Stitching a Scurry of Squirrels

Good September morning to you my friends! And here we are sprinting toward the end of yet another month. I know some of you have been wondering if my September bowl of smalls would ever be done and I'm happy to say...yes, I finally finished five new little designs for it. I've stumbled upon a new "addiction" so to speak, though. I finally discovered what many of you have been raving about: Downton Abbey! Over the past week, I watched the entire first and second seasons on DVD. That is a total of 16 hours of television viewing--which means lots of stitching time, too. It was a bit harder to stitch during this program, though, as I hardly dared turn my face from the screen for fear of missing those wonderful period details and the telling expressions on the actors' faces. I am so envious of my British friends who have already had the pleasure of beginning Season Three. Are you enjoying it? I can hardly wait until January 6th, 2013 when it will be making it's way to American television! I know many of you (probably most of you!) have already seen it, but for those of you who haven't, I highly recommend it...

So, I know you're not here to listen to me prattle on about Downton Abbey, are you? No one was able to guess what my theme was for my September bowl...Many of you guessed apples or pumpkins; both good ideas, but in the end I went with...squirrels!! Here in western Pennsylvania, we have an abundance of squirrels...red squirrels, gray squirrels, even an occasional albino squirrel! I so enjoy sitting in my kitchen watching their antics as they try to figure out how to break into the bird feeder and scamper away with the birdseed. So, in honor of these entertaining, sometimes annoying, little fellows...here are my five September squirrel creations...

September 2012 Squirrel Finishes

The first squirrel creeping into my September bowl is "French Country Squirrel" by JBW Designs. I love this design that is made up of tiny autumn-themed motifs. Can you spot the pumpkin, the owl, the acorn, the bird, the basket, the heart, and the miniature squirrels? So creative!! I stitched this one over one on 25 ct. mushroom lugana with WDW's "Sweet Potato" thread. I found a tiny brass acorn charm in my stash so I gave that to the squirrel to hold rather than stitching the acorns that were charted. I then added a pretty orange ruched ribbon, backed the circle with the fabric shown, and called it a finish!

 "French Country Squirrel" by JBW Designs

This Trilogy piece called "Autumn Tree" is my next finish. These little trees must really appeal to me because I've now stitched their "Cheer" tree as well as their Spooky tree. I used 40 ct. flax Newcastle linen with an assortment of autumn colored overdyeds for this one. I thought the leaf fabric picked up the colors of the leaves on the trees really well so I sewed a simple pillow with some orange ric rak peaking out. A very quick finish!

 "Autumn Tree" by The Trilogy

I've had this piece of gold-toned Jobelan in my stash for the longest time and I'm thrilled to finally have found something to use it for. I wish you could see the true color--in the photo it is looking a bit washed out, but it really is the loveliest golden autumn shade. Midnight Stitching is the designer of this piece called "Quaker Acorn I." I believe this is the first time I've stitched one of their designs and I truly enjoyed it.  I used WDW's "Mocha" thread and finished it with a simple edging treatment of coppery brown beads.

 "Quaker Acorn I" by Midnight Stitching

Next we come to the design that ended up taking most of my time this month! Wow! I had forgotten how much time a single block of Hawk Run Hollow pieces can take!! This block is from Carriage Hill Samplings "Autumn At Hawk Run Hollow," but if you've stitched it yourself, you'll notice a big change. In the charted design there is a big white sheep under the left side of the tree. Well, we don't see many sheep in my part of the world--let alone in the woods! So, I substituted two little squirrels sharing (fighting over?) a single acorn.  I also changed the color of the grass to a darker shade than charted and left off two of the acorns on the right side. I'm very pleased with how it turned out even though the over one stitching on this one about drove me crazy. It is stitched on 28 ct. light taupe lugana using DMC threads and the fabric shown behind it is what I used to back the small pillow.  If you look closely, you can spy a tiny heart carved into the tree with the first initials of my husband and myself...

