turkey feathers

Something Old Something New

 
Here's another sweet quilt from the Mennonite Quilt Show.  Sunbonnet Sue and a companion butterfly in various activities.

  

I've finally found time to get back to the pattern restorations.  Bundles of little treasures have been trickling in for months now, and I'm happy to tell you that they are slowly but surely making their way to the website.  This batch (above) was sent in by the women's fellowship of the Maple Grove Church in Ashland, Ohio who make baby quilts for charity.  They were thrilled to get reprints so they could carry on their work and were happy to share these cute designs. 

 
These vintage WorkBasket inserts just arrived from Jennifer.  That squirrel is so adorable!  Some flowers mixed in here too.  These will be fun. 

 
 Here's another batch I just acquired from a thrifting adventure.  I bought the lot sight unseen.  There are cut fragments of some, others are in tact.  Not sure what I will do with these yet.

 
Found these last year at a yard sale.  Some were quite gigantic!  I reduced the great big ones and divided it all into seven distinct sets. They are up on the website now under the category:  Quilts & Crafts; halfway down page 3 as follows, Wildwood, Abundance, Birds & Blossoms, Old English, Blooms & Borders, Shangrila, and Country French (under 'Feathered Friends'). Lots of sweet stuff here for home stitching.   

 
And more flowers!  One can never have too many flowers, now can one?  Also, soon to be added will be more nursery rhyme quilt blocks.  They are on my work table in progress at this very moment...so that's where I'll be for awhile. 

All the newest pattern additions are HERE.

Have a great weekend!

Stitching Through the Seasons

Hey Stitching Friends . . . Exciting news! It is finally time to tell you about my new Indie book.  It's called, EMBROIDERY CRAFT:: Stitching Through the Seasons, and it has just been published.  Signed copies will be available (from me) after September 1st and will be up on Amazon toward the end of the month.  I'm super excited! 

Here's just a little preview of what's inside:

Gathered together into this book are some of my favorite stitched pieces along with many of the projects you asked for.  I have to say, I really appreciated everybody's input and took it all to heart as I selected which things to include and I think there's something for everybody at every skill set.  Inside, it all appears within the framework of my home, our backyard gardens, with glimpses of family, including the infamous 'Lily Margaret' (that femme fatal feline of mine), all of which has been designed, stitched, and photographed by 'Yours Truly' (I'm blushing a bit), making this book highly personal and maybe just a little quirky--like this blog.  

What's more is, it's sprinkled with sugar, and love, and happiness. And yes, a few polka-dots might be scattered here and there too.  But I bet that you already expected as much, right? 

 Here's a peek at the contents page for Summer and Autumn:

 
See?  I told you.  Polka-dots .  . .

But besides the polka-dots and the embroidery love, I've shared some thoughts on sewing spaces and fabric storage, provided a basic list for tools and supplies, some sound advice about materials and basic sewing techniques, along with an embroidery stitch guide.  At the heart of the book there are 30 small stitching projects organized to compliment the changing seasons. Most of the projects can be made to fit any season or theme just by changing the embroidery designs though, so you do have many options and room to apply your own creativity no matter what the season.

And speaking of embroidery designs . . . there are over 100!  These can be traced directly from the book.  However, I will also be offering them as iron-on transfers for a limited time on my PatternBee website. 

UPDATE: 2019 -  My embroidery patterns are now available at MeadowSweet WorkShop.

 

Let's see, what else can I show you?  This section covers simple applique techniques with an example to follow that will help hone your skills and make you smile at the same time. 

  
Here we have examples of embroidered embellishments for handmade infant clothing.  Vintage embroidery with a fresh approach.  These are just darling and very simple to make.  Patterns for baby kimono jackets are not included.  I used an old McCall pattern, but these styles are still popular and available through most pattern companies.

 
These pages were so much fun to do!  There are a total of 12 "theme samplers" (as I call them), that can be stitched as shown (above), or the designs can be used individually to embellish other items.

  
So that's it, in a bloggy nutshell.  My hope is that my little book will appeal to everyone who likes to stitch--newbies and old hands alike.  And not only that, but that it bestow *JOY* as you do so! 

 To kick things off, I think a Give-Away is definitely in order.  Here's the game plan . . . I'll reserve the first copy (signed by me), PLUS an iron-on transfer collection set for one Lucky Person anywhere on the planet.  I'll choose and announce a winner sometime after September 1st from among the commenter's on this blog post.

Home Sweet Home

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT:

My indie book of handmade embroidery projects is done! 

Yes, it's true!  Woot!  My winsome home team of trusty assistants and I are meticulously going through the second proof right now as I write this, and hopefully it will be published and available in two shakes of a lamb's tail.  That's the plan as I know it anyway. 

For one reason or another, this little stitched piece was one of the projects that didn't quite find a place in the book, so yesterday I decided to turn it into a "sampler" and am offering it, somewhat fortuitously, as a Bonus Design on my website instead.  That's what happens when July sneaks up on ya...you improvise, and follow along in the tradition of:  "use what you have".   Makes perfect sense.  So get it while it's hot off the presses, a new design will replace it in August.   I will now need to add some lettering and fill the heart with initials and a date, but probably not any time soon because I really need to tie up all my loose ends (and threads) first.   I promise, a sneak peek at my new book very soon! 

