Monday, August 16, 2021

Buzzing in with a couple late summer finishes...

Hello, hello! How is everyone doing on this mid-August morning? The month is half over and it's been quite a rollercoaster ride in terms of weather so far. Last week we had bad storms with high winds passing through the area almost daily along with high temperatures in the 90s. And then this weekend it cooled off so much that I had to put on my toasty white, well-loved (that should read almost thread-bare!) chenille winter robe in the mornings--crazy for late summer! Today, more storms are in the forecast. Yep! A rollercoaster for sure. But, honestly, I'm not complaining after seeing all the fires, earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes that are devastating our planet. It is heartbreaking... and concerning... and it makes me truly worry for the future of our younger generations...

With everything going on around the world, I've been having trouble concentrating on my stitching. Oh, I've done a bit here and there, but my mind begins to wander and I can't seem to focus. Is anyone else having that problem? I did work on a couple of new bee themed pieces and finished those up last week. Can you spot them in my August bee/sunflower display?

My bee/sunflower display makes such a nice transition into fall decorating. It is one of my favorites to put out each August.

 
There is something so special about the way the light begins to filter in through the windows as fall approaches...

 

Here are a couple of close-ups for you. Do you have a favorite? I think mine is the Prairie Schooler "H Is for Honeybee" that I stitched a few years ago.



So, did you spot the two newest additions? Well, one of them is right in the middle framed in black. It is a cute freebie that was offered by Liz Mathews in her newsletter. You can subscribe on her website  right here.  I did change the colors up a bit for this finish making the border black, adding little stripes to the bees' bodies, and giving them black heads and white wings. I also stitched the flowers in a pinker color. The colors I used on 40 ct. sand Newcastle were: DMC white, 311, 520, 522, 646, 729, 950, 3046, and 3722. I also left off the band-stripe thing in the design and just stitched the middle medallion portion. This is one of the easiest types of finishes, but it is so effective, isn't it? The frame is one I've had in my stash from Marshalls--a perfect fit! The background fabric is a piece from a charm pack of fabrics applied to sticky board. I purchase a lot of charm packs to use in my finishing rather than buy larger cuts of fabric because most of my finishes are quite small.

Bee freebie finish from "Hello From Liz Mathews"

 

The second new bee addition is this Homespun Elegance design shown below called "Crows 'A Plenty." And yes, there were plenty more crows in the original design... I just couldn't take any more "over one" stitching of those black birds--my eyes were crying out for me to stop! So, I just stitched the middle hive and bee portion with a crow on either side. There is also a tiny ladybug creeping toward the hive on the right side! Can you spot it? This one is stitched on 28 ct. vintage country mocha cashel linen with the suggested colors. Love how this long pillow turned out!

Two crows was plenty for me!

 

When I add new pieces to collections, I try to use colors in my finishing that will blend nicely with the existing pillows. In this case, you'll notice mostly gold and black with hints of green and pink. The beautiful yellow sunflowers were miniature ones grown by my  husband in his vegetable (rapidly turning into "my" cutting flower!) garden. I've so enjoyed all my cut flowers this year and will miss them once summer is over... I really can't thank him enough for the time he's put into growing flowers for us (me!) this year!

A final look at my bee/sunflower display for the summer of 2021

 

And here are some of the busy little fellows doing their work on our beautiful garden sunflowers!

Oh, they are hard workers!

A lone honey bee. Sadly, we are not seeing nearly as many as we used to.

 

Well, I did it! I took a deep breath and mailed off some of my stitching to be framed at Total Framing in Virginia. They made the process so easy and I'm very pleased with my framed "A Stitch In Time by the Workbasket" which I shared with you back this post post in April. The frame picks up the browns so nicely, doesn't it? 

My framed finish of "A Stitch In Time" by The Workbasket

The frame, as described by Total Framing, is "a coffee colored burl scoop" design and I love how it looks hanging on my family room wall. Except now the fact that I really, really need to paint the room itself is glaringly obvious! But, seriously, I can't stop staring at it. The one change I would make for next time, is to specify that I want a bit wider margin left around the stitching. Other than that minor issue, though, I'm very pleased and would definitely use their services again!

Love the rustic looking dark frame!

