Returning to Stitching

 

 

Returning to Stitching 

 

 Well, my photographic skills haven't improved, neither have my writing skills or computer skills.  I'm a lot slower than I was and I have to work at having energy...but I'm back again to give blogging another
   chance.  After a year and a half of being "out of commission" two of my favorite sentiments have lately reminded me to make more of an effort.  IT IS WHAT IT IS and NEVER GIVE UP! I feel I need to harder. 

                                                                                                                                              
As you know...if you've been here before...I have always tried to 'rescue' an old quilt or embroidery now and then and then to repair or redo it.  A year without this work has been tough.  In fact all the things I used to do have suffered in some way and so has my mood. I have missed out on all the things I enjoyed.  So, like the blog, I have recently given myself a good talking to and am making an effort to actually DO things.  Like posting. It will take me longer, my stitching may not be all that great but making the effort will be GOOD.  

Maybe some of my readers will return...and if not, there might be a few new friends come along and if not, it will be a good thing to put out the effort anyway.

I've renewed my interest in cross stitching.  I used to love it....and thanks to the internet, my interest has been renewed by finding Flosstubers.  It has totally taken over the time I spend looking at tv.  They are also very inspiring.  I'm trying to discover ways I can use it in some of my other stitching.  We will see. Meantime, it's just fun to watch. 

Now, for the photo....I rescued that cross stitched piece on black fabric from the flea market....it's all half crosses. There was a second design with it...but I liked this one best...for the photo anyway.  It needs to be made into something.  There is a crocheted heart.  I have a collection of those...none of which I stitched.  I guess I rescued those too.  I've saved that button card a long time...and HOPE....it's a good reminder.  A bird.  Well, you know.  That handful of DMC floss....who doesn't like a handful of that beautiful stuff or a handful of all the new flosses I am seeing.  Also a cross stitched table runner from the flea.  The kind of stuff that I really love.  Oh.  I also ordered a BOOK OF DAYS (even though the year is half over)....to round out the excitement.  And, some stickers...a couple books and charts. If it turns out I can't manage to see well enough to do it...I'll just have fun touching and looking at all of it and being entertained by the excitement of it all. I notice that most of the cross stitch videos seem to have a new video every couple of weeks.  Hopefully, I'm going to do that here. 

 
Wishing you all safe and happy days ahead. 

❤️Pat at Bird Nest Cottage
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Returning to Stitching

A New Old Rug of Roses

 

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."

Emma Goldman

Oh, yes.  I would.

 It's also evident - I'd rather have them on my floor too.  This is my latest treasure from the flea market.  It came home with me yesterday.  I wasn't sure it would "go" in this, my living room, but I jumped for joy when I unrolled it on the floor.  Love, love, love!!! 

 Thank you Kathy and Morgan.

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

 ❤️❤️❤️

Seven Things

 

I got lost on the color pink today.  It's funny to me how one thing can catch your interest on any old day and you just have to go with the flow.  So, today it was pink.   So, I chose a few things to show on this post. 

 

 I loved these pink Satin Stitch flowers the very instant I saw this little embroidered dog.  It's a door stop.  It holds the door open in the room I call  "Deb's room."  That's my sister.  It's a TINY room, but it's hers when she visits.  The other tiny bedroom is called "Scott's room."  That's my son.  Neither of them are here often, but when they do get to visit...well, they certainly have their own rooms.  And, at Debbie's door, this dog keeps watch.   (Scott has a cast iron English cottage at his door and I have a cast iron pink rose.  Oh...why didn't I take a photo of that one...PINK!! Well, another time...)

 

 

 A ball of crochet thread....decorated.  A pincushion of sorts.  I've shown it to you before...but I still like the thing a whole lot, so in my mind, it never hurts to show something again.

 

 This one too.  You've seen it.  And, like the dog, I did not stitch it.  They both came from the flea market...but not at the same time.  I really like this cross-stitched square pincushion.  I like that it stands up really well too.

