Buzzing in with some mid-August finishes

Another month half over... Can you believe it? It's been so, so dry here that our grass is burning out and our plants are withering on the vine. We got a teeny-tiny bit of rain Wednesday night--the first in over two weeks! But, certainly not enough to make a difference. We've noticed the hummingbirds staying longer at their feeder and even some non-hummingbirds stopping by that same feeder to take a sip of the nectar. I guess the poor things are just parched. I've never seen anything but hummingbirds drinking from those feeders before in my life!

August is normally my month to decorate with bees and sunflowers, but I've been feeling lazy about changing out my cross-stitch smalls so I didn't even bring out the whole collection this year. I did stitch two new bee-themed pieces, though, and created a small display using just them. 

My very small bee-themed display for August

The larger framed piece is by From the Heart NeedleArt and is called "Quaker Bees." I used the suggested overdyed threads on 40 ct. flax Newcastle and am so pleased with the final piece. It fit perfectly in this black 5X7" frame that I purchased from Marshall's--love it when that happens! I wish more designers would chart their designs to fit in standard size frames, don't you? It sure would save us a lot on framing (and leave us more money for purchasing charts, fabric, and threads!). 

"Quaker Bees" finish (with some tiny yellow flowers from our garden)

My second bee-themed finish is part of Jeannette Douglas's charming "chubby series"--may I introduce "Chubby Bee." So far she's designed Chubby Fox, Chubby Bunny, Chubby Ewe, Chubby Bird, Chubby Bee, and Chubby Squirrel. Have you stitched any of them? I have the Chubby Squirrel chart which I hope to stitch this fall. "Chubby Bee" is stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle using a combination of the suggested colors and some substitutions (the greens and the purples) that simply worked better with my chosen fabric. The year was supposed to be stitched in the middle bottom, but I don't like dates my finishes (unless they are samplers), so I simply substituted a few more flowers and vines to round out the final look.  I also added pale yellow Smyrna stitches to the flower centers.

"Chubby Bee" with a few added vines and flowers

To finish it, I created a flat round ornament and then glued it to a larger round form covered with black and beige checked gingham fabric. Then I added gold cording (just glued it on with a teeny bit of Aleene's Tacky Glue on the end of a toothpick) and topped it with a jute bow.The back is covered with a round piece of black felt. This is a very simple finish and if you're interested in trying the round shapes yourself, I highly recommend this tutorial from Pinwheel Ponders. Give it a try--it honestly isn't difficult. At my age, I don't do difficult (if I can help it, anyway :). 

I just love this little chubby guy!

Finally, I stitched yet another "Remy Rabbit" by Brooke's Books ornament for a new baby. This was the fourth time I've stitched this one! I first stitched it back in 2021 and have used the same fabric (40 ct. water green Newcastle which, sadly, is no longer available) for all four. I left off the charted border and added a variety of snowflakes to make it into an oval. Such a sweet ornament for a new baby girl. 

My fourth finish of "Remy Rabbit" for a new baby girl (I've blurred the name out for privacy)

So, what's next? I'm working on my Christmas ornament for August and another Prairie Schooler which is taking more time than I anticipated! Then, I think I'll start something for fall... How about all of you? Have you begun fall stitching yet? Any recommendations? 

More summer fun... In my last post, I shared the birthday celebrations that we held at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland in July. Today, I'll share a few photos of our week-long visit. It was so peaceful there and easily ten degrees cooler as it's in the mountains. We all enjoyed our visit so much! Here are some of the highlights...

The view from the balcony outside our bedroom.

  

This part of the lake was very quiet--perfect for kayaking and paddleboarding. That tiny figure in the front of the kayak is Mister B! He is becoming much more comfortable with the water and really enjoyed his time by the lake.

We all loved this firepit set-up under the tall shady oak trees. It was a perfect place to read, snooze, watch the water fun, or hold Baby N (definitely my favorite activity!).

When we wanted a break from the water activities, we ventured over to  Swallow Falls State Park which stretches over 250 acres. Of course, we just hiked a tiny bit of it since we had two-month old Baby N in tow. We'll just have to go back again to explore more when he is older! It was quite crowded that day, but I'm sure it must be a beautiful park in all seasons. 

Hiking along the creek

  

One of the pretty waterfalls we spotted along our path

Mister B and nature--two of my favorite things!

 

On our drive back to the AirBnb, I spotted these cute musicians made entirely of old farm machinery parts  displayed in a farmer's field. Aren't they clever? 