I also added a few goodies to my stash which I haven't done in quite a while. I love the series of small holiday designs created by Brenda Gervais (of course!) and just had to add them to my collection. Am I the only one who gets pleasure in just leafing through my charts? I know that, at age 66, I will never get them all stitched, but it really doesn't matter. Looking through them and dreaming makes me happy and it's such a simple, inexpensive way to treat yourself! The darling tiered tray designs by Madame Chantilly and the handsome robin by Cottage Garden Samplings also captured my heart. I'm sure at least some of these will be stitched at some point--I promise!

Which one should I start next? I'm leaning toward the Autumn themed tiered tray.

Giveaway time! So, it's been a while since I've had a giveaway... How about this sweet sampler from an old Leisure Arts magazine? The "Proverbs 7:4 Sampler"  features the Bible verse ("Say to wisdom, thou art my sister, and call understanding thy kinswoman") along with two little sisters holding hands, a black dog, a willow tree, and a red house--so cute! The sampler can be stitched as shown or stitched without the verse and placed in a box or smaller frame. Would anyone be interested in stitching this? If so, please: 1) Specifically mention that you would like to stitch the sampler in your comment below, 2) Make sure to include your email address if I don't already have it, and 3) Answer today's "Getting To Know You" question. I will be folding this chart to fit in a legal-sized envelope to keep postage costs down when I mail it. The giveaway winner will be announced on my next blog post. Good luck to all!

If you would like to enter the giveaway for this sweet sampler, please follow the directions above!


Getting To Know You! For those of you new to my blog, I like to get to know a little bit more about my stitching friends so I pose random questions now and then. Today's question is not really a question, but something just for fun... Quick! Look around you and tell me three things that make you smile. No cheating and walking into a "more interesting"  room! Well, I'm in my kitchen where I write my blog posts so, it's easy... Three things that make me smile are right now are: 1) The plump ripe tomatoes sitting beside the kitchen sink that my husband has pronounced the best tomatoes he's ever grown, 2) The family photos on my refrigerator. I never used to put anything on the refrigerator, but as my family has grown, it is getting more and more papered with favorite family faces. 3) The little bookshelf at the end of my kitchen island where I store cookbooks and some of my Dedham pottery collection. I'm so glad we added this feature when we remodeled our home 25 years ago! So, now it's your turn--what are three favorite spots or sights in your room?

I have one last thing that makes me smile--this batch of fresh banana carrot muffins that I made yesterday. Carrot cake and banana bread in muffin form? Yes, please!  I made the recipe as suggested, but did cut the white sugar down to 1/4 cup. I seem to be doing that more and more in my baking lately and am finding I really don't miss all that sugar. Give it a try! The recipe is one I've mentioned before and I got it from the blog Fork In the Kitchen  right here. Hope you enjoy them--they freeze great, too!

A delicious way to start your day--Banana Carrot Muffins!

I may be missing in action a bit over the next couple of weeks because, guess who's coming to visit? A certain one-year-old and his parents are flying in for a week before a family wedding in New York. This will mark the first time anyone on my side of the family has met "Baby B," so we're hoping and praying that their travel plans go smoothly. With the terrible uptick in Covid cases, it's hard to plan ahead, isn't it? Please stay safe my friends... 

Thanks so much for visiting me today--I love reading your comments and hearing your answers to the "Getting To Know You" questions. I do enjoy the give and take of blogging that isn't found as much on other forms of social media. And I love having this written record of my life over the past 13 years--I can't tell you how often I refer to my blog when wanting to check on dates of trips or events or look up favorite recipes. I know blogging isn't as popular these days, but I want to truly thank all of you who visit and take the time to comment. It's nice to know someone is still out there reading! Take care, my friends! Bye for now...

48 comments:

  1. Your beautiful sunflower and bee stitching has really grown Carol. The frame for A Stitch In Time is truly lovely. I really like First Signs of Spring from your stash! I suppose I am partial to Robins, with them being our state bird. :)
    Three things that make me smile: Henry! (Surprise!) Madeleine. And my cubby shelf.
    I hope you have a wonderful week my friend.

