17th & 18th Century Needlework

Back in the swing

2012-01-26T10:35:00.000-06:00

After an exhausting....yet fun....Holiday Season I took a little time off at the first of the year.

And let me tell ya.....it's been a struggle to get caught up.

I'm embarrassed to tell you that all the Christmas decorations are stored away but the poor naked tree is still here in the living room. It's become a joke amongst the family now. I think there might even be some betting going on how long it will take to turn brown and fall apart.

But I'm wiping the slate clean....as you can tell by my new Blog template : )

I needed a little something plain and clean to look at for a bit.

Heck, I might even get the tree out of the house.

I'm ready to start fresh.

I wanted to offer this sweet little design to everyone

To My Sweet Pinkeep Pattern

This was a design for my Girls Club last year.

And it's just so darn sweet I had to offer it to everyone.

It's a nice quick stitch with one color of floss.

The Pattern is $10. and you can find it on My eBay and My Website

* * * * * * * * * * * *

And this is a Brand New Pattern

~Valentine Postcard~

This sweet little sampler is the size of a postcard and can actually be sent to your Valentine.

I've attached the linen to a piece of matboard so you can write your greeting on the back and pop it in the mail.....although I recommend slipping it down in an envelope to prevent damage.

It's a very quick stitch so you can make one for all you Valentine's

This Pattern is $10. and is available on My eBay and My Website

And I have to tell you the story behind the bundle of letters tied with ribbon in the picture of the Valentine Postcard. They are my Grandma and Grandpa's love letters. Grandma will be 95 this Spring and she was kind enough to let me borrow them.

And they are amazing!!!!

My Grandpa was such a romantic....I had no idea.

And in each of his letters at the very bottom he wrote in French his love and devotion to Grandma.

Love letters are a dying art.....so sad.

Let's keep it going. I'm going to chose some beautiful stationary and write a couple letters to people that are close to my heart. Just a quick note to let friends know that I appreciate their kindness and friendship.

Heck....I might even write one to my husband : )

Maybe you could take a few moments and write a couple yourself.

Until next time my friends....

Smiles,

Stacy

Happy Holidays My Friends

2011-12-16T16:52:00.000-06:00

I have to thank all of you who emailed me over my decorating woes. Thanks to you I pulled it together and the decorating is finally finished. This year the theme is 'sweet & simple'

Here's a little peek into our home:

Last year I found the idea of hanging pitchers on the door from the Pottery Barn catalog.....this year I chose my favorite pitcher and hung it in a big greenery wreath with burlap ribbon and a sheet of music. On the other side of the door I have the coolest old silver platter with handles hanging from burlap ribbon and a few sprigs of greenery.

I pulled out all of my old silver patters and filled them with all of my favorite things....bottle brush trees, a tiny little birds nest, a sprig of greenery and some mercury glass.

Sweet & Simple....a few sprigs of greenery and an old glass ornament in a mercury glass candle holder.

The fresh cut tree is covered in lights and old glass ornaments.....some from my Grandparents, some from my husbands Grandparents and some found.

I love moving furniture around when I decorate so I stacked these old trunks on top of my old pumpkin cupboard and added a simple greenery wreath hanging from burlap ribbon and a sheet of music.

I stuck a few sprigs of greenery in my vase filled with old pinkeeps....the white strawberry and the tiny red berry were gifts from very dear friends.

More silver platters and mercury glass.....and the print is rolled up and slipped down into a glass vase. I love the way candle light dances on the silver and glass.

I found this old mercury glass compote on my way back from Wisc. this year. It's a favorite piece so I filled it with things I treasure.....and old strand of glass bead garland and a few old glass ornaments.

And even my favorite Easter toy has joined the festivities with an assortment of glass ornaments.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. It's finally starting to feel like Christmas.

The kids are finishing up school before break and we're getting ready to settle into our comfortable little nest to await the Christmas Day bliss.....but before I say good-bye until next year I have one last little batch of finished pieces to offer. I worked on these projects while I decorated the house and I'm excited to share them with you......a few sweet little Sewing Baskets filled with goodies, Woolen Strawberry Pinkeeps and a Button Roll.

You can see all of them on my Finished Goods page.

And earlier this Fall I released a sweet little pattern called ~Colonial Christmas Sampler & Pinkeep~ and I forgot to put it on my website. Gesh....I can't believe I forgot....it's a very fun little stitch.

If you'd like to see it it's available on my Christmas Patterns page.

Have a wonderful weekend my friends....

Until next time

Updated Website

2011-12-05T10:02:00.000-06:00

I just updated my website with some Finished Goods

A few Woolen Strawberries, Pinkeeps, Pinkeep Drum, Project Bag and the sweetest little Sewing Basket.

I'd love for you to stop by and check them out.

A sweet little woolen strawberry

My very favorite Sewing Basket.

I plan to teach a few classes in finishing Sewing Baskets in 2012. Be sure to check out my Schedule on my Website for class info.

I also have a Brand New Pattern

Mary Burdus Reproduction Sampler

It's stitched on 28 count linen and measures 13" square finished.

It's also available on my Website or email me at stacy@stacynashprimitives.com to order your very own copy.

Happy Stitching my friends......

I'll let you know how the decorating is coming here on the homestead : )

Smiles,
Stacy

Christmas decorating gone bad

2011-12-04T20:06:00.000-06:00

Good Evening my friends....

I have no idea where the month of November went. The last thing I knew it was my birthday and then I was cooking, it seems, for a week in preparation for Thanksgiving. And now we're decorating for Christmas. And the decorating is not going as planned....not at all.

Yesterday we spent the day cleaning the yard one last time and putting the last of the patio furniture away and stringing lights. It was a beautiful day....the sun was out and we just needed a sweater to stay warm. Well it was all fun and games until near the end of the stringing of the lights......one strand of lights kept blowing the fuses in the other strands. Needless to say all the lights had to come down and we're back to square one.

Taylor is in distress......she's sure we're not going to have any lights this year.

And then to top it off we get up this morning and start lacing our boots to go to the tree farm to chose a nice big tree.....and it's raining.....and raining and raining. In fact....it's still raining. So...my plan to have the outside and the inside of the house decorated this weekend went out the window.

Oh well....tomorrow is a new day. I think I'm going to pop in my very favorite Christmas movie, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, right after I drop Taylor at school and drink a little coffee and start in with the decorating again. With any luck I'll be back on track by next weekend.

But....I do have some good news......I have a Brand New Pattern and some Finished Goodes to offer. I'll be updating my website and blog tomorrow morning at 11:00 Eastern Time.

If your looking for a Christmas gift or just need a little treat yourself be sure to check back tomorrow.

Well I'm going to have to pack it in early this evening so I can start tomorrow with a fresh new outlook. Believe me.....I need it after this weekend : )

Talk to you again tomorrow....

Smiles,

Stacy

A few pics...

2011-10-19T16:56:00.000-05:00

Rats & Spiders & Crows.......oh my!!!

I'm just getting settled in from my trip Country Sampler for Boxwood & Berries and I thought I'd do a little decorating since Halloween is just around the corner.

I filled an old trophy with spanish moss, sticks and little glittery spiders.

And my favorite old rat.....he's creepy but fun.

Jeanne took Maggie and I out to the farm before we had to hit the road and let us gather some bittersweet and pumpkins.

Oh how I love bittersweet.

I put mine in an old basket.

And if you're signed up for the newest Country Sampler event

~It's A Grand Olde Flag Girl Gathering~

June 6th - 9th 2012

you'll get to see Jeanne & Reed's farm first hand.

She has some fantastic things planned for the Schoolroom and the farm.

Maggie and I will be there along with Linda from Chessie & Me

You won't want to miss it.....it's going to be a real treat!!!

My old crow is perched on a birdcage I found last year in Wisc.

I shopped my way home and barely got it in the truck....but there was no way I was coming home with out it : ) even if I had to strap it to the top

And as if I didn't learn my lesson about falling off a ladder.....I'm standing on my stitching chair to get this pic. The basket of bittersweet and my old crow and birdcage are perched up high on my old cupboard.

Thankfully I pulled it off without a spill : )

Oh....and the spiderweb is fake, although there's probably some real ones up there too : )

Ok....I bought this platform with a mirror on my way home from Wisc. this year.

Love love love it.

I'm sure it has a name other than 'platform' but it escapes me at the moment.

I actually saw a bunch in a little shop last year but I didn't buy one.

So....this year I was thrilled that they had one left.

I've seen them in magazines displayed with sweet little glass perfume bottles on them or a glass dome.

Jeanne has one on her kitchen island with an old glass jar filled with ribbon.

I had to stare at it the whole time I was at her house : )

So now I have one of my very own.

And the little Witch Hazel bottle was purchased at the same store. My little mouse is keeping watch over it.

This is Taylor's Autumn gift to me.

She spent the good part of an afternoon in the yard playing in the leaves.

And then she came in proudly displaying her masterpiece.

She collected 5 or 6 little red leaves and stacked them up biggest to smallest and attached them to the 3 green leaves.

It's so sweet.

I have it displayed in front of a glass jar filled with rocks the kids collect for me when we vacation in Michigan.

I love that all my kids collect things from nature.....and their faces beam with excitement when they present their gifts to me. (That's my favorite part : )

Even my husband joins in. He went to a show with me and came back from a walk with the sweetest little bird nest and tiny feather. It almost made me cry. I have them proudly displayed in an old mercury glass compote under a glass dome.

It's the simple things......

Here are a few more things that I found on my way back from Wisc.

The silver tinsel garland is so fun.....I have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet but I had to have it.

And the silver footed bowl makes a perfect home for the tinsel, some old scissors and a couple spools of yarn.

And I just love this old glass compote. I originally thought I'd use it in the kitchen but right now it's home for some silk ribbon and old spools I found.

Maybe at Christmas I'll fill it with homemade treats.

I found this old glass battery jar on a trip to the antique mall in Madison. I thought the shape of it was pretty cool.

And Maggie was showing us how she grows paperwhites in old glass mason jars at Christmas and I could just picture this filled with them too.

But I couldn't wait till Christmas to display this neat old jar so I filled it with spanish moss, sticks, crows and spiders for Halloween.

And I put it on that cool old platform to add a little depth.

I like it so much I'm going to be sad to take the sticks out to make room for paperwhite bulbs : )

I had to share this book with you ~The French Cat~......the pictures are amazing.

I found it at a new bookstore ~Arcadia Books~ across the street from Country Sampler in Spring Green.

I think I made at least 6 trips over there during my trip. They have a nice little cafe so I grabbed a cup of coffee and browsed every spare minute I had.

And if you have small children or grandchildren I found a series of books called ~Ivy & Bean~. We just started reading them and Taylor loves them. The first one in the series is called ~Born to be bad~

and it's very fitting for Miss T : )

Here is a link to Arcadia's info if you're ever in the area:

Arcadia Books

I loved the store so much I've emailed them and ordered more books.

Every little bit helps.....I just want them to be there the next time I visit Spring Green.

Well I'm off.....hope you enjoyed the pics

I haven't held a needle for 2 weeks and I'm desperate to stitch.....

Smiles,
Stacy

Greetings from Spring Green Wisc.....

2011-10-06T23:46:00.000-05:00

Good Evening my friends.....I'm at the Country Sampler teaching with Maggie Bonanomi at Boxwood & Berries. We've been having a great time.....the first session is wrapping up tomorrow and we'll be starting the second session on Saturday.

I had to show you this pic of Maggie wearing her sweet little angel wings.....I made her do it. She was kicking and screaming all the way. And just because she has wings don't for a minute think she's an angel : )

The wings were one of our projects we did today. I absolutely love them. I can't wait to get mine finished.....I think I'll have Taylor help me out. She might even enjoy making her own.

This is Maggie's little jar.....she was showing us how she likes to package gifts in old containers with a little sprigs of greenery and ribbon.....sooooo sweet!!!

And I wanted to give you a sneak peek of a brand new pattern

Colonial Christmas Sampler & Pinkeep

I introduced it to the girls in the first session of Boxwood and it's been a big hit.

