As part of my digital subscription to Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine, I also had access to last years issues. The Spring 2020 issue contained Spring Hare Etching by Cecilia Turner. It looked to be a quick stitch and it was.

The model was stitched on 32ct Wren by Picture This Plus with Classic Colorworks floss, Sticks and Twigs and Tennessee Red Clay. . I chose to use 16ct aida Lambswool with Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss – Faded Barnwood (brown), Winter Rose (green) and Columbine (pink). JABCO heart button.

This is a companion piece the Winter Cardinal Etching I stitched earlier this year.

Started stitching: March 24, 2021
Finished Stitching: March 26, 2021

Now to finish it, probably as a small pillow.

August 2021 – I decided to go ahead and finish this one myself rather than send it off. I chose two pieces of Blackbird Design fabric I had for the trim and the backing. Happy with how it turned out although finishing projects is NOT my most favorite thing to do. I find that I have to actually mark a line on the fabric so I can see well enough to sew a straight line.

Giving Thanks chart #138 by Little House Needleworks was a Hoffman Distributing Exclusive at the Nashville 2015 Needlework Market. It was sent to me by a stitching friend in one of my Facebook groups. I had admired it when she posted a photo of her stitched project. A Bonus Chart is also included.

The recommended fabric was 32ct Winter Brew by R & R Reproductions. I chose to use 16ct Vanilla Latte from Fabrics by Stephanie. I used the called for Classic Colorworks floss except for Red Currant which I did not have. Instead I used Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Berry Wine.

• Hazelnut
• Red Currant
• Roasted Chestnut
• Weeping Willow
• Caterpillar

It was a quick stitch. I started on March 14th and finished on March 21st for the main piece.

Not sure how I am going to finish it. Now for the pincushion

The pincushion was stitched on the same vanilla latte with the called for colors and finished with fabric by Blackbird Designs. The spool of thread button is from Just Another Button Company. And thank you, Vonna Epperson Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher for your great finishing tutorial Finishing a Pillow with Handmade Piping and Accent Fabrics.

Now to find a small frame for the picture.

Took a while but here it is June 2022 and this one is finally fully finished.

Merry and Minty was a free SAL offered by Brenda Gervais of With Thy Needle and Thread. The chart was only 64w by 85h and used a combination of DMC, Weeks Dye Works and Classic Colorworks floss. It proved to be a quick stitch. I chose a piece of 16ct fabric I had in my stash. Not sure of the color but it was dark so the white and cream floss showed up nicely.

The cranberry and popcorn string called for Colonial Knots but I could not get the hang of it with my magnifying lamp in place so ended up doing French knots. If I stitched it again, I would use beads instead of fooling with the knots.

I decided to TRY and finish the piece as a cube following Vonna Pfeiffer’s (The Twisted Stitcher) excellent tutorial. She makes it look so easy. It was not for me but that was NOT the fault of the tutorial. First, my tacky spray would not spray at all. Trying to clean the nozzle was a total failure. Then I could not find my package of finishing pins so ordered some more. I was lucky enough to have two pieces of foam core that were just the right size so I used them. I covered one side of the foam core with one piece of batting and the other side with two. The stitched piece would go against the two pieces for a bit more padding. And a had a piece of red plaid fabric for the backing.

I still need to figure out what to do with the top of it but I am happy with how it turned out. Not perfect but . . . .

The Last Ripe Berries is #9 in the Loose Feathers For the Birds series by Blackbird Designs and the 6th one I have stitched in this series.

As with the others I have stitched, I am using the called for fabric Wren by Picture This Plus but on 16ct aida. I am also using the recommended threads. I started stitching this in 2019 but did not finish until August 2020. I decided to leave the date as 2019. I think the reason it took me so long to get get back to it was the large number of lazy daisy stitches which I do not enjoy.

The finished size on this on is 5 3/4 by 5 3/4. It joins Hear the Crickets Sing, The Summer Beaming Forth, She Sights a Bird, The Light Upon the Lawn, and It’s Spring Fever.

A Bit of Summer was first offered by De Handwerk Boetiek as part of their Pindrum club 2018-2019. It was included in the book Sewing Club released in 2020.

With a stitch count of only 113w x 60h it was a quick stitch. I selected a piece of 16ct aida from my stash and decided to use Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss for some of the colors.

Started Stitching: August 12, 2020
Finished Stitching: August 20, 2020

Not exactly sure I will finish it.

Recommended Floss/Floss I Used

• WDW Carolina Cecil/VMSS P27
• WDW Cattail/WDW Beige
• WDW Cinnabar/VMSS Round Robin
• WDW Cocoa
• WDW Brick/VMSS Red Maple
• WDW Dirt Road
• WDW Kris’ Bon Bon
• WDW Oscar
• WDW Palomino
• WDW Putty

And shown above is another drum to add to my growing collection.

My Home scissor box is another of the projects from the newest book by Blackbird Designs, Sewing Club. It is meant to be stitched on 28ct Veldt Lugana by Picture This Plus over 1. I knew that would be way beyond my eyesight so I selected 16ct Wren by Picture This Plus with the called for threads.

I started stitching on July 11, 2020 and finished on July 17, 2020. My plan is to put it on the top of the medium size matchbox by TeresasPrimTreasures. I ordered two of the medium size boxes to use in finishing both of the scissor boxes included in this book.

I painted each of the boxes with Americana acrylic paint and then waxed them with Briwax. The was a first for me and not as easy as one might think. Each of the boxes was then lined on the bottom with a piece of Blackbird design fabric I had in my stash. My son added the little knobs for me. I still have to glue the stitched pieces to the boxes but love the way they turned out.

The Ripe Pear piece is from the same Sewing Club book as My Home.

I finally glued the top stitched piece to each box and glued the trim in place. Thanks to a generous stitcher who shared her Lady Dot Creations Vintage chenille trim with me. Love these little beauties. Now what to put inside.