*NEW* Festive Little Fobs : Springtime Edition

The idea for this series came to me as I was sitting at a freshly-wiped computer hard drive wondering if any of my lost charts and data were going to be recovered. I was at a complete loss for what to do if I had to re-create months worth of charts that I had in queue for 2018. I opened a new file and started designing some simple little motifs, and then the ideas started rolling. Before I knew it, I had a rough list of 12 different themes, enough to fill a year, should I need to start from scratch with releases to keep you all busy.

This series, unlike the others that I’m in the midst of, has a clear start and finish, as well as a total number of volumes. There will be 12 total, one for each month of 2018. Some will be seasonal, the rest will have general themes, good for any time of year. The intent is for there to be a whole lot of littles that you can stitch for friends and/or that you can fill a little tree with. Imagine if you worked your way through this entire series; with at least 9 different motifs per chart, that’s a total of 108 little ornaments or fobs that you could fill an old feather tree with. Or 108 friends that you could spoil with the labors of your hands.

I’ve included basic instructions for a few of the fob finishes, but I encourage you to explore the internet on your own for the fabulous DIY tutorials there are out there on Floss Tube and Pinterest. I’m far from being an expert finisher, and easily confess that my methods aren’t new. The Silver Dollar finish might be original, but the other finishes are the same that are already out there. If you’re not a person that likes to finish their own stitching, I’m sure you can find a willing person out there to do it beautifully for you for a fee.

My intention for this series is for the motifs to be mix-and-match-able. Your fobs don’t have to be one-sided; you could easily stitch front and back with the same motif, or with different motifs of the same size. You can customize with your initials and date over two or over one, or put in the initials of a special someone that you are making a gift for. Use your creativity! They are small and really quite simple to make… don’t let your fear of finishing get in the way. If I can do it, so can you!

You could also finish your pieces as ornaments for an old feather tree. There are no limits to the things that could be made with these little motifs. When you finish, please send me a picture; I love seeing what you all do with my designs, and I like to share on my finish blog for others to see as well.  www.heartstringsamplery.blogspot.com

My utmost thanks for the lovely stitching of these motifs goes to Nataly Koplovsky. I did the finish work, but there’s a strong chance this series would have never been brought to fruition if she hadn’t so willingly stepped up to do the stitching. Give her a hug for me the next time you see her.


Stitch Count Varies: Approximately 30 x 30 or smaller for each fob

Models stitched with one thread over two
on Weeks Dye Works’ 36ct. Parchment

Using threads from Weeks Dye Works:
Fawn, Mocha, Havana, Bluecoat Red,
Lichen, Blue Jeans, Oscar

Conversion to DMC included with the chart.

Additional Materials Suggested:
US Silver Dollar
Acid Free Card Stock
Felted Wool
Rick Rack, Mini Pom, Chenille, Braided Floss, Seam Binding,
or other ribbon-type finishing notion
Large Lobster Clasp

This design is now available in my etsy shop, and will soon be in the hands of my distributors and the shops on my auto ship list. If you prefer to bypass etsy and order directly through me, you can send me an email: beth@heartstringsamplery.com

The Rest of May

Bees, piano recital, working hard to finish school work, and finally getting enough sunshine to till and plant the garden. May was full and happy and blessed in every way.

We were absolutely shocked one evening to discover that the evening song we both always associated with American Robins actually belongs to our Black-headed Grosbeak. We don't see them very often, and always assumed that they only migrated through the area as they show up on the bird feeder occasionally, but not for very long, and never for consecutive days.

Now that we've had this quite delayed epiphany, we're amazed to realize just how much we're hearing that song and from quite a few individuals scattered throughout the woods.

It's always good to learn something new, and we were both relieved to realize that it wasn't just he or just I, but we BOTH were wrong this time!

In the Spring

The first fresh and tender flowers start to show their faces in the middle of Spring. Bleeding Heart, Trillium, Grape Hyacinth, Flowering Currant. Brand new leaves on trees are my favorite Chartreuse; so vibrantly green it hurts my eyes. It is still so, so, wet and chilly, but when the sun peeks through the clouds, there is warmth and even... sometimes... heat (gasp!).

Migrating birds return and the slugs and bunnies are everywhere, evening and morning, nibbling away at the edges of the yard. Our resident part-albino doe visits the yard, still with her Mama. She doesn't look like she will ever be full-sized, which we read is common with albinism in deer. She's very shy, so pictures are never possible without shrubbery partially obscuring her bright coat. 

In the greenhouse, seeds are planted in anticipation of warmer and dryer days ahead. 

And my new second-favorite pollinator is discovered hovering over the Forget-Me-Not patch. What is it? A little ball of fuzz with long legs and wings. Like an oversized mosquito in a fur coat. Its not exactly a bee, and doesn't really look like a fly, but is so darn cute! Give up? Its a Bee Fly!

You learned something new today. You're welcome.

The Rest of March

The rest of March was a blur of filling orders and rain and gearing up for Spring and also gearing up for my very first stitching retreat. There wasn't much time for breathing or resting, but I did it anyway, because I've learned that it just isn't worth it to push too hard any more. As much as you all on the outside and my own brain on the inside might think that I'm still a Spring Chicken, I just am not. Simple as that. And the better I take care of myself, the better Mom and Wife and Friend I can be.