Liberty Belles

No company here today, making it pretty much business as usual. My husband made the astute remark that the only thing that makes holidays worth celebrating is KIDS! Our kids may as well live on another planet. So today we went out for lunch at a less than desirable place, the best one being closed. Then I went to my sewing room to turn this little cross stitch project into a pillow. 

 I worked up this little project during the winter. It is called Liberty Belles (love the name) by Little House Needleworks. I have so many little stitcheries that have not been turned into anything finished, so I am happy to get this one done. I had just enough big rick-rack left from an earlier project to add to the two ends.


It is getting dark earlier than usual tonight and I just heard this huge crash outside and thought maybe someone lit off a stick of dynamite. But no, it is thunder cracking loudly close by. People have been staking their claim to spots on the beach all day long and our street is lined with many more cars than usual. There are always wonderful fireworks at the beach on the 4th of July, and now it is raining. I feel sad for all the people and especially the kids who look forward to this big event. I wonder if the fireworks will get rained out?

Hope all you Americans are having a happy holiday!

THREADS AND PENNIES

This pretty little sampler is from the Blackbird Design's book, You're Invited. It is a quilting book, but shows pictures of rooms with lovely samplers on the walls. I am smitten. We have a wonderful cross stitch shop here in Virginia Beach called Dying to Stitch, and it is just two doors down from the quilt shop. They are so friendly and helpful there and they have walls full of beautiful samplers. I could get seriously carried away. They helped me pick out this beautiful linen for my project. I have only X-stitched on aida cloth in past years. I was skeptical if my eyes would work on these tiny threads. I did feel relieved to find out that I crossed the floss over two strands of thread. I work under an ott light and pick up a magnifying glass from time to time. It is coming along! I would like to say I am almost finished, but it goes so slowly! I wonder how many hour I have in this project? I wonder if anyone else will love it in future years?

We don't pay much attention to pennies these days, so I didn't realize that they had made changes in our change. My niece held up a penny the other day and wondered about the new picture on the back. She thought it looked like a polo player. My daughter took a look and said maybe it was a lumberjack. Now remember how small a picture on a penny is. It was years before I learned that you could actually see Lincoln sitting in the doorway to the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial is no longer on the new pennies. (Follow that link to read about it.) But at least Abraham Lincoln is still on that penny! Those dingbats really had me worried!

Regular readers of this blog have heard me talk about my youngest granddaughter whom I have dubbed the Plumpkin. We cannot call her plump any longer, but I still like the nickname. She is now a sassy and comical four year old. Doesn't this picture say it all?

Last night my daughter was traveling from Minnesota to their new home in Montana. Her husband had gone on line and arranged a room for her and the kids at a very nice hotel. The Plumpkin took a look around, jumped up on the bed, laid down with her hands behind her head and her ankles crossed, and said, "Princess Kathryn, you got it good!"

Well my friends, with the 4th of July holiday coming up this weekend here in America, and even in spite of all the political turbulence, I hope we can all sit back and relax and say, "We got it good!" Give thanks!

FINGERS FIDDLING WITH FLOSS

Yes, my fingers have been fiddling with floss of late! I showed the above photo last summer when in was in progress. I finished it to this point a while back and still haven't framed it. The pattern is buried somewhere, so I can't even tell you who the designer is. But someone out there is bound to know, so if you do, please leave a comment so I can post it. I like to give credit just as much as I like to receive credit! LOL! Now if I would get my sewing room cleaned up surely the pattern would surface and I could put it in its proper pattern place.

*** Jeanette commented and said the pattern is from Threads That Bind. Thanks Jeanette!

I haven't done cross stitch in a really long time, but I do love samplers, and when the Blackbird Design ladies posted this free pattern on their website a while back I copied it. I finally got it started before Christmas and finished it last night while watching The Big Country on the western channel on TV. (Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, both so young and handsome!)

Sorry, I don't think this pattern is still on the web site. They have other wonderful cross-stitch patterns though. Often they are much like their quilt designs. Barb and Alma, my hat (if I had one) is off to you! They are both so amazing! This project, by the way, was supposed to be done on a much smaller thread count. But 14 count is about all I can handle, and it is still a nice size.

Have you noticed in the upper corner of my blog I put a corner of this quilt? It is a scrappy version of my Williamsburg Medallion pattern. I had it hanging here at home for a while and decided that little wool birds would look very nice in those four spots around the star. So I stitched them on, and I love them! The quilt is now back at the LQS, What's Your Stitch 'N Stuff, where they are kitting it up, including wool for the birds. I know, I need to get a better photo. This one was taken on the fly!

I want to give a very big THANK YOU to all of you who commented on my last post with such lovely things to say. I hope you all know that I was kidding around, as is my tendency, about being at the top of the blog list. Thank you especially to Dawn at Quilts and Pieces, who sees right through me. Ha! Isn't blogging a blast?

LEAD BALLOON

Apparently my idea of a continuing story has gone over like the proverbial LEAD BALLOON! But, as I am not able to let go of this idea, I decided to add another verse myself. Heck, maybe I will write my own silly continuing story. Feel free to jump in at any time... You are all being much too shy.
This is where we last left off:

Far away, on a warm, tropical island, King William lay with his head in the lap of a long-haired, dark eyed beauty. What need had he of quilts in this perfect temperature? He found himself thinking less and less of the Royal Hearth, the kingdom he'd left behind, or the Queen of Quilts. Was it an enchantment? (Added by Susan-Desert Sky Quilting)

But alas, no, for he was already growing weary of the fair maiden. Beautiful to look at, lovely to touch, but other than that, she was really not much. Pushing his disappointment aside, the king rose and wandered further down the beach. Still searching for something, but what it was, he knew not. (added by mp)

Back to reality, I find that it is one month until I leave for Arizona for Christmas! EEEK! I have little ornies to make for my grandchildren, a gift for the LQS Christmas party exchange, Sparkler quilts for my daughters. Oh me, oh my! I have been working on a few things, however. Take a look at these cute little gingerbread men from Primitive Stitches! I just couldn't resist ordering the pattern and stitching up a little "bread cloth". There are so many darling things on that site! You will love it!

Christmas Sparklers are still in the works at my house. Everyone who has made this little quilt has found it to be fun and easy! Claire from Newport News, VA made this one. Claire added another blue to hers and don't the stars and snowballs just pop! Claire does not (yet) have a blog, but Claire, feel free to leave a comment any time! And thanks for sharing your quilt with us! All the quilt pictures that I have received thus far are on my website in the Sparkler Gallery.