Notes From My Nest

 
The Toadflax family live in the hornbeam tree next-door to Crabapple Cottage.  On cold winter evenings, it is very cosy inside the tree, and noisy too, with four boisterous children running up and down the stairs.  Wilfred, Teasel, Clover, and Catkin share a nursery at the top of the tree, and as the snow started to fall, Mrs. Toadflax found it difficult to keep them quietly upstairs in bed.  Mr. Toadflax had been looking forward to some peace and quiet, but just as he was helping himself to another bowl of hot chestnut soup, he heard the creak of Wilfred's paw upon the stair.  "Why aren't you in bed, Wilfred?" he called.  "It's very late." 

"But it's snowing!" shouted Wilfred.  "Toboganning tomorrow!"

---from Brambly Hedge---The Toadflax Family, by Jill Barklem

* * * * * 

It is a comfort to know there are many Brambly Hedge peeps out there.  Thanks for checking in.  It warms my heart.  I love this cozy Brambly world.  This story segment is quite appropriate for the season, I think.  Especially, since some of us are still wrapped snuggly in hibernation mode around here.  I told you I was inching into the new year slowly. .  It's been a mild and (so far), a dry, winter day--but we are on storm watch once again and hunkering down with sewing and great steaming pots of hot chocolate to see us through.  No snow in the forecast this time, but lots of rain.  I'm inside for the day, working on some current projects.  I usually have several going at once, and with any luck will have something to show for it all soon. 

Before I snuggle back down..a few notes today:

• Flickr Photo Pools::  I'm in the process of consolidating my lambkin stuffies & blanket statement flickr groups into ONE group, so if you are a member of the latter, please "leave it" so the group can be deleted.  It's a crazy way to have to do this, but it's the way flickr has set it up.  In other words, every member needs to leave the group for it to close.  (Email me if you have any questions.)  And, if you haven't already, please join the Lambkin Stuffies group and feel free to post any of your finished BLANKET STATEMENT projects to that group pool.  (The lambkin is also part of the book, so it just made sense to make this one group.)

• Blanket Statment wholesale orders:: I also want to mention that I've taken down the wholesale info since the book can be ordered through traditional methods now.  CreateSpace handles this very efficiently which means I don't have to drop-ship orders or keep an inventory; so if you want to order copies for your library or book shop, just ask them and they can do so.

• PatternBee PDF Patterns:: The good news is the new 2010 bonus transfers are up on the website and flying out the door already...however, the bad news is I will no longer be offering them in PDF format.  I know, I'm sorry--but this is no longer possible.

Also, if you order PDF patterns to be sent to your yahoo account, the new SpamGuard filters everything and you need to turn it off or change your preferences to receive large image files. Be sure to check your SPAM folders within 24-48 hours after placing PDF orders.  If they aren't waiting in your IN Box, they are most likely filed as spam.  Files may also be auto-deleted if you don't save them to your desktop before the pre-set default time is up or just deleted without warning.  Feel free to email me if you need your patterns resent or if you have any other questions regarding your orders.  Thanks!

One Lump or Two

 

No time for the real thing--so today we have a photo quilt!  I grabbed a few pics from my files to remind myself to pull out my needle and thread again. Summer was exciting and busy, but now I'm ready to wind down, wrangle up some new ideas and settle in.  It's been way too long, evidenced by all the new fabrics and thrifted goods I have continued to bring home (which are piling up), and by the dust that has settled on all my work surfaces.  A thorough cleaning seems to be in order.  And not just in the studio either.  [Sigh.]  Blame it on the pickles.

These images remind me of some of the sweet little things in life.  Miss Cross-Stitch Kitty in the right top corner is embroidered on a child-size apron that I made a really really long time ago.  My girls outgrew it, but it's one of those things that's so hard to part with because of the memories it holds; baking cookies, rolling out pie crust.  Sweet voices.  Small hands and faces powdered with cake flour. The motif is one from a set of old Aunt Martha's iron-on transfers; still found here. 

The Coffee 'N' Cake motif is part of a vintage pattern set I've made available on my website.  I'm also happy to report that my new Embroidery Directory is done!  Now THAT was a project.  And will continue to be a work in progress as it requires updating from time to time.  If you know what you're looking for it will help you find it on the site.  I love it because it catalogs everything for me--no more hunting and digging through boxes when someone asks me if I have a particular pattern.  It's all there.  Or almost all there.  Like I said, a work in progress.  Also--when you go to the pattern info pages, hover over the images and the original pattern source or envelope will appear like magic.  Please let me know if you find errors or any crazy things happening on the site.  I keep finding little things even though I've gone over it a thousand times. It's inevitable I guess.

OK.  Back to the apron ramble...the redwork flower in left lower corner, adorns (yet another) child's apron that I made from an old linen tablecloth that had seen better days.  The edge of the cloth made a beautiful hemline.  Jumbo pix here. 

 

Patterns by Post

I've been receiving such good mail lately...and as a result I've been crazy busy.  This bundle is from Mary of Billings, MT.   Most of the patterns belonged to her Mother and Grandmother and I'm so happy they saved them.  I was able to reprint quite a few designs for pillowcases.  I'm always getting requests for more of them, so there ya go.  ( check them out over here.)  Yep, the PatternBee website has been dusted off and is back online and open for business again.  Seems there's always room for improvement; I still have a few more things I'm working on behind the scenes, but the site will remain up, so not to worry.    Plus, I've got another bundle of vintage patterns--from Rochelle in MI, that will be making their debut on the new additions page soon.  Thank you Ladies!

