On our way!

In the morning, my niece and I are headed to central Illinois to visit my parents / her grandparents.

In addition, it is primitive show weekend!

I'm not sure if we will make it to all six locations. (I think I might run out of money first.) But tonight I can daydream. What might I find? A neat antique pincushion or a pair of old sewing scissors?

Maybe a piece of stone fruit to add to my collection.

Whatever I find, you know that I will be sharing it here with you.

For those of you that receive my monthly newsletter, it will be a bit late this month. Hopefully it will be ready Sunday or Monday. All of my offerings are started, but not one of them is finished... I simply ran out of time.

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

~1 John 3:18

Blessings, Patti

A Winner!

Thank you so much to all that entered my giveaway and for all the kind words!

There were 63 entries in the giveaway and using random.org - the winning entry was #46 - Judy, Heartland Stitcher. Congratulations Judy! 

Judy selected "Peace on Earth" Sewing Book as her prize.

It will be out in tomorrow's mail :)

For all that entered, I wish that I could send you each something. 

To celebrate the Etsy giveaway, I am offering 20% off everything in my Etsy Shop now through Friday. 

Simply use coupon code  SPRING2014 (all caps, no spaces) 

If you don't use Etsy, simply send me an email at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com and I can send you an invoice.

This weekend I did a bit more organizing down in Craft Corner.

I organized all my flannels and homespuns (top picture) and all my velvets - vintage, hand-dyed and new.

How did I acquire so much velvet???

We are headed back to the deep freeze this week, but my thoughts are definitely turning to spring...

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

~John 14:1-4

Blessings, Patti

Treasures from Market

"Live Simply - February"

design by Buttermilk Basin

Last night was Nashville Market Open House at Inspired Needle, my "not so local" needlework shop.

Thank goodness that it wasn't Monday night as we received another snowstorm and 6 more inches of snow. Yesterday and today the temps have warmed up and we are in the midst of a big thaw. The warm temps didn't help with travel however. Traffic was bad and it took an hour to arrive, but boy was it worth it lol.

I managed to find plenty of treasures that I couldn't live without.

Would you like to see?

I would love to gush  share...

I was greatly anticipating "The Beekeeper" by Plum Street Samplers and placed my reservation before market. It was just as I had hoped.

Stacy Nash's "Pomegranate Sewing Tray & Persimmon Scissor Fob" came home with me along with the Sampler Threads.

"Springtime Messenger" by Brenda Gervais - I can never pass up a lovely robin design :)

And Stacy Nash's "Old White Farmhouse Sampler" is all set to go.

So much to stitch and so little time! How will I ever decide which project to start next?!

What have you picked up from market? Or what are you anxious to see? 

Let me know... I may have missed something important lol!

There is still time to enter my Etsy giveaway.

Please see my previous post or click here.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

~ 1 Corinthians 10:31

Blessings, Patti

Blessings

On January 29th, I received the phone call at work. My dear Uncle Jack was being transferred to hospice care. I left work to go to lunch alone to have some time to process this news. As I waited for my luch and tried to eat, I flipped through my Blog reading list looking for distraction...

Later that evening I received a second call. 

He had passed away peacefully - all too quickly and all too soon.

  

As we mourn Uncle Jack's passing at the age of 77 and as we mourn our loss,

I am trying to focus on the blessings, 

How blessed that I was to have him for an uncle.

How blessed to have his stories and humor that always added smiles and laughter to our family gatherings growing up.

Focusing on the blessings rather than the loss, when possible.

Back to that lunch and flipping through my blogs...

As I did, my name caught my eye...

It was on Faye's blog of Carolina Stitch

Faye was having a giveaway to celebrate her 1,000 followers and I had won!

I looked around the restaurant to see who I could share this won, but no one was there and so I was temporarily distracted and pleased!

In a jiffy, my package arrived despite the nasty weather on both sides.

The photo at the top of the post shows how sweetly it was all wrapped.

