Loose Feathers Are In!

The summer Loose Feathers booklets have arrived, along with the fabrics and fibers for those who ordered them. It's kind of confusing at first. The fabric called for on the actual LF pieces is the usual 30 count R & R...ho hum. The fab called for on the two extra designs (tulip and partridge) is Lakeside!!! Yes.

Rose and I went together to pick up our patterns, ended up like two kids in a candy store, and came home with a little more than our LF patterns!

I'll try to post a photo later or tomorrow. I'm off to get my haircut now.

Enjoy the day...

Lots of BlackBird Sightings

Carol, Linda, and I went up to the Kindred Spirits meeting yesterday.  Some members of the group stitched Blackbird Design projects for display.  Those who completed their projects received a certificate and silver needle charm.  Really nice. 



The above might have been Debbie's. 
I don't remember for sure.



Congratulations to all who completed these designs.  A few of the finishes are shown below.  Please excuse the glare from the overhead lights in some of the pictures.  Also, I cut the names off a couple of them where full names were shown, and I didn't ask permission to publish that.

It was a fun afternoon.  As usual, lots of good food, with a nice Americana display on the table.

It was good to see Debbie again.

Loose Feathers, Continued

Have you seen the sneak peeks of the new Loose Feathers series? Really nice looking. After having stitched so many of the smalls from A Stitcher's Journey, I was starting to think that all the BBD patterns were running together. The two designs that I have seen from the new LF series have a fresh look.

There will be only three releases in this series. Each segment has one main chart and two smalls, I believe. The three main designs can be stitched on one piece of fabric. Be sure to check out Alma's blog for the tease. The first one is due in 2 to 3 weeks. Better give your LNS a call to order yours.

Alma had a nice fabric give away with ten winners, but, alas, I was not chosen as one of the ten. This was to promote the fall release of their new fabric line, Blueberry Crumb Cake, which looks and sounds delicious.

Finished Anniversaries - Not Mine!

Already I have seen two completed Anniversaries of the Heart samplers.  The stitched pieces are beautiful, as well as the stories behind how these gals decided to dedicate their individual blocks.

Take a peek and share your comments.

http://bluehenhollow.blogspot.com/

http://theneedlespromise.blogspot.com/

I'm itching to get back to mine now.  I was thinking there was no way I could finish it by the end of the year...but I could if I applied myself!  Now....why did I choose three contract pieces for sampler guild???

Happy Mother's Day

Stitching Other Than BlackBird

I have decided not to continue to limit this blog to BlackBird Designs projects,

in part because I have started,
or am about to start a couple of projects from Brenda Gervais...

With thy Needle and Thread

http://withthyneedleandthread.blogspot.com

I have started the cross stitched version of Bunny & Company. 

Unfortunately I have no chance of finishing this by Easter.  Oh well.

I (and a couple hundred thousand others) have been following

the eagle nest cam from Iowa for the past month,

http://www.farmyou.com/falcon_cams/index.html

thanks to the heads up on Brenda's blog.

A little group of eaglet follows have formed on her blog
and as a result Brenda quickly designed a cute little primitive sampler
entitled "Soar"
depicting the nest in the tree, the farm location,
the parents and three chicks, etc.
$5 from the sale of each sampler goes to
the Raptor Research group who is 

hosting this nest cam and many other projects. 
It has been so much fun watching this nest. 

Today, unfortunately, the eagle family's nest was covered in snow
for the second time in a week.

Anyway, the StitchALong for the Soar sampler officially started yesterday,
so I will be posting some photos of my progress on this project as I go. 
(Haven't started it yet.)

Also, a bunch of friends and I will be receiving the first of three patterns

for Brenda's Mystery Birds of a Feather in about three weeks.

Look for different photos of this once we get started on that fun project.

BlackBird Designs and Beyond!

Anniversaries - Heart

I am excited to see that the last monthly design and the big bonus block will be available in a week or so....this said from someone who is 6 months behind in stitching Anniversaries of the Heart!  Oh well, the mood will hit again soon.  I've seen some nice Anniversaries in progress online that should inspire me.

I have worked on a couple more little projects from A Stitcher's Journey.  Soon I will have to apply myself and finish the stitched pieces into actual items!  Oh dear.

Have a wonderful Sunday.  I'm going to sneak in some stitching time this afternoon.

Happy Dance !

I am doing the happy dance this morning.  My circular piece stitched from A Stitcher's Journey, which BBD calls Thistle House Sewing Box, has found its home.  Since the beautiful embossed round box in the book is no longer available, I decided to have my stitching put into one of the little round boxes that are available now.  Not big enough to be called a sewing box - I guess I'll call it a treasure box.  I'm so happy with the way it turned out.

Special thanks to Carol and Katie at Crafty Ewe

who worked and fought
to get the mat and everything in this little box,

breaking finger nails in the process,
and getting a very pleasing result.

A Stitcher's Journey

I have fallen in love with A Stitcher's Journey.  Not a surprise, as that usually happens around here when BBD comes out with something new.

I have definitely been ready for some quick and easy projects.  Here is what I've worked on over the past week or so.  Now, to turn these into something besides flat pieces of fabric with stitching on.  That's the hard part!

Anybody else stitched on anything from this book yet?

Birds and Berries Pinbox top



Thistle House Sewing Box top -
if only the box BBD used was available!



Oh, My Stars! Pinkeep (when completed)



Little Pin Pillow

I started stitching this BBD pattern to be a needles & pins book, but, as usual, didn't center it properly.  (How hard can that be?  I did well in math in school!)

Anyway, it turned into a little pin cushion.  I'm working on the second start of the needles & pins book.

Looks like February, don't you think?