April 2023 Life Update

Another month past, and I feel I am doing well on keeping up with my stitching plans or goals. There were a couple days I feel I maybe overdid the amount of stitching I forced myself to do, but I survived and I am on track to complete my Spring Stitching Goals. I am due a Flosstube soon, and I know I am overdue actually.

I picked up another cabinet the Monday after my previous Flosstube, #33, and worked on her diligently for about a week and a half. She is resting in the garage, and I haven't worked on her this week due to me picking up my stitching playing the catchup game. Not many things will take precedent over my stitching, because I stitch at night. Of course, family events, birthdays, etc. will take precedent, but you know what I mean. Unfortunately, working on furniture requires a lot of energy and effort, so I am usually exhausted by the time stitching time rolls around. I do try to stitch, but I more than most times can not hold my eyes open and have to go to sleep.

This is what she looks like after I took a break from working on her. I am naming her Penelope! I like to name furniture I flip, and I use all the furniture I makeover. Most of the time, I find pieces at the thrift store that are not name brand pieces. My dream is to be able to afford some antiques that I can refinish and leave to my children. I think antiques makes a home have character and I believe it will bring me and them comfort throughout the years. My husbands mother use to own an antique shop, but I have always loved antiques. My grandmother was in her 70's by the time I came into the world, so she had so many beautiful pieces sitting throughout her home. Unfortunately, she passed and others went into her home and took most of what she left behind, I do have a six legged table that belonged to her; I digress. The reason I started telling you all this, I usually only come across pieces that are not "heirloom" pieces, but to my surprise this cabinet is a Basset Furniture Company piece! I could tell the difference in quality from other cabinets I finished. Such a wonderful find!

Not only do I want to refinish some fabulous antiques, but I am watching online shops for antique samplers! I would love to reproduce an antique sampler. I recently purchased Eliza's French Birds - 1849 reproduction sampler by JBW Designs and so inspired I want to reproduce a beautiful sampler. I feel finding antiques and refinishing or reproducing them is similar to a journey of life, and I so want that experience! I have other haul I would love to share, and I will share all of what I purchased since Easter with you on Flosstube, but I want to share here a couple things I bought in April that I feel you really may feel inspired to also purchase.

The first thing I want to share with you that I purchased this month is my new Lowry Stand. For about a year (you may see my review on Lindy Stitches website), I contemplated whether to invest in a Lowery Stand. I heard many stitchers say how amazing these stands can be for those of us that like to use two handed stitching. Can I just say, I finally bit the bullet as they say and purchased one. Yes, they are a little pricey, but you will be able to justify the price after using it one time! They are sturdy stands, easy to maneuver, and works with my setup on my sofa which is a plus for me. I struggled for a long time, and I didn't need to because these stands have been around for a long time! Another thing is that I would have waited for however long it needed to ship this marvelous piece of work, but it shipped immediately! I received it in less than a week, and using it within 30 minutes of opening and putting it together.

You will notice also the green hoop in the stand (I am hoping to finish This I Know by Paulette Stewart this month...only three days left in the month so I may blend it over to May). I also purchased one of the Turkish hoops from 123stitch. It is affordable and unlike any frame I used in the past. I use scroll frames a lot, but you know or maybe you know some patterns just aren't big enough to go through the effort to scroll rod them. I am hooked! This frame is amazing! It is easy to setup stitching and no slippage. You have to try one. As a matter of fact, I love this frame so much I am ordering two more this evening.

Well, this is all I can think of that I want to note for April 2023. We did enjoy a wonderful Easter and we even colored Easter eggs. Can you believe I did not take photos? Sigh. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the Holiday and Earth day, and I will see you soon at Flosstube.