Back at the rental home, we all kept busy with puzzles, and Legos, and games. Mister B sure loved having all of his uncles and aunts there to play with. I had brought a giant bin of Legos (saved for decades from when my sons were small) and all the guys had a great time creating space bases  with them and having pretend battles. It really warmed my heart to watch them having so much fun together.  

Mister B playing chess with his uncle, adding to his Lego space base, fishing (no luck), and watching the ducks walk up the dock to say hello. When it came time to leave on Friday, he cried and asked his daddy if we couldn't just buy the house and all live there forever. I'm so happy we can create these wonderful memories for him each summer! 

We got very lucky with the weather and it only rained all day the final day we were there! Hope we can return again next year. If you haven't visited the Deep Creek Lake area in Maryland, I highly recommend it!

Such a happy week with family!

Our garden has struggled this year, but we still managed to grow a few pretty flowers and some juicy tomatoes. 

Such royal colors from our glads this year!

 

The sunflowers in our garden always make me smile with their bright yellow and brown heads. The goldfinches love to visit and eat their seeds, too.

Oh, how I love the salmon color of this geranium. I'm thinking of trying to propagate it and overwinter the cuttings--any advice?

My husband is loving this time of year with all the fresh tomatoes. I don't eat them, but he is in heaven!

And that brings me to the end of yet another post. Oh, wait! I forgot to announce the winner of the "Christmas Sampler" chart that I offered in my previous post... The winner of this sweet design is...

Isabel (from Alromasar blog) 

 

Isabel (from Alromasar blog) you are the winner of this chart! Please let me know your mailing address and I'll get this out to you soon!

We are having a sweet little visitor for the next four days! Can you guess who? Yes, Mister B finally got up his nerve to come visit Nonna and Pampa all by himself. Today, we are meeting our son and daughter-in-law half-way to pick him up and then he'll be staying with us until Tuesday. I love seeing his excitement over coming all on his own (each time we chat on FaceTime). We've been working on this for almost two years now, hoping he would become brave enough to make a solo visit. I think he's very excited to be doing something that his baby brother can't! We have lots of fun plans in the works to keep him busy and, hopefully, to keep any homesickness at bay. We'll certainly be tired, but a good kind of tired at the end of each day.

Thank you to all who take the time to comment and say hello after each post--I truly look forward to hearing from you! I know blogging isn't really "in style" these days, so I'm glad that there are a few of you who still pop in for a vis each month. Hope the rest of August is good to you--stay cool! Bye for now... 

Blue, blue, my heart loves blue!

Surprise! I'm back again after just one week... I am here today with a very special post--all about my favorite color and a truly lovely collection of threads. Those of you who are long-time readers know I love blue of any shade: aquamarine, turquoise, royal, navy, cornflower, robin's egg, periwinkle. You name a blue hue and the mere thought of it brings a smile. So when my Instagram friend (and quilt designer extraordinaire!), Wendy Sheppard, asked me if I would like to stitch a project with her wonderful Aurifil Indigo Collection, I couldn't stop with just one project--I made three! And guess what?! You have your chance to win your very own Indigo collection on the Aurifil blog. Simply click on this link and go to auribuzz.com to read my interview and enter this special giveaway. To read my interview, just scroll down until you come to the giant (yikes!!) photo of my Christmas tree and me :)

A trio of winter-themed finishes using Aurifil's "Indigo by Wendy Sheppard" collection

Oh, how I loved this floss from Aurifil! This was the first time I had used it and I truly adored everything about it--the wonderful coverage, the way it smoothly glides through the linen, the large amount you get on each of those long, wooden spools. Not to mention the luscious colors! Wendy's Indigo collection is truly stunning. 

Isn't the outside of the box gorgeous?

Inside, you'll find these colors included:
50wt: 4140, 2815, 5008, 2805, 2310
Aurifloss: 4644, 4140, 2815, 5008, 2805

So, what did I choose to stitch with this glorious blue Aurifloss? Well, first up is the "January Quaker" design by "From the Heart Needleart." This incorporates three colors from the Indigo Collection: 4644 for the darker blue, 5008 for the medium, and 2805 for the light blue. I love how it turned out on the 40 ct. white Newcastle linen that I chose. It just looks like a cold, frosty January morning, doesn't it? The simple 5" X 7" chippy, blue frame was one I had purchased at Marshall's last year and it was a perfect fit.

