Sarah Elliot's Sewing Chest

I know it's been a while.  I sometimes feel like the universe is conspiring against me...LOL!  The last few weeks have been a little up and down.  Sometimes lots of stitching time (like the weekend of IHSW) then very little stitching/blogging time.  I guess my summers are going to be like that for a while.  The kid's daycare worker has limited days during the summer so it's a little hectic and disjointed finding child care for Miss A.  When I do have her with me, there is no stitching time, and when she leaves, there is no energy!  LOL  Oh to be young again...  As a matter of fact, I had Miss A today, and immediately after she left I had to take a nap.  But that's beside the issue...  

During the IHSW I picked up Sarah Elliot's Sewing Chest.  I started this back in 2019.  I can't believe it's been sitting around that long.  There are a lot of pieces to this pattern which will require a lot of patience when finishing.  I'll be learning some new techniques which I haven't been shown before, so it will be a challenge in many ways.  Thankfully Ms. Mouse has offered to walk me through some of the directions.  I hope I'm up to the task.  I'm not a very good technical learner, I really need hands on, with lots of pictures...lol!!  We will see if Ms. M has the patience of a saint...  So I thought I would show how far I've come.  When I started stitching this, I finished the top piece...

then the inside top of the chest.  

They were quick and fun!  Then I got distracted...and while searching for something else, I found this lanquishing in my closet and I decided it was time it had a little attention.  I worked on the two end pieces....

then the front and back of the scissor fob...

then the front and back of the biscornu...

then finally stitched the scissor pocket last night.  

There are still three more pieces to go, the two inner side pockets and the needle and pin keep.  I will need a little time to read the directions for the side pockets and figure out where to start stitching (Ms. M has given me directions that I need to look over) so the next one to work on is already in the hoop...the needle and pin keep.  Lots of lettering on all three of these which always seems to slow me to a crawl...we will see how it goes. Wish me luck!  I just thought you might like to see what I've been up to.  This whole project (including the chest) was a gift from a friend.  I was going to wait until Gifted Gorgeousness for August but I wouldn't wait to show you what I've been up to!  I'll have other stuff by then anyway.  

Other exciting news...I had a little experience last Friday.  We were attending a baseball game during that incredible heat wave we had.  When we left the house it was 102F.  But with the humidity, it felt like 110F.  Ooooof!!  When we arrived at the ball park, we learned there would be a delay as there were severe thunderstorms in the area.  There wasn't any rain at first, so we stood around in the 60 mph wind for a while, watching the lightening in the distance.  LOTS of lightening...then it started to rain...and when a lightening strike hit near us, we ducked for cover.  We ran down a ramp until we were covered (though there were no sides) but we were still getting a little wet as the wind was blowing the rain sideways.  And there we stood for 2 hours.  It was still in the high 90's despite the rain.  I was drinking water, but as the time dragged on I started feeling light headed...and then worse...in the end I had to call first aid (my bp rose to 171/106 at one point) and then my DIL to take me home.  I missed an incredible game...but I learned a valuable lesson...heat exhaustion is nothing to fool with.  It's been three days since then and I'm still feeling the effects.  Be careful in this terrible heat!!  Drink LOTS of water...and be safe out there!  Till we meet again, Happy Stitching!