PatternBee Housekeeping

When you visit my vintage embroidery shop you will find the site closed until mid-month while we make a few improvements behind the scenes.  Nothing major, just a little spruce-up.  All pattern orders that have already been placed are being processed and shipped without delay.  If you have any questions or concerns about your order feel free to contact me (link in sidebar).  Have Laptop, Will Travel. . . so where ever I may roam, I'm usually accessible and will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible. 

Elephants on Parade

It's August already!  And that means new bonus designs for you.  Woot.  Fun summer ones.   And while I was at my art table with pen poised, I also got around to working on this old elephant pattern from 1941, that has been in my mitts for awhile.  I love it so.  Nice for quilt blocks and other little items.  You can find the restored and reprinted designs under new additions.  And speaking of cute little elephants....

The library display (for Blanket Statement)  was packed up on Friday.  If you missed it, my collection of over 40+ handmade items from one wool blanket -- will be back November 1 - 16.   (I'll try and mention it again before it happens next time.)  These two looked darling sitting together in the backseat during the car ride home after their first big adventure out into the world.  Like children coming home from summer camp.   

Crazy Daze

Monday's are always a bit of a transition, aren't they?  Especially during the summer, when we squeeze in lots of extra activities and weekend jaunts.  It's fun, but then -- there's some catching up, and back to work as usual.  I love what I do, but sometimes, there's more to do than I can easily manage.  Music helps me pace myself...it's mostly folk instrumentals right now as I print and pack the orders from last week.  Those who have been taking advantage of the pattern/book combined savings, are finding a little extra surprise inside their packages.  I won't say outright what it is, but it has something to do with my garden and the above photo.  I'm finding tiny little projects like this quite satisfying, and just about all I can handle at the moment.   

 

It's been pretty warm here.  Even with the door open and the fan oscillating like crazy, my fingertips are sticking to the keyboard.  {TIP:: Perfect weather though for hanging sheets out to dry and naturally "radiating" pillows and down comforters to sanitize them.}  To escape the heat, we headed over to the seashore yesterday.  It was comfortable and cool in that misty gray Oregon way.  Still, we all got a bit more sun than we realized, having ditched the sunscreen.  Today we are sun-kissed with very rosy cheeks. 

 

Sock #2 in progress.  I'll try and remember to show these when Grace finishes. 

And. . . I keep forgetting to mention this, which is probably only of interest to peeps in my own area, but the Blanket Statement gang is currently on display at the Corvallis Library until the end of the month.  They would love to see you! 

Sweet Deal

  

I didn't plan for these mail-bags to match, but they're SO happy hanging out together.  I can't remember when or if  I shared the little felt ornament made by Elizabeth of  Creative Breathing.  Even if I did, it's worth sharing again.  It arrived over a year ago, as a surprise.  And it was!  A very good one.  Her hand-work is amazing and it's still hanging here, reminding me of all the goodness in people's hearts "out there".  (Thank you again, for the lovely gift--I treasure it.)   

The totes I made at different times.  They're perfect for the over-flow of mail and receipts, and other bits that otherwise get scattered all over.  I don't have a pattern for the draw-string tote, but the wool catch-all (on the left) is in my book. 

Speaking of which, brings me around to my next bit of news...

 For all you wonderful peeps who are still asking for autographed copies of Blanket Statement (and thank you all so much!).  You'll be happy to know that I just found another shipment of books on the back porch.  Woot!    

OK.  To simplify things, I've just added a web page to make ordering easier for all of us.  International shipping is available too at a flat rate.   (And cheaper than Amazon, I'm told.)  MORE GOOD NEWS:  I can fit up to 3 books in the same envelope without additional postage!  So, if you have friends or family that want to order books, you can split the cost of International S/H to save a little $.  OR... I can fit up to 4 iron-on *EMBROIDERY* patterns from the PatternBee website, along with one book--all for the same flat rate as long as they have been added to the same shopping cart as a combined order.   The rates for U.S. orders are  automatically calculated by weight.  As always, you can use your c-card if you don't have a pal account.  And if you have any questions or trouble ordering, contact me and we'll figure it out. 

I've been collecting rose petals and lavender the last few days to make my potpourri (featured on page 58).  I love this stuff.  It's a natural air freshener, wonderful in sachets to slip into drawers, pillowcases, and closets.  I'll be making a few gifts with it too.  Maybe even a give-away or two!

Crewel Jewel

 

I recently found this colorful bundle of wool yarn at a thrift shop downtown.  It likely being remnants from a needlework kit.  And I might add, quite a find for a quarter.

Looking at it, I began to imagine all the possibilities.  But due to time constraints and other priorities, I had to set it aside.   Then, the following week, I wandered into another shop and behold--a set of old crewel-work patterns just waiting.  I tell ya, sometimes it's uncanny how these things happen.  I knew immediately how I would use the yarn.  The little bird design is the result of some finessing on my part, and will be included with the June 2009 BONUS designs.  I goofed and printed this one in reverse though, so the bonus design will actually be facing the opposite direction.  

