Snowflakes.....on the patio.......in May

 The ever steady hot days of May find me seeking the comfort of a cool corner of my sewing space inside.  I piddle out in the flower gardens in the early morning and get brave enough to face the heat in the late afternoon , pulling the always heavy garden hose, watering, to ensure my flowers can stay strong and flourish in what seems to be a hostile stage of our climate.

But when all outside and inside work is done....and the quiet hours become my own,

I have turned to my crochet hook, deciding on working my way through a crochet snowflake booklet.

I have managed to crochet 5 and have begun work on the 6th.  There are 12 in all.......and each, just like nature's snowflakes.....are different.

I found a sweet box, with a snowflake theme to stash them in.  For now, they will accumulate in the box, until I decide on who to give the box to or  maybe I will choose to decorate with them. For now, I am just enjoying the process of creating them with my crochet hook.

I have found that instead of starching them and then ironing them, they come out prettier if

I saturate them in the starch, then carefully and tediously pin and block them into the perfect shape onto a miniature ironing board. I let them dry completely this way and then I lay them on a grid wire

patio chair and starch them again until they are stiff enough to hold their shape.(as you can see, I still need a lot of practice in this)

I find it whimsical to see snowflake silhouettes on the patio in 100 degree heat.

It is 102 today........but the trees have their lovely dresses of leafy green blowing and swaying in the wind, and little bits of pink, purple,and yellow color dot the grounds from the wildflowers that are starting to show.

So tell me.......what are you doing on these very hot days?  Do you enjoy basking outside.....or do you retreat to the cool of inside?  Perhaps some of you are just starting your cool Autumn/Winter days?

I would love to hear! 

Mason Jar Zinnia

 

James Wild Rose

 Spring is here, and I think most of us associate spring with 

lovely blooming flowers and the often garden favorite..........the rose.

In my shop are many vintage plates with rose designs.

One particular design I love is from a vintage platter,

from the Edwin Knowles china company and 

the design is known as James Wild Rose.

I can't resist purchasing these old beauties to place in my shop

and I especially wanted this piece just for the sole purpose

to create the design for embroidery

I love the grayish leaves along with the green

I have a project in mind for this piece, and if all works as 

well as I hope, I will show you the results in a few weeks.

Easter is here and I hope this finds you having 

lovely spring time weather and preparing for a 

wonderful Easter weekend with family and friends.

Wishing you all a very happy Easter!

My latest finishes

I have long wanted to work this quilt pattern into

a table runner instead of a quilt.  I found this pattern a long

while back in a library book..........long before we had home

computers and large book stores. 

I photo copied the pattern

page at the library, knowing that one day I would use it for the 

table topper I could envision in my mind. 

I found the cutest bee themed fabric at the fabric store the other

day and knew that it would be perfect for the hexagon block in the center.

I am thrilled that my idea worked out the way I had hoped!

I also finished the "Red Garden Sampler" I have been working

off and on for months and am very pleased with how it looks

and I have finished making a few sets of crochet coasters

to sell in my shop.

I found the sweetest boxes for the set to fit in.

My needle and hooks do not stay idle for long, as 

I am already in the middle of working on another project.

So tell me everyone..........what are you keeping your

hands busy with?  I would love to hear!

 

 

Bloom

 

Stay strong through your pain

grow flowers from it

It has helped me grow flowers out of mine,  so

bloom beautifully,

 dangerously, 

loudly, 

bloom softly,

however you need, just bloom

                              Rupi Kaur

I have stepped out of my comfort zone

 

I usually crochet the round type doilies and I usually only prefer

to use white or light color thread.  I have learned to crochet the round type doilies and am comfortable

that when I start a new doily......it will turn out the way I hope. 

But this time, I wanted to "experiment" .....to broaden my horizons......

to learn how to make motifs and then learn how to correctly crochet them

together to make lovely scarves and tablecloths.

I also decided to use red and green crochet thread.

( I noticed I did not lay it flat enough in the photo....the bottom corner would be even)

This is a 1944 pattern and it was a good one to start with to learn the technique I was wanting.

I am not at liberty to share this pattern, but there are many in old booklets and on the internet that '

if you wish, you can find .  

I will leave you with this link to a wonderful crochet web page, full of 

crochet history and such.

Vintage Crochet History 1944

Christmas time is upon us and the last days of this year are winding down

There is much I hope to achieve within  the new year that is to come........

new techniques.....new projects completed.

Here's wishing you a joyous and merry Christmas! 

So remember while December

Brings the only Christmas Day

In the year let there be Christmas

In the things we do and say

Wouldn't life be worth the living

Wouldn't dreams be coming true

If we kept the Christmas spirit

All the whole year through.

~Author unknown, c.1962

visit my cooking blog for the recipe for this creamy chicken dish

you can find the link here 

Skillet Chicken Florentine

Colonial Garden

 

Life is a garden, not a road We enter and exit through the same gate. 

Wandering, where we go matters less than what we notice.

                                               Kurt Vonnegut

****design comes from a vintage 1988 Cross Stitch and Country Crafts magazine. 

Titled "Colonial Garden" 

stitched this month on 18ct white Aida .