Saturday Stitches

The Dog Sampler

Saturday Stitches

Lasting as Eternity : The Dog Sampler : Thirsty Hart : Rachael Holmes

I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm : Great Grandma Dagmar's Birth Sampler

Thank You

Thank you all so much for taking the time to pop in and send a message yesterday. Your words felt like big hugs from across the miles.

I feel like there are a million things I have been waiting to show you and write about, but they will still be there in a few days, as I regain my footing and get daily life feeling a bit more normal. It becomes a new normal each time life throws a curveball, doesn't it?

My Mother in Law joined us for a dinner of French Toast last night, and the evening was spent looking at old, old photos and talking about old stories. It was good. We decided that we need to add a standing appointment weekly for her to join us for dinner.

I finished a big sampler last night after the kids were in bed. Really big. I've been stitching on it for a long time, setting it down to get smaller designs finished, then picking it up again. Now to steam it and get a frame ordered. I think she just might be April's calendar girl.

Its raining buckets out there today. Lots of flooding down in the valleys, and our little creek is so swollen we can hear it gushing as soon as we open the door.

The kids are playing ping pong on the wii right now, and their giggles from the other room are a delight to hear.

There are nine roly-poly puppies out in the kennel, growing like crazy and keeping us busy. This coming weekend will be the first chance for their future families to come take a peek. We always enjoy getting to know a new group of Labrador people.

I appreciate you all so very much.

Holiday Hand-dids

Now that the family Christmas celebrations are over, I can finally share with you a glimpse of what has been keeping me really, really busy the last few months...

There were 5 different pincushions made for the sewing women in my family. Each quite different from the other, and I only took pictures of one... I think I had intentions of photographing them all together when they were finished, but well...

I made 36 mini bags of Peppermint-scented rice and flax for the nieces, nephews and classmates, and 12 adult-sized bags of the same. My kids love to keep theirs in the refrigerator, so that they are cool at all times and ready to soothe bumps and bruises. I heat mine up most evenings to help my chilly bones get warm.

There were 7 tents made for little ones to play in, and 1 crocheted blanket for the Grandma whose own hands have crocheted many, many blankets for Kids and Grandkids over the years. My sister made sleeping bags for each of the kids to go with their tents.

I hand-quilted 2 play mats for baby boys to roll around on,

and bottled 5 containers of my home-brew.

Along with several jars of my Green Tomato Chutney.

And last, but certainly not least, 1 personalized My-First-Sampler kit for an almost-9-year-old niece. Complete with a design made just for her, hoops, needles, a pincushion, fabric, thread, and enclosed in a vintage sewing basket. Here's hoping she likes this new stitching experience!

Around Here

The Dog Sampler... that Makes 2 New Designs in 1 Day!

Another new design for you today... now listed in my etsy shop and also available directly through me via email (beth@heartstringsamplery.com).

This year marks the beginning of our efforts in the Labrador breeding business. To commemorate this new venture, I combined some sampler classics: a big house, wonky trees, birds, dogs, and a sassy quote.

The quote is from a book called Anecdotes of Dogs by Edward Jesse, which was written in 1846.

“With the exception of women, there is nothing on earth
so agreeable or necessary to the comfort of man as the dog.”

Don’t we all agree? The Reward of Merit today goes to Dogs! Our faithful, devoted, frolicksome companions; they torment us with their mournful eyes while we eat our dinners, and warm our hearts with their unconditional love when we’ve had a bad day.

I worked the grass entirely with tent stitches to save time. I satin stitched the roof tiles and some of the window panes for a shinier finish. You could do the same, or finish the entire sampler with cross-stitches.

However you choose to stitch it, make this sampler your own by working in your own initials... I have included a full alphabet set for you to use.

Stitch Count: 173 x 134

Model stitched on Weeks Dye Works 30ct. Confederate Gray linen.

Using flosses from The Gentle Art: 0130 Avocado, 1150 Flax, 1170 Dark Chocolate, 7019 Pomegranate, 7079 Heirloom Gold, 7080 Endive, 7088 Baked Clay

And flosses from Weeks Dye Works: 1171 Dove, 2202 Bullfrog

Today...

Today... we are down to just one puppy waiting to go home. Zoey, the pink-nosed girl on the right went home a few days ago. Cooper, Mister black-nose on the left has been occupying himself with chewing on a ball, chewing on his food dish, chewing on blocks of wood left over from construction, knocking over his gravity-fed water canister, sniffing for bits of dropped food and biscuits, running around like a berserker, and... learning to sit on command! We can't spend a ton of time out in the kennel with him, but we do make a point of giving him as much attention as we can afford. We all are anxiously awaiting his family's return from vacation!

Today... Creative Chicks Rule (so says her shirt).

Today... I have a thousand satin stitches to put in before this sampler is finished.

Today... I have a bazillion tent stitches to put in so I can release this sampler already!

Today... my Son is working on improving his facial muscle control.

What are you up to Today?