Jacob's Grist Mill

Let's hear it for Jacob! He applied for and received the proper permits to begin building his grist mill in the humble Village of Hawk Run Hollow! Our man Jacob didn't waste any time hanging out a shingle but I believe it may be a while before he can open his doors to the public! Lumber is on order and the walls will be going up soon!

Wining and Dining and Painting

Last night I went to a Wine and Canvas class in Grand Rapids with my darling daughter. Sooooo much fun! And I think my "Red Wildflowers" isn't half bad!

Here's my daughter with her masterpiece...

This is the second class we have taken and always have such a great time! I'm already checking next month's calendar!

That's Better!

Woohoo! Some actual progress on Block 8! Although I admit having to frog a bit more because I stitched black right over the spot where the apostrophe is supposed to go.

I really need to stop going on auto-pilot when I'm stitching!

Ducks or Frogs?

I was hoping to share a picture of my start on Block 8 but ended up doing more frogging than stitching. Silly me, I wasn't checking and double checking as I stitched and "Jacob's Gris" ended up one thread off. I did manage to save "t Mill" so at least I have that much to show.

All together now...

PFFFFFFFT!!!

But here's something to cheer us up! A family of ducks!

Ahhhh! That's better!

I'll take ducks over frogs any day!

Expletive!!

It started innocently enough. I stitched a small Prairie Schooler design and gathered a few materials to make a pin cushion that would look more or less like the one pictured on the card.

Simple enough, right?

Wrong!

An hour later this is what I had managed to create...

Quel horreur!

The seams are all wonky and my corners are even worse. I cut my trusty twiney trim too short and it unraveled before I could get it sewed on. And there's bleepin' bird seed everywhere!

I do think I can rescue the stitching and make it into something that isn't quite so frightening! I just need time to recover!

Somebody Stop Me!

Seriously! You all may have to stage an intervention because I have yet another finish to share!

This was originally meant to be a floss tag but it ended up waaaaaay thicker than I had intended. So out comes the glue gun and my *now* favorite twiney trim that hides a multitude of sins (thank goodness!). I haven't quite learned the "neatness counts" lesson so please squint your eyes and tilt your head before viewing from across the room!

Here's a photo of all three of my funky finishes together...

I've been trying to create a summer themed centerpiece for the table and these guys are filling it out nicely!

Tomorrow? A pin cushion? Do I dare?

Birdhouse Sampler Progress

Sorry for the wrinkles but I wanted to post a quick progress pic of Birdhouse Sampler! I've been working on finishing up the little fussy bits I skipped over. Bird beaks and legs. Wings. Eyes. That sort of thing. It's like a scavenger hunt for missing stitches!

One More!

I finished Lizzie Kate's Summer ABCs into a little hanging dealie-o. It's pretty darn cute as long as you admire it from afar! I had to resort to using hot glue (and burned fingers!) to get the trim to stay on and barely escaped with my sanity intact! I have only so much patience with sticky things refusing to stick!

Looks like more stitching is on the shed-jule for today! Should I get started on my next VoHRH block? Maybe keep working on Birdhouse Sampler? Or do I dare start a new project?

Back to Stitching

I've made a some more progress on Birdhouse Sampler. I was on auto-pilot when stitching the verse and didn't notice that "singing birds" was supposed to be stitched in a different color. The little angel stitcher on my shoulder has been trying to convince me to rip it out and "do it right" but I'm ready to shoo her away and leave it as is!

I was hoping to share another finish today but things did not go as planned. I've been having technical difficulties with the trim so I thought it best to set it aside before I made too much of a mess of it. No telling what was going to happen if I poked one more pin in my finger!

Time to relax with some stitching!

Another Finish!

This is a little freebie from The Sampler Girl that I stitched way back in 2010. I finished it into a pinkeep and I think it turned out pretty darn good for my first ever attempt! I may have over-doo-dadded with the buttons but it's still pretty darn cute! I have an easel hiding in a box somewhere that I can use to display it. In the meantime Miss Chicken is doing me a favor by propping it up on our sofa table.

