It's a sickness I tell ya....

I promise myself I'm not gonna buy anything new and then all of a sudden I'm in the shop and that "Bad Barbara" takes over and I'm leaving my LNS with a bag full.  What's a girl to do I ask ya?  Why take them home and drool....LOL

I've wanted this little JBW French Country Owl ever since I first saw him and today he jumped into my bag and along the way, it grabbed up a skein of Burmilana to stitch him with.  This should be alot of fun to stitch with this wool and give him a nice look.  He also snatched this really cute Mill Hill owl and convinced me I couldn't live without him.  I agreed of course.....I'm not dumb!!!!

Then next to jump into the bag was this year's issue of JCS's Halloween issue.  I'm so glad it decided to come home with me because I really want to stitch the Primitive Hare's design called The Town of Halloween.  I can't wait to get my needle into that one!

Next is the new BBD design called Mother's Garden.  I had the pattern but was missing some of the threads and I decided to pick them up today.  Usually I would of substituted but I loved the colors in this one so much, I decided to get them and stay with the original colors.  This one should be alot of fun to stitch and I will start it after I have finished the L&L I'm working on.....Fallen Roses.

Then it was a good day at the mail box too.  I received Brenda's new design from Country Stitches and the pattern I bought from Sally (Thank you Sally...it arrived safe and sound) on Never Enough Stash.  I have to find tan pillow ticking for the Country Stitches pillow and I hope that's not a problem.

After all of that, my most exciting stop was the Sewing Studio.  I fell instantly in love with these 3 fabrics and I knew they were coming home with me.  From left to right:

Funky Fall by Clothworks

Happy H owl-o-ween by Moda

Funky Fall by Clothworks

and if you are interested in any of these, The Fat Quarter Shop (here) has all of these in stock.  As soon as I saw the Funky Fall designs I thought of BBD and how they would look together....stunning!

Well that was my excitement for the day and I am so glad that "Bad Barbara" was able to come along to both of the stores I visited.  I'm just glad I didn't have to go to the yarn store or I'd really be broke.  LOL

Have a great week!

Blessings as always,

Barbara

Pink Rose Pincushion

Here's the latest finish I did.  I'm really becoming addicted to making smalls and if anyone knows of a 12step program, please let me know.  :o)  I can't seem to be able to stop making them and trying to find new ways of doing the finishing part.  This one I just eliminated the sharp corners and I think it made it softer looking....or am I dreaming.  

I'm getting into a slump again.  I'm sitting here looking at my patterns and nothing interests me.  Why does this happen to us?  I've heard of other ladies going thru this and they can't begin to express why it affects them either.  Maybe I need to start something big like the Blackbird Designs calendar year project.  I've collected all the patterns and have a fat half of 30ct. linen to stitch them all on.  When finished, it should make an impressive wall quilt.  I have all the items....oh well.

Woke up this morning with another sore throat.  This has been going on for about a week now and I just seem to have no energy.  Oh the heck with it.....it's  nap time with Vallie.

Blessings as always,

Barbara

Some new finishes.....

 This very sweet design by Karen Kluba of Rosewood Manor was a joy to stitch but it was also one of those you say "woohoo" when it's finished.  I love how it turned out using Nina's threads and fabric and I will be sure to use more of her creations.  Thank you Nina for dyeing such beautiful threads and such glorious fabrics to use them on.

This is one of the newest by Blackbird Designs and this one I loved stitching...but then I've never stitched one of their designs I didn't love.  I dare anyone to come up with one.  I dug into my stash of buttons and found 3 matching mother of pearl square buttons....they weren't what I was looking for but I think they work pretty well.

I have a very sweet friend who's birthday is coming up towards the end of this month and every year she really makes me think about what to make her.  Well this year I think I'm going to blow her away.  LOL  Hey Rhonda.....curious yet????  Of course I can't post any pictures of the finished product until after her "Me" day, but I will throw out hints every so often just to keep her guessing.  I know......I know.....paybacks can be the very devil but I'm really going to enjoy the next few days.  

Blessings as always,

Barbara

A Blackbird finish.............

called Rose Garden and I used some gorgeous fabrics to finish it into a pillow.  

As to what I have planned for myself in this upcoming month, I've decided to do some of these designs that I've collected from foreign countries and that's why I have a french background for my blog right now.  Most of the designs are french and I've been wanting to do these but have had others to do too so I feel this is a great way of concentrating my energies into them.  Some will be put in my store for sale and some I will be keeping for my personal collection but all of them will have a foreign feel to them.  I will be using some fibers from other countries and also some linens.  The giveaway I have planned for my birthday will definitely have a foreign feel about it....more about that later.  So I better get stitching and with each piece I finish, there will be a story about why this design was chosen.

