I cannot count my day complete
'Til needle, thread and fabric meet.
~Author Unknown

Sharing a common thread with those who love the art of hand embroidery

Thursday, May 31, 2012

The weeds have been picked.................
The pumpkins are growing....................
This leaves the day................................
For stitching and sewing!.....................
Kathleen

How about you? Are you finished with your outside work...............at least for the day?
Are you wanting to stay in and create?
Here is a lovely vintage design.............that I am hoping ...........if you click onto , you will be able to print it off.
If you do get to work with it, I would love to see and hear about it!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

The yellow roses on the patio

are blooming and have inspired me
to dig this piece out to embroider.


I used to not care for stamped embroidery because I felt it limited me in the way I wanted to show off color in the design................

however, I have learned to go beyond the stamping and as you know me well for...........
add a few extra stitches to make the embroidery come to life and to look more vibrant.

The leaves are supposed to look like this

but I wanted that purple hue that exists on the real rose leaves

to show up on my embroidery work..............
like this.............


I love the way it looks with just a few more stitches........don't you?
What color would you have chosen for the roses?............
the leaves?...............
the small daisies?
I would love to hear!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

A little while back, I posted about an applique quilt block that I love

called the Friendship Dahlia

It is so easy with just 8 petals and a round center to stitch together. It is usually stitched on pre-cut pieces of cotton squares  measuring about 14 inches. Then the blocks are stitched together with a strip between the blocks.  However.........
as most of you have come to know about me..............

I decided to change it a little by simply marking 14 inch square places on a cotton flat sheet, and then applique the Dahlia onto the middle of each square. When all appliques are stitched onto the sheet, I will then separate them with a green fabric bias strip. I left room on each edge of the sheet to applique a floral and leaf border. I then can either place batting and backing onto it and quilt it............or I could even make it a light coverlet by simply placing a backing onto it and quilting that into place. I really am leaning toward making it into a quilt.
What do you think?

 I plan to have applique dahlias in every different color. This should look so cheery for a spring time bedroom...........think so?
And because I love hand stitching, I am doing it all by hand.
What are you stitching on this weekend?
Or perhaps you are painting or crafting with something else?
 I would love to hear!


Wednesday, May 16, 2012

This is the last design for the Ladies of the Week transfer 1928

since I had posted the first one on last Thursday.

and it's what I would rather do  every day of the week! ...............stitch!   How about you?
Do you find that maybe the house work can wait one more day so that you can get those last stitches in?
I do so hope that you enjoyed this week of embroidery transfers............and I am still in between stitched projects and don't have a clue as to what I will post about next............
do you ever find yourself like this?



Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Tuesday's design from Ladies of the Week

has our our busy homemaker ironing after doing all of that laundry yesterday.

Even though there are so many clothes that are wrinkle free these days, I still use my iron now and then. How about you?

Monday, May 14, 2012

It's Monday, the start of a work week for many............even for

the homemaker, work begins...........

Ladies of the Week ( Woman's World 1928)
Thanks goodness for the electric washing machine and dryer...........although I still love my clothesline........
how about you?
******Visit my cooking blog for some vintage history about Better Homes and Gardens and for a vintage recipe! Just click onto this link.......

Sunday, May 13, 2012

What a great way to start the week and to celebrate Mother's Day

by going to worship and to be with God.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Not a day goes by that I am not baking something.............

especially bread for the day's dinner...........

Today's transfer from (Ladies of the Week) Woman's World 1928 is bake on Saturday.
Sounds good especially to bake a cake or a pie to be shared for the next day Sunday, when usually dinner guests or get togethers are common.
I love to bake pie..........but I usually bake cookies the most because they are plentiful for my family to grab on the run.
How about you?
What do you like to bake most?
Do you have only one "bake day?"
I would love to hear


Friday, May 11, 2012

Here is Friday's transfer

from the "Ladies of the Week" set, Woman's World 1928

Just when you thought the weekend is here and it's time to relax..................it's time to clean!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Do you like embroidery transfers with days of the week?

These type of transfers can be commonly found in the Aunt Martha Hot Iron designs, with the themes from Scottish pups , busy birds, kittens and Sun Bonnet Sue doing their daily tasks.
Since I am in the middle of stitching projects and do not have much to show, I thought I would share with you a set of vintage Ladies of the Week transfer designs that come from Woman's World dated 1928. This magazine is not in connection with the current Woman's World of today.
How about you? Do you like days of the week designs?
What is your favorite?
By the way, you can click on the transfer and then be able to copy a copy for yourself to embroider.

After tasks are done in the early part of the week, it's nice to take a break and visit a friend!
I love the simple lines on this design .
So many options on how to embroider it!
Do you take a break from the busy week to get together with friends?
Check back each day for a week, for each day's transfer!

Friday, May 4, 2012

There is a rug on the floor of our living room

that is getting close to being 20 years old and

I love it for it's design and color..............but even more so for what it represents to me.
This rug made me determine "my worth" in the work that I create and do. When I first started with the idea of designing and working embroidery to sell................I was a young stay at home mother.My husband was a garage mechanic and what money he was able to bring home, was spent on important things, like food and the children's needs. There was no room or extra $$$ to spend on home decorating.However, I would walk up to admire this rug hanging in the store and vowed that I would somehow make enough money to purchase it...........without feeling guilty about it.  I was hand embroidering small towels and pictures and selling them in local stores for extra income. The small change I made on these items, did not match to the late hours I worked on them while my children were sleeping. However, I had not established faith in myself to dare ask what I really thought they were worth. I was thrilled and grateful that anyone would want to purchase them. I did this kind of thing for months.............this was long before we had a computer and long before I heard of Etsy. One day, while flipping through a sewing magazine, my eyes landed on a want ad from a designer up in the Boston area, looking for someone to be part of their "creative team". Now I knew there was no chance ever that my husband would allow us to pack up and move on a whim from Texas to Boston, MA.
However, I could not get that ad out of my mind.  So I came up with a plan, held my breath, dialed the number and prayed while the phone on the other end was ringing. To my relief, a pleasant voice answered. I told her where I lived, why I could not possibly move to Boston, but if she were willing to listen, how I could be a exciting part of their "creative team". She was willing to listen! I told her about my embroidery and about my design work and how through the wonderful world of snail mail, I could embroider for them. She liked the idea!! I sent her samples of my work and ideas, and within the next week I had a job embroidering for a husband and wife team of fashion designers. They would send me garments that they created and I would embellish them with my hand embroidery.  When asked what I expected to be paid for my work.............I froze." What if I ask too much and they decide I'm not worth it" ......I thought to myself.  But no, I decided to take the bull by the horns and proclaim my work to be worth every stitch I placed into it.  I worked for these people for 5 years..........enjoying every moment of it............and realizing not to settle when it came to what I thought about my work being worth.  The first check I received.............I ran out and bought this rug.
When I work at night, it is here, reminding me to have faith in myself and my work............Since that time, I have had my hands full of embroidering for various customers..........deciding that I want to only create what I want to stitch and if someone likes it, they can  purchase it..........no more custom orders. Another step............I opened my Etsy, created this blog and have just now finished writing my embroidery book............which is still in need of a publisher.  I have changed and grown in this embroidery journey...........and so glad I have arrived to where I am now.
How about you?
Have you struggled in deciding what your work is worth?
I would love to hear!

This week I am working on a cross stitch design by Paula Vaughan............I just love her, don't you?
What are you stitching or working on?