Discoveries and Surprises

I'm not sure how I managed to get the previous post on here twice. I guess hi speed internet access is so fast it doubles itself in the same time as dial up thinks about doing it.

While in the process of rearranging books on the new shelves, I found my old book "Crewel Embroidery" by Erica Wilson from the 70's. Since I signed up for Sharon B's Take A Stitch Tuesdays and discovered I couldn't work with a

regular embroidery needle any longer, I've decided that I will have to do my embellishment with wool yarn and crewel needles, which a slightly larger. This made me remember that at the time I started doing needlepoint, in the early 70's when I was first diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, and the doctors recommended some kind of needlework to keep my hands from getting too rigid, I had tried some crewel embroidery. I decided I enjoyed the needlepoint more so didn't continue with the crewel.

So, I started digging in my needlepoint storage drawers, and in the very bottom, scrunched up in it's plastic bag, I found my Jacobean style crewel embroidery piece. I don't know why I never did anything with it, it is rather nice looking, if I say so myself. I also found another kit which I had never done stitching on, although the linen was still stretched on a hoop. I soaked the poor grubby stitched piece in cold water with a little gentle wash in it overnight then laid it out to dry and pressed in on the wrong side, face down on a towel so that the stitching would not be flattened, and now plan to get a canvas stretcher to stretch it on, and hang it somewhere. I don't want to turn it into the pillow which it was originally supposed to be, because the two cats, not to mention grandchildren, tend to be hard on pillows.

I also got a good idea from the book of the type of sampler I will begin to do for TAST. I've done it in the past, I can do it again.

The mailwoman brought me a squishy this morning. I have subscribed to a Flower of the

Month fabric program from My Quilting Friends, and the flowers for April are daffodils, aren't they gorgeous? I already have the January Carnations, and the February Violets. Now I'm trying to figure out a great quilt to make with them. Something wild and splashy, because these are fantastic flowers. The fabrics are made by Northcott. It's all right for me to be buying fabrics because I haven't quilted long enough to build much of a stash. It's enough that I have to be on a food diet without having to go on a fabric diet at the same time. A fabric addiction will not be detrimental to my health, wealth maybe, but not health. Can fabrics take the place of junk food?