 

 Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow (Fourth Block)

And finally, a design from one of my favorite designer's... Homespun Elegance, called "Joyful Autumn." This stitched up fairly quickly on 28 ct. cafe mocha linen. Again, it is stitched "over one" using Crescent Colours "Hazelnut" and DMC 3787 for the squirrel. I did make one change and flipped the squirrel so he was facing into the design rather than away from it. Using a black and tan gingham fabric I finished it into a simple pillow and adorned it with two tiny acorns hung from some gold cording (leftover from the cording on my pillow shown above). Isn't that wooden squirrel adorable--he is part of a pair that once belonged to my dear grandmother. I think of her whenever I bring them out for fall decorating...

 "Joyful Autumn" by Homespun Elegance

Here is a closeup of the acorn embellishement for you. I found these wee acorns at the library one day when I was walking into work amidst piles of normal size acorns. Aren't they cute? I never dreamed I would end up using them in a finish, but here they are! I enlisted the help of my husband who drilled a hole in the top of each acorn cap (after I separated the cap from the acorn) with a dremel tool. Then I simply slipped in the cording, tied a knot so it wouldn't pull through all the way, and glued the acorn cap back on. Simply add a wooden button and you've got a unique trim for your finished fall pillows...

 

 Close-up of acorn embellishment

And here are the five finishes all together? I think my favorite is the block from Autumn At Hawk Run Hollow, but the French Country Squirrel is a close second. How about yours?

September 2012 finishes

And what would a squirrel do without some acorns to keep him happy and healthy? I found this tutorial for making little fabric acorns to be most helpful. We don't have an oak tree in our yard, but, luckily, the ones on the grass at my library are free for the picking! These stitch up very quickly and I think they add a playful touch to my display.

 Fabric acorns

So, nine bowls down...three to go! When I began this "monthly bowl" journey in January, I really wondered if I could come up with enough new finishes every month to fill the bowl. Well, it looks like I might just achieve my dream... IF I can get through the next three very, very busy months. I am so appreciative of all your supportive comments and suggestions along the way. They make me want to keep creating! Below is the final September bowl along with the Prairie Schooler September squirrel that I finished and framed a few years back...

 

   September 2012 bowl of finishes

 Here is a closeup shot for you...

 

 And another...

Squirrels were even included in my gift-giving this month! One of my very first blogging friends, Myra, celebrated a birthday last week so I wanted to send her a new ornament for her lovely Halloween tree. I fell in love with Fancey Blackett and The Harvest Dance last fall when I saw it on several blogs so I chose to stitch just a portion of it for Myra. The dancing duo just make me smile each time I see them. Can't you just picture a lively group of skinny witches and giant squirrels dancing the night away in some distant forest? This Pineberry Lane design is one of my favorites and I hope to stitch the entire piece for myself next year. Myra's pillow was stitched with the suggested DMC threads on 40 ct. flax Newcastle linen. And take a look at that orange fabric on the bottom...it is adorned with the cutest little black paw prints. Perfect for Halloween and for my dear friend Myra, who is a huge animal lover. I wish you a most happy year ahead, Myra, with lots of stitching time thrown in...

 Gift for Myra:
 Motif from Fancey Blackett and The Harvest Dance

A SPECIAL THANK YOU... I was so pleased to receive a copy of her new book, Cozy Wool Applique Pillows,  from my friend, Liz, who blogs over at Sunflower Fields Pattern Co.. I've been following Liz's blog since she first started it and am just enthralled with her little wool applique creations. Her book is filled with such creative and fun little pillows--I love it!! I'm not sure I have the talent to create one myself, but I hope to get up my nerve and try my hand at wool applique some day. Her book sales are doing very well and she is now planning another one for children as well. Go check out her blog and tell her I sent you--you'll love her adorable creations! Thanks so much, Liz, for sharing your book and your friendship! 

Gift from Liz: "Cozy Wool Applique Pillows"

Whew--I was certainly long-winded today, wasn't I? I'm so sorry for writing a "book" here, but I sure hope you enjoyed my "squirrely" post.  I'll be out of the loop for a while now due to our upcoming belated anniversary trip to Asheville, NC and also my trip to visit my parents up in New York State in October. I will miss all of you, but will catch up with everyone when I return. Thank you, as always for all of your wonderful comments, emails, and friendships--you fellow stitchers are the best!! Bye for now...

