The Cross Stitch Chronicles, or My SuPeR SeCrEt PrOjEcT

Scott and Emily spent the better part of 2022 househunting.  In September, they found this beauty and made an offer, which was accepted contingent on inspections and some contractual details.

Around this time, Scott confided to me that because finances might be tight, them buying a house and all, a good many of their Christmas gifts might be handmade.  I also know that he is a minimalist and really values handmade and upcycled gifts.  In a flash of inspiration, I knew what I had to do.

I had to immortalize their first home in thread.

Don't even ask me where this came from.  It's not like I was especially interested in, or good at, cross stitch.  Up until then, I had only worked in cross stitch for a few weeks in 2020, around the time Noelle's knee gave out and we were going to physical therapy.  She was so downtrodden at not being able to walk that I was trying to find things for her to do to  pass the time.  It turned out that counted cross stitch was my jam, and I finished the project she and I started.  It was so satisfying - like coloring with thread.

Anyway, at this point I was spending most of my time using my Cricut machine, sewing, or possibly crochet.  I think I had just tried to get Regina interested in cross stitch, which reminded me of how much I enjoy it.  But I just knew I could do it and I had a vision of what I wanted to create.

I began with the photo from the real estate website.  Using a lightbox, I traced the house with black marker onto a sheet of white paper.  Then I traced my tracing with pencil onto a sheet of 18-ct aida cloth.  I picked 18ct because it would allow for more refined shapes than 14.  In retrospect I am glad I didn’t pick 24ct.  I would’ve had a crippled hand.  And gone blind.

Then it was off to the races.  I picked a color and started.  I think I chose to start with the terra cotta  and black to define the shape.  All that yellow was intimidating.

Then I started filling in the windows, although later I would come to wish I'd put curtains in instead.

I chose two shades for the house:  a yellowish ecru and a pale yellow, and used them in alternating stripes to simulate siding

I had gotten deep into the yellow by the time it dawned on me that this sale still hadn’t been finalized yet.   I also still hadn't seen the place in person, and although I kept hoping to find an excuse to drive all the way there, I just couldn't come up with a good enough reason, and gas was still pretty expensive.  All this uncertainty made it a tense couple of weeks for me!

October 17 was the day of the actual closing, and the day we helped Scott move in the first truckload.  This was also the first time I had seen the house in person.  I was more than a bit dismayed to find that I hadn't chosen exactly the right shade of yellow, and ALSO that the black trim was actually dark green, AND the circles were actually holes.

Oh well.  Too late to change it all.  It's either abandon ship or carry on!

I decided that now was as good a time as any to tackle the little Scott, Emily, Scarlett and puppies in the picture.  We had gone to a corn maze together earlier in the month, and I skulked around taking stealth pictures of them so I could get their relative heights, hair colors, and wardrobe choices fixed in my mind.

Man bun?  Long hair?  

Beanie?  Glasses?

It was around this time that I had asked Emily so many questions that I had to come up with a plausible excuse.  I told her that I was using embroidery thread to make Scott a Christmas ornament.  In fact, I told her I was making embroidered ornaments for everybody.  She was sweet enough to go pick out a skein in the color of Scott's favorite shirt, and picked out a bunch of shades that I could use for all the varying shades of blonde-to-brown in the Stefo Crew.

This is what I got when I asked Scott for a picture of his face.

And this was my rendition:

I'd seen Emily in black & white stripes so many times that it was the obvious choice.

I finally settled on a backwards ball cap for Scott.

Then it was on to yellow, yellow yellow.  I did fill in a little of the sky for funsies, just to see how it would look.  I deliberately randomized the stitches at first.

.

At some point around here I discovered something called thread conditioner.  Michael's had some for $10, but Beiter's had a $5 cake of beeswax that turned out to be a game changer.  I can't tell you how many threads had broken and had to be secured because of the needle's friction up till then.  It quite literally doubled my productivity.

Two solid weeks of filling in the yellow, then...

Oops.  Not so fast.

Back to the sky and trees.  I just let the variegated green do its own thing as I filled in the trees from top to bottom, and it turned out that I liked the gradiated effect so much better than my randomized version.  I could have chosen to pick out all the blue stitches and start over, but I just let it be.

Thanksgiving weekend I had to drive a friend to the train station in Harrisburg.  This is how I passed the time while they were saying goodbye.

I used a different blend of greens for the grass

And another blend for the bushes.  I also switched up the orientation.  Horizontal for the trees, vertical for the grass, diagonal for the bushes (and red tree).

I found 3D potted plant and outdoor adventure stickers in the scrapbook section of Michael's.  I had envisioned placing plants and a kayak in the picture.  Then the framing staff gave me a hard time and said there wouldn't be enough space.  

Originally I wanted Beiter's to frame it.  I finished on Dec. 4, and on Dec. 5 I took it over.  After hashing out all the details for the better part of an hour (with one of the kids waiting in the car.  Regina, maybe?), the framing expert told me there was no way they could finish it before January.  I didn't want to go to Michael's, but they do have a 2-week turnaround policy,   What could I do?  I had only just finished it the day before!

