Another UFO...

Of course, I mean an UnFinished Object. I began this one a few years ago, but it's time for me to get it done and out. This is a petit point bouquet my BFF Cyd asked me to complete when her mum passed. She found it among her mum's things. 

I asked her how she wanted it done, and she said, "Finish it any way you want." So far, I've chosen the black background, which I think will really make the petit point stand out. But I'm not sure how to complete it from there. Frame it? Make it into a cushion? I do have time between stitching out the ground and being done. Any and all ideas are welcome. 

My knee is feeling much better. It's still a little tender, but I spent most of the weekend with my leg up, icing/heating and rubbing castor oil/frankincense all over it. I even tired a little frequency healing. It's the first time I've done that, and it's interesting how my knee tingled the entire time, and all I did was put the tone generator near my knee, set to a healing frequency (174 HZ or 285 HZ). I'm sure I'll be fine to work tomorrow, but I'll rest it one more day just to be sure. 

Snow Day Stitching...

I'm Getting There

I sat at the embroidery hoop yesterday, and I can see my progress now. I'm reminded of the story where someone was asked if it's possible to eat an elephant. The answer was yes...one bite at a time. (Sorry for the visuals.)

So, I'm looking at this project as equivalent to eating an elephant. A little at a time, and the next thing you know, I'll be finished. I can't say whether I'm a quarter finished or less, because I still don't know how I'm going to finish this. A circular frame would be the easiest (and least amount of background stitching necessary), but turning it into a cushion would be nice, too.

Do you think this should finish as a circle or as a square? I'm open to suggestions. I still have time to finish it in multiple ways. Let me know what you think.

I'm not going to stitch today. I'm going to be listing up fabrics for my shop, and there might be a little cookie baking in the schedule, too. I'm giving my hands a rest. I was right about the weather change. I went to bed on Wednesday to mild weather and no white stuff. I woke up to something akin to a blizzard! We couldn't see the road, driveway or a blade of grass. I said a lot of naughty words.

I'm hoping Mother Nature has got this out of her system now. Like Tag, I've had enough of winter, and am ready to welcome spring. Any day now would suit me just fine, thank you. 

Be wary, friends. It's April Fools Day!

Little By Little...

I'm making Progress On My Petit Point Bouquet

I got all my tax paperwork assembled and posted to our tax accountant yesterday! Once my work was done, I still had daylight to play! Of course, I sat down at my embroidery frame to work on the petit point canvas. I'm taking your great advice, and working on this in segments to avoid overload.

It was overcast and rainy. The weather change causes my arthritis to flare up a bit, so I could only stitch for an hour or so before my hands hurt. It's okay. It's something I've learned to live with. I take a Tylenol and stitch a while. Then I stop and do something else - like read (which I also love).

I'm not sure what I'm going to do today. I'll decide after coffee, but one thing's for sure. I won't have to do anything tax-related for a while. Yippee.

Slow Going...

Progress On My Petit Point Project

I've spent at least six hours on this so far, and have approximately four square inches of stitched background to show for it. This is going to take a while.

My Needlework Spot

This is my stitching spot in the studio. I have a great view of our yard and beyond. I was tickled to watch the Barn Girls and the BIG GREY opossum snuffling around in the yard today. Otis was content to stay curled up in Crystal's bed in the barn. 

I'll continue stitching on this, but don't think I'll update you on every, little section. I'll share more when I have a lot more finished. Tag will be back tomorrow.

Change of Plans...

Feeding The Birds

I'd originally planned to be on my way to another craft day with my dear friends in Portage today. Plans changed last night when I got a message saying there were some sick kiddos at the hosts home. Better to take care of babies instead of crafting, to be sure.

That means I'm going to get another full day to work on the petit point canvas I showed to you yesterday. It appears that most comments on my post yesterday are leaning either to black or blue. So, I'm going to do a little of each on the canvas and see which one I like best. (These were both my choices, too, by the way.)

I'm sharing this photograph today from last weekend. After the snowstorm, Otis Redding (the name I gave the little black opossum who visited this area before the snowstorm) moved into the Compass Barn with Claudette and Crystal, and the birds were looking for food. I filled their feeders, and it didn't take long for the word to get out. He hasn't left all week. Otis has taken over Crystal's bed, and during the day, he snores away while Crystal and Claudette snooze right above him in the southern exposure window (in the sunshine).  

