Wednesday, February 10, 2010

F Words: Fob and Floor

Every time I post here, I whine about not getting to the computer to post. Nothing's really changed! It's my own fault. I'm just not using my time in this direction. My sister and I are both having difficulty with stitching motivation. We want to stitch, but we're having a hard time deciding what to do. It'll pass, right?

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I finished my Shepherd's Bush 2009 scissor fob. I showed you the fob stitched on 30-count over two and finished as a pin cushion. Here's the same fob stitched over one and finished as a fob.
I used the ribbon from the kit to trim the pin cushion, and then I found some WDW perle cotton to trim the fob. The front was pretty much stitched as charted.

While stitching the back, I found that those backstitched letters just weren't gonna work. I worked it out with a pencil and a piece of graph paper and charted the letters and numbers to work over one. There was just a little rearranging involved. I'm pretty happy with the result.
Of course, all was NOT fine in 2009, but I'll go along with the sentiment. In Mom's words, if you don't have anything nice to say ... I've been working sporadically on another fob, Sarah Esh, Women of the Mayflower, and some knitting, so maybe there'll be something else to show in the near future. Uh huh, sure.
I can't blame all of the non-stitching time on my mood. Part of the problem involves a big ass project on the main floor of my little townhouse. I've been suffering from beige carpet syndrome (I'm pretty sure it's a real syndrome) since I moved here seven years ago. You know how beige carpet picks up every little bit of dirt and mud and cat puke and clings to it with Superman-type strength? After a few years, it really puts the "UG" in ugly. Well, I've been sick of it for a long, long time. So the carpet left my home about a week ago.

In its place now lies some pretty cool mill run maple. It's got beautiful grains and knots and a mixture of colors from very light to medium dark. I'm loving it! I come home every day and slide on it. My son came over and slid on it. My neighbor came over and slid on it. Simple minds, simply entertained, huh? Can you say "dance floor"?

As you can see, there are no baseboards on yet. Hopefully, all will be completed by Friday, and Dylan will come to help me move the furniture back in from the garage and up from the basement on Saturday (after a little sliding session). Being displaced (willingly, of course) has been disorienting. I like order. I'll take some more pics when work is done. Truth be told, I'm so damned excited about this that I can hardly stand myself. It's nice to have something positive going on. Ya'll are probably thinking, "What? That's it? That's the big deal going on at Doris's house? BFD!" What can I say? We've already established that I'm easily entertained!

I'm nursing another annoying cold, so I'm off to bed. Hope everyone in Snowland is staying warm and dry and enjoying those snow days. There's nothing like a snow day! Make some fun.

32 comments:

valerie said...

Great fob and pincushion! I have this kit too and haven't been able to stitch it since I agree that 2009 was not fine. I will soon though...the sheepie is a cutie!

Congrats on the new floor!

JOLENE said...

Love your fob/pincushion finishes,they are really nice. And that floor is beautiful, I love hardwood floors. Great choice! Get feeling better soon and take care.

Melissa said...

That new hardwood floor looks great! And it provides new entertainment -sliding or dancing!

The fob and pincushion look great. The colours go well with your scissors.

Take care of that cold!

Annie Bee said...

Lovely sissor fob - I like the over 1 and the floor boards are beautiful.

KarenV said...

I completely hear you on the beige carpet! Our house is carpeted throughout in beige and sometimes it's hard to tell where the cat sick ends and the carpet begins! (OK, not really, but that carpet has been sicked on so much, it's just not funny anymore...)

Love the new floor and the little fob and cushion, so cute!

Anonymous said...

Your place looks very welcoming (even without the baseboards - hey, that's a word I just added to my English vocabulary thanks to you - simple pleasures !) Your description reminds me of when we put the floor boards in our living room and turned it for a couple of days into a ballroom ! Much sliding going on until we put the furniture back in !
2009 was tough, but there were plenty of nice moments too, weren't there ?

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

I love the idea of stitching the SB fobs twice - so that you have a beautiful set! They're perfect, Doris. And, while YOUR 2009 wasn't really fine, you made OUR lives so much finer in oh-niner just by being you and sharing your life with us. Think of the expression that way.

Love, love, love your floor. My dad used to say, heck, he still does, that we kids were/are so easily entertained; yep, those simple minds. I'd be happy dancing all over the place with new hardwood floors!!

Feel better soon!

Faye said...

Beautiful stitching Doris!! And I LOVE the new floors.....Hang in there girl~~

Unknown said...

I love your fob and pincushion! And your new floor!

Love Ria from the Netherlands

Anna van Schurman said...

When we moved in our "beige carpet syndrome" (whole first floor) was only disguised by the "putting green green carpet syndrome" (whole second floor). That and the "ancient disgusting pink and white kitchen linoleum syndrome." Eventually my family gathered and we removed all the beige carpet (I initially typed crapet) to expose the hardwood floors. We did not take the opportunity for sliding. But if the dude is home from work due to snow one more day, all bets are off.

Laurie in Iowa said...

