Stitchfork Designs

the dumpster rust blues.....

2012-02-26T16:54:00.000-05:00

Construction guy: Can I help you??

Me: No thanks, just taking a picture of your dumpster

Construction guy: Uhhh, my dumpster??

Me: Look how pretty the afternoon sun makes the blue, and the rust and the letters

Construction guy: Have to say, no one has ever said the dumpster is pretty. Knock yourself out.

Nice dog you have there.

Me: Thanks.....and hey, I saw that eye roll!

The Hound: c’mon, let’s walk.....

Squirrel!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

water, water everywhere...

2012-02-23T12:18:00.000-05:00

all’s quiet in my thread corner as I set the gps to head north

gps: head northwest till you hit water

Hello Lake Erie!

gps: you have arrived at your destination

Wait, what?

my hotel is NOwhere in sight??

Excuse me...do you know where I am?

parking was a challenge the entire week

but the competition was on

Case Western, NYU, University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon,

Washington University St Louis, Emory,

and my fav...

The University of Rochester

isn’t there always one (or more) in every crowd?

little late night snacks for refueling

gps: this way home...

g’bye Cleveland, it was fun!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

the heart of rock and roll.....

2012-02-19T19:28:00.002-05:00

They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating...

And from what I've seen I believe 'em...

But the heart of rock and roll...

The heart of rock and roll...

is in...

(Huey Lewis and the News, 1984)

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

every which way.....

2012-02-15T08:14:00.000-05:00

over the river...

through the woods...

and up the hill

*not an endorsement for snapping a photo while driving

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

Mr. Watson come here.....

2012-02-12T18:37:00.000-05:00

the first words spoken via the telephone

by its inventor...Alexander Graham Bell

on Valentine’s Day, Mr. Bell wanted...

not chocolate covered strawberries,

or flowers,

S2 Monogram in thread and carded for S2 Stationery, NY

or heart monograms

A. G. Bell wanted his patent to be accepted on...

February 14, 1876

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

shhhh, should I.....

2012-02-09T17:52:00.000-05:00

think he needs a blanket?

I got cold feet...

and

decided to pass the buck...

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

tulip mania.....

2012-02-05T15:58:00.000-05:00

17th century Netherlands

tulip demands created enormous price peaks

a single tulip bulb could be sold for:

four tons of wheat

eight tons of rye

one bed

four oxen

eight pigs

12 sheep

one suit of clothes

two casks of wine

four tons of beer

two tons of butter

1,000 pounds of cheese

one silver drinking cup

would you keep your tulip?

or...

trade for one of those items listed above?

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

a little up, now over a smidge…..

2012-02-01T17:13:00.000-05:00

photo gallery now open!

browsing and lingering encouraged

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

ps...

if you click on a gallery photo,

it will take you to the original post for more details

( there are just a few photset links I am still working on,

if anyone knows the code, I'm all ears!)

capitol versus capital…..

2012-01-29T15:22:00.000-05:00

The US Capitol dome:

8,909,200 pounds of cast iron

540 rooms

850 doorways

365 steps from basement to dome

Stories of murder, curses, demon cats and statues stepping down to dance minuets at midnight

couldn’t fit all of those Capitol capital bits

onto a 6x6 cocktail napkin

so...

the Capitol pulled in the capital columns...

III

of the third JBTC

Wonder if JBTC the third has any capital tales

to tell from the Capitol?

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

French + Gothic + Candy Canes.....

2012-01-25T19:03:00.000-05:00

what’s CC.....

...to do with all those leftover candy canes?

French...

19th Century...

Gothic...

monogram

quite the rage in Victorian times

.....

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

wear your heart on your sleeve.....

2012-01-22T11:49:00.000-05:00

February

(just around the corner)

is Heart Month

stitch it on…

or pin one on

with a free heart dress pin from

the American Heart Association

Be kind to your heart…

Stitchfork aka R.D. Registered Dietitian

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

sign on the dotted line.....

2012-01-20T16:01:00.000-05:00

idiom...

an expression whose meaning is not predictable

refers to the line traditionally

indicating the place for one's signature

— early 1900s

line? what line?

ANN and I didn’t see any lines!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

roadtrip + detour + peas…..

