Thursday, June 16, 2011

Stitching Funk

Since I finished the fun and beautiful bookmark, I have been in a little bit of a funk.  I can't seem to get my enthusiasm up to stitch much.  It might be the summer weather, but I think it was the bookmark.  I need to find something to get me going again.  Maybe I'll start thinking about those huck towels I got up in Fargo.

My hummingbirds are back, and we have a fence up around the garden!  

Hummingbird, female

Two turkeys in the yard

Click this photo to see it larger
there's the male hummer, and two female turkeys

Monday, June 06, 2011

Peacocks and bookmarks

Just got back from a lovely weekend in the great north.  As always, it included a trip to Nordic Needle.  In fact, I am sipping my tea from my new NN mug right now.  I got a bunch of fabric, and supplied to make my sister some huck dish towels for her new and improved kitchen.  And, a nice laying tool so I can uncramp my hands when working on my bargello tree (I am currently using a large needle).

I worked on my bookmark while I was up there.  Here's the progress before we got in the car to go home:


Elegant Bookmark - almost done


I finished it last night and it's so very very cool!
Elegant Bookmark, EGA Needleworks Magazine, March 2011

Elegant Bookmark, EGA Needleworks Magazine, March 2011

We took the kids to the Red River Zoo and my 2YO son, who is obsessed with peacocks got to see them for the first time.  He was in heaven!
Peacock, Red River Zoo, Fargo, ND  6/4/2011

Thursday, June 02, 2011

Catching up and Enjoying Spring

I've been busy these last few weeks, got the garden in, went biking with the family (if you can call it that when there's a 2 1/2 yr old on a too small trike!) and got some stitching in.

We've had some visitors to the feeders this spring - the usual crowd of goldfinches, and a pair of orioles.  We haven't had them here at this house before, and given the amount of open space we have, I was quite surprised. We saw a tom turkey way out back with his feathers all in display.

Two Baltimore Orioles

Some of our Goldfinches

Tom the Turkey

The boys helped get the garden in.  Big thanks to DH who did the tilling!  We've got lots of good veggies planted, and some sunflowers too.  My oldest son got some sunflower seeds at kindergarten orientation this spring.  When the flowers bloom it will be almost time for kindergarten!
Freshly planted garden
A few months ago I got my EGA magazine, and was fascinated by a drawn thread bookmark in there.  I read and reread the article so many times I almost have it memorized. I finally went through my stash and got out what I needed to start it.  I am very excited.  It's gone quite quickly so far.  I also have been working on my pay it forward ornaments, and on my bargello tree.
Pay it forward - ornaments one and two

pay it forward - start of ornament 3

Drawn thread bookmark
Drawn thread bookmark - with article from EGA magazine
 
Bargello Tree
Even better than finishing the stitching on a piece, is getting it finished and on display.  I got my Herb Garden Sampler back from the frame shop, and hung it up in the house!
Ravenhill Herb Farm - framed and hanging!