Drama Girl's First Day of School

I love the day after Labor Day on social media. All of my mom friends are posting beautiful pictures of their kids starting school. I have a few of my own.

Here's Drama Girl on her first day of kindergarten.

And here she is on her first day teaching a college class. I love that she sent me a first day of school picture. I love that she apologized for the unpacked boxes. As if I would care! She just moved into her new apartment a few days ago.

I am so proud I could burst. There is nothing like knowing your kids are going to make it, that they're doing what they love, that their future is so bright they've gotta wear shades.

Congratulations Drama Girl. I love you so much.

Finished for Friday: Table Runner

I love collecting mini charm packs of fabric. The assorted 2 1/2 inch squares are meant to show a complete line by a designer and they are just the right size for a quick tiny project.

Now that I live alone, my home has definitely become more girly, and my Hoosier cabinet is full of flowery china that I've collected over the years. I made this little pink table runner to continue the theme.

I still have some charm packs left. Aren't they cute? It's not really hoarding if they're tiny.  (Yes, it is, but I think this is a reasonable number).

This is the only quilting project I've been able to finish recently because I'm working on something very big and very secret. For someone very special who is about to graduate. Only three more weeks to get it done. Wish me luck!

Where Are We Now? Part 1

*taps mic

"Is this thing on?"

It's been over four years since I said farewell to Lit and Laundry, and more than once I've thought about coming back to visit. It's funny to me that so many people still visit this old blog and find old posts. The magic of the eternal internet.

When I began this blog, I lamented the fact that my life was all laundry and no literature (hence the name). I have now come full circle in my life and I rarely do laundry but read about a book a day. I am in heaven.

The three children I raised have grown and each has become a spectacular adult. More on them later.

The one thing that did not survive the years was my marriage. Divorce after 23 years was traumatic, but I am finding now that it was an incredible gift to me; the chance to start over and pursue many things that marriage and rearing children left by the wayside.

I play the harp again. I've written a novel. I've moved back to Oregon and settled into a lovely little house. My time is my own and I am loving every minute of it.

 

Here is my kitchen alcove. Why put in another dining table when I can have big squishy purple chairs? Perfect for tea or wine and lots of reading. You can see my kindle on the table. The magnifying light is ready for all my needlework projects. My black cats are still ever-present.

I am older, and have had a cancer scare. Both of my parents have died now, and there is a big hole in my heart that calls itself  "the empty nest."

As they say, along with age comes wisdom. And a whole lot of serenity. And hope. I am happier now than I have been in a very long time. 

So, for  lark, let me dust off this blog and see if it still runs. I doubt any of my old readers are still around, but if you are, please give a shoutout so I can find you.  I miss everybody in the old blog community and I don't expect it to be like it was, but I also think that facebook is loosening it's grip on our attention. Maybe some of us are ready to return to this. 

Wishing you sunny days and tea and cats.

 - Threeundertwo

Best. Day. Ever.

I've had to keep a secret for a few weeks.  Drama Girl wanted to come home for a short break and she wanted to surprise her brother and sister.  After I picked her up at the airport today she got to surprise a lot of old friends.  It was so fun.  Since last January she has only been home for four days.  She's been in Europe and then straight back to college.  This trip is also only four days, so I'm treasuring every moment.

It's been hard to keep this all secret.  I've bought some of her favorite foods and hidden them in the freezer and pantry.  I've caught myself about to slip up when talking about this weekend.  I've tried to get the twins to avoid scheduling extra things.

Have you ever had to keep a big secret? Such a lot of work but worth it.

Now I'm off to go hug my long lost college girl again.  And bake some more cookies.

Call Me Snow White

I had a wonderful day. I stepped outside this morning to take out the trash and I smelled the ocean. We don't live very close, but when the wind is right, the fresh sea breeze is wonderful. It was especially nice after days of smelling smoke that's drifted from the fires in Northern California. I decided to take my applique project outside and enjoy the beautiful weather, the smell of the air, and the sound of birds.

As I sat down, I saw that there was already somebody in the yard; a little fawn resting in the shade.  I held up my applique for perspective on how close it was sitting.

The fawn considered me for a while,then stood up and walked off.  I continued stitching.

The next time I looked up, I had several visitors in the yard.  I took a quick little video.  My fawn had circled around and come to visit me over by my left elbow.

It was just a perfect moment.  I included my project in the video to hopefully give some perspective on how close they were. The quilt block is resting on my knee. 

