September Already...

Month Number Nine of 2026, and we're off to the races. Another August to remember as another loved one with medical emergencies. I've been hesitant to mention this, so I apologize that this will be vague.

I'm not sharing many details, mainly because we have no idea how it happened. I'll just say this started August 19th, that it required an ambulance ride, three weeks in ICU, some time in a regular hospital room, and future months in a physical rehabilitation facility. 

This is a close family member who was alone at the time everything happened, and this was definitely not self-inflicted. I need to stop there, but our family has spent hours trying to figure this out. As that's not possible, we pray a lot, and there are many correspondences and trips to the hospital. It's been (understandably) very stressful for our entire family.

For this reason, I've canceled my planned knee replacement surgery for October. Handsome is always my caregiver post-op, and I will not ask him to split his travel and concern between two people and places. Instead, I'm going to be supporting him.

Today will be a restful stitching day. I'll be in my happy place with my love and our girls. I think it's exactly what we need right now. 

Here's to a better month. (Prayers and good wishes are appreciated.)

 

Heart Brooches...

 

Three New Brooches

I was feeling much better on Sunday. The sun was shining, even though it only got to about 29ºF , so it was lovely sitting in my favorite spot for a bit of needle dancing. 

Something Blue Bridal Brooch - Soft Blue

I completed the second Something Blue Bridal Brooch, so there are now two that will be available. I think I may do a third that will be completely beads with only the cross in the middle to see how that looks. I think that could be really elegant, too.

SOLD. Something Blue Bridal Brooch - Shimmer SOLD

These brooches will regularly be $65 each, plus $5 domestic postage (I'll pay the difference if it costs more.) I'll also ship outside the US, but buyer is responsible for postage and import fees, however during March, I'm offering them for $45 (plus postage as listed above). If you're interested, please send me a private message and I'll make arrangements to send a secure invoice through my Square account.

Now that I'm caught up with that, I'm going to turn my attention to new photographs for some of my current Etsy listings, and then I'll launch my 40% off March Madness Sale. Once that's up and running, it will be in effect until the end of the month. I'm hoping that most all of my current stock sells out so I can start April with new inventory, much of which I'll be creating during the month.

I will be working tomorrow, so I'm going to take it easy today. I've got a bit of computer time in my future to set up the sale. I might take an afternoon nap, too. See you tomorrow. Oh, and Happy March!

Fluffing Feathers Again...

I'm working on the feathers, but only sharing a partially completed one today. I'll have all of them finished by Monday's post.

In addition to doing my needlework, I also made two loaves of bread which Handsome baked after it rose. I needed to take him to pick up his truck which had been at the dealership for two days because something prevented it from even starting, but I didn't want to leave the house with the oven going, so he took over where I left off once he got back home. I went on to work after I dropped him off. I was definitely multi-tasking all day.

Work went really well. We were insanely busy, and I was definitely flitting around until about the last half hour of my shift. It was great though, as the time flew by.

Handsome has a concert in town tomorrow, so he's helping set up at the venue this morning. I'll be working on feathers as soon as I take care of Bella and Carly. My binding fabric should be arriving today, which means that I'll be able to start the assembly process as soon as I finish stitching these corners. I'm going to try to do that this weekend, but with Handsome's concert in the middle of the day, I may not get to it until Monday. We'll just have to see.

Today marks two years since my younger sister, Lyn left us. I'll be checking in with her daughters and my remaining sisters today as we take extra care of each other as we continue to grieve her passing. I just couldn't close out today's post without recognizing the fact that we will always miss her terribly. I know she's rejoicing with our Savior, and knowing we'll be together again some day gives us all a measure of comfort. Our faith carries us when our hearts are hurting. I'll be back on Monday.

Contemplating Fabrics...

I've been contemplating many different fabric choices for my bluebird wall hanging once I finish the embroidery. I originally thought about going with greys and browns. You know, really subtle, but my mind keeps bringing me back to this assortment.

I'm still not sure, and will choose a few other colorways to debut, but wanted to share these for your feedback. 

Yesterday was #1 Son's birthday, and our daughter-in-love invited us to meet them at a favorite restaurant for lunch. We had a great time catching up with them, and I managed to recruit another diner to take our photograph. It's always nice to have something besides our memory to mark the event. This one was especially fun.

And so, we begin a new week. Needlework, canning, resting, and work on Friday evening. It's going to be a busy five days, friends. Hope you make it a great one, too. I'll see you again tomorrow!

Guess What I've Started...

During the course of my physical therapy sessions with Jenna, I've learned that she's engaged and they're planning a wedding next year. With that in mind, can you guess what I've started working on for her? 

I know that I'll have it completed well before our last session together the end of September, but I wanted to pull colors and at least set up the project long before then, so I have plenty of time to pace myself. 