 

 This is a covered button.  It's a large one.  I stitched it long ago for a class I taught on French Knots....so it is stitched totally in that stitch.  Such fun to do.  I think it looks kind of like a hooked rug.  I found out not everyone wants to make French Knots.  Well, I'm quirky, so I enjoy them.

 

 I embroidered a narrow piece of fabric to fit around this wooden spool specifically to make a nest for this hummingbird.  It is a glass "hummer" and belonged to my friend, Sharon H.  After she passed away, I brought the broken bird home and did the stitching.  She was my dear friend and I miss her and I smile every time I look at this bird.

 

 In this photo, you can see the back of the button and the inside of a little porcelain "box."  Hand-painted by "Nancy."   So cute.

 

 It's about an inch and a quarter across.  Sweet.

 

 (I just liked this photo!)

 

A little closer view.

 

 And....more of a look at this little quilt.....it has been well loved over time...about half of the size of a crib quilt.  Just about worn out....but I loved it the minute I saw it.  I want to embroider flowers and words on pieces of this and other worn out quilts....harder for me to tackle these days....but I'm hoping to surprise myself and actually do it!!!

 

"painting and ornament, 

things which are known to all,

gathered,

forever cherished" 

 And, yes.  I did take some words and phrases from old book pages to make a "quote" for this post.  Love doing that!  Maybe it should be embroidered on a bit of this vintage quilt. 

You think?

(And, next time I use book pages, I'm not going to talk about it...you will just know.)

until next time

BE WELL

from

BIRD NEST COTTAGE

❤️❤️❤️

 

"New" Old Photographs

 

 For many years, I have collected old photographs.  I don't know why I am drawn to them, but I think it has something to do with THIS photograph.  I do not know what year this photograph was taken.  I never saw it until 2004.  This is my Dad's mother and one of his sisters.  My Grandmother's name was Margaret Williams, my Aunt was Marquerite.  His mom died during the influenza epidemic in Philadelphia in 1918.  She had eleven children and several of them (including my Dad) spent several years in a Catholic orphanage there.  He was nine years old when she died.  He lived in the orphanage from age nine until he lied about his age and joined the army.  He was assisted in that effort by my Aunt Marquerite, who signed the papers saying he was a year older than he really was.  My Dad retired from the army in 1954.   I have always wondered about her.  And, I know nothing about his Dad.  I suppose that is why I have always loved vintage photographs... 

 

 So, a couple of weeks ago, I ran across two old albums in the flea market...one of my Wednesday finds.  They are shown here in this photo.  One was a thinner album, held together by this piece of metal......like a book spine.  There are three loose photos, there on the left.  And the Album in the front held lots of portraits of men and women....I wonder who they were?  I always wonder who they were, what they did, where and how they lived.  This album also held a secret.  While I was looking at all the photos, one of the pages felt funny...I looked behind one of the photos and there were three tintypes in there.  Oh, My.  

 

 This photo was on the front of the thinner album.  I will never understand how they got that many kids all dressed up in white and ready at the same time, but there they are....pretty as a picture!

 

 These three are the loose photos...love the kids in these types of photos....

 

 Also in that album were several photographs of scenery...wonder where that is?

 

 And a few houses.

 

 Rivers and one of my favorite things...TREES!

 

 This is the heavier album...more photographs in it....

 

 I have always wondered what the people in these photographs are thinking as their picture is being taken.

 

 Guys and girls. 

All beautiful in their own way.

 

 What do you suppose she was thinking?

 

 Or these two?

 

 Here are the three tintypes I discovered.  I wonder why they were hidden behind other photographs?

Love that little kid there!

Yes, I always want to know what I will never know about them.  And, I think I want to know because I know so little about my Grandmother.

By the way.....

these albums were only $4.95 each.

