Seam 25

Seam 25 Silk ribbon flowers with silk ribbon French knots for centers, DMC rayon was used for the base stitch with a silk thread used for the leaves and the stem. Cupped sequins with beads between the flowers. Yes there's a flower missing at the end, or a part of a flower. I'll finish it up once the block is sewn to another. This seam was done twice as I had a bit of trouble with the silk ribbon.

On this second one, which was actually the first one, the silk ribbon kept folding up on me. The base stitch is a perle cotton, the light green leaves and stem are Purely silk. Again the seams are finished off with sequins and beads.


As I have told Kathy Shaw, silk ribbon work is a vicious circle for me. I love it but hate working with it. I have trouble getting the ribbon to lay the way I want it to or the way I think it should. I know it would be easier if I did more of it but I'm always disappointed so I don't do more of it and the circle continues. No practice, sad looking work. I just need to bite the bullet and work with it more instead of avoiding it.

Spent today learning to use a "new to me" toy. A 6 thread embroidery machine that my mom gifted me. Took about 3 hours to figure out and attach the cap frame but then managed to get about 6 caps done before we quit. The tension still needs a bit of work and a couple of the threads keep breaking so there's still some work to do before I can do anything serious with it.

On the cookie front: Candy canes and peppermints last night. I need to practice on these also but at least the bad ones are still edible.


Well it's supper time. Gotta go figure out what to fix. Oh and I need to bake more cookies! lol... ~Phyllis

"A canter is a cure for every evil."

Benjamin Disraeli

Seam 28

Well I have this seam number 24 on my printout but it looks like it might be 28. Materials used on this one include Lizbeth tatting thread for the base stitch, perle cotton for the straight stitches in mint green, silk ribbon, flat sequins and seed beads. Love those green sequins they are flat with an embossed spiral. Notice I left a yellow sequin out of the top row. The silk ribbon work was already there and I will not cover up the ribbon work. I have enough trouble working with silk ribbon as it is so nope, not covering that up.

This morning I will be making sugar cookies. We have kinda gotten hooked on them since I decided to teach myself to decorate them. Thanksgiving and Halloween cookies turned out really cute. So next will be candy canes I think.

This afternoon is sewing time. Not sure exactly what on but something. I need to get busy, talk more later. ~ Phyllis

The wagon rest in the winter,

the sleigh in the summer,

the horse never.

Yiddish proverb

Gosh I'm horrible!

I was gonna start this back up and didn't. And was gonna start this back up and didn't. And then I told Kathy Shaw I'd see if it was still here and didn't. Gee, you'd think being retired I'd have time to do everything!😏 Apparently if I put my nose in a book I don't ever take it out and get anything done. Anyway, I'm back and so here goes.

I joined Kathy Shaws  stitch along on facebook (find it here: https://tinyurl.com/ydhf23lw) I don't use tinyurl much so I hope that works. After I joined Kathy asked me if I would stitch a bit for her and I agreed. What an honor to be asked! Thank you Kathy. Here is seam #27. I used a #8 Perle Cotton from ThreadArt (I believe) for the base stitch. The silk ribbon was hand dyed by me, myself and I.The sequins are cupped flower sequins I got from Cartwrights. The beads not a clue since I've had them forever. They don't even have a label anymore.

I'll try to post the previous seams I have done in the future and catch up. But don't hold me to that since I've already proven that this isn't a steady job for me.

I told Kathy I had this blog and that I dropped the ball with it because I was going to journal what I did after retirement. Well guess what, I do the exact same thing every day. I start the day playing with horses, cook lunch, then spend the afternoon sewing, stitching, painting, reading or in the summer taking care of the produce that hubby brings in from the garden. After a while that gets old writing the same old thing and I didn't figure it made for very interesting reading. Well Kathy suggest I blog the stitches so I'll try to do that and see what happens. Maybe some of the other day to day stuff will still sneak its way in. ~Phyllis

"When in doubt, ride with your instincts."

All I Need To Know I learned From My Horse

Pamela C. Biddle and Joel E. Fishman