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This was going to be hello from Sunday night post…

…but it just go to be too late.

I blame it on the Oscars, and on a rather sombre Saturday, but, this weekend just sort of got away from me.

My 100yr old friend Norman passed away last week. A rather expected but nevertheless very sad thing. But I must say, how wonderful to have such a long, healthy and happy life, and the end of which you are home, pain free and surrounded by your children and friends. Saturday was his funeral and so C and I took the day to support his daughter, our friend Jane.

Sunday I had a long morning in bed and then a little shopping and we settled into TV. The Wizard of Oz and red carpet and Oscars. We loved every minute of it, since it’s ever so rare that we watch TV to begin with, and then we end up thinking that we should spend more time in the family room/library, it’s such a lovely place.

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C and I bought some chips and some fizzy drinks, and C made her world famous guacamole. Morgan cuddled up beside us and I turned on the “happiness light.” (That’s that star shaped thing with the colourful fairy lights in it.) Do you all have a happiness light in your rooms? Robert first started me doing that and I love designating a light to that role.

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A couple of weeks ago I bought some scarves at a charity shop and they cost $1 each as long as one bought five. In among the tacky and sparkly things I found two hand made wool scarves including a long cream coloured one hand painted with the solar system and a large moon done in blue. There are two little bits of hand lettering, one which says “size is nothing to the universe” and the other says, “Love surrounds the Earth”. (We think, because the second bit of writing is a bit difficult to read…but we like that)

So Now I am the owner of a lovely long scarf, more like a shawl really, and it has a few worn spots and holes in it.

Now you all know I love age and vintage and character, and I’m even perfectly happy to have the scarf show its age, but I worried that it might get more worn and possibly the holes would enlarge if I left it alone.

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I got out my embroidery threads and my box of unfinished projects. I really like embroidery and cross stitch, but that’s just it, I like the stitching aspect and not so much the finished product and displaying it in my home aspect. Not sure what that is about, but think I really should just do something with all these things. My friend N made an amazing footstool with bits of embroidery. Here, I’ll get the link for you. Anyone else come across or done any other fab ideas? I’d love know.

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I’ve been in love with the Japanese art of Kintsugi forever, and so I wanted to do something like that on my new scarf. Also I like the concept of Sashiko, little stitches, and wanted to use that on my shawl as well, and so I chose a soft silver thread to mend with, but I wanted to keep the holes, as weird as that sounds, because, after all, the scarf has had a life previous to the one with me, and I wanted to honour that past life to some degree.

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I got some soft and dissolve-able interfacing and cut out some circles, like planets, and ironed them on between sheets of parchment paper.

Then I threaded my needle and started the sewing.

Now, I’ve never done anything like this before and had very little idea of what I was doing, but that’s never stopped me before, and besides, how hard can it really be?

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The Oscars were fun, weren’t they? I got terribly worn out by the constant thumpy, thumpy background music noise on that “E” channel with that violet haired Osbourne woman and that other one, Gulliana someone, and so we switched it to the Canadian channel sans thumpy, thumpy noise and that was so much better.

I also hate that pretensions “WHO are you wearing?” question and would love to see more people, like Ellen Page did, say things like, “I found this in my grandmother’s attic!” or maybe, shock and horror, wear the same gown a second time!

But I loved the whole whoop and spectacle of it. I love the acceptance speeches, and was especially impressed by Mathew Macconaughey’s and Jared Leto’s, (we need more young men who seemed to have been brought up right by their mamas), and loved Ellen DeGeneres and her goofy antics and crashing Twitter. So funny. I hear the pizza boy got a huge tip. 😀

So this morning, in the day light, I reviewed my stitching and actually really love it. I love the fragility of the silver thread, and I love the handmade quality of the stitching…I mean, SO not professional! Lol. And I love that the scarf will go on with me and be a lovely, useful object which I saved.