This and that

Good morning, my blogging buddies! I hope this post finds you enjoying September in all of it's glory. I am loving this cooler weather and the sounds and smells that only autumn can bring. I took a stroll around our yard and gardens yesterday and, even though things are slowly withering and fading away, fall has a beauty all its own, don't you think? I just love the way the light shines in autumn--there is something so appealing about the way it streams through the windows and illuminates the house in a softer, quieter way than the harsh rays of summer. The world of nature is slowing down and preparing to rest for winter and that slower pace of life is so appealing to me right now...

I've been stitching a bit--not as much as I'd like, but I've still managed to get a few things finished... I've also started on my monthly "bowl" finishes for September, too--any guesses as to what my theme will be? My Christmas ornament for August is this winsome snowman. I mean really, who can resist that face? Doesn't he resemble Winston Churchill a bit? Well, I think that is what the designer intended as the name of this chart is "Winston the Snowman." It is a Trilogy chart which I stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen using the recommended overdyed threads with a couple of small substitutions.

I did make some minor changes to the original design; I added little snowflakes (Smyrna stitches) falling around the snowman and also added a handle to his umbrella. Winston is backed with a blue checked fabric that picks up the colors of his scarf. I then finished him off with blue cording and a wire hanger made by simply stretching out a spring--a super easy finish!

"Winston the Snowman" by The Trilogy

September's ornament is a companion piece to my December 2011 ornament which you can see about in this post. This is simply the motif at the top of the "Woodland Peace" sampler from the February 1993 issue of Leisure Arts Magazine. I wish the true color came through (my camera is wonderful, but reds always tend to look a bit "off" for some reason)--it is more of a cherry red than this fire engine red that seems to be showing (on my monitor at least). I used DMC 304 and stitched it over one on 28 ct. white evenweave.

This is a perfect example of how you can turn a very simple design into something a bit more special by adding various fabrics and trims. Isn't it cute? I love those miniature bells and the engraved silver button--I think they give the piece a nice, old-fashioned appeal. So, I'm now caught up with my monthly ornament stitching--whew! This has obviously been a year of stitching smalls for me and I'm so proud to say that I've been keeping up with my finishing for a change. (Of course, I still have a drawer full of things I've stitched, but not finished, from years past--I wonder if I'll ever find the time to get to them?).

"Woodland Peace" from an old Leisure Arts magazine

I stitched a couple of birthday gifts for friends last month which were well received. For my sweet friend, Linda, I made this small pin pillow. "Blessed Be" is a freebie from Plum Pudding NeedleArt which you can find right here. This is the second time I've stitched this one and the second time I've given it away! The third time will be one I keep (I hope!). It is stitched on 40 ct. flax Newcastle using DMC threads. I used a gold colored fabric (from a cloth napkin) and a bit of black ric-rak to finish it off quite simply. Linda told me she'll be displaying it in her office along with some of her own lovely stitching this autumn.

For my dear friend, Lois in Northern Ireland, I made this Homespun Elegance design ("Crows Treat" from the Tiny Stuff II booklet). If this looks familiar, it's because I made another similar one for myself which I showed you in my last post. Can you spot the differences? I simply made hers into a long pillow with the gingham fabric on the bottom and mine is a wide pillow with the fabric on the side. I also stitched the buttons on Lois's with a gold thread and used black on mine. This one, like the one I showed you last month, was stitched on 32 ct. dirty linen using good old DMC threads. I'm so glad you liked your birthday gift, Lois--I wish you a most happy year ahead!

Another special stitching friend sent me a delightful package of goodies this week--all the way from England! June, one of the most generous people I know, surprised me with this fun sewing themed tote bag along with some pretty fabric (in blue and yellow--my favorite color combination, no less!!), and ribbon. The bag will be so handy for storing charts or fabric--we stitchers can never have too much storage, can we? And I just love the little handmade cards you included, June!! What a talented person you are--thank you so very much! If you haven't visited June's blog, please stop by and say "hello!" She is always so warm and welcoming...