Yes, a pittance for such wonderful new relatives!!!

until next time

BE WELL 

from 

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️

Roses on Wednesday

 

 I am certainly missing the boat getting things posted by Wednesday night aren't I?  So, I'm thinking Thursday is much more realistic.  This photo is showing some things I managed to bring home yesterday...with a few from past visits to the flea market as well.  On Sunday, I will have a post about the flea with an amusing story to go along with it...but, for now, I hope you enjoy seeing a few new treasures keeping company with some of my older treasures.  

 

 This was the last thing I chose that day.  Because, as you know, I'm a fool for a beautiful rose.  The artists name is on it, but it's too faint for me to read.  I think it is beautiful!!!  $1.00

 

 This platter and the buttons I'm using as a nest here came from The Junk House in earlier times.  I don't remember where the bird flew here from, but she seems perfectly at home in her button nest!

 

 OMG!  I can't even tell you how I really feel about that jar.  It was love at first sight, but I didn't buy it the first time I saw it, or even the second for that matter.  After a few weeks, apparently no one was going to buy it but me....so it came to my house and I began to fill it with buttons.  Last summer when I was in San Francisco visiting my son....well, I happened upon a box of buttons...mother of pearl...and I bought it, knowing full well it would just about fill up that jar.    The jar is embossed with flowers, but with the buttons, it doesn't really show up well.  No matter....I'm nuts over it anyway.

 

 So, here's more gorgeousness....this lovely book, a vegetable bowl and a decorative box.  But, first the book:

 

Last year it was Paris in Bloom.  This year, New York in Bloom.  Think next year is London in Bloom.  I'm looking forward to San Francisco in Bloom, fingers crossed.

 You can almost smell the flowers.

Of course, it didn't come from the flea market....but I had to show it anyway.  Because of that rose plate!  Look at all that pink!  Oh, yeah.....you know I'm going to say it...always makes me think of French Knots!!!

 

 I've had this pin for a very long time....so cute.  To me it just looked like it could roll right through  Central Park!

Since there is no bookstore here (yeah...sure rubs me the wrong way!), I ordered this one from amazon.com.  Well, what's a girl to do when she wants a book?

 

 Then, there is this decorative box....so feminine and fussy.  It will definitely make another appearance on the blog at some point....I'm searching for the right words to add the perfect "finishing touch" to it.  And, by that, I mean the perfect embroidered words.

 

 Love the detail and that lining is in pretty good shape, considering.  I love the edge on it.

 

 Even the bottom is pretty.

 

 And, here is the vegetable bowl.  So pretty!  I loved the shape of it.  Perfect for serving a delicious green vegetable...let me guess, Cabbage?  But many others too. 

 

 And, it's marked. 

 

 There are three of these with the cutest little feet.  You could use them for a multitude of things, but I imagined a little bar of fragrant decorative soap there.

 

 And this vase.  Another embossed clear glass beauty.  And BIG.  I'm going to put some actual real flowers in it soon........It's going to be one of my favorites, for sure.

 

 So, how am I supposed to resist a thing such as this?  A beautiful garment made for a child.  Although the bodice and the skirt have been separated from each other (why?), and it's stained, it's still beautiful.  

 

 And, this crocheted trim is fabulous.  Looks to me like it was crocheted with a size 0 hook.  Just lovely.

 

 There was also a small embroidery hoop.  An older one and with a bit of crochet in it.  So very cute!

 It's about four inches.

 

 The front of the bodice is so cute...maybe I can improve it a little bit, although to me it is special just the way it is.

 

 And, the back.  Adorable!

  

 And, the hemline.  Gorgeous!

 

 And, here's the dress in a lovely basket tote.  Who can resist those?  Not me.  

  

 And, once again.....more words cut from books.  I'm not sure, but I don't think I'm going to be able to stop doing this for a while here....it's so much fun! 

 So there.  This week's flea market update, I guess.  I'll have more on Sunday...an amusing story, and some very old photographs.  

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️