Your fob and pincushion are sweet. Your new floor is fabulous!

Hazel said...

They are just beautiful! I'm loving the colours. x

Margaret said...

Oh wow! I love both pieces! I like the idea of doing the piece over one! So did the kit come with enough fabric to do both pieces?? Is the piece over two actually supposed to be that big? I'm nosy. lol!

Love your new floors! I would be entertained by the slippery slidery floors too! We have wonderful old oak floors in our house, but they need to be refinished. Which will never get done. Which means no sliding unless you want splinters in your feet or socks!

mainely stitching said...

I'd be right in orbit over such a cool development, were it to occur in my little corner of the world. Another simple mind. ;)

Jennifer said...

Hi Doris, I love the two fobs. I am going to have to do some soon too. The new floor looks amazing. It would be fun to slid around for awhile on that or dance and be silly!! Happy Valentine's Day to you!!

Deb said...

I love your fob and pincushion! And your floor is beautiful. It cracked me up about everyone coming over and sliding across the floor! You'll have to post pictures after you have your room rearranged! BTW, I'm not a fan of beige either. I have it in my living room but everyone has strict instructions not to walk on it! LOL

Loraine said...

You scissor fob is too cute! I love it stitched over one. Perhaps I will try that on the forth of July fob I have from them.
Your floors look wonderful! I would love to put hardwood in my whole house. I love the way it looks!
Take Care.

staci said...

I adore, I mean A-D-O-R-E your fob and pincushion! The colors, the design, the finishing~~I am drooling with envy (all over your new slick floor, lol!) That floor really is beautiful and I can imagine you will be sooo happy to have everything back in place so that you can sit and enjoy it :)

Feel better soon :)

Petites xxx et Cie said...

Your fob and pincushion are lovely,
I love them. And your floor is very nice !
Françoise

Karen said...

Doris, the fob and pin cushion are so pretty! I love the little fob and the colors match your scissors -- way to go!

That floor is absolutely gorgeous! I, too, have beige carpet syndrome; it's throughout the entire house and I.hate.it. It has so many splotches on it from cat barf and a big mystery splotch right in front of the sofa that I think is the result of a beer spill (happened whilst I was not at home). My dream floor is some sort of hardwood/pergo/laminate -- I don't care as long as I can Swiffer it and it's easy to clean cat barf off of!

BrendaS said...

Beautiful fob and pincushion!

Enjoy your new floors. It's the small things in life that make us most happy.

omashee aka Barb said...

No, no, no Doris! Your new floor is a HUGE deal! I would kill for a floor like that!
Love your matching fob & pin cushion! Wish I had the finishing talent.
Take care of your cold and have a slide on your floor for me.

Annemarie said...

Your fob looks absolutely darling with that pin cushion, Doris!
As for the floor, I know exactly how you feel. I slide around mine (still) every day, for the entertainment of my small son - and for myself :o)

Good luck with that cold!

Jeanne said...

Cute fob - I had not seen that yet but I laughed at the phrase on it - very ironic for 2009 for some of us. It will be so much easier to have the wood floors -congrats - no more carpet cleaning!

Kellie said...

I think the wood floor is a BIG deal! It is BEAUTIFUL! We recently got hardwood in our main rooms and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Love it! So much easier to keep clean.

Your fobs look fabulous! I love the one that is stitched over one. Too cute!

Hope you are feeling better. The stitching motivation will kick in again. I think we all go through that from time to time. I know I certainly do and it is usually tied to other things going on in my life and mind and the moment...

Hope you have a great weekend! Stay warm!

Nicole said...

Your fob and pincushion are beautiful Doris!! I love them!! Your new floor is beautiful too! :)

Siobhán said...

Great fob & pincushion, Doris! YGG! Any stitching is progress, right!? I LOVE the new floor!! It looks great. I had carpeting in my last two houses but didn't pull them up because we would be moving. It is SO nice to have this house with hard wood flooring... though with a pup and three females in the house, watching tumbleweeds of hair blow past becomes a side activity...

Carol said...

What a pretty fob and pincushion, Doris--love the color of fabric that you chose!

Hope you enjoy your hardwood floor as much as I do mine. It looks just beautiful...

Katrina said...

Gorgeous finishes and the floor is fantastic. I love it. I've been trying to convince my DH we need wood floors in the living room and dining room :-).

Brigitte said...

Your new floor looks so fantastic. I love hardwood floor very much. We have that throughout the first floor, and the ground floor only has tiles. Only the basement is carpeted (not beige, lol) because the floor can get rather cold down there.
Your SB fobs look so great, and I think the changement of the letters was a very nice idea.
I hope you feel somewhat better by now.

Anonymous said...

That is the cutest fob!!! and I LOVE THOSE FLOORS!!! I'm so jealous! My carpet is just GROSS and I'd love to have wood floors. Not gonna happen in this house but I can dream!!!
Hope you are doing well.

Ellen said...

Love your fob and pincushion! That floor is just beautiful, love to slide on it too.

Hugs,