The embroidery can be done with floss or wool.  (I used one strand of wool with a crewel embroidery needle for this--or use 3-4 strands of six-strand floss or more.  Pearl cotton will work beautifully as well.)  Click on the birdie to see it finished. 

This has been such a busy week with lots of things happening, and people coming and going.  We had an impromptu dinner party for twelve on Thursday.  A little bit of a celebration. 

The weather has been incredibly nice too, and with friends visiting from out-of-state, we took full advantage of it and felt a backyard BBQ was in order. Even had our very own live Celtic band.  It was perfect.

On the flip side of the property, day three of garden wall construction continued.  I'm actually headed outside to get my hands dirty.  Looks like a great day for it. 

Have a good weekend doing what you love!

May Day Give-Away

 

Seems like ages since I popped in here.  I know some of you check everyday for an update and I really appreciate hearing that.  I seem to be in a quiet, productive phase right now.  Doing many things.  And all at once.  Or so it seems.  Was up past my bedtime last night working on the MAY Bonus designs, that I suddenly realized were promised on the website *today*.  eedgads. I'd completely spaced out on them.  Where did April go?  So, borrowing a little inspiration from my afternoon spent with a group of homeschoolers yesterday, out at Hesthaven, an Audubon Society outreach in the area, I bring to you a little more spring flora and fauna. And naturally--I had to throw in a cake for good measure, and to commemorate grand-baby Olivia turning ONE next week!  Hard to believe.  Hope you like, and find fun things to do with them.  I know you will.

After a week of so-so weather, another day has opened up to be nothing short of gorgeous.  Just the tonic we need.  I have so much to tackle today.  And I'm making slow and steady progress on my new book too.  I can't wait to show you.  In the meantime, to celebrate May Day: a give-away! I have a signed copy of Blanket Statement available right now.  The last one of the bunch.  (I'll order more soon though).  Leave a comment for a chance to win one for yourself, or to give as a gift if you already bought one (and thank you btw!)  I'll announce a winner sometime next week.  One more thing, and I always hate to say this, but due to postage and shipping issues, the give-away is limited to U.S. regions. 

UPDATE::  Comments are now closed.  Winner to be announced Wednesday, May 6th!

Spring Chicks Give-Away

I just wandered in from my sewing room after putting the last finishing detail on this;  a bit of vintage rick-rack as "grass"---it's interpretive, use your imagination here.  (smile)  Yesterday, after I found this cute old pattern among my boxes of orphan transfer sheets, I  literally dropped everything I was doing and took up my embroidery needle.  It's been awhile since I stitched anything and I could not resist such cuteness.  Spring chicks also seemed like the perfect "conclusion" to the newest*sweet surprises* towel designs too (don't ya think?),  so I made them part of this month's bonus collection which is up on the website now.  And...I'm giving away the dishtowel shown here!  No April foolin' either.  Leave a comment to enter the drawing and I'll announce a winner on Good Friday (4-10).  My sincere apologies to International readers, but due to sky-high postage rates this drawing is limited to U. S. residents.   OK, I think that's it...now I need to go make more of these. 

*Comments are closed--a winner will be chosen soon*

Seeing Spots

Just call me Dottie. 

Hello!  And Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Can we get any greener or happy-sappy around here?  I don't think so.  Tee hee. 

I'm wearing my new apron turned the other way around today.  It's quite reversible! So no body better even try and pinch me.  No sireee.  I'm armed with a vintage shamrock pin too--just in case anyone is color blind.   

Look what I found at a local thrift shop; a pre-stamped vintage Vogart toaster cover.  I did the embroidery to match my kitchen, but my little red toaster is slightly too tall.  So, I copied the design and made another.   Too cute not to share.  Enjoy! 

VOGART TOASTER COVER  

Well, that's all I really have time for right now. 

  

Because it's time to get back to, um, work around here. 

Under Wraps

 

I was rooting around in my image files and ran across this super cute wrap-around apron dress, probably from the late 1960's.  Love this idea;  wish I had the actual pattern and not just a picture. Style A--with the flowers and rick-rack--are so calling my name.  With a little luck I might be able to figure it out from the diagram shown there in the bottom-left corner though.  Wish me luck.  Or better yet, if anyone has this pattern name your price.

Other than dreaming about creating a new apron wardrobe, I've been steadily working away on a bunch of other things---changes to the website (still in progress), finishing the March bonus pattern (up now), creating a new ABOUT page (much harder than I thought), adding sweet surprises #4; all of which, started me thinking seriously about retiring this blog and replacing it with a new one [more] associated with my website--bringing all the various elements together in one place. Makes sense in some ways, but wondering if it's wise for turkey feathers to fly the coop? 

Looking Ahead

Snow Flowers!  These "grew" in my flower bed. 

Thank you for the new year's wishes--they are most appreciated, as are each of you who take time out from your busy days to visit here.  It's comforting to know I'm in such good company.  Especially as we head into the unknown country of 2009.  You hold my hand, I'll hold yours.  We'll tip-toe through it together.

Snowflake Cake!  Made by Grace for her big brother's birthday this week.

Happy inspiration from new and old friends.

I have turned my attention back to the new book I'm working on.  Actually, I started on this little book years before the first one wiggled its way to the front of the line.  It's true.  Gee, didn't I mention it?  Well, in case you don't know--it's all about that gentle art near and dear to my heart: EMBROIDERY.  Of course it is!  I hope to bring something new to the party though.  It may even turn into a series of books along the same line, with different themes.  I certainly have enough fodder to fill a few books anyway.  My needle has been flying!

