Bittersweet Sisters Day One

Here are the Bittersweet Sisters:

Kim from IL, Nicki from IA, me from IL, Carla from ND, Linda from GA and Wendy from ME.

 

We started our trip with a bang - a trip to Country Threads!

 

Wow! It was overwhelming the moment you walk in the door!

So many wonderful things to see everywhere that you look - even on the ceiling!

 

 

It took a few minutes to catch my breath and stop hyperventilating :)

 

 

The views were so inspirational - both outside

 

 

and inside.

 

Everyone was so warm and welcoming, even Jackie the shop kitty.

 



 

And it was so fun to see the "Country Threads" spin on familiar patterns.

 

 

Even the view from the bathroom window was inspiring.

 

 

You don't even need to go in the shop to be taken in by lovely projects.

 



It is like a little fairy world, a slice of heaven for both humans and furry or featherd friends.

 



 

Everyone was so patient, kind and helpful. We spent a lot of time in the shop picking projects, fabrics and backings and it was wonderful having such personable help.

 

 

Here are Kim, Mary and I - Kim and I were ready to move in about then :)

All too soon we said our goodbyes and continued our journey...

If you aren't close to Garner, Iowa you can visit the Country Threads website by clicking here.

 

Next stop was Clear Lake, Iowa for some darling shops and lunch at Cabin Coffee - the hot chocolate was delicious.

 

 

On our way back to Osage, Nicki and her husband were kind enough to open up their lovely home to us to see all of Nicki's wonderful finishes and her busy stitching room.

 

 

The ladies were so patient when Kim and I had to stop the car to take some photos of this fun group at a pig farm long the way.

The didn't tease us too much when we hopped back in the car smelling more than a bit like swine...

 

 

I'll leave you with this sweet face until I can post our wonderful Day 2!

 

Blessings, Patti

Bittersweet Stitching Sisters

I am back from a wonderful long weekend spent with kindred spirits,

the Bittersweet Stitching Sisters!

Each and every one of them talented needleworkers and artists with hearts of gold.

We are spread throughout the country and have anticipated this trip for a year.

What an incredible time! I think that it may take me the rest of the month to blog about it :)

(I'm having a hard time getting through my 240+ photos to decide which to post.)

Our gathering took place in the wonderful town of Osage, Iowa. Everyone that we met was so very gracious and welcoming. We felt at home immediately.

 

 

So many wonderful and unique shops in and around Osage, we tried to visit as many as we could.

 

 

And such a wonderful time of year with the lovely colors and harvest.

 

Here are a few photos of our first stop.

 



Can you guess where it is?

 

I think this shot may give it away ;)

 

As soon as I finish unpacking, I'll be back with more on our first stop.

 

Blessings, Patti

Off on an adventure...

Where does the time go?!

September came and gone and already several days into October!

TDIPT Mercantile is now updated once again with lots of wonderful Autumn offerings:

Click here to see them all.

 

You can view my remaining offerings by clicking here.

 

 

Tomorrow I am heading out on an adventure with some kindred spirits!

Heading to a place I haven't been before.

The projects are packed! The clothes I'll throw in a bag in just a bit.

I'm sure I'll have some lovely photos and stories to share.

And hopefully my kindred spirit friends won't say, "what happens in Iowa stays in Iowa." ;)

 

"As water reflects the face,
so one’s life reflects the heart."

~Proverbs 27:19

 

Blessings, Patti

We have a winner!

 

Thank you so much to the 41 people who entered my giveaway!

The gourd count responses ranged from 7 to 71.

(I think my favorite response was 9 1/2 ;)

 

No one guessed the exact number which was...19!

Not bad for cityfolk! Especially since we didn't even plant the gourd plant!

 

The closest guess was Ronnie with 18.

Ronnie, please send your mailing address to me at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com and I will get your pumpkins in the mail.

