A Fun Weekend...

The Birthday Girl

I had a great weekend! Did I do any canning? Nope. Did I do any stitching? Again, nope. I did, however, attend a Birthday party for a certain six year old great niece. 

I'm not cleared to drive yet, so Handsome manned the wheel to drop me off at the party. Once there, I met up with my sister, Jan, and we enjoyed our family until it was time to leave. We had made arrangements before I got there that she would drive me back home, in spite of the fact that she lives about a half hour in the opposite direction from the party. We chatted and visited all the way home, and then she turned around and went back north.

I was extremely grateful that she made it possible for me to attend the party, and spend a little time with family.

I hardly saw the kiddos, as their Mom and Dad had installed a bounce house and swimming pool in the back yard. I only saw the Birthday girl when she came in to eat dinner and blow out the candles on her cake. Her sister and brother never did come in while I was there! They were having waaaaay too much fun.

Eldest and Youngest

Yesterday, I heard from my little brother. He was going to be in the area (he lives about an hour and a half away), so he came to spend a little time with his eldest sibling. We don't get to see much of each other, so Handsome and I really enjoyed his visit.

Beyond that, I spent time resting, doing my pt exercises, taking an occasional nap, and spending time with my dear husband. Canning and needlework will be there all week, and I'll certainly get all my work done, but it was a holiday weekend, so I went on break. I'm glad I did, too.

I hope everyone had a restful or equally fun time with family and/or friends. Sometimes we just need to kick out of gear and enjoy our wonderful lives. That's exactly what I did. See you tomorrow.

Oh, and Happy September!

The Birthday Girl...

Sunday was a great day to celebrate this four year old's Birthday. She was ready and excited for all the attention and hoopla. The theme was ladybugs, and she even had them on her dress!

I asked her to smile for me, and this is the smile her great-aunty captured. Her hair was about six inches longer a few days earlier, but she asked her mama to cut it shorter. I think it looks just perfect!

Now, about this cake. Her daddy loves DQ ice cream cakes, so he went to the one right up the road and ordered this red, white and black one to mimic ladybugs. There was only one problem...

 

Black icing. Everyone who ate it got black teeth, tongues and lips. It was actually quite funny to see younger kids with it all over their faces, but the adults didn't escape either. Even my 91 year old stepdad had it on his lips, and some of the kids were covered in it. As I'm not a fan of chocolate ice cream (the main flavor inside the cake), I took a hard pass. 

After opening and hugging each of her gifts, she was off and running again with all the other kids. All I managed to capture of her with her kitty purse was a blurry image of her opening, smiling and hugging it. I'll ask her mama to take a photo when she actually uses it, so I have it for my album, but that means I don't have one to share with you. Suffice it to say, she loved it.

I'm working today and then coming home to the big and little girls. Handsome made his way to Florida on a direct flight yesterday, so I'm sure he's enjoying the weather and time with his friends. Rehearsals begin today for him. I'm hoping I get a recording or two when he plays, so I can enjoy it along with all his southern fans.

Lots planned for this week as we begin the last week of January (already). I'll share more with you tomorrow.

 

Current WIP...

This is my current Work In Progress (WIP). I'm making a Birthday cushion for a special little two year old - my great-nephew. His party is on Sunday, and I only just learned that he's a huge Mickey Mouse fan. 

Knowing that, and owing him a cushion for his bedroom (as I did for his two sisters), this will be the perfect design for this sweet boy.

I'll be sure to share photos of him opening his gift - and if possible, catching his mama's expression, too. She really appreciates and treasures the handcrafted gifts her husband's aunty makes for their family. 

I'll get this finished by early afternoon (first I'll press the embroidery - thank you, Destiny - and add a stabilizer to the back of it), and then I have another Birthday party to attend this evening for a dear classmate. It's going to be a busy couple of days, so I'm really glad to be 100% again! I'll share party photos on Monday. Off to the studio now...

The Whistle Pig and A Party...

Whistle Pig is a nickname for a woodchuck, also known as a ground hog. I was driving to my Mum and stepdad's house for a surprise party for my sister. As I came to the bottom of the hill, leading down into Fond du Lac, I saw something inside the line of the shoulder on the highway. It was a little ground hog. It was too frightened to move, but I didn't think it had been hit. By now, you know me. I had to stop to rescue it.

I pulled off to the side of the road, grabbed one of my recyclable grocery bags, and ran against traffic back to it. I can't believe I had to signal for some vehicles to push away from the shoulder. After all, it is a two-lane highway in each direction now, and the inner lane was clear. People are in such a dang hurry and really don't care for wildlife, I guess.

