Finish(es) & Winner(s)

I apologize for the delay in posting a winner. Yesterday was our once a month stitch club. Then I needed to finish up laundry. Somehow I managed to wash and dry a full load of laundry with a deck of playing cards. Needless to say - it was not a pretty sight.

The laundry is now done and the boys are at their first day of school.

I can't thank you enough for the tremendous response to my quandry and for all the kind words! They were most appreciated! I received 59 comments and emails. And Maggie Bonanomi herself was even kind enough to weigh in in the debate :) There was a heavy response in favor of keeping the projects separate and my decision was:

to keep them separate. My decision was made once I realized that I have two more fall themed table mats waiting in the wings to be completed... :)

I recently found a few yards of this great vintage fabric at an estate sale. I thought it was perfect for backing these projects.

And this is where the pillows now live.

I had so much fun with this that I decided to giveaway all three of the pillows. The winners are:

1. Paulette D. of Canada - she chose the red dianthus pillow

2. Susan L. of PA chose the purple conflower

3. Betty of primitivebettys unfortunately didn't get to choose, but she will be receiving the sunflower pillow.

I'm thinking that this was so much fun that I should have a giveaway every month or so. It might not always be a handmade, but maybe a little antique that might need a new home or some stitching or wool supplies.

I have a fun idea for a larger giveaway for the month of September, so stay tuned...

I have one more hour until the boys get home, maybe I'll start one of those penny mats :)

Blessings & Thanks,

Patti

*Seeking Opinions* & a mini giveaway...

"Autumn Blooms"

design by Maggie Bonanomi

My intention when working on this piece was to create a bellpull style wall hanging for my living room.

"Bittersweet Flowers"

design by Maggie Bonanomi

I used the same wools for these as well. I planned to create two pillows for the two chairs in the bay window of my living room.

When I laid them down to get ready to press them I realized...

that the three pieces fit together perfectly!

Hmmmm... should I change my mind and piece them together as a table mat for my dining room table?

Well, I have agonized over this for several days now and simply can't make a decision. So, I am seeking your opinion. Should they be a separate wall hanging and pillows? Or should they be combined as a table mat?

To entice you and to let you know that I truly value your opinion, I'm having a mini giveaway. Simply post a comment here with your opinion. Or if you are not comfortable with that, you may send me an email at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com with "My Opinion" in the subject line (so I know that they are not spam ;)

On Sunday, I will draw a name for a winner. In trying to think of a prize, I remembered that I had a few little pillows that I hadn't listed on Etsy yet. So the winner will have their choice of one of the following pillows:

(I have plans for another giveaway in the near future.)

Thanks for your help! I truly value your opinion!

"May you run and not be weary. May your heart be filled with song. And may the love of God continue to give you hope and keep you strong. And may you run and not be weary. May your life be filled with joy! And may the road you travel, always lead you home."

~"The Faith We Sing" Hymnal #2281

Blessings, Patti

This & That

What a wonderful late summer weekend.

I did a bit of stitching

and hope to have a finish to share soon

I did a little antiquing - found a great bed ticking, a grater (that will be a timer candle holder), some spools for a future project, and a sweet little graniteware bowl. Somehow I have started collecting gray graniteware - I like that it is still inexpensive and I'm using the pieces for craft supplies.

All these years of gardening and I never cut the flowers to bring inside.

I'm not sure if it is because I don't think of them as "cut" flowers or if I am afraid the garden will look sparse. But I have changed my mind this year and keep cutting little mini bouquets for around the house.

Summer is wrapping up and there is a hint of autumn in the air.

I love it!

Blessings, Patti

You say it's your birthday!

"Fresh Cut Daisies"

design by Primitive Gatherings

"Country Sampler Rosebud Cottage Pinkeep"

design by Stacy Nash

"You say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too, yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you. "
~The Beatles

Yes, it is my birthday. And guess who sang this song to me earlier this week?

None other than:

Sir Paul McCartney himself!
O.k., I guess that he sang it to about 40,000 other people at the same time... But I didn't mind :)

I was so lucky to get tickets for my birthday and my youngest son (a big Beatles fan) and I went to the concert together! WOW! What a concert! He played for 3 hours straight without a break or even a drink of water in 90+ degree heat! I don't know which I liked better ~ the Beatles music or the Wings music? "Live & Let Die" really blew me away!