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  2. I love my blog for the same reason you mentioned Carol. Now, for three things I am looking at smiling about. First up is sharing my chair with my buddy, Gus. He is my constant companion. I smile when I look straight forward at my builtins and all the family treasures on them and finally, that newer green couch. I am still loving my choice.
    Now, let's talk about all that stitching. Sunflowers and bees are just so perfect for August. I am not nearly ready for fall here, so sunflowers have just been perfect for me along with a few back to school stitches. I have a sunflower in my stash I so want to stitch. I too have had trouble concentrating with all the craziness of the world. I did finish the Lord's Prayer. Stitching the words were so good for me.
    And what does one do while waiting for storms; bake of course. That was my course of action yesterday. I woke up this morning for it to have changed course again from us to Mexico Beach. Jeff said they could have flipped a coin on this one.
    Enjoy your time with family and praying it will be virus free.

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  3. Oh Carol, you know I am in love with your bee display...IT makes me smile!!! I am sitting at my kitchen table so three things I see that make me smile are my family tree photo collage, my colorful Samsarah perpetual calendar and the stained glass windows from my childhood home.
    Have a great visit with your family and hope your weather stabilizes a bit.

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  4. I love your honey bee/sunflower collection. And the sunflowers your husband grew are delightful. I think we’ll have to try sunflowers in our garden next year. My favorite things around me as I sit in my comfy chair in my great room are my hubby of 45 years sitting in his recliner across the room, my sweet Tibetan spaniel Harley snuggled up next to me, and my current cross stitch WIP “Fall is in the Air” Part Two by Little House Needleworks on the end table next to my chair. Enjoy your family time and your sweet grandbaby, and we’ll look forward to your next blog.

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  5. Love your bee display, Carol! I spied a small crocheted sunflower in the corner; so adorable. Let's see, 3 things that are making me smile -- Max is on the floor by my chair, there is a doe in the front yard, and all the cross stitching on the wall. I hope you have a wonderful visit with Baby B and his parents.

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  6. What a up lifting post Carole ,love all your sunshine stitching for Summer they are all just beautiful.
    Yes I love looking through my charts and may spend more time doing this than stitching ha.
    I am sitting in my lounge and looking up first I see a lovely friendship card from my friend Karen , my little Ele of multi colour that is there in the window
    that was brought for me by my sweet friend Carole who sadly past away not long ago , and my wooden butterfly with the words( Happy Days fly by)
    And that saying is so true , I was talking to hubby not long ago and we were saying there are never enough hours in the day.
    Enjoy your new week hugs June .

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  7. Things three that make me smile in the room where I am sitting: my dog, Monty who is full of character and love, my 'to be read' pile of books next to my chair including the new book which arrived today for the September book group meeting, my August cross stitch smalls. I really needed this exercise today to focus on the small but good day to day blessings as I have been feeling rather down at the weekend.
    I do like your display of bee and sunflower smalls,it actually reminded me that upstairs I have a bee piece tucked away in a drawer that needs to be made into something. In fact when I go in my little craft room to sew it I will certainly enjoy getting some charts out for some happy time too, like yourself it brings me great joy to look through them and plan that they will get done one day!

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  8. Well I commented on your Instagram post about your beautiful stitches so I will just do the three things that make me smile as I sit here in my stitching/sun room. My chippy turquoise tv stand/ storage unit for my DVDS, My dough bowl filled with old spools and a Brenda Gervais piece, The Collector, My Prairie Schooler villages that I keep out all year. Of everything I have stitched, the Christmas village is my favorite. I just love looking at it. Enjoy your time with your precious boy.....

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  9. Hi Carol, I've made several cross stitch patterns but haven't finished any yet. When you put them in a frame, do you ever use glass or are they always glass free?
    Thank you for your time and I love reading your blog.
    Susan Renfer
    renfersu@gmail.com

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  10. A beautiful bee display. I'm really trying to put together finished pieces in themes, so for now everything is out in one big job lot!
    Well at the moment there is no kitchen, so I am surrounded by cabinets and all appliances that have come out of the kitchen as I'm sitting at the dining room table. This doesn't make me smile but the thought of a new kitchen does. :)
    Take care.

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  11. Happy Monday, Carol. Well there you go again- inspiring me on another finish for a future project. I just love your finish for the Liz Matthew freebie. Of course I love all of your finishes . Your sunflower and bee display is stunning. Oh yes, your fridge will be full with all kinds of lovely photos and in no time art from your precious grandbaby as he gets older( lol I know mine is). Yes I would love to have the opportunity to stitch the little sampler. So right now I am sitting in my living room. The three things that make me smile are 1. my grandbabies and daughter's photos 2. The silhouettes that I made of my daughters beside my childhood framed silhoutte which were all made when we were four years of age and 3. A stack of quilts. Have a wonderful week my dear and have fun with that grandbaby. Hugs

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  12. What a beautiful display you have again! Love all your bees, but what caught my eye was the stitched sunflower on the right - love it!