Anyway, as I got to the little critter, another car pulled in behind me, and a nice gentleman in a suit named Teo got out to help. He was more concerned that I might get hit, but also had seen the reason I was running on the side of the road and came to offer assistance.

I easily got the little one into my bag and after discussion about where he or I could take it, I decided to take it with me to the party, and place it in the dog crate at Mum's in a quiet room to cool it down. The best thing was that there were lots of kids at Nana's house for the party, and Aunt Donna got to teach all of them about the "whistle pig", and they all got to pet it.

When I turned it over, we knew it was a young female, and she was stressed and hot. The first thing was to cool her down. She didn't make noise when I lifted her up, so I knew she hadn't been hit. I think she just froze in traffic and the pavement was so hot she overheated.

My niece grabbed some of Nana's washcloths, got them wet with very cold water, and I placed the little girl on the washcloths on a rolled up towel Teo gave me, to let her cool down. We repeated this multiple time while we were there. She finally started to stretch out and then curled up and went to sleep.

These photos were taken before we left, after a surprise Birthday party for my sister, Lyn. I think I've told you before I'm the eldest of the "kids" in our family, and Lyn is next in line. She's been very ill, and we wanted to cheer her up with her first ever surprise party. More on that shortly...

I had planned to take the woodchuck back to the area where I'd picked her up, but when I went to that area, I realized the the highway fence meant to keep wildlife away from the highway would also keep her from leaving the highway area. So, I drove to the other side of the highway and spoke with residents to find out that they hadn't seen a "hog" for months, and they thought the feral cats were killing them. I decided not to leave her there at all.

When asked if I'd named her, I said "no", but my husband had when I called him. He named her, "Don't bring her home". 'Nuff said. I knew I couldn't bring her back to the farm, and I worried that Claudette and Crystal might be a problem anyway. What to do?

I decided to bring her "mostly home", choosing a sheltered spot under lush cedar pines surrounded by thick tall grass. Bee hives nearby would protect her from coyotes, who I don't think hang around where they know there are active bees. She'd be able to move about without bothering the bees, or alerting other larger animals. I left her there, tucked in her towel and said I'd be back in the morning.

When I went back with a bona fide shelter for her, along with food and water, I found her tidy, little bed vacated. No sign of fowl play or predation. I'm sure she felt better surrounded by nature all night, and was able to unwind and explore. She's not all that far from Hickory Hill Farm now, so perhaps some time soon she'll make her way down to the woodshed where she could live out the rest of her days. If the time comes that I see her again, I'll welcome her with open arms. I wonder if she'll remember me?

The big event for the day was actually the surprise Birthday party for my next-younger sister. (As I said, they're all younger.) Lyn is the center of this picture of The Four Sisters, and she's the Birthday Girl. Her big day is actually next week, but our Mum and stepdad hosted the party and wisely chose a weekend night for the celebration so all could attend. There were at least forty people there...mostly family.

Lyn has been seriously ill for a few years, suffering with COPD, and she needs to be on a lung transplant list but has been too weak and frail for surgery even if she were and one became available. People she hadn't seen in a while attended and everyone got a good chance to visit with her. We know it was difficult for her, and she was exhausted by the time they left. Even so, we had cake and sang “Happy Birthday” to our girl, and got this great photo of the four of us to remember her celebration. It was a good day for a good day, and I'm not ashamed to say that when I finally got back home, I realized my dear sister wasn't the only one who'd had an exhausting day. 

It's already nearly two o'clock in the afternoon and I need to get dressed and on my way. I have plans with my aunt and uncle. Prayers for Lyn are always appreciated. God is Good.

Busy Weekend...

 

It was a busy weekend. I did the gown alterations, canned six pints of pears (more will be ready following yesterday's rain storms), and went to my great-great niece's third birthday party.

I ran up the west side of the lake to my great nephew's home where a gaggle of children, friends and family gathered to celebrate this sweet child. She's very shy, so I'm fortunate to have captured a single photo of her looking at me. There were smiles, but never in range of the camera lens, and only fleeting. There was no such thing as a pose. 

Even so, she did have a nice celebration. Two baby shark-shaped cakes, and one baby shark ice cream cake capped off the party, and once all the adults and kids were sufficiently sugared, everyone left for home. I spent a little more time with my sister, Di, who'd driven down from Minnesota for the party, and then I, too, turned for home.