Blessings as always,

Barbara

Peyton meets Vallie.....

and as you can see, it was love at first site.  Vallie was a little shy to begin with, but then we all knew she had accepted Peyton when she stole Peyton's sandals.  Fun was had by all.  LOL

I finally finished the Blackbird design called Rose Garden and I'm in the process of finishing it into a pillow.  I love how it's turned out so far and I hope to have a picture of the finished project tomorrow some time.  I've started a new design from this months issue of Gift of Stitching  called the Friendship Bird Floss Tag by Michelle Lutzen of Stitchy Kitty.  I thought of a new idea for myself and how I can get into stitching some of these designs I've had for so long.  Tomorrow evening I will be changing my blog and telling you all about it.  I hope I can stick to this idea and really get some fun things finished.  If not, I can at least say I tried.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway.  My hubby will be picking a name tomorrow evening so please enter asap.

I watched the Daytona 500 today and it made my heart happy to see a completely unknown 20 year old win the race.  His birthday was yesterday so what a gift he has received.  I'm pretty sure he'll be wearing a very large smile for at least a week.  My guy Dale Jr got wrecked out with a few laps to go but he gave a good showing all day so that's an improvement.  No one got hurt so I consider it a successful race.

Talk soon, as always, Barbara

My next project.....

 After much debating, I changed my mind about several things of my next project.  I'm going to stitch "Rose Garden" by Blackbird Designs and finish it into a pillow.  I have a chair that is in much need of a new pillow and I think this one will suit it just fine.  I'm also changing the fibers.  I was going to use the 3 in the picture below, but since rose garden is a monotone design, I'm going with a hand dyed silk from HDF called "Old Maid of the Heart".  It matches the fabrics perfectly and will show off the design beautifully.

So I have my fabric in my frame, a new gold needle, I'm in my favorite chair and all is well with the world.  I will show you pics in a few days to show how far I've gotten.  

I'm also still in the knitting mood and I'm trying to decide what to work on next.  Too many projects....not enough hours.  Just think how much more we could get done on our stitching if we didn't have to...

clean,

cook,

bathe,

sleep,

or go to the bathroom.

=^..^=

As always, Barbara

BBD Flowers of the Field finished.....

 I finally finished this Blackbird Design called Flowers of the Field today.  There's a pincushion that goes with it, but these colors were so pale that now I need something brighter to stitch.  One thing I love about BBD is that they always give you great finishing directions.  The only thing I had trouble with was the cotton rickrack that they called for.  I can't find it anywhere in my area so I'm gonna have to go looking on the net.  Instead of using that, I coffee dyed some cotton lace and I think it turned out really well in matching the R&R linen I used for the design.  

The finished piece measures about 7 x 8 inches so it's a nice generous size.  I'm not the best when it comes to buttonholes even though my Viking sewing machine does everything for you....it's just that with the problem I have with my hands, it makes it a little "shakie" but these turned out really well.  All in all, I'm very pleased with the piece.

My next project will be a Sweetheart Tree so stay tuned.

As always, Barbara

Trying to Stay out of Trouble is Hard

It's been awhile since I posted and I thought I would catch up with what's been happening around here. First off, I've been working on a Blackbird Design called It's Berry Time and I'm loving it. I'm using one of HDF's silks and as usual, I'm enthralled with them. The pattern called for it to be stitched on a creamy fabric but I decided to go with a gold one with a red silk and it's stunning. If you haven't stitched this piece yet I recommend you look it up.

I never thought I would fall in love with monotone designs but I have. If I come across a pattern that has more than 1 color, it depresses me so much that most of the time, I don't stitch it. What are your feelings on this? Maybe that's why quakers are so popular right now....we get to stitch some beautiful designs with just one color and the design turns out stunning.

The staying out of trouble is hard part, is not starting another project till I get this one finished....I'm not sure if I'll make it or not.

Now for the strange thing that has happened. My hubby turned 61 this past August 4th and for his birthday he decided to buy the sports car pictured below. Granted it is fun to drive....ya know I had to try it....but is it really practical? He's been talking about getting one of these for about a year now and this past saturday we found this one locally and it went home with us. If you know anything about cars, it's a BMW Z3 and when I drove it, I felt like I was driving a toy. Oh well....he works hard and deserves a new play thing I guess.