    Greetings from Sweden,
    Anna

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  13. I am so thankful to all who still blog. It’s my social media go to. My favorite bee piece is that long pillow. I am not a fan of any shade of yellow even in flowers, but this pillow really caught my eye. Three favorite things sitting in my dining room - 1) the purple orchids bought by hubby as a get better soon gift; 2) the Little House Needleworks “Milk” cow stitched by me and finished as a flat. It hangs on an antique milk bottle metal carrier with antique Arizona dairy bottles in it; and 3) our new puppy laying quiet at my feet while I read. Doesn’t happen often as she is so full of energy! My stitching time has been interrupted by my new pacemaker not liking my type of magnified lighting. Working on finding the right thing but so far no luck. No magnets at all for me and the LED light seems to set it off as well!

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  14. I do love all those bee and sunflower finishes. That makes the perfect display for August. August ends up being a fairly not decorated month for me. OK I am in our computer room/library so the three things that make me smile are, lots of wonderful books on the shelves, pictures of Caleb(16 on the 23rd! and Hannah, and lastly a treasured picture of my dear Dad when he was about 10 at a lake in northern Michigan! Have a wonderful visit with your little guy and his family. Enjoy, as time does fly!! Yes, I do enjoy my charts!

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  15. Comme ces broderies sont belles et bien misent en valeur, avec de superbes photographies, bravo
    Belle semaine !
    Monique (France)

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  16. We must've sent the storms your way, we've had terrible heat & storms the last few weeks. It was scary some nights!
    Love, love, love our display!
    My favorite is the bigger design on the left sticking out.
    May I ask whose design that is? It's so very pretty.
    Your framed piece is so pretty in that frame.
    Great stash you've gotten!
    3 things around me that make me smile......my crocheting, my husband, my bird feeders.
    Those muffins look yummy, thanks.
    Have fun when your family comes!
    Marilyn

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  17. Carol, I just love your bee/sunflower decor!! They are all so beautiful and displayed so lovingly! My favorite is your new crow stitch. Great finishing on that piece as always!! Your husband has a green thumb, the sunflowers are gorgeous!! I will definelty be making the muffins! My 3 favorite things in my craft room/office. A quilt square that Mom stitched and my friend finished for m. A small painting my great grandfather painted and my computer that keeps me connected to the world!
    How exciting for you to be spending more time with Baby B!

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  18. Greetings from Australia, Carol.

    The weather here too has been strange. One day you need a heavy sweater and the next only a T-shirt. Living in the Blue Mountains, just west of Sydney, we are currently in the seventh week of another lockdown and looks like it will continue for some time.

    The three things that make me smile as I sit in our living room are:
    (1) my dear husband, of 47 years, sitting in his chair across the small table between us; (2) on that table sits a portion of the hexagon hand-pieced quilt I am working on; and (3) a photograph of my much-loved grandfather that I was recently sent by a distant cousin. Why is that special – because it is the only one I have ever seen of him.

    I do hope that Covid does not interfere with your family's visit. Enjoy your time together and especially Baby B.





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  19. How exciting to have such a special visitor! Enjoy! School is starting here so I've been busy supporting my daughter as she begins high school and back to dance, helping my son pack up to return to college, and getting my classroom ready to go.....which means less stitching time. I'm sitting in my family room where a group picture of my kids is in a frame made by kid #2, my tiered tray, and planner/stickers make me smile. I would enjoy stitching your sampler giveaway. Beautiful stitching as always! Your finishing is perfection.

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  20. Good morning! Your blog in my morning email was a welcome piece of calm and beautiful stitching! Have a wonderful time with family and seeing Baby B again. We are going to try to have a 90th birthday gathering for my Dad in October…he’ll already be 91 because of COVID. As a stitcher of the age 68 I appreciate you saying just looking at patterns is a happy thing. Three things that make me smile…hummingbird at the feeder by my chair, a new quilt my friend made for me as I cross stitched a piece for her and this living room (house) that we at settling into after a crazy home buying/selling and moving safely during a pandemic. Grateful for this forever home (basically one level) and in the same town as family ( our two granddaughters).