 

I see that I have just reached 300 followers! Are there really 300 people who want to see and hear what I do?!?! Wow! I guess that I will have to plan another giveaway to celebrate soon ;)

 

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

~ Phillipians 4:13

 

Blessings, Patti

What's in a name?

 

Karen at My Colonial Home is having a challenge, asking how we began our blog and came up with our name. I may be too late, but thought it would be fun to share anyway :)

 

In 2008 I was enjoying many blogs and started thinking that I might try my hand at it. Lana of Honeysuckle Lane and Suzanne of Pear Tree Primitives were so helpful and supportive, that I went ahead. My first post on June 3, 2008 showed how thrilled I was that I actually got it up and running. When Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm left my very first comment I was so over the moon thrilled that I sent her a velvet strawberry :)  

 

How my blog name came to be is a longer story...

When I was little I remember helping my mom at a few craft shows and how fun it was. The year I married my husband, I started doing craft shows with my sister-in-law another kindred spirit. After about 10 years, we decided to step it up a notch and get business cards. So we had to think of a name. My sister-in-law's name is Joy and so she came up with the sweet and clever name of "Joyfully Yours". I thought hard and had such a tough time. We had just moved into our first home after living in a condominium for 10 years. We were so thrilled with our home on Vine Avenue. Here in Chicago all of the streets are very straight and form square blocks, but Vine Avenue is a little meandering and slightly curvy compared to the other streets. So I came up with the name Winding Vine Designs.

 

It also helped that one of my favorite bible passages talks about a vine:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other."

John 15: 1-17

 

For my blog name I chose Winding Vine Wanderings. Keeping Winding Vine, but adding the "Wanderings" for I feel like whenever I start reading blogs, I am on a wandering path that leads to other kindred spirits and fascinating places.

 

Thank you so much for letting me share here for over 4 years and for your kind comments!

Blessings, Patti

Stress Relief and a Giveaway

 

"Flowering Vine"

design by Maggie Bonanomi

 

A few weeks back, we moved our oldest son into his dorm for his first year of college.

He seems to be adjusting well and enjoys his classes and new friends.

 

I'm having a harder time adjusting, just like so many moms before me. It's hard to adjust to a new stage in life and I feel like a part of me is missing. I'm fortunate in that he is very close by and has been stopping by once a week, but I things just won't be the same anymore...

 

Thank goodness for my needlework!

It is such a stress reliever!

It calms me, focus me, and helps me to realize that everything will be fine...

 

"Dance under the Harvest Moon"

design by Stacy Nash

 

Now that it is Autumn, my favorite season of the year, my needle is certainly inspired!

 

And now it is time for another giveaway:

 

 

A few posts ago, I mentioned a gourd plant that just appeared in our alley. (You can read about it here.) This weekend it was time to harvest my gourds.  

 

For my giveaway, give me your guess as to how many gourds I harvested. The one who guesses the right number, or closest to it, will win the two corduroy pumpkins and one antique shirting quilt top pumpkin pictured above. As always, you can post a comment here or send an email to me at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com with "Gourd Count" in the subject line.

 

I'll be back next weekend with the winner!
Blessings, Patti

 



A Dream come true... almost

I have a bucket list of primitive places that I really want to visit one day.

One of these places is Notforgotten Farm.

I've dreamed of visiting Lori's shop (and doing some major shopping), meeting Pinnochio and Daisy (I don't think I've ever met a donkey), and of course meeting the talented Lori Brechlin herself (a kindred spirit).

 

I may not be visiting Notforgotten Farm myself (yet), but some of my handmades will be visiting :)

I am thrilled to be participating in Notforgotten Farm's 4th Annual Gathering of Primitive Friends.

You can read more about it here on Lori's blog.

If you live near Amherst, Virginia, be sure to stop by on Saturday.

These sneak peeks are some of my offerings that have made the trip.

 

Be sure to say Hi to Lori for me and give Daisy and Pinnochio a pat.

At least until I get the opportunity to visit myself in person ;)

 

Blessings, Patti