One more finish to go and I will be back to stitching!

Finishing Success!

I have two finish finishes I can share with you today! The first is Bent Creek's Snappy Sampler which has been in my Fuppie Box for several years.

I found this frame at Michael's and had a feeling it would be perfect! I really love how it turned out!

The next finish is another piece that has been languishing in my Fuppie Box for-evah! I don't even remember the who, what, or where for this one, but I thiiiinnnnk it may have been in a cross stitch magazine. I'd always thought I'd make it into a bellpull but lacking any hardware I decided I'd use it for a big fat pillow. An entire bag of poly-fill later and voila!

Not great but not too bad either. I think it will look cute on our bed and you know I love paisley!

I have one other finish started but halfway through it I discovered I didn't have a clue what I was doing and need to consult the experts before I proceed. I am making a trip to Ye Olde Big Box Craft Store today for some supplies and if I have time this afternoon I will finish it up.

That being said, I better get a move on. I'm meeting Phil for lunch at Wendy's because all the commercials for their Crispy Dill Chicken Sandwich have worked as intended and I can't rest until I've tried one. You'd think I would have learned my lesson after last month's ghost pepper fries incident but this is me we're talking about!

Toodle-loo!!

Wish Me Luck!

I'm going to attempt some finish finishing today!

VoHRH 12... Done!

Village of Hawk Run Hollow - Block 12

by Carriage House Samplings

stitched on 40-ct. Pearled Barley linen

with Vikki Clayton Hand Dyed Fibers

Sooooo happy to have this block finished!

Here's a picture of the whole sha-bang so far...

Only four more blocks to go! Woohoo!

Birdhouse Love

I'm so pleased with how my Prairie Schooler Birdhouse Sampler is stitching up! I worked on the verse yesterday afternoon and love the fact that I'm almost to the bottom! There's a lot of filling in of bits here and there on the birds and flowers but once that border goes all the way around I'll feel like I'm almost finished!

Phil got me the super adorable Jim Shore froggie birdhouse at Lowe's while we were out shopping after church and breakfast on Sunday! Let's hope that's the only frog that comes near this sampler!

Shall We Dance?

Yes! Yes! And double yes! I just crossed the last black stitch on Block 12!

Where's my boogie shoes??

The Summer CBTs

I got busy this morning and finished putting together my "Chair Backie Things" for this summer! I've made these before but I always end up scratching my head, trying to figure out what goes where so that when I turn it right side out the ties are where they're supposed to be. And even after all my head scratching I still had to rip apart the first one and re-sew it because the ties ended up on the inside. Durrr! The second one went smoothie smooth, however, and I'm pretty darn happy with how they look! I used some Mary Engelbreit fabric that I've had for years. It's printed with panels that can be used to make pillows and worked perfectly for my CBTs! There's a layer of quilt batting sewn inside so it's nice and cushiony when you lean back in the chair.

So there you have it! Our porch rockers are dressed for the summer and, at least to me, look like the perfect place for listening to a ball game and eating orzo salad! Woohoo!

Summer Continues

It's a beautiful day here at the lake so we are planning to eat dinner out on the deck tonight. I've had a hankering for orzo salad so I put one together to have along with whatever we decide to throw on the grill. I took advantage of the opportunity to use fresh basil from my garden. There aren't too many big leaves so I only snipped a few.

Chop, chop, chop... mmmmm... I love the smell of fresh basil!

Here's everything in the bowl ready to be stirred together... orzo, chopped red onion, crumbled feta cheese, fresh basil, and toasted pine nuts...

(You may notice some of the pine nuts are a bit over-toasted! That's a result of me trying to do too many things at one time! Those puppies are too expensive to throw in the trash so I used them anyway!)

And here we are all mixed together...

