A Memorial Day Tribute

My father, Ray, served proudly during WWII in the Phillipines and Australia. He and my mother married as soon as he was discharged and we are lucky enough to have one letter that my mother wrote to him while he was away. It is a treasured memento. I dabble in poetry and I would like you to read a poem I wrote about him on father's day many years ago.

My Father

They call him the old fart

but he's not old to me.

From my early childhood on

he's the best that could ever be.

He massages his garden

with a smile and a wish.

Then puts on his high boots

and goes for a fish.

From the trees of the forest

he makes things just for fun.

then ambles back to them

with a bow or a gun.

Woodsmen, gardener or a hunter

and a fisherman lad.

Many things to all people

but to me he's just "Dad".

I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day but please think once or twice about the men and women who have fallen protecting this great country of ours.

As always, Barbara

The Indy 500, the Coca Cola 600 and a Ladybug Pincushion

First off I finished my little ladybug pincushion. This one is in salute to my grand daughter, Peyton who when she was little, loved ladybugs....but then what little girl doesn't. I stitched this on a hand dyed 28ct. linen using DMC floss. I even had one of JN ladybug stick pins to use with it.

In just a few moments the 2010 Indianapolis 500 will start. I guess most women cheer for Danika but not me...Helio is my man. I despise the commercials that Danika makes for her Go Daddy sponsor...to me they downgrade women. JMO and nobody elses.

Then tonite we have the Coca Cola 600 from Charlotte. This is my favorite of the two races today. It's a race of endurance and the winner is the strongest and most disciplined driver on the track. My heart says Junior needs to win this but my brain says someone else will....as long as it's not Kyle Busch, I'm happy. Isn't he a dweeb? LOL

Anyway, however you decide to spend your sunday, have a blessed one.

As always, Barbara

I Just About Fainted

Just in case you didn't know, Leftsox (or Jenn) is my daughter and between her and I, we come up with some doozie ideas. Well we were talking yesterday on the phone and she happened to mention this quilting show she was watching. Without giving away too much information, by the end of the conversation we had everything planned. Above you will see her stitched piece by Mirabilia called Fairy Idyll. She really didn't like the finished piece so we were throwing around different ideas on what she could do with it. As you can see, part of it was cutting the stitched piece into pieces. Now I know right now you are going "Noooooooooo" but believe me when you see the finished product you are going to be amazed. Her blog is http://leftsox.blogspot.com/ and you can see the entire process there. What I am going to do is similar but just a little different. By the time Jenn and I are done, we will have something that is unique and completely different than anything you have ever seen. Stay tuned to my blog here and to her blog, to see what we are talking about.

As always, Barbara

Ronde de Fleurs Pinkeep

Here is a wonderful design from a wonder French designer, Nathalie. She had the DMC colors but I changed them into Mandarin Bamboo floss which is one of my favorites. It's made of bamboo but feels like silk to stitch with. It's hard to tell from the picture but it's stitched on a 32ct. hand dyed called Queen Annes Lace Jobelan. This is such a beautiful color that can be used with just about any color scheme.

In case you haven't noticed, I love stitching french designs. I don't know if it's the colors or the designs that call to me....I just know I love them. I have a quaker sampler that is calling to me and it's stitched in light pink, light blue and tan. These are colors that I see on alot of french blogs. Then there is the popular reds...oh the reds. If there was a shortage of floss and everyone had to pick just one color to stitch with, mine would be red. Let's hear what yours would be.

Well Memorial Day is coming up and that is the official beginning of summer. I will have a beautiful tribute to my father who served proudly in WWII.

As always, Barbara

How I Make My Bows

I've had several people ask how I make my bows so I thought I'd post some pictures here with directions on how to do them. I guarantee if you follow my directions, you will always make a perfect bow every time.

First you pick the ribbon you want as your bow and cut about 9 inches for a standard size bow. Fold it as the picture above and place a pin in the middle to hold it together.

Next take a needle and thread (I use a sharp needle with quilting thread) and start at the botton part of the middle where to ribbon crosses itself. Do a small basting stitch up thru the middle ending at the top.

Pull these stitches tight and end off with a knot. Cut thread.

What you should have is a piece of ribbon that looks like the picture above.

Take a thinner ribbon (I usually use 1/8 inch) and tie it around the middle where you gathered the stitched together.

