A Summer Day at the Cottage

 

It's a quiet summer day here at Bird Nest Cottage, so I thought I'd show a bit of the flowering going on around here.  I do not have a green thumb,  so many of these are in pots, but some actually are in the ground and I have hopes of not killing them.  I'm trying harder than usual, since I LOVE

them so.

Here's a quote I took a fancy to this morning:

"FLOWERS DON'T WORRY ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BLOOM.  THEY JUST OPEN UP AND TURN TOWARD THE LIGHT AND THAT MAKES THEM BEAUTIFUL."  

Jim Carrey

 

 This Crepe Myrtle tree is really in the wrong place, but I do love this shady little corner.  We will be trimming it in the Fall....it has white blooms, nearly all of them gone right now.  

 

 Here we are out front of the cottage......I really do call it a cottage.  Mostly because I just like the way it sounds!

 

 I had some rocks that were collected by my late Mother-in-Law.  They used to have a farm between Harrison and Yellville, Arkansas.  There was a creek and she gathered rocks and arrowheads there.  I ended up with some of those rocks.  I gave some to my son-in-law and he made an angel by their back porch for my daughter.  As we say around here 'I had a fit over it' and the minute I got home had to put an angel in my own flower bed.  I like that we have given a new home to Alleen's rock collection!

 

 The green heart hanging here is MOSS.  Too Cute!  Given to me by my daughter.  

 

 The quotes:

"I would sooner live in a cottage and wonder at everything than live in a castle and wonder at nothing."

 Joan Winmill Brown

"Better my own cottage than the palace of another."

A Welsh Proverb

 

 Looking outward from my front door.  A very beautiful summer day!

 

 Then, outward to the patio...a very HOT place right now.

 

 Also looking outward from the door in the room I call The Pantry. 

Just a little visit on a hot summer day.  I am so grateful, not only for my home, but also for air-conditioning. 

from

Bird Nest Cottage

until next time 

♥️♥️♥️

A Church, A Pin, A Dish and Some Crochet

 

 Once again, I am at a loss as to what to post....but, since I've been absent from the blog for so long, I thought you might forgive seeing something from a post or two from the past.  It seems as if blogs are falling along the wayside and I'm not really wanting this one to fade away with the rest, so hopefully, I'll be able to do a better job in whatever  time we have left of the very fleeting year of 2017!

I think I last showed this little quilt in 2008.  It now lives at my youngest brother's house.  It is 17 1/2 inches x 23 1/2 inches, hand appliqued, quilted and embroidered.  And, you'll notice one of my favorite things there......a tree!  Love making those!  Also....there are French Knots, another favorite.
Do you see the city in the background?    And, the little church....I've used that church to make several pieces, long gone to other homes.  Maybe I'll do another one someday. 

 

 Those knots!  And, there are little strips of fabric made into a border.  Leftovers from a Log Cabin quilt.

 

 A close-up of the church and tree.  I seem to remember using one strand each of three greens to make the leaves.

 

 Now here are three things I could not and did not make!  That teeny little crocheted pincushion is just dear (and OLD), the petit point basket is dear also and how sweet is that tiny dish...a gift.

 Just beautiful!

 

 I found this pin at a flea market years ago.  Such tiny stitching!  It was love at first sight!

 

 

And, once again, that pin!  One of my favorite motifs in stitching is a basket like this one filled with flowers.  I never tire of finding them!

And, so....a new post.  Not the most original I have done....but, it's a post!!

(I'm not pushing my capabilities at this point.)  Hoping you are well and enjoying your summer....❤️

from

BIRD NEST COTTAGE

until next time

                              ♥♥♥

What I See

 

The first three photos in today's post were gathered TODAY from the internet.  They are beautiful!
Had I seen these in the past, I could say they may have inspired me to create a piece of work, but since I just saw them today....all I can say is they ARE an INSPIRATION!  Normally, I might SEE a tree or a house or a flower here on my own little bit of the planet that might possibly get me enthused about stitching a new design based upon those particular sights.  Sometimes, I just IMAGINE these things into existence.  So, I want to share these three with you and let you know what they made me think of today.

First, that beautiful pink tree!  OH, MY!  French Knots!  When I see blooming trees, I always want to embroider some French Knots into a little tree...set in some simple scene. 

 

Then, more trees!  This scene is quite beautiful too.  Years ago, while teaching a class, I said that trees in 'silhouette' - like these -  have convinced me that "trees are Nature's version of lace."  If you've ever driven down a country road just before dark, you have seen trees like this....yes, all lacy against the darkening sky.  More inspiration, for sure.