I don't like a ton of dressing on my salads so I'll just dribble in a bit of balsamic vinaigrette and call it done! Should be delicious!

Getting Ready for Summer

According to Martha Stewart it's time to refresh my outdoor living space so I made a table runner and set of napkins to use out on the deck.

I also have some "chair backie things" (as I like to call them) for our front porch rockers cut out and ready to sew together.

We bought some flowers on Sunday that I plan to get repotted today.

 

The zinnias and marigolds I planted from seeds are starting to peek out of the ground.

We had a ton of rain over the weekend so my lettuce and peppers are really taking off.

I planted strawberries again this year and the squirrels have been helping themselves as soon as they spot a ripe one.

In stitchy news, I have been working on filling in the black on Block 12 of my Village of Hawk Run Hollow.

 I realized it had been close to a year since I'd last worked on it and figured it was time to once again recommit myself to getting this one finished!

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! Thanks for visiting!

Happy June!

 What better way to start a new month than with a finish??

Summer ABCs

by Lizzie Kate

stitched on 28 count Antique White linen

with DMC

I was actually trying to organize my stash when I happened upon this LK Snippet. Two minutes later I had linen cut, threads pulled, and my butt planted in my stitchy chair!

Why organize when you can stitch, right?

 

Hello Spring

April Year In Chalk

Hands On Design

stitched with Sampler Threads (Chalk and Ohio Lemon Pie)

on 30-ct. Gunmetal linen from WDW

A little late but I finished April's Year In Chalk yesterday. This is the first one I have "finish finished" following the tutorial Cathy has online. It is also the first time I have tried lacing the back instead of using pins along the sides. It's not perfect but it's not half bad either. I definitely learned a few things and next time I hope to not feel like I have ten thumbs!

I Say WIP It!

Every time I start thinking about my Works In Progress that song by Devo gets stuck in my head. It happens every time so I just go with it, singing lyrics that aren't even close to correct. There's no help for me!

Anyhoosie, I have two WIPs to share today!

First is my Prairie Schooler Birdhouse Sampler...

I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying this one! I've always loved stitching anything with critters and flowers so it's definitely scratching that itch! 

Next is a little freebie called Season Wishes from Earth Threads (from 1995!)...

I had started this one before we left to go to Florida for the winter and when we got back it was still sitting by my stitching chair. I was going to put it away since it's a Christmas project but got to thinking that if I can stitch a little bit on it every day it will be done in no time. So I'm calling it my Ten Minutes a Day Project and we'll just see how this pans out!

I'm loving the big blue skies we've been having here the last couple of days! My mind is all a-whirl with gardening plans and outdoor projects!

And Devo...

I'm Baaaack!

Greetings from the Chicken Ottoman Empire! We are back home in Michigan and I am doing everything I can to ease back in to life up north! What does that mean? Why, starting a new cross stitch project of course!

This is an ooooold leaflet from Prairie Schooler (copyright 1994!) called Garden Samplers. I am working on the Birdhouse Sampler which is the one pictured in the center. Just what the stitchy doctor ordered for some spring stitching fun!

After a few "welcome home" flurries yesterday, the sun is shining today. The temps are still a little cool but we are working on hauling the chairs and loungers out to the deck and I am getting all my pots ready for planting soon. I am planning to re-do an area in front of the house for a flower garden so stay tuned for that adventure! I am not known for having a green thumb but I will give it my best shot and hopefully we will get to enjoy some pretty blooms!

(And for any squirrels who may be reading this, yes, I am planning to plant strawberries again and would be much obliged if you would not eat every single one of them like you did last year!)

A St. Patrick's Day Finish

A Year in Chalk - March

from Hands On Design

stitched on 30-ct. WDW Gunmetal linen

with GAST Chalk and Avocado

I started this Saturday afternoon and crossed the last stitch just minutes ago! This is a fun series that I'm hoping to complete as the year progresses. The patterns have not all been released yet so I will have to wait and see what they look like. Confidence is high that I will love each of them! I have the board that you use to mount them on and swap them out each month but all my crafty stuff is up north so the finish finishing will have to wait. I have April all set to go and will start it soon.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Florida Flora

Stitched...

and the real deal...