They stayed nearby for quite a while and finally all three wandered off.  I started to get a bit hot in the sun so I returned indoors.

For an animal lover like me, this was the best day ever.

Top 10 Hand Applique Tools

My applique kit is one of my favorite things.  I open it up and find a jumble of perfect tools to help me do hand applique.  Here is my list of top favorites.  This does not include the tools I use to prep applique pieces - I do that using several different methods.  This is just what I keep handy while I'm relaxing and stitching.  Clicking on the pictures will take you to the product pages at Amazon.

• Superior thread donuts.  Nice weight thread, strong, and every color I need.  I just pop the bobbins in and out and nothing ever gets unwound.  There are several sets of colors to choose from.

• Beeswax and thread heaven.  I use one or the other depending on my mood.  Both work wonderfully to help the thread glide and not fray.

• Needles.  Many styles for many moods.  I tend to use longer needles to help me sweep stray threads under.  Bohin Applique size 10 are a current favorite.  Maybe because I find them easy to thread.

• Glue stick.  Sometimes inside points want to put up a fight, so I stab the needle into the glue stick and sweep the tip of the needle under the threads.  It's just enough adhesive to help short threads stay in place while I stitch.

• Tweezers.  If I've prepped with freezer paper on the back side of fabric, the moment comes when the paper needs to be pulled out at the end.  I also find long black cat hairs all over my work and sometimes I need the tweezers to clean everything up.  I like a cheap one with a flat end.

• Embroidery scissors.   Sharp, fine-point, and cute.  I have a dozen pairs around the house but one always lives in my applique kit.

• Pins.  For days when I'm doing needle-turn or to hold pieces in place while I baste them.  I like Clover brand with a white head because they're easiest to see and hold.

• Pincushions.  I have one that fits on a finger if I'm moving a lot of pins in and out of a piece while I work.  Also a wrist pincushion that sits more than it gets worn.  I have found it too easy to stab myself in the wrist with that one.

• Thimble.  I don't use it often, but sometimes my finger gets sore or I find I'm going through extra layers.  I like a simple lightweight leather style, but I keep several different kinds handy.

•  Cocktail skewer.  This nicely shaped piece of plastic is another tool for pushing around fabric and tucking it under.  The picture links to the product, but it's more fun if you go out and get your own in a nice cold drink.

What are some other tools that you like to use while doing applique?  Help me find some new favorites to try!

What I Learned While Starting 15 Projects in 15 Days

finish #1: freebie from Bent Creek

1. Starting a project is the hardest part.  Aristotle said "well begun is half done" (maybe without the rhyming). Just getting all of the fibers and fabric organized for each project took weeks of effort.  But the payoff to all the careful organizing was a palate of great colors to work with and the perfect fabric all ready to go.

   

   A Christmas Carol by Cross Stitch Collection Magazine

2. It's hard to make time for myself a priority.  I tried to get an hour of stitching in first thing in the morning after my routine chores were done.  I felt the pull of a dozen different things calling me all the time.  The payoff was huge though, in my sense of purpose and accomplishment each day.  

   

   Animal Advent # 9 by Brook's Books

3. Everybody starts small.  It has been a revelation to see the other stitchers display their work on our facebook page.  Most of us only got a few dozen stitches in each start.  Yet some of these projects will go on to be enormous and epic.  I think in my mind I imagined that the people who do these types of projects have some superhuman power that lets them do thousands of stitches a day.  No.  We're actually all the same.  It's about showing up and sticking to it.

   

   "Gift of Peace" by Lavender and Lace

4. New supplies are a lot of fun.  The multiple trips to the store for floss (I need to go again today!) has actually been as much fun as getting a new box of crayons used to be when I was a kid.  Luckily, it's a cheap thrill. 

   

   "Alice and the Mad Hatter" by The Floss Box

5. I have enough cross stitch patterns in my stash to probably last me the rest of my life.  All the free patterns on Pinterest haven't helped.  I am confident that I will never need to search far for some new project to do.

   

   "Poinsettia Elegance" by Dimensions

6. If I tell myself I'll take a break "just for a minute" I'll never get back to it.  Quick lunches turned into lunch/laundry/errand/read a book.  It takes a lot of self-discipline for me to sit back down and quiet my mind again once I've interrupted it.