Trim your ends and what you have is the perfect bow. I haven't found any project where these types do not work. They are great for gift wrapping because you can use the thinner ribbon to tie it onto the package.

Have fun and I hope everyone has a Blessed Sunday

As always, Barbara

Winner of the Giveaway

We have a winner from down under. Congratulations Delphine....I will be getting in touch with you to get your address and your prize will be mailed out next week. Thank you to all who entered and I will be having another one in June for the 4th of July.

As always, Barbara

P.S. I just looked and Delphine didn't leave her email address so please Delphine, if you are reading this, please email me. You will find my email address under my profile page.

Thanks

My Chicken Pincushion

With my love of pincushions, you know I just had to stitch this one by Twisted Oaks. I used a silk from HDF called Dragon Droppings and it has a tan as a base with all the colors of jewels in it. I just love this color and hope to obtain more asap. I think a large quaker stitched out of this would be stunning. I really didn't know what color of beads to use as the waddle and crown so I picked a neutral color of olive green. I think it sets the jewel tones off perfectly.

Mary Garry's Thread Holder Giveaway

This sweet little design by Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin was such a fun stitch. It worked up in a couple of hours and then I had to decide how to finish it. It was suppose to be a pincushion but lately I have been making too many of them and I wanted something different. I settled on this thread holder which is covered in a sweet little blue pattern that really sets off the finished cross stitch. I did a nun stitch around the outside and then frayed the edges. The bow was made from blue and dark brown silk/satin ribbon which I've been told is becoming my trademark. I don't know about that but I love making these bows. The words around the outside say "sit with me for a cup of tea". If you are interested in receiving this item, please leave a comment on this post with your email address and I will pick a name come Saturday night during the Nascar All Star Race.

As always, Barbara

Circle of Life Free Pattern

Brenda has done it again!!! She made a beautiful pinkeep out of my next free pattern and it's just adorable. She changed the french knots to beads so you might want to try this also and don't be afraid to change the colors. You can find the pattern here.

Have fun and as always, Barbara

"One of the greatest virtues of gardening is this perpetual renewal of youth and spring, of promise of flower and fruit that can always be read in the open book of the garden, by those with an eye to see, and a mind to understand."

Summer has definitely arrived here in Florida with the constant sunshine and the humidity. It's time for the daily watering of the flowers if you want them to survive until the wet season starts. Then we have afternoon thunderstorms everyday without cease and if we are lucky, no hurricanes. Last year we were very lucky and I'm hoping that the luck continues. I'm hoping that everyone has a glorious summer filled with sunshine, flowers and maybe a few picnics thrown in.
As always, Barbara

Summer Diamond Free Pattern

This beautiful finish was done by Brenda and I can't thank her enough for stitching this wonderful interpretation of my design....Summer Diamond. She used a new fiber Threadworx and matched DMC to the colors in the varigated. I think it turned out just sweet. Thank you Brenda for making my work look good. You can find the free pattern here.

As always, I'd love to see others interpretations of the design.

Barbara

My Contest Entry

Stickideen von der Wiehenburg is having a contest with everyone stitching the same quaker sampler but making it your own by what you choose to stitch it on and stitch it with. Mine is going to be on a HDF 38ct. Linen and I'm using 4 different kinds of silk. The main varigated color is Cherry Cordial from Waterlillies which is one of my favorite silks of all time. The others are HDF, Splendor and NPI silks in various shades of rose and mauve to match the waterlillie. I started this yesterday and I think I'm going pretty good on it. They have set a completion date of November so I think I have plenty of time to play with the colors and where I want to place them. If you like doing quakers you might want to enter this contest yourself. They are giving away a nice prize and it seems the larger amount of stitchers who enter, the larger the prize will be so you might want to check it out.

I would love to know if any of you have entered competitions before and what you thought of them. I know alot of stitchers enter their work in their local fair and I've never done that. A funny story....I use to sell my finished work on ebay and I had one store owner/designer who lived in Idaho purchase many of my things. I guess she was impressed with them that she entered them in the Idaho state fair. She told me that the work had won several ribbons and wanted to know if I wanted them and I told her no. If I didn't keep the project, why would I want the ribbon? Anyway, that is my story of state fairs and how I became to be entered in them. I hope everyone has a fabulous wednesday and a productive one.

As always, Barbara

Blue Tulip Bunny Needle Roll

Well here it is Monday morning and I have finished a design and am getting ready to start another one. Don't you just love starting a new pattern ....picking out the fabric and then the fibers. As much as I hate mondays, this will make today a little better.