I didn't do much else yesterday. I did pull thirteen one-gallon bags of frozen San Marzano tomatoes and organized them on trays (still in the bags) to thaw. Once they're ready, I'll start the homemade Rotel™ and salsa. I decided it was best to save up my energy, because that's going to be a marathon canning session once I get started...most likely tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'm going to continue my needlework pursuits and see what I can get done today. I'll share more tomorrow.

Have You Seen My Mojo?...

 

In the meantime, reading needlework magazines, tutorials, watching videos, and sorting through projects will have to suffice. Soon. Very soon.

I'd love to know what you're working on these days!

I Like Dreaming...

Have you ever seen Chloe Giordano's embroidery? These are two of her books currently in my personal library. I'm completely smitten with her work, and love perusing through them books for inspiration...and a little instruction, too. I heartily subscribe to the "One is never too old to learn something new" philosophy. In addition, when I can't sit down to stitch, I love to dream about my next project(s). Chloe's books are a huge assist in that regard.

I've had this book longer than the other, and was inspired to create small ornaments that I gifted to a few friends a couple years ago. This hardcover book is 175 pages "short", and is filled with images, patterns, ideas, and instruction. I love looking through it, even if I'm not in the mood to read.

This book is newer to my collection. It's a softcover book, and has 191 pages, and is actually an updated version of the other book. She's added new insights and three new patterns. It's brimming with her sweet illustrations and needlework pieces.

Chloe Giordano is a British artist whose first interest was as an illustrator. She studied in England prior to discovering an interest in textile arts. From there, her attention turned to needlework as a way to add dimension and texture to her illustrations. Thus she is able to bring her drawings to life through needle and thread.

If you are interested in her books or her work, I'd suggest the updated version (this second book) as a way to learn more about thread painting, developing a color palette, and so much more. She starts the book by sharing her favorite tools and supplies, and moves from there into the actual techniques, subjects, and patterns. She's an excellent resource and instructor. You won't be disappointed. 

The "party" starts today with my echocardiogram. Next week will be an appointment to find out the results and get clearance from our cardiologist for the surgery. I have multiple other appointments next week, too...lab work, pre-op consult, and pre-op physical therapy (three times a week for six weeks, following the surgery!). Here's keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'm going to bury my nose in this book and keep my mind occupied. Our younger granddaughter also celebrates her high school graduation this weekend, so we'll be attending to cheer her accomplishments. We're really looking forward to that!

I'll be back tomorrow to show you my latest completion. Hint: This month's artist trading cards! See you then.

A Little Stitching...

I do have a little progress with my bluebird project to share with you today. I actually removed more of yesterday's stitching than I kept, but this is my bird in flight so far.

Imagine my dismay when I moved the floss bobbins to see this little, itty, bitty, pen mark on my fabric. grrrrrr I'll try removing it today, but if it won't come out without leaving a big stain, I'll stitch a bug over the ink. Even though I have a fix for it, I'm still not happy that it's there. Especially since I don't know how it magically appeared. When I'm not working on it, I always keep the hoop and embroidery covered to keep it clean. Oh, well. Water under the bridge. I'll deal with it once I know whether or not it can be safely removed.

I work today, so there'll be no needlework activity. Tomorrow is Craft Day. Whether or not I'll attend will be decided either late tonight or early tomorrow morning. Right this minute, I'm thinking I'll not be going, but we'll see how my work day goes. It's only two weeks yesterday that I had surgery, so I still get tired easily.

Either way, I'll have a new blog post for you in the morning. See you then!

Eye Candy...

In the past, I've shared that I love to look at (or read) needlework books when I'm away from stitching. It's almost as nice as the actual process. Yesterday, I added this beauty to my library. It's Trish Burr's "The Kew Book of Nature Samplers" (in case you hadn't noticed from the photograph  lol).

There's actually an outside hard cover that has pockets to hold the transfer images, and to protect the book within. I paged through it last night, and can see using it as major inspiration for future ideas.

There are butterflies, bugs, bunnies, flowers and even a beautiful owl. I learned the "long and short stitch" technique from Owen (RSN tutor) when I made the butterfly in his class, but refreshers never hurt. Practice makes perfect!

I'll definitely be pulling this one out from time to time, as I work toward needlework mastery. I'm going to work on the tote today, but will be bringing out the bluebirds again by the weekend. In the meantime, I'm learning more about stretcher bars and tools I hadn't seen before (if you can believe that!) and other things. This book - in my humble opinion - is worth every penny.

I don't work again until Friday, so I have lots of time for studio things in between caring for the girls. They always remind me when it's time to take a break. I'll take care of them first this morning, and then I'm off to my happy place.

Birds, Butterflies, Bugs & Beautiful Plants...

I happened to see this book online and knew it needed to be in my collection. I love that it could be useful for my needlework inspiration.

