[speaker001:] Okay, um, I guess, um, this is probably really a good subject for me because I really like to do, uh, hand work. Uh, mostly I do needlepoint, I guess.
[speaker002:] Oh really.
[speaker001:] But, um,
[speaker002:] What kinds of things have you done?
[speaker001:] Um, well, I've made a lot of baby gifts [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] It seem like that's, like, especially lately there's been so many babies, [LAUGHTER] that, uh, bibs and blankets, and things like that. Wall hangings, um,
[speaker002:] Do you ever keep any of your stuff?
[speaker001:] Isn't that funny. No [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] I do crochet and a lot of, uh, things like that, and I have very little of my own stuff, and it's kind of embarrassing. People say let me see some of your work.
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Oh well, can you do it?
[speaker001:] Yeah, [LAUGHTER] isn't that funny. I guess I do have one thing. A friend of mine gave me a clock kit
[speaker002:] Ooh.
[speaker001:] and, I, I needlepointed the face, and I, uh, kept that because she gave me that. So,
[speaker002:] That, that would be definitely something you'd want to keep.
[speaker001:] Oh, yeah. And it's real neat.
[speaker002:] Was, was the whole face done or just the numbers, and, and, } like minute marks?
[speaker001:] Um, basically, the whole, well, no, I guess the minute marks, but the minute marks are done, they're like hearts.
[speaker002:] Oh.
[speaker001:] And then the, at the numbers they, they're kind of outlined and stuff. It, it was quite bit of work, but, you know, it was a lot of fun, too. I really like doing stuff like that. So.
[speaker002:] I did some needlepoint years ago, and then I got into the Bargello.
[speaker001:] Oh, what's that?
[speaker002:] Well, it's an Italian, um, needlework, using, using the uh, I started to say the canvas, but the, uh, huh, what kind of cloth uses that. I, I've just gone blank. But it's used with yarn, and it usually takes long stitches over two or three openings in the cloth
[speaker001:] Huh.
[speaker002:] and you weave intricate patterns and use different colors. Like it could be a flame stitch where so rather than drawing a picture you're making a design like a geometric or whatever, and it was used quite often in the colonial times to, uh, uh, to upholster chairs, and so forth, as well as the crewel, um, embroidery work that was done on them.
[speaker001:] Wow, that's interesting. What did you, what kind of things did you do?
[speaker002:] What I did, when I was doing that was mostly pillows, you know, for sofas and so forth, and I can't find one that I've done.
[speaker001:] Oh.
[speaker002:] It's one of those things I did-, I didn't give them away, but I didn't know if it's been my color choice or multiple moves
[speaker001:] Yeah,
[speaker002:] or, or what, and it, I was so proud of them when I [LAUGHTER] got them finished, but I have no idea where they are.
[speaker001:] What did you call that?
[speaker002:] Bargello. It's B, A, R, G, E, double L, O [spells out the word]
[speaker001:] Huh. That's, I've never heard of that before. I've probably seen it, though,
[speaker002:] I suspect you,
[speaker001:] I mean, when you described it.
[speaker002:] I suspect you have.
[speaker001:] Yeah. I mean, when you described it, it sounded like something, you know, that would be around, I guess. But, I've never heard of it before, and it's really interesting. Um, I guess I've decorated baskets and stuff before in the past, but I've kind of gotten out of that. I use to do a lot more and sell at craft shows.
[speaker002:] Me, too.
[speaker001:] Really [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Yes [LAUGHTER]. That's interesting.
[speaker001:] Yeah, it is.
[speaker002:] How did you know to choose this subject, tonight. That's funny [LAUGHTER]. What, how did you, what kinds of decorations did you use with the bas-, how were you decorating the baskets?
[speaker001:] Oh, basically bows and lace
[speaker002:] Um.
[speaker001:] uh, ribbons. Um. I really wanted to do, you know, so many of them now have the ribbons where, I'm not sure how they do it, but the ribbons, they make them, they like. I don't know how to explain it. They make them hard, you know?
[speaker002:] Like fabric that's been stiffened.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Yes.
[speaker001:] I've never done that, and those are so neat. I mean, I would really like to do those but,
[speaker002:] I've seen some, and there, there, they, I suspect they're fairly simple, because the one lady I've seen, I know that does it, I've never asked her any questions, but she has three kids all under the age of like six.
[speaker001:] Um.
[speaker002:] And, and they're all a handful. So it's got to be something she can do fairly easily
[speaker001:] Oh, definitely, yeah.
[speaker002:] and fairly quickly. When I do, um, crochet, it's usually the lacy Victorian type
[speaker001:] Oh.
[speaker002:] things like that, and I stiffen those with a, a glue mixture. It's like white glue, and it may be something similar to that that the fabric is dipped in and then, um, allowed to dry in those, those draping bows, I mean, those draping streamers.
[speaker001:] Oh.