Another Birthday today. Our elder daughter-in-law is celebrating, too. She'll be at work, so we'll celebrate with her next time we're together.

I'll be stitching again today. I'm going to change to single thread embroidery for the cardinals. I know the definition will be better if I do. Yes. I'll be taking out the stitching I've already done to be more precise with the piece. I'll share comparison photos on Wednesday, so I'll see what I'm talking about. 

Tag will visit with you tomorrow, so I'll see you again after that. Hope you're week is off to a splendid start!

Birthday Girl...

Happy Aunty Holding The Birthday Baby

This sweetheart - my great-great niece, W - turned one yesterday. There was a Birthday party with family, balloons, great food, and lots of little kids. I really enjoyed holding this baby, who only a few months ago was in her shy stage. Her big sister (in her terrible twos) still wants nothing to do with this aunty, but the Birthday baby was all smiles and cuddles for me today. squeee!

The Birthday Baby With Our Gift To Her

I chose to make a matching monogrammed pillow to the one I gave her big sister when she was a baby. This one had a slightly darker shade of pink than her sister's, and of course, the monogram letter was different. The nursery fabric was the same.

After all the hubbub died down, her mama said she was really hoping I'd make another for their second baby, as she'd loved the first pillow so much. She was really tickled to see it when they opened the package.

 

 

This is my studio photograph for my records. As I said above, I used the same nursery rhyme-themed fabric that I used for the pillow I made for her big sister. I love how it turned out, and I'm so happy that her parents love it, too. I knew I needed to make the second one when I saw a picture of their first child's bedroom with her pillow visible in a place of prominence.

 

I drove home from the party yesterday afternoon with a smile on my face. It was a sunny day for a drive, even though it was so cold. It was a perfect day to celebrate a Birthday, and spend a little time with family.

 

I have a few bookwork and housekeeping things to do in the studio today. It's supposed to get even colder tomorrow and Wednesday, so I'll make sure the Barn Girls have plenty of cold weather bedding to keep them warm out there. Tag has a few things in mind, too, so he'll tell you all about his activities tomorrow. I'll be back on Wednesday. I just heard the coffee maker, so I'm off to grab a cup!

Birthday Gifts...

Brynwood Needleworks - Embroidered Bibs

 

I was invited to a Birthday party over the weekend. My great-nephew's daughter turned two, and they had a celebration. I don't usually purchase toys for little ones, as it seems that grandparents and friends usually do that, so I decided I'd get her an outfit or two and personalize them with embroidery. I knew I wanted to buy her a pair of bib overalls. When someone asked her mom what size she wears, her momma replied with "size 4", so I figured I get size 5 so they'd last for a while.

Brynwood Needleworks - Bib Overalls - Embroidery Detail

Once at the party, my niece's momma said that their daughter is actually in size 3 now, but that she said size 4 to have something to grow into. I guess she won't be wearing these size 5 gifts for a while, but she'll actually get a lot of use out of them as she grows.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Embroidered Leggings Set

I also got her this cute little leggings set. I'm thinking she'll be able to fit into this first. I chose coordinating colors from the leggings for the flowers I embroidered along the neckline.

Brynwood Needleworks - Embroidered Leggings Set Detail

This one I kept really simple, only adding a green stem stitch line, and applying daisies and roses on each side of the botton placket.

Mom and Dad were grateful for the gifts. Two year old daughter didn't really care about the clothes she received from others and me, as she was intrigued with her new toys. That's okay. It was a lovely afternoon gathering, with good food, friends, and family. 

I'll be sharing other fun things from the weekend with you during this week. Of course, Tag will chime in tomorrow, too. Another week...and I'm off to the races first thing. Tag has another vet appointment. He'll tell you about it tomorrow. Gotta run!

Their Gifts Are Finished...

Brynwood Needleworks - "Beauty & The Beast" Twin Bags

 

I woke up yesterday thinking I'd better make a decision and go with it. I decided to make two, 5 year old-sized purses for the twins. What better theme than a prince, a princess, and a castle? I had "Beauty & The Beast" fabric in my studio, and in no time, I was sewing away.

If you notice the colored tabs at the top edges of each bag, you can see which colors cork I chose for the backs. Red for one, and a lime green for the other. The tabs are for the d-rings to attach the shoulder straps.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - "The Beast's Castle" Bag

"The Castle" is backed in red cork, and even has a little "Chip" tea cup and saucer charm!  