   

   "Night Owl" by Prairie Schooler

7. There are patterns for everybody.  See my ground hog day project above.  I have loved watching other stitchers display their work and their goals.  We all have different tastes, and I respect everyone who devotes so many many hours to this hobby.  I'm pretty sure a lot of my choices fall in the range of very silly.  I also seem to have an obsession with Christmas.

   

   Animal Advent #10

8. I love my ott-light.  I could not live without it.  Some stitchers like to work by a sunny window, but I need bright, clear light to really see what I'm doing.  I also use the magnifier attachment a lot.  Some of these projects feel like doing brain surgery.
   

   

   "Bookseller" by Mill Hill

9. I cannot stitch without some coffee in me.  I'm a morning person, but I really can't get my brain around fine details before some caffeine has hit my system.  I will miss you holiday blend.  Hello French Roast!

   

   "Once Upon a Time" by the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery
10. Facebook is my biggest distraction.  I can't even imagine how much I'd get done if I had the self-control to quit looking at everyone else's progress.  Also cat videos.  I'm an addict.

    

    "Give Thanks" by the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

11. Every stitch matters.  I tried to get as far as I could each day.  Some days this didn't look like very much at all.  Family needs, cleaning routines, life, and sadly facebook all took time.  But every stitch that got done brings me closer to finishing everything. I'm especially reminded of this looking at the people who started enormous projects. Every minute is worthwhile.

    

    "Bless our Home" by Country Cottage Needleworks

12. My quilting has fallen by the wayside.  Now that the initial 15 days are complete, I'm going to balance my work going forward and get back to doing some quilting.  It's fun to focus so much on one hobby, but I love my other pursuits too.

    

    "Haunted Hotel" by Mill Hill

13. Making my brain switch gears every day seems like good exercise for it.  I worked on many different types of fabric, different types of charts, different levels of difficulty.  This is so different from how I usually work on a project.  I will enjoy going back to working on something intensely for days at a time, but I think it will also be fun to mix it up a bit more in the future.

    

    "Autumn Harvest Festival" by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

14. Working on this challenge has helped me deal with missing my oldest daughter who is so very very far away in Scotland right now.  My hobbies have always been my therapy, and this particular challenge was so absorbing for my brain and my time that I couldn't dwell on missing her.

    

    "Story Time Sampler" by the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

So now what's the plan?  I will work on whatever strikes my fancy that day, although at the moment I think I will get some of the smaller pieces done first so I don't actually have all of these in rotation at the same time.  It's nice to have one off the list already.  I'm a little behind on stitching up the Advent Animals.  If I want to finish it up this year, I have 17 more to complete.

Wacky Witches Part 4

Here is the fourth section of the Wacky Witches stitchalong.  There are some bits missing in the border but I'll get back to them.  Having a lot of fun with this one.  I like how the color variation in the thread plays in the clouds.

It's so easy to make me happy.  I was cruising through Target today to pick up pumpkin spice kisses and pumpkin spice coffee (I'm out already!) and pumpkin spice marshmallows (for rice krispie treats - get them now because stores run out) when I spotted these: Limited. Edition. Pyrex.  Be still my heart.  With lids even.  They jumped into my cart as so many things at that store do.  Of course I filled them with candy corn - which now comes in s'mores flavor!  Wheeee!  I just don't know what excuse I'll have for buying candy when the last of the kids move out. 

And finally, a confession.  We have had a stubborn, slow drain in this house that neither of us has taken the time to get to.  Today was the day.  I was about to grab the drain cleano stuff when I decided to take a moment to google alternatives.  Glad I did.

Yeah baby!  I followed the directions to cover the drain once I poured the vinegar in and voila!  Volcano power in my pipes.  No more slow drain.  Wish I'd learned this one many years ago.  Sorry I ever spent money on drain cleaners.  I was young and foolish (last week).

That's the shape of my Monday.  And now, if nobody's looking, I'm sneaking a pumpkin spice kiss.  Oh Fall!  How I love thee!

Crow Cushion

Wasabi Girl and I spent the weekend putting away all of the summer quilts and finding spots for all the fall quilts and decor.  I know it's still early in the season for crows on pumpkins, but I couldn't resist making this when I had some time today. The pattern is available at Thimble Creek.

And speaking of fall, I have a new favorite soap.  Did they have this scent before?

The smell is divine.  Goes with the pumpkin spice candles I already have out around the house.  Maybe they should just change the name of the season from fall to pumpkin spice.


Now I have the urge to make some pumpkin muffins.  Must be fall.