***Easter Greetings!***

Christ is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

Wishing you and your family the heartfelt joy of the Easter Season!

Inspired by the Easter Greetings project by Maggie Bonanomi in Need'l Love's Easter Threads book, I created these little pots for table favors for Easter dinner.I hope that they like them.

Blessings to you, Patti

Outside my box

"Easter Runner"

design by The Woolen Needle

Well, I stepped outside my usual color pallette with this piece and am so pleased with the results ~ bright, joyful Spring colors ~ just what I need!

I purchased this as a kit from Prairie Point Junction and am so happy with it! I ordered it on a Monday morning and had it in my hands Wednesday night! I love all the plaids ~ so perfect for Easter Eggs!

(Please ignore the wrinkles - I was so happy to complete it that I took photos before pressing...)

It is raining today as it seems to do every Good Friday ~ weather to fit the solemnity of the day. Hopefully we will have sunny warm weather to fit Easter Sunday!

On the back of every table mat that I keep, I add an antique ticking tag with my name, place it was stitched, and date. I also add something going on in my life or the world as I was making it.

Have you been watching the Raptor Research Project Eagles Nest on UStream? I am addicted! It is up on my computer almost 24 hours a day so that I can catch a glimpse whenever I walk by! It is just so facinating to have an eagle eye view of the hatching and growing of these three little eaglets. You can take a peek here. What a great way to celebrate this rainy Earth Day when I can't work outside.

Well, I better get going... I have Easter treats to bake and eggs to decorate. (and eagles to watch, too :)

Blessings, Patti

Inspired...

It's amazing what a little sunshine and temps over 40 can do...

This weekend I cut back my perennials and planted lots of pansies.

I think the Vitamin D from the sun did its trick as I then went inside to do some creating and decorating...

These two Stacy Nash pieces from last spring are finally out and on display.

The very talented Vonna of The Twisted Stitcher has a finishing service which I used for the piece on the right - she did a lovely job!
I finished The Sampler Girl's Little Irish Sampler into a little pillow with rickrack around the edge.

and I finished these three cross stitch pieces that hopefully will become a sewing ensemble soon... I love the combination of soft yellows and grays.

And I pulled the wools for my next wool applique piece.

Definitely not my usual color palette, but the bright hopeful colors of spring have inspired me to break outside of my box...

Who knows where that will lead ;)

Blessings to all, Patti

A wonderful 48+ hours...

There is hope that spring may finally be here!

Last weekend I made a quick trip to Galena IL with my stitching buddies.

I found these crocuses there and they made my heart smile.

We rented this lovely home for the weekend ~ lots of room for us to spread out our stitching projects.

On Saturday we took a road trip that led to 3 states - Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.

Our first stop was Yore in Gotham, Wisconsin. A lovely primitive shop that now stocks wonderful wools and yarns, too!

Then it was on to Country Sampler in Spring Green, Wisconsin. I was so excited to be there that I forgot to take photos :)

Finally it was on to Dubuque and the Cotton Cabin Quilt Shop and...

Willows - I love the ribbon on their basket on the front door.

I found so many lovely wools and patterns:

And this great Pansy prunes crate.

I plan to use the crate and this box on my work table to organize patterns. I found lots of tiny treasures and 3 great 48 star flags nailed to their wooden dowels. There's another piece of coverlet and ticking... a strawberry makedo... and a funky little bunny cookie cutter, too.

I love this heart shaped pan! Not sure whether I will hang it or place it, but the little scallops spoke to me.

I planned to show you what I was working on while there, but it is a gift and I realized that the recipient might read this... so it will have to wait.

It's amazing what you can pack into a weekend ;)

Blessings, Patti

April arrives...

A new month arrives and with it new offerings on TDIPT Mercantile!

Be sure to stop by and see all the lovely creations.

You can click here to see more information on my little sheep pillows.

I took a quick trip this weekend with my stitch club. I had a wonderful time, but now am trying to play catch up with lots of laundry and getting ready for the week. It's back to work tomorrow and the boys return to school after their spring break.

I'll be back in a day or two to share pics from our trip and what I worked on while I was there.

Have a wonderful week!

Blessings, Patti

focus

Maggie Bonanomi Egg

Lately I've been a bit overwhelmed.

It's busy season at my day job and I'm working lots of overtime.

My oldest son is a junior in high school and the college planning & tours are daunting.

I have a creative deadline approaching and just can't seem to get started.

My journal of creative ideas is chockful, but late each night as I try to prepare projects for my train ride, I can't seem to focus. I find myself spending time on the computer or watching mindless t.v. instead.

Rabbit Hill Primitive bunnies

I think part of it is the weather. Although the calendar says spring and the sun is occassionally shining, the temps aren't getting above freezing. It's been a long hard winter and I think if it would warm up a bit and I could get out for some fresh air and see some fresh shoots of life, my focus might come back...

Feedsack Eggs by Gatherings

So, to try and hurry things along, I did a little spring decorating this weekend.

It might not help the weather but it certainly helped my heart! "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." ~Matthew 6:34

Blessings, Patti

A few finishes...

Spring Posy Bag

design by Maggie Bonanomi

Some weeks go by with nary a finish and others are more productive...

This Maggie Bonanomi design was from Country Sampler's Willows & Early Blooms retreat last spring. It is supposed to be a wearable purse in springtime colors, but as usual I couldn't help myself from making some changes... I always need a really big purse to carry all my "stuff" so I thought I would use it as a project bag instead. The original springtime colors of the design were very pretty, but I've been in a very monochromatic mood lately, so I changed it to shades of taupe (I hope that Maggie doesn't mind!)

The back needed a little something, so I added a little bunny & a flower to keep him company.

And on the inside I added another robin ~ seems like I put one on all my projects lately ;) I used a snap rather than a button and button hole to hurry things along.

I have to admit, I almost wished I owned a sewing machine to put this together, but I reminded myself that I hand sew so that I slow down, relax, and enjoy...

"To My Sweet"

Country Sampler Club Kit

by Stacy Nash

It's a little after Valentine's Day, but I finished this and am now ready for next year :)

"Little Irish Sampler"

by The Sampler Girl

Isn't this design sweet?! A perfect stitch for St. Patrick's Day. It is a very generous freebie design by Tanya of The Sampler Girl and you can find it here.
I can't decide how to finish it up ~ frame it? make a pillow? or a little needle and scissor book?

What do you think?

Enjoy the SuperMoon tonight ~ their won't be another full moon this close to earth for another 20 or so years. Unfortunately, here in Chicago it is obscured by clouds...

"O Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

His steadfast love endures forever!"

~Psalm 118:1,29

Blessings, Patti