Makin' Plans....

Hello Friends....I'm jumping in for a quick "drive" by post....I'm still chasing my tail like a - well I don't know what...but like something! LOL! Yesterday as I was trying to knock down my Google reader numbers....YIKES - you people are prolific!....I stopped for a visit at dear BeckySC's and I saw that she was starting something from the recent Cross Stitch and Needlework Mag that I had set aside for doing myself! She asked about anyone wanting to SAL and although I've not been a very good stitcher at all of late, I decided to jump in the fray with her! :) I believe my other dear buddy AmySC is going to play with us too! I'm seeing a trend here, or maybe a "pattern" as my kids say...maybe I should be called VonnaIN or Vonna TTS (the twisted stitcher) but I think that "Vonna" is unique...not many of those running around, huh?

So to start a SAL you have to have the perfect fabric right? Well I didn't have any - and didn't want the boring antique white that it called for. I'm an aged/used looking lover and just like sweet Edgar says...."splotchy does it for me"...well it does it for me too.. and I didn't have anything really around that I wanted so...I made a trip to Hobby Lobby and picked up some linen and some RIT. Prior to my blogging days and when I was on a Lizzie Kate kick I used to RIT all my own fabric into those wild colors (orange, purple, blue....) well I've not done it for years....I got on the coffee/tea dying bandwagon and added my own basting and baking procedure to the linen...but I didn't want to have to do that last night (that takes a long time and you have to stand with the linen so it doesn't burn)...so RIT it was - Here's the outcome:

#1 attempt

25 ct. I used RIT tan and RIT Cocoa Brown

I twisted it and dipped in Cocoa Brown, and then dipped in Tan...rinsed; twisted it a different way and repeated; rinsed; repeat above steps a few times.

It's a little splochy, but more even than what I was going for. Nice attempt...will use it for something....not what I was wanting....but good try! Grade: B-

Attempt #2

Used RIT tan and RIT Cocoa Brown again. This time I:

put whole shebang into Tan pot soaked for 1 minute - got it out - wrung it out twisted it - and dipped into Cocoa Brown - wrung it out - repeated the twisting in a different area - dipped - wrung - twist - dip -wrung - twist - dip....then rinsed, rinsed, rinsed....hung to dry...today the above is what I got! Darn near PERFECTION! It's splotchy...looks like it's been through the wringer, a mud puddle, had some coffee spit on it, PERFECT! AND if I may say so myself it's pretty darn close to the R&R Linens Creek Bed Brown that everyone raves about. (psst...and it's a heck of a lot cheaper!)

Here's the floss toss with pattern, fibers and my fabric - pretty darn good isn't it?! I'm excited!!!

And while I was at Hobby Lobby I decided to stock up on my good 'ol monochromatic favorite DMC 115....hmm....I've got lots of ideas my pretties :)

So there ya go....go out and buy some linen and RIT and go to town....heck have a party! I'm DEFINITELY going to do it again the next time I'm going to try a yellowish (golden)/Cocoa brown combo and see what rules the day! I'll let you know ;)

Until next time my dear friends....stitch with joy!