I mean, aren't her drawings wonderful? Her pencil strokes could be thread painting. All these pages represent wildlife in the UK, which I like, too.

The next butterfly on my list is actually the monarch. My RSN tutor, Owen helped me choose all the silk threads I'd need to stitch one after I took his class. We took a shopping trip to a nearby needlework shop when I took his course in Kentucky. That project will be especially dear to me considering his passing.

This would be a fun project to stitch from this book, though. I love the beautiful colors and fuzzy body on this one. 

I have a few other books that I got as reference books for birds, butterflies, and such, so this one will join the others. I'll be perusing them soon when I'm ready to start a new needlework project. That is, after I complete my bluebirds. I haven't forgotten them.

The artist trading cards mailed, and it's time for me to start on Wynter's kitty purse. After that, I have a lap quilt that I owe Handsome, and I plan to surprise him by shipping it to Florida once he's there. I won't see his face when he opens it, but I know his heart well enough to know what his reaction will be. So, the bluebirds will be after that. I'm going to keep my head down so I can move these projects from my "To Do" list to my "Done" list.

Progress Worth Sharing...

I've finally accomplished enough stitching on the bluebird in flight to be able to share it with you. Sunday was a real needle dancing day, and after about six hours, this is where I finished for the day.

The female is more dull in color than the male, so I chose less vivid colors, even as I went with a saturated look. The white on her abdomen is padding I haven't covered yet. That's next. I'll work on the wings after that.

Here's a closeup with my finger to give you a size reference. I've managed to cover about 1.5" of my bird so far. I know. Things always look larger on the internet. lol

My niece and her daughter are coming today for an overnight with their aunty and uncle. We're planning a baking day (their request), and then we'll have homemade pizza tonight. My great-niece will even be able to make her very own personal pizza like I used to do with her mama. You're likely to get kitchen photos (and a posed one or two) tomorrow. 

They should be here any minute, so I'm going to get our projects set up. I hope you have a great day as we begin Thanksgiving week in the United States. We have so much to be grateful for in our home this year. I'll see you tomorrow!

Another Day Without Needlework...

Do you feel the same way? I think I've shared my term for this before, but just in case, I refer to my need to create as my creative imperative. When I'm not working on something - needlework, knitting, sewing - I feel that there's something missing. I really can't wait to get back to it.

I'm feeling a bit like that right now. I haven't been able to work on my birds for nearly a week, and today is spoken for as well. I'm heading out soon to run a few errands before my hair appointment. Then at 3, I'll be meeting classmates for our monthly gathering. I'll be back home by 5, but once the sun goes down, I've lost my best light for sitting in front of the dining room windows, with my frame and magnifying lamp. I may try to sit down for a little while, but it's usually more taxing on my eyes to rely solely on lamplight.

I'm going to earmark tomorrow as my stitching day, and see whether or not I'm able to put on my desire into action. I'll let you know.

Tomorrow, of course, I'll be sharing our group classmate photo. You'll be able to see what I finally decided about my hair. I still haven't made up my mind. Can you even believe it? I'll see you again tomorrow!

Stitch, Frog, Stitch...

I admit, it doesn't look like much yet. I stitched the baby birds beaks, frogged what I'd stitched, and then stitched some more. The same for the bluebird's head. Getting the eyes and beaks right is very important to me. When I stopped for the day (losing daylight), this was all I'd accomplished, and I still have some tweaking to do.

The beak is not the finished look. This will be the padding for the actual stitching so it has some dimension. The babies' beaks still need a little bit of work, too, which I'll perfect using my lighted magnifier.

For the bluebird's head, I'm first stitching in the darker of the colors. I'll go back and add lighter colors for contrast. You'll see that I'm using only one strand of thread. This is all Anchor floss. Using one thread will make it easier to get more detail. The eye is almost finished, but I have a little more to do there, too.

I'll be doing more stitching on the beaks, eyes and heads today. I have to go to work tonight, but should be able to get a little more finished by the time I have to leave. I'm also planning to stitch all weekend, so I should have quite a bit more done by Monday.

Sending prayers for strength and safety for all our Florida friends in the wake of Hurricane Helene. I hope everyone will be okay in the wake of this devastating storm.

Making Templates...

 

Something else I've been doing.  I shared the source for my floral alphabet letters before, but I can tell you again. The book/leaflet is is printed in Italian and English, called "In A Wheat Field" by Elisabetta Sforza.

I've been tracing the letters onto vellum to use later. I don't copy the designs as traced, but they serve as a starting point, as you'll see tomorrow when I share my recently completed wedding piece. These letters are approximately 5" tall, but they're wonderfully lush when complete.

I can't wait to share the finished wedding monogram with you tomorrow. It's going to be a fun weekend for our family. See you tomorrow. Happy Friday!

Choosing Colors...

