Not only does nature provide me with inspiration

for embroidery design ideas.............

(right click on photo for a better view)

but I also get much inspiration from reading other's blogs. I have become friends with so many of you because of blogging and I have been able to learn so much about the" common threads" we all share.

One such blog belongs to Kathy at Spot On Cedar Pond Blog.

She raises Jacob Sheep..............which I am totally in love with..... She raises much more, and she works her sheep wool into such wonderful yarns and tiny wee sheep figurines. Her blog is also very inspirational which led me to place the Bible verse on the piece above. 

You can visit Kathy and see all of her sheep by clicking on to this link

Spot On Cedar Pond

I wanted the sheep to look "woolly" what do you think??

Also, I always want the eyes to look real.......it really makes the character......

don't you think?

I am not that good at making hooves, so I just hid it's feet in meadow flowers.

(right click on photo for a better view)

Another delightful blog belongs to Sharon at 

Corgis In My Garden

She loves Corgis as well as vintage finds and buttons!

She also takes her beloved pets to rest homes and care facilities to make the folks happy. 

I have never tried stitching a dog as this, but I think it turned out well..........don't you?

You can visit Sharon and see what her Corgis are doing in her garden by clicking on to this link

Corgis In My Garden

I wanted the tongue and eyes to look real.........as well as the hair on the dogs neck area.

I always love to see potted flowers with some of their blossoms lying on the ground....don't you?

Who knows what I might find to catch my attention to embroider next?

How about you?

What types of blogs do you find inspiring?

What is your blog about and what do you love to do?

I would love to hear!

Have you ever spent time, creating something.............

thinking that you really like the way it is looking.............and then when it is finished, you find that you really do not like the end results?

That happens to me a lot. I spend a lot of time, planning, drawing out designs, and then embroidering for weeks and then after taking a good look...............I feel disappointed. This has happened to a few pillowcase sets that I have worked on.

A while back, a dark black butterfly landed on my hand and inspired me to embroider a set of pillowcases, making the butterfly look like this. I only embroidered one of the cases. Not happy with how the butterfly looked, I put the cases away.

Until the other day, I found them again and decided to pull out the embroidery I did not like and to re-stitch what I wanted. This seems much better. I finished embroidering both pillowcases,

then I crocheted the pillowcase end in the same light blue that the butterfly's wings have, and then added this sweet blue and white print fabric that has butterflies and flowers on it.

Now the set has a cottage look to it. Do you like it?

I also embroidered this vintage design onto a set of pillowcases a while back.

I love the cluster of flowers and the curve of the design.

I crocheted a white edge to the pillowcase and then added some of my very favorite vintage fabric.

Now the set has a shabby chic look........don't you think?

These cases look beautiful against a vibrant colored quilt............

or a vintage faded quilt.

How about you?

What are some things that you have created and then gone back to touch up or completely change?

I would love to hear!

To Sell or Not To Sell.........

this is the question that has been going through my mind...........and heart for awhile.

Recently, I have found a couple of new antique stores. Among their many wonderful items, I was able to find boxes of beautiful linens............all worked in cut work.............

from the 1920's to the 1930's.

 

Each piece is so intricately embroidered and has never been used. The labels are still attached. If you cannot read this......it says 100% linen real hand embroidery made in Portugal.

 

I found place mats in the settings of 8 and some to 12. Each with a matching table runner.

All corners and sides wonderfully stitched with beautiful designs.

 

 

 

Many of the sets are duplicate in design, which led me to the idea that I could keep a few and sell the rest. I am planning on doing this. I know that Etsy will allow me to sell vintage items as this.........but I am not sure that I want to sell through there are make my own site for these. I know Etsy would probably be the easiest for myself and for my customers. I still have much research to do on the pieces and pricing.............

What do you think? Would you be able to part with such treasures?

How would you sell them if you decided to do so?

I will let you know what I have decided to do and where to locate these linens once I have it all figured out.

 

Also, I finally did it!! I taught myself to knit and

after purling, knitting, pulling it all out and all over again...............

I finished knitting a dish cloth!!

It's the red one above. The blue dish cloth is one I crocheted.

I love the difference in the look that knitted items have..........don't you?

How about you?

Do you love crochet over knit..........or the other way around?

I would love to hear.

Looking back and looking forward

as this tired old year is about to go to rest.

It has been a year of great dreams, ideas, and stitching.

I am looking forward to the new year with even more ideas and dreams.

Here is a glimpse of this past year's stitching..........

In January,

I created a few aprons with cut work embroidered pockets.

These were fun to work on.

In February

I turned to one of the works of embroidery I love to do..............cut work.

