Thank You

 I must say thank you to some very special followers of my blog.  They made me realize that my life is better without worrying about what goes on on a website that I can live without.  I don't even know why I bother with it because I have so many patterns I'll never make them all.  LOL  Back to important things.....like stitching.

I'm not sure how many are aware of this design that Brenda Gervais of With Thy Needle and Thread has come out with but I thought I'd share it with you.  She did this for the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower landing at Plymouth rock.  Here is what you get:

This shows the fabric, pattern and all the fibers needed.

This shows the pincushion that you can make as a companion piece.

This shows the captain of the Mayflower and you get a piece of fabric for the backing of the pincushion that has part of his diary printed on it.  Also a needle minder and a card to put on the back after it is framed to add you name and date it was finished.

This is the box that everything fits into.  I plan on starting this very soon but I want to finish my BBD pincushion first.  I was hoping for tomorrow but that's not going to happen.  I'm making headway but not as fast as I would like.  Here's today's progress.

Yesterday was Evelyn's first birthday and she was an angel.  Here she is with her big brother John opening some of her presents..

We have been blessed with such love  from our grand daughter and her family.  I truly do not know what we would do without them.  My wish is for all my followers to have such a family that loves them without reservation.

Blessings, Barbara

It's Cold Again!

I don't see how I lived in the north for all those years because I am freezing here in 50 degree temps.  Either it has to do with blood thinning or just old age.  I'm voting on the second one.  To all of you who are still suffering under this last cold spell.....stay warm.

I have a finish to share.  I started this last weekend and I really got it finished fast....at least for me.  It's a BBD design and it really doesn't have a name.  The title just says "Necessity Box and Strawberry".....but I didn't make the strawberry and I finished it into a pillow.  I have to laugh at the names of the fabric and threads I chose...Gingerbread 28ct. and it's stitched with Crescent Colors Cherry Cobbler.  Sounds yummy doesn't it?

I've had that cotton print fabric for years and finally got to use it to make the pillow.  My motto:  Never throw anything away because you never know when you might need it.  This has gotten me into trouble several times with trying to find room in my sewing room for storage.

My next project is another BBD design called "Hats off to Uncle Sam".   I love how they have it finished and I'm not sure if I want to attempt it or not.  I'll wait and see and make up my mind later.

I'm stitching it on the called for fabric but am using different threads that I have on hand.  

Thank you all for stopping by to see what I've been up to.  Have a fantastic week and again, stay warm.

Blessings, Barbara

2018 Finishes

Hello everyone.....I hope you are all staying warm if you're in the path of this wicked cold spell.  I actually had ice on my windshield last Wednesday morning and you know we all carry around an ice scraper here in Orlando.....NOT.  I just sat and waited for the car to warm up and myself also.  Dang it was cold!

I have two finishes to share with you today.  I finished stitching the Hands on Design in 2017 but I'm counting it as a 2018 finish because I just did the finishing work this morning.  Kathy had placed the fabric at the bottom but I didn't want this to be so long and skinny so I put mine on the side.  I found some buttons in my stash and added them....just because.

Then I stitched a small sampler by BBD called "Now I Know My ABC's" on a 30ct. Tin Roof linen using and HDF silk called Rum Cherry.  I wish I could get some more of this silk because I just fell in love with how it looked on this linen.  It's a hand dyed red with burgundy and black highlights and is stunning.  Unfortunately, Vikki has closed up shop.  I mounted it on a prefinished black wooden plaque and used some coordinating DMC floss for the twisted braid.

I've started work on a Brenda Gervais pattern called "A Stitch in Time".  I'm using the recommended colors and threads except for the birds.  The linen is a mystery linen from my stash and the blue recommended went invisible when stitched on it.  This is suppose to be finished in to a pinball but I've never done one of them so we'll see how it goes.  If all fails, then it will be a pincushion drum...those I can do.

I'm not sure how many of you have heard about the Linen and Threads Mystery SAL but I'm debating whether or not to do it.  It's quite large....209 x 478 and it's a medieval theme and I'm not so hot on that.  Last year's was quite beautiful and about the same size.  If you are interested in reading about this, check it out HERE.  They have a Facebook group for questions and for looking at other's work.  