I used good muted colors of pewter, nutmeg, cocoa, golden brown and moss on nice pale linen.

The sampler is in a 5" by 7" frame I purchased at Notforgotten Farm and the pinkeep measures about 6" by 8".

If you'd like to have one of these sweet little patterns you can email me at:

stacy.nash@att.net

It will also be available on eBay

My eBay Offerings

and on my website

Stacy Nash Primitives Website

I'll be posting more pics of Boxwood & Berries so be sure to check back.

Until next time....

I'm back from Malabar Farm

2011-09-27T11:39:00.001-05:00

We had sooo much fun and the show was fantastic!!!

My husband came with me to help and this year Taylor tagged along.

I think I saw Taylor a total of 15 minuted the entire day....she ran around the farm feeding chickens and ducks, petting goats, holding kittens and riding horses. Needless to say she did not want to leave. I don't think we'll have to beg her to come with us next year : )

Unfortunately I didn't get out much to take pics but I can show you the great things I bought.

And take a few minutes to visit the show blog.....they will be uploading pics of this years show soon:

In the Spirit of Friends Show Blog

I almost died when I came across this framed sampler dated 1828. It is amazing!!! And the first thing I did when I came home was hang it up. The more I look at it the more I love it.

It's all blackwork except for a letter M in red toward the bottom.

So...my plan for this beauty is to reproduce it and offer it as pattern so everyone can enjoy it as much as I have.

The sweet little wallpaper box I found last year at the show.....but the piece of linen and the piece of tan homespun I found this year. And the seller had so many pieces of old blue homespuns......ugh....I could kick myself now for not grabbing them up.

This was Taylor's favorite horse. Although she loved them all.

In the Spirit of Friends show was held in conjunction with Heritage Days at Malabar Farm. It's the first year they've done this and we really enjoyed it. There were Civil War re-enactor's, horse and pony rides, and more vendors and the best food.

Here is this years Malabar Farm design.....a sweet little Pinkeep.

Every year I will design something new. Last year was a sweet little Pocket Roll.

And the back I added a little homespun pocket.

I have just a few patterns for this sweet little Pinkeep, they are $10. if you would like to have one....just send me an email at stacy.nash@att.net

So....as you know I had the pleasure to teach at the Attic in Mesa Arizona earlier this year. And a dear sweet friend, Renee Plains, was kind enough to let me stay with her.

Well....while I was there she asked me if I would be interested in designing a little schoolgirl sampler for the new book she was working on. Welllll.....Yeah

The book just came out and I can hardly hold in my excitement!!!

The book is beautiful and it's full of great pics of an old Kansas schoolhouse and of old pics of children that Renee has been collection over the years.

And on top of all the great pics the book is full of wonderful projects..

And drum roll please : ).....

Ta Da....here it is.....my sampler is in a book.

It's a very sweet and simple little schoolgirl sampler done on linen with silk threads I found at the Attic.

As much as I truly love to stitch and design samplers I'd have to say that the next best thing is meeting such wonderful people along the way that I'm honored to call friends.

Thank you again Renee

And something else fun to share......I have Walnut Crystals now

They are packaged in 1 oz. packages and include directions how to use them to get the good aged look that I love so much.

They are $8.50 and if you would like to order some just send me an email at:

stacy.nash@att.net

I'll also be adding them to me website for purchase and listing them on eBay.

And wait....I'm not done yet. I now accept :

Visa

Mastercard

Discover

American Express

along with Pay Pal, check or money order for your convenience.

Have a wonderful day my friends and Happy Stiching

Smiles,

Stacy

Introducing the finished Blackwater Hollow Sampler

2011-09-18T21:07:00.000-05:00

Inspired by my trip to Notforgotten Farm and my friend Lori

I made just a few changes....I had to add Pinocchio the donkey and a black crow down on the fence. And I moved the black cat down a bit.

But other than that.....it's all the same.

And don't you just love love love the frame?

I think it's absolutely perfect for this sampler.

Lori's hubby did a fantastic job.

For this sampler I stitched on 30 count Weeks Dye Works Linen in the color ~Linen~ with Gentle Arts threads. But I included a DMC conversion chart to those of you that love DMC like I do.

The finished sampler measures 10" by 13"

The Pattern is $14. and I'll list it on my website and eBay tomorrow.

I hoped to get it done tonight but Taylor has run me ragged today.

We've been running all day.....and when it came for our walk tonight she just wouldn't take no for an answer. That girl has more energy than she know what to do with.

Happy stitching dear friends....

Smiles,

Stacy

A New Sampler almost finished

2011-09-17T16:51:00.000-05:00

The past 4 weeks have flown by. Taylor started 1st grade and her schedule is taking a bit to get used to. I'm up at 6 a.m. now and for a night owl it's pretty brutal. By 9:30 p.m. I have my pj's on and crawling into bed.....so lame. Thankfully she loves school and is excited to get up before the sun to get ready. But I do like the quiet mornings and on our walk to the bus stop we see hummingbirds and rabbits. I'm not a good early morning stitcher but I hope to get better.

And my husband has been home for almost 6 weeks recovering from arm surgery. Ugh...I love him but he's totally messing up my schedule. Thankfully he just went back to work and the remote control is mine again. (Hopefully he doesn't read my blog : )

The Basketcases class in Illinois last month was a blast. Taylor and I drove up to my sisters for the weekend and we all had a great time. My sister joined us for the first day of class and she even made us some treats.

The weekend after the Basketcases class I was on my way to Notforgotten Farm in Virginia. The drive was beautiful and Lori's farm is so sweet. I couldn't wait to meet her and the critters. As soon as I pulled in I was greeted by dogs.....and I couldn't have been happier. We have a small zoo of dogs here so I felt right at home. And the donkeys and chickens were just too cute. I even got to meet the famous Iggy. He's the sweetest little thing I've ever seen.....but he definitely has a little devilish side : ) I had such a great time at Lori's that it inspired a sampler. Here is a sneak peek

Lori's farmhouse is so fantastic so I added that to the top.....her's is a wonderful white but white just wasn't going to show up on the linen I chose. When I met the donkeys we fed them persimmons so I added plump persimmons that vine up the sides. My first evening on the farm we saw the most beautiful full moon that glowed orange.....it was truly amazing. I added a moon but it's a crescent so it didn't blend in with the persimmons. Leading into Lori's shop is a garden surrounded by a fence a gate and an arbor. And in that garden is the coolest old cauldron. So, I absolutely had to have the cauldron (a witch is nothing without her cauldron : ) and I added an arbor too. The scissors are a symbol of our friendship in stitching and both our initials are at the top around the house.

And on my drive out to the farm I came across a sign for Black Hollow. I thought that sounded pretty cool so I called this sampler Blackwater Hollow.

And I framed the sampler in the most fantastic frame that Lori's husband made. It's amazing and a perfect fit for this sampler.

The sampler is now finished and framed and I'm putting the patterns together now. Check back tomorrow to see pics of the finished sampler.

The weekend after my trip to Notforgotten Farm my husband and I spent the weekend in downtown Chicago. We had dinner with my sister and her husband and a group of friends. We had a great time. And before we left town we had lunch at Pizza Uno's (my hubbies fav) and I found the best little shop called POSH. I bought 3 vintage maps of Paris (oh how I want to go!!!!) I can't wait to frame them and put them in my bedroom so I can dream about Paris. We also found a champagne bar called POP. We were there on Sunday early afternoon so they weren't open yet.....too bad. I'm going to gather up a few girlfriends and we're going back.

And we're not done yet.....next weekend we're going to the show at Malabar Farm......In the Spirit of Friends. My husband is coming to help out and we're bringing Taylor along too. She's pretty excited. She likes to shop as much as I do : ) I just finished up the exclusive pattern for this years show. But no sneak peeks.....I want it to be a surprise for those of you that will be at the show.

Happy stitching my friends

Smiles, Stacy

A sweet new Pattern

2011-07-19T09:25:00.000-05:00

Well you know how much I love blue

So I thought I'd share my favorite blue threads in this brand new Pattern

This Pattern includes

PINS Pinkeep

needles Pinkeep

Scissors Pouch

All the things you need in your sewing basket

I love stitching Flower Urns

and blue flowers are the best

And since the sweet little Pinkeeps I listed on my Finished Goodes page were so popular I thought I'd offer a Pattern with all of my favorite things.

The Pattern is available on My Website and on My eBay

A mystery solved.

Busted.....

I love having fresh cut flowers in the house.....they make me so happy

But, everyday I would wake up and my flowers would be smashed down and falling out of their pitchers.

I couldn't figure out what on earth was going on.

Until......I busted Phoebe drinking the flower water.

Look at her.....trying to act like she's not guilty.

And believe me....it's not like she doesn't have her own little water bowl.

She's just lucky she's so darn cute.....or she's really be in trouble : )

Happy Stitching my friends.....

Finished projects

2011-06-25T12:06:00.001-05:00

I have a few projects I can't wait to share with you.

Here are my Notforgotten Farm Class Projects

~Pinkeep Drum, Slipper & Wool Strawberry~

I love these projects and I can't wait to teach them in August at Lori's Farm.

I'll be sending out the linen and floss soon so the pre-stitching can be done and we'll do all the finishing in class.

There are just a few openings left so please contact Lori if you'd like to attend. We're going to have a great time on the farm.

not4got@aol.com

And I have my Boxwood & Berries Project finished.

~Velvet Lined Sewing Basket, Scissor Pouch, Pinkeep, Wool Slipper & Velvet Strawberry~

The Sewing Basket has an early style sampler stitched around the outside and the inside is lined with wonderful velvet. This is a great place to keep your most favorite notions and projects.

The little Wool Slipper & Velvet Strawberry are so sweet.

I think we'll make a few extras in class for ornaments and tokens of friendship.

And if you have a favorite pair of scissors this little Scissor Pouch is the perfect place to keep them.

It's linen on the outside and reproduction cotton fabric on the inside.
There are 2 sessions of Boxwood & Berries this year. If you'd like to be part of the fun please contact Country Sampler 608-588-2510
Maggie will be there again this year and I've heard she's going to do a Bed Cover.....wow!!!
You won't want to miss it.

I also updated my Finished Goodes Page with a few sweet little Pinkeeps.

After Taylor goes to bed at night I get to stitch for hours and hours. It's my favorite part of the day : )

And while I was cleaning out my old green dry sink I found a few Kits.

Each Kit contains a complete pattern, linen, floss, and fabric, wool and ribbons needed to complete each project.

Happy Stitching My Friends

Sweets

2011-06-02T15:57:00.000-05:00

So the sweets were a big hit at Michael's party.

I thought I'd share with you the link to my sisters website.....she did all the deserts.

Lillycakes Website

On the platter above are Lillycakes without sticks.

You can eat them faster without the sticks : )

Laying on the table are Lillycakes.

And here you can see the platter with the little Lillybites and behind them are Lillycakes in little pitchers.

If you're in the Chicago area my sister, Kelly gives cupcake classes that are lots of fun.

And she can mail orders too if you have a sweet tooth like me : )

It's official

2011-06-02T13:20:00.000-05:00

he's a graduate

Not that I ever doubted it : )

Michael graduated from High School last weekend.

And no.....I didn't cry. I think it will hit me after this weekend when Taylor's 2 birthday parties are over.

She's having a family party on Saturday and a friends party on Sunday.

I'm tired just thinking about it.

We invited her whole class and we've planned carnival games and we'll have a bounce house.

I'll be the first one to try out the bounce house....thank you very much : )

We had a big shared graduation party for Michael and 6 of his friends.

My sister and her family came into town for the occasion and she did all the sweets.

Michael got to choose the deserts.....

Creme brulee was top of the list. He got to sugar and torch the tops and add the raspberries for everyone.

He thought he was a big shot : )

Ok....the root beer was for me. I found the best stuff at Costco...and I'm totally addicted.

I only buy it for parties or vacations so this was the perfect excuse for me.