In the meantime, I hope the projects in Blanket Statement are inspiring you to get out your needles and thread.   And, if you are still holding out for a *signed copy* of my book, I'm happy to let you know that I just got a few more in.  I'm offering these with free Priority S/H again.  (Unfortunately, I'm only able to offer free shipping within the U.S.)  If you want one for yourself or a gift for friend, here's your chance!  Drop me an email or leave a comment here to reserve your copy. 

Thank you very kindly...all books have been spoken for!

Books Have Arrived!

I'm hearing from folks that books are showing up in mailboxes already!  I'm so happy to hear that, because the lead time on POD (print-on-demand) orders can vary;  how nice that it was sooner and not later.  More good news: Just got my first shipment too (yippeee!), and will soon be invoicing those who emailed me for signed copies.  I want to tell you all how much I appreciate your patience (and unbridled enthusiasm!) for blanket statement, and as a little reward I'm sending them Priority with free S/H.  The sad news is, there aren't enough books to go around.  (whaaaa!)  Some will have to wait for the next shipment - which is already on its way I'm told - so it's not all that bad, really.  You will hear from me soon.  I actually ordered extras the second time, just in case, and at this point they've all been allocated.   I just could not have anticipated the response.  I'm thrilled, of course, and so very thankful, and truly hope my humble book-making effort meets your expectations in every way.  Books are also available online through Amazon, Target, or my Create Space e-shop, and if you purchase it, and for those who have already ( *thank you*),  I'm more than happy to send you a pretty personalized book label.  Please contact me for details if you want one.  Oh--and don't forget to join the blanket statement project journal to showcase your felt creations.  Can't wait to see what things you're all making from the book.

 

Gravy!

All I can tell you is, when this finally arrived yesterday, I was excited and anxious at the same time.  I nervously handed it over to my "trusty assistant" to proof read, so she could break any 'bad news' to me gently.  (I'd mentioned the problem I'd been having with it here. ) She eagerly sat down and started going through it page by page.  I stood there a few seconds trying to read her expression, listened to the wall clock tick too loudly, and tried to catch my breath.  I dashed to the kitchen for emergency chocolate, to calm my nerves, and found (to my surprise) that these wonderful daughters of mine had baked a gigantic tray of triple chocolate brownies while I was busy working at the other end of the house.  Oh my--they were good!   What perfect timing.  Yum.  I was in the middle of my second mouthful, when Grace came running down the hallway waving the book in the air with a huge smile on her face, and shouting "third time's the charm!"  We jumped up and down like we were on pogo stix and hugged ourselves and got brownie crumbs all over.  It was a sweet moment.  And a huge, huge relief.  I did it!  I feel a sense of accomplishment having done a self-imposed crash course on desk-top publishing.  At times, pregnancy and birth (having lasted just as long), seemed easy compared to some of this.  I honestly couldn't tell you which was more painful.  Though worth all the effort in the long run.  I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve that I'm already working on now. 

Ok, so about the book...in case you don't know, Blanket Statement is 100 pages of mostly felt crafts made from a thrifted wool blanket.  I'd been sharing these creations on my blog for a couple of years and as I was nearing the end of the project, with nothing but scraps left of the blanket, I decided to put everything into a book.  For fun mostly, and for prosperity sake, as blogs will come and go.  It's only inevitible.  There are pictures and patterns and projects that hopefully will inspire you and will live on, having made the leap from cyberspace to CreateSpace.  I hope you like it.So, without further ado, Blanket Statement is currently available for purchase from my e-shop.  I'm told that, eventually the cover picture will be added--this is out of my hands.  The fabulous news is, the book gets printed on demand.  Which is so brilliant, because there's no inventory gathering dust or any pressure to sell it.  Delivery only takes about a week.  For those already asking for autographed copies, they 'll be available in a few weeks, shipped from *yours truly*.  I'm making a list so I know how many to order.  If you want one personalized for you or someone else, just email me or leave a comment so I can contact you, and I'll send you a Paypal invoice or something when I get them in.   

 

November Storms In

We got about an inch of rain yesterday and more is on the way.  I'm looking out the windows and admiring the colors of the fall foliage.  All this damp and drizzle makes it so much more vibrant.  When the sun breaks through the cloudy mist, everything positively glows.  Now that the weather has turned cold outside, I'm in the mood to start making things again.  Oh. That reminds me...

I've got my fingers crossed and hoping that the "third time's the charm" on the latest book submission.  I'm self-publishing blanket statement thru CreateSpace, an Amazon affiliate, and have been experiencing technical difficulties integrating text overlays created in Illustrator CS3.  There seems to be incompatibility issues between programs and things aren't formatting correctly when it goes to print.  My inquiry about it to "customer service" got a canned response that basically said, go back and read your program manual.  Um.  Not exactly helpful.  Obviously, I'd done that already.  Numerous times, and that particular problem was never addressed.  Most likely because the problem exists on their end with using outdated software or something.  So, it's been frustrating.  I'm finding hope and help elsewhere though.  And I remind myself that, this is after all, just another *learning opportunity*.   I'll work through it eventually.  For the most part I'm really proud of what I've accomplished so far.  And even though I'm not exactly sure when the book will be available, I wanted to let everyone know that I am still working on it here behind the scenes and will sing from the roof top and bang on pots and pans when I finally make gravy!   

