Floss Colors II (for gladiola pictures)
Rather than add to the 71 replies in my previous entry, I'm starting over again. For those of you who wanted an update on the trials and tribulations of doing four gladiola pictures, here goes: I spent last Sunday afternoon at the local Ben Franklin Store, comparing the floss in my kit with the floss in the store. As you probably know, DMC Floss comes on a huge circular drum-type thing with many sections to turn. I stood and knelt (up and down, up and down) from noon until after 4:30 and matched (I think) all but three of the 45 colors! The three that have me buffaloed are all shades of brown. I am going to try again for those as I have to get the numbers. I was absolutely beat by the time I left and had my husband take me for a burger and fries instead of cooking supper myself. Also, my fabric arrived from Everything CrossStitch. All I need to do now is get my copies printed and I can start stitching. Also talked to the framer and we both had a weak moment when I told her that the pictures would be 51" high. Her mat cutter only goes to 48"! I checked the measurement and it'll be just 41" so that'll work for us. So far, I've invested $160. and haven't done the first stitch yet. Uff da! For those of you who wonder just what on earth I'm talking about - go to page 3 and read all about it under "Floss Colors."
Posted by: Senior Stitcher on 04/16/14
Hi, Texas Stitcher, I figured nobody was reading my current message and then you popped in. I went to the printer today and got my copies of the pattern made so that's done now. Then I went to Wal-Mart with the floss and I actually got two of the three missing colors matched. One to go and I've picked out some close matches on the DMC color chart so I think I'll go back to Ben Franklin again and see if any of those are a match. I don't find it easy at all to match floss with the color chart. I think I'm in fairly good physical condition. I go to Silver Sneakers classes at the Community Center here and I'm also in a clogging group. Got to keep the parts moving, you know. However, today my lower back is telling me that I've done something to it - not bad, just a little ache that isn't normal. It's probably from all that bending on Sunday. I set up a card table today and got my scissors out to start cutting the fabric for the four pictures. something told me to check the dimentions and wouldn't you know, the fabric was only 43" wide instead of the 51" I ordered! I called customer service and got a postage paid coupon to send the fabric back. And I've already gotten word that I should have the correct fabric in 2 or 3 days. Maybe I can get to the stitching part yet. Spring is here - there's a new little foal down the road - a sure sign. Have a Happy Easter and a Happy Spring.
by: Senior Stitcher on 04/17/14
Senior Stitcher I have been following your trials and tribulations of matching the colors. You have my admiration for undertaking such a large project of doing the project times four. I look forward to hearing when you are finished. I know it will take a while. I am curious will you be working on just this project or will you be taking a break and work on something else to keep your sanity? LOL Good Luck!
by: syagel on 04/17/14
Hi, Syagel, I don't know if I can keep going through all four pictures or not. I do have a chance for a break though - my 8th great-grandchild is on the way and I'll be making a picture with the name date, etc. on it like I did for his or her sister and brother. So far, my granddaughter has not let anyone know if it's a boy or girl so I can't start on that one yet. It may give me a break between gladiolas. Just hope all goes well once I get started. Thanks for wishing me luck. Have a Happy Easter!
by: Senior Stitcher on 04/17/14
Hi again Texas Stitcher & Syagel (and whoever else is interested). I never thought of having a glad painted. Then it wouldn't be my handiwork though. I have thought of buying artificial glads but they're pretty expensive too. I do plan to make all four exactly alike (none of this "hers is nicer than mine"). I really don't think the stitching is going to take so long as it's only one stem, not a bouquet, and there's no background stitching. The loon picture that I made was solid stitching from top to bottom and one side to the other and it took a loooooong time! Will let you know how fast these go. By the way, I went to Ben Franklin again today and I found the last missing color! Hurray for me! Sorry you had no luck with glads. Dad grew an acre of them, planted by hand, 8" apart and rows about 18" apart. That's a lot of bulbs and it all started with just a few that he bought with a cereal boxtop. He couldn't stake them so he hilled them up with soil when they started getting tall and that kept them standing. I remember him fighting thrips too but have forgotten what insecticide he used on them. He won many trophys and ribbons at shows. I just had a brainstorm - I have a lot of his ribbons and rosettes and I could put one in a corner of the picture so they'd have that to keep too. The foal is adorable as all baby animals are. We watch for one or two every spring at this certain place. We also have a herd of buffalo within a mile and they'll be calving soon. Even buffalo babies are cute - little blobs of rust-colored fur in the grass. Have a Happy Easter and a Happy Spring!
by: Senior Stitcher on 04/18/14
Hello again, Texas Stitcher, What I had in mind for the ribbon was just sticking it on the outside of the picture (like it had won a ribbon) and then telling the kids that it was actually one of Grandpa's ribbons! No, I don't want to start a sibling rivalry. None of this, "Mom liked you best" business! I guess Dad did grow the glads commercially, although I didn't think of it that way for some reason. I guess because it started out being a hobby and grew. He eventually sold them to all the florists in town. When they were blooming too fast and the florists couldn't take them all, he would take the neighborhood kids (including mine) into different areas of town where they would sell them for $1.00 a dozen. They earned a quarter for every dozen they sold so they were always anxious to go out selling. Dad had all the flowers in the back of his van and the kids could carry about two dozen at a time. The bulbs all had to be dug up in the fall as they couldn't survive the cold winters in ND. In the spring, Dad would sell the bulbs to many places who sold them to the public. All this and Dad had a full time job at a creamery besides! I went to Yellowstone once, many years ago. I had seen buffalo but was hoping to see a bear. There were so many pictures of bears holding up traffic in Yellowstone but I didn't see one! What a bummer! Take care of your cold. My husband had one in February and shared it with me. Took at least a month and 5 boxes of Kleenex to be rid of it.
by: Senior Stitcher on 04/20/14
Hi Senior Stitcher: Had to pipe in on this conversation to tell you how much I admire you for going that great distance to get all the supplies you needed to make your glads for your children. Heck if we all know now what you went through, we could have tried to match your threads from our stash, by you sending each of us a small length of the threads. LOL!

