The next small

Greetings.  Another weekend, going into the end of June.  WAIT!  Where is summer going?  Why do cold months drag on and warm speed by? 

 

I'm taking a break from painting cabinets and thought I would show my latest quick project.  Country Sampler's club project, Heart Pinkeep and Strawberry Emery by Stacy Nash from years ago.   The photo is from Stacy's blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The vine shouldn't take too long and I have a fabric picked for the backing.  I followed the count (32) and the thread colors once again.  I was surprised at the size of this and once stuffed and sewn, it will be one of my favorite hearts.

That's all I have today!  Budman was in here keeping me company for a while until he got antsy and wanted to be out in the sun.  He allowed me to pick him up and hold him for a brief moment, which allowed his hair to be in the paint on the cabinets.  I never thought about it sticking to my shirt until I saw the outlines in the drying paint.  I'm used to thick coarse Labrador hair which is easily spotted, not this fine wispy stuff.  Too late.  He'll always be a part of the kitchen, just as our Labs will always be a part of our hardwood floors, trim, fireplace mantel, and base cabinets.

 

Have a great weekend!

Thanks for visiting.

 

 

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The End

After realizing that I would have to wait a few days to allow time for entries if I started over, I decided to just use the same list for the final pear.  I had already closed Random's tab so I entered everyone again.   The last pear standing is the spring Rebirth, and the last number chosen belongs to Anonymous SAH.  Please email me with your address!

Again, thank you all for playing along and your sweet comments.  I hope everyone who receives a pear will be happy with my work.

 

One more time,

thank you.

 

 

 

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The final two

Hello people.  Coming to the end here!  But I'm getting an urge to stitch those two charts I found and see what they look like.  Might be two more if they aren't too corny. 

This small center pear is not a puffy piece because it has the Mylar insert but I can insert a little more fill if you'd like.

Capecodgirl565 - I can't contact you -  please email me with your address and choose between these last two. 

I have decided to list the final pear as a separate giveaway.  Whichever is left standing, you may not be interested in.  So I will show the lone survivor, and ask you to enter on that post.  If you're as finicky as I am, you only want what you like!

I hope you all enjoyed playing along with my giveaway and I so appreciate the participation and interest.

I had a few emails asking about jean pockets. Leave extra fabric around the pocket when cutting off the pants. To sew on to an article, fold the top edge to the back and stitch, trim the back fabric right up to the outside stitching on the pocket's three sides, and machine sew following that stitching line. You can use a backing fabric with right sides together, sew leaving a margin of denim or right to the pocket edge, turn, finish off the top. Add a button, snap, trims, velcro, strap, and you have a cute gift bag, note pad holder, coin holder for tolls, hanging pocket for your car. Nail several to a board in your sewing room and each pocket can hold different aides.

Answering questions here that I cannot reply to because of no-reply status.
Martha - my yellow flowers close at night and are Evening Primrose.  Several buds on single stems and prolific spreading.
Frances N - yes that's the Budman that was so ill.  He's doing great now thank you!
Lynda Ruth - the Ajuga is very hardy and went through our horribly cold winter just fine.
Truus - I have a disgusting method of slug control.  Early morning (6:30 - 7:30) I would go outside and see them everywhere.  Garden, sidewalk, and especially in the grass, heading back to the shrubs.  I use the side of a hoe or an edger, and cut them in half.  Gross!!  But after many times and hundreds of slugs, I don't see any this year.
Mary - My local hardwares never heard of Sum&Substance or Empress but I'm checking with a shop owner that has a huge variety of hostas.  Thanks!
Anonymous - I know that all written word should be credited to the author.  I didn't do that because I am the author of the Father poem and didn't think it necessary to credit myself.

The End.

 

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The Next Step Sampler

 

Hi ho people! While you're picking pears, I'm stitching a little. And I mean little! I want to stitch a few of these for gifts and the chart is an oldie from The Needle's Prayse called The Next Step Sampler. It uses a variety of stitches (instructions included) without getting involved in a large piece. The outside border is rice, first band is 4-sided, another is herringbone, then there's reversible, the dreaded Queen, a few eyelets and Smyrna cross.  A nice project for trying new stitches in very small sections.

Or substitute regular cross for most as I did.   I'm a lazy stitch wimp as we already know.  All I want to do is make little crosses on a simple marking sampler without fancy stuff and constant thread changes, so I stitched what I wanted and even left off the Queen band completely.
 

I think this one will stay with me.  I plan on using it as a pocket on the outside of my old jeans pocket and adding leather lacing for a hanging strap.  I always cut off my pockets as a memorial to a once smaller behind.  I use them for a variety of projects and even sew them to sweatshirts.  This one is larger than the standard jean pocket.

The finished size of this design on 30 count with my changes is 3 ¼" x 4" -  a perfect size to hang from a cupboard knob.  Hmm.  Maybe I'll ditch the denim.

I didn't get a reply from CalamityJr about her choice so I can't draw another name yet.  While looking for the next project, I found two other pears that I charted but never stitched.  Maybe I'll stitch them and offer the charts. 

 

Enjoy your hump day!

 

 

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Three left!

Tired of this yet?
   CalamityJr will be choosing one of these three.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another favorite plant, the Black Scallop Ajuga.  This fast growing ground cover has beautiful blue flowers in spring, and one little plant can fill in like this in one year. 

 

 

 

 

It forms a really dense mat, so thick and low that a chipmunk can't get in to hide.  I had to rescue three babies from the brats.  Nitzy is the worst and most wild of the three.

 

 

Speaking of them...

 

 

 

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Second drawing

Good day!  I hope so anyway.  Amazingly, I didn't accidentally close the tab and Random can still scramble.   Carol - come on down!  You're the next contestant on To Pick a Pear!  

 

 

My Blue Angel hostas.  LOVE these leaves.

It seems Missy and I have the same attitude.

 

 

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