Almost done!

Hello everyone.   I guess Blogger had a few hiccups lately!  I was unable to leave comments on several blogs and for a while, I was taking it personally.   But then I realized I couldn't even log into my own so I settled down and had a piece of chocolate.  Chocolate, I may add, that I purchased specifically to include as a little treat with my giveaways.  You are SOL.  


My sampler sewing bag, which has been a real test of my newly found patience, continued to aggravate the heck out of me and I am so proud of myself that I stuck with it.   I never thought that one stitch....maybe two....in a design as open as this, would create such a problem!   So after redoing the pear 3 times, don't ask me how, but there was still an error of a missing stitch in width which should have made the pattern move to the left.  I lined up the re-stitched pear to the alphabet as shown on the chart and adjusted the vines on the left.  So after stitching the second pear and the vines, I found that the alphabet "T" didn't fit.  I had to move it over because it was in the flower.  After adjusting the remaining letters, I checked again and found that the left 3X pear was still short in width.  But why it's still to the right and also one stitch higher - don't know - don't care.  The vase will be stitched wherever the hell I put it.  So there.  And it will be done!  Using the persimmon linen for the bag as suggested and planned, is looking less likely the more I complete.  Then I remembered I have some wool fabric for a blazer that may work but it was a little too ????? so I stained it, and here it is.  Once again, it looks much better than the colors in the photo.

 It smelled like burnt coffee so I had to decide which of these to spray. 

I love this stuff.  I use it on towels to freshen the bath and upholstery throughout the house and it did kill the coffee smell. 

I think the worst is over and the vase should be free of errors since nothing needs to line up with it.  Can't wait to start sewing the bag together.   

On another note, my Orioles are gone and I don't know why.  But I heard that familiar squeaking sound so I got out the feeder and there she was.  Hummers are back.  I found a system that works for me to keep ants off which is a real problem here. 

I use a thick line of E6000 glue to attach a spray paint can lid to a plastic plate after drawing the placement.  Then I glue the bottom of the feeder to the top of the lid and let it all set for at least a day.  I cut a few holes in the edge of the plate for rain water to run out, but the syrup dripping out lands on the plate, not the ground, and I've not had any ants since.

I've had to re-glue the other feeder but even when I clean them every few weeks with full strength Clorox, the glue still holds.  The Clorox takes all that black stuff away that develops. 

So that's it.  Next post will be the finish!  I want to thank all of you for reading, visiting my blog, leaving comments, sending emails, and helping me with your suggestions.  I'm new to the Blogasphere and still learning etiquette, if there is any.  I used to visit all the queens of thread blogs and never leave comments, feeling a little like an outsider.  Then I thought if I commented too often, I would be a pest.  I was wrong.  If bloggers didn't want to share, they wouldn't have a blog.  One of the queens helped me realize this and I want to thank her for that.  So unless the hot flash juice is dripping on to the keyboard and I'm concerned about electrocution, I'll be bugging more of you.