I used one of my big ol french tubs to ice it down.

oh...that tub looks pretty good with beer in it too : )

Cookie bar was kinda my idea. Michael loves chocolate chip cookies and I got the idea on-line.

My sis made chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies with the little hershey kiss on top....yum

And I used one of my old white ironstone pitchers for milk. We just iced it down in an old silver bowl.

Red Velvet cupcakes were high on Michael's list too.

How cute are they??

And they tasted good too.

These are brownie bites with a peanut butter cream frosting.

Yikes....I had to stay away : )

They were a favorite among the teenage crowd.

Is this me? ......no

It's my sister, Kelly and Michael.

Do you like her shoes?.....they're mine.

Do you like her necklace?.....it's mine.

Is there a picture of me and Michael?.....no

I was behind the camera all evening.

Darn it....I could just kick myself.

Oh well....we had a fun night.

The boys had a DJ later in the evening for all their friends and they kicked all us old folks out.

I wanted to stay and dance but Michael gave me a look of shock and horror.....so we left.

My husband and BIL broke out a couple dance moves.....I'm sure I saw the 'sprinkler' and the 'cabbage patch'.

I think that was the deal breaker right there : )

I did the flowers. Heck...I'm always looking for an excuse to go to the florist.

They let me poke around in the cooler that's as big as my house and get what I want.

These green pom pom things were pretty cool.

I couldn't do pink girly flowers so I chose green and white.

Michael and his BFF Austin.

They've been chums since elementary school.

He's a good boy and he's lucky to have a great group of friends.

ok.....now I want to cry

And graduation day....Taylor and Michael.

Getting pictures of him this day was like pulling teeth : )

He was ready to ditch the tie and run off with his friends so we had to be quick.

So starts a new chapter in their lives.

Taylor will be in first grade next year and Michael will be in college.

Kelly has a daughter, Lilly, that is just 7 months older than Taylor.

And Lilly is starting first grade next year also.

It just dawned on me over the weekend that the girls are going to graduate the same year.

OMG....that's going to be a crazy year to say the least.

We'll be looking back on this remembering the fun time we had at Michael's graduation.

Ok....I was putting together Michael's memory boards for the party and I ran across this picture.

Please....for Pete's sake don't tell the boys I posted this. They will throw me in the pool for sure over this.

This was when Michael was a Freshman and Will (my step-son) would have been in 8th grade.

What are they doing you ask.....well to be honest I have no idea. I think I told them to show me their best gangsta look.....and this is all they could come up with : )

The three of us went to the county fair and closed the place down.

We ate....did all the rides and played games.

I made the boys do the ball toss game until they won me a fish.

I think it cost me about 30 bucks....turns out it was harder than it looked to get that little ball into a fishbowl : )

And we still have that darn fish.

This time next year we'll be in Houston for Will's graduation.

Two down and one to go : )

Will is flying in tonight for the summer.

We are all so excited to see him. Once he's here our summer hits full swing.

We cram alot into the few months he's here.

First on the list is to go see Hangover 2.

Happy Stitching my friends.....I hope to get back to my needle soon

The sampler is finished

2011-05-16T17:38:00.001-05:00

And it's not a wedding sampler.

As I stitched the floral border it reminded me more and more of my Grandma and Great Grandma so I dedicated this sampler to them.

Each motif holds a fond memory of my childhood.

Starting with the border.....the floral pattern and muted colors remind me of Great Grandma's dresses and aprons. They were so soft and thin from wear.

And a sampler just isn't a sampler without letters. But these letters are for the times Grandma and Great Grandma would spell words so my sister and I didn't know what they were talking about. Now we find ourselves doing the same thing with our children : )

The scissors are for my Great Grandma and the hours and hours I spent sitting at her feet watching her stitch.

The strawberries are for Grandma. She had the most beautiful gardens. We hauled bucket after bucket of water out to the fields but our reward was juicy berries with a saucer of sugar. Yum....my mouth waters thinking about those sweet strawberries dipped in sugar.

The chair is a reminder of the hot summer afternoon spent in the backyard shelling peas. I think I ate as many as I shelled.

The hen and chicks remind me of the hot lazy summer days playing in the chicken house.

The house is similar to Grandma and Great Grandma's old white farmhouse. Theirs wasn't that big.....it just seemed huge when I was little.

The acorn reminds me of the hundreds of acorns I gathered on our walks. I loved finding them with the tops still attached and an extra bonus was finding 2 attached.

And I finished the sampler with both their initials.

I stitched the sampler on 30 count Weeks Dye Works Cocoa Linen with Gentle Arts thread.

And it measures 11" wide by 9" high.

The Pattern is available on eBay and My Website if you're interested in stitching one for yourself.

Stitching this sampler brought back so many childhood memories. I just hope I can give my children the same great memories.

Tomorrow is Taylor's Kindergarten Graduation. I'm planning a few little surprises for her. She's really excited and it will be fun to watch her with all of her little friends. Michael is coming with us too......she loves to show off her big brother. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were going to his Kindergarten Graduation.

I dug out some pictures of his that we'll share at dinner tomorrow. I'm sure we'll all get a pretty good laugh.....and maybe a little cry.

His HS Graduation is just around the corner. And then the next week is Taylor's birthday. We are full blown party planners right now. I'm going to be soooo sick of cake by the time it's over : )

Happy Stitching My Friends

Finished border....

2011-04-26T10:47:00.000-05:00

I've been working on this sampler in between other projects and I just finished the border last night.

This sampler has been on my mind for a long long time....my first thought for it was to be a wedding sampler.....but I'm going to let it take me in the direction it wants to go.

I chose Weeks Dye Works 'Coca' 30 count linen and Gentle Arts cotton floss.

These colors of linen and floss remind me so much of my Great Grandma.....she had an apron with similar flowers. And I can't count the hours I spent hanging from it while she worked away in the kitchen.

On days like today I can close my eyes and hear her snapping beans and chopping veggies and the sizzle of the pan on the stove.....the smell of fresh air as the breeze blows thru the open windows of the kitchen.

And I remember a yellow canary by the kitchen window that would sing when she talked to it.

We've had so much rain lately....you can really smell the grass and the trees and the flowers.

Even the birds singing remind me so much of being back in that wonderful old kitchen.

My Grandma taught me that hard work won't kill you. She was a stickler for a clean house, fresh linens and neat gardens.

And my Great Grandma taught me cooking with fresh produce right from your own garden always tastes the best and she is my inspiration for my love of samplers, stitching and handwork.

So, I think I'm going to let them guide me......I'm going to take my memories of them and wrap them up in this sampler.

Will it be a wedding sampler?? I'm not sure what it wants to be yet.

If not it will come out in a sampler one of these days.

I've had this great big ol' frame that's been staring me down....maybe it's meant to show off the wedding sampler.

It feels so good to be stitching again.

I can feel my soul getting stronger and my creativity gaining momentum.

Until next time my friends....

The Spotted Hare is finished

2011-04-21T12:24:00.000-05:00

Where does the time go???

We were just talking about the daffodils coming up and the next thing you know Taylor and I are coloring Easter eggs.

I'm not complaining....we've had a beautiful Spring for sure and Easter is my very favorite holiday.

I think that might have something to do with the chocolate bunnies : )

Let me tell you about the new Pattern I just released and then I'll tell you what I've been up to.

Here is the Spotted Hare Pinkeep Drum & Velveteen Carrots

This was first done for Willows & Early Blooms at Country Sampler last Spring. I made just a few changes and now it's available as a Pattern for everyone.

The little Spotted Hare is so sweet....and there is also a wreath with the date 1820 and a flower basket full of lilies and tiny blue flowers stitched on 32 count linen.

The Pinkeep Drum measures about 5" high by 3 1/4" in diameter.

And check out these little velveteen carrots....they have been nicely worn and aged.

The Pattern includes all the instructions to stitch and finish the Pinkeep Drum and how to make and finish these sweet little carrots.

I just listed this sweet little Pattern on eBay and next I'll get it on my website.

If you'd like to have one just send me an email and I'll happily get it in the mail right away.

Well friends....I've been in a funk.

It really has a hold on me and I've had the hardest time shaking it.

My babies are growing up and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Michael will be graduating from high school next month.

We've been planning his party and talking about college.

I can't wait for the party.....we're having a combined party with lots of his friends at a reception hall.

I'm so excited for him....but I know I'm going to be a hot mess.

I've known his friends since grade school and it's so fun to see them all grown up now......but unfortunately it's not going to stop me from crying and embarrassing him : )

And Taylor is graduating from Kindergarten and next year she'll be going to a big school.

I know she's ready and she'll make lots of new friends. I'll be the one crying on her first day of school.

Watching her reminds me so much of Michael.....I remember his first day at Kindergarten and First Grade....and now he's graduating.

It boggles my mind how fast it's flown by.

I think that's what upsets me more than anything.....how fast it's gone.

In the blink of an eye we'll be planning Taylor's graduation.

Geez...I'm such a baby....just reading this makes me cry.

I really want to enjoy this time so I'm pulling up my big girl panties and getting my act together.

I know stitching is going to help me so I hope to have lots of new things out for you to see.

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted last.

I'm so sorry about that.

Stitching and keeping in touch with you is going to get me back on my feet.

Kindly,

Stacy

Where does the time go....

2011-03-08T20:55:00.007-06:00

I can't believe it's March.
But no complaints here....I LOVE Spring

The daffodils have broken thru the ground and the trees are showing the first signs of buds.
I'm sure we'll still see a little more snow....but it's nice to see that Spring is coming.

Well my plan was to spend the slow month of February getting caught up on projects but it didn't work out that way. Since Michael's accident in January we have been driving him to school and work. And let me tell ya....it's a long way to his school and back. So many hours lost that I could have been stitching.
But....it was nice to have him captive in the car. He's a senior this year and getting a little too big for his britches : )
Taylor loved spending time with her big brother. They teased each other and joked all the way to his school and then she slept all the way back home : )

We found Michael a car last weekend so now our fun is over.
And I'm back in my stitching chair.....
Ahhhhhh.....right where I love to be

But I did manage to finish some class projects. I posted pics on my website.
The end of the week I'm off to Dallas and then the end of April I'm on the road to Knoxville.

And I have a brand new pattern to offer:

~Sweetheart Tree Sewing Roll~

I stitched my husbands initials and my initials in the large wreath at the top. And our kids initials in the 3 hearts on the bottom.
And this can easily be personalized to your own family. Heart can be added or subtracted and I've included a complete set of large letters for the wreath and a set of small letters for the hearts.

And inside I've added 2 pockets to keep projects and notions, a little wool heart pinkeep and a bit of silk ribbon to secure a pair of scissors.

The pattern is available on my Website or just email me if you'd like to have one.
stacy@stacynashprimitives.com
stacy.nash@att.net

And I promise not to stay away so long. I'm working on a few more new patterns and some larger samplers.
I found the best old frame and I can't wait to fill it with a sampler.

Happy Stitching My Friends....

Just back from Arizona

2011-01-19T14:23:00.014-06:00

I have so much to tell.....you might want to sit down with a cup of coffee.

I'm just back from Arizona where I taught for The Attic Needleworks in Mesa, Arizona.

The weather was just amazing.....I couldn't have asked for better.

It was hard to come back to the cold and dreary.

And these cactus were the most incredible things I'd ever seen.
They are everywhere around the Phoenix area.
From what I understand they only grow one other place in the US.
They are called sorrow cactus. (I hope I have that right)
And they are 60 years old before they grow their first arm.
Can you imagine how old this guy is???
Just amazing.
I had a little bit of a fear that I would accidentally fall into one : ) Yikes

I had the great pleasure to meet Jean Lea, owner of The Attic Needleworks.
She is the sweetest thing and as addicted to cross-stitch as I am.
Double bonus : )
She invited me to come out and teach....and how could I pass up an opportunity like that.
She planned 3 fun filled days complete with a field trip to Vickie L. Jennett's reproduction 19th century farmhouse in Chandler Arizona.
There are no words to describe Vickie's beautiful house.....it was an oasis in the desert.
The walls were absolutely covered with gorgeous antique samplers.
I felt as if I had dies and gone to sampler heaven : )
Jean planned for us to have a boxed lunch and we sat in Vickie's beautiful backyard and enjoyed the sunshine and scenery.
And after lunch Vickie graciously invited us into her home to view her collection of samplers and antique notions.
It was a day I won't soon forget.