 

Look at what is left of this very old, old house!  I can imagine the stories that whirl in and out of it through the missing windows and doors.  I wish it could be saved.  It is beautiful to me.  (There is one not far from me...I've shown in on the blog before....fading away into oblivion.  I need to go photograph it again before it's gone.  I am inspired by these places to create tiny little houses made of applique and embroidery.  Mine is a poor version of such a sweet old place.  Just a memory, really, of a place I never actually experienced.  Maybe a quilter/embroiderer lived there, stitching her creations - not like I do...for pleasure, but to keep herself and the family warm.  I like to think of things like that.

 

So, those three photographs are inspiring, for sure, but what I create never looks anything like what inspires me to stitch.  It's funny how that works.  Then, too, I haven't the talent to stitch anything that looks realistic. There's that.  I guess I can stitch a 'reminder' of a real thing or place though.  And, I have to keep it simple as basic stitching is what I'm best at.

 

This little framed piece (2"x3") is one of my favorite pieces.  I could never let it go as it is one of the first tiny scenes I made.  Maybe someone will think enough of it to save it when I'm gone. 

 

Another scene.  A pincushion.  Just a tad over three inches square.  A friend said it would be difficult to actually stick a pin in it.  Seriously?  It's made of hundreds of stitches actually.  With a needle making each and every one.  How many holes would that be?  Maybe you can see I've got some heart pins sticking in the top.  They make me smile.

 

And, a close-up of that barn.  It's 4 1/2" x 6 1/2."  I made it...then the Old Navy Man said the barn  would never have power hooked up to it as it didn't have any power lines to supply it.  So, I felt obligated to stitch those...adding a tiny transformer!  He loved that.  And, of course, that made me happy.  (Sorry about the reflections on the glass!)

More trees, a tiny house.......wild flowers.  Oh yes, "my soul is made of wildflowers."  That's a quote from an artist named Katie Daisy.    I agree, as I think mine is too.  This piece was made way before I'd ever heard of Katie's work....but it would have inspired me had I seen it then.  You can see her work at katiedaisy.com

This piece consists of a painted canvas with a piece of painted and embroidered quilt batting added on top.  I loved making it.   (Do you see the swing in the tree?)

 

I've made several bird pincushions......about six inches square.  All with beaded edgings.  Sold all of them.  Maybe one day I'll make myself one....???  This bird is about 1 1/2" long.

 

This one is tiny too...but the whole pincushion is only six or so inches, so it's all small.  FUN, but hard work too.  I think I like tedious work to be honest.  (Those eggs are tiny beads.)

 

Lastly, more birds.  I painted the fabric, then embroidered the birds, etc.  

So...did any of this make sense?  Inspired by the photos of others seen on the Internet, by scenes from my daily life, or scenes as "Anne of Green Gables" might say..."within the scope of my imagination," I am hoping to create again in the near future.  I've been in a slump, but working my way out of it.  I'll be spending some time with some of my favorite 'peeps' in the next few weeks, but hope to return sometime in June with a thing to two to talk about.

Do take care out there!

from

Bird Nest Cottage

until next time

♥️♥️♥️

A Bird's Nest Among Coin Purses

 

Last week, my friend Sherry called and during our conversation, she mentioned that she had seen a bird's nest inside a coin purse online.  Of course, that fascinated me...#1, I have bird nests here, and
#2, I have a small collection of vintage coin purses.  It took me five minutes to put my hands on both and you see the results here.  Very sweet, isn't it?

 

Here in the close-up, you can see just how little this nest is.  And, you can read that it came from Country Club Road.  That is where my daughter lives and one beautiful day,  I found THIS nest in her yard while walking my grand dog, Trixie.  (I try to remember to add a little paper tag with the name of the street where the nest was found...when I find a nest.)  And, this one just fit in this vintage coin purse.  

 

 

Here is my little collection of vintage coin purses.  Some are in better condition that others, but I like them all.  They are getting harder for me to find, so I've pretty much quit looking, but on occasion, one will just jump out in front of me.  That's how I found those two tiny ones in front.  I found the petit point one years ago....and  the TINY one, I found recently.  It is so DEAR!!!  And, VERY old.

 

 You can see it here opened as wide as it will go!!!

I decided to put a quarter up next to it, so you can tell how small these are. 

This very tiny purse is so small, that the quarter barely fits  halfway into it.  How in the world did they attach that purse hardware to the fabric??

  

 

 Adorable, aren't they?

Vintage coin purses, real bird nests, two of my favorite things.

Hope you enjoyed seeing them!

from

BIRD NEST COTTAGE

until next time

♥️♥️♥️