A Damp Sunday
About midnight last night the rumbling of thunder started with consistent lightning. No large cracks, just consistent. It was very loud. I looked out to see if we had wind with it, but nothing to speak to. About two it had settled down. Every once in awhile there would be thunks of hail but thankfully nothing consistent or large.
With the inch of rain working its magic on all things green and soon to be green, I decided to stay indoors and get a few things taken care of. On the docket was a cold salad to whip up for tonight’s supper and most likely an additional supper or two.
I have had an attachment that came with my sewing machine. I have looked at it a time or two but today was hands on. Time to get serious. I have blank dish towels on hand for just such a day. My first towel was close, but as in horseshoes . . . close doesn’t count. 
I was off in maintaining an even center for the decorative stitching. Deciding on the stabilizer for the backing is the key. I also was disappointed in the fact that the fabric around the design puckered, a sure sign of not having the right backing. A soft cotton towel needs help in holding the stitches as intended.
Try, try again. I had a stabilizer that has corn starch in it. The backing of glossy paper gets peeled off and then applied onto the back of the towel with consistent pressure smoothing it on. As I changed threads and designs, I was careful to keep the center of the fabric in place. I held my breath until I could dunk the finished project into warm water to wash away the stabilizer. 
I popped it into the clothes dryer and hoped it wouldn’t shrink into a mess of crunched up stitches. I do believe I have found the best stabilizer going forward. It may have something to do with the extra step in having to dunk into water to release the stabilizer and then drying, but the end result is classy and not puckered. The end result of it looking less than the time and thread spent to achieve it . . . it’s not a good thing. The blank dish towels from Mills Fleet Farm are choice, much like the originals from feed stores of times past.
God bless corn starch. It thickens any gravy sauce into a smooth texture. It soothes skin that has chaffed from rubbing fabric that is sweat-drenched. Lo and behold, it is my choice of sewing stabilizer when doing decorative work. Who knew!
I think there is still time for some patio sitting before putting out supper. Cold salads always have a better taste after all the ingredients have co-mingled.
This next week looks like a winner in regard to weather. So far we have a light schedule. As long as I keep checking the calendar on my telephone, we are good to go.