Brynwood Needleworks - "Beauty & The Beast" Bag

"Beauty & The Beast/Prince" is front and center on the second bag, with a "Mrs. Potts" tea pot charm.

I'll tuck a little $$ gift inside, of course, because I never gift a bag without money in it. All the bags and wallets I sell contain a lucky penny inside, but I'll add a little more for the twin's Birthday gift bags. Add a Birthday card, and wrap them up. Now I'm ready for the party on Sunday!

 

Party Time...

Brynwood Needleworks - Long Lake, WI

What do you do on a perfectly fabulous Wisconsin summer day? Well, you head to the lake, of course! Long Lake in Fond du Lac County, specifically. This lake is a hidden gem - large enough for water skiing behind power boats, but small enough to have comfortably cool water, and smaller crowds. It's in the heart of our Kettle Moraine Glacial area, which spawned many such lakes.

Brynwood Needleworks - Long Lake, Wisconsin

There were families, all enjoying the weather and water, and although there were many sunbathers on and off floats, Handsome and I were not among them. We actually had another purpose for being at the lake.

Brynwood Needleworks - Birthday Boy

 

Shelly and Andy's elder grandson turns eight today, so we attended his Birthday party yesterday. They had lots of good food for family and friends (and the occasional next door neighbors), and plenty of celebratory sweets. Eli, his friends, and cousins all had a great time, in and out of the water. We figured they would sleep like logs last night from all the swimming and chasing around. It was fun to watch.

 

The adults visited, and when the party ended mid-afternoon, Handsome and I drove back home to enjoy the rest of the day. I even had a little needlework time. (You know how being in all the fresh air can hit you when you get home?) I put my feed up and didn't do much else after we got back to the farm. There's plenty of time to get back to my regularly scheduled events, but for this past Sunday, we definitely rested.

I'm ready to get back to work now. Tag will be here tomorrow while I visit with the ladies at our monthly Sit & Stitch, but I'll see you again on Wednesday. If you're in the aftermath of Barry, I hope you're safe and sound. Please check in when you can to let us know you're okay. Back to the studio for me!

 

Fortnite Quilt Finish...

Brynwood Needleworks - Fortnite Quilt Finished

Whew! That sure was a busy two days, but it's finished! I started and finished the quilt top on Monday (about nine hours' worth).

Brynwood Needleworks - Fortnite Quilt Images Detail

These are closer looks at the images I printed onto cotton fabric for the quilt. I use Inkjet Cotton Sheets from Jacquard Industries (available from Amazon), and run the sheets through my Epson inkjet printer. I heat set prior to sewing into the quilt.

Brynwood Needleworks - Quilt Top Before Machine Finishing and Binding

 

I didn't know what this was going to look like when I began. I pulled colors that were in the images, and started cutting and sewing. I created the blocks first, and then sewed the center together. After that, I just kept building until it was of a size that I thought was sufficient. The finished size is 40" wide by 56" long, which I think will be just right for my 10 year old great nephew. 

 

By the end of the day Tuesday, I had quilted and bound the quilt, declaring it officially finished. It's all ready for the party on Saturday, and I can't wait to see his reaction. Of course, I'll take a picture of his reaction and a photo of him with his new Fortnite quilt so I can share it with you next week.

 

I've got my annual physical this afternoon, so I may sit and work on my butterfly rather than start something new. I'm feeling great, so I'm certainly not expecting anything surprising from my appointment. I'm sure I'll get a clean bill of health for another twelve months, which is good. I've got lots of things to do.  

One more thing...Don't tell anyone, but when I put this last image into my blog post, I found a mistake. Do you see it? If so, tell me in the comments. We'll see if you find the one I see, or whether or not I made another one.

 

Celebrating Eight...

My Great Nephew

We celebrated my great nephew's Birthday over the weekend. He turned eight, and his parents hosted a party for him at a local park. It was fun to meet some of his little friends, as well as gathering with his siblings and cousins. Family and friends all attended to make him feel special on his big day. It was quite lovely.

Great Nephew With His New Quilt

 

I love having deadlines. I knew I wanted to make a quilt just for him, and I needed it yesterday.  I chose to do a whole cloth quilt this time, and added straight line quilting to hold it all together. I sat with Handsome on Saturday evening, stitching the binding to finish it, and then I wrapped it Sunday morning, in time to go to the park.

 

I know this boy is into dinosaurs and robots right now (notice he's in costume for his party!), and figured that everyone else could (and did) lean that way with their gifts. Instead, I chose to make a baseball quilt for him. I mean...what kind of kiddo doesn't like baseball?