[speaker002:] I don't know. I was just. There's bound to be some kind of fabric stiffener like that that's very similar
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] that's not going to melt too much with, uh, uh, high humidity,
[speaker001:] That's
[speaker002:] in a room,
[speaker001:] I think that's what my concern was, was it really sure, and how they would, how they would last.
[speaker002:] Do you know what my concern is? How will I dust this thing? [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] You're right.
[speaker002:] That's terrible.
[speaker001:] No that's true. That's funny.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] So many of my crafts, well, right now I'm looking at a little quilted, uh, uh, hanging, it's, like, it's a flag, and I don't want to wash it, because that would start breaking down the batting and so forth, but it's such a dust collector to be out, and so forth.
[speaker001:] Yeah [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] And most of my things are dust collectors [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Uh, and I hate to dust.
[speaker001:] I know.
[speaker002:] So first thing I think of is how easy would this,
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] thing be to clean.
[speaker001:] That's funny [LAUGHTER]. No, I do some, I have really gotten out of it. I don't do it quite as much as I used to. Um, I guess because I, I went back to school, so I don't have as much time.
[speaker002:] Oh, you don't have time.
[speaker001:] No, and I have two children also [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] You definitely don't have time.
[speaker001:] It keeps me very busy. But I really enjoy it when I do do it, when I get the chance, you know. It's really, it's so relaxing to just sit, and, but once I get started, I can't put it down. I just,
[speaker002:] I have a similar problem. I've got to have time or I don't even want to get into it in the first place.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And so I end up lots of time not doing anything at all.
[speaker001:] I know, I started a project, it's been over a year ago [LAUGHTER] that I swore I was going to finish for somebody for Christmas.
[speaker002:] You just didn't say which Christmas, right [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] That's what I keep telling this person, well, I didn't tell you what year [spoken as if talking to other person].
[speaker002:] What was this project?
[speaker001:] Um, well, it's a, it's uh, cross stitch, and it's a picture, and it's a wildlife, it has deer and trees and, it's really beautiful, but it's going to be a lot of work, and you know, I've, I have worked on it quite a bit, but not as much as I'd like to. You know, it's just so hard.
[speaker002:] Now this is done in the needlepoint?
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. Well, I should-, it's counted cross stitch, actually, is what I'm doing, and so it's really, since it's counted, you know, it's really a lot of work.
[speaker002:] Yes. Yes, I do know.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] I have done a little bit of that, but I decided that that's something that demands my tim-, my, my total attention.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And so I've got to have total, almost total silence. I can't really watch television if the pattern is very intricate. It sounds like you'd have lots of shading
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] on that particular piece.
[speaker001:] Yep.
[speaker002:] It is not, does not sound like an easy one to finish.
[speaker001:] No, it really isn't, and I tell you, really, I could just kick myself for even starting it, because I have a feeling I'm never going to get it done. I'm probably going to hear about it the rest of my life [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Oh, I'm sure you'll get it done, but it just may not of the original, obviously not of the original time schedule.
[speaker001:] No, that's true. I, I just don't know when I'm ever, it just seems like there's just never enough time to pick it up and do it, you know, it's just really hard. But I really do en-, like I said I really enjoy it when I do. [LAUGHTER] It's just hard.
[speaker002:] Just hard finding the time
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] that can be dedicated.
[speaker001:] And there's, there's so many other things that, I, I have done, you know, in the meantime, like I said, so many baby gifts. I've made a lot of bibs, and wall hangings, and so, you know, those don't take much time at all. So it's no big deal for me to pick those up and do them.
[speaker002:] Do you, do you use patterns, I mean, like a book of patterns, or do you go out an buy a, a kit, like for a bib or something like that.
[speaker001:] No, I usually just buy a pattern book. I have several pattern books, and I just go with those.
[speaker002:] Okay.
[speaker001:] And then I buy the bibs separate. Usually I think it's a little bit cheaper in the long run, and then I just use whatever colors I want to. I don't usually use the colors they tell me to.
[speaker002:] Um.
[speaker001:] And it, it depends on what it is, you know. But some things, especially letters, if they suggest certain colors for letters, I just go with whatever I want to.
[speaker002:] That's what I would do, too.
[speaker001:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker002:] Or whatever I have.
[speaker001:] There's yeah, there's a few designs I guess I've done myself, but not very many. [LAUGHTER] Real simple ones, you know, I do. I've made, I made a little, uh, little, uh, little thumb print and made it a bunny.
[speaker002:] Ooh.
[speaker001:] It was really easy. I mean, just, just did a thumb print. You know.
[speaker002:] What. With ink?
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Oh, okay.
[speaker001:] And then, see I didn't cross stitch the actual thumb print, you know, that was just the ink, and then I made the ears and little eyes and nose and mouth. That was so simple [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Oh, that sounds really neat.
[speaker001:] It didn't take anything at all.
[speaker002:] Did you do, did you use, like, uh, a stamp pad
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. And then I just,
[speaker002:] and ink. Ok so you, just like being finger printed...