The beauty of variegated floss

 

The napkins......embroidered by me on plain white cotton napkins

using different colors of variegated floss.

 I have been wanting to use some 

of the variegated floss I have had for so many years......but have always had a 

hard time deciding what design to use it with. This butterfly pattern is perfect. It used much 

of the different colors on each strand. 

The dinner plate pattern is Butterfly Botanical by Pfaltzgraff

I have been wanting to make a set of napkins to go with this set of dishes for some time now.

The table runner is  The Farmhouse by Rachel Ashwell.

I purchased it at Home Goods. 

It has a beautiful zinnia print in muted colors.......perfect to 

go with the variegated butterfly napkins.

The silverware is vintage Queen Bess II 

" We are all different flowers, but together we create a beautiful garden"

Sherri Bishop

I am hoping this finds your summer days full of lovely butterflies and flowers.

                                                                  

Something new.......and something tiny

 I usually only order books and embroidery kits from my own well known websites that I can trust.  But this time, I took the chance and followed a link that was on Pinterest.  I love Pinterest .....it is so inspiring. 

Isn't this sweet?  I had trouble tracing the words onto 

the thick felt....so I hand wrote them myself..........and it looks wonky......but for me,

it's okay.  

It is a mini candle mat.  It is probably meant for giving to someone

for their birthday......but since I make celebratory birthday dinners

for my family and friends........I will keep it and use it for a centerpiece

for the birthday dinner table. 

The company for this is called Bareroots.com.  She had many lovely kits,

some embroidery kits as well.  The kit arrived quickly and packaged so well. The pattern

instructions are easy to follow and the quality of the materials are excellent.

I did not tell anyone from the company that I was posting about them here........but I am sure they wont mind. I am glad I gave this company a try.

Currently, I am working on a project in which I need 

very tiny sweet treats for.......which I made from polymer clay.  I will show

you more of this as time progresses.

So tell me........do you order kits or books from only one source......or do you take a leap

of faith and try someone new now and then? 

I would love to hear!  

Here's wishing you many creative and inspiring moments!

 

 

With needles, floss, crochet hook, and yarn

 

I have plenty for my hand to stay busy and I 

find it hard to blog.....even if it is once a month.

It seems to take me forever to finish something quick enough

to show you.

I am not always in a rush to finish.....just to show.....

as most of you feel the same........it's the process of 

creating something that brings the true joy.

I did finish the above rug....using more of my yarn scrap stash.

I am still in the process of cross stitching the large peacock tapestry

that I have posted in earlier posts......

and I am also trying to find ways to bring interest to the vintage 

linens that I sell in my vintage shop.  

(photo found on pinterest)

Aren't these sun dresses adorable?

They are made from vintage dresser linens and fabric scraps.

I am thinking........and only at this moment ......thinking.....

about making models of things that are made from linens.....

to display on sale day at my shop,  in hopes of  encouraging and inspiring others to purchase

my linens to create such pretty things. 

So tell my.........

what are you keeping your hands busy with?

I would love to hear!

 

This Day I Will Marry The One I Love

 The above title to this post is a line from our wedding invitation 

40 years ago. 

We still love each other....

I think we always will.

Windy March

 

has allowed me much time to stay indoors to stitch

the hours away.

At the moment, I have several projects in the 

workbasket.  I change from one project to another

on different days.  One day I cross stitch, another day 

may find me crocheting, and then there is always the 

call from my embroidery needle to stitch. 

So tell me.........

what are you keeping your creative hands busy doing?

Embroidery, quilting, crochet, painting? 

I would love to hear!

Happy Valentines Day!

 

Who, being loved, is poor? 

Oscar Wilde

Wishing you a day of love and laughter

Along comes February

 

When February sun shines cold

There comes a day when in the air

The wings of winter slow unfold

And show the golden summer there.

~Philip Henry Savage (1868–1899)

Hello everyone........here's wishing you are having pleasant February days and 

if the cold is keeping you inside, may you have plenty to keep your hands busy

 creating.  The panel above, I tinted and then hand embroidered. The flowers for 

February in this piece are violets and primrose.

I am embroidering flowers of the month panels to place onto this room

divider.......or maybe it is a photo display?  I found this at a "junk shop"

several years ago and have been deciding on what I want to embroider for 

each section.  Which is why I decided on the flowers of the month panels.

As  you can see, I did not measure the January panel properly

and I did not want to embroider the piece again. I will dress it up

after I get the other panels embroidered.

The February days here have been an alternating run 

of ice, rain, and lovely sunny days.

So on the days I stay inside, I have a full basket of things waiting 

for me to work on. 

I have been wanting to do some ribbon embroidery,

so I tinted and hand embroidered this first,

and then worked my ribbon embroidery to embellish it.

I found this lovely illustration a good while back on the internet,

I am sorry I do not know who drew it, but I have always had

an idea in my head to embroider it.........tracing it off onto 

fabric was a bit time consuming,

I tinted just a bit of the design and let the embroidery

floss bring  the rest to life.   

And now,  I have turned my attention and my needle to cross stitch

a design that has been waiting in my stash for about 30 years.

This is Teresa Wentzler's design,  Peacock Tapestry. 

I started it last year, but, as always, I got myself sidetracked........

but now have decided to devote any free time I have to stitch

on this piece until I get it finished. So this may be all you see or hear about

from me over the next few weeks........months?

I am truly enjoying working on it and am excited about one

day being finished with it. 

So tell me, what are you keeping your hands busy with?

Cross stitch, quilting, painting........maybe gardening?

I would love to hear!