Hello, on a sleepy (for me) Saturday morning.
I’ve been working in Manhattan the last 2 days. I usually take the bus because it drops me off right in the Midtown theater district. Not to mention the fact that it is quieter, more comfortable and closer to my house. When I arrive, I have to walk a mere 2 blocks and I’m at the rehearsal studios. However, since my trip into the city is, at minimum, an hour and a half each way, I usually go right to rehearsal and afterward go right back to the station and hop on the bus.
Yesterday, I took the time for a brisk 20 block walk around Midtown. I love walking in Manhattan – in any city. When I lived in both Philadelphia and Boston, I didn’t have a car and I walked everywhere. For hours. I have long legs and I walk quickly. It was such fun to do that again. I think that’s the thing I miss the most about living smack dab in the middle of a major city. It’s hard to walk around here – we live on a busy country road with no sidewalks and people drive much too fast.
A shorter journey (merely a block from the station) took me to Daytona Trimmings. Rebecca of Drop Cloth wrote about this shop a while back and I couldn’t wait to explore it. Embroidery floss is readily available everywhere, I know, but separating the strands drives me nuts. I much prefer to embroider with #8 Perle Cotton. The thicker non-divisible single strand is much easier to use. For some reason, the big craft stores only carry it in white, ecru, and blue – sometimes red. Daytona Trimmings? Oh my gosh. Drawer after drawer of gorgeous colors. I bought 9 different colors.
Isn’t it pretty? Here’s my plan: I will make a list of the colors I have so far. Every time I visit the city, I’ll stop in and buy a few new colors. It is only a block from the station. It’s sort of my duty, don’t you think?
By the way, it’s snowing again.
When will it all stop?
I love those colors you got! I think that’s a great plan to keep track of the colors you have and to buy more when you are in the city. Your tea/coffee cup is so pretty in the photo!! What will you be embroidering?
Beautiful colors on those spools! Nice to see color instead of the white from constant snow. Your walk sounded glorious! I envy that you can get into Manhattan and enjoy the sights and sounds. Freezing rain here this morning…more snow coming tomorrow. Joy. ~Hugs, Patti
Beautiful colors! Beautiful thread. I’ll have to find that store next time I go into the city with my daughter. Maybe she can just go for me.
I don’t know how that snow will ever melt, or where it will go when it does melt. You folks are going to have lots of new creeks, streams, lakes, etc….it seems to me! I know there will be mud, ugh!
I love the thread, the colors are beautiful. I bet that feels like a yummy candy store for you.
Love and miss you,
Mere
Oh, I’m so glad you have been having fun while in the city! I do think it’s your duty to gather new colors when you’re there anyway. I hate separating those strands too. I did that a few weeks ago and thought I’d go nuts. We have snow here, but not like you do!
Brenda
Claudia,
You have a moral obligation to get as many of those colors as you can! I think the thread is better than cupcakes but those are good too.
Have a wonderful week.
Carol
I like the picture of your dogs, and as much as I love the snow, I’m ready for the spring. The thread colors you picked out make me long for spring:) susan
Gorgeous colors, Claudia! I think your plan is brilliant!
Stay warm & happy,
Zuzu
I’ve never seen that thread until I started reading blogs. I didn’t even know you could buy one strand embroidery floss. I think it is your duty to buy every color. I might have to make it mine too. I love the colors you started with. Enjoy your weekend. I hope you’re making something pretty.
Wonderful colors Claudia ~ do you have a project going?
I enjoy the details of your trips into the city. Describing bumper-to-bumper traffic on the CA freeways just doesn’t have the same enchantment (:
Now that sounds like a great plan…those threads do look like sweet candy! I am sure I would have to remortgage or something if I went shopping there…I would love some day to go to Tinsel Trading…..oh the sheer fun of it!!! Looks like your puppies are enjoying the snow….we have a ton of it here and it is still falling, yikes I am so tired of it!
Love the new shutters on the doll house….can’t wait to see more!
Hugs,
Margaret B
Claudia, seems you had a great trip, with great buying–the colors are so wonderfull.
But most I love your tea-cup–
it is so lovely, and beautifull.
Hugs,Dorthe
Duty? Why of course! :)
Claudia, May I suggest that you cut off a small piece of each color, stick it to an index card and write the number beside it. I have a collection of most of the DMC. That is the only way that I can be sure that I don’t already have a color. Be on the lookout for the DMC varigated colors too. They are wonderful for embroidery. I also use #8 for bead knitting.
Such lovely colors. Can’t wait to see what they become.
One day…sweet Claudia it will stop snowing. Some weather guy is predicting that March for us is going to be in the 60’s which is above average temps! This weather has twisted everyone’s mind this winter, don’t you think?