So, are any of you beer lovers? I'm not in the least, but all the guys in my life are, so in an effort to do something as a family, we all attended the 6th annual Steel City Big Pour beer tasting event on Saturday. In addition to my husband and three sons, we were lucky enough to have my youngest son's girlfriend from Washington, D.C., my brother-in-law from Indiana, and my nephew from Kentucky joining us. I was the DD (Designated Driver), but I didn't feel like I missed out on any of the fun. There were some tasty and unusual food samples from local restaurants and even home-made sodas--the root beer was my "drink of choice" that evening. I've heard there were over 2000 people in attendance--a bit many for me as I tend to do better in small groups, but I had my "posse" of men with me so all was well!











This was a charity event to benefit a Pittsburgh organization called "Construction Junction" which recycles used building materials and household items. The beer-tasting was held in their warehouse so the decor included rows and rows of used sinks, doors, windows, and (ahem) toilets just waiting for new homes. A true handyman's dream!! I loved the names of the different craft breweries--so fun and creative: Dogfish Head, Duck-Rabbit, Flying Dog, and by far the most interesting name: Smuttynose! Who thinks of these names anyway? While most of the crowd was male, there were also a fair number of females in attendance. There were even a couple of craft booths which I missed, but my son's girlfriend did manage to stop at one and make him a cute beer koozie all decorated with his name and the Pittsburgh Steeler's logo. Hmm... now that I know she's crafty, I might just have to introduce her to cross stitch! What do you think?


I'll leave you with a little beer-themed humor (in the photo on the right) that I've seen popping up on the internet lately, but perhaps it's new to you. Apologies to the men in my life, but this just cracked me up...

Whatever you have planned for your weekend, I hope it's filled with things that make you smile. Thank you all for your comments and emails; even though I've never met most of you, I consider you true friends and I'm always so happy to hear from you! I'll be working at the library ALL weekend, but I plan on finding some time in the evenings for stitching. Hope you find some, too! Bye for now...

For the Love of Sunflowers: Part II

Greetings from your long-lost friend! I'm sure many of you wondered if I would ever post again... Not only was I traveling a lot this month with trips to North Carolina, New York, and Ohio, but I also really seemed to lose my blogging "mojo." I still enjoyed reading and commenting on your blogs, but, as far as putting a post together... well, let's just say, I don't think I've ever had a month with only one post in the nearly four years I've been blogging. I sure hope this doesn't become a chronic problem for me. It has made me ponder when I will stop blogging altogether. I mean I'm sure I won't be blogging when I'm 85, right? 80? I doubt it--I'll be lucky if I can still thread a needle by then! How about all of you? What helps you get through the blogging "blahs?" Do you ever wonder how long you'll keep blogging?

Luckily, I've still been stitching--haven't lost any interest in that at all! Many of you were spot on when you guessed that my monthly theme for August would be sunflowers. I made it easy on you when I said it was one of my favorite things... They are listed right in my profile in my sidebar! So, to see what designs have made it into my monthly bowl, let's get started...

August 2012 sunflower finishes

You all know what a Prairie Schooler lover I am and two of my sunflower finishes for the month are PS designs. I actually used the June block (without the wording) from "Summer & Winter" (Book No. 91) to create this first piece. I loved the colors in it and when I discovered these fabrics in my stash, I thought they complemented them perfectly! The orangey-red strip is from a cloth napkin I purchased at Kohl's last month and the plaid is just a scrap of sample upholstery fabric from Jo-Ann's! Don't they look like they were made to go with this design?! The mama bird and her babies are stitched on 40 ct. flax Newcastle using the suggested DMC threads.

Prairie Schooler: "Summer & Winter" (June block)

This Heart In Hand design called "Sunflower Sampler" may just be my favorite finish for the month. I stitched it over one on 25 ct. mushroom lugana using overdyed threads (a mix and match of whatever looked right to me!). Then I sewed it into this cute little pillow using a brown print and a yellow and brown polka-dot fabric... Top it with the rope-like trim and a little yellow yo-yo adorned with a speckled cocoa colored button and...voilà!

