Linens, Hoops and Hogs

Hi all, thanks for your sweet comments, such a lovely way to greet and create a new day, and I so appreciate your taking the time both on and off blog:)

HMMMMM, NOW WHAT WAS THAT LINEN... I like things simple, not lazy as such, just like to be organized.  Here's how this stitcher keeps track of linen swatches, a simple handy tool, not rocket science but it works for me:)  After collecting linens for a couple years, I've many more swatches to add, but I do so only after a new piece has been cut.  How does everyone else keep track of their fabbys?

     each card has specs for easy reference and reordering

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STITCHING FRAMES... we all have our preferred faves don't we!  Mine is Q-Snaps, when I find them cumbersome or just not right, hoops work well for me.  As much as I treasure my vintage wooden hoops for their patina, I do find the newer plastic models are more effective as they do a much better job gripping the fabric.

FABRICS... they all crease, some more, some less.  We're funny creatures us stitchers, for prim finishes we like hand dyed, tea dyed, coffee dyed, Kool-Aid dyed, mottled, stained, grunged, basted/baked, flea-bitten and moth eaten fabbys ~ but... we do not like creases ~ can I get an Amen to that!

WRAPPIN A HOOP...  I thought it'd be cool to share this quick tip on how to bind or wrap your wooden or plastic hoop giving it a cushion and hopefully minimizing hoop marks and preventing any possible fabric damage or creases caused by tugging, just in case this method is new to anyone. 

MATERIALS... You can use twill tape, bias tape, seam binding, hem tape or soft ribbon, best to avoid any that are iron-on as they have adhesive.  For 5" and 6" hoops a single package (3 yards) is plenty, with a few inches left over.


Pretty simple, I dug into my stash and found twill tape.  It's soft, sturdy and the inside label says it's from 1971 (thrift purchase) so it's finally getting put to use, love that!

Take your hoop starting at the top with your wrap of choice leaving a 1 inch tail.  With the tail flat, wrap tightly around the tail several times to secure the tail and proceed wrapping tightly, overlapping with each wrap, a clothespin works well to keep your wrapping taught as you work your way around.  At the other end I make a couple extra wraps and secure with a few hand stitches.

daylight was fading so I took this pic then put a few hand stitches in the top left to keep wrap snug and secure

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HOGS...  Living next to a pasture can be very entertaining, furry and feathered friends come and go as Mother Nature leads the way.  This new guy came to the barn a couple of months ago as a piglet, he was the size of a football ~ not anymore!  Won't you please meet Wilbur!  Yesterday Wilbur experienced non-legislative *farm integration* (my own phrase) and was moved into the pasture to meet his new partners in *farm crime* (my own phrase again)!  Gentle Warning ~ any Vegans are welcome to Bid Farewell to the rest of this post.  Wilbur's such a very friendly chap and as I like to say *a well fed hog makes a nice fat ham*.  Think I'm gonna have to chart that:)  Yes, animals come and go, some are ridden, some milked, some cheesed, some egged, some butchered, some sheared for wool, some put to work like the gentle donkeys who protect their friends by keeping the coyotes and fox away from their pasture.  Some are simply here one day and gone the next, we're now used to it.  We're happy Wilbur's here for as long as he can stay, it's a nice peaceful moment to share kitchen scraps with a new friend now and then:)

Thanks so much for stopping by today and sharing a little bit of what's been goin on around here, wishing you all a sweet week to come!


Tootles, Sue