2012-01-18T18:25:00.000-05:00

took an unexpected detour on my current road trip

scenery…

colorful

hospital food...

questionable

health care…..priceless

currently banning peas...

all’s good

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

pink martinis, pearls & chocolate.....

2012-01-12T17:13:00.000-05:00

Pink...........in the highest degree possible

Martini......E. B. White called it "the elixir of quietude”

Pearls.........gemstones and objects of beauty

put them all together and you’ll find...

Marilyn

at Pink Martinis and Pearls

with her artistic passion for

decorating cookies and other sweet treats

Marilyn says...

"life's too short to not have a little

pink umbrella in your drink!"

Cheers!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

blues and red.....

2012-01-08T16:42:00.000-05:00

blue crabs

and

red ~~crabernet~~ cabernet

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

sledgehammer and sunset.....

2012-01-06T10:41:00.000-05:00

another computer hard drive has ridden off into the sunset

but, the geek squad said...

patience, we will replace the hard drive

come home soon

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

the oddest prime.....

2012-01-03T17:07:00.000-05:00

Number 2

the smallest prime

the first prime

its square root the first known irrational number

the atomic number of helium

good things come in Twos

Two sits by Four...

so as not to be ~~board~~ bored

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

talkin' turkeys and wild turkeys.....

2011-12-26T20:55:00.000-05:00

The Hound here...

Cathy aka Stitchfork is ~~crashed~~ recharging on

the couch after all the merriment

I’ve also been a busy elf with my traditional

hound-gift-giving to everyone

dog ID tags in case they get lost...done that

peppermint bark...done that

yellow cotton candy /do-not-eat-yellow-snow reminder...done that

after some brainstorming with some of the locals…

my gift this year was “the hair of the dog”

yep, I did hot glue some of my brushed hair

onto the tag as my signature

& then I slipped a tiny bottle of wild turkey in the gift box

They did card me at the store as I am only 11...

But hey, I explained, that’s 77 in dog years

Oh! We had a new family member at the table this year—

fourth generation!

I sat right ~~under~~ next to him as he understands

the joy of sharing a holiday meal!

and.....The Hound

decking, chilling, dashing.....

2011-12-22T21:46:00.000-05:00

the halls are decked...

the lights are lit...

the cookie dough is chilling...

the dashing about has begun...

four generations will gather...

let the merriment commence!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

that's the jingle bell rock, yeah.....

2011-12-18T12:44:00.000-05:00

jingle bell...

rock !

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

helical springs of fame.....

2011-12-15T15:43:00.000-05:00

they bounce...

they travel down steps...

troops in the Vietnam War used them as mobile radio

antennas as have amateur radio operators

NASA has used them in zero-gravity physics

experiments in the Space Shuttle

2-1⁄2" tall and 98 coils of high-grade steel

Slinky

originated in the state of Pennsylvania

and nominated as the state toy

issued as a postage stamp

inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame

and

the most fun-filled napkin ring ever!

sit back and watch everyone’s reaction!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

retro merriment.....

2011-12-11T14:20:00.001-05:00

retro…

as an adjective

old-fashioned

fashionably nostalgic

be merry!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

pine cones and holly berries.....

2011-12-07T19:14:00.001-05:00

popcorn for you,

apples for me,

hmmmm, hmmm, hmmmm

don’t remember the rest of the words…

humming along…..

I do remember the Lennon Sisters and the

Osmond Brothers singing this song together...

on the Lawrence Welk Show

who? who? and who? you say?

bubble machine, polkas and champagne music

classic!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

antlered mirth and travels.....

2011-12-04T16:06:00.001-05:00

Poinsettias...

symbolize good cheer and success

said to bring wishes of mirth and celebration

do you prefer your mirth

red ?

white ?

or pink ?

avoid all antlered reindeer on the way

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

The Elks Parade vintage graphic via Karen, the Graphics Fairy

throw another log on the fire.....

2011-12-01T15:15:00.001-05:00

need the elves to…

under me !

to start making that list,

and checking it twice...

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

keep calm and.....

