I'm back -- and pooped! (a lengthy tome)

They are both beautiful Sandy - can't wait to see them finished. I love the sweet peas! Your color choices are perfect!

So glad your car was just being a little temperamental, but how awful to be "almost stranded". It's great when our significant others come to the rescue - what would we do without them!

Pauline Northern California

Great to hear your report Sandy - and to know that you got safely through your auto emergency. How amazing that your DH had a friend 'right there' and that you had such a happy time with them.

Those flowers look so lovely - your fabrics are marvellous. The landscape is interesting (but I, too, dislike raw edge!). However, it seems to me that the couching is used as an alternative to satin stitching the edges - so it isn't really 'raw'? It will, of course, be much less 'solid' than SS, and the colours can be varied. Nice idea.

Hope you enjoy the finishing part. . In message , Sandy writes

Okay. I can't get past the car decided that 5 mph was good enough and the diagnosis was that nothing was wrong. Next time you might not be where someone could come to the rescue. One of the big trucks could hurled you into the middle of next week. Is it possible that there was some trash in your gas line or perhaps water? I hope you had on your best underwear. Polly

"Patti" Great to hear your report Sandy - and to know that you got safely

My knowledge of the workings of a car engine is so out-dated that I immediately thought 'distributor' or 'carburettor mixture'. These can cause the car to slow to almost nothing; but I don't suppose that could be the same these days!

I agree with Polly, and suppose that 'nothing wrong' can be interpreted as ' couldn't find anything wrong'! . In message , Polly Esther writes

It really was a huge coincidence. My car was only about five miles from their home!

Yes, I'm unlikely to do much -- if anything -- else in this technique, but it was a fun class because of the teacher.

There will probably be a delay in finishing these, as I really have to get some samples made for a demo in my local group in August. Then I must work on the lesson plan for the stippling class I'm to do for our guild in September -- with permission from Sharon Schamber, since I'm using many of her ideas. :)

LOL! I can count on you, Polly, to have a funny spin at the end of your posts! No, I was *very* uncertain about how I was going to get home, since no one could find anything wrong. But DH had said that he'd come get me if I got stuck on the way home -- of course that doesn't explain how I'd keep from baking while awaiting his arrival. Luckily, that didn't have to be put to the test. ;)

Exactly. But, since the shop that towed me couldn't find a problem, and since the GM dealership couldn't find a problem, I didn't have many options. Between them, they used up almost an entire tankful of gas trying to reproduce the situation when the computers couldn't find anything. :S

Thanks, Pauline! :) I agree that they look much more like sweet peas than like the roses Martha Nordstrand said they were. ;)

I think I'll be joining AAA pretty soon -- I can't imagine being lucky enough to break down near another friend next time!

IF we'd like to see them? Are you crazy? Of course, we WANT to see them! ;-)

The roses are absolutely fabulous! Just stunning!

I like the cactus too. However, like you, I'm a bit leery of anything that has "raw edges" in the technique title. You'll have to tell us what you think when the project is finished.

Best regards, Michelle in Nevada, USA

Nothing worse than an "erratic" problem! Sheesh!

My grandpa's car was being a PITA. It would start fine, and he'd go off to do his errands. However, occasionally AFTER he got where he was going and turned the engine off at the first or second place, it would refuse to start. By the time the tow truck would arrive, it would be fine and start again. Hmmmphh! The problem eventually got worse after many months, and he took it to a private auto repair guy recommended by a friend. (The dealership didn't really want to deal with it unless it was acting up at the time.) Turned out to be fuel injector.

Best regards, Michelle in Nevada, USA

LOL!

Thanks, Michelle. They still need to be applied to a background and given a vase of some sort. I also need to embroider the stamens.

I'm still a bit leery of this one. The pieces are straight-stitched in place, then a wide zigzag attaches the yarn. IMHO that's not enough to hold it without ravels when the piece is washed. And I do wash my quilts. :S We'll see.

That's the truth!

I'm glad his was finally diagnosed and fixed!

Wow! I had a problem just like this (once involving a complete stranger to help me to rock my car in a car park at midnight!). My problem was the starter motor: one of the cog wheels had a tooth missing, and depending on where the 'gap' ended up, the car would or would not start. Rocking it jerked the wheels of the starter motor! It took the dealership 13 months to diagnose the problem. . In message , Michelle C. writes

Ok, keep your cell phone charged and maybe don't go out of town for a while until you can figure out whether or not the car really has a problem.

That said, I love Rose Hughes and her Dream Landscapes. I love the book, love the technique and I'm currently happily changing photos of mountains into drawings for future landscape work.

I'm glad you're home safe and sound and have plenty to keep you busy. Definitely show us the shop samples too. You know how we love lots of pics. :)

Sunny

Wow indeed! I didn't know a cog wheel in a motor could get a missing tooth. I can certainly see why that one was tough to find!

Best regards, Michelle > Wow!

It may be just fine, Sandy. I have a much worn t-shirt that has straight-stitched and then a sort of loose zig over that. The shirt has been washed many times with only just a little fraying. Probably a fat yarn beneath the zig would cover it. Polly

"Sandy" I'm still a bit leery of this one. The pieces are straight-stitched in

I had a car that did the same thing to me. Slowed down to a crawl, usually in traffic and only when it was quite warm out. (I live in Canada, so my warm may be your cool.) The car pulled this four different times, and four different mechanics could find nothing wrong. The fifth time it happened, I traded it in for a newer model. Turtle

Ah, Turtle -- a person after my own heart! I've enjoyed this car, but right now I'd happily trade it in for something else, even though it behaved perfectly on the trip home. :S DH thinks differently. Oh well.

Good news, Polly! Thanks for the vote of confidence.