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  21. Carol your new framed art is beautil, I love it. So what if your walls need painting! Just fill the wall with your pretty stitching! These covid times are certainly hard to deal with...all we can do is to stay put and remain in our own litte worlds. (sigh) I so happy that wonderful talente people like you communicate with us...you brighten our days everytime you post to the world! And just by one post you are putting smiles and giving us hope for a better tomorrow. So, thank you dear lady!!!!!!!!!!

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  22. I love all you bee stitching and the display with them is great! I would love to have a chance to win the Psalms sampler, so here are my three things that make me smile on my closed in patio: 10 my sweet little yorkie Jack who is laying by my feet. 2)My current stitching project a candlewicking pineapple. 3)My husband of 48 years can still make me smile! Have a good day.

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  23. HI Carol,
    I LOVE your bee display! So many cute cute things! Your framed sampler turned out fantastic. I love burled wood for frames. I also have "mini" sunflowers this year. My friend gave me the seeds. I didn't realize that while the flowers are small, the plant itself is probably 9 feet tall! It is amazing! My zinnias are great this year too. I really should come some to bring in-I haven't because the birds enjoy them so much! 3 Things that make me happy in my kitchen: My 3 year old coming to hug my arm. My 6 year old doing his art lesson online (they are drawing birds), a little drawing of a colorful flower taped to the cabinet over my computer. I forgot who made it so I looked on the back for a clue and it was a Happy Mother's Day note from my oldest daughter who is 11. :)

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  24. Bonjour Carol,
    Même météo en France. La semaine dernière il a fait très chaud et depuis hier il fait frais avec quelques gouttes de pluie... Comme toi j'ai froid et j'ai remis un tenue plus chaude.. Moi aussi je me demande et m'inquiète de ce que l'on va laisser aux futures générations. L'humain a fait n'importe quoi la nature se rebelle.
    Quelle belle décoration pour cette mi-août. Pas de préférence particulière pour tous ces ouvrages que je trouve vraiment beaux, les finitions adoptées les mettent tous si bien en valeur. µConcernant les deux nouveautés ma préférence va au modèle de Homespun Elegance, j'aime les corbeaux.
    L'encadrement de Stitching in Time est magnifique, c'est vraiment ce qu'il fallait.
    J'adore regarder aussi tous les modèles que j'ai et qui son rangés dans mon tiroir à trésor comme je dis souvent. Je pense ne pas avoir le temps non plus de tout broder mais peu importe. C'est un plaisir comme un autre.
    La concentration me fait beaucoup défaut également en ce moment. Trop de choses se passent et beaucoup de questions se posent.
    Je suis dans mon atelier situé dans le jardin, voici ce qui me faire sourire :
    1) deux photos de ma petite-fille Lara, celle ou elle a 2 ans et a mis sur son nez une énorme paire de lunette qu'elle pris sur un présentoir chez l'opticien et une autre où elle a 5 ans, les yeux entourés de noir, elle avait voulu se maquiller et avait été prendre en cachette un crayon pour les yeux...
    2) un morceau de tissu que cherchait l'autre fois et qui se trouve juste devant mes yeux sur l'étagère...
    3) ma petite poule Lynette, qui monte la garde sur le tapis d'entrée...
    Bon séjour à Baby B et ses parents, ils seront tous ravie de vous retrouver.
    Il faut rester très prudents face à la Covid, en France les cas de contamination sont en hausse également. Nous partons en vacances pour une semaine dans 15 jours et éviterons les endroits où la population est trop dense.
    Amitiés de France,
    Christel
    http://toilesetfils.blogspot.com

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  25. Love everything you share on your blog! Your Crows pillow is so adorable. What is your secret to your perfect corners on the pillow? The pillow is stuffed so nicely. What did you use for stuffing? Three things that make me smile are 1) my husband snoring in his recliner 2) the quilt on my sofa and 3) the smell of cookies baking in the kitchen. All simple pleasures! Thanks for continuing to blog.