 

I'm happy to report that he loved his quilt (and his older brother loved it enough to ask if I'd be making more). Of course, I will...especially when someone I love requests one! I'll wait until the next gifting opportunity to make one for him, too.

 

When we went back to his house, his daddy (my nephew, Dan) asked me to sit down at the piano with him. It's been too, too many years since I've played, but we dabbled a little together, and then he treated me to watching him play. He's never had any formal instruction - and cannot read a single note - but his ear helps him create beautiful music, and I was in tears listening to him play. I'm looking forward to listening to his piano playing in the future, and will actually make a point of it. (I also told him I think he needs to learn to read. The sky would be the limit for him, then.)

 

I love being back in Wisconsin where I can attend these family gatherings. Watching the little ones grow up with adults I have loved since birth is one of the greatest joys. It was just such a day yesterday...and I am, yet again, showered with immeasurable blessings. Happy Birthday, Dean!

 

Tuesdays With Tag - I'm SIX...

Brynwood Needleworks - Brynwood's Taggart Six Years Old

 Hi, Everybody!

Yesterday was my Birthday!

Now I'm SIX!!!

Brynwood Needleworks - Brynwood's Taggart (aka "Tag)

 Do ya think I look any older?

Brynwood Needleworks - Celebratin'

 Mom had a special party for me at the farm.

Bella and I had bowls of whipped cream instead of Birthday cake.

Don't worry, Dad. She didn't let us eat all of it...

Brynwood Needleworks - Birthday Dessert

 But, what I had was deeeeelicious!

Brynwood Needleworks - Tag's New Toy Hedgehog

We even got presents, too!

Mom gave each of us our own hedgehog!

Hey, Boo! Whatcha lookin' at?

Brynwood Needleworks - Bella's Hedgehog

Bella...You pose for a picture with your hedgehog and 

I'm gonna lick the whipped cream off my chops. Yum. That was good!

It was so nice to celebrate my Birthday here at the farm, but when Dad gets back, I think we should celebrate all over again. It's not as much fun without him. (Although he probably would have flipped out when Mom brought in those dishes of cream.)

I'm glad you could share the celebration with me. I hope you can have a dish of whipped cream at your house, so you can make believe you were here. It's time for me to put a world of hurt on that hedgehog now. I've gotta run. Six sure is fun!

I'll see you again in seven. 'til then...  

"Chase A Dream - Or A Squirrel".

Tuesdays With Tag - Party Time...

 Hi, Everybody.

I know that this first picture is a dead giveaway, 

so I'm not even gonna ask you to guess. I'm gonna tell you...

TOMORROW IS MY SECOND BIRTHDAY!!!

Mom said that we're gonna follow her tradition and celebrate ALL WEEK!

 She took me shopping yesterday and got me a few Birthday gifts.
Woo hoo!! Let's get this party started!!!

Mom got me a new collar and leash so I'm safe when we go for walkies. She 

said my old collar was gettin' "funky". All this time, I thought it was "just 

right". All I know is she better not forget to put my "GOOD DOG" tag on it!

Mom also got me a new Nylabone™chew bone, 'cuz I'm pretty brutal chewin' 

on those things. I can wreck one in no time flat! I can't wait to tackle this one!

 I'm just wonderin' what Mom has planned for me for the rest of the week.

Maybe we'll go for a ride?  I LOVE car rides!

I bet I'll see some of my fuz-buds. We'll go visitin'.

I know that I'll get to do some fun retrieves. Nothin' like runnin' wild.

Oh...oh! I'd love to go to Sarasota and sit outside and eat cheeseburgers!

(Dad's given me a nickname - Cheeseburger - and I've never even had one.)

Well...I really have only one thing on my mind right now...

Mom better not make me wear this stupid hat all week!

In honor of my birthday, I'd love it if you'd visit The Animal Rescue Site 

and give a meal to a homeless animal. It's FREE and you can do it every day.

(Mom actually has a link on her right sidebar...just scroll down to the button.)

For today, you can just click here and then click on the big, purple button.

See you next week, after I've started workin' on my THIRD year.

Don't expect me to act all dignified or anythin' like that. 

I'm a corgi, after all. It's all about the Silly Factor.

Gotta run and party.

"Mwy o ysgwyd ac yn llai cyfarth"

That's "More Waggin' and Less Barkin'" in Welsh! 
(You're impressed, right?)