Sprucing Up Day, Part Deux

Well, I feel a bit sheepish. We did get a lot of the chores done today. I was doing laundry, cleaning up, and performing puppy toy surgeries while DH got his tools out. I had some curtain rods in my stash of home decorating items. They have lovely finials. One set of brass ones and one set of black cast iron finish ones. They have been used on large windows before. Apparently, not large enough... DH brought this to my attention as he was preparing to mount them to the wall. They were about a foot short of my eight foot wide window. Who knew?! So I jump in the shower so we can run over to Target to acquire two longer rods. We get pretty new brass rods with leaf finials.

We get the rods home. DH takes down the 40 year old apartment type drapes down, noting the caked on dust at the top...He then goes and gets the packages of the new drapes out of the linen closet. I knew there was gonna be trouble when he asked me if I had read the size on the package. He goes on to point out that the packages indicate that the length of the drapes are 63". Most drapes, including the ones that I need, are 84". Why the heck would they make 63" drapes? I have never heard of such a thing. As luck would have it, I had beautiful, elegant 84" drapes in my collection. Now I have to figure out what to do with the new ones.

Anyway, the drapes look lovely, and the house is all clean. DH also put in a new showerhead in the master bath. I was not able get my chairs painted since we lost time running to Target, but there is always tomorrow after church.

I did not get to stitch tonight. I am so tired from all of the cleaning and running around today. Instead, I have been online studying Biedermeier and Vierlande samplers. Both are amazing styles. When I look at some of the patterns and reproductions of samplers of the 18th and 19th centuries, I marvel that people could design such complicated patterns without the aid of a computer. The thought and careful planning of such mathematically complex boggles my mind. These were not simple endeavors. Here is a great web page with reproductions. Get ready to feel a little lightheaded. LOL http://www.samplers-berlin.com/index_en.html

I have a couple of cross stitch books that I am paging through. One is Traditional Blackwork Samplers by Lesley Wilkins. A total classic! I am also thumbing through a copy of Gerda Bengtsson Danish Floral Designs. Stunning.