Have a blessed Easter Day!

May your Easter attire look lovely

 

May your basket overflow

May you also remember the meaning

Of this day for what we know

May friends and family gather round you

And your day be filled with the best

With happiness and laughter

And a day that is truly blessed.

(Kathleen)

I usually use these items...........

when I am creating the things I love the most.............

in hand embroidery.............

like this

and this.............

but for the longest time, I have wanted to learn to create...........

with cement.

I have longed to create pebble mosaic stepping stones, but the first thing I have made this week,  is a shallow bird bath stream out in my "woods garden" so that the birds can get some relief from the Texas heat.

I loved the way the cement felt and got brave and tried my hand at making cement plant containers..........

I was so thrilled when they came out...........

in one piece!!

Finally I got serious with my mosaic stone making. I created a stone path for the entrance of my greenhouse.

If you are experienced in the working of cement or concrete...........

you can tell that I am just learning and that I have much more to learn.

(click onto photos for better view)

 

But that was the way it was for me when I started to learn hand embroidery. I followed all of the instructions..........did all of the basic stitches..........

but wanted more of my own style..............

so I decided to work flower pebble mosaics into the stones.............

I love them! When I walk out to my greenhouse,

these cheery stones are the first thing I see!

I have not quit my embroidery...........I am stitching tonight...........

but sometimes, it's fun to take a walk down a different creative path......

don't you think?

How about you?

What do you usually create?

What new thing have you tried?

I would love to hear!



It's not just the embroidery

that catches my attention when I am searching out vintage linens..............

I love the  intricate crocheted edges that can be found on dresser scarves and pillowcases. The quality and beauty that was worked into finishing embroidered pieces just amazes me. The pillowcase above has no embroidery............

just an elaborate and beautiful crocheted insert. There was only one pillowcase, but it will serve wonderfully for a guest............don't you think?

As many of you know, I have my own style of embroidery, where I add quite a few stitches.

However, this set of pillowcases, makes me want to go back to my roots of hand embroidery

and return to the simple technique. Sometimes, less, speaks so much more beauty in pieces like this.

There is a beautiful crocheted edge on this set as well.

I was thrilled when I discovered this dresser scarf, underneath a large pile of tablecloths.

The embroidery is worked in basic stitching............but it just seems to come to life

I love the way the embroiderer stitched the fence, don't you?

The colors she chose are wonderful. Now I am inspired to do one simple piece...............

how about you?

Do you find that sometimes in your creative work............the simple designs, speak the loudest?

I would love to hear!

It seems sometimes, that the days fly by so quickly,

and even though, I spend a good part of the day..........

stitching........

I don't always make a lot of progress..........but this is the path of hand embroidery.............

so much time spent, working hundreds of stitches.

As you might remember, I showed the speckled pink flower in a post or two back

as I work on a new pillowcase design. I don't have a color scheme set out for this particular pattern. 

I love how the color of orange can perk up any design.............

don't you? 

I am picking a section that I want to stitch and then pick the colors for that section as I go.

Blue and yellow always seem to go together well.........

don't you think?

I am enjoying this process and anticipate a pillowcase set........

full of color.

I am hearing that a cold front is moving in, the wind has already started to blow...........

and I often think of this verse on cold days as this..............

 

Buttons and patches and the cold wind blowing,
The days pass quickly when I am sewing.
Author Unknown

 

I hope that this finds you in warm and pleasant weather.............

or somewhere, warm and pleasant.........

stitching the day away!

I love to hear!