2011-11-27T17:44:00.001-05:00

1925

the first automatic pop-up toaster for home use

1930

the Continental Baking Company

introduced pre-sliced Wonder Bread

(they invented Twinkies that year too)

1990

the Internet Toaster,

a toaster which could be controlled from the Internet

2001

a toaster that could toast a graphic of the weather prediction (limited to sunny or cloudy) onto a piece of bread

this morning...

toast?

bagel?

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

what's for dinner Pilgrim.....

2011-11-23T20:23:00.000-05:00

pumpkin pie…..check

stuffing…..check

cranberries…..check

table set…..wait, what??

NO monograms on these linens!

so who’s the turkey here…..

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

dinner is served...

2011-11-20T18:00:00.001-05:00

They came!

65 in total—the swim/dive team, coaches, bus driver, and a few parents in town for an NCAA meet

They ate!

veggies and salad...

17 loaves of homemade bread...

18-pounds of pasta...

24-pounds of meatballs (325—I counted)...

12-pounds of fudge...

100 mini cupcakes...

8-dozen cookies...

and so on….

They brightened the house with laughter!

Priceless

Then they drove off into the sunset,

headed back to their university in NY

whew!

The Hound is exhausted and not straying too far from the sofa today! The Hound will occasionally get enough energy to thump her tail a few times while we

plan Thanksgiving dinner …

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

don't fence me in.....

2011-11-17T13:15:00.001-05:00

fence…

a freestanding structure designed to restrict,

or prevent movement across a boundary

(still have a scar from getting hung up on this fencing)

and it’s come a long way from the farm fencing

pale-steel-gray-almost-invisible first barrier...

and an orange second barrier...

plus decorative blue barrier

Independence Hall Philadelphia

bright, bright colors to get your attention...

University of Rochester construction site

or in the case of the Hound—an Invisible Fence...

E is feeling a bit fenced in...

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

red leaves and big sticks.....

2011-11-13T14:22:00.001-05:00

the fall season seems to be flying by in a blur

how to get this photo-blur technique?

just have the Hound with a newly discovered

6-foot-stick clenched in her teeth...

come charging up behind you to

whomp out the backs of your knees

if planning ahead logically…

I’d string this pine with lights on this mild autumn day

nah…

I’ll wait till a bone-chilling-cold day after Thanksgiving

the holidays are flying in fast!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

wise night owls.....

2011-11-09T19:01:00.000-05:00

perched around the library tower above the cornice

Rush Rhees Library...designed in 1920

this place is packed with wisdom,

and wise owls everywhere you look

some carved in stone

and flanking the doorways

Knock, knock……

Life’s a hoot!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

the Hound & the Rooster vs Daylight Savings Time…..

2011-11-06T15:24:00.000-05:00

seems the Hound…

and the Rooster across the street...

forgot to turn back their clocks this morn

so we rocked our walk a bit earlier

(the Hound and I, not the Rooster)

after the Hound got over the moment

of indignation of having to use the...

aging-arthritic-you’re-not-allowed-to-leap-anymore-ramp…

off we went in search of rock stacks we

heard were spotted in the area

We found four!

rock stacking

rock balancing

cairns

Have you ever built one?

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

there's a bear.....

2011-11-03T11:24:00.000-04:00

rake, rake, rake…

rake, rake...

ding-ding!

(my incoming text sound)

a message from Nixle

Wait, what??

Bears??

Ahhhh, think I’ll go admire the autumnal

colors from up on the deck,

while enjoying a cup of tea…

...with honey

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

ps…

*Nixle is a community alert system Are you connected?

*Fall-foliage-photos taken on the U of R campus in western NY on this past weekend’s roadtrip

*also spotted this bear-abode on campus

Shhhh...that’s where I got the ~~hunny~~ honey

Wooh-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

Monograms here, and hereafter…..

2011-10-27T13:21:00.000-04:00

Beyond these gates…

lies Mt Hope...

the first U.S. municipal rural cemetery est. 1838

196 acres with 14 miles of winding roads

over 375,000 permanent residents

and...an inspirational place of monograms

wait, what??!

monograms?

an 1800’s mayor's description of the place;

"Many a citizen felt the area was howling with wild beasts,

frogs and simply too spooky.”

nah…

well maybe…

but I was too busy spotting monograms to notice…

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

Creature from the GREEN Lagoon.....

