This is a Blackbird Design - I know you are floored by my obvious choice. But this is a special sampler, it is in the booklet Maria Selby Humphrey- 1831 and is called...wait for it... My Home. Could there be a more appropriate choice for me as I start a new year in my new home? I didn't think so.
It is a small piece, about 5 3/4" X 6". I'm stitching it on a lovely light yellow 28 ct. linen. Now I decided that the house should be yellower than the color BBD called for, so I'm yellowing it up. I ordered a couple of different flosses and they should be here on Monday. I'm hoping that the Crescent Color Queen Bee works. I've used it before and the skeins I had before are quite similar to the color of the brick on my house.
I spent some time the other day looking through my stash of UFO and I think I'm going to spend some time with my Rosewood Manor Quaker Diamonds sampler. I'm maybe a third of the way done and I've got the Winter Quakers and the Summer Quakers charts that I'd like to do too. So many beautiful samplers... so little time.
Now the weather here in southwest Ohio is frightful, like much of the rest of the country. We got about 4 inches of snow last week. The forecast for today is for anywhere from 4 to 8 inches more, and then the temperature is going to plummet... like down below zero... for several days. Now I know that is nothing compared to Minnesota or out on the Plains but for here it is a big deal. We have had some pretty mild winters in the last couple of years. I heard that is has been about 16 years since we've had this kind of arctic cold. And while I can probably stay inside a lot this week I am dealing with the discovery that my little house lacks a very important element.... adequate insulation. I spent the last 2 weeks getting estimates and picked a company on Friday. I'm waiting on the contract so we can get this show on the road. As far as we can tell the insulation hasn't been touched since 1953. One guy I talked to said that there is probably more dust than insulation in the attic. Ugh.... I figure any money I spend on insulation will be a good investment, saving me money on energy costs and making the house cozier. Not a glamourous home improvement but definitely a necessary one.
Stay warm everyone and happy stitching-
carol fun
Our local electric cooperative pays part of the cost when you do things to make your home more energy efficient. My brother just had his insulation upgraded, and the coop paid half of the cost !
ReplyDeleteHope you get that nest really cozy soon !
Insulation will quickly pay for itself with lower energy bills during bitter weather such as you are having. A pretty and most appropriate new stitch Carol.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your insulation issues, but it does really make a difference! My house has 10inch thick walls and heavy insulation in those walls and attic and my house is always warmer and cheaper to heat than all my neighbors. Good luck on the improvement and your stitching. I am visiting from Slow Sunday Stitching!
ReplyDeleteGreat new start Carol. I agree the insulation will eventually pay for itself.
ReplyDeleteLove your counted cross stitch! I, too, am a cross stitcher and I'm working on a Blackbird Designs sampler! By the way, I'm in SW Ohio, too!
ReplyDeleteAnother pretty stitchery to work on while you think about your new home and making it warmer.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching!
That will be a lovely little piece when done!! So fun and I love your Slow Stitch Sundays!!! I may have to adopt the challenge :-) Good luck on that insulation. You will be much warmer indeed!!!
ReplyDeleteTake care and happy stitching!! Martha
What a perfect new start for the year. Our home in Louisville was built in 1941 and we had the same insulation problem! I think back then it was cheaper to heat than to put the extra insulation in a house. Definitely not so any more.
ReplyDeletePerfect project for the new year.
ReplyDeleteLovely new start and great list of WIPS to start up again.
ReplyDeleteInsulation is so important. Stay snug and warm this week!
Perfect new start, in your new home. I am a cross stitcher, and love all the patterns. Stay warm and cross-stitching. Hugs from Summer time in Brazil
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to celebrate a new house -- the cross stitch, not the insulation. Hope you can stay warm until the spring thaw starts.
ReplyDeleteI would love more insulation ~ not on me, but my house! Oh, and new windows.....just need to win the lottery! I love anything BBD and this is definitely a wonderful conic to celebrate your new home!
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