We will all be on pins and needles to hear and hopefully see your wonderful and thoughtful creation! Your children will be THRILLED to have this, especially after all the trouble you went through to get the supplies - - we surely are!

Happy Stitching!
by: jclifford on 04/21/14
Good Morning, jclifford! Please jump in anytime (and that goes for the rest of you too). I'm enjoying the ongoing conversation. Please note: If I had sent each of you a small length of thread to match, we'd ALL have been driven crazy! Thanks for your kind words. My sanity is returning now. LOL! I think my kids will be thrilled since it's something they've wanted for so long. My Dad passed away in 1983. The package of Aida Cloth arrived this morning so NOW I think I have everything I need to begin. We went to an Easter Brunch yesterday and my daughter-in-law handed me a large flowered tote - full of floss! She heard it advertised on the radio and got it for me. The skeins are all separatd in plastic bags on two big rings. Have never seen anything like that. The numbers are all on the skeins too. Lucky me! Happy Stitching to all!
by: Senior Stitcher on 04/21/14
Thank you for sharing. Good Luck and let us see a picture.
by: tls2832 on 04/21/14
Oh how wonderful Senior Stitcher!!! That's wonderful news and how surprising it is to receive something that you absolutely love!

A co-worker likes to stitch too, but loves just patterns. She went on EBay and got a huge box of kits, patterns, books, floss, etc. She kept the books and gave me the kits and shared the rest with me. What a wonderful surprise that was! I was like a child at Christmas!

Happy Stitching and would love to see your end results.
by: jclifford on 04/22/14
Hi, jclifford, It was fun to get all that DMC floss! I don't know if she even knew that was the brand I use. There was some floss in the bottom (probably leftovers from kits) that wasn't labeled but I know that the children have been making some kind of bracelets out of floss so I think I'll donate those to the Crisis Center. They're always looking for craft supplies and it will keep me from having to go back to Ben Franklin and try to match up all those colors. Ha! (Never again, I hope). What a wonderful surprise to get the kits, etc. from your co-worker! Wasn't it lucky that she liked the patterns instead? I prefer the patterns too because I have all this floss in addition to what I already had and have bought Aida Cloth to have on hand. I may never order a kit again after this last one - or I'll make darn sure that the floss colors are included before I order. I just ordered another book of Precious Moments pictures to see if I can find something to make for that expected great-grandchild. I've already made the little girl with the bunny and the little boy with the teddy bear so I need something different for the third baby. Note to all: I will let you know when I have one of the gladiolus pictures finished and then one or all of you are going to have to walk me through putting it on this site so you can all see it. Happy Stitching!

by: Senior Stitcher on 04/22/14