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  26. Carol: This is such a refreshing post.
    I love all your Bee and Sunflower designs, my favorite is the little pillow with the crows and sunflowers, Two Crows, so sweet.
    I am excited that you will have company, after this last year and a half its been horrible for visiting family.
    Your displays are beautiful.
    Thank-you for the links.
    Hello from Liz is a lovely design, your finishing is perfect, the braid is a perfect finish.
    I am in my office, my Mothers photo sits on a shelf where I can see her childhood photo and her 60th birthday photo, my cat Blondie is asleep in her bed in front of the window, I also have a very vintage picture of Jesus handing flowers to a young boy after his First Holy Communion.
    I hope your weather evens out soon, it is warm here and no rain this summer except for three days.
    I love sunflowers and the bees pollinating is a beautiful sight.
    Stitch In Time is a beautiful design, perfect frame showing off the design.
    I have so many magazines from years ago, please do not include me in your giveaway.
    Nice stash, it makes a heart warm to see new stash.
    Your muffins look yummy, I am making scones today, cherry ones with almonds.

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  27. Hello Carol,
    ich mag deine August Dekoration, so schön. Mein Favorit ist das quadratische Kissen mit der Sonnenblume.
    Ein perfekter Rahmen für deine Stickerei. Der Braunton ist einfach wunderschön. Es freut mich, dass du mit diesem Service einverstanden warst und es gern wiederholen möchtest. Einen guten Rahmenhändler zu finden ist schwer.
    Mir zaubert das Foto von meinem Vater ein Lächeln ins Gesicht, welches mir direkt gegenüber steht, wenn ich am Laptop sitze.
    Genieße die Zeit mit deinem Enkel.
    Have a nice day, Manuela

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  28. Hello Carol,
    What a lovely post. Your bee display is Gorgeous! Love all of them! (My fav is probably the H is for Honeybee also) Your piece from Total Framing turned out great. I bet it looks amazing in your living room.
    I am in our Creek Room (pronounced Crick--as they call it on the Bay) looking over the river. Three things that make me smile is...remembering the last picture of me and my Mom taken together this past Mother's Day in this room. My Microsun light for stitching, and various water related things I've stitched such as a Great Egret.
    I too, enjoy looking through my stash--it's always a hard choice to decide what's next. LOL.
    I hope you have a wonderful visit with your family, and get lots of Grandma hugs from sweet Baby B!! :)
    Hugs,
    April

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  29. Love your bee display! The framed piece is gorgeous. You're finishing is superb! Seeing as how I'm at work while typing my comment out and there's nothing here I'm happy about, lol, I will pick stuff at home: my kitties, my stitching, and my family in pictures that are in albums I can see from here!

    Take care! Happy times with Baby B, hope they're all fine post-covid.

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  30. Hi Carol! Such a lovely and inspiring post with your beautiful stitching, uplifting words, and delicious recipe. I am in bed getting ready to welcome sleep. As I look around me, three things that make me smile are listening to a little bit of classical music while I relax and read your post, a little stuff penguin I sleep with that my husband gave me when we first started dating 21 years ago, and the thought that we will have a cool night to sleep with the windows open (I really enjoy that). Have a wonderful rest of your week! ~Michelle

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  31. It's been a long while since I've done any blog reading, but yours is always one I enjoy coming to again and again. :) Your smalls display is just gorgeous as usual. Your framed piece is beautiful as well.

    You've "known" me for quite a while, but I'll play along with your question... I have a line up of a little guy that says "Have a Stress Free Day! on his tshirt, then a sunshine stress ball with a big smile and sunglasses, then a Baby Yoda, and a small baby whale with the cutest smile on his face. Then there's my perpetual calendar that has interchangeable seasonal motifs.

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  32. Beautiful stitched ornaments Carol, your display leading us bit by bit into Autumn. I love the finishing you do and the lovely frames that you choose to complement your stitching, Crows a Plenty has turned out just perfect. Wouldn´t mind one of those Banana Carrot muffins right now with my cuppa, they look delicious. Three things that make me smile right now, above my PC I have photos of the grandkids, by the tv I have the birthday cards they gave me during the week and seeing DH
    diligently doing his `memory´ exercises at the table.

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  33. Wow! A Stitch in Time is just beautiful, they did a fantastic job on the framing. I love your Summer/bee display, you have a great collection of stitching to display.
    What a lovely assortment of charts to choose from, I do love those tiered trays from Madame Chantilly, I've often looked at them to stitch myself but I can't justify buying more charts, like you I have more than enough to keep me going for many many years, lol

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  34. Thanks for sharing that muffin recipe, Carol. I made them yesterday and the grandkids all stopped after their first day of school, so they each got a healthy snack. It's one I will make again.