"January Quaker"

 

Of course I just had to stitch an ornament (or two!) with those pretty blues so I chose a design by Renato Parolin (a free chart on the Ric-amiamo Facebook page in the files section). This lovely design called "Inverno" is one I had stitched before for a gift for a stitching friend. This one will be just for me, though, and I'll count it as my June ornament. Once again, I used 40 ct. white Newcastle linen and chose Aurifloss in 5008. I also added a few Swarovski crystals to the snowflakes and tree top to add to the frosty look. The cording is made of the same thread and I finished it off with a gauzy double blue/gray bow and a silver snowflake charm.

"Inverno" by Renato Parolin

My third finish is a sweet  snowflake design from the book "A Rainbow of Stitches" by Agnès Delage-Calvet. Aurifloss 4140 was used on 40 ct. white Newcastle. Once again, I used the same thread to make the cording leaving a long tail at the bottom. The printed snowflake ribbon was a perfect match for the thread so I made a little bow of it and hung a snowflake charm underneath. This will, most likely, be a gift for a stitching friend at Christmas time.

A simple snowflake design by Agnès Delage-Calvet

I first bonded with Wendy when I found out she had a passion for blue and white like I do. I made a comment on one of her Instagram photos when I saw she had a couple of Dedham bunnies like those I collect. She doesn't actually collect the bunnies like I do, but she does have a wonderful collection of blue and white English Transferware. I thought you might like to see my Pottery Barn cubby this month--filled with my sweet blue and white Dedham bunny collection.

 

As I mentioned in the article on the Auribuzz blog, I also have a small collection of Delft pottery from The Netherlands passed on to me by my dear mother. She and my dad brought these home from a European holiday in the late 1960s.

Three treasures from my mom--she loved blue and white as much as I did!

This Delft candlestick was a gift from my mother-in-law. The pineapple was my mom's, and the cross-stitch piece is an older one by Marjolein Bastin that I stitched back in 2004. This little vignette sits on a round table in my living room (which, of course, has blue painted walls!).

My kitchen is mostly white with lots of blue accents including this old quilt found in my mother-in-law's linen closet. I don't know the history of it, but it is tattered and well-loved and made a perfect table covering in my kitchen this winter. 

Love the cozy feeling this blue and white quilt added to my kitchen table this past winter!

 

So, who is with me? I know there are other blue and white lovers out there and I hope you enjoyed my post today! I also hope you'll visit the Aurifil blog to read my interview and see a few more photos. You can do so by clicking right here. And while you're there, don't forget to enter to win the beautiful 10 spool Indigo collection by Wendy. I know you'll love Aurifloss as much as I do--why not give it a try? Thank you so much, Wendy, for asking me to join the very talented group of quilters and stitchers for your "Shades of Blue" thread hop--it was an honor. Bye for now...

The red, the white, and the blue...

Happy July! I hope everyone in the U.S. had a relaxing Fourth Of July weekend... It was a quiet one here, but we'll make up for it when my entire family gathers in San Diego this coming week to celebrate three birthdays, a job change, and our upcoming 44th wedding anniversary. Needless to say, I can't wait for the fun to begin! Before I get into my stitching news, I want to thank all of you who offered suggestions on how to deal with my vertigo. I purchased some of the items suggested (motion sickness bands and anti-nausea meds) to have on hand if (please, no!!) it returns. Thankfully, I'm feeling better now and am just going to think positively!  

So, on to stitching updates. I had really hoped to have this latest finish done by the Fourth of July, but it took longer to stitch than I expected. That's okay, though, as I leave my patriotic stitching up for most of the summer... I'll switch over to sunflowers and bees in mid-August. This is the first piece I've stitched by "From the Heart Needleart," but it won't be the last... such an enjoyable design! "Let Freedom Ring" was stitched on 40 ct. sand Newcastle with a combination of the suggested threads and my own choices. The substitutions made were: I used Needle Necessities #142 (Grecian Olive) for the green, Nina's Threads (Old Jeans) for the blue, and DMC 3865 for the white. The other colors were as suggested by the designer. I did change the beak on the eagle to the gold color as well as its claws. And instead of using cross stitches for the flagpole, I did a simple straight stitch.

"Let Freedom Ring" by From the Heart Needleart

 

Once again, a thrifted frame came to the rescue! My middle son had picked up this simple frame for me at Goodwill for $2.00 (I have him look for square frames whenever he goes!).  I painted it with Waverly chalk paint (using the color "Plaster") and then lightly distressed it with a bit of sandpaper. It was too wide for the stitched piece so I simply sewed on two star-strewn pieces of fabric in burgundy and blue, added a strip of gold ric-rak, and topped it off with a yo-yo and a couple of buttons. A very inexpensive, but cute, finish! I love it!

