Cajun Corner - Vol. 5, No.10

Cajun Corner – Vol. 5, No. 10 – March 16, 2013

 

Bon Jour!  Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

 

ΘΘΘΘΘ

Don’t forget to visit us at www.cajunstitchery.com, www.flickr.com/photos/cajunstitchery, and, www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often.   We are also on Twitter and Facebook. 

Visit our on-line catalogs at:

http://www.imprintit.biz/cgi-bin/cobrand/site.w?location=olc/catalog-home.w&top=catalog&frasmes=no&target=main&sponsor=000699

and www.companycasuals.com/cajunstitchery.

There is not a whole lot to report this week.  Most of the week has been spent getting a customer ready to go to Texas.

A lady on Facebook did contact me to do some embroidery for her wedding.  She wants the groomsmen’s’ names embroidered on the cuffs of sleeves.  She is using the sleeves as gift bags.  How cute is that?  We will also be embroidering handkerchiefs for the girls.  I’ll meet with her on Monday morning.  This should be a fun project.

It turned out a good thing that we didn’t begin working on the bowling shirts.  The lovely bowling ladies changed their minds about the design and colors.  Now I’m waiting on a final decision.

The peas have sprouted in the garden but not a lot of other things sprouted.  We should have at least 30 sugar snap pea plants growing out there.  Yummy.

Today has been such a lovely spring day.  All I want to do it get out in the garden.  Maybe tomorrow will be garden day.  The dogs are enjoying the weather as well and are staying outside more than usual.  The cats, of course, don’t care one way or the other.  They are in their own royal world.

A friend of mine bought a cute little house on the beach with the intent of renting it.  When it is not being rented, she planned to spend some time there.  Before the closing on the house was final she had renters signed up through June.  She may not get to stay there at all, at this rate.  That was a really good investment.

My mama worked until she was 90 years old.  She, of course, had a career as a legal secretary until she retired.  Then she and daddy bought some quadraplexes in New Iberia and she managed that property until she was 90.  She prepared her own tax returns; maintained the property; and was the landlady extraordinaire.  She loved to play games and have activities that made her mind work.  I guess someone told her the mind was the first to go.

I am my mother’s daughter because I have no intention to ever stop working.  Cajun Stitchery is my retirement job.  It certainly isn’t as stressful as my career jobs were.  I sure hope that Cajun Stitchery lasts until I’m 90 or more.  Sitting on a rocking chair, rocking my life away is not a pleasant thought for me.

George’s father will be 90 this year and is still going strong.  We were concerned about him after Mom passed away earlier this year but he seems to be hanging in there and bidding his time.  George talks to him at least three times a week now.

A few days ago I received a delightful surprise phone call.  It was my son, Hank, calling to let me talk to my great granddaughter, Kayla.  I know that everyone heard her say, “Ba, ba ma, ba…”  I heard her say, “Hello, great grandmother, it is such a pleasure to talk with you.”  They thought she was biting and drooling on the phone but I know she was blowing kisses to me because I received each one of them.

If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list. 

No time to read Cajun Corner?  Visit our blog at www.cajunstitchery.blogspot.com and click the Odiogo button to hear the computer read the blog.

Although we now have a new Pope, the following was provided to me by Paulette Provost before the Pope was chosen:

Did you hear about the Italian Cardinal

that is on the ballot

for possible replacement of the Pope?

Cardinal Cicolla is said to be

the top man for the job.

I do not know that much about him.

Do you?

I was told that

if he should get the position in Rome

he will be known as

Pope Cicolla!

 

 

 

Peggy Henshall

Cajun Stitchery

(850) 261-2462

cajunstitchery@yahoo.com

P.S.  You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

Lion Handkerchief

I have a piece of fabric that I have had for a long time.  At first I didn't use the fabric because I liked it so much I didn't want to use it on just any project.  It was intended for something special.  The years have gone by and the fabric stash has grown out of proportion.  The stash must be used.  This beautiful fabric was rediscovered as I was perusing the stash.  A few items have now been made out of this fabric, for instance, the earlier trapunto project. 

