~ A HOP HERE - A NIBBLE THERE... ~

... there's something *Bunny* in the air! Hi there stitchy friends, wanna share your bunny finishes with the rest of us? Would really enjoy seeing some Bunny samplers, they're really the sweetest 'lil loves, don't you think?

Here's my wee finish from a couple years ago...

 Bunny Love Mini Sampler ~ stitched free hand on Zweigart linaida 18 ct

This wee baby was my inspiration, his Momma made a cozy little nest in our garage for her hoppy family...

 I double-dawg Bunny dare you, but in a nice way! 


Tootles, Sue

~ SPARROWS SONG - MY VERSION ~

Hi there!  Loved this design when I discovered it, reminds me of folk art and I LOVE all things folk art.  Put in the last few stitches recently and returned the chart to its' rightful owner, but only today lightly pressed it for pics.  I did change the tulip color as I just couldn't live with the yellow as charted, the rest of the colors are as called for.  This is my first *non-small* piece on linen so I'm kinda partial to it.  DH loves the colors as they go very well with our home.  And yes, I desperately needed to purchase an Ott light to work this one!  Hoping to frame it and hang it!  

 The yellow in the first tulip was too bright for me.

I couldn't imagine doing another three just like it,

so it had to go, and fast!

 

The Goode Huswife

Sparrows Song

PTP Relic 36 ct.

DMC floss 2 over 2

Sincere thanks to the generous and gracious Vonna aka The Twisted Stitcher for her private *loan* of this chart.  Chart was re-released after I started stitchin this, so it's now available at The Goode Huswife site if anyone is interested in adding it to their stash.  

I couldn't have started stitchin on linen without the guidance of a local stitcher Janice H. (no blog), who patiently put my fears to rest so I could meet my 2009 personal goal of linen stitchin.  Thank you so much Janice for your skill and here's to many more wonderful years of stitchship and enabling xoxo! 

Now, I'm ready for a smaller stitch, hmmmmmm ~ maybe a pin pillow:)

Thx to each of you for popping in, wishing you a lovely stitchy day...

Tootles, Sue

~ SKIP OVER TO A RAK GIVEAWAY ~

Hi there!

Stitchers Anon blog is having a RAK giveaway, how delightfully sweet!  Hope we're not too late to enter....

Skip over HERE fast to join the fun.

Tootles, Sue

~ I'VE BEEN SO DISTRESSED LATELY ~

Hi there!  The label on this spray bottle of *Distress It* by Hooked On Rugs says it's for punch needle projects, but I found it works well on most cotton/linen fabrics, and probably wools as well.  Bottle appears to be about one liquid cup, more or less (sorry, no ounces on label).

Cost at LNS was about $7.50 (less 25% off during Superbowl Sunday).  I'd been watching it for a while and since it was on sale, it was the perfect time to try it.

Two strengths are offered ~ *regular* and *extremely*.  The label states this stain lightens as it dries, so I chose the extremely distressed.

As you may know, Osnaburg is a very wonderful tannish, primitive, sturdy and slubby, inexpensive (bonus) fabric, I love to buy it a yard or two at a time for stitchin.  Sometimes you can even find Osnaburg in prim drabby colors, love that too!  The weave is compared to 32 ct. and was used in Pioneer days as clothing fabric/shirting material.  The color on my monitor makes this natural Osnaburg appear gray (like natural linen), it's not gray, it's tan.

This was a fun project, here's my experiment, you can click on pics to enlarge:

 Large piece of natural Osnaburg~before/after a liberal spray; good overall coverage for large pieces, but not enough definition for smalls unless you are intentionally trying to alter the overall color of the Osnaburg, which was also a nice brownish color

Another large piece of Osnaburg that I had very heavily tea dyed,

then sprayed, dabbed and drizzled with paint brush;

better definition for smalls

Scraps of Osnaburg

Top ~ Natural/before

Center ~ Sprayed

Bottom ~ Dabbed with paint brush

This product is indeed a brown stain, please spay with care.  I even sprayed, waited a few minutes then rinsed under warm water to see if I could alter the distressing, some of the overall stain did rinse out nicely.  You can also wait between sprays for a nice layering effect.  