Vickie's wonderful offerings and patterns are available at The Attic and other needlework shops....hopefully one near you.
Look for or ask for Needle Work Press.

I purchased ~A Sampler Enthusiast's Book of Days for 2011~

Linda Lautenschlager from Chessie & Me was there also. It's always a pleasure to see her.
She was teaching a Unfinished Sampler class.
If you ever have the chance to take this class you won't be disappointed .....it is amazing.
I will see her again in a few months in Spring Green Wisconsin and I so hope she will offer this class again.

I purchased a handful of Lakeside Linens and a silk floss that I can't wait to try.
The colors are amazing.
And Jean's selection of linen and floss is fantastic.
The floss is a 12 strand 100% spun silk from Belle Soie.

Jean will do mail order and she also has a wonderful newsletter that is worth signing up for.
The Attic Needleworks Website

How sweet are these little faces? I knew I had to have them as soon as I laid eyes on them.

Now I have to tell you about a dear sweet friend....Renee Plains.
And I will tell you why these little cuties remind me of her.

Renee offered to let me stay in her home during my stay in Arizona.
Heck, Renee is the reason Jean asked me to come.
I am so blessed and thankful to have such a wonderful friend.

Renee is a very talented quilt designer.....her patterns and books are to die for.
She offers the best sewing notion and tote bag patterns along with wonderful old quilt patterns.
And since my Mom is the seamstress in the family I have a stack of Renee's patterns waiting for her to make for me : )
I know how to work things around here : )

Stop by and check out her website...my descriptions just don't do her justice.
Also look for her designs in your local quilt shop.
Liberty Star

I know you will fall in love with her designs....and her website is as sweet as a button.

So....the story of the dogs.
Renee has 2 wire hair Jack Russel's that I fell in love with.
Hailey & Axle

Hailey welcomed me in their home like we were old friends but Axle just wasn't sure.
It took a little coaxing for him to finally give the o.k.
I'm a dog lover so I was honored that he let me stay : )
Renee took time off to drive me around like Miss Daisy and she took me to the best little shops.
In one of the antique shops I spotted this little dog family and knew it had to be mine.
I will keep them close to my stitching and when I look at them it will remind me of the time I spent in Arizona.

Olde World Quilt Shoppe is another fun place Renee and I went.
I found so many wonderful things......I had to stuff wool and fabrics in every empty square inch of my suitcase but it was worth it.
I purchase 2 big rolls of wool....brown and mustard.

And you know I can't pass up a good homespun.

And these 2 fabrics and the ribbon are ~French General~ by Moda
Love love love French General

And the other spool is linen thread. I loved the look of it so I had to have it.

And I hate to spoil the fun with this but I have to count my blessings.......

I got a phone call early this morning from my son Michael. His voice was calm and collected....he told me he hit black ice and slid off the road on his way to school but that he was ok.
As soon as he said he was not hurt I started thinking of ways that we could get the truck out of the ditch that he slid into.
Then I hear the words.....'well the truck is a little beat up.....I flipped it'
And my world came to a crashing halt.
Flipped it....what do you mean flipped it....

My heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest.
Taylor and I threw on clothes and I drove out to him as fast as I could.
Thankfully Taylor was with me....it would have been easy for me to break the land speed record.

But we are counting our blessings tonight. He was not seriously injured and we can always replace a truck.

I'm just thankful that he waited for me to get home from Arizona before he sailed into the ditch
upside down : )

Happy Stitching my friends....

A slight delay in plans

2011-01-13T12:52:00.006-06:00

As we speak on I'm my way to Phoenix to visit The Attic Needleworks....I can't wait to see the shop.
I got up super early and caught my flight to Memphis to connect to Phoenix so I could have a little fun free day and low and behold my connecting was canceled.
Ugh....canceled.
So....now I'm sitting here in Memphis waiting to catch a flight to Atlanta so I can catch a flight to Phoenix.
Does something seem wrong with this picture??!!

And maybe with a little luck and 14 hours later I should arrive safely in Phoenix.
I just pray my luggage finds it's way....goodness knows where it's going.

And this is the best part.....I have a stack of linen, a handful of yummy floss....
and NO needle.
It's like sick and twisted torture!!!!
I would kill for all of this free time at home....and yet here I am with 9 more hours to kill....and not 1 needle.
I might have to rent a car and go find a craft store : )

So....since I have a little time on my hands and I can't stitch I thought I'd update my website and blog.
I made a few sweet little Sewing Boxes & Thimble Boxes.....and Pinkeeps before I left but didn't have time to get them listed.
Here are just a few.....

1820 Pinkeep stitched with hand dyed floss on aged linen.
And on the back is the sweetest little wool heart.

Thimble Box with linen strawberry

Sewing Box with wool strawberry

If you'd like to see them all stop by my ~Finished Goodes~ page of my website.
Stacy Nash Primitives Website

Just email me if you are interested. My Mom is holding down the fort for me while I'm away and she's standing by if anything needs to be shipped.

Happy Stitching my friends...

January Club Kit

2011-01-09T12:39:00.003-06:00

Here is my Club Kit for Country Sampler.
I used hand-dyed floss for this sweet little Pinkeep and I LOVE it.

The back of the Pinkeep is worn and aged red velveteen.....Yummy!!

I'm a little behind getting my kits to Jeanne this month.
I apologize to all my groupies : )
We're working on them now and will get them on their way a.s.a.p.

There are just a few opening in the Club.
Contact Country Sampler if you are interested in more information or would like to sign up.

Country Sampler Website

Happy Stitching...
Stacy

I'm blessed with new and old friends

2011-01-08T19:00:00.003-06:00

Just a few months ago I met a very sweet lady at my LNS
Needle Fever
3425 E. 86th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46240

She had just purchased the shop and couldn't wait to jump in with both feet.
I couldn't be happier for her.
It's always a pleasure to stop in and visit with her.

Just last week she started a Stitching Group

Tuesdays 10:30 - 1
Wednesdays 1 - 4
Thursdays 5 - 8

You can call Debi at 317-257-5922 for more information on the group and to sign up.

I've signed up to be there Thursday January 27th from 5 - 8 and
Tuesday February 22nd from 10:30 - 1

I'll post more dates as I go.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And I'm jumping for *JOY*
A sweet dear old friend just contacted me to come and teach on her farm.
You guessed it, Lori from Notforgotten Farm

~woo hoo ~

I couldn't be more excited.....I can't stop doing my happy dance
( it's embarrassing )

She is such a talented artist and I simply can't wait to visit the farm

The date is August 13, 2011
so be sure to get it on your calendar now.

You can contact her at:
not4got@aol.com
for more information and to sign up

I look forward to seeing you at the farm.....it's sure to be a great time

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm working on some Valentine treats now so be sure to check back
the first of the week to get a peek

Happy Stitching My Friends
Stacy

A Brand New Year

2011-01-05T22:39:00.006-06:00

Happy New Year

Here we are starting off a brand New Year.
It's hard to believe.
My son graduates from high school this year.....yikes.

There are so many things I have to look forward to.....it becomes overwhelming at times.
I've made a few New Years resolutions.....let's hope I can stick to them.
Weight lose and getting into shape is first on my list.....followed by getting organized and 'working smarter not harder' as a good friend of mine says.

I'm going to make a few changes....nothing too big....just for the better.
And I hope to spend more time stitching this year.....there are so many ideas trapped in my journals that I'd like to get to.

And to kick this New Year off I've added some things to my Finished Goodes page on my website.....a few Sewing Boxes, a Thimble Box and some Pinkeeps.

I never tire of urns filled with flowers.

The colors in this sweet little Sewing Box have me fired up for Spring.

This is one of the largest Sewing Box I've done.....it's filled with lots of goodies.

Happy New Year my friends.....I look forward to another great year and I can't wait to hear from you.

Until then.....happy stitching

Spring Fever has set in

2010-12-28T15:25:00.005-06:00

Christmas is over.....and we had the best family time.
The kids are still on break and we have so many things planned before the fun is over....
ice skating
sledding
and a few movies
maybe even a fresh batch of cookies or two

We have a big warm up coming and our sledding hill will soon be mud so we'll have to hurry.

But even with all this excitement I can feel Spring Fever creeping in.
I'm ready to take the tree and greenery down, pull out all my favorite linen blankets and fill vases and pitchers with white tulips.
Soon....very soon the transformation will begin.

I covered a few little thimble boxes and sewing boxes with vintage papers and I'm stitching some sweet little samplers and velvet berries to finish them off.

I'll use pale blues and drab tans and browns for the samplers and fabrics.
These little projects will help my Spring Fever.
And I'll offer them on my website when they 're finished.

I still LOVE all the silver pieces I collected for Christmas and I'll keep them for my Spring decorating.
The pitchers will be perfect for tulips and the bowls will be filled with fresh green moss and eggs.
I might even sneak in a few chocolate eggs ; )

But until then I'll enjoy all my little bottle brush trees and creamy wool blankets.

And with the brand New Year just around the corner I have so many things to think about and to plan.
I'd like to stitch more and offer more finished pieces.
This year I've found myself so busy with other projects....my poor stitching chair is starting to collect dust.
I'd like to get back to offering new patterns every month. My journals are filled with new designs I want to try.
And throughout the year I'll offer larger framed samplers. They are my passion and the inspiration for Stacy Nash Primitive Designs.

I have SO many things to be grateful and thankful for....

all the wonderful and kind people I've met in my classes
that have become fast friends

inspiring shop owners that have hosted my classes
and my clubs

all of my customers that have become cherished
friends through emails and letters

the many many designers that I've had the pleasure
to meet in my travels and the help that they've
been kind enough to offer me

and my family that have put up with all of my
up's and down's and have always been there
to support me

I am so looking forward to another wonderful year full of new designs, samplers, sewing needfuls and friendships.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas filled with good food, family and friends.

Until next time my friend....
Happy Stitching

It's a cold winters afternoon, I wish I was doing this....

2010-12-14T12:03:00.006-06:00

The house is soooo quiet....ahhhh. Taylor and Michael are in school and hubby is at work
The tv is off and I'm sitting here catching up on some paperwork.
Then I start to notice snoring.....coming from every direction.
I look around and this is what I see....
A DOGGIE FLOP HOUSE

Sidney the dog and Phoebe that cat are holding down my stitching chair.

Oh wait....I caught her so now maybe she thinks she should get down.

Black dog Phylo and brown dog Abner are holding down the sofa.
They are even using the furry pillows to cushion their little heads.
Lazy lazy dogs.

Life is tough here at the Nash homestead.

Abner loves to have his picture taken....but today he's just too tired to cheese it up.

We hope you are having a warm snuggly day.....and maybe even catching up on some stitching : )

I'm screaming with excitement

2010-12-12T12:09:00.006-06:00

Oh my goodness.....it's done....it's done....my website is updated.
I'm dancing and singing I'm so excited.....and yes, my family is looking at me a little strange.
Honestly I thought this was never going to happen.....I felt like it was lost in cyberspace.
But no, it's actually done. And we're working on a better check-out system now.
It's looking really good....I'm just not sure how fast the new check-out will be ready. Until then just use the Purchase buttons to send me an email if you're interested in anything.

So, last night I worked on my website until my eyeballs were going to fall out.
But we took a quick break and all us girls went to go see Tangled. It was really cute and the break was much needed. I would actually go see it again it was so good.....maybe we'll try the 3-D version.....Taylor just isn't sure about the glasses. Maybe if they made them in pink or purple : )

And today we were going to go to Christmas at the Zoo but poor little Taylor is sick as a dog. I feel so bad.....and she is more than a little mad that we can't go. She gets her temper honest.
It's snowing like crazy and we were getting all of our cold weather gear out and then boom.....sick as a dog. We're going to try it again on Tuesday....keeping my fingers crossed.

