My First Craft Love

There are so many things that we wish we had done yesterday, so few that we feel like doing today.
~Mignon McLaughlin

Thank goodness it's Friday.  This has seemed like an eternal week since the previous two weeks were short ones.  Listen to me.  You would think I worked outside the house.  I think that I impose more on myself than any job ever did.  I do have less stress but I say that I probably don't have any more idle time than I did before.  I'm still trying to get back into 'normal mode' - coming off of the 'vacation' time.  Taking time to blog still is seeming like a chore but I know next week things will be back to normal.......if you can ever can consider me normal.  Our weekend is brewing up to be extremely busy.  We are in town this weekend but it seems as though most of the hours are already occupied with something to do.  I'm sure I will be glad when Monday arrives.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Clock

Sitting here trying to figure out what to write about, I kept hearing the sound 'tic toc, tic toc'.  So why not share some interesting facts about clocks......

* Clocks made before 1660 had only one hand. It was the hour hand.

* The minute hand was invented by Jost Burgi. Burgi's invention was part of a clock made for the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe. Brahe needed an accurate clock for his stargazing.

*  In 1504, the first portable (but very accurate) timepiece was invented in Nuremberg, Germany by Peter Henlein. The first reported person to actually wear a watch on the wrist was the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-1662). With a piece of string he attached a pocket watch to his wrist.

* Horology is the science or art of measuring time. It is a science that started in the days of the Babylonians, who came up with the idea of the sixty second minute and the sixty minute hour

* An early prototype of the alarm clock was invented by the Greeks around 250 B.C. The Greeks built a water clock where the raising waters would both keep time and eventually hit a mechanical bird that triggered an alarming whistle.

* There are no clocks in Las Vegas Casinos. There are no windows either. They don't want you to interrupt your losing streak by realizing what time it is.
* A Grandfather clock is over 6 ft. in height. A Grandmother clock is 6 ft. or under, and a Granddaughter clock is less than 5 ft.
* There are all kinds of phobias in the world. Chronomentrophobia is the fear of clocks

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CONFESSION

I have a confession to make.  As far as crafts go, my first addiction love is counted cross stitch.  Much like quilting, I like taking a pattern and a blank piece of cloth and watching something develop.  I have been cross stitching for over 30 years.  I have taken a few breaks but always go back to the craft.  And every time I start back up I wonder why I ever stopped - lol!  I am currently working on......

Cirque des Carreaux by Tracy Horner for Ink Circles.  I am stitching on cream 14 count Aida cloth stitched with two strands of  DMC #4240.  The floss is a variegated blue to very dark green.  I have been working on this for about a month.

Here's a close up hopefully showing the floss color just a little better.

Here is a piece that I stitched about 20 years ago.......

(Sorry about the reflection on the glass)

With this piece I won Best In Show at our local county fair.  If I remember correctly, it is stitched on 35 count linen over two with two strands of floss.  The pattern is called English Cottage Sampler designed by Teresa Wentzler.  While digging through my old books, I found another pattern of hers that I just might have to stitch.

So now I'm trying to divide my time between stitching and quilting.  Some days I split the day and spend half the day quilting and half the stitching.  Other times I will spend a full day quilting followed by a full day of stitching.  Really, I could use more hours in the day to enjoy doing what I do.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I'm going to start working on a UFO!

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GIVEAWAYS

FabricWorm is having a giveaway.  You could win 12 Weekend Inspired Fat Quarters.  This giveaway ends Monday, January 16, at 8:30 am PST.

Quilt Hollow is having a giveaway.  You could win the Sweetheart Houses BOM from Shabby Fabrics.  This giveaway ends Sunday, January 15.

Sew Can She is having a giveaway.  You could win 2 yards of gorgeous Monaluna Circa 52, Tree Stripes Sun.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, January 24, around midnight.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway.  You could win a Power Pop fat quarter bundle.  This giveaway ends  Wednesday, January 18.

Sewing Machines Plus is having a giveaway through Facebook.  You could win a $200, $100, or $50  shopping spree either online or at their store in San Marcos, CA.  This giveaway ends Monday, January 16, at 10:00 am PST.

Desert Sky Quilting is having a giveaway.  You could win the pattern and needed materials for a wonderful pincushion.  This giveaway ends Monday, January 16.

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FINAL THOUGHT