And inside I found:

Faye's sweet card and tag, some wonderful linens,

some needles, buttons and pins and this wonderful little supply bag.

I opened it slightly  so that you can see the wonderful lining fabric and the sweet spool zipper pull.

And if that all wasn't enough!

 

Can you believe this incredible project bag?

Oh my goodness gracious! The stitching, Stacy Nash design and colors are perfection. The lining is the same as the supply pouch and the zipper pull is a tiny stork scissors. And look at the incredible scissor fob with the buttons and scissor charm. 

Here is the whole shebang. I was so blessed to win this incredible giveaway on such a difficult day.

Faye does beautiful finishing work for others and I already knew the impeccable workmanship as I had received a pouch that Faye finished as a gift from my Bittersweet Sister, Wendy.

Thank you Faye! I will treasure them always.

I had also won a few giveaways around the holidays and hadn't had the time to blog about them. 

A sweet kit from Ginger of Prairie Moon Primitives.

A lovely kit from Nancy of Victorian Motto Sampler.

A wonderful selection of wools from Laurie at The Wooly Red Rug.

And blog reader Deb was oh so kind to send me a wonderful assortment of wools, wool felt and an incredible wool kit for a loon table mat - one of my favorite birds!

Thank you ever so much Deb!

With all these many blessings, my intention was to create something special for a giveaway, but as always time ticks away so quickly...

I do want to pass it on, so let's have a giveaway.

The winner will be selected through a random number generator on Friday.

The winner will win one item of their choice from my Etsy shop. Click here to take a peek and let me know what you would choose.

As always, my giveaway is open to everyone. Simply leave a comment on this post or send me an email to pgagliardi9@hotmail.com with "Etsy giveaway" in the subject line. 

Let me know if you are a follower of my blog or my Etsy shop and you will receive an additional entry.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

~Romans 8:35,37

Rest in eternal peace, my dear Uncle.

My daily prayers are with my dear Aunt Barb (and my Mom) as they travel through this difficult time.

Blessings, Patti

Valentine's Day

design in progress by Nan Lewis of Threadwork Primitives

Wishing you a Happy Valentines Day!

Several of you so kindly asked for me to show you my mantle each month.

Do you follow Mugwump Woolies blog? Well, Robyn has a beautiful, inspiring blog where she does an exquisite post each month of her kitchen window. You can see her February window here. My decorating is nowhere near her monthly loveliness, but I will share my humble fireplace nevertheless :)

The three framed valentines are by Lana Manis of Honeysuckle Lane as is the sweet paper flower on the right.

The hearts on my foot warmer and primitive antique carved box are right in theme. 

My tiny antique document boxes are accented for the season with...

Two incredible papercuttings in antique frames by Beth Twist of Heartstring Samplery.

This picture does not do them justice, they are so perfectly aged and could pass for antiques...

 

What is Valentine's Day without a few antique Valentines...

And a pincushion made in a class with Maggie Bonanomi years ago...

 

And a table runner from the Maggie Bonanomi Girl's Club with Country Sampler a few years back.

I was so excited to find an unexpected package in the mail today!

I almost didn't want to open this sweet little package!

Don't you just love the sweet button and actual sewing pattern as wrapping paper? The card is so pretty.

Inside was this sweet paper garland from my dear friend Wendy!

Thank you ever so much Wendy for brightening my day!

Oh dear, not sure why it is upside down, but you get the idea. I'm afraid it is too late at night to wrestle the photo around.

Thank you for sticking with this long post!

I am thinking that it is time for another giveaway. Stay tuned and I will be posting about it soon.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

~John 13:34-35

Blessings, Patti

Sledding in Illinois

a portion of 

"Sledding in Connecticut"

a design by Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm

Although I truly loved the whole design, I knew that I didn't have time to stitch the entire lovely piece. And so I stitched my favorite part - a commemoration of the very long winter of 2014.

You can see/purchase the original design here.