Love the flag carrying eagle!

 

Last week, I was putting away some things in my guest room when I spotted this sweet little scene on top of the dresser and it just made me happy. So, why not share it with you? The reading bunny was a Mother's Day gift from my youngest son a few years ago and the stitching is a piece that I finished way back in 2009--my very first year of blogging.  I wonder if there are any readers that remember my blog from way back then? That was the year I was stitching an "Ornament a Week"--crazy, right? I don't know how I did it given the fact that I was still working at the time... Most of those early blogging friends have left the blog world behind and have turned to Facebook or Flosstube. I really miss them, but I'm so happy to have you new readers along for the ride!

Reading books and stitching--two of my favorite things!

 

This chart can be found in the August 2000 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine--a sweet design by The Drawn Thread called "Summer Scene." I think this may have been one of the very first pieces I stitched on linen. I remember being a bit overwhelmed by all of the specialty stitches in it: Hungarian stitches on the roof, leviathan stitches on the front door, Smyrna stitches for the flowers, woven leaf stitches for the tree leaves, reversed cushion stitch on the sidewalk; and everyone's favorite--the French knot for the flower centers. It was a challenge, but I truly love how it turned out. I mean who doesn't love a giant cat in their front yard? This remains one of my favorite finishes even though it is 12 years old! Do you have any old favorites that just make you smile when you walk by them?

"Summer Scene" by The Drawn Thread

 

I took a few photos of my 4th of July display to post on Instagram which might provide some inspiration to those of you who love red, white, and blue stitching as much as I do. These were stitched over the past twelve years; I usually stitch two or three patriotic pieces each summer. After Christmas stitching, patriotic stitching is my favorite (although bunnies for spring and Easter are rapidly multiplying, too!). 

So many memories in these little pillows...

Red, white, and blue stitches are taking over my kitchen!

Believe it or not--there are more patriotic finishes in my corner cupboard which I didn't photograph! I think I've gotten a bit carried away with them, but they sure are fun to stitch and finish...

Reading update... The reading bunny seated in the blue chair, that I showed you earlier, was a perfect gift for me being a former librarian. I know many of you love to read, too, and might enjoy seeing what I've read so far in 2021. I rated them with blue hearts (five being the most-liked) and am so surprised that I've already read 25 books this year. I am not a fast reader... I tend to fall asleep when I read. But, I do have an audiobook and a Kindle book in progress at all times. I love listening to the audiobooks when I stitch, cook, or work on my finishes (or when I'm trying to get in my 10,000 steps by just walking around in the house)! Some have been very good, some only so-so; the number of blue hearts tell you what I thought of each one. Do you have any recommendations for me?

Books read and rated so far in 2021

 

I passed on all of your compliments about our garden to my husband--thank you so much. He's really enjoying digging in the soil this summer and I told him the garden and yard have never looked better. He's even set up a drip irrigation system to water the plants when we are away on trips! Lately, we've seen lots of wildlife in our backyard... a doe and her twin fawns, lots of groundhogs, and a Great Blue Heron visiting our pond. The pond is stocked with a couple dozen very large koi and a few smaller fish as well as a newly arrived snapping turtle (where he came from, we have no idea!). The heron waits patiently on the bank of the pond until just the right moment... Then he rapidly snatches one of the smaller fish out of the water with his long bill. I think the koi are too big for the heron to eat, thankfully...

The Great Blue Heron patiently waiting for his breakfast to appear

Email subscriptions... You may notice a new white box in the upper right sidebar to sign up for email subscriptions. Recently Google has announced that it was stopping their feedburner subscription service so I had to switch to follow.it. The very helpful staff at follow.it have transferred my existing active subscribers for "Stitching Dreams" to their service so, if you have already subscribed, you should still receive email notifications each time I put up a new post. They may look a bit different than the previous emails--I have no control over this... If you're not receiving notifications, you may have to subscribe again in the white box. 

I'll be on a little blogging break while in San Diego celebrating my grandson's first birthday. I will be able to read your blogs, but won't be able to comment as my phone won't let me for some reason... I hope you all have a wonderful month ahead with lots of time to relax and enjoy the season. Thank you, one and all, for visiting me today--I love my readers! Bye for now...

The peaceful view from our front porch as the sun sets on the Fourth of July. "Day is done, gone the sun. From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest. God is nigh..." (lyrics to "Taps")