In the meantime...the lovely rain continues here and I have new projects in the works.  I want to show you, but I want it to be a surprise.  So I can't.  Not yet.  Thanks for stopping by and making me laugh with your comments and spider stories.  I do read each and every one and try and respond when I have a few minutes.  I'm thrilled so many of you are utilizing the free embroidery patterns too.  There's something so homey and personal about a decorated dish towel, don't ya think?  I also think dish towels are perfect for beginners; if you mess it up, all is forgiven because, after all it's only a dish towel.  So thread a needle and go for it!

In case you're wondering, and didn't see my note in response to questions in the comments section...I used 3 strands of floss for the bird and 4 strands for the flourish.  And there are tracing directions here if you need help with that too.   Happy stitching! 

Lunch Break

The sun is shining, leaves are spiraling down like long golden curls, and it's shaping up to be a mighty fine fall day.  Lily, our big white cat, has left her guarded post on on top of the heater vent under my desk and my feet are finally thawing!  It's nearly noon here and lunch is in the oven; left-over rice casserole and cornbread.  I'm expecting the Mister of the Manor momentarily, so I just have a few minutes.  Meant to let everyone know sooner that I made changes to my PatternBee website. Though quite a few of you have already discovered that patterns are now available as PDF downloads and have taken advantage of that.   For the rest who prefer to trace or are looking for designs to add to your embroidery machine software this should be good news.   They're also about half the price of the printed ones.  For now, iron-on transfers are still available, but there is no guarantee that I will continue to offer them forever, so if this is something you want, please don't put off purchasing them while you can.  Not trying to solicit business here, or start a stampede (please, NO!) Just sayin'.  The truth is, I've been re-printing vintage transfers for about ten years now, and at some point I will need to move on to other things.  OK.  So, that's my big announcement.  The Mister just rolled in.  Time to get our lunch on the table and catch up on the office watercooler news.  (Oh, and that adorable print on the wall?  It's from the super-talented Amber Alexander and it's making me so happy!  Squirrels wearing aprons always do. Her artwork can be found here.)

Back on Track

I’m seriously happy to be alive and back on my feet.  Thank You for the well wishes.  There's really no "good time" to be sick.  The world stops, but the to-do list keeps growing.  I’m busier than ever, trying to get caught up. For this reason, pattern orders are taking more time than usual to ship out.  I appreciate your patience while I get on top of that again. (I mention this for those with emails that bounce, don’t receive my notes, and may be wondering about their orders.)  Everything will get on its way eventually though, pinky promise!

 

Listen.  Can you hear that?  It's the distant drum of the local high school marching band.  It reminds me, that another school term has begun and there’s no more time to waste.  We always like to start our home schooling year with a trip somewhere while the weather holds up, so I’ll be laying low (here on the blog) for a few days while making those plans and getting things organized.  Speaking of organizing, our new Pazzles Inspiration Creative Cutter arrived a few days ago and Grace was so excited, she had it out of the box in about two seconds flat and was installing the software before I could get my keester off the couch.  

 

It looks promising.  And it's a nice size.  Not too big.  Still, we had to rearrange the entire upstairs workspace to make room for it.  That tells you something about our upstairs workspace:: you can’t move one thing without turning the entire room upside down.  There was lots of dusting and tidying up throughout.  It took all day and then some.  We are pretty happy with the new arrangement though, and the cleaning needed to be done, regardless.  Though I must say, the addition of a new "toy" gave our efforts purpose and certainly made it easier with that goal in mind.  So.  After looking at lots of other die cutters, and reading your suggestions and comments (all very helpful btw), this is the one I finally chose.  It doesn’t do everything I initially wanted (or wash clothes or cook dinner), but it is programmable, giving us options.  Hopefully we'll have some new projects to show for it soon.  Once I'm on top of things again.  Like, I should go check out the garden ASAP before we have a crazy shock like this on our hands.  I still haven't forgotten last year's scary bounty.  Have a great week! 

Wool Blanket Book Update

 

I spent a good part of the morning yesterday and again today, visiting lots of amazing and lovely blogs with Tasha Tudor tributes, and left a few comments here and there.  It's all very inspiring.  So interesting to see how her influence has affected each of us in so many wonderful ways.  I'm thrilled her pioneering spirit lives on!