BeeBeeDee FeeNee!

Sweetheart Sampler

Blackbird Designs

Loose Feathers #12

stitched on 30-ct. Olde Town Blend linen

with Holly Berry & Chamomile Sampler Threads

I am so happy with how this turned out! It is a true sweetheart sampler with the addition of Phil's initials at the bottom and the year that we met! I plan to take it to be framed as soon as we are back north so we can hang it in our house in Michigan!

It's a beautiful sunny day here in Cape Coral so I plan to head out to the patio soon with a cold bevvie and a trashy novel!

 Enjoy your day!

We Pause Now for Some Hyperventilating

I decided to change things up a bit for the bottom part of my Sweetheart Sampler. I've substituted "sweetheart" and Phil's initials instead of stitching "Valentine's Day". I'm fine with how the "sweetheart" part turned out but the line with Phil's initials ended up running into the left side. I didn't like the funky hearts that were there so I decided to substitute some more of the flowers and I really was flying by the seat of my pants here and GAH! I want to rip it all out but I'm down to the last of my Chamomile thread and I'm sitting here wringing my hands because I really wanted to finish this by the end of the month!

 

Okay... breathe...

There... that's better!

 

I will work on the rest of the red hearts in the border today and maybe that will help to balance out the flowers. 

 

 

Gotcha!

I've used a needlework light with a magnifier for as long as I can remember. Over the years it has come in handy for more than just counting threads on linen. I've used it to remove splinters from fingers. I've used it to read dosage instructions on medicine bottles (two every six hours, not to exceed six in a 24 hour period) and nutrition facts on packages (so I know exactly how much sodium is in that soy sauce). Recently I've been using it to check my Everything Pretzel Crisps for caraway seeds. (Because I really really  hate the taste of caraway seeds!)

You see him there? Hiding amongst the sesame seeds? Trying to blend in with the poppy seeds? He thinks he's fooling me but no! I see that little rascal!

Anyone else out there using their magnifier for tasks unrelated to needlework?

A to Z

418 rice stitches later and I am done with the second alphabet! Woohoo! I have a lot of the heart border to finish, and I do mean A LOT, but I have a feeling it will go pretty fast.

We are heading up to Gainesville tomorrow to visit Phil's son for Friends & Family Day at the Medical School. I promise not to take any selfies in the cadaver lab!

A Day's Work

O, Q, S, & U are now finished!

Time to switch from Holly Berry to Chamomile for P, R, & T!

Sweet Progress

Six days and two skeins of thread later and I'm now halfway through the rice stitched alphabet on my Sweetheart Sampler! I'm really pleased with how it looks so far! We have two more weeks down here in Florida before heading back home to Michigan for a week so I'm kinda sorta hoping to have it finished by then. We'll see how that goes!

Gimme an F!

And half of a D!

I didn't have much time for stitching over the weekend but I did get a start on the rice stitched alphabet. So far so good!

Sampler Love

I'm super pleased with how quickly Sweetheart Sampler is stitching up! I've finished the first alphabet and my initials and now it's on to the second alphabet which is done in rice stitches. Should be fun! I'm playing it safe and leaving the year off until I'm done! I don't want to jinx myself!

Sweetheart Sampler Start

I fully intended to make my next project stitching the first over one verse on The Riddle by the Drawn Thread. After a half hour of trying to get my eyes to focus on the teeny tiny holes I decided it was best to leave it for another day.

So out came Sweetheart Sampler by Blackbird Designs...

Tres seasonally appropriate, don't you think?

Thank you all for your comments on my Seasonal Sampler finish! I love sharing what I'm working on, and to have someone say, "Hey! That looks great!" always makes me smile!