I worked this design in muted colors to give it a vintage charm look.

In March,

I finished writing my embroidery and design book.............hopefully looking for a publisher.

In April,

I created a mason jar keepsake holder with a stitched butterfly pincushion on top.

In May,

I started to work on an applique quilt top. The pattern is called Friendship Dahlia.

 

In June,

I once again turned to the charm of a vintage design and embroidered a set of bath towels using this lovely design.

 

 

In July,

inspiration and ideas came flowing to me, as I watched one of my chickens feathers glide across the grounds..............

 

also, my gardens were in full bloom with my grandmother's Lantana,

and a field of large sunflowers beckoned me to pull over and take a photo.

All created in stitches.

In August,

I found a new hobby.............restoring old chairs. I found an old chair discarded at the dump, took it home, refinished it and stitched the back  in cross stitch.

In September,

I decided to create some embroidered handkerchiefs........

to replicate those sweet vintage ones of long ago.

In October

I designed and stitched a piece representing the many things that I love.

In November, 

 a whimsical mouse caught my attention and I had to capture it in stitches.

Many of you came up with the most wonderful names for it.

As Christmas approached, I designed a candy cane

and in December

Candles, holly, and pine needles, inspired me for the holiday season.

 

Now the new year is approaching. I feel just like the kitty above.

I have so many ideas and designs that I want to create that I find I don't have enough fingers to keep it all flowing!

How about you?

What are some of the wonderful things you created in this past year?

Are you planning on creating something totally new or different for the new year?

I would love to hear!

 



Glowing candles, holly and berries...........

I love these images at this time of year.

 

Just one small glowing candle can mean so much..........no matter what time of year it is. It's not a birthday cake unless there is at least one candle to make a wish upon and to blow out.........

When the power goes out and the dark closes in........one small candle can bring comfort to the whole room................

one lit candle can set the mood for a romantic dinner.............

one lit candle, held in the hand of many people gathered together sends a message of faith and hope.

What do glowing candles mean for you?

So for my holiday design, so close to this Christmas day..........

I chose to embroider a candle surrounded by holly and pine needles.

The holly at the end of my front porch is full of bright, cheery, berries.

Do you have holly growing in your garden this year?

Pine needles lay all over the grounds. I love these gifts from nature!

All together, they make up a festive design.......don't you think?

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle

 and the life of the candle will not be shortened.

Happiness never decreases by being shared.

Buddha

 

I hope this finds your Christmas holiday filled with happiness,

 surrounded and shared with friends and family.!

The best wishes to you for a very blessed Christmas!

 



Once again I found myself wandering along the dark and dusty aisles

of a junk store that I like to visit from time to time

 

not looking for anything in particular, but always looking  for a hint of fabric and floss.

This time I found a wonderful pile of beautifully embroidered pieces, some slightly vintage kitchen dishcloths and napkins,..............

and this one wonderful, long runner...........with Zinnias stamped on it!

The design has been inked over with different colored paint pens..........

but I can easily stitch over that with various embroidery stitches.

Although the piece is vintage, it has never been washed............the print of the manufacturer is still on the edge...........and I just love the home crocheted edging ........

don't you?

I t is such a wonderful and cheery design..............with Zinnias being my favorite flower............

I think I will be stitching on this during the holiday season!

It's funny, I should be stitching snowmen, snowflakes, and poinsettias time of year, but always find myself wanting to embroider spring time flowers instead................

in July, I like to stitch Christmas designs.............

How about you?

Are you stitching someones name on a stocking?...........

 embroidering some holly and berries perhaps?..............

or is a bouquet of roses or daisies holding your needle's attention?

I would love to hear!



Handmades gifts............

don't you love them?.................

or.......maybe not??

I have to admit...........I was once one of those (dreaded) members of the family who labored all day...........all through the months..............and even up to the wee morning hours of Christmas.........making................what I thought............the most wonderful gifts of all.............

sigh.

I shudder when I think back of all of the things I sent to family members..........

I want to bury my head into a stash of fabric and not look up again!!!

I quit making

 (those kinds of gifts)

long, long ago.............and now family members talk to me.............

but sometimes, I make special gifts now and then. I can't show too much in the photo above, because this is a friend's Christmas present............and she reads my blog. But afterwards I will show it.

We had a light dusting of snow in the wee morning hours..............

I should stitch some snowflakes...............

 

but roses are stealing my attention.

I adore handmade gifts...........from the heart............a piece of American folk art if you will...........

 

 

How about you??

Do you make handmade gifts?

Are there any that you made long ago...........and wish you had not given them??

I would love to hear!