Tuesday, March 29, 2016

A Little Pink on a Tuesday


I decided this a.m. to post a little something PINK here on my blog.  Just a little something.
I've taken this photo on the table at the foot of my bed....just in case you ask.  It's actually a worktable, for as you may or may not know....my studio is now in my bedroom.  Having left my wonderful backyard studio when I moved, and having nowhere here to put all my important "stuff," I've had to spread studio contents in just about every room in my new house, including the garage.  It works fine for me...for others, well, maybe not so much.

But, back to the PINK!  

I just quickly gathered up a few things that I thought you might enjoy seeing.

   

First the box of lace.  I seem to have a serious fondness for these beautiful boxes...a bunch of them live in my house.  I nearly always get them at TUESDAY MORNING, but have also found a few of them at the flea markets. 

  

 Here you can see a closeup of some of the lace pieces I have put in this box.  Just waiting to be used somehow in many future projects. 


 And, the box itself.  So pretty.

  

This neat jar of threads I bought at a flea market, complete with the threads and the stitched lid.
Well, really, how could you be a 'maker' of the stitching kind and not buy it? 
That pink and green doily was given to me by my sister...I received it in the mail just last week.
THANKS, Debbie!!  There is a crocheted pincushion, bought at the flea...I do own several of these, some with ribbon woven in the stitches, some not.  

Then, there is the doll.  I made it in 2006.



She was made from an vintage embroidered dinner napkin.  I used every bit of it....for the little bag, her arms and legs, and her body.  She has a glass button "pin" and for her hair, I tore strips of different colors of fabric, tied the strips in knots, then sewed the knots to her head.  Her face I drew on with a permanent pen.  She has a pin back, so I have actually worn her before, but my favorite way of wearing this little doll, is pinned onto my bag when shopping.  As you can see...she is also a shopper!


This crocheted bag is like a little clutch purse...it has no handles.  So cute!

  

 Here it is with the flap open.


 And, here it is with bits of lace tumbling out of it.  Makes a lovely place to save small pieces of lace, although that is definitely not why it was made.


 And, here it is with one of my vintage crocheted pincushions...this one without the ribbon woven through it you see on so many of these pincushions.


  

 I wanted you to see this length of vintage quilt.   It is about forty inches wide, eighteen inches deep and the little blocks are four inches square.  This is the way I bought it.  Naturally, I didn't pay much for it....but, I thought I could use it for collage stitching work...and it is a wonderfully faded pink color.  In the condition it's in...I would not hesitate to cut it up....and as you will see, someone else has already cut the quilt in pieces.


 Even in the poor condition of this quilt, there are things one could make from the 'usable fragments.'
So, here are some close-ups of it......and one day...I hope to make a few 'new items' from this old quilt.





 And, here are a couple of photos showing you what the 'good parts' look like.   I do like the 'something good from something old and worn' idea.  I definitely would call it 'previously loved to death.'  I'm looking forward to stitching something on it....sometime soon!

(Actually it should provide enough pieces to make more than one project.)
What would you do?

 
 So, there you are...a bit of Pink on a Tuesday.  Have a wonderful day!!!

from 
BIRD NEST COTTAGE
 until next time
♥♥♥


Sunday, March 20, 2016

Suddenly, Birds Everywhere!


I visited Mountain View a couple of weeks ago with a friend.  It was a very nice day!  Thank you, Shannon♥ for acting as my 'driver.'
We visited some friends who live there and had a wonderful time.  BBQ for lunch, a flea market visit, and good friends.  What could be better?  We certainly hope to visit again in the not-too-distant future.  Of course, we managed to leave Mountain View with new purchases in the car, one of which was this blackbird you see perched in my living room.  Do you see it?  Created by my friend, Kay, one of the dearest people ever....it sang out "take me home with you."  And, so I did!  Thank you, Kay!!

  

 A closer photo....funny....when I brought this dear bird into the house, it immediately told me where it wanted to perch.  It's crazy how that happens!  I couldn't bare to remove the tag....Kay and I both tend to talk a lot, so I can hear her voice when I read the tag...yes, it's staying put.


 I guess the little bird is happy here...maybe it feels at home.  I think it makes my home a happier place, so we are even.  And, with a button in its mouth!  How appropriate in Bird Nest Cottage!

  

And, perched on one of my old bobbins....love it!


 So, there you are....a new bird in the house.  One from a friend...the best kind!!!
Earlier this week, I looked out the front door to see hundreds of blackbirds.  (Maybe they came to visit my new blackbird!)  Actually, I could hear them before I knew they were out there.  So, I tried to carefully open the front door to get a photo or two.  You have to be quick!  These aren't the best, as I wanted to snap a few photos before they flew away, but they are the best I could do.  It was amazing!

  

 It was a rainy day....but they seemed happy to be out and about...some even wading in the puddles!


 There were millions of tiny little acorns around for them to feast on.....of course, why they were there in the first place!   Oh, these birds are Grackles.  A nuisance to many, but I enjoyed their visit!


 They usually arrive in a huge flock....when we lived on the farm...they would visit by the thousands.

  

 Photos taken from my front door.....I tried not to make any sudden moves or noise.
 

But, wouldn't you know....I was spotted and they all flew away.  And, so ended the visit!
A nice day with a nice visit....from hundreds of birds, and one who came to stay!

from
Bird Nest Cottage
until next time,
♥♥♥


Wednesday, March 9, 2016

The First Bluets


 Every Spring I search to find the first Bluets of the year.  At least in my little world.  And, I did.
I found them last week as I was on my morning walk.  These were growing right next to the curb on the street behind my house.  Hardy little Arkansas Wildflowers...I love them.
About my Morning Walk.  Sometimes I walk in the morning.  Sometimes I have an Afternoon Walk. On a really good day...I walk in the a.m. AND the p.m.  I'm trying to get some exercise.  I feel I need a reward to do this as I'm not really an exercise person.  Finding little beautiful things like Bluets is, in my mind, a great reward!!!


 They are very TINY!  Here is a little Bluet as compared to my index fingernail.   It's a wonder to me that I even see them, but really, I do try hard to find them.


 One lone little flower....so sweet!


 And, then, several in a little row.  Aren't they just dear?  By the way, Bluets can be blue, purple, pink or white.  Who knew?


 Really, they are so small I thought you might want to see them in comparison to other things....like a spool of thread, or my thimble.  And, aren't they cute in this little vintage glass I have?


 Here you can see the whole plant, from roots up.  About an inch and a half.  Just dear.

And, here is a little thought for you...one I love: 

"Just living is not enough...
one must have sunshine, freedom,
and a little flower."

Hans Christian Anderson

 Hope you are having a good week!!!

from
Bird Nest  Cottage
until next time
♥♥♥



A Bit of Heaven

A Bit of Heaven
An original designed wall quilt with my vision of heaven on earth.