So, my website is updated....did I say that already? : )

Here are the new things I added:

~Home for Christmas Pattern Book~ is on the Pattern Books page

~Pine Tree Farm Pinkeeps Pattern~ is on the Sewing Needfuls page

This pattern included both the large and small pinkeeps. They are really sweet together.

~Colonial Homestead Pinkeep Drum Pattern~ is on the Sewing Needfuls page.

~12 Days of Christmas Sewing Roll Pattern~ is on the Christmas Patterns page.

This sampler just kept growing and growing.....in my head it didn't look this big.
It's ginormous.....but sweet.
Just the sampler measures 20" wide by 10 1/2" high.
The outside is pieced together pieces of cream and buffalo check tan wool.

I also added some things on my Finished Goodes page. If you still need things for Christmas we can ship them Priority Mail right away.

Thank you my friends for your patience and kindness. I can only imagine how frustrating it's been with my website and my email troubles.
But I'm still here and I'm still designing and stitching like crazy.
And believe me....I have no shortage of ideas.

Until next time....Happy Stitching

A fun little secret and some other stuff

2010-12-10T09:43:00.012-06:00

Before I get to the the fun little secret I have to show you pics of our favorite Christmas tree farm. Last weekend we headed out to pick our annual Nash Christmas tree and it was so beautiful. Now as you know I don't like the cold and snow but even I have to admit it was gorgeous.

Oh yes, and big brother Michael has to make Taylor squeal by throwing snowballs at her.
But she got a few good hits in on him too.

And here it is.....our Christmas tree being drug through the snow.

And now it's all decorated. It's full of all my old glass ornaments and we strung a popcorn and cranberry garland. It will be a miracle if the garland makes it to Christmas.....the dogs have decided they like popcorn and every now and then I catch one of them nibbling on it....ugh

Oh and I have to show you these wonderfully old looking papers. I bought them in the Fall when I was at Country Sampler. I had no idea what I was going to do with them but they were so cool I couldn't pass them up.
This was so easy and I love sitting at my desk looking at it....it smells good too. I just rolled the paper up and popped it down in a glass vase and then threw a few fresh sprigs of greenery in the center.

I love love love this big huge picture. Sometimes when I'm sitting at my computer working I find myself staring at her. Now do you see how I get so far behind ; )
Jeanne at Country Sampler ordered this picture for me in the Spring and I finally got to see her in the Fall. I couldn't wait to get home and hang her up. I saved this huge spot for her for 6 months and now finally she's here.
It barely fit in the back of the truck and I worried about it all the way home. But thankfully she made it in one piece.
This is where I fell off the ladder and broke my arm in the Spring. Every time I looked at that big bare wall that's all I could think about. But now all I see is this beautiful picture.
Thanks Jeanne : )

Here are more of those wonderful old looking papers. I had 5 of the same print so I just rolled them up and stuck them in an old pitcher with some fresh sprigs of greenery.

Ok, this is one of my favorite things that I bought on the way back from Wisc. last Fall. I love this old thing and it will stay on the mantel every season. Spring it will be filled with tulips, summer I'll throw some hydrangeas in it and I just took my bittersweet out so I could add the holly.
This is the one piece that inspired my Holiday decorating.....lots of old silver and mercury glass.

This little thing is too stinkin' cute too. Got it at the same time I bought the old trophy.
So, now I can share the fun little secret.
See the old silver platter in the background?
Now look down at the next picture.....

This is hanging on the front door.....an old silver platter, a little fresh greenery and a couple small old pitchers. Every year I would hang a fresh greenery wreath with some pine cones and a little ribbon and that just sounded boring . So I kicked it up with some old silver.
I have silver platters and pitchers and bowls all over the house for the Holidays. Bowls full of fruits and nuts, pitchers full of greenery and glass candy dishes set on silver platters.
And you will never guess where they came from.....the Goodwill Store.
I know....I couldn't believe it.
This is actually my Moms fun little secret.....she has been scouring all the Goodwill Stores around the Indianapolis area collecting all these old silver pieces. And the prices are incredible.....$10. or less. I'd say the average piece is 3 or 4 bucks.
So fun!!
And soon we'll be filling some of the silver platters with fresh baked cookies to give as gifts.

Last night we were talking about our store.....we miss it so. One year for our Christmas Open House we filled the store with old white milkglass......and I don't mean a few.....I'm talking about a ton. If you put a candle in a milkglass urn it has the softest glow. And little sugar and creamers are so cute with tealights. Mom shopped at all the Goodwill stores for weeks and collected tons of milkglass. We had so much fun with that store.....you just never knew what we were going to collect.

And a little update on my website.....I think we got it going. I'm a little afraid to get too excited but I think it's going to be updated tomorrow. I have a new book ~Home for Christmas~ and 2 new patterns ~12 Days of Christmas Sewing Roll~ and ~Colonial Homestead Pinkeep Drum~ that I hope to add. And I'll have a few finished pieces to offer too.
I have to give a big huge thanks to my husband. He has put in many many hours trying to figure this out. And I have to thank a stranger on the internet.....my husband met a very nice man on one of his forums that has gone out of his way to help us. It's really been a blessing.
I hope to pay it forward one day.

So, that's the news from the homestead. Hope you enjoyed the pictures and I'll let you know as soon as the website is up and running.
Oh, and I'll put up some pics of the new patterns here too.

Happy Stitching my friends....

A new website....maybe

2010-11-29T15:43:00.003-06:00

If you've logged onto my website lately and were greeted by the big CLOSED sign don't panic.
We've been working on moving to a new host and it's taking weeks....and weeks : (
I had no idea that something so simple could take sooooo long.
And to make it even more stressful the host that has my website now doesn't have to approve the move.....that's right.....they could say NO and my domain name would be locked with them.
Needless to say I was a little more than shocked.

So, we've been waiting patiently for the move to take place and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the old host lets us go.
In the meantime I'm still here.....stitching away. I'd like to open my new website with a fresh look and maybe even some finished pieces.

Oh, and I'll have a couple new Patterns to offer also. The 2 sweet little berries in the picture above are on top of the new Colonial Homestead Pinkeep Drum......that's going to be one of the patterns available soon.
And I'm working on some Pinkeep Ornaments and the sweetest Christmas Sewing Roll.

And if you've had trouble emailing me I apologize....I think that problem is a result of my website move.
But, my Stacy.Nash@att.net address should be working and I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks so much my friends....I hope to be announcing the opening of my new website soon.

A finished class project

2010-11-12T09:41:00.006-06:00

Can you believe it's almost Thanksgiving?.....oh my goodness.
And every time I log onto eBay I see the count-down to Christmas.....Yikes!!
The stores are full of Christmas decorations and I've been bugging the kids for their lists.
Time flies when you're having fun : )

I'm already looking ahead to 2011. Lots of great things for the new year.
My son graduates from high school...woo hoo.
Actually that's a little bittersweet. The thought of him moving away makes
me a little sad.....but it's exciting to watch him travel his own path.

And I have lots of classes scheduled in 2011.
The Attic
Mesa, Arizona
is first...... January 14-16th

I designed a sweet little Schoolgirl Sewing Book and Peacock Pinkeep Drum for the event.

The front of the Sewing Book is the sweetest blue/grey linen with a reproduction schoolgirl sampler.
It folds closed and ties with with ribbon.

Inside is lined with wool and I've added a little pocket for scissors and notions.
It's a great size to tuck into your sewing basket or pack for travel.....it will hold all of your floss, needles and scissors and ties securely.

And the sweet little Pinkeep Drum was designed to coordinate with the Sewing Book.
I've stitched a schoolgirl alphabet with a practice band around the top......

and of course a sweet little peacock.....I love peacocks.

And finally a horse and crown. I was inspired by my daughter to stitch the horse....she has been begging me for a horse. She already has his name.....Brownie.

On top I've added a little velvet berry.....so adorable.

I'm so excited about the trip to Arizona. Believe me.....January in Arizona sounds much better to me than January in Indiana. I'm not much of a snowbunny : )

And Linda from Chessie & Me will be there also.....she is so sweet and I've had the pleasure of meeting her a few times in Spring Green Wisc. I can't wait to see her project....I know it's going to be a knock-out.

So if you haven't yet made your Christmas lists be sure to add
The Attic's ~A Primitive Gathering~
It's sure to be a great time....there will be many talented artists and the store is just beautiful.

For more information please contact The Attic:

Attic Needlework Website

1-888-942-8842

Hope to see you there...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Here are a few more 2011 dates:

3 Sisters Needlework
Knoxville, TN
April 30th

(865) 588-1230

Willows & Early Blooms
Country Sampler
Spring Green, Wisc.
May 4th - 7th

Country Sampler Website

Primitives of the Midwest
Quilter's Station
Lee's Summit, MO
June 22nd - 25th

Quilter's Station Website

Until next time my friend.....happy stitching

Jack's Halloween Party

2010-11-01T12:32:00.001-05:00

I got up in the middle of the night and caught Jack with the punchbowl on his head eating all of our candy.

Bad bad Jack....
He's gonna have a belly ache

Hope you all had a fun Hallows Eve : )

New Pattern Book & Pattern

2010-10-27T21:02:00.008-05:00

2 Posts in one day.
No, you're not hallucinating ....I'm actually posting twice in the same day : )

The deal is I'm in the process of creating a new website with a new host because of all the trouble I've had. And it seems I'm not able to update my website with the new Book & Pattern again....ugh

So, I'm adding pictures here so everyone can see them.

This is the new ~Cast Your Spells~ Pinkeep pattern

I love the bittersweet scalloped border and the skeleton key that's hidden in the urn.

This pattern is $10. and can be purchase on eBay or just email me if your interested.

And this is the newest Christmas Pattern Book
~Home for Christmas~

It has 5 projects for your Holiday and gift giving needs.

Faith Family Friends Sewing Pocket

Merry Christmas Ditty Bag & Woolen Mittens

Pinkeep Ornaments

All Hearts Pinkeep

The Pattern Book is $20. plus shipping and it's available on eBay or just email me if you're interested.

stacy@stacynashprimitives.com

Happy Stitching My Friend

Smiles,
Stacy

2010-10-27T16:28:00.011-05:00

It's no secret that I'm camera shy but I had to show you this pic.
Look at those sweet little Pinkeep Drums....everybody in session 1 and 2 did so well.
It was amazing to see so many finished Pinkeeps in one place.

I could have loaded all this stuff in my truck and sped away.
Look at Maggie's beautiful finished pieces from her newest book ~Comfort Zone~.
She is just the sweetest thing.....and an amazing artist.
Maggie has some amazing things in the works and I'm sitting on the edge of my seat with anticipation.

Forgive me....I know my pics are a little out of order : )
This is the beginning of session 2.....our Meet & Greet night.
The Country Sampler girls made the coolest name tags for everyone.
And you can see my Pinkeep Drum and Sewing Roll, Blackbird Designs Quilt (they also had a cross-stitch sampler that is missing from this pic. Someone must be ooooh-ing and awww-ing over it ) and Maggie's Heart Box and Advent Box.

And here are a few more of Maggie's projects from the Book.....on the chair there are 2 pillow, a red table runner, the awesome wool coat and my very favorite wall hanging on the back of the chair.
Oh yeah....don't ya just love that chair. I am in total love with it. Jeanne just got them in and I think I'm going to have to order one. My old stitching chair is getting pretty worn out : )

A close up of some of this years projects.

Jingle All the Way Pinkeep Drum

And here are all the cuties from session 2.
Maggie is in the first row on the far right and Jeanne is standing right behind her in the black sweater. Hey, if I showed you a pic of me it's only fair I point them out too : )

Alma & Barb from Blackbird Designs.....wow.....I could sit and listen to them all day long.
They brought a bunch of amazing quilts....some from and upcoming book so we got a sneak peek.
And they have the best collection of samplers that they shared.

