Linen Woes

I have been trying to buy some designer suggested fabrics for projects I want to stitch in the coming months but I am having a less than happy time doing so.  Quite a few of the fabrics I need are not to be found anywhere ... at least anywhere I have looked.  I've Googled them all without success.  The 35 counts seem to be almost nonexistent.  I therefore thought I would just go ahead & substitute with a 36 count.  I was able to find a fabric or two this way but the place I did find it only sold it in 1/2 or 1 yard cuts.  Since I only need less than a fat eighth size it really would not behoove me to buy that much even if I had that kind of money.  I have even thought of substituting with a like color of fabric but have likewise come up empty.  It's impossible to tell what a color is truly like by looking at it on a computer monitor.  Also, colors differ from one manufacturer to another so for instance the color "straw" could be a dark gold when purchased from one source but a light tan when purchased from another.  I once heard tell of a supplier who sold her fabric with DMC color comparisons noted in the descriptions.  What a godsend that would be!  Unfortunately I have never found her.  Does anyone know if this supplier exists?

In particular I am searching for WDW 35 ct Straw & Parchment (although I'll take a 36), R&R 36 ct Creme Brulee, & Lakeside 36 ct Vintage Examplar.  I'm also on the hunt for 28 ct Chardonay & 28 ct Cranberry Bog.  Does anyone know where I can get any of these fabrics?  I have no idea who the manufacturers are for those last two.

My WIP is coming along rather well.  Does anyone want to venture a guess yet as to what it is?  You need to tell me both the name of the designer & the name of the design.  Just saying "it's a howler monkey" or "it's a bowl of soup" won't do   : )

This is International Hermit & Stitch Weekend (see my sidebar for details).  I really enjoyed participating last month & have been looking forward to this month's weekend!  I can't believe it's the second IHSW already this year!  I'm telling you, before we know it, it will be fall again!  I plan to finish my current project this weekend & hopefully start another ... assuming I have the fabric!!!  Actually the next project I have in line is in kit form so the fabric is already there ... hooray!

I woke up at 3:30 this morning (3 hours of sleep) & finally got out of bed a little after 4:00.  True to routine I made my morning cup of Hot Cinnamon Sunset tea & a cup for John as well.  He will heat his up in the microwave whenever he emerges from the bedroom.  This is always a source of horror for me ... not John coming out of the bedroom but him heating up his tea in the microwave.  I try to be a tea purist ... certain teas are best brewed at certain boiling points & one should never, ever reheat tea that has cooled!  Of course if I was a true purist I guess I would be using loose tea rather than tea bags.  Anyway, what I'm trying to tell you here is that while the tea was brewing I popped a loaf of sort of homemade bread into the oven to rise.  All you homemade bread purists will shudder at the thought of me making homemade bread from a frozen loaf but I'm giving this a try because I miss my dad's homemade bread.  My dad was a cook & baker in the Merchant Marines.  He often baked while I was growing up, his specialties being nut horns & homemade bread.  The nut horns were only made at Christmastime but every Sunday he would make a huge batch of bread dough which would be turned into buns, breadsticks, & loaves.  I'm sure my chubby thighs & large behind are a carryover from my gorging on his luscious bread creations.  Dad stopped making bread when he got older & no one in the family, me included, ever had the brains to ask him for his recipe.  Honestly ... his bread would have been Jesus' choice at the Last Supper.  I'm sure dad is in heaven now baking it for God, all the angels & all the saints.  Well, I was talking with my aunt a couple weeks ago & she told me that the closest thing she has ever found to dad's bread is Rhodes white bread loaves.  I have searched every highway & byway I've traveled in & near my area & finally found a grocery store selling this bread when we went to Richmond the other day.  I just started the bread baking now so I will let you know if it is indeed close to dad's.  I hope so   : )