Sunday, June 24, 2012

Welcome Summer

The calendar and the outside temperature may say Summer has finally arrived but my stitching this week says it is Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine's Day. There has also been a little bit of a summer theme this week with some work on Sunflower and Berries.


I want to get the lavender Confetti Streamers finished in the background so that I can stitch the vines on top of them where necessary. I like this NeedleDeeva canvas so much. Robin King did a great job with a nice mix of simple but effective stitches. It has such a nice airy look to it. Perfect stitching on a hot summer evening.

With the Christmas Banner behind me (and thank you so much for your very kind comments this week on the banner!), I have felt a little more free to stitch on a variety of projects this week. Continuing the Christmas theme with Christmas Parade, I have started stitching the wooden wagon being pulled by the polar bear.


The Weeks Dye Works cotton floss colors that Amy chose for the wagon are perfect choices for stitching wood. I'm using Swiss Chocolate and Kris' BonBon.


Last weekend I finished stitching the moon and worked on the sky for a little bit. There's still a lot of sky still to be stitched. I am stitching all the right slanting rows of pattern first so that when I turn the canvas to stitch the left slanting pattern, I have a few stitches to run my threads under as I move from one "lozenge" to another so that I'm not carrying the thread across open space.

My easy stitching this week was this little heart from Associated Talents. It is one of the hearts from the club at Fireside Stitchery. I could put my feet up in the recliner, my cat, Little Girl, could sleep in my lap, and I could stitch in comfort. It's nice to have a little project like this that can be easily picked up and put down and, before you know it, it's finished. I aspire to having a Valentine tree full of little hearts like this at some point.


What's a week without a little stash enhancement? These two canvases/stitch guides/thread kits arrived from Amy's this week.



These are just two of the poison bottles from Kirk and Hamilton. Amy has a great picture of her finished Frog's Breath bottle. The bottle's "feet" are little green frog's feet - so cute!

Amy and Jill have been tempting me with all of the new canvas photos from the TNNA show they have been posting on Facebook this weekend. My list of stitching projects is growing by the day!

I have a little bit of work I need to do at my desk today but I hope to get in lots of Sunday stitching time. Making a tomato pie is at the top of my list, however. Very few ingredients - pie crust, tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and parmesan cheese. Paula Deen made it on her show this week. I have made it in the past but had forgotten how good it is. I'm looking forward to eating that throughout next week!

Hope you had a great first week of summer! Have a great week ahead!

9 comments:

  1. Melinda:
    Where did you find Amy's picture of the finished Frog's Breath? I have the kit and she mentioned that she was going to have it finished that way but I can't find the picture.

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  2. If you are making Paula Deen's Tomato Pie, I am coming over. I made it not too long ago and it is delicious. Sounds like it was a wonderful stitching week.
    I am enjoying all the new stuff coming out of market. Are you definitely buying the Fourth of July? I just saw Melissa Shirley's new designs online and saw something I might like more. Well, not more, but if I have only one purchase to make, I might choose one of her landscapes. Hmmm....

    Have a great week

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  3. Melinda,

    The Christmas march is looking beautiful. I'm still plugging away on the pear banner. Slow and steady, that's how I'm going to finish. Then I will start tackling the Nutcracker. Keep up the beautiful work and have a great week.

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  4. Hi Melinda,
    You certainly had a productive stitching week. The Christmas march is spectacular. Love the heart and the sunflower. Enjoy your tomato pie and stitching this week.
    Linda

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  5. Melinda,

    I just found your blog a few days ago and was thrilled! It is exciting to find other needle pointers who get as excited about new canvases as I do. I used to do cross stitch and needlepoint when I was younger and went back to it in earnest about four years ago. I joined a nativity scene club a couple of years ago from Needlepoint This in Dallas and continue to explore new stitches through those stitch guides, but I keep finding other canvases that call my name and need to be stitched! :) Your work is beautiful and inspiring. I didn't realize there were needlepoint bloggers out there and look forward to learning from all of you. You mentioned Amy's. How do I find it online? It is going to be 104 in San Antonio today! Just finished a penguin ornament, now on to a Dallas Cowboys ornament and an Amanda Lawford ornament for my mom in addition to the Ehrman tapestry that seems to go on forever........I don't think I will be ordering one of those again any time soon! Happy Summer! Shawn

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    1. Hi, Shawn - thanks for stopping by! If you google Amy's Golden Strand, you will find her website. She is in Memphis and has the most wonderful shop. She and the folks who work for her are the best! Try to stay cool in San Antonio!

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    2. Thanks, Melinda! I found it and her Facebook page- enjoying all the market pics!

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  6. Too funny - I've been eating tomato sandwiches this past month because Coni at Spinster Stitcher mentioned in her blog a month or so ago. I've never heard of tomato pie - it must be a southern dish. Sounds yummy. As always, your blog is wonderful to read.

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    1. Hi, Beth - the tomato pie was delicious! the recipe may be on the Food Network. I'm sure you could google it. If Paula made it, it's probably Southern!

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