I will keep you updated on my progress on It's Berry Time and hopefully have it finished in about a week. Everyone have a terrific Wednesday and the upcoming weekend.

As always, Barbara

Blackbird Design Pincushion

This is my latest finish from Blackbird Designs. As you see, I had to change it again into my own idea to make it "mine". I stitched it with HDF silks from Vikki Hastings on 28ct. Ancient Cashel Linen. I added the tiny ruffle around the edge and the little ruffle around the button in the middle. I felt horrible that I couldn't add one of my bows but the design just was too busy for one.

I love doing Blackbird designs and this one will make a great addition to my collection. One thing I forgot to mention is what it's filled with.....rice with dried lavender so it has a beautiful smell to it.

As always, Barbara

Blackbird Designs Antique Rose Pincushion

This is one of the newest designs from Blackbird Designs and I've stitched it with a HDF silk from Vikki Clayton. I finished it a little different than they suggested, because I stitched a pretty braid around mine and then tied the bow at the bottom with the same braid. The bow at the bottom was made from the same fabric I used for the backside of the cushion and I used crushed corn cobs for the filler. This turned out very old looking which is what I love.

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.

A Stitcher's Companion Completed

I love Blackbird Designs and this one was a little sweetheart to stitch. It's stitched with that new fiber I am in love with...DMC Floche in black on Belfast linen. My hubby was nice enough to make the wooden backing and I dyed it black to match.
The shoes that you see were my father's baby shoes and are one of my most prized possessions.

As always, Barbara

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

Blue Heart Pincushion Finish

I finished another item this morning while hubby was home sick. Something is going around and it seems we both have gotten it. This pincushion stitched up very fast with a varigated thread and I finished it into a pincushion with a pretty cotton fabric. I even made some straight pins to match....aren't I clever.....LOL....don't answer that. This one is for sale so look for it in my "finished items" folder to the right.

I hope everyone is having a good March 1st. It's sunny and kind of warm here in Orlando but tomorrow it's calling for rain. My pansies or monkey faces as some people call them, are looking very cheerful and bright and the jasmine that is planted beside the front porch is in bloom and smells wonderful. For you that have never smelled a citrus tree when it is in bloom ,you are really missing out. We have a red grapefruit tree in our front yard and when it blooms, the perfume is so wonderful. We lost our orange tree this last winter and we haven't replaced it yet but that will be remedied this spring. We had a valencia and I'm hoping we can replace it with the same.

Well it's time to start something new and I have decided I'm going to do one of the new designs from Blackbird Designs. It's the Summer House Pincushion ....have you noticed how many pincushions I stitch? What can I say ..... I absolutely love them and this one is no exception. I am stitching it on my last piece of 28ct. Whittenburg. This is a fabric that has been out of production for many years and I've been holding on to this last piece for about 3 years. Well I think I've found the perfect pattern to do on it so I will share with you soon.

As always,

Barbara

A Wonderful Day at the Market

Today was the day that my local LNS displays all the new goodies she returned with from the Nashville Market. As you can tell, I was in 7th heaven and it was very hard to get my feet back on the ground. I limited myself to just my favorite designers so I could keep the expense under a manageable figure....I'm not sure my DH would agree. LOL

Dinky Dyes new scissor case which comes with the silks and the matching scissors. Very cute!!! I love doing the Sweetheart Trees designs on the checked Graziano linen and this one looks very sweet. Shepherd's Bush had a freebie when you purchased the silver charm that went with it. This one is a darling sheep atop a hill with a tulip charm.

These are two of the designs I have awaited impatiently for. I am dieing to start the Lighthouse biscornu from Rosewood Manor and the With My Needle Huswife from Ellen Chester is just beautiful. I love stitching her designs.

Prairie Moon has come out with Black and Red Sampler II and since I had number I it was a no brainer that I had to have it. LOL And then there is La-D-Da. I absolutely love all of her designs and love stitching them.

Just Nan had some wonderful items this time but I limited myself to just these two. The vintage winder I have plans for so stay tuned to see what I do with that and the Needle Tweet is for my daughter, Jenn.

Ever since I stitched the Jenny Bean pinkeep, I have fallen in love with these designs. I broke down and purchased the fiber pack for this one....saves on time pulling threads don't ya know.

And last but not least....Blackbird Designs. I truly think they outdid themselves this market and there was nothing that didn't make it into my bag. The Manor book has some of the most beautiful pincushions they have ever produced and my fingers are itching to start them.

So let me know what you think about my purchases and what you think I should start first. I always have a very hard time with that one.

As always,

Barbara