Heart In Hand: "Sunflower Sampler"

Or, maybe this other Prairie Schooler finish for August is my favorite--it's so hard to decide! For this one, I stitched just a portion of the PS Birdhouse Sampler from Book No. 45: "Garden Samplers." I used the suggested DMC colors and stitched it over one on a 28 ct. khaki evenweave. I just love how tiny and delicate it looks stitched over one. I added an additional blackbird at the bottom of the birdhouse, backed it with the cheery print fabric shown, and finished it with a simple cording to match the sunflowers. Cute! Cute! Cute!

Prairie Schooler Birdhouse

This Homespun Elegance Design is called "Crow's Treat" and is from the "Tiny Stuff II" booklet. It stitched up very quickly on 30 ct. dirty linen with the suggested DMC threads. Aren't the satin stitched sunflowers sweet? They give this simple piece some nice dimension along with the addition of the wee black buttons. I love using gingham in my finishes (as you've probably been able to tell!), but I especially love it in the fall--it just gives finished pillows a nice cozy feeling.

"Crow's Treat" by Homespun Elegance

Next up, is Lizzie Kate's August Stamp Flip-It. I like to have a piece included in each monthly bowl that has name of the month stitched on it and this seemed to fit the bill perfectly. It is stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen using whatever overdyed threads I had in my collection. The colors in the fabric I used for the backing of this flat mounted ornament pick up the colors in the stitching beautifully, don't they?

Lizzie Kate's August Stamp Flip-It

My final sunflower finish is a freebie called Manuela's Sunflower that you can find right here. I stitched this a few years ago, but finally finished it off into a tufted pincushion just last week. I left off the outer border, added some brown beads, and turned it on a diagonal. I'm not sure what linen was used, but I know I used the recommended DMC colors. It is backed with a cheery yellow floral print that perfectly matches the colors in the sunflowers.

Manuela's Sunflower freebie

Here are all six August finishes grouped together...So, what do you think? Do you have a favorite?

August 2012 sunflower finishes

And that completes my 8th bowl of finishes for the year--can you believe summer is just about over and fall is right around the corner? I'm so happy with how these sunflower finishes turned out--very cheery and just perfect for this time of year...And my sunflowers even cooperated and two lovely smaller ones bloomed just in time to take the photo yesterday!

August bowl of sunflower finishes

But wait--look closely! There is one finish there that I haven't described yet. Look in the back right corner--can you see that darling Country Cottage "Sunflower Alphabet?" This little beauty came to me as a surprise from my friend Linda as a very late birthday gift (I had to laugh when she told me it was actually for my birthday back in 2011!! It's never too late to remember someone's birthday, especially when the gift is as adorable as this one!) . When Linda read my blog last month, she just knew that sunflowers would be my theme for August (she knows me well!) and decided to get her gift to me as soon as possible so I wouldn't stitch it myself (indeed, I had already pulled this CCN chart!). I just love your gift, Linda--your stitching is so, so perfect. After she had finished stitching it, she sent it away to be beautifully finished into a flatfold by Vonna. Two very talented ladies, I'd say!! Linda just loved the sweet green bow that Vonna added and I have to agree--it makes me smile whenever I see it. Thank you again, Linda--your sweet gift is, indeed, the perfect addition to my August "bowl!"

Gift from Linda--thank you so very much!!

Our hot and sunny summer has been perfect weather for the sunflowers in our garden this year. I never remember them reaching the heights they have this August--many were too tall to even cut! The tallest are probably over 12 feet tall with thick, green stalks almost two inches in diameter... The bees just go crazy over all of that lovely yellow pollen. If you click the photo below, you can even see a trio of pollen-drunk bees on the middle sunflower...

Sunflower gardens: Summer 2012

In early August, we gathered for our annual family trip/reunion in North Carolina's lovely Outer Banks. Our house this year was in South Nags Head and was large enough to accommodate all 23 of us! Unfortunately, the older I get, the less I can take the sun. Even when slathered with plenty of sunscreen and sitting under an umbrella, I seem to develop a red, hive-like rash on my arms. Not exactly something I want to remember from my trip! Anyway, it was great to catch up with my husband's whole family who are spread throughout several states. Would you believe this is the 28th consecutive year the whole family has vacationed there? We missed a couple of years due to me just having given birth in 1988 and an early school start back in the 90s, but it has been a great way for my sons to really get to know their cousins. Now that the "kids" are all grown, they tend to just come for a few days, but this year, we were lucky enough to have all three sons there for a full week. Here are some of the scenes from the week and the pretty salmon-colored beach house that we so enjoyed...