Not only were these red-wing blackbirds happy to see the smorgasbord, but cardinals, bluejays, morning doves, chickadees, purple finches, nuthatches, and woodpeckers (two different varieties) showed up, too! We also have two large crows that show up a few times every day. I've taken to calling them Heckle and Jeckle (for those too young to know, they were cartoon characters from my childhood).

Had we kept craft day for today, I would have left home by 7:30 am. Instead, I could sleep a little later, and devote my entire day to working on my needlepoint piece....as soon as I feed my barn girls (and Otis). Time to go...

Please Help Me Decide...

Petit Point Bouquet Canvas

This will be my next project. I've been putting it aside for a while. It's a needlepoint canvas my BFF, Cyd sent to me having found it with her mother's things. As a BFF would do, she left the background color choice and finishing up to me.

Do You Like A Black Background?

I can't decide, so I'm asking for your input. What do you think of a simple, Victorian-style black background? That one's always a winner for needlepoint and makes the design really pop.

How About One Of These?

I have these background colors, too, that I think would be lovely in their own right. Each color appears in some fashion in the design. I numbered them clockwise sitting on the design to give you the best idea of how each color looks with it.

I'd love for you to help me choose. Oh, one more thing. She's left the finishing to me as well. Pillow? Round or square? Framed piece? Oval, round or square? These are all the reasons I haven't even begun the piece yet. I'm going to start it this weekend. I know a lot of you follow and read my blog. I hope you'll comment and let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

Look What I Found...

Brynwood Needleworks - Completed Needlework Pieces

I've been slowly sorting and cleaning in my studios. I've pulled fabrics to share and donate, and I've also emptied containers that were in the rooms they related to, but hadn't been emptied. Today, I "found" a few pieces that I need to finish now.

By finish, I mean frame, turn into cushions, or complete in some other form. These are pieces I've had for years - and in some cases, decades!

Brynwood Needleworks - Told In A Garden 1993 "Christmas Angel"

This beautiful "Christmas Angel" is a 1993 freebie from Told in a Garden by Marilyn Leavitt-Inblum. Don't you love her designs? The design is about 4.5" square, so I may make this into a small bowl filler pillow...or a small square frame.

Brynwood Needleworks - Tristan Brooks Designs "Newbury Small"

I purchased this beautiful crewelwork design from a needlework shop in Williamsburg, VA one of the years Handsome was invited to perform with the Williamsburg Consort. I wrote about this in August 2013, so I'll initial and date this finished piece, before I frame it. The finished piece is 3" square. Perhaps it would be nice on top of a needlework box? The Heathway hand-dyed crewel yarns and Gumnuts wool and silk yarns were a delight to use. I wrote about it HERE when I purchased it.

I met Sharon J. of Corgis In My Garden in 2011, when she and her Arabelle spent the day with Tag and me in Colonial Williamsburg. Another special thing about this piece was that I purchased it where I met Michelle May of The Raspberry Rabbits for the first time. She came from New Bern (where she lived at the time), to meet and spend some time with me.

Brynwood Needleworks - Cayman Islands "Poinsettia"

This piece really takes me back. I purchased the handpainted canvas in the Cayman Islands (British West Indies) on Handsome's and my honeymoon. I held onto it for years without stitching it, but finally tackled it using DMC pearl cottons. This one will definitely be a small cushion.

Brynwood Needleworks - Told In A Garden "Ice Angel"

The last piece I pulled today is another Told In A Garden design, "Ice Angel". This one is larger, at 14.5" x 16", and will be framed. It uses metallic threads and beads, along with beautiful DMC stranded cottons.

I think this one will hang in the master bedroom when it's finished. Don't you think everyone should sleep with an angel on their shoulder?

Pulling out these pieces was like reuniting with old friends. I have more needlepoint, and I know where those pieces are. I'll be taking those out as soon as I've finished these. I'm going to enjoy these for a while, first.

Let Love Be Your Guide, Revisited...

 As I hand applique' the plates for Handsome's Princeton Plate quilt, I

want to share another one of my favorite completed needlepoint pieces.
 (I wrote about here three years ago, but I'd like to share
it again for those of you who might have missed it last time.)

This design is by Nantucket artist, Claire Murray. It's called,
"Let Love Be Your Guide". I decided that my angel should have red hair,
just like our younger son and his younger daughter. I stitched the
hair in wool French knots. The rest is straight needlepoint on canvas.