When I got home from work yesterday, I pulled a selection of colors that I think may work for my goldwork Corgi brooch. As with the wedding monogram, things are flexible until I declare it finished, so I'm sure I'll preview colors and ideas as I go. There will also be black for the eye, and red for the heart, of course!

I'm planning to prepare the calico and transfer my design today. Then, I'll begin with the padding before any stitching. We'll see how much needlework I actually accomplish though. The weather has been changing the past couple days, and it's cold again, which wreaks havoc on my hands. They're pretty sore right now. I'll take a couple Tylenol and see if that improves. If so, I'll do a lot more needle dancing than I feel like at this moment. I'll do my best, as I'm very anxious to begin this piece.

What are you working on right now? Are you doing something crafty? Reading a good book? (I must get some audio books for my stitching time!) I'd love to know what you're working on (and book recommendations would be fun, too!)

Time for a cuppa and then off to the studio! I hope you have a truly blessed day. See you tomorrow.

My Concept...

This is the template for my latest idea. I'm going to take the Corgi from my For The Love of a Corgi logo and label to create a coordinating goldwork brooch to offer for sale. As with all FTLOAC items, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to CorgiAid.

As I was contemplating the design for the brooch, I first went with the idea of a corgi profile. Then it hit me. Why not at least attempt to recreate the logo dog for my goldwork piece? So, this will be my next project. (Fingers crossed it works) I'm at work all day today, but will definitely be putting needle to fabric on Wednesday!

My day of baking was fun. In addition to bread and hamburger buns, I also made my first batch of cinnamon rolls, which was shared with Andy and Shelly. Feedback from Shelly and Handsome was that they were success. I'll be making those again, too!

Well, I'd better pull myself together. I'll be at work by 9:45 and put in a full (for me) day. I'll be back tomorrow to visit. I hope you have a great day!

Are You Ready For A Creative January?...

Tom Clark's "Rebecca"

Although the pantry project is moving on schedule, my mind keeps wandering to my needlework endeavors. I have some ideas in mind for new, designed-by-me goldwork pieces. I'm also going to be breaking out the cork fabric in preparation for my first show next month in West Bend, Wisconsin. Sometime this weekend, I'm going to add a schedule of my show dates to my sidebar. If you're in the area, you'll be able to mark your calendar if you'd like to attend any of them.

I created a short reel for Instagram yesterday to ask what projects other needleworkers might have in mind for this month. Click HERE to see what I shared, and I also invite you to let me know what you're planning to work on in January.

Pantry Update: The electrician was here yesterday to do the roughing in. I'll have some painting to do now that the electrician has placed his wiring into position. He had to cut into the drywall in the ceiling, as well as a few places in the wall. 

Jeff decided to come back today to install the cabinets, so I'm hoping he'll also repair the drywall so I can do the painting early next week. Once the cabinets are in and my painting is complete, the electrician will come back to install the fixtures. Then, we'll wait for the countertop installation on the 15th, and the plumbing connections the following Monday. Is it the 16th yet? 

Weeds...

 

I've added a new reference book to my needlework library. It's A Golden - Weeds. It's a reference guide to "the pest plants of the United States that invade lawns, gardens, fields, and roadsides." I guess one man's weed is another man's treasure. I love and promote them in our yard.

Let me explain. When the weather is so dry that the grass dies off, the weeds grow up and show off their natural finery. Chickory, Queen Anne's Lace, mullein, English daisies, sorrel and more are all considered weeds in this book, yet it wouldn't be summer in Wisconsin without them. In fact, many of them have medicinal properties and were used as poultices, teas, and other remedies by native Americans and settlers. There's much we could learn from them.

 

I saw this for sale online - paying a few dollars more than the $1.95 cover price - and wanted it to add to my needlework library as a reference guide for flower and plant embroideries.

 

While the copy is less than favorable to each plant, the illustrations are accurate and I'll be able to build upon them for my projects. I chose the mullein page because we also have these magnificent plants in the surrounding farmlands, and occasionally on the edges of our fields. They're highly prized for medicinal value, so I actually seek them out when I'm walking or driving. It's sad to see that it - and many other beneficial plants - were, and still are considered undesirables.

This small book nearly fits in the palm of my hand, so it will tuck nicely into my sewing basket when needed. It's 160 pages long, so there are a lot of illustrations to draw from. I'll look forward to paging through it for inspiration as I work on my Autumn Strawberry Sachet.

I'm having lunch with my almost sister-in-law/sister-by-choice, Deb (Mom Grace's daughter) today. When I get back I'll sit down to my frogs again. I'm working as I'm able toward completion. My self-imposed deadline is Saturday so I can package them up to mail out on Monday. I'm quite sure I'll make it on time. I think now I'll make my morning cuppa and sit down at the needlework frame for a bit before I have to leave. See you tomorrow!