Country Garden Stitchery

Yesterday I noticed my neighbor had two bright orange pumpkins displayed on her porch and I was inspired and really wanted some myself! Instead I decided to stitch one and make a little pincushion ornament. It really isn't a pincushion, but acts like one. It is more of a needlekeeper I guess. I also wanted to use it as an ornament for autumn to be able to hang it on a cabinet knob somewhere. I like to be able to move it around and display it in different places. I put gold colored wool on the back to put the pins and needles into. I used a scallop edge rotary cutter for the edges of the wool and sewed it on using a coordinating variegated sewing thread. I am glad autumn is almost here.

I have been working steadily on my Christmas cross stitch pattern - I call it Snowgirls. It is coming along and I am anxious to try the silk. I really like working with silk floss. My pink miniature roses are doing very well considering the hot days. They bloom all season - Jackson and Perkins roses- hardy roses. Very nice. I picked this magazine up recently. I buy the Somerset issues sometimes for inspiration and this one is full of inspiring articles, colors and pictures. Highly recommended! I just really loved the cover too.

Along with a cross stitch bookmark collection, I have a cross stitch needlecase collection too. I love needlecases. This one was stitched with very soft shades of Kreinik Silk, sparkling Kreinik Braid and finished off with some Mill Hill charms. There is a small cross stitch design inside where the needles are kept. This needlecase featuring a little pansy blossom is also stitched with the same threads as above and in a sampler style with more lavender and the pattern also has a small cross stitch design inside where the needles are kept. They are tri-fold needlecases with pockets on either end. This was the first set I designed using Gentle Art Sampler flosses. This is a needlebook with felt pages inside for the needles, a scissor fob and pin cushion. Mill Hill seed beads and charms are used for accent. I've sewn several in a patchwork quilting style, but I really like the cross stitch needlecases for the extra care and time in making them and their design . Also I wa...

The new issue of Create and Decorate is out and it is full of pumpkins, one of my very favorite things. Very cute designs of many varieties. I have a little pumpkin cross stitch pattern in here using Gentle Art Sampler wool threads that were really fun to work with. It was the first time I'd used their wool. I hope you like the issue. Some of my autumn designs with pumpkins and purple shades. I don't design too many samplers, there are so many lovely sampler designs out there already to choose from, but I have a couple I've done. This is one of a set called "Jewels" with a seasonal theme and this is "Autumn Jewels". This pattern uses all DMC floss on linen fabric. I may have featured this one before, but it is one of my favorites so I wanted to include it again. It uses Gentle Art Sampler flosses also and some sparkly orange Kreinik blending filament this is really fun to use. Some autumn stitching inspiration for you!

I made a handful of zip pouches for my craft shows this year. I used that really fun Halloween fabric for one of them - that is great fabric. The artist has lots of character in her drawings. I love to look at it. I made all different sizes, mainly depending on what length zipper I had, and put thin ribbon as a zipper pull. This is my newest embroidery pattern of a little lamb in a pasture. He has a little bluebird friend perched on the top of his wool. He is enjoys grazing in the pasture with the company of dragonflies, lots of blooming flowers to eat and the warm bright sun. This was part of my booth at the Wildflower Festival in Kirkwood, California last weekend. Kirkwood is at 7900ft elevation and tucked in the mountains. It was very nice to be out of the 100 degree heat down here. Lots of great venders with lovely jewelry, soaps, handmade wine bags and coasters and more. It was a very nice place to be on Saturday. There were large patches all over of yellow and pu...