This is truly a make-do creation. When I discovered that I didn't have the Sampler Threads called for, I made do with what I had on hand.

I thought this bit of lace looked a little like snowflakes and mirrored the grey design at the bottom of the snow.

We have a sled hill in town that has provided so many happy memories through the years. Parents and small children enjoy sledding during the day. The school children have fun on the hill after school and again right after dinner. Then when the school children head off to bed, the teenagers have their turn to see who can sled standing up and how many teens can fit on one sled :)

This would have been the perfect winter for sledding with fresh snowfalls every few days, but alas it was not to be. Our sled hill is closed this winter due to construction in the park. 

And so it continues...

A common sight as I commute to and from work this winter. 

I don't mind too much provided there is a train with heat on which to sit and stitch ;)

The view from my mudroom closet window as I headed out this weekend.

My view as my youngest son took his weekly drum lesson. 

(It reminds me of the hills in my cross stitch finish lol.)

We have had 63+ inches of snow this winter here in Chicago. We have a detached garage on an alley and with no place for the snow to go, the alley gets narrower and narrower with each snowfall. It takes creative maneuvering when you encounter another car or worse yet a garbage truck...  

The snow has stopped for now and we are back in a deep freeze. I can't recall the last time we were above freezing. It looks like we might get there next week (hopefully!). And then the big thaw will begin...

Thank you Lori for creating such an inspiring design that brought back happy memories and will remind me of the challenging Winter of 2014. I hope someday to go back and stitch the design in its entirety.

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love."

~Psalm 103:8

Blessings, Patti

February Offerings

 

Greetings!

January is finally over! It has been a long, cold, snowy winter so far… My offerings this month are all inspired by Valentine’s Day and the joy of love. At the same time I wanted to make items that don’t need to be put away come the end of February, but would look right at home all year long. I think that I succeeded J

 

 

My first offering this month is Hearts Abloom Table Mat. This mat is based on a design by Need’l Love. It features hand dyed and vintage wools. It measures approximately 10 by 10 inches and is backed with a wonderful coordinating flannel. As with all of my creations, it is completely hand stitched. The feature that really sets this piece apart is that the binding is a wonderful red velvet. The combination of textures of wool and velvet look so rich and striking together.

Hearts Abloom Table Mat is offered at $40 plus shipping.

 

My next offering is a Winding Vine Designs original. Heart and Hand Windowsill Runner is made with all antique materials – tickings, wool, coverlets, and mother of pearl buttons. It measures approximately 4 by 18 inches and would look great on a windowsill, bookcase or just about anywhere. It is completely hand sewn and is backed with another antique blue ticking. The edges are finished with a blanket stitch of perle cotton.

 

 

“Hands to work, hearts to God”

“Hand and Heart shall never part. When this you see remember me.”

All these lovely thoughts went through my head as I worked on this original design. I had to include pieces of my absolute favorite antique ticking for the two large hearts.

~*Sold. Thank you ever so much!*~

If you are interested in purchasing anything, just send me an email at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com . I can send a PayPal invoice or I also accept checks and money orders. I will respond to emails in the order received. If you would like additional information and/or photos, just send me an email as well…

 

I just had to share a few of the items that sold already:

 

Antique Heart Pinkeeps are a Winding Vine Design Original and feature all antique materials – a wonderful red and brown coverlet and cream linsey-woolsey heart. The large pinkeep is backed with antique muslin while the smaller pinkeep is backed with the same antique coverlet. They are completely hand stitched and filled with crushed walnut shells for weight and to keep your needles clean.

~*Both are sold. Thank you ever so much!*~

 

 

Love Blooms Pillow ~ based on a sweet design by Primitive Stitchin’ by Shelly Auen.

 

Birds and Buds Pillow is based on a sweet design by Country Rustic Primitives.

 

But as for me, I will sing about your power.
    Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
For you have been my refuge,
    a place of safety when I am in distress.

~Psalm 59:16

 

Blessings, Patti