On a similar note, regarding the pioneer spirit, some of you know that I’ve had my nose to the grindstone preparing my wool blanket project for publication and it’s been all-consuming for months now.  There's been so much to learn.  New territory to cover.  And conquer.  So instead of breezy summer fiction, I've been delving deep into technical tomes and (so-called) "quick-start" manuals; with my viewing entertainment coming in the form of video tutorials for every CS program out there.  In essence, I’ve been schooling myself.  I do realize there are easier ways to do all this, with Blurb and Slurp and LuLu and other self-publishing programs already out there, but most of their online software was slightly limited for my purposes, and besides I really just wanted to roll up my sleeves and start from scratch.  Embrace a new challenge.  Honestly, there's been frustration along the way.  There's always that.  But for all the hard work, I'm actually seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel and it's exciting!  The projects, patterns, and written portion of the book is done and I'm pretty happy with it all and hugging myself!  A proof copy is in front of me now which has illuminated a few things that need to be fixed though.  Things like rearranging photos, nudging text, and more proof-reading; little details for sure, but somewhat tedious and always time-consuming.  I have half a dozen lively and uplifting playlists in heavy rotation to help get me through this.  The Mister and the girls have been wonderful in helping cook and take care of the house and without their help and support I couldn't have done any of this.  Obviously I'm taking time to do other things, but when I'm working, I honestly am so distracted and concentrating so intensely that I forget everything else around me.  Including pots cooking on the stove.  Twice now, I've burnt hard-boiled eggs! How can that happen?  Not easily, but I manage to do it.  I'm always telling them, I need watching. So my seventeen year-old daughter, Grace, designed and uploaded a simple program she calls the "Trusty Timer" that has a pop-up window and a rooster that crows, as a reminder for me.  It sounds wacky, but it works great!  That is, when I remember to use it.  I may need a reminder for that too.  Maybe a live chicken under my desk pecking at my toe or something.  Anyway...I’m hoping to get the pages all bundled and off to the printer very soon.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  And feet tucked in.  Just in case.

Little Bird Bag

I actually had time to do a little craft project this weekend!  My grand-daughter's turning four in a few weeks and I wanted to make her something special.  This tiny bag was the result of some borrowed Zakka influence.  It's a scant five inches tall (not counting the handles).  Sorry, no pattern to offer or point you too.  Just "winged" it.  I'm trying to figure out what to make to put inside this.  Any ideas?  I'm feeling the itch to stitch.

Bird pattern is part of the new free-with-purchase bonus designs for August (2008) up on my PatternBee website. 

Without Further Ado

Thanks everyone, for the chit-chat and chuckles on my Sentimental Journey. I kind of hated for it to end.  So many great memories and stories out there. I think I identified with all of them in one way or another.  Anyhoo, time to wrap it up. So, without further ado the winners are Gina, Betty, and Nina.  Congratulations Ladies!  Please send me your pattern choice (and address) when you have a minute.  There’s no cut-off date to claim your prize, so take your time browsing if you need to.

 

I wanted to offer a little something to everyone else too, so I gathered a few fancy florals that can be traced and embroidered.  The pdf download here. Use it on clothing, I'm thinking Redwork peasant blouse (yum), or pretty pillowcases, or table linens; actually anywhere you want to add a *fancy flourish*.  The designs are some I collected a long time ago,  from "The Wonder Package" c. 1933.  This big box, boasting over 800 different designs, was mailed through newspapers and contained quite a varied collection of these very VERY large pattern sheets.  The transfer method is interesting; requiring tamping the back of the paper with a damp cloth.  Similar to applying a fake tattoo.  I never tried it because I didn't want to cut any of these up, besides it seems like a messy affair.  Most of these are quite elaborate, but the few I chose for you should be easy enough to trace.  (However, if you absolutely hate tracing, Paypal me a couple of dollars and I'll mail you the design sheet as an iron-on transfer instead.) 

Enjoy!

Summer Stitchwork

 

Ready or not, it’s a new month (Hello July!) and I just put the latest free-with-purchase embroidery transfer up on the PatternBee website. 

 

These little offerings are fun to put together.  As always, some are sourced from my collection of vintage patterns and some are my own designs.  I think this one reflects a wee Tasha Tudor influence.  She has certainly been on my mind a lot this past week.  Hope these gentle designs spark a few creative ideas of your own.

And to all the wonderful generous stitchers out there that keep contacting me with old embroidery patterns to share, I’m grateful.  It’s always so exciting to find a rare pattern to restore and make usable again.  However, my Wool Project Book is front and center right now, so I’m not accepting any more pattern-work until I see it safely off to the printer, which should be by summer’s end, if I'm lucky.

 

Also, please don’t submit your vintage patterns without contacting me first.  I receive many duplicates this way and it takes time and postage to return them. Drop me a note if you have some questions, I'm always happy to chat with you.

Happy Stitching!

 

IKEA Dish Towels for Embroidery

I found some red-stripe cotton towels at IKEA and had to give them a try.  I'm always being asked where to find good quality towels for embroidery, and although these aren't linen, or the best quality, they're still pretty cool for 49c each!   The downside is, they're only available in store and our nearest IKEA is in Portland, which is better than crossing over into Washington, like we used to.  But not a short trip.  If you buy these make sure you wash them before you do any embroidery though because they shrink quite a bit.  And they wrinkle. Badly.  But all that aside, how cute is this? I used a favorite Vogart pattern (#611) and finished embroidering this towel in a few evenings while watching movies. 

BTW: Thank You for all the Birthday Wishes for Grace!  She enjoyed reading them and wanted me to mention that she appreciated every single one!   

Back to the Drawing Board

Happy New Year to all! 

I'm slowly coming back up to speed.  Shaking off a cold and getting caught up with the clean-up detail around here.  I'm sure you know the drill.

{Yawn} 

We watched movies and stayed up 'til midnight to ring in the New Year with America's Good Uncle, Dick Clark.  God bless him.  Even the youngest of the bunch managed to keep her eyes open for the grand finale this time.   

It was fun sitting around with my drawing board across my lap just doodling away the hours. 

I've been working on a woody alphabet for Redwork, as suggested by a few stitching pals.  I'm still in the beginning stages here, working out the details. 