The frame was one that I had in the garage, originally given to Regina by Brenda Reidler with a Margaret Keane print of two big-eyed children that reminded her of Regina.  It had a very deep solid frame and the added bonus of a) being free and b) being an upcycle.  I bought myself a light-up magnifying glass ($5), three or four packs of embroidery needles (about $10), two cakes of beeswax ($10), the roll of aida ($15), and probably 30-40 skeins of floss at $0.70 each.  The stickers were probably another $10.  The frame was free, but the framing job cost $75.  So my homemade Christmas present turned out to be rather pricey after all.

OH - and after I brought it home on Dec. 17 I noticed that Michael's had FAILED TO CLEAN THE INSIDE OF THE GLASS.  There were smudges ON THE INSIDE!  I was so heartsick that I just took to my bed when I found out.  I was so upset I thought I was going to throw up.  The back was sealed up so thoroughly that I would have ruined it if I tried to open it to clean it.  

I really expected more from the "professionals" at Michael's.

I don't have a photo of the finished product after it was framed.  I'll get one eventually.

P.S.

The framed finished product

 

In its place on the picture wall.

Emily cried when they opened it on the 26th at the birthday party for Noelle & Natalie/Family Christmas/Secret Santa party.

The Rest of November

 Gahhbh.  I really was trying to stay current, but once I fall behind, my bad memory kicks in (or shorts out) and I can't remember anything that happened.  I'm going to use the camera roll on my phone to try to piece this together.

Wednesday, Nov 16 - trip to the pottery place so that Noelle could make a gift for her secret Santa.  The place gave me a panic attack.  I mean really.  My breathing was rapid and it felt like the top of my head was going to blow off.  Something about all the choices and uncertainty about what I wanted to make.  Well, at least I know for next time to go mentally prepared.

Friday, Nov 18 - drove the kids to Messiah College in Mechanicsburg for the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra's first performance since Covid.  Sarah and Layla met us there...it was Layla's first concert.  She behaved tolerably well and even seemed engaged for some of it.

Afterward we went back to the pottery place to finish their projects.  Philip and I took Layla to the play area whilst the rest of them painted.

Sketch of Sarah's project from memory:

I did pretty well!

Unfired painted project:

If one's not looking the wrong way, the other one is.

Thursday, Nov 24 - almost forgot Thanksgiving.  Andy, Sarah, Natalie, and Regina ran the 5K Turkey Trot before heading to the hall to serve our community dinner.

After spending all week cooking and cleaning 30 turkeys, we served almost 600 meals on Thanksgiving morning, then headed to Uncle Mike's for our family celebration.  There were over 30 people there!  This would be our last Thanksgiving at Uncle Mike's.

Shhhh - Em was pregnant but they hadn't told anyone yet.

Sunday, Nov 27 - First Sunday of Advent, which totally took me by surprise.  I didn't even get the Advent wreath out yet.  

Theresa, Jamison, Natalie, and Noelle decided last minute to go roller skating.  Regina was already there with her friend, Ava.  Everything went well.. until it didn't.  Near the end of the session, Tess took a tumble and heard a *pop*.  The others didn't exactly believe her when she said she broke her collarbone, but she actually did.  Plot twist:  She was the driver, in her car... which has a manual transmission... it was her right arm that was affected...and nobody else could drive stick.  Just as I was getting into my pajamas, I received a call from an unknown number, which turned out to be Jamison, outlining the situation.  

I drove down in the Escape, which is finally in our possession IN working order WITH a working battery (that's another long story), and Jamison brought the rest of the girls home while I took Tess's car, and Tess, to the Evan emergency room.  We didn't return home around 1 a.m.  She was in a considerable amount of pain.  We moved a recliner up to her room because she has to sleep upright for the next month or so.  She is also sidelined from work or driving until Friday, January 13.  She is alternating between depression and utter boredom and stir craziness.

Tuesday, Nov 29 - Swimming practice started up again, and this time Philbo is on the team.  He has been griping for a month about being compelled to join.  His first practice didn't seem to treat him too badly, and he made a few friends.

Wednesday, Nov 30 - Philip cried on the way to swim practice.  Was this the day Andy and Tess picked out the Christmas tree?  Maybe.

Thursday, Dec 1 -   Philip said he actually kind of liked swim practice.  Make up your mind, dude. Today I brought out the Advent wreath.

Saturday, Dec 3 - Philip said it's not good that there's a 3-day gap between swim practice days, because it gives him time to not want to do it anymore.  After dinner, we decorated the piano and put white lights on the tree.  It's a nice tree, but it's dropping needles like there's no mañana.

Brian called with some pretty bad news.  After some blood work last week it turns out his cholesterol was in the 400s and his a1C was over 14.  Somehow, he went from apparently healthy to insulin-dependent diabetic in less than six months.  His current mood:  irate.

Sunday Dec 4 - Second Sunday of Advent.  I finished my SUPER SECRET COLOSSAL MEGA PROJECT today!  Now it has to be pressed and framed, which I may engage in tomorrow.  SUPER excited to close this chapter, and even more excited to gift it this Christmas.   Philip and I decorated the tree with purple ribbons and ornaments.   

