It is now finished!!

As most of you have read in my previous posts, many months and many hours of hand stitching went into creating this lovely set.  Now it is finished! 

 Lovely sprays of flowers in shades of blue, pink, and yellows have been lightly tinted with crayola, then hand embroidered with straight stitch, outline stitch, lazy daisies, and hundreds of French knots onto this square luncheon cloth.

The stems and leaves are embroidered in greens and browns to echo a pattern from a vintage plate that I have in my vintage shop.

The particular plate pattern is (Madison) from the C. C. Thompson Pottery company, which inspired me to create this set. Therefore, I have named this set " Madison"

The cotton luncheon cloth is off/white and has hand embroidered sprays of flowers along each side and on each corner.

A round medallion of flowers is in the center. The luncheon cloth has a hemmed edge.

Two large cotton off/white dinner napkins have the same design hand embroidered on one corner.
The cloth and the napkins were purchased new to be hand embroidered on.This is not a large tablecloth,  (luncheon cloth measures 33" X 32"dinner napkins measure 18" X 18" )but a small luncheon cloth perfect to be placed on a lunch table and perfect for the newlywed couple, ( I plan to sell this set in my vintage shop or my Etsy) 
I love the way this turned out...........and I am really happy with myself that I completed on more large project!
Now I feel as if I am in limbo........glad to be finished........but wondering what to start next............I always feel this way after completing a project. Do you ever feel that way? 
It seems that no matter what I do begin working on........it is always something that takes a while to finish. 

Even when it comes to cooking.  I have just made a wonderful tasting 30 Day Friendship Fruitcake.  Have you ever heard of this?  It does take 30 days to make the juice and fruit.  But it is so wonderful tasting and worth the effort.  I have the story and the recipe that goes with this cake if you want to give it a try.  Just click onto this link to my recipe blog
Friendship Fruitcake
So tell me.......as these hot summer days stretch on.........what are you keeping your hands busy with? I would love to hear!

Inside myself is a place where I live all alone,

and that’s where I renew my springs that never dry up. 

Pearl Buck

Now is the time of year, where, no matter which aisle

you turn in the grocery store, 

(Henry Hintermeister painting circa 1940s)

you will find a loyal grandmother, surrounded with grandchildren who 

are free from school for the summer. 

For me, it is the time of year to crochet a new batch of dishcloths.

By this time of year, my current stash is getting pretty worn.

I pretty much use up the scrap yarn that I have.

This one particular pattern I like to call 

" farmhouse stripe" 

It is quick and easy to crochet and I can use any small 

snippets of yarn I have left.

However, I cannot resist a pretty yarn when 

I spy it in the craft store. This was so 

bright and colorful.

This was so lovely, I just had to have it. It has a marbled look 

it and is such a wonderful soft cotton.

I also experimented with a vintage potholder crochet pattern and

made a matching dishcloth to go with it. 

Just a few more to crochet up and then I will have 

a good new stash to enjoy my dish washing with.

June is here...........a pretty month full of sun and flowers blooming!  

It was June, and the world smelled of roses. 

The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.

Maud Hart Lovelace

Wishing you days filled with sunshine and flowers blooming!