Everyone stay warm and I thank you for stopping by today.

Blessings, Barbara

A surprise and a finish

When Vallie and I were taking our walk tonite, there was a wonderful breeze and you could tell that fall is just around the corner.  Now fall here in Florida has a different meaning than anywhere else.  Fall here means the highs are only in the 80's or if your lucky, the 70's.  We look forward to it every year because it just feels so darn good. :o)

 I do have a confession to make.  When Ma Teakettle placed her sales on  Never Enough Stash, there was one that caught my eye.  BBD Winter.  I've wanted to stitch the grouping of Summer, Spring and Winter for some time but just couldn't find Winter....well she had it and I couldn't resist.  Now Ma being Ma, she came up with an excellent plan.....she sent me the pattern but she won't send me the invoice to pay until my 2 months are up.  Now is that a deal or what?  LOL  Not only did she treat me with that but look what was in the package with the pattern.  A beautiful collection of Sampler Threads called Summer Splash.  I was speechless!!!  and let me tell you, that is soooo unlike me.  Now I must ask a favor.  

 I would like to stitch a sampler using all 10 of these colors as a remembrance of a kindness from a fellow stitcher.  Do you have any ideas on what sampler I could stitch?  The first thing I thought of was a quaker, but maybe you have something different in mind that I could do.  

Ma Teakettle, thank you so much for these beautiful threads!  I love each and every one of them.

Now as to my finish, remember me telling you that Marly over at Samplers & Santas was kind enough to share Pennsylvania Redware with me.....well here it is finished and framed.  I fell in love with this frame at Joann's but the design was a little short for it so I added some primitive rick rack.  I love how this turned out and it sits on my mantle.

About the Quaker Garden from BBD that I was going to stitch on the checked fabric.  Well let me say this, now I know why when you see this on french blogs, they have stitched a monotone on it.  When I did some of the Quaker Garden, it looked way too busy so out it came.  I'm thinking about stitching another BBD on it that's a monotone.....I just have to make up my mind which one.  

I hope you all are having a wonder week so far and that the frog is not darkening your door.

Have a blessed day,

Barbara

Phlox box is finished

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Well this is finished and I'm not sure about something.  I am not going to use any matting around the design because I want the beautiful fabric to show so I'm thinking about stitching a border.  Suggestions?  I don't want anything to complicated because I still want this design to be the focal point.  Decisions....decisions.....

Well I've started stitching on the Papillon SAL.  I'm loving the 38ct. gander linen and stitching will all these wonderful silks on it.  I think this is going to be a fun stitch but a lllllllooooonnnnnnggggg stitch.  LOL

I went to my LNS yesterday and picked up the new BBD Loose Feathers booklet.  There's a box in there that is calling my name and I will be starting that next week.  I've gotten the linen for it....WDW Sheeps Straw....and I just have to pick out my colors.  

I'm hoping that all of you are having a wonderful Sunday so far and that you are stitching away like mad.

Blessings as always,

Barbara

New Blackbird Finish

If you're looking for a quick stitch, this one is for you. It's been done on 32ct. linen using Vikki Clayton HDF silks. I liked how BBD finished theirs but as usual I wanted something different. I added the fabric to one end and the bow.

The pink beauty of azalea blooms are already opening up to the Florida sun down here.

From living up north, one of my favorite flowers are lilacs. Unfortunately, we can't grow them here in the south where it's too hot for them.

Who doesn't love the smell of lavender? This year I'm going to try growing it again so I can dry some for my pin pillows.

Nothing reminds me more of upcoming Easter than daffodils.

BBD Summer House Pincushion Progress

I've been working on this project for going on two days now and I'm making pretty good progress. I am getting concerned about the colors of floss I am using. The colors I used are what the pattern called for but I'm afraid the fabric might be too dark. I'm using the 28ct. Whittenburg so we'll see how it looks when finished....hopefully ok.

As always,

Barbara