Unfortunately for anyone interested in doing this piece themselves,

the kit is no longer available. When I checked Ebay, I found this chart for

counted cross stitch for the same design. It could be adapted for needlepoint.

 The finished needlepoint is 14" square, and I still can't decide how to finish it. It
would probably love to be a cushion, but really, how many pillows does a person need?
I still have that issue with light-colored dog hair, too and then, where would I put it?

 So, while I try to decide how best to finish it, I'll share it with you and

 be content to unroll it from time to time. Each time, it reminds me to

"Let Love Be Your Guide".

Let Love Be Your Guide...

I did this needlepoint piece a few years ago. It was a Claire Murray kit. I just love her designs! It was a fun piece to stitch, and I even did the hair on the angel in auburn French knots. (Our younger son's hair is red!) The design area measures 14" square, so it's not a small piece.

Claire has a home and shop on Nantucket. You can see the Nantucket influence in her work. She loves hydrangeas and whales, and those quaint, rose-covered cottages. I've been to her shop and I really love the hardwood floors, her hand-hooked rugs, bedding, tableware and all of her designs all around the space. Who wouldn't?

I've never done anything with my finished piece because I couldn't decide if it should be framed, made into a cushion or if I should do something else with it. (I have to admit that I hesitated to make it into a cushion. Black wool background. Yellow Labrador hair. See my dilemma?) So hard to decide. What do you think I should do with it? (Disregard the yellow dog fur issue.) I really value your opinion.

PS. It turns out that I have twenty ATCs to make and it's taking a little longer than I thought. I'll write a post about the finished cards just as soon as they're done (this week, I promise!). Again, my sincere thanks to each of you who requested one. I'm honored, and this is truly a labor of love for me.

Passing On Our Common Thread...

Today, I pulled a small selection of old buttons and family treasures from my collection to share with you.

The heart-shaped dish belonged to Handsome's Aunt Eula and it eventually became ours. Many of these buttons were from my grandmother's or my mother-in-law's button jar. I especially love the variety I've chosen to show you...different colors, textures and finishes.

Grandma is going to be 97 this year. She only recently moved into a nursing home, and she is still a prolific crocheter. (She's also still pretty feisty, as evidenced by her sly smile in this picture!)

When she gave me her button jar, she told me that most of the buttons had been taken off old coats and tattered dresses and blouses for future use...a recycler before it became fashionable! I know I'll use them some day, but I get great pleasure just sorting and handling them. (Remember my "Scrooge McDuck" reference in yesterday's post?) I love the uniqueness and character of the old buttons, and they'll eventually adorn handbags, ATCs and other garments.

My mother-in-law, Evelyn was a most accomplished needlewoman. All the women in Handsome's family were avid seamstresses and needleworkers. She sewed for her family and her home, and she loved needlepoint. I have a pair of framed needlepoint gamebirds that she stitched, as well as a beautiful bargello pillow.

Evelyn died the year that Handsome and I were married, but having these pieces - as well as using some of her needlework tools - evokes fond memories of her. I'm reminded that I am preceded by many talented women in my family. (This photo of her resides on the wall in my studio. It's nice to have her there when I work.)

My dish is sitting on a lovely crocheted doily. I'm not sure who made it, but I love its colors of pastel pink and ivory. You can also see the embroidered edge of a pretty little hanky. It also came from Aunt Eula's home. I assume that her mother made it for her, but it could also have been created by Evelyn as a gift to Eula. When you don't know exactly who created something pretty, it's fun to imagine who might have spent hours with needle and thread in hand. I love the fact that it's embroidered with the tiniest of perfect stitches. It's a real work of art.

One of these days I'll pull out the antique linens that were passed to me to share with you, but for today I hope you enjoy these few buttons and the other pretties.

One of the reasons I love owning these needlework pieces and buttons is because of my shared legacy with these talented women. I will enjoy and care for them until I pass them along to our daughters-in-law and granddaughters, along with the stories of these amazing women. I'll be honored to be passing on our common thread.

One final thing for today: We're lucky to be enjoying the start of what I hope will be a fruitful rainy season here in Florida. We've had a couple of years of drought, so the rains are welcome. My friend, Bonnie, shared this link with me. It's a Slovenian group called Perpetuum Jazzile performing an incredible version of Toto's 1980s hit Africa. In their performance, they begin by simulating the sound of rain with their hands. Click on the group's name above to go to the link, turn up your sound, close your eyes, and sit back and enjoy.