Since I have no reference material, I'm just making it up as I go along. 

Pretty much my standard mode of operandi.

Oooh-La La!

Well, I warned ya:  February is a hard month for me.  I'll most likely be tinting my braids pink and crocheting blue poodles to hide the bathroom tissue next!  Seriously though, I did enjoy making this, particularly the French Knots.  I love the texture they add to embroidery and they also make the sweetest little flower centers and rose buds. They might be hard to master at first, but after you've made a few *good ones*--- you'll no doubt want to make more.  You will, trust me.  Mostly, just to prove to yourself, that you really can do it.  Like I said, they're a bit tricky, but well worth the effort if you want to add a little dimension to your needlework.  I used three strands here, and I wind my thread clock-wise, although you can do it counter-clock-wise because there's no hard and fast rule, just do what is comfortable.  Consistency being key, rather than direction.  The transfer pattern for the Fi-Fi vintage poodle motif is on my website here, but you can use any design and just fill it in with knots.  I did the embroidery first on a 10 x 10-inch scrap of pink cloth, and then cut it out in a heart-shape for my pillow. I added a few pinches of dried lavender in with the stuffing so it smells really good too.  This is the kind of silly little thing that makes a good practice piece.  No one's going to throw you under the bus if you make mistakes, and no matter how it looks, it will still scent your nighties.  So.  If you want to learn something new, take up your needles and follow me over here for an excellent tutorial by the wonderfully talented and generous Janet McCaffrey at Primrose Design, and check out her Stitch School tutorial posts for other common and not-so common embroidery stitches, while you're at it.  I've even learned a few new ones.  Well, time to dash away Dearies---my stitchery, tea, and chocolate peppermint cookies (from TJ's ) are calling....

Donut Charms

After all the fun and excitment, we are finally getting back around to the long-awaited donut charms!  These are so adorably cute.  Handmade by our own amazing Grace of course and available in her ETSY Shop today!  These little wonders can be used to make a necklace,  added to a charm bracelet, or used in pairs for earrings.  They make nice little stocking stuffers too.   She has pink donuts with sprinkles (as shown), chocolate glazed donuts, more cute cupcakes, and gingerbread cookies, plus a few other dollhouse treats.  Quantities are limited and sell out fast.  If you want more than one item, order them but don't send payment until I send an invoice with the combined total through Paypal.  You don't need a Paypal account to send payment, but you do need to sign up for Etsy to purchase something.  It's easy and it's free. If you have neither, you can just email me what you want and if it's available we'll hold it for you, or put your name on our waiting list, as Grace is still taking a few special orders.

Oh! Almost forgot the Lemon Meringue Pie!

Just Browsing

I may not be back up to speed yet, but there's all kinds of crafty goodness out there that's getting me excited.  Like this wonderful small quilt, a WIP from my stitching friend Carol (who lives way over there on the opposite coast) that I've been meaning to share.  Ok yes, I'm wimping out on the WIP and showing someone elses work.  I know and I'm sorry, but my jaw dropped when I saw this.  And she's not just making one quilt... but two quilts, for seven-year-old twin girls no less.  They both love horses and horseback riding so she contacted me awhile ago in hopes of finding a horse embroidery pattern.  And as luck would have it, I had one.  Several actually, but this design is one from Vogart that we reprinted as an iron-on transfer, and it was perfect for her project.  There are other designs in the pattern too, along with a cute pair of Scottie pups and a sweet bird motif.  And this gorgeous fabric, called Stablemates Pink, which I really love, is from Alexander Henry, and was purchased from this site.  I did a double-take when I saw the price; nearly slipped off my chair.  Love the pink background too.  I can't wait to see how it all turns out and I bet those twin sisters will be doubly happy too! 

Happy Birthday PatternBee

I can hardly believe that it was a year ago this month, that we launched the PatternBee website!  When I began making a few of my collectible patterns available on ebay six years ago, I had no idea that this would grow into the business it has become.  It was so unexpected.  It's also been a wonderful experience connecting with others who also share a love for vintage needlework.  I can't tell you how many folks have written to tell me about an old pattern they discovered on the website that they'd lost, or had remembered from childhood, or wanted to make again for a grandchild.  Or the number of people that have sent me their old patterns to be restored and shared.  Or sent pictures of the things they've made using the patterns.  Even so, I still consider this just a hobby, a labor of love, and for now I'll continue to make my patterns available for those who seek them out.  I have no big plans beyond that.  I'm content with what it is and enjoy the opportunity to share this with others who are on the same "sentimental journey".   Thanks everyone (and you know who you are) that continue to support and contribute to this project.   I really do appreciate all you "stitching friends" out there! 

Embroidered Burp Cloths

I had to share this idea from a stitching friend in Pennsylvania, who sent me pictures of the burp cloths she made using prefolded cotton diapers. Nothing like turning an ordinary object into something lovely with a little stitchery!

I like the crochet edging.  It really finishes the edges off nicely.  What a great way to use these small single designs.

The pattern is vintage McCall's #6942 (from 1963).  It's been reprinted as a new iron-on transfer and is available HERE.  It's chock full of patterns for applique and plain embroidery for a variety of projects. There's also a washcloth bib and a child's pocket apron pattern that the motifs can be used on.   (If the links don't work, look for them listed under FREE STUFF on the PatternBee website).