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Barb Adams

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This is such a very sad day for the stitching and quilting world. On July 4th, we lost one of my very favorite designers, Barb Adams. Barb was one half of the duo that made up the Blackbird Design team. Alma Allen was her dear friend and the other half of this duo. I was first introduced to their designs in 2014 when I stitched the first of many Blackbird Design projects, Summer, Autumn, Winter. The walls of my home are adorned with many of their designs.

In the Spring of 2019 I had the pleasure of attending a Blackbird Design retreat held at Dyeing to Stitch in Virginia Beach. I met Barb and Alma and had breakfast with them one morning. I am forever grateful for that opportunity.

From Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs:

My dear friend, Barb Adams passed away on the morning of July 4th. It’s so hard to imagine what life will be like without her. I will miss our daily talks, extensive travels and the excitement we felt as we developed new ideas for projects. Barb always said she didn’t want to quit working and leave so many unfinished ideas on the table. She called me two weeks ago and asked me if I could come back to Kansas City and go to the doctor with her. I will be forever grateful she called me. She gave me the gift of her presence these final two weeks.

Barb was always kind and compassionate. Her sense of humor was quick and came at unexpected times. The surprise of it could bring uncontrolled laughter and tears to my eyes. Her sense of personal style was classy! Some of my favorite times with Barb were spent in the shoe department of Nordstrom’s. As we both wore size 11s, we could both try on shoes the other had chosen. With all of the booths we set up at wholesale markets and all the heavy boxes of books we had to haul, we said we had to have Excedrine to spend time together. I told her all of my worst times were spent with her. But really just being with her made those times better. She never ceased to amaze me with her mastery of color combinations and design ideas. Many of her quilts and cross stitch projects were based on patriotic themes. As the fireworks light up the sky on the 4th of July every year it will always have a special meaning for me. Leave it to Barb to make sure she exited with fireworks! Blackbird Designs will never be the same without her.

Noel Sampler Stocking

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The Noel Sampler Stocking was a 2014 release for the Ladies Prim Society. I had just discovered Blackbird Designs that year so missed out on it. Fast forward to June 2021 and I was at the right place at the right time when someone offered the kit on one of the Facebook stash selling sites.

The kit included the fabric, the finishing fabric, the floss and the chart. Since I don’t stitch on linen I used a 16ct aida from my stash, lambswool, I think.

I started stitching on June 27, 2021.

Recommended Floss: Classic Colorworks and Gentle Arts

  • CC Ladybug
  • CC Straw Hat
  • CC Wilderness
  • GA Old Brick
  • GA Old Hickory
  • GA Wood Trail 

Specialty  Stitches: Lazy Daisy

The kit came with green backing fabric but I had a piece of Joyeux Noel Pearl by French General that I decided to use for the back of the stocking.

And I took the last stitches on July 2, 2021.

Noel Sampler Stocking with Finishing Fabric

And my thanks to my stitching friend, Jan Emerick for the lovely finish. I think I need to stitch some more of these little stockings.

Petit marquoir NATURE by Marjorie Massey

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I first saw this stitched piece posted in one of the Facebook stitching groups I belong too. The one on the right hand side was the one I was particularly interested in. It had been stitched in a yellow floss with dark brown and light brown accents.

At one time it was a free chart but I had no luck finding it so contacted the designer, Marjorie Massey to see if I could get a copy. She indicated it would take a couple of days to convert it to a pdf file and would be 16Euros. I sent her the money and she sent me the chart . It does contain both of the charts pictured above. You can order both charts from her by sending an email to

lepassecompose62@gmail.com

I decided to stitch it on 14ct white aida with Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss.

  • Summer Marigold for the border and the alphabet at the top and the numbers
  • Traditional Sunflower for the various motifs
  • Autumn Bark (dark brown accents)
  • Weathered Tan (Lighter brown motifs.

Started stitching on June 4, 2021

September 2022: I decided to mount his one on a fabric covered matboard and then mounted on a board I got from Michael’s and painted. It is now ready to hang.

Autumn Owl Etching

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Autumn Owl Etching by Cecelia Turner of Heart in Hand Needleart is the 3rd in the series include in Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine.

The recommended fabric is 32ct Wren linen by Picture This Plus using Classic Colorworks floss. I stitched mine on a piece of 16ct aida I had in my stash. I changed some of the colors to Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss.

  • Sticks and Twigs
  • Colonial Copper/VMSS Kansas Cone Flower
  • Wagon Wheel/VMSS Soapstone
  • Muddy Puddle

There are four charts in this series, one in each of the 2020 issues of the magazine. I have stitched Spring Hare Etching and Winter Cardinal Etching. I still have Summer Catch Etching left to do.