From watching him on stage you would never guess that he is 69! His stamina and energy really kept the show flying by.

Yesterday it was back to Wrigley Field for another gift:

a Cubs WIN!

See the "W" flag on the left? That signifies a win and is what we always hope to see at the end of a game :)



Thanks for letting me share my fun and my finishes :)

"Shout to the Lord, all the earth, Let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King;
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You."
~Chris Tomlin

Blessings, Patti

A Summer Harvest

It is hard to believe that yet another month has passed and it is time once again for the TDIPT Mercantile artists to update their offerings. Please be sure to take a peek at all of their lovely creations.

My theme this month is a Bountiful Summer Harvest.

(I have two green tomatoes still available.)

These little peapods are sold, but I plan to make a few more this week. My sugar snap peas were ripe, so i picked some to eat and a few to serve as models for my newest creation :)

I have plans for the perfect velvet early autumn / back-to-school fruit for September ;)

Isn't this cross stitch design pattern lovely? Betty Dekat of primitivebettys was kind enough to share this pattern. I had so much fun searching for the perfect coordinating fabrics and trim. I always think that August & Sunflowers go together like peas & carrots...

And I couldn't resist a daisy! Of course the daisies were in full bloom when I was picking my wools. But by the time I was ready for photos, they had wilted - so I had to settle for Blackeyed Susans & white coneflowers instead.

If you have a moment, stop by my page at TDIPT Mercantile by clicking here.

Thank you so much for letting me share!

Wishing you a sunny & bountiful August 1st!

Blessings, Patti

On tour...

We have just completed a whirlwind college tour of Indiana and Ohio for our oldest son.

In three days we managed to visit: Butler, Dayton, Xavier, Miami and Case Western Reserve. Wow! That was a lot of driving!

Since the four of us went, we tried to make it fun for the whole family. My boys love the food network, so we decided to try to visit a few spots that were featured. The first stop was 3 Sisters Cafe in Indianapolis - fabulous fresh food! (Of course I forgot to take any pictures.)

In Cincinnati, we stopped at Terry's Turf Club - definitely of the beaten path, but worth the drive for delicious and unusual burger combinations.

And the atmosphere was so fun!

In Cleveland, we stayed at the Glidden House - a 1910 mansion converted into a boutique hotel set right on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. What a gem it is! I hope to stay there again one day... My husband and youngest son also stopped at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while my older son and I attended sessions at the University.

It was a fun trip. Now I must really get focused and finish my offerings for TDIPT Mercantile! I'll be back soon to share my update!

Blessings, Patti

What I have been working on...

Now that you know where I have been,

I thought I would share what I have been working on...

"Sweet Summer Time" design by Jan Goos of Goos Nest

I started this piece on Memorial Day at home, worked on it during our first storm when we were without power for 2 days and finished it in Hayward Wisconsin on the 4th of July. I attached an antique ticking tag to the back ~ writing out my memories on it. When I bring it out in years to come I love reading these tags and remembering what was going on while creating it.

I just adore this piece! So perfectly designed by Jan. You can see her shop here and her blog here. The pussy willows took more time than I thought they would but were well worth the effort! I changed the blue flowers just a bit - they remind me of the cornflowers that I love so that grow on the side of the road this time of year. I know that they are weeds, but they always make me smile.

"Old Glory" design by Maggie Bonanomi

I started this piece on the 8 hour drive home from Hayward and continued working on it during the second storm when we were without power for four days. It's now framed and hanging in my dining room.

And now I'm working on this piece... started on a wonderful trip to visit my parents in central Illinois with my sister. I think the only time my sister and I didn't talk non-stop was the few hours we spent sleeping :)

I've also started some velvet vegetable pincushions for my TDIPT offerings on August 1st, but I'm not quite ready to share those yet!

It is still hot here in Chicago. Strong storms have been coming through sporadically for the past day and a half bringing much needed rain for the garden. (But also making it hard to take good photos for the blog!) I keep cringing, thinking that the power will go back out. It did go out at some point last night, but came back on before any of us woke up.

Would love to hear what you are working on! please share...

Blessings, Patti