the other two corners!

From there, I decided to work on the tulips in the coral shades. Each tulip is supposed to be done with the petals towards the outside done in one color of coral and the center portion of the flower is then done in another shade of coral. (Same with the other tulips -outer petals in one shade of purple with the inner portion in another shade and likewise with the third flower with is in two shades of yellow.)

So tonight, I finished up all the outer petals of the tulips that are in coral and as I reached for the other color -a darker shade of coral -I realized that I had done all those outer coral leaves in the light shade of coral and they should have all been done in the darker color with the center portion being the lighter color!

Boy, was I ticked off at myself for making a stupid, stupid mistake like that!

Here I thought getting these new glasses last month would alleviate my making a mistake of that type but I forgot, although I can now see much better, one still has to read the directions correctly first, don't 'cha?

Well, I will tell you this much for sure -with as many tulips as are involved in this whole cloth -there is now way in you know where that I am going to rip ALL that much work out and redo them!

I think they will look fine and dandy when it's all finished with the lighter color on the outer petals and the darker color in the middle of the flowers!

I was really disappointed today though that the stuff I ordered last week didn't arrive today. I was thinking, originally, that the stuff would have arrived yesterday until Mandy reminded me that it was a Federal Holiday and the post office was closed. So I thought well, for sure, the package would come today but no luck! So, it better be here tomorrow!

I also got on a bit of a knitting kick too the first week of the new year and made a sweater. Well, I almost made a sweater, I should say, because it isn't finished yet either!

I have the front and back and both sleeves done so I still need to sew it together and then, I will have to knit the neckline after that. And it was because of the neckline that it isn't finished yet because I need to use a large sized circular needle to do the neckline and the needles I have on hand are not large enough for the yarn and stitches, etc. So, I ordered a needles in the size needed too last week and was hoping for that to arrive now so I could finish that sweater!

I had thought the sweater would probably fit me but in holding the pieces up to myself, I don't think it is going to be quite long enough to fit me properly so maybe it will fit one of my girls when it is done -provided they like the style and the yarn -and provided I don't screw up the neckline then too, ya know!

Ah, the trials and tribulations of various types of crafting activities!

But, on the good side of other things I have written about lately, Mandy's friend Ken went out and got me one of those florescent lights I said I wanted in my kitchen and installed it for me too -underneath my corner cupboard! Now I have a very nice amount of light that falls on my countertop, making it much, much easier for me to see to read recipes -hopefully correctly!

And speaking of recipes, today I made Stuffed Pepper Soup from a recipe a friend from church sent me yesterday. (Thanks a bundle Brenda for e-mailing that recipe to me!) The soup turned out great -well, at least Mandy and I liked it. Neither Maya nor Kurtis would even try it! Little fools they both are sometimes where food is concerned! Maya has decided now that she doesn't like rice so therefore, she ruled out this soup because it has rice in it! And as for Kurt, who knows why he wouldn't eat it! Only Kurtis knows that and he's keeping his reasons a secret!

So, if you like stuffed peppers for openers and think this soup would be a good item to try, let me know and I'll be happy to share the recipe with anyone who asks! (Really easy to fix too, I might add -therefore, it qualifies as my type of recipe!)

And now, time for me to go to bed!

See you another time, another day and we can "talk" some more!