Nags Head 2012

View from our third floor deck

The dunes and sea grasses looking down the beach

It is beautiful at night, too!

Believe it or not, I actually do have a couple more pieces to show you--gifts I stitched for friends and a new Christmas ornament finish, but I'll save those until next time. I want to welcome my newest followers--so glad you're here! And I want to send a huge "thank you" to all of my dear friends who leave comments or send emails just to say "hi" or to tell me that my blog has inspired them in some way. I truly appreciate each and every one of you so very much.

Happy Labor Day weekend to my U.S. stitching friends--I hope you'll find many relaxing moments to sit and stitch a while. I'll be working at the library on Saturday (oh, the life of a public servant!), so my weekend will be a bit shorter, but I'm still looking forward to a nice picnic dinner on Monday with my family. Hopefully, I'll be back soon! Bye for now...

Star-Spangled Stitching!

Good morning all! I was overwhelmed by so many kind comments and anniversary wishes on my last post--thank you all very, very much!! Your words certainly made it easier to deal with the fact that my husband was so far away on our 35th anniversary. I'm very happy to have him home again, all safe and sound...I don't think we had ever been apart on our anniversary before. But, there was a silver lining to his being in Alaska--I had a lot of free time to stitch (along with the fact that I didn't have to cook all week!). And here is what sprang from my needle. Yes, my finishes for my July bowl are complete--and just in time since a new month begins on Wednesday! Not all of these were done this past week, of course; I've been working on them throughout the month. They're a bit late for the 4th of July, but with the Olympics going on, I've thoroughly enjoyed working with all the red, white, and blue threads and fabrics.

July patriotic finishes

So would you like to see how I finished each one of them? Well, here we go! First up, is this adorable design by Heart in Hand. I'll have to admit, the whole time I was stitching this, I kept thinking of two of my sons. No, they don't remind me of long-legged birds, but the little red and white banner draped over the bird is almost exactly like the University of Richmond crest which is where my youngest and oldest sons graduated from. Do you see the resemblance? "4th of July Bird" is stitched on 36 ct. Belfast linen with the suggested DMC and overdyed threads. I stitched the gold "Cecilia's star" (first time I've ever done that particular specialty stitch--or even heard of it!) in place of the flag charm because the colors on the flag charm just didn't coordinate well. It worked out nicely because I ended up making cording of that same gold and I think the color is a perfect accent. The blue star fabric shown behind is what I used to back the tiny pillow. I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

Prairie Schooler designs always seem to make their way into my monthly "bowls" and July is no exception. This patriotic heart (using a bright--for PS designs anyway--DMC 311 blue) is from Book No. 13: A Prairie Year. It is stitched with the suggested DMC threads on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen. For the pillow, I combined two blue fabrics--a stripe and a dotted sort of blue. Topped with a burgundy button and a white star, I think the whole effect is quite classy looking. This is probably my favorite finish of the month, but it's hard to say!

The Lizzie Kate July Flip-It Stamp is my next finish... Another example of taking a very simple design and adding fabrics and trims to turn it into something special! Again, I used 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen (I love that stuff because the whites show up quite well on it) and whatever overdyed threads I had in my stash. I did make a few changes in this one (of course!). I changed the color of the word "July" to match that of the watermelon. I also sewed black matte Mill Hill beads on for the seeds. The original design had ants on the finish, but I decided to leave those off. The striped and solid blue fabrics are both from old shirts (go through those closets everyone--you never know what goodies you'll find!) and I finished this one off with some rope-like trim and a little yo-yo made of the blue fabric. Cute!!

