~Lesson Learned~

September is passing so quickly and I am so busy with work and home, but still I am trying to squeeze in time creating for the October 1st update at TDIPT Mercantile.

As many of you know, I do a lot of my stitching on my commute back and forth to my office in the Wrigley Building on Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River in downtown Chicago. I've learned lessons along the way about working with needles and seed beads on moving trains, buses, and boats...

Today I learned a new lesson...

Do NOT work with white velvet while wearing a black business suit on your way to an important meeting.

Velvet sheds. A lot.

I now have a very strong lint roller tucked in my desk. But it never quite picks it all up. I wonder if the people on the water taxi thought I had a very fuzzy white dog? I think that the velvet will be staying home from now on... better to work with in jeans or even pajamas :)

I am a little closer to completing some velvet pumpkins for TDIPT...

I think I'll work on some cross stitch tomorrow instead.

Blessings, Patti

p.s. Happy Autumn! Enjoy the Harvest Moon!

TDIPT Artists Fall Swap

The artists from TDIPT Mercantile just had a fall swap.

I was so lucky to be paired with Sharon of Mustard Seed Originals! My swap box smelled divine as I opened it. The first thing that caught my eye was the beautiful card of the tombstone angel. (I forgot to ask Sharon if she made it...) Then I started unwrapping...

Wow was I lucky to receive such lovingly made treasures!

I just love this great witch make do! The details are perfect from her warts to the little spider dangling from her hat. I've had my eye on Sharon's witch makedo's for a while and now I have one of my very own!

The pumpkin man was the source of the lovely autumn fragrance and looks so sweet hanging in my hallway!

And the witch on the prim knobbly stick how cool and prim is that!

I really hit the jackpot and can't thank Sharon enough for the lovingly made treasures!

Here's a peek at what I sent to Sharon:

A wool table mat, velvet pumpkin, a velvet and wool acorn pinkeep and a little leaf needle book.

I thought it would make a sweet autumn vignette.

The inside of the leaf needlebook features a pocket for sewing scissors, and a little wool heart on which to park your needles. The mini acorn can be used as a scissor fob and I thought I would add a little cross stitch for good measure.

It was a delightful swap and a great way to get into the autumn mood!

Blessings, Patti

A Sale

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary! It’s hard to believe how quickly the years have passed by! And what’s even more amazing is that I love my husband even more today than I did back then… I guess making memories together and creating a family together made our relationship even stronger. We go together like knives and forks ~ locks and keys...

To celebrate I want to share my joy by offering a sales discount to you. Effective immediately through Tuesday, September 21st all items in my etsy shop are 25% off.

If there is an item that you are interested in, simply convo me through etsy or drop me an email at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com. I will send you a paypal invoice with the discounted total or I can hold the item and give you a revised total so that you can mail a check or money order. I will answer all emails/convos in the order received.

I just want to close by sharing the passage that our wedding sermon was based on:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
~Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

A reminder for me to keep God in all my relationships :)

Blessings, Patti

A good start

It's been a good start to a long holiday weekend...
At a local antique resale shop, I found this great needlepoint doorstop.
I just love the colors.

We stopped at a favorite used book store and I found these great bargains:

Folk Art - list price $12 for $5

Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott - list price $25 for $7

Home Sweet Home - list price $50 for $4!!!!

I love a bargain :)

Last week our Stitch Club met. Cathy and I both celebrate birthdays in August so we celebrated with a delicious cake.

Show and Tell is one of my favorite parts of club.

Jan finished this wonderful pencil box for her sewing room - I love that rick rack trim!

Kim finished a beautiful pincushion.

Aren't the colors great?

And Diane finished this purrfect needlepunch.

Here is a peek at what I was working on.

Hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend!

"So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you.

It's as sound as the day you first heard it from me.

Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us."

2 Timothy 1:13-14

Blessings, Patti

*Welcome September*

I love pears!

The unusual shape. The colors of early autumn.

And they taste divine, especially in salads with blue cheese and walnuts.

I have a small collection of folk art pears by Stacy Nash, Schneeman Folk Art, two by me and two by unknown artists.

I recently purchased this antique velvet pear pincushion and it inspired one of my offerings this month on TDIPT Mercantile.

Velvet pear pincushions in light gold, dark gold and green velvets.

Each has a leaf made from a vintage wool army blanket. I had taken more pictures of groupings, but unfortunately our laptop crashed last night and I lost a bunch of photos.

I also stitched up a key fob. I haven't done that for a while, but was inspired by the approaching fall season and this primitivebettys design by the talented Betty Dekat.

My Etsy Shop has also been stocked with some offerings for fall.

Stop by and take a peek if you have a chance.

Wishing you lovely early autumn weather in your corner of the world.

Blessings, Patti