Jamison came up for the day.  He and Theresa constructed an impressive charcuterie board, and the kids played card games and board games until late.

Weeks of November 7-14

 Sunday and Monday were so unseasonably warm that I broke out the sandals and shorts again.  

We had dentist appointments on Monday - all but Regina - and afterwards we headed to the mall to do some secret Santa shopping.  

Tuesday was election day, and Philip finally pulled out that janky tooth that's been stuck for m o n t h s.  Clare, Tess & Noelle had work, Gina was gone, and Philip was playing at Jase's, so Natalie and I got subs at Subway and drove over the mountain to get milk.  We heard geese flying south when we were unloading the milk.

Regina didn't make it to the dentist because Jeremy had to go out of town on Monday, so Sarah asked if Gina could come and stay to help absorb some of Layla's energy.  Good thing she did, too, because Monday Sarah came down with something and spent most of the day on the couch, weak and feverish.  

Wednesday Sarah brought Gina back and we had ninja in the afternoon. 

The second week gave us our first snowfall of the season.  Monday night the stores were mobbed because snow was in the forecast for the following afternoon.  I didn't expect it to amount to anything, but was I ever surprised on Tuesday afternoon, when small flurries turned into huge onion snowflakes that lasted for hours.  We ultimately got about 3 inches; it was enough for the kids to sled and build huge snowballs.

We did go ahead and reserve a spot at the campground for next summer, starting on May 1.  Andy is super excited about having a place to unplug and disconnect from everything and just relax by a campfire.  It's considerably closer to where he does a lot of his work, anyway.  The RV is finally running again.  Let's hope it stays that way!

Week of October 30

 Saturday and Sunday night, Layla stayed at our house.  Clare took her back home on Monday for trick-or-treating in their neighborhood, while we suited up for our own trick-or-treat night.  Natalie and Noelle went as Greg and Wert from Over the Garden Wall again.  Regina was the Plague Doctor, and Philip was a SWAT team member.  Mary Stans. went with us again, this time with a real hollow pumpkin on her head. 

 

Andy and the kids left the house and collected candy all the way over to Mam's, where I was waiting and giving out candy with Mam.  Mary and Regina were so blind in their costumes that Natalie and Noelle had to guide them every step of the way.  Kirsten and Joe brought the kids to Mam's, and trick-or-treated in her neighborhood.  Then everybody trooped inside for the traditional Candy Sort and Trade.

Tuesday was All Saints' Day, and we went to Mass at 7:00  at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and got Domino's on the way home.

Wednesday was ninja class, but we left early to head up to the swim shop in Lewisburg to get Regina and Philip practice suits.  Stingrays starts at the end of the month.  She's extremely excited; he's dreading it.  After ninja, we hit the mall to get Natalie some work clothes and shoes.  Scott asked her to start hostessing this week.  She's working Thurs, Fri, Sat.  

Not only is she doing the Spiderman hang, 

she's also doing the web-slinging thing

Wednesday and Thursday were unseasonably warm and sunny, house windows open and car windows down.  I even went to ninja with capris and sandals.  I'm not sure if I'm correct, but I always think of this warm spell as Saint Martin's Little Summer.  Apparently Saint Martin's Day is Nov 11, and a warm spell on or around then could be the Little Summer, or it could be Indian Summer, which is also kind of ambiguous.  The definition of Indian Summer is a few warm days after the first hard frost, which we have experienced.  So both?  Either?  Neither?  At any rate, I'm soaking in the warmth and sunshine.

I ordered a new set of firebricks for the wood stove, but they won't arrive until DECEMBER.  I was hoping to get them replaced while the stove wasn't in constant use.

Andy's second week of work has been interesting.  He's the guy from the water company now, the one who, among other things, reads the meters, bleeds fire hydrants, and shuts off your water.  There's a lot more to the job than I expected, and he's been enjoying it.

Thursday morning I sent Philip outside for some reason, and he came back in saying NOPE NOPE NOPE.  Our mighty hunter cat left two dead baby rats on the sidewalk.  One of them had its head caught in somebody else's mousetrap, and the other one was a mangled mess.  Nobody could be prouder of her than Andy.  According to him, this is her raison d'être for existing in our house.

Philip wiggled out a loose bottom tooth first thing this morning.

It's been about a month since Regina started using Miacademy and wearing the Fitbit.  The Fitbit has lost its efficacy, and she's back to sleeping late.  As for Miacademy, on the downside, the entire daily coursework takes her under 45 minutes, which I think is unreasonably short.  She has also been pushing it to later and later in the day, saying it doesn't matter when she gets it done as long as she gets it done.  I disagree.    On the plus side, she is spouting facts about the moon from her Astronomy course and learning new techniques in drawing, as well as bringing up new sign language vocabulary every day.

Friday is First Friday Holy Hour.  Saturday I know there's something I have to do but I can't remember what, and Sunday I have to drive Regina to Sarah's to spend a few days while Jam Bam is out of town.