Although the fabric design has many animals, one piece had the complete lion's head in the center.  Ah ha!  Perfect for a handkerchief, showcasing the lion's head in the middle. 

The fabric was hooped with the lion's head in the center and I used some netting for stabilizer.

A stock design had a pretty scallop designed edge that looked as though it would make a beautiful edge but not infringe on the center of the hanky.  The edge design was intended to frame the lion's head.  Since th edge design was a corner of about 7", it was duplicated, flipped, and arranged to make a complete 10" square via the digitizing program.

The hoop was installed on the machine and the design was qued.  Rather than multi colors, it was decided to use one of the earth tones in the fabric.  A rich, dark brown was chosen.  The bobbin thread was matched to the upper thread.

The embroidery design began stitching.



At the end of the stitching, the project was unhooped.  The stabilizer was carefully cut away.  And the edges were trimmed from the bulk of the fabric.

Voila!  The lion's head hanky:>)

A Laugh Is A Smile That Bursts

I found this smile quote and just love it.  Well, I love to laugh, so, of course, I would love it. 

We are counting down for the Arts & Wine Festival.  There is so much activity in this house and the more we do; the more ideas we get.  The new style cell phone holders are a real hit.  I'm making a bunch of them.  Who would have thought that putting a gold fleur de lis on black fabric would be so popular?  Can you tell that I don't keep up with football.  Even my son has ordered a cell phone pouch with a gator on it.  I need to get that in the mail to him.  If you want one, just let me know.  They are $10 apiece, plus tax and/or shipping.  Make sure you let me know the colors because I am ignorant when it comes to football.

It's not really that I don't know anything about football.  After all, I raised 2 boys who were active in all kinds of sports and loved watching football on television.  Not to mention that my father-in-law loves football.  But George and I have never been the avid fans, like so many people are.  I enjoy a group get together to watch a football game.  But just sitting by yourself watching the game is not fun for me.  It's a team sport and I think it should be a team spectator sport, as well.

Then there are the pillowcases.  I'm working on some lovely pillowcases for a customer.  They are for Christmas.  I love working with this particular customer because she has an inate sense of color.  And I am all about color.  I've mentioned more than once that my sister had a gift of style.  She really did.  There are people who are gifted in these areas and don't think a thing about it.  I think these are fabulous gifts.  Always knowing the perfect color combinations or the perfect gift or accessory.  Hey, to me that's important:>)

In fact, a few weeks ago I ordered a lot of thread colors that I needed.  You know, I talk with customers and friends and they tell me I want this color or that color.  I have a good array of colors but there's always that one shade or color that I don't have.  I make a list and when I order we get everything.  The embroidery room now looks like a color wheel.  George and I wonder if we will ever use that much thread.  Our spools of thread come in 5,000 yard spools.  They are very big. 

Speaking of pillowcases, all of my fall birthdays are here.  I want so bad to show photos of the latest pillowcases that I've done for the girls but I cannot do so until I've given the gift.  Most of those girls have computers and I want my present to be a surprise.  They certainly will be for the fall birthdays because I had a burst of creativity and...well... you will just have to wait and see them later.

There is a Simplicity pattern that I have seen around for years.  It is simply the alphabet.  I never purchased the pattern because, I thought, I can always create a pattern of the alphabet.  Perhaps I could, but I did break down and purchase the pattern.  They are approximately 12" pillows.  My goal is to create 12" pillows reading "Cajun Stitchery."  Well, you know my goal of using all of my fabric and notions before October?  These pillows are helping use the scraps because that is what I'm stuffing them with.  So far I only have the C and S done.

OMG!  I received an email this morning from my cap wholesaler and guess what sale they are running in September?  Pink caps and visors.  I could have used that last month.  I have to purchase them by the dozen, but if anyone wants a dozen pink caps or visors, now is the time to purchase them.  I can sell them to you for $5 each, as long as you purchase a dozen.

Sure hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend.  Aside from getting rearended at the toll booth into Pensacola Beach on Saturday night, we had a relaxing weekend.  The neighborhood gathered for dinner on Labor Day and that is always fun.

C'est tout, mes amis!