Dani... Black Belt Stitching Wizard

Friends, Good Food, Framing and Stitching!

Aaaahhhh I haven't done this in AGES! When I used to live in the city I'd have my best friend Christin over for the night or entire weekends. Now that I live in the sticks that doesn't happen too often because she isn't a scant five minutes up the road (she doesn't have a car). So it takes a little more planning and thinking out. We had decided earlier this month that we'd pick a weekend in February to do this.

Friday night we did our weekly grocery shop and dinner out. We also included trips to Wal Mart for batting and a cheap frame then off to Wallacks where we picked up some acid free foam core board, mat board, mat cutter blades, assorted tapes and framing sundries. The weather was bad, so it was great to be out shopping the stores and parking lots were fairly empty. I know, I'm crazy to be out shopping during a snow storm.

As you saw last night I framed my very first piece. Today we woke up at a descent time for a Saturday and got the preparations for dinner under way. While Christin made a huge batch of butterscotch pinwheels I made the sauce for lasagna and got the garlic bread ready to go. After all the cooking was done it was time for all the framing supplies to come out. Christin practiced cutting double mats then finally cut the mats for her class piece (we're taking framing together). I stretched, cut the mat and assembled my next piece.

Today I framed Illustrative Blackwork Fantasy c2003 Dragon Dreams, I had finished it earlier in the month. On Tuesday this past week I took it with me to Guild night and Donna's father whose health is not too great managed to make the trek into Ottawa and he really admired it. There was something in his voice that made me say to myself. I'm framing this piece and I'm giving it to him in March. So that's what I did today! Its framed with a thick, simple black frame I picked up in Wal-Mart (gotta love that place), I cut a single mat : white with a black core and stretched the piece. It looks fantastic... well the stretching or how I've got it sitting in the frame isn't the straightest but its the best I can do without driving myself nuts!

I think perfect (or close to it) stretching only comes after a lot of practice! I'm sure with time I will get it down pat and be totally happy with it!

After today's foray into framing Christin and I sat down for a stitch. Late in the day we were joined by Vicki who helped us eat some of that huge lasagna and we all stitched into the night.

Boy it was nice.