I LOVE pearl cotton and there are tons of colors. I do think it’s your duty to collect all of them! :0)
Oh, and I also love the heartbeat of large cities. I’d be living in a Loft in a city if we could have found one affordable…but BIG city and affordable lofts don’t exist {considering the renovation cost}. :0)
Hugs,
Stephanie ♥
Those colors look BEAUTIFUL together! I can’t wait to see your future creations.
Scout and Riley look like they are enjoying their romp in the yard. Hopefully it will end soon. We were due to get 6″ today, but instead we are getting rain. May the warming trend continue!
By the way, the shutters look just beautiful!
Donna
I have no idea how I came to your blog but I have been reading and I love your blog. BUT on top of all your lovely photos and post I came across your hubby??? Don?? GOODNESS!!!! I have got to have a CD of his music. I LOVE his voice and the type of music, its easy on my ears…Please tell me where I can find his music.
Oh My Yes Claudia…you simply must stop and purchase several colors of Perle Cotton each and every trip to the city. I love the colors you got. Now to see some of your stitching please. Stay safe in the snow storms. Happy February Hearts…
I do love Pearl Cotton, I use it for making “Penny Rugs” (with wool, like wool felt). I use a button hole stitch around the pattern images.
Your dog looks like he has a Heart on his fur for his marking. Cute!
Happy Pink Saturday!
Great colour choices!
~ Gabriela ~
Such lovely colors! I didn’t even know that floss could be purchased like that. No more separating threads~ brilliant!
So sorry about the snow. We’ve got terrible winds here today in my town… so bad, there’s a major power outtage going on. Thank goodness for my laptop w/battery!
Hugs,
Jill
Oh I hear ya girl on this snowy weather. Enough is enough already! It’s just not funny anymore! Oh I envy you your trips into the city and the opportunity to shop like that. I can only imagine. I am addicted to thread and fabric and beads and…and….and….That thread is gorgeous. I bought some from out of the country, on ebay and I’m getting to the end of it. I savor every last bit of it and I’m only using tiny bits, not wasting any of it! Awesome that you can pick some up a bit at a time and before you know it you’ll have a wonderful collection! Lucky lucky girl!
Claudia, I know EXACTLY what you mean about missing the walking in big cities! We too lived in B, NYC and outside of P and I walked everywhere! And when we travel in Europe we walk until we drop! No buses or taxies unless absolutely necessary. So much to see and smell up close–little architectural details, the sounds of people…but I don’t think we will ever move back. Just travel! And I love the new colors and you must rescue more and bring them to your cottage! Maybe one of them will inspire the door color for your dollhouse! Linda
Hi Claudia, I really love the colors!!It must be fun to get a chance to walk around the city. My husband, and i love to take the train to new york.Have a nice weekend.
Kathy
We got rain in Connecticut. I’d much rather have snow than rain in the winter. It’s so dismal. I love looking at your blog, though. Very cheerful.
Linda
Embroidery and cupcakes…good combo…lol
tootles,
bunny
Thats one thing I do miss about The City..being able to walk around. I think its so nice to have those special places to visit when you are there. Blessings, Joanne
P.S. Thank You for visiting and your sweet comment on my blog.
The colors are so pretty and such a lovely photograph, Claudia!
Hi! Great blog I found here, and I really love your pictures of the Perle Cotton! Good luck with embroidery! Eva Sweden
You just have to have one of the best blogs around….I just love it, and so have decided to pass along the Stylish Blogger Award to you. I note you are busy and may not have time for what is involved but regardless, you deserve this award. Please see the Feb. 6 post on my blog for details.
I am so sorry about the snow!
But I am thrilled to see the cotton you were able to bring home! Wow, those are gorgeous colors. How fun will they be to use in a project!
Hugs,
Terri
You have a beautiful blog. Love the cottage and your dogs, oh my! too sweet. Thanks so much for visiting me. I’ll be back to read your posts.
I ran out of black embroidery thread but found some black perle 8 and used that instead on a amigurumi dolls eyes. So now I have to find a red for the mouth.
I’ll certainly be using it on all my dolls in future.
Jan
What lovely colors you’ve chosen Claudia. I love the colors of floss and this thread too. I still use the old fashioned floss, and have quite a bit of that to use up still, but Charlotte Lyons recently wrote that she likes to use this thread too, so between the two of you, you’ve convinced me to at least buy a bit of Turkey Red or Blue to experiment with.
It’s really too bad you’re living in where you do, if you dislike the snow so much. Hopefully spring won’t take too long arriving when the time comes rolls around. It is still only February though, so it’s good that you are finding such lovely colors in other ways.
Take care.