Brief Project Update

Today I took the Give Thanks project out and added a few stitches to it. Was debating what color to stitch the bird (blue or black), black won! After finishing with the acorns caps, started the bird.

Above is how my organized mess was looking while I stitched. I love seeing pictures of others' creative messes, especially if they are related to hand embroidery! So post away people, let's see what you got! ;-)

Back Stitches for the lines inside the wing, and Stem Stitch for the outline of it. This close up above is of the Stem Stitch. I like to stitch the Stem Stitch the traditional way, instead of using a very popular shortcut for it. Why? Because it creates a neater back ;-). In  fact, the lower outlined of this wind was stitched with the shortcut version, will show you the back later so you can see what I mean. 

Picture above was posted (on a previous post, second picture), when I was getting ready to start. Stitches from the Harvest is a book by Kathy Schmitz. Honestly Kathy creates so many cute designs that it is hard to choose which ones to work on! 

In other news... One of the kiddos got a clean bill from the dentist, the other one not. So we'll be working on that soon. I have a couple of medical tests this week, hoping all goes well!
May you all have a great week ahead!
Until next time!

Bluebird Birdhouse - Tweet Home

Obviously I have a thing for birds... how many can you count?
This is the pattern I referred to on the previous post... started it and finished it on the same day between chores.
This pattern is actually larger, another lovely design by Kathy Schmitz called Tweet Home.  For this little piece I decided to only stitch the top portion of the design. 

Printed the pattern onto Sticky Fabri-Solvy (now called Stick-n-Stitch). Using variegated threads in my stash and aiming for only one kind of thread per design, yes there are more stitcheries waiting in line. All small patterns  (that's a 4" hoop) easy to complete and very portable. 
Here it is all finished! Didn't fill in the cherries or the birdhouse as in the original pattern. Stitches used: back stitch, fly stitch, running stitch, chain stitch. Fabric: quilt backing from Hobby Lobby. Thread: Artiste embroidery floss/thread. Color: Romance. This skein was one I got on clearance at Hobby Lobby awhile back for only .49 cents ;-) ... the original price was $1.39. I normally use DMC, but a girl couldn't pass a great deal on pretty variegated floss. The color is truer in the first picture.

Backyard birds are lovely and so fun to watch! In our old place, through our living room and breakfast nook large windows, we used to enjoy admiring the potpourri of colors, sizes, and behaviors of cardinals, bluebirds, woodpeckers, brown creepers, robins, seasonal bluejays and yellow finches, etc.  Here we don't get to see them as close as we were used to... we truly missed that.
Enjoy the weekend! Until next time!


Non-affiliated link:
Kathy Schmitz blog post with this pattern freebie Tweet Home, you need to scroll almost to the end of the post to find it.

Short Stitchy Update on Ruth Rabbit

These past few days were hectic!  Slowly going back to our daily routine, and finally today was able to post this update on Ruth. 
Not much done as you can see, but hopefully tonight or tomorrow I'll add a few more stitches to it... definitely need to finish her face to give her some character ;-). FMS flares not yielding, but will not bore you with that. A bit of stitching, some heat/meds combo, and upbuilding audio material will definitely serve as therapy.

I started another Kathy Schmitz pattern, or better said, part of one of her patterns. Will post soon about it! 
Enjoy the rest of the week! 

PS: More information on this pattern at the end of previous post.

Forest Park Friend: Lucy the Bear (Update: 7/13/18)

Lucy is finished! Very enjoyable pattern to stitch!
All the Forest Park Friends by Kathy Schmitz have a back side pattern as well. Not sure if I'll be stitching the back sides yet, I think for now I'll keep working on the front of the ones I got. For these cute creatures I'm using Sulky 12wt threads... loving how they feel when hand embroidering, also love the look!

The printed pattern version of these Forest Park Frieds come with the iron on transfers, mine are the PDF version so I'm having to trace mine. Got mine from Kathy's Etsy shop (link at the end of this post). Could've used the Stick-n- Stitch (aka: Sticky Fabri-Solvy), but this time didn't want to deal with the rinsing. Once I was done stitching it, I thought the watering can needed something else so I added an initial.
Oh, and wanted to share with y'all as a PSA;... you probably know already that Target have these handy first aid bags/pouches free with the purchase of 3 qualifying first aid items. Getting 3 inexpensive 1st aid items that you most likely need anyways, gets you one of these nifty bags free ;-).  I have a couple from previous years, and one from this year. Can you guess how mine get used? Yes, indeed! As an embroidery project bag! Perfect for on the go projects. 

Ok, so that's the end of the infomercial :-).
Now to complete the stitching of the flower mouse. 
Then to start with the 2nd Forest Park Friend that's set in the hoop ready to go in my first aid Target bag! Any guess which one is next? 

Update 7.13.2018: Adding progress pictures that I overlooked to add on original date of post.

Just wanted to add progress pictures of this projects for the record ;-). Took it to the pool, while my kids had fun swimming I stitched. I'm stitching onto a flour sack towel from Colonial Patterns (aka: Aunt Martha's).

Then in the late afternoon, worked on it a bit more in the living room. Took breaks from stitching to tend to family & household duties and to browse eye candy from these books.

Wasn't feeling good, medications weren't working, and couldn't sleep,...  some late night therapeutic stitching took place with the help of a tiny but powerful reading light. You won't believe how long I've been having this very handy light, about 9 or 10 years & still going strong! Got it at a Michael's craft store.

This last picture is to show you how I normally weave in the ends of my thread when done stitching, or when done with an element of the design.

Non-affiliated links;
1. Forest Park Friends PDF patterns by Kathy Schmitz on her Etsy shop, this is where I got mine.
The iron on transfer version available on her other web store.
2. Sulky 12wt from Uncommon Thread, this is where I got most of mine. 
However, they are some sets available in Amazon too... just search for 'Sulky 12wt' , Joann online has them too, some sellers on Etsy as well, etc.
3. Flour sack towel I'm stitching on is 18" by 28",  this one from Colonial Patterns (aka: Aunt Martha's).