Adding Leaves and Buds...

Di showed up yesterday with one of her granddaughters, so I didn't stitch as long as I'd planned. I did get started with the buds and leaves, though. I'll definitely add more the next time I work on it. (As I posted my progress from the weekend in my last post, you'll be able to scroll up and down to compare the two to see the differences.)

Our neighbor contacted me to let me know he has sweet corn now, so I met him at his house to get three dozen to pressure can. I'd planned to do that yesterday afternoon before Di drove in, so now it will have to wait until Wednesday, as I work today. 

Three dozen ears will hold us over until next season, but he offered more when the next crop matures. I've already accepted that offer, so the second batch will be the prep for creamed corn. I don't add dairy to my preserved foods for safety reasons, so I call the creamed corn "prep" because I add cream and butter when I use it, rather than in the canning stage.

Handsome and I already discussed what we'll be canning this year...tomatoes (of course), carrots, corn, tomato basil soup, and jalapeño jelly. I'll also be canning more beef tallow, and meat, to round out the pantry. 

While I'm processing the corn, I'll also be packaging more brownie mix, corn muffin mix, and some seasonings. We'll roll into winter this year fully stocked.

So, I'm off to work today, and I'll be back tomorrow with the news of the day. Happy Tuesday, dears. I hope you have a wonderful day.

It Only Needs A Stem...

Otherwise, it's done! I'll be sharing more photographs Wednesday, when it will be available to purchase. I'm going to add a Square checkout button to my post, so that it can be purchased directly from my blog. 

This is a second version of the Flower Garden theme I used in the last one I created. I'll take daylight photographs so you can see the colors, but they're shades of muted blues, pinks, tan and lavender. The strawberry has a small amount of lavender right in the heart of the organic wool stuffing, to impart the slightest, sweetest fragrance.

I also chose to change up the leaves, going with a lavender houndstooth wool, instead of a usual shade of green. I really love this one, and I promise lots of pictures, so you can see what the embroidery looks like moving around the strawberry.

Tag will be here tomorrow. We had a little photo session over the weekend, and I know he wants to share it with you! I'll be back on Wednesday. Time for coffee now. Happy Monday!

Flowers and Jam...

The "Flower Garden" Strawberry Sachet is already on its way to its new home, but I wanted to share one more set of photographs before putting this project to bed. It's the most densely embroidered sachet I've done to date, and I must say, I'm quite taken with the final result.

I'm offering more of this design (not exactly the same, of course) in my Etsy shop now, so if you'd like to treat yourself or someone else (thinking Mother's Day), you can place an order from the listing.

Yesterday, Handsome helped me put up a batch of Driscoll strawberries. They were on special at the grocery store (Florida strawberries), so I decided we needed to restock our jam supply in the pantry. Ten cups of gorgeous fruit turned into three pint jars, twelve half-pint jars, plus eight ounces "for the cook" (that wasn't a full jar, so it got a plastic lid and put in the fridge). 

After we finished with the jam, I helped Handsome mow the yard. The weather was perfect today. We'd  had two days of rain, with another day expected today, so we cut down the jungle before the next downpour. The yard looks great, and I know the grass will appreciate the rain. We won't have to worry about it growing up over the windows while we wait for the grass to dry enough to cut again.

We completed our outdoor work, I fed the barn girls, and Handsome went back inside to feed dogs. We made dinner together, and then watched a baseball game. By the end of the game, I realized I was completely gassed. Sleep came easy, and I start the day well-rested and ready for the next thing. 

I received a special request for a gift for friend's granddaughter. I'll be making it today, and share that project with you tomorrow. You know the drill. Time for coffee and my breakfast of fruit (more about that soon!), and then off to the studio. Hi, ho...Hi, ho...

Welcome To The Garden...

 

Likely, by the time you read this, I will have finished assembling this latest Flower Garden Strawberry Sachet and packaged it to mail to its new home. 

It rained on and off on Sunday, so the weather was perfect for needle dancing and homemade beef stew (with fresh-from-the-oven buttermilk biscuits). 

We’re scheduled for more of the wet stuff, so I’m going to make up a small batch of strawberry jam for the pantry. I’ll be picking up raspberries (on sale) later this week to do the same. 

Tag will visit with you tomorrow, and I’ll have photos of the finished Strawberry Sachet and jam when I see you again on Wednesday. See you then!

Here's A Peek...

I can finally share a peek at what I've been working on. There's still a lot to do, but I'm making headway. I've completed more than you see in this picture, but I wanted to catch a daylight image, rather than one taken under artificial light. I think this fabric looks creamy on my computer screen, but it's actually a bright white. 

I'll be working on it again today, and then over the weekend. I'm hoping to have it completed by Monday. We'll see how that goes. I'll share more with you tomorrow. 

I'm also going to try my best to answer all the comments from the past week. I apologize that I haven't been keeping up, but I promise to do better. I'll be sitting down at my desktop computer today. It's so much easier for this old secretary to type on the keyboard rather than my cell phone. Time for coffee, and then I'll do some catching up. Happy Friday!

Newest Commission...

I received a special commission yesterday for a new Strawberry Sachet. This is the color palette I'll be working with to create the piece. I'm going to be stitching on white linen as I create a small garden for my client.

I'll begin work on this tomorrow, as I have a doctor's appointment today, followed by another class taught by Clara Warschauer (@clarastitching) this evening. It's going to be a busy day, so even though I'm itching to begin work on this new strawberry, it will have to wait.

Thankfully, Handsome is driving us to Milwaukee today. I'm never very comfortable driving there myself...especially when we have to go further south and west of the city. Traffic! ugh Hoping to learn some solutions from the doctor today, so wish me luck!

Tag will be back tomorrow. so I guess I'll have to run now. See you again on Wednesday. Toodles...