I loved doing this pattern!!! It was the first Primitive Betty design I have stitched and I'm definitely looking for more. It was stitched on Vintage Belfast linen using HDF silks by Vikki Hastings. I tea dyed the blue pillow ticking fabric to give it a vintage look like the linen.

I would love to know if you have stitched any of Betty's designs.

Also, my daughter, Jenn, has designed a really sweet biscornu celebrating the Fourth of July. She's also having a great give away, so please check it out on her blog....http://leftsox.blogspot.com/

As always, Barbara

Happy Mother's Day

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Washington Irving

May your day be filled with wonderful things but most of all Love.

I also would like to share with you Brenda's latest finish. This is the Queen's Humbug done in the most wonderful colors. I just love it and it gives me such a thrill to see other stitcher's doing my designs and changing the colors to make them theirs. I love it!!! I should have another freebie sometime this week and I'll be waiting impatiently to see what Brenda comes up with. Thank you Brenda for allowing me to show your work....it's beautiful.

As always, Barbara

Isn't This Adorable!!!

Brenda was nice enough to send me this picture of her finish of Bluebells's Pins. She's changed the colors and I think it looks so "springy" and crisp. I can't wait to see what she does with the Queens Humbug.

As always, Barbara

A Freebie Humbug

Notice something wrong? Yep it's not pink like I said it was going to be. I decided on lavender, green and yellow instead. What happened was I have some spools of Sulky No.12 thread and I fell in love with this one. It's a beautiful varigated that works up nicely. I did the stitching on 32ct. Magnolia linen so it turned out pretty small so I used it as a scissor fob.
You can find the pattern here.

Have fun and don't forget to show me pics if you stitch it.

As always, Barbara

P.S. I was requested by a friend to give these patterns names so it makes it easier for her to file them. LOL Ok she asked for it. The first one which is the pink and green one is now named "Pinkies Garden". The second one which is the blue and yellow is now named "Bluebells Pins" and the last one I just posted above is now named "Queen's Humbug".

Free Pattern Number Two

So here is the next free pattern I was talking about. This one is stitched in blues and yellows and the pattern gives you the DMC numbers. But, I stitched mine in Waterlillies silks and here are the ones I used:

Banana

Polar Ice

Ice

Moss

and one Dinky Dye....Sunflower

You will find the pattern here

Have fun and let me know if you stitch it.

As always, Barbara

P.S. My next one will be a pink Humbug.

Linen and a Tote Bag For Sale

I stitched this design on a piece of 28ct. Ancient Cashel linen and then made it into a cute little tote bag. The bag measures about 12 x 14 inches and has 5 outside pockets. It is fully lined and you can find it in my finished album for sale.

These are small pieces of linen that I just cannot throw away. I figure there is someone who could use these for ornaments or smalls. The linens are either 32ct or 28ct and there are several different companies and colors included. Some are solid colors and some are hand dyed. These have been sold.

Just Random Thoughts

And how is everyone this Monday evening? I've been working on a new free design and just about have that finished. I'm also working on a design to add to the front of a tote bag I'm making which will end up in the for sale album. I hope to have it finished tomorrow ..... if I'm lucky. LOL

I found out last night that our dear grand daughter, Peyton, has mono. She texted me from the hospital and my heart skipped a beat there for a moment. Our one grandson had to have surgery when he was a baby and other than that, we've been blessed with healthy grandchildren. I'm hoping she gets better quickly because she's not the type to sit around and is guaranteed to drive everyone crazy. LOL

Several weeks ago I asked for prayers for a friends mother who was 90 years young and they found cancer on her lungs. Well she's gone thru all the radiation treatments and last friday they found out that it did no good whatsoever. I have her still in my prayers and I would appreciate you adding her to yours.

Until next time.....as always, Barbara

Brenda's Finish

When I checked my email this morning, I found this beautiful picture of a finish that Brenda had done of my free pattern. I absolutely never thought I would see one of my designs stitched by another stitcher and this just gave me chills when I saw it. Isn't Brenda's finish beautiful? I love it and will cherish the thought that someone liked my design enough to stitch it.

If any other stitchers out there end up stitching one of my designs, please email me the picture....it just makes my day. :o) A big thank you goes to Brenda for allowing me to share this picture with you.

Everyone have a Blessed Sunday.

As always, Barbara