I'd say this product goes a long way, does what's intended, dries rather quickly and is very user friendly ~ I give it a big stitcher's thumbs up!  Another fab product made in the USA:)


Kind thanks to those who asked about this.  If you try this stain, please consider letting the rest of us know what you think.

If you're still with me at the end of this post, phew ~ thanks for hangin in there!

We wonder, we learn, we share, we create!

Tootles, Sue

Edited:   Stitchers minds think alike.  A reader wondered if this product is *acid free*.  It's been a couple days and I've not been able to confirm one way or the other.  If anyone has definitive input on this noteworthy point, will you please let me know?  Thx.

~ 10 MINUTE NEEDLE BOOK ~

Hi there, nice to hear from each of you over the last couple posts, thx so much for your kind comments:)  And my sincere thanks to those of you who've recently added my humble blog to your reading list, I do hope you'll enjoy visiting as much as I enjoy keeping in touch with you:)


A couple of you asked about *Distress It*, pics on that to share in a day or two, thx for asking dear friends:)  

This quiet Sunday morning was the perfect time to make something, so I whipped up this sweet and very tiny felted wool needle book.  Just a simple, fast, fun, hand assembled little place to park a couple needles, no machine required~in case you were wondering:)  Not perfect, could have used  smaller buttons, but used what I had, so I'm ok with it!  

 

If you fancy this and want details, tutorial is HERE.

And, well.... golly, the 10 minute thing~not so much, but still worth the few extra minutes:)

Wishing you a lovely Sunday evening with needle in hand and Sweet Stitchin...

Tootles, Sue

~ SWEET WEATHER & SPRING STASH ~

Hi there!  Waaaahoooo!  60 degrees here today, makes the old heart skip a beat and become positively giddy, even if there's still snow on the ground!  Kind thx to those of you who've shared your mild weather with us Yanks:)

One of the things I enjoy when reading blogs is new stash reports, first because I'm really delighted for the stitcher and second because it's a great way to see what's out there I've never noticed before~lol!  Maybe you too?

My current stitch is nearing an end, so for a little break I snapped this today~stash acquired over the last 6 or so weeks.  Charts~some new, others gently used, a sweet chart gifted by my dear friend Liz N., thrift store finds, MCG Textiles linen/evenweaves with 40% coupons, some Moda calicos and misc fat quarters for finishing, and a fabric stain called *Distress It* (more on that in a future post).  I've also added 20 or so WDW, GAST and DMC flosses, but alas, they're already tucked away.  My favs:  the Ott Light (makes life sooooo much easier) and the BOAF 32 ct. Meadowlark Linen.

 

Thx for popping in!  Wishing each of you a Sweet Springy Stitchy Day!

Tootles, Sue

~ LORI'S HAND DYED LINEN ~

 Hi there!

Lori at Notforgotten Farm pulled out her dye pot today.  Maybe you'd like to see the fab results on her new selling blog ~ she's just *dying* for you to take a peek:)

Have a great weekend all!

Tootles and Sweet Stitchin, Sue

~ EVER *HOOP* YOUR COOKIES? ~

Hi there!  Yeppers, I've gone and *hooped* my cookies, and sadly, it would seem this prim stitcher has gone way way way over the edge this time!  Freud might say this seemingly innocent folly is far more revealing than just dreaming of floss and linen:)  Many of you have already tried the Neiman Marcus Choc Chip cookies, today was my turn.  These are by far the best choc chip recipe I've ever tasted, they have a wonderful crumb, dense, gooey and tender on the inside with just the right crispiness on the delicate bottom.  I know, I know ~ every baker has their own special and perfect choc chip cookie recipe, now this one is mine:) 

 Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

So dear friends, I ask you.... any armchair shrinks out there who care to share a comment on my folly for the day?  Hope this silly post gave at least a couple of you a stitchy giggle ~ pass the milk please...

Tootles and Sweet Stitchin, Sue