I have always loved putting florals and plaids together..........

especially in quilting..........the two designs just give a charm that I personally love.

One of my favorite and very simple quilt patterns is the nine patch..........there is so much one can do with just 9 small squares.

This week I decided to use the 9 patch as a canvas for my embroidery...........

and I stitched up a few potholders............... I meant to say, hot pads or trivets,  using this process. I love the way they turned out. These are not really thick enough to be pot holders, but they add such a sweet accent to the table to place a warm casserole onto or a tea pot.

How about you?

Do you like to mix fabric patterns?

What is you favorite?

I would love to hear.

One little french knot or basic stitch does well..........

in fact, I simply followed the lines I was given in any embroidery design when I first started my journey of embroidery work.................

The photo above is from Aunt Martha's hot iron transfers....Birds Galore.....

and I embroidered it exactly the way the design was  printed..............

(click on photo for more detailed view)

but something deep inside of me stirred and I knew I wanted to see more...........

color..........

more life.........

.and I started adding just a few more stitches.

Above is the same design, yet I put a little extra time into finishing it and a few more stitches and color.

 In the process of working extra stitches..........

(click on photo for more detailed view)

I added French knots..........where none were marked or expected to be.

 Where I once thought French knots were only good for the center of daisies or perhaps a bird's eye...........I realized that when done in clusters, they could add a whole new dimension to embroidery and they fill up blank  spaces.

Some have told me in the past, that they find working French knots a little complicated.

Here is a link that for instructions on making a French knot that I think will be helpful.

http://www.sublimestitching.com/frenchknot.html

If I could give you a lasting message on this embroidery blog..........it would be......

Get creative!

Let your imagination and what you really like to see come to life.

Think outside the design.

How about you? What is your favorite kind of stitch and why?

I would love to hear.

This year I am looking forward..................

but also looking back. Not in the sense that we all usually associate with the New Year holiday and the past...........

no, this year I look forward to all of the new possibilities that wait for me to explore and to research.............

new stitches, new teaching methods, new projects to jump into.

I am looking back over the decades of embroidered linens filled with vintage charm........

I am working to incorporate that charm into my embroidery.

Something new............yet nostalgic...........with a hint of

yesteryear.

How about you?  Do you tend to look back over the past year with regret.............or perhaps with fond memories?

Or are you looking forward with anticipation..................maybe excitement?

I would love to hear.

Happy New Year

dear blogging friends!

A "white Christmas" came to our Texas home

along with my daughter's visit. We have had such a magical Christmas time!

Snow, mistletoe, memories shared, and memories made..........

Guess what I am going to start embroidering on next?....................

That's right, this rather rough and unsightly chair..............

however, that is not what I thought when I saw this..........

I had gone into town with my husband and he had to stop by the city dump on the way........a place I usually will not go to visit with him............however,

a man was pulling up in his truck with this chair........

ready to be tossed away............and all I saw.......

was potential........

a blank canvas.............waiting for some kind of stitched beauty to adorn it.

I told my husband to ask the man if  I could have it.............and he graciously gave it to me!!

 Can you see what I see??

This back panel would look lovely with a cross stitched piece.........maybe in roses or wildflowers........

don't you think?  A new fabric seat cover to match and maybe a dark cherry stain

or possibly dark paint on the trim? I will post the idea design when I decide on such and let you see the progress............as I go along?

What do you think?

How was your Christmas............

did you have lots of guests and snow?

I would love to hear!

Christmas is almost here............

and I am looking forward to this Christmas more than I have the past few that have slipped so quickly by..........

you see..........

my daughter is coming home...........traveling a great distance to get here.....

taking a break from her busy Navy life.

For the first time in many years, all of my children will be with my husband and I to celebrate this season...........together!!

So I am taking a small break from blogging.............

to just enjoy...............

family.

For you who visit here,

Have yourself a very Merry Christmas!

In several boxes,

I have stacks of small cuts of fabric. I always plan to make quilt squares and create a quilt, however, once in a while, I can find good use for such small pieces. I created this little hanging heart,...........to give to friends when we get together..........with some little surprise tucked inside of the pocket.

Sort of "let's remember this day" kind of thing..........

 I enjoyed making the beaded flowers so much, I decided to stitch them on to the front panel.

I think this would also be cute with a small embroidered design or initial stitched on to the front.............what do you think??

There's a tree out in the backyard

in front of my greenhouse

a mesquite tree, just like the many others that are here on the farm grounds,

but for some reason,

 out of all of those trees,

 this is the only one that has a lovely bunch of mistletoe growing on it. It started out last year and I have watched it in anticipation

and was so delighted to see it looking like this the other day. Of course, my creativity has kicked in and I can envision satin stitched leaves in sage green with pearl clusters for the mistletoe berries to stitch...........what do you think??

A heavy snow blew in and covered the grounds and the mistletoe in the early morning hours

and the trees are now dressed in their sparkling array of frozen leaves and branches.

I'm in between stitching projects right now, but the inspiration is overflowing.

How about you? Are you underneath a snowy blanket?

Are you finding inspiration to create something from Nature's beauty?

I would love to hear!