2011-10-25T17:46:00.000-04:00

We didn't come here to fight monsters,

we're not equipped for it.

Creature from the Black Lagoon

March 5, 1954

A 1954 monster-horror film

Oh,

did I mention this is located in a cemetery….

...last one in is a green rotten egg!

Mummies and Witch Cackles.....

2011-10-23T17:51:00.000-04:00

Evelyn: Have you got any bright ideas?

Rick: I'm thinking, I'm thinking...

Evelyn: You better think of something fast, because, if he turns me into a mummy you're the first one I'm coming after.

The Mummy 1999

Starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz

Always loved trick-or-treating at the house where

the lady wearing a witch hat dropped a

full-size candy bar into your treat bag!

I disguise mine as mummies...

want to hear my witch cackle?

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

Black Cats, Monarchy and Beheaded...

2011-10-19T17:45:00.001-04:00

To reverse the bad luck curse of a

black cat crossing your path...

first walk in a circle,

then go backward across the spot where it happened

and count to 13...

American Superstition Folklore

King Charles I of England owned a black cat, whom he considered to be his good luck charm. He treasured the cat so much that he had his guards watch over it 24 hours a day.

As luck would have it, the day after the cat died, the king was arrested by Oliver Cromwell’s parliamentary troops and shortly thereafter, beheaded.

1, 2, 3, 4……….

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

Seafood with a Side of Sass.....

2011-10-17T03:16:00.002-04:00

sass =

impudent !

cheeky !

saucy !

Okay, Chef Stu, Chef Bob and Merlin…

who’s impudent,

who’s cheeky

and who’s saucy???

craving to ~~sea~~ see scenes of this sassy crew

serving up 31 courses of seafood…

sail on over to PJ’s, Seens from the backs of my eyelids

You prefer your seafood with, or without, sass?

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

dancing skeletons.....

2011-10-13T17:33:00.000-04:00

~~skin and~~ bones

"If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton,

you may as well make it dance."

...George Bernard Shaw, Renowned Irish Author

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

x marks the spot.....

2011-10-12T05:00:00.000-04:00

Geocaching…

a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game

players try to locate hidden containers called geocaches

using gps coordinates and clues

Kim at Snug Harbor Bay, who has found

almost 1700 geocache treasures,

inspired me to give it a try...

I chose a listing nearby from geocaching.com

off into the woods, up a hill, round the bend

and over to the forgotten cemetery...

woo-hoo…

I actually found it!

on Kim’s bucket list - get a tattoo

So Kim,
step into my tattoo parlor...

my embroidery tattoo parlor…

I’ll send you the gps coordinates of your new

geocache-K tattoo

oh but Kim...on your bucket list…

just write sort-of after the 'get a tattoo'

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

eau-de-wet-hound…..

2011-10-09T18:23:00.000-04:00

“If I stay close to the reeds, maybe she won’t

notice I jumped in the pond…”

“Uh-oh, she spotted me…”

“Bleh, pond scum does not taste good at all”

Yes, it's the hound's kind of fun…

but it was one wet-pond-scum-smelling-hound ride home

“Earned me a new, fresh-smelling collar!”

freshly scrubbed and dreaming of the next dive-in for frog-chasin’, blue-gill-scarin’, and pond-scum-skimmin’ kind of hound-hijinks

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

a raven lunatic.....

2011-10-05T17:55:00.000-04:00

Legendary 9th century Viking commander Ragnar Lodbrok...

flew a banner embroidered with the image of a raven.

If this banner fluttered, Lodbrok would carry the day.

But if it hung lifeless, the battle would be lost.

legend ?

or raven lunatic...

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!

Franklin's electrifying key.....

2011-10-02T20:08:00.000-04:00

in the City of Brotherly Love

Ben flew that historic kite with the key

wall of electric impulses in the Franklin Institute

the trip home today was cold, rainy,

and even had a few wet snow flakes hitting the windshield

(can you see the C monogram on that truck?!)

Thanks Ben for that electrifying key on the kite…

otherwise I may have had to use your Franklin Stove,

instead of just clicking on the

furnace thermostat this evening!

it's just embroidery, have fun with it!