    I love your little crow pillow, even if they were a pain to stitch.

    How fun that you are going to get more time with that little grandson! Hope all goes well with their trip and the wedding.

    Three things making me smile tonight are: rain--we haven't had any since the first week of July and we are getting a nice one, a new fall blanket I got today, and a fall bulb catalog I keep looking at trying to narrow down my order.

    Have a good rest of the month!

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  35. Hi Carol, I am a little late to comment on your wonderful summertime post. I have very few summer stitches to put out. I need to catch up and as always you have given me so many great ideas. Like you I have been so distracted lately. That being said, your blog post was a bright spot to my day. I too enjoy the many charts I have collected. I really need to thin them out a bit, but there are some really old ones, like you, I will probably never stitch but just enjoy looking at them i.e. Paula Vaughn, and Precious Moments. I sincerely hope and pray you enjoy your time with your beautiful grandson. We are going to be gone just about all of September I plan to post some pictures of our road trip on IG. By the way, I am still enjoying the small batch chocolate cupcakes, and I plan on making my grandson some for his birthday on the 31st. Again, thank you so much for sharing and many blessings to you and yours.

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  36. I’m kinda slow getting to post my Comment to you Carol, but I have the “craziest” excuse - we lost our electricity about 5 days ago and just got it back yesterday!!! Then I had the “fun” job of cleaning out my refrigerator/freezer and all the other “fun” things that happen when the power goes out. It’s pretty weird to have no Internet, have to read in the dark with a flashlight, try to flip on a light to go to the basement and realize that won’t happen either. Anyway, power was finally restored and I was SO happy - truly a great reminder of how much we really need and LOVE electricity!

    I loved reading this posting you shared with all of us. Your bees 🐝 and sunflowers 🌻 are so beautiful! Your arrangement of all of them are so special and wonderful - perfect together especially for this time of year! And the banana/carrot muffins seem like the perfect accompaniment. (If I can ever figure out all the replacement groceries I need to get, I’m going to stir up a batch of those muffins! They look so yummy!).

    Your stitched piece “A Stitch In Time” framed by Total Framing looks just perfect to me. It looks like they did a beautiful job for you. The frame looks so nice - very complimentary. Will you use their services again?

    I really hope you have a wonderful happy time with Baby B’s visit. He will probably love getting to explore all the fun, new places in and around your home. May your family have a very happy time together! All the best to everyone!!💕

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  37. Your display is gorgeous Carol, but I think they all are! You do such a wonderful job of laying it all out and accessorizing it. I love the new additions especially Crows 'A Plenty. Tell your husband that we all enjoy seeing his flowers he has grown.

    I think your framed piece looks very nice and that is a great shade of brown! I think it looks great with that margin width but I can imagine the wider margin would look great too!

    In my opinion you should start the Autumn Tiered Tray followed by the Winter one! They are both gorgeous.

    You must be so excited and I am so happy for you! I know you will be so busy with Baby B and that all the travel plans and get togethers work out perfectly! He is at a good age to meet some new people and enjoy playing with them while being the apple of your eye! Remember to take a picture or two to share with us!

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  38. Very nice stitching and and like the proverb, do you want to make it in Stitch Along ? I you do that, I will follow you immediately.
    As I every time I come on your blog, I am amazing about your work. I stitch since a long time (since 22 years) but I have not enough beautiful thinks in my stiching collection. In my stitching workshop, all is in disorder because I started a lot of thinks (sewing and cross stitching) but nothings is done. So, when I retire I will have more time to embroider.
    Please take care and continue to show us your beautifull work,
    Friendship from Angouleme, France
    Isa

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  39. I just love your bee and sunflower display! Adorable and perfect for this time of year!

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  40. The world sure is in a terrible state right now, but for me, I feel like it mostly increases my crafting output, as I take refuge in my crafting.
    I think your late-summer display with all the lovely bees might be one of my favourites! They are all so cute, including the two new additions! That framed piece is gorgeous too, I really need to figure out professional framing around here.
    Leafing through charts (and kits, and yarn!) really is one of my greatest pleasures as well. Even at my age I probably won't use even half of what I own, but that doesn't stop me from adding to the collection!
    So, looking around, let's see...three things that make me smile. There's my husband sitting next to me, that's an easy one. There is my bookshelf behind me, and I love me some good books, so many I have yet to read in there! And there's a framed picture on my wall, a print of a drawing my best friend made.
    Hope you have a great time with your family, and that the pandemic will have mercy on your plans.