It was another fantastic year at Boxwood & Berries.
I can't believe this was the 5th year.
It looks like we'll do 2 sessions again next year and Jeanne is taking names already.
We've decided to do it again in October....the weather was perfect and the color was at it's peak.
I can't wait.

Hallowe'en Jack Sewing Roll Pattern

2010-09-21T19:45:00.007-05:00

Jack O Lantern such a Fright
Glowing on this Hallowe'en Night
Grinning wide for all to see
SPOOKY~But you don't scare Me

I've stitched this sweet new design in blackwork and I love the Skeleton Key, Lock and Black Cat that are hiding in the border along the bottom.
The horse and crows are pretty sweet too : )

I've added a strip of scalloped black wool to the homespun pinkeep for a little whimsy.

On the back I've pieced together a couple different burnt orange wools and added a little patch of homespun.

And it rolls up and ties with black ribbon.
The Finished Sewing Roll measures 7" high by 23 1/2" long and the Pattern is $10.

My website is giving me a little trouble so as soon as we figure that out I'll update with the new pattern and I also have a few finished pieces to offer also.
Ugh....computers

But in the mean time if you'd like to have a Hallowe'en Jack Pattern just email me.....I'd be happy to send you one.
stacy@stacynashprimitives.com

Until next time my friend....

In the Spirit of Friends Show

2010-09-20T17:53:00.010-05:00

My husband kindly accompanied me to the show on Saturday and we had the best day.
A big thank you to everyone that came by to visit.....it was so good to see you all.
The weather was gorgeous....we couldn't have asked for a better day.

And a big shout out to Barb from Early American Home in Findlay, OH. She arranged a bus tour from her shop to the show. What a great idea. Thank you again Barb and thank you to everyone on the bus tour.

Right before we left home I went out into the corn field and broke off tops of stalks for my arrangements. I told my husband if I wasn't back in a few minutes to come and get me....I was either lost in the field or in jail. He told me to take bail money : ) What a smarty pants.

I love this old green hanging thing....to be honest I don't know what to call it.
I've had it a long time.....it's one of my treasures from Valley Forge.
I call it Martha Stewart green.
The slats have old nails hammered into them willy nilly and the bottom is a little cubby.
My Mom put burlap on the back for me and it worked out really well for the show.

More Martha Stewart green stuff : )
I think I collect things by color.

And I have to share some of the goodies I bought myself at the show.

This is so sweet.....I found this little wallpaper covered wooden box just a few booths down from mine. I almost died when I saw it. The lid is domed just a bit and the paper has a sweet little print.
And inside is a tiny little nest my husband found when he was out walking around. He found a little feather so he put that in the middle of the nest for me also. I added the tiny egg......the house wrens left if for me in their nest this Spring. They make one there every year. Maybe it was their gift to me for the use of my door. I do so treasure it. It's about the size of a jelly bean.

How sweet is this little chair....it's so small. As soon as I saw it I knew it had to come home with me. The base of the chair is old and it's been newly covered in linen.
The old wooden legs stick out from the linen shirt and I love that.
It reminds me so much of a chair my great Grandma had.....hers was the same shape but it was covered in a drab green cotton with big white peonies. Isn't it funny the things we remember.

My wallpaper box.....how cute is this.
I'd like to leave the box in the chair to keep Phoebe the cat off but I think I like it better sitting atop a stack of linen and wool blankets.
Phoebe loves nothing better than to lay in my baskets of linens and wools and coverlets.....and I'm sure this chair will become another favorite napping spot.

I found these 2 little treasures in the same booth.....and there were many many more things I would like to have had. But I had to be good since my hubby was with me : )
I have been wanting one of these bunnies for so long. This little guy just jumped out at me. He's so worn and he has a floppy ear.....I love that. To be honest I don't know much about them but I do love the look.
And the sugar mold.....there are 3 hearts carved in this nice thick piece of wood and the middle heart has a cross carved in it. I've seen these used to hold jewelry but I think I'll use mine on my stitching table to hold needles and buttons.

I took a brand new pattern Halloween pattern to the show and it was a big hit. So I'm off to list it on eBay and to update my website.

Happy Stitching My Friends....

New Patterns are ready

2010-09-04T11:06:00.013-05:00

~Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pocket Roll~

Love this design. The colors and textures are perfect for Autumn.
And today is the perfect day to list them. It's cool and crisp here this morning and the leaves are swirling around on the porch.

I used all hand dyed linen and wools for this piece....yummy.
And I finally figured out a way to age them without the threat of running dye.
It came to me one night as I was just falling asleep and I couldn't wait to get up the next morning and give it a try.
The hand dyed linens are awesome on their own but you know me....I gotta dirty them up : )

On the outside I used 2 different hand dyed wools....the rusty brown has a great texture to it.

And you know I had to finish all the seams with tiny little X's.

Folded up and tied closed it's about the size of a wallet.

And on the back is a sweet little pinkeep made from a patch of homespun.

And the Strawberry Emery is made from scraps of wool and homespun to match the Pocket Roll.

~Guided by Virtue Sewing Purse~

This was a really fun design to stitch. I've wanted to stitch a ship for so long but I just couldn't figure out how to go about it. Finally one day I just sat down and went for it and it took on a life of it's own.

The urns frame the ship nicely and add a little whimsy to the design.

It's hard to tell in he picture but the ~Let Virtue Be A Guide to Thee~ is framed in the best pale blueish green floss. And I paired it with the bittersweet floss in the flowers.....it makes my heart happy : )

Around the top of the purse I've added scalloped black wool and I've finished all the seams with that wonderful blueish green floss.

The back of the purse is awesome hand dyes wool. And I added a little homespun pocket that's topped with black scalloped wool. It's a nice little place to stash your scissors and notions...or your cell phone so you don't have to dig for it like I'm always doing.

The strap is nice and long so it can be worn across your body or knot it so it can be thrown over your shoulder.
I pieced together linen, homespun and wool for some nice texture in the strap.

The patterns are available on my website, on eBay or just email me if you're interested.

Have a wonderful weekend my stitching friends

What I've been working on...

2010-09-01T16:37:00.005-05:00

~Guided By Virtue~

I just finished up my first Sewing Purse.
I used yummy hand dyed linen and wools and I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

I've been wanting to stitch an old Colonial ship for awhile now.....finally got a little extra time and it went together pretty easy.

I didn't know exactly what to make it into when I was stitching it....thankfully the idea came to me right before I fell asleep one night. That seems to be when I get my best ideas for some reason.

As you can tell I don't frame too many samplers.....not that I have anything against framed samplers and not to say that this sampler can't be framed.
I guess I just have to be different.
I like to make things that can be used in our everyday stitching lives.

It's big enough to hold lots of magazines or books and stitching projects.
I drag stacks of magazines with me wherever I go....just ask my husband.
Don't do too well with stitching in the car anymore so I take magazines now instead.

I have it displayed on a child size mannequin form so it may look a little bigger than it really is.
The strap is long so you can wear it across you body and it fits me nicely......
maybe too nicely : )

On the back of the purse is a little homespun pocket to hold little scissors and notions.
Across the top of the pocket is a piece of black scalloped wool.....so sweet.

Hope you like it too.
I'm working on getting the pattern ready to offer along with a brand new Wool Pocket Roll called
~Four & Twenty Blackbirds~

I'm off to clean off my sewing chair.....it's covered in linen and wool and floss from my two newest projects.
Wow....what a mess!!!
The sooner I get it cleaned off the sooner I can get to makin' another Sewing Purse....
seems to be my new favorite obsession right now : )

Happy Stitching My Friends

Boxwood & Berries Projects

2010-08-30T16:00:00.009-05:00

Boxwood & Berries is just around the corner....I can't believe it.
The heat wave has finally let up a little here and I pulled out all of my Fall and Halloween books and magazines. I even saw pumpkins in someone's yard last week.....good grief.
Now don't get me wrong....I love the Fall but I'm still holding on to summer with both hands.
I don't really know why....the yard is dry and ugly and my tan has faded.

But the thought of going back up to Wisconsin and seeing Jeanne again gives me butterflies. She is the most fantastic hostess and her shop is gorgeous. That's where I get all my fabrics and goodies.....woo hoo!!

If you don't know about Boxwood & Berries it's hosted by Jeanne at the Country Sampler in Spring Green Wisc. This is our 3rd year now....wow. I teach along with Barb & Alma from Blackbird Designs and Maggie Bonanomi.
(Maggie just had a new book come out called ~Comfort Zone~ and it is fantastic!!!!
I got a peek at the finished pieces that you will see in the book at Primitives of the Midwest in Lees Summit. It's a must-have!!)

Spring Green is a sweet little town with lots of shopping and restaurants.
And Jeanne plans everything....we start the day off with a great breakfast, work on projects until afternoon when we break for lunch at one of the quint little restaurants or we have it brought in so we can keep working, then we have a fun little snack and our day ends with a nice dinner.
Evenings are spent shopping, stitching, sewing and making new friends or catching up with old friends.

I love that everyone spends so much time together.....some great friendships have been made over the last few years.
And I love that we can break off and shop throughout the day. It's a nice break from the real world ; )

Jeanne has some wonderful surprises in store and everyone goes home with a wonderful tote full of goodies.

This year Boxwood & Berries will be in 2 sessions to accommodate the demand.
The first session is October 5th -8th and the second session is October 9th-12th.

There are still a few openings in each session.
If you are interested check out the website or give them a call for more information.
Country Sampler Website
1-608-588-2510

~Jingle All the Way~ Pinkeep Drum is one of my projects.
And it has a sweet little Heart Emery on the top.

This sweet little Emery can be made into a necklace with a bit of ribbon so you have your pins and needles close at hand when you're stitching.
Or with a little ribbon loop it can be made into a Pinkeep Ornament.

And this is another project for Boxwood & Berries.....~Emily Deerfield's Sewing Roll~
This is a brand new design and it's just so sweet.

If you can't make it to Boxwood & Berries this year but would still like to have the kits give the girls at Country Sampler a call or email them to get your name on the list.

Happy Stitching My Friends....

Time flies when you're havin' fun

2010-08-23T14:16:00.011-05:00

I just can't believe summer is almost over.
Say it ain't so.
I feel like we've been in fast forward since the first of July.
Here are some of the things we've been up to:

Before my step-son had to leave for camp we stole a day and visited an exotic cat rescue in Center Point Indiana.
Of course we picked the hottest day of the entire year.....and I mean hot.
But, it was still fun....the guy that founded this rescue is amazing and really has a passion for these big cats. He's been on Animal Planet a few times.....that's where I found out about him and I couldn't believe he was right here in Indiana.

On the way there I glanced in the back seat and this is what I saw.....
a sleeping turkey and a monkey with a bag on her head.
Yep, these are my kids....Michael is 18 and Taylor is 5.
My step son was happy he didn't get caught in this pic : )

Check this girl out....she is beautiful.
And if it seems like we're close.....we are.
I could have reached my hand out and touched her.
Thankfully there was a fence between me and her.
Tony Stuart donated money for this enclosure....it houses 3 tigers.
My MIL is a Tony fan so we had to take this pic to show her.

This was Taylor's favorite.....a white tiger.
She is gorgeous. And you would never guess she is blind.

We had the best time and hope to go back on a cooler day this Autumn.
There are lots more than just tigers. We saw leopards, lions, cougars and bobcats.

Oh yeah....they offer a little over night cottage on the property.
They say it's awesome to sit outside in the evening and listen to the cats roar.
My husband and I plan on sneaking away before winter for an overnight.
I think it would be pretty cool to sit outside early in the morning and drink
my coffee with the critters.

And a few weeks later we were at Norris Lake in Tennessee.
Our family vacation destination.

This is the view I had from my pink blow up chair everyday.
The water was unbelievably warm, clean and clear.
We were told that it was almost 60 feet deep of the
end of our dock.....wow.