This little cutie is called "Summer House" and is a Little House Needleworks design (it was an old freebie which I don't see available any longer on the internet). For this one I used 40 ct. flax Newcastle with a variety of overdyed threads. If you wonder why I use so many 40 ct. fabrics, it is so the pillows will turn out small enough to fit in the bowl. I actually think I stitch faster on 40 ct., too, because you only have to use one strand of thread and there are no worries about twisting as there are when using two strands. I chose a red and white gingham reminiscent of a summery picnic tablecloth and some red ric-rak to finish it off very simply.


Finally, I found a very cute Prairie Grove Peddler freebie available here. This was such a quick stitch--just took a day. Yep, you guessed it--another one on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen!! I used the suggested DMC threads, with the exception of changing the blue to DMC 824. I wanted it to match the blue in the tri-color ribbon I had chosen for the edging. I usually use only one strand of thread when I stitch on 40 ct., but I wanted the USA to stand out a bit, so I ended up using two strands just for that portion. What do you think? A quick and easy finish in just one day!

Below are my five new finishes along with the Chessie & Me "Love Liberty" finish that I shared with you in my last post. Do you have a favorite this month?

July 2012 patriotic finishes

And here they are all snuggled into my wooden bowl along with three patriotic finishes from last year. Don't they make you just want to stand up and salute?! On to August... I have a theme in mind--can anyone guess what it might be? I'll give you a hint--it's one of my favorite summer things...

July bowl of patriotic finishes

THANK YOU!! Through blogging, I've been lucky enough to "meet" so many wonderful people from around the world. One of my dear friends, Hilda, who lives in Austria, recently surprised me with a pair of French cross stitching magazines. Oh, I was so tickled to receive these--everything from the designs and colors all the way down to the advertisements was simply lovely. My one year of college level French helps a bit with the translation, but honestly, isn't the language of beautiful stitching universal? If you haven't visited Hilda's blog, Hildi's Good Life, please stop by--her stitching and photography are absolutely delightful! Thank you, Hilda, for your thoughtful gifts and even more, for your friendship.



MY NEW PET (well for one week!!)...
While my husband was on his Alaska bike trip, I was tasked with keeping his garden alive. That meant daily trips to check on the vegetables and watering if necessary. Luckily, we finally received many, many inches of rain last week--the first time all summer--so, I didn't have to water at all. On my very first day of "garden duty," though, just look at what greeted me! Peering through the Havahart Trap, was this little guy--a small woodchuck. Not exactly a friendly bundle of fur; he bared his large, ugly, yellow teeth (he obviously hasn't visited his dentist in quite some years!) and leaped at me when I tried to open the door of the trap to get him out.


I tried and tried, but I couldn't figure out how to release the door so he could escape. I couldn't just let the poor thing sit there all week and die, so my soft-hearted self began feeding him--from my husband's garden. Oh, he ate like a king all week--fresh tomatoes, lettuce, succulent green leaves. All under cover of some shady pine trees. When my oldest son came over for a visit on Friday, he was finally able to figure out how to get the door open. We expected the woodchuck to make a mad dash for his freedom, but what did he do? He just sat there in the cage for a while--obviously he had gotten used to the easy life and didn't really look forward to being on his own again and having to scavenge for food! Eventually, he waddled out to, hopefully, be reunited with his furry family. (Ssshhh...don't tell my husband I let the little fellow go--I don't think he would be quite inclined to have dealt with him in the same way!)


I'll leave you with something far prettier than that image of the homely little woodchuck. Isn't this a lovely photo of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly that was perched on our orange Cosmos? Click on the photo and you can see all the colors that make his wings so special--the blues and little bits of orange along with that pale yellow and black. What a mosaic of beauty!

Thank you all for sticking with me this far--I keep telling myself to make my posts shorter, but it doesn't seem to ever work out that way for some reason! (***Special Note: For any of you who have ask me questions in your comments, the only way I can respond to you is if you leave me your email address. You may email me directly (my email address is in my profile on the sidebar) and I'll be happy to respond). I hope your week is a relaxing one... I'm looking forward to the month of August and lots of family gatherings. Because of those, I may be a bit "absent" from blogging in the coming month, but will try to visit your blogs whenever possible. Enjoy your week, my friends! Bye for now...