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  41. First, let me just say how much I love your blog. I wait until I have a quiet time when I can read and absorb every word and picture without interuption. Your finishing has always inspired and impressed me. I have a folder entitled finishing ideas from Stitching Dreams!

    I think your bee display is my favorite. I love bees and bee hives. Each year I say I'm going to stitch bees so I can have a bee display, but so far I haven't. After seeing your display this year, I'm starting a bee chart today! Yes, I am! I have several to choose from.

    Three things that make me smile
    1. my camera that's always beside me
    2. my childhood teddy bear, good for much needed hugs
    3. my collection of Little Golden books filled with wonderful illustrations

    I know you're excited about the upcoming grandson visit! Enjoy those extra hugs and kisses!

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  42. 1) I have a sign on the wall that says, “You make me smile every single day,”
    2) an over enthusiastic dog
    3) my stitching box next to me

    Looks like you went on a Brenda Jarvis shopping spree! How fun. I love all of your options.

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  43. Dear Carol, I got your name off Meg Donohue's blogpost. She has turned of comments and I will respect that. If you happen to get in touch with her, would you please tell her that I am thinking of her and praying for her. I have never met Meg, but I have followed her blog for about a year or so and I always enjoyed her upbeat and uplifting posts. I am a Metastatic BC survivor and it always breaks my heart to read of another's fight with this horrible disease. Thank you so much. I am glad that I found your blog and am now following it. May God watch over you.

    Lisa Buick

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  44. That is a lovely late summer display. Bees and sunflowers both make great stitching designs. I like the square pillow with the sunflower design, not sure if it is a biscornu or not.
    I also prefer blogging to any other social media for similar reasons. It's so much easier to look back at previous posts and finishes! I also love the comments. Even when I get behind.

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  45. Oh I love your bees and sunflower decorations, next year I would like to embroider some of them. What is your favorite motive of them?
    I can't tell you, there are so many beautiful patterns.
    We don't have many bees this year, which is a pity, but I discovered a few more bumblebees that were on the buddleia.
    Oh yes, your Stitch in Time has the perfect frame. A dream piece.
    What makes me smile I'm sitting in a not completely tidy room in which there are books, folders, my sewing machine and my dyed wool, which makes me smile when I see how pretty it looks and think about what you can knit with it. Then there is a picture of my son that shows him at the age of 5 on the wall and a picture of his vacation in Berlin three years ago.
    How was your time with baby b I hope everything worked out.
    Enjoy your time, Martina

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  46. Ah Carol, io ho 46 anni e so già che non riuscirò a ricamare tutti gli schemi che ho, a utilizzare tutti i fili e le tele che ho, a leggere tutti i libri che ho, ma non mi importa :))) Qualcuno se ne prenderà cura dopo di me, intanto sono felice.
    Adesso rispondo alle tue domande. In questo momento sono in ufficio e le 3 cose che mi fanno sorridere sono:
    1- le mie piante: ho una violetta che ho comprato quando sono venuta a lavorare qui, quindi ha 21 anni!
    2- un calendario che mi ha regalato a Natale il mio migliore amico
    3- una renna luminosa che mi piace accendere quando sono giù :)

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  47. I wonder if you still have your cute sunflower and bee display up as I am late in catching this post. We have cooler weather here this week and I am itching to get out all the fall decorations. I really love the sunflower pillow in your display and your two new stitches are great - the long pillow is such an interesting shape. I am on my couch in our family room which is open to our kitchen and three things that make me happy are my stitching chair where I spend many hours with my craft, the new floors we had installed earlier this year that replaced worn carpet and linoleum, and the kitchen table where we eat dinner as a family almost every night. We have so many memories at the table and we have a fun tradition of rotating seats each year on Jan 1. Your muffins look so good - I’ll have to remember the recipe next time we have some ripe bananas!

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  48. Hi

    Do u have the pattern from Liz m athews ?

    Could u email to muiquee@hotmail. Com

    Thanks

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Hello! So glad you dropped in and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I truly appreciate each and every one...I'm happy to try to answer any questions you may have, but please make sure to include your email address so I can get back to you...

Hope you have a wonderful day!
Carol