And there were no bugs. I still can't get over it.
We took tons of bug spray thinking mosquitoes would be terrible.....
but we never touched it.
Here at home it's a different story......there are mosquitoes around here
that could carry off a small child.

And here is my daredevil.....Taylor is the one in the middle screaming with excitement.
She loved this and didn't get off of it one time the whole day.
My nephew is on the left and my hubby is on the right.
She was even standing up on it like a surfboard.

Two days after we got home from Norris Lake I was on the road to Kansas City where I taught
at Primitives of the Midwest.
It was a real treat.....I had the best time.
Thank you again to all that attended my classes.
And a big thank you to Rita and her wonderful staff at Quilter's Station.
I spent a little time with Maggie and I got to see all the projects from her new book
~Comfort Zone~
Wow....wow...wow
She is amazing. Her book wasn't out yet so as soon as I got home I ordered it.

I also got to spend some time with Sue Spargo and Renee Plains.
I am such a luck girl : )
Renee's new book ~A Bird in Hand~ is out and I got to sneak a peek at it.
She is awesome and her book is gorgeous.

Last week we visited the Indiana State Fair.
We always get a good laugh at all the weird foods they have.
This year was fried butter.....yep.....fried butter.
I tried to talk my son into trying it but he wouldn't go near it.

And here are a few other things that caught our eye.....

What on earth.....the boys actually said it sounded good.

And fried bologna......you can't come to Indiana and not try fried bologna : )
My personal favorite is a good old fashioned elephant ear.

Hahaahaa....this is Michael again. Thankfully he doesn't look at my blog or I would
be in big big trouble.
This is a game we play.....or I should say I play. I try to catch him off guard and snap
his picture. This one trip to the fair I got about 20 sneak pics.
He's a funny kid....but by the end of our trip his patience was wearing thin.
He paid me back by throwing me into the pool.

So Michael is back in school....he's a senior this year. And Taylor starts school next Monday....thank goodness : ) She is in kindergarten.
Taylor is very excited about school.....all she wants to do is ride the school bus.
Next year is going to be very interesting....Michael will be in his first year of college and Taylor will be in her first year of private school. Ugh....I'm starting to panic already!!!

But even with all this excitement I have found a little time to stitch.
I have 2 projects for Boxwood & Berries done. I'll be posting pics this week.
Jeanne at Country Sampler said there are still a few openings in the second session so give them a call if you are interested.

And I have some things made up for a few new patterns. I've had the best time stitching them....I don't want to stop. It never fails....when I'm working on one project I get ideas for more projects.

And we can't forget about Malabar Farms....that show is just around the corner.
In The Spirit of Friends
Sept. 18th
Malabar Farm
Lucas, OH
I've been stitching and stashing some finished pieces to bring along with some new patterns and kits.

So....that's what I've been up to....what have you been up to??

Silk matka....

2010-06-24T16:33:00.006-05:00

This is my new favorite fabric.
I've been using it along with reproduction cotton fabrics on the backs of my Pocket Roll, Pinkeeps and Sewing Rolls.
I've had a lot of emails from people wanting to know more about silk matka and where to get it....so I thought I'd share.

This is what it looks like after it's been washed. The bottom 2 are a mushroom grey....the very bottom one I washed 2 times and it's a little lighter in color.
The top one is a good olive green color.

This one hasn't been washed yet and you can see how smooth and almost shiny it is. Plus after it's washed it gets nice and thick.

I've been really happy with my finished projects and I thought you might want to give it a go.

I talked to the girls at Country Sampler in Spring Green Wisc. today and they have 5 colors in stock. Email them or give them a call....they would be happy to send you some.
Here is their website with contact information:

Country Sampler

Happy stitching my friends....

New Patterns are ready...

2010-06-23T21:01:00.008-05:00

I have 2 Brand New Patterns ready to go.
~Sara Cricks Sewing Pocket~
~Peacock Sewing Roll~

They are listed on eBay and on my website. If you are
interested in either or have any questions just email
me at:
stacy@stacynashprimitives.com

~Peacock Sewing Roll~ Pattern

I love this one....I used a pale blue 32 count linen for the Peacocks and
a golden brown 40 count for the schoolgirl letters sampler.
And I married the 2 pieces with a band across the bottom and finished
the seams with tiny X's.
The linens are from R & R Reproductions and
I picked them up at Country Sampler in Spring Green Wisc. early
in the Spring and I just couldn't wait to stitch on them.
Now I know how hard it is to get some of the good hand dyed linens.
With this pattern you just need 2 contrasting colors in the correct stitch
counts.

Here you can see where I merged the 2 linens with the band across
the bottom.

And on the back I stitched a sweet little homespun heart.
It folds up and ties with a silk ribbon bow.

And the second one is Sara Cricks Sewing Pocket.

I can't wait to use this when I go to Primitives of the Midwest next month.
I always have to have a stitching project going even when I travel.
Last year we would meet down in the lobby of the hotel and have a little
pajama stitching party....so fun.

It rolls up nicely and ties with a silk ribbon bow.

Tomorrow I'll post some pictures of the silk matka I've been using.
I'll show you what it looks like before and after I wash it.
The colors and textures are so nice....I just love to work with it.
It was a mystery to me until I saw Maggie Bononami use it for a
sweet little stocking. Now I'm hooked!!!
And I'll tell you where to find it if you'd like to give it a try too.

Happy Stitching my friend....

Sara Cricks Pocket Roll

2010-06-21T12:32:00.003-05:00

Here it is.....Sara Cricks Pocket Roll.
I finished it this weekend.
The pattern is ready and I'm going to release it
along with another new pattern called
Peacock Sewing Roll.

Earlier last week I offered a few Finished Pieces
and the Peacock Sewing Roll was one of them.
The response was overwhelming for the Roll
so I decided to kick into high gear and get
another one stitched for a pattern.

Tomorrow I'll offer them both as Patterns and
I'll show you some better pics.
I snapped this one just a few minutes ago when
the sun came out.
It's been stormy and overcast all morning : (

But thankfully the sun came out so Taylor could
do a little swimming. She was starting to
bounce off the walls and I was getting nervous : )
What I wouldn't give for half her energy.

Happy Stitching My Friend....I hope your day is filled with sunshine

A peek at the new Pocket Roll pattern

2010-06-17T11:44:00.003-05:00

Here's what I've been working on.....it's the new Pattern that will be ready this weekend.
Yeah, I know.....I haven't finished stitching but I'm a pretty fast finisher.
This is going to be a Pocket Sewing Roll.....at the bottom there will be a nice big pocket to keep graphs, floss and linen. Then it will roll up and tie with silk ribbon.
The outside is going to be silk matka......yummm. It's my new favorite fabric to work with. Wash it before you use it and it's fabulous.

I just talked to Jeanne at Country Sampler and she said she just got some new matka's in.
Oh my goodness.....I can't wait to get my hands on them!!!

Speaking of Jeanne....we chatted about Boxwood & Berries this year. It's going to be off the hook as my son would say : )
She is coming up with the best goodies....my heart is racing since I talked to her. I can't wait to see everything. I'm working on my projects and Maggie is working on her's so we'll have pics soon. Oh man....Maggie is not going to disappoint....I can't wait to see what she's been working on.

Ok....back on track.....then when the Pocket Roll is folded open you'll see the sampler.

I do love to stitch samplers but I hate to frame them.
Maybe because of the expense of framing and maybe because I just love to feel the linen.
I'm a big feeler.....I touch every textile I can get my hands on.
It's embarrassing sometimes : )
My husband won't shop with me because of my problem : )

So, I love to come up with different ways to have samplers but not frame them.
This pocket roll is a perfect design.....it's usable and it displays a wonderful sampler.

Now, this is a lot of stitching for me. I typically don't stitch a sampler this big.....I'd say it'll fit in a 8 X 10 frame.

But, I remembered seeing some old block samplers on a recent antiquing trip and they inspired this design.

You can see in the Peacock block a little bit of blue. Well the whole block was filled in with DMC 169 and I decided it just didn't look right. So, last night I started ripping it out.
Geez....what a pain. But in the long run it will be better.
I'm not sure if it was just the wrong color or if it just wasn't the right style.

When I stitch I don't graph any of my designs out first......I just start stitching.
So, my designs take a lot of different turns before it's complete.
I have a couple ideas to finish the bottom....we'll see which one comes out.

Hope you like it....it's different for me. I typically stick to more of the primitive schoolgirl samplers.
But I think you'll really like the Pocket Roll design. It's fun and they just feel good to hold them.

Happy Stitching My Friend

My swan dive...

2010-06-16T00:44:00.005-05:00

I thought I would share a picture of my new jewelry.
And let me tell ya...this is the most expensive jewelry I'll ever own : )
Earlier in the Spring we started remodeling the house....some paint,
new floors, new woodwork.
Everything was going great until one day I took a swan dive off the ladder and shattered my arm.
My husband was hot....he warned me not to get on a ladder when no one was home.
But come on.....I'm 40 years old and I've been on a ladder before. Who knew you could fall from 7 feet up so darn fast.
And after an emergency surgery and lots of hours of physical therapy I have a bionic elbow.....as my kids say.
I've never had surgery and the only time I was in the hospital was to have my 2 kids.
I was in shock....and it's a good thing because as they were wheeling me into the operating room the doctor told me we needed to wait a few minutes because he needed more hardware.
Now....it took me a few minutes for that to register......more hardware.....more hardware for what.
Well, as it turns out.....more hardware for my arm. I now have a metal plate and 10 screws holding my arm together.
And the funny thing is.....I couldn't wait to see this x-ray..... and when I saw it the only thing that jumped out at me were all those staples. I couldn't imagine how on earth they were going to take those things out. The only thing that came to mind was taking staples out of paper and I wasn't gonna be happy about that.
Thankfully they came out very easily and I didn't even have to shed a tear.
And silly me....I thought once they took the splint off my arm would be as good as new.
Wrong.....my arm was splinted for 2 weeks and when it finally came off I couldn't move it.
I couldn't extend it and I couldn't bend it.
I was shocked.
Physical therapy started the day the splint came off and I've been at it ever since....just 3 more weeks to go.
Thank the Lord I broke my left arm as I stitch with my right hand. And I could use my left hand to hold my linen so I've been stitching as much as possible.
I think stitching is the only thing keeping me sane through all of this.

So needless to say I'm really really behind on just about everything.
But I'm getting more strength in my arm everyday so I hope to get this train back on the tracks soon.
The house is slowly coming together so I'll post pics of some of my favorite things.

Thank you my friends for your patience and your kindness.

Until next time Happy Stitching

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2010-02-17T19:40:00.008-06:00

Why the Good, the Bad and the Ugly you ask?
Well....I have something good to tell
something bad to tell
and something ugly to tell

I say we start out with the GOOD
My husband and I went on a little weekend trip
to Wisconsin to visit Jeanne at the Country Sampler
and her husband Reed.
We had the best time....I didn't want to come home.
I basically spent 2 days shopping.....and I came home with
bags of good stuff. She has some new fabrics that are to die for....
I picked out lots of pale colors for Spring. And Jeanne has a new floral
pattern in her new Worn & Loved line that I fell in love with. I'll be using
it in some kits and finished pieces soon.
And I was introduced to silk matka.......wash it before you use
it and it's the best stuff on earth. It's thick and nubby and the colors
are the best. I just wish I knew about this stuff before.
I also found some silk ribbons in grass green, chocolate brown and
a creamy linen color. Oh so wonderful.....I could just roll around in it.

And while we're talking about the Country Sampler.....don't forget about
Willows & Early Blooms this March.
Check out www.sgcountrysampler.com for pics of the projects.

Now lets move on to the BAD
I dropped my laptop last week and fried the hard drive.
Yep...dropped it right on the floor.
Now mind you it's taken a tumble here and there...
but apparently this drop was the drop of death.
That means everything I had is gone.....pictures, patterns,
contacts, emails, programs and passwords.
Now I can't be too mad.....even though I'm biting nails right now.
I should have had everything backed up......but I didn't.
So.....lesson learned....the hard way.
I now have a new laptop and I'm collecting all of the programs
I use so I'm back to work.
But.....I know I lost alot of emails.
So, if you've tried to contact me and I haven't replied please forgive me and
email me again.
Thank you so much for your patience.