All are quick stitches. Started stitching 5/27/2021 and finished on 5/30/2021. It will most likely be finished as a small pillow.

Autumn Owl Etching

I spent some time with my quilting friend and raided her stash for some small fabric pieces. Added a bit of black rickrack to the gold fabric and this is what I ended up with. Love the way it turned out. Backing is the same gold fabric.

Autumn Owl Etching finished as a small pillow

United We Stand

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United We Stand by Blackbird Designs was an exclusive kit to the Facebook group Homespun Needlework, Cross Stitch and Samplers. It has not yet been made available to the everyone and is no longer available. The kit included the exclusive pattern, serged linen or aida for the project, fabric for the bottom, 13 skeins of Weeks Dye Works Floss, needle, and exclusive thread holder with Blackbird Designs logo and project name.

I ordered the kit with aida fabric as it was the easiest for me to stitch on. Once I finished stitching it, I sent it off to Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher for finishing.

United We Stand – Stitched by Pat Geary – Finishing by Vonna Pfeiffer

In My Garden by Blackbird Designs

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In My Garden was first released as a Silver Needle A Little Help From My Friends pattern and later included in the Sewing Club book. Stitched on 16ct aida by Picture This Plus with called for colors. Sorry did not note which of color of fabric I used.

I started stitching this one on April 6 and finished on April 24, 2021. I am thinking I will watch Vonna Epperson Pfeiffer’s wonderful tutorial FINISHING: Cross Stitch into a DRUM PINKEEP with Vonna The Twisted Stitcher  in the hopes of attempting this myself. It could also be finished as a small framed piece. Time will tell.

Thread colors used in this one were:

  • WDW Carolina Cecil
  • WDW Chickpea
  • WDW Cinnabar
  • WDW Cocoa
  • WDW Dirt Road
  • WDW Driftwood
  • WDW Kudzu
  • WDW Stormy Night
  • WDW Tarragon
  • WDW Teal Frost

I LOVE the way Vonna finished this one for me.

Gathering Berries by Luminous Fiber Arts

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Gathering Berries is the first chart in a new series by Luminous Fiber Arts.

Gathering Berries Chart

With a Stitch count of 76h x 76h the finished size when stitched on 16/32ct is 4.75″ x 4.75″ I chose a piece of 16ct white aida I had in my stash and Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Fabulous Red for mine. I am waiting on the ribbon to finish it as a small pillow.

Gathering Berries stitched

I chose to stitch mine without the buttons and I added an extra leaf on the right hand top flower.

August 2022 Decided to mount it on a simple wood pallet board from Michaels.

Sweet Home – Garden Club series #4

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Sweet Home is #4 in the Blackbird Design Garden Series. This series of twelve can be stitched as one large project or as individual pieces as I chose to stitch them.  

Sweet Home by Blackbird Designs.
Sweet Home by Blackbird Designs

The recommended fabric is 32 Ct. Beige linen, Since the wording is charted over one, I chose to use 28ct cream Monaco with the recommended floss. I started stitching this one on December 9, 2016 and completed it on December 16, 2016. I made no note of color changes so assume I used the recommended floss.

Finished was done by Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher.

Closeup of over one stitching on Sweet Home

Sweet Summer, Come Again

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Sweet Summer, Come Again copyright 2020 is another beautiful leaflet by Blackbird Designs. It contains two projects, a drum and a needleroll.

Sweet Summer, Come Again cover
Sweet Summer, Come Again cover

The recommended fabric is 36ct Wren by Picture This Plus. The recommended floss is Weeks Dye Works.

  • Aztec Red
  • Bee’s Knees
  • Caper
  • Cayenne
  • Cocoa
  • Dirt Road
  • Dolphin
  • Oscar (DMC 3011) I used DMC as Oscar was not available
  • Parchment

I chose to stitch the Berry Basket on 16ct Lambswool with the recommended colors. It was a quick stitch.

Started: March 26, 2021
Finished: March 30, 2021

Berry Basket from Sweet Summer, Come Again

For the needleroll I chose 14ct Friendship Greene from Fabrics by Stephanie.

Needleroll from Sweet Summer, Come Again.
Needleroll from Sweet Summer, Come Again

I doubt my finishing skills will be up to a drum or a needleroll so they just may be finished as small pillows.

November 2, 2021. Sweet Summer Comes Again by Blackbird Designs joins the others in the dough bowl. I used the red Rhubarb and Ginger BBD fabric for the back of both of these. And the ruched ribbon trim is a dark olive color.

Sweet Summer Come Again finished as pin pillows

Spring Hare Etching by Cecilia Turner

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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

Spring Hare Etching

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.

Spring Hare Etching