Two more small holes and a larger tear to go. I think I might mend the tear with a bird shape. Maybe the tear will become the bird wing in flight. 😀

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Linking with Mary for Mosaic Monday

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Comments: 32

  • daryledelstein

    March 3, 2014
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    i stayed up well past my bedtime to watch the oscars it was great fun even if the only movie nominated that i didnt see won … but i was very very pleased with the rest tho i have to say as wonderful as cate blanchette is/was i was rootting for sandra bullock .. and i love that you’ve mended your scarf this way .. you are so clever

  • March 3, 2014
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    So sorry about your friend’s passing, hugs.

  • March 3, 2014
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    100 years old is a great age and how wonderful that he was surrounded by friends and family at the time.
    We didn’t watch the Oscars, well the time difference is impossible.
    And as for your tapestries – my daughter has a tapestry clutch that she absolutely loves! I’m sure, with a little magnetic clasp and some silk lining you could make a beautiful clutch. Shame to let all that work stay hidden in a drawer!!
    xx

  • March 4, 2014
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    You are so darn creative Veronica! Love the stitchery.

  • March 4, 2014
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    I do have a “happiness” light! 2 in fact, that is so funny!
    The oscars are not my thing but I love all the prep work you did to make it a fun and exciting evening together. That is the best way to spend an evening — in grand anticipation of fun!
    I tell my kids I am going to live to be 100+ in good health and full of mischief and they better be ready to put up with me, lol
    Your patch work is inspiring and I think you should be proud.
    Here is to a great week!!
    ~Dawn

  • March 4, 2014
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    I was babysitting so no Oscars for me! At 66, my five year old grand daughter poops me out!!! …:)JP

  • March 4, 2014
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    Sorry you have lost your friend but you are correct that he had a wonderfully long life.

    I very much like the way you mended the holes without totally covering them. It works for me!

  • March 4, 2014
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    So sorry for your loss.
    You took on a mending task I would not attempt. Never was good at hand work. What a pretty kitty!

  • March 4, 2014
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    Meant to add – I did not watch the Oscars this year. Have not really been into movie watching in a while and just did not have the interest this year.

  • March 4, 2014
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    Hi Veronica,

    So sorry to hear about sweet Norman. I remember reading about him in one of your older posts; I think it was about his 100th birthday party, if I recall correctly.

    Your home is always so cozy, no matter the room and your library is no exception! Your Sunday sounds pretty neat to me, especially since you’ve got Chloe beside you, sharing snacks while watching the Oscars; reminds me of Libby and me, who I will see this month, yay!!

    Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful week!

    Poppy

  • March 4, 2014
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    i love your stitchy repairs. and your library. why is it we don’t hang out together in real life? oh yeah, because there’s a continent and an ocean between us. we should really do something about that.

  • March 4, 2014
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    What an impressive age – to live to become 100 years old. Also impressed by your stitches, the scarf looks beautiful. I didn’t see the Oscars, but some of the winning speeches were repeated on the news over here.

  • March 4, 2014
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    A whole century to live, and it sounds like he lived well and was loved. Anyone would be honored to have that said of them . He has good friends.

    Love the embroidery on the scarf and the telling of your cozy day / night indoors. I think I am going to PLAN such a day.

  • March 5, 2014
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    Sorry about your friends passing.
    100 is a great age.

    Love your embroidery!

    Ever thought about making bags out of your stitches?

  • March 6, 2014
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    Greetings from Kamloops! I see you have some snow too. Spring will get here eventually. I really like how you mend your things. Clever you : )

  • March 6, 2014
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    I love how you repaired the scarf, it adds personality, academy award worthy! Laura

  • March 13, 2014
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    I used to embroider allll the time! I love creating with stitches, kinda like painting with thread and so many fun textures…haven’t done it in donkey’s years. Anyway, love what you did and why you did what you did too–keeping the holes, yet filling them in–beautiful! Kinda made me feel like going and grabbing my embroidery floss, just to play 😉

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