Also the candy, about which I did some serious research for this post …
As you can see, I had to open several bags in order to properly match thread colors (ahem). And have you ever noticed that M&Ms are not all the same size … or shape … and that the letter “m” isn’t very clear …
Plus, they’re really shiny, which made me think a Deb damask backed with harem cloth would be just the thing …
But it wasn’t.
So I started over … first making freehand circles in split backstitch with two strands of DMC, starting in the middle and working outward, then sketching and stitching “m m m m m m” …
because Ellis …
(the video is 12 seconds … just turn up the volume and wait for it)
March 26, 2021 – Rocking E — March 27, 2021 – Grace’s dandelion patch
I keep track of days in a small notepad, although I don’t always remember to read it when I’m making patches. More on that later …
The Rocking E patch was a simple, sweet memory: our first babysitting gig since Covid. We had pizza and leftover birthday cake while Meg and Paul (who both got vaccinated) went out to eat … for the first time since Covid.
The garden served as a good after-dinner diversion …
and I got a workout tracking down Ellis (who was wearing a candy pink striped dress that used to be P’s) …
All too soon it was time to wind down for bed. Unfortunately, E is no longer the “easy to bed” baby I remembered from one year ago. These days she knows her big sibs are still up having fun … and she let her feelings be known, loudly.
So I brought her back to the living room and sang the better part of my Nana repertoire while rocking E. Soon enough she started to doze.
“Do you want to go to bed?” I asked.
“Yesss,” was the whispered reply.
G and P followed in turn … another successful babysitting job in the books.
The next day, Grace posted the most amazing photo …
which I thought she had taken herself until noticing the credit just now.
In any case, I thought Jude’s framed thread beads would be the perfect stitch solution. Except, I neglected to read that note-to-self when I started to stitch today.
Instead, I went on the hunt for cloth and thread …
Without a plan, and leaving the erasable marker capped, I stitched one circle freehand …
and then another and another …
I was amazed at, ummm, how circular they were … like enso. I pondered what to do next, but not wanting to draw attention away from them, I decided to stop.
They were enough … even if I did forget the thread beads.
I was actually ahead of the curve on my son-in-law’s upcoming birthday. Having read somewhere that Armagnac is a good way to celebrate milestone birthdays, I double-checked with Meg and then went with it …
Note: being unable to get a decent picture myself, I glommed this picture off the internet.
Wrapping wine bottles in paper is always a bit of a trial, so I opted to make a linen bag in Paul’s undergraduate school colors, the purple and white of Kansas State …
I confess the bag brought to mind the iconic Chivas velvet bag …
which in turn led to memories of drinking 7-and-7s on Hay Beach many decades ago (very likely in a plastic cup, and most definitely when I was underage) …
Which is a major digression, but sorta apropos as Paul made his way through college in part by bartending.
All by way of saying March 25th was cause for great celebration …
And so, while the sentiment on this first draft memory patch fit the occasion …
in the end I decided to riff on the Armagnac …
all the while wondering what Paul will make of it.