Now the UGLY
Back to my fried hard drive......there is a way to recover all of my lost
documents, pictures and contacts but I have to sign over my
first born.
It is so crazy expensive I can't even say it out loud.
Needless to say I'll be paying whatever it costs just to have everything back.
So....the word for the day is back-up
back-up
back-up
If you haven't done it with your computer don't put it off.

And in all this mess I lost my newest Pattern Book called Love Letters.
But thankfully I have all the finished pieces done so we've been working like
little bees to get it all pieces back together.
And a little good news is it will be ready to ship this week.
I've added a few pics of some of the projects the book will offer:

~Remember Me Pinkeep Pillow~
&
~Heart Pinkeep~

The Remember Me pinkeep has silk matka on the back.

~Button Bag~

This sweet little bag is lined with homespun and has a little
patch of blue velvet on the back.

~Hanging Heart Pinkeep~

This sweet little pinkeep hangs from silk ribbon and the linen heart
opens to keep your pins and needles safe and sound.
It folds closed and buttons securely.

~Friends Forever Sewing Roll~

This is similar to the finished piece I sold on my website a little while ago.
So sweet.
See the floral fabric peeking out....that's the stuff I'm in love with.
I think I love it so much because it reminds me of my Great Grandma....
I think she had an apron in that exact print.

~Forget Me Not Pinkeep~

This little pinkeep has a scalloped border that I just love.

The ~Love Letters Pattern Book~ is available for $20. + shipping.
I will be adding it to my website and list a few on eBay.
But unfortunately I don't have my contact list to let everyone know
it's available.
If you are interested in the book or know someone that might like it
please pass the word.
And feel free to email me for a copy:

stacy@stacynashprimitives.com
stacy.nash@att.net
snprimitives@comcast.net

Happy Stitching my friend

Sewing Box Kits

2009-12-12T12:26:00.003-06:00

Do you remember this?
Well all you girls that are in the Country Sampler Stacy Nash Group do : )
I've been working on the next project kit and I ran across this photo so I had to share.
It's not even Christmas yet and my mine is wandering to Valentine's Day.

So, the extra Boxwood & Berries Sewing Box Kits are sold out.
Wow...did they go fast....I didn't expect that.
I think it would be fun to do another Kit and fill it with little goodies....maybe some Valentine pinkeeps with velvets and some velvet fruit....and of course a sampler for the box.
I've ordered more boxes and my mind is full of ideas.
I can't wait to start working on something.

But alas I have a wedding and a Christmas party to go to this evening.
Ugh....how I would love to stay home and stitch.
But it is fun to dress up a little....I don't get out of my pj's or jeans too much when I'm home working : )

And you will never believe it....I think my website is fixed.
I know...I can hardly believe it myself.
Although I haven't had a chance to try it out....I hope to tomorrow before the birthday party.
Yes....this weekend has been filled with 2 Christmas parties, one wedding and a birthday party.
I could make a song out of that.

So stay tuned....I'll let you know when I'll have more Sewing Box Kits ready
and when my website is updated

Until then....happy stitching

The New Pattern

2009-12-11T13:47:00.005-06:00

This is the newest little pattern ~Basket of Flowers Pinkeep~
It's a fun and easy little project.
I had so many requests for a pattern when I listed the finished piece so I've been working on it over the last couple days to get it finished before the weekend.

We have a wedding and 2 Christmas parties to attend this weekend.
Ugh...I'd rather stay home and stitch : )

And this is the project from this years Boxwood & Berries.
A homespun covered sewing box with a hinged lid.

Inside are kits for a schoolgirl sampler that can be sewn to the top or attached to the inside lid, a sweet little pinkeep and 2 woolen ornaments.
The kits include linen, floss, reproduction cotton fabric and wool to complete each project.

And each box is tied up with ribbon and a little sprig of boxwood.

I was organizing my work space and ran across a few of these sweet little sewing boxes so I listed them on eBay along with the new pattern and a few finished pieces.

And hopefully I'll be able to do a little stitching this weekend between Christmas parties and weddings. I'm working on a black linen purse right now that I can't wait to finish.
If it turns out well I'll offer it as a pattern too.

I want to thank everyone for the sweet comments about my house pics.
It's so fun to decorate for the Holidays.....but I think I like to stitch even more : )

Have a wonderful weekend my friend....

Until next time....

Warmest Winter Greetings

2009-12-10T22:21:00.007-06:00

I thought I'd share a few pics of the house decorated for Christmas.
We go out to the tree farm every year and cut down our tree......but now that Taylor is 4 she just couldn't figure it all out. She was a little upset that we actually had to chop it down. So after a few tears we loaded it in the back of the truck and took it home.
This one is just over 10' tall and it's a little wild.....I prefer a more shapely but the family was getting restless so I had to just pick one.
And after hours of wrapping little white lights around and around I filled it with my collection of old glass ornaments.....I added 50 more this year.
I hit the jackpot at one of the local antique malls : )

Some of the ornaments are from my Grandma and some are from my husbands Grandma.
And then I just keep adding more every year. Eventually I'll end up with a 20' tree just to hold all of my ornaments.
Oh my goodness....if my husband heard me say that he would pass out : )

My little mohair teddy is still keeping watch over the green velvet pinkeep.
And I've just added sprigs of greens here and there.....my old redware pitcher is holding a bundle. And I don't put any of my garden stuff away....I love it too much. The pitcher fits perfect in the old trellis planter until I can fill it with potted tulips in the Spring.

And this is my plain-jane tree in my office. It's so sweet....I don't want to do anything to it.
I started collecting old feed sacks this summer....I hang them on the walls and I have one bunched up around the base of the tree. So fun.
I planned on cutting them up and making some sewing bags and pouches but now I don't know....I guess I'll just have to collect more for those projects.

And I have a whole collection of these silver platters. After Boxwood & Berries Jeanne took Maggie and I to the best antique shop.....it was to die for. I started picking up these platters as I walked around and before you knew it I had a nice little collection.
So....I lined them up across the mantel with some old mercury glass garland, a few sprigs of greenery, bottle brush trees and a few little deer....and ta-da.....this is my Christmas.
I never decorate the same way from year to year so the silver platters decided the way this year.
We're having a laid back Christmas here on the homestead.....no frills....just twinkle lights, old ornaments and some fresh greenery.
We're getting the shopping done early so we can spend a few weeks having fun with the kids......boy they grow so fast.
Taylor loves to help in the kitchen and we have lots and lots of cookies and candies to make.

I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted. My website drama seems to be taking over.
I have some new dates on my 2010 calendar I'll share with you soon. Jeanne at the Country Sampler is thinking about doing a fun little Spring retreat that I am so excited about. I'll let you know as we figure it out. So far we've been talking about doing some stitching and some finishing work along with a few other fun little projects to get you fired up for Spring. Boxwood & Berries was so fun this year....I can't wait to get back up there to play again : )

And I just finished up a fun little Pinkeep pattern I'll share with you tomorrow. The finished piece was so popular and I had so many requests for a pattern ....I graphed it out today and I'll put them together tomorrow.

Until then......stay warm my friend

2009-10-12T17:40:00.014-05:00

Good Evening My Friends
I'm finally getting my patterns listed tonight.
It seems that my host server is having some issues and I won't be able to update my website for a day or two.
But, no worries.....I have them on eBay and I'll add the pictures here so you can take a look.

The first Pattern is ~Scattering Moments Sewing Roll~
I've stitched ~All My Scattering Moments are Taken Up With My Needle~ around the Sewing Roll and I've added a little reproduction blue cotton pinkeep.
It closes securely with a little wool heart and old mother-of-pearl button.

And at the bottom is the sweetest little wool pinkeep with a stem of berries applique.
The Sewing Roll measures 5 1/2" wide by 15" long.
Pattern $10.
Kit $55.

I also have a few kits of each of the patterns available. All the kits include the complete pattern, reproduction fabrics, wools, buttons, linen and floss to complete the project as shown.

The second one is the ~1820 Woolen Sewing Bag~
I love these little bags....they're the perfect size to keep linen, patterns, floss, scissors and needles.

The bag securely fastens closed with a strip of wool and an old mother-of-pearl button.
And the green wool on the outside of the bag is that old soft blanket that I've been holding on to. I just love it...it's perfect for this project.

Inside the bag is the the sweetest little wool applique penny design. It's the perfect place to keep your pins and needles.

And on the back is the date ~1820~ done in cream wool applique....so sweet.
The Sewing Bag measures 8 1/2" wide by 8" high.
Pattern $10.
Kit $60.

The next pattern is the ~Black Horse Pinkeep~
I love the colors....I've used good drab colors of moss green, soot, bittersweet and pumpkin.
This would be really sweet framed also.

On the back is a nice pumpkin and black cotton with a little pinkeep of bittersweet wool.
This is a nice little pinkeep to keep close to your stitching chair.
The Pinkeep measures 8" wide by 7" high
Pattern $10.
Kit $45.

And the very last pattern is the ~Something Wicked Sewing Bag~
This little Bag is so fun....and what a spooky little saying
Something Wicked
This Way
Comes

This describes my daughter to a tee : )

The outside of the bag is a good old pumpkin and black wool with a pumpkin check homespun on the inside.
It fastens securely with a little wool heart and old mother-of-pearl button.
And on the back is ~BOO~ done in wool applique.
Pattern $10.
Kit $55

If you are interested in any of the Patterns or Kits before I can get them on my website please feel free to email me at stacy.nash@att.net or stacy@stacynashprimitives.com

I'm also working on a few finished pieces that I'll be offering later in the week.
It seems I'm on a stitching roll right now : ) and I couldn't be happier.

Happy Stitching My Friend

A new finish....

2009-10-07T18:44:00.004-05:00

I finished this sweet little Sewing Roll today...it's the ~Scattering Moments Sewing Roll~ that will soon be a pattern. It rolls up and fastens closed with an old button and wool heart...so cute.
By the end of the week I'll have 4 new patterns to be released.....woo hoo!!!
I'm so ready to get some new patterns out there. And I'll have many more to come.
My poor little hands can't stitch fast enough to get all these new ideas out : )

And soon I'm going to release a list of patterns that will be discontinued at the end of the year. But never fear....they will be replaced with lots of new patterns.
Some will be gone forever and a few will be re-done and offered as a second edition.

And I just had the share this.....

I looked up from my stitching chair earlier today and I saw this.....a birdbath full of these sweet little things. They were having a good ol' time out there splashing around.
There were many more before I could get the camera....there was hardly room to squeeze even one more in and they splashed most of the water out.
I spent a few minutes watching them and got a pretty good chuckle. We're all enjoying the last little bit of sunny weather before winter sets in.

Have a wonderful day of stitching my friend....
The next time you hear from me I'll have the new patterns ready

Over the weekend...

2009-09-28T10:08:00.010-05:00

My husband and I went off-roading at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes State Park in Michigan.
We just joined a local off-road group and this was our first time taking a group trip.

Our family vacations on Silver Lake every summer and we love it.

We're playing follow-the-leader over the dunes....it was great fun.

Just look at this house.....I drool over it every year.
And what a beautiful view of Lake Michigan.
It's just on the boundry of the park.

In the distance you can see Silver Lake surrounded by pine trees.....the Dunes separate it from Lake Michigan.
We couldn't have asked for better weather.....the sun was shining and it warmed the sand so nicely.
The leaves are just beginning to change and the pumpkins and apples are ripe for the picking.
I loaded the back of the Jeep with as much as I could fit : )
The honey crisp apples are to die for.

We're still in heaven from our gorgeous weekend but I'm getting back to stitching today.
I have 4 new patterns that will be released soon.
Thankfully it's a nice sunny day here on the homestead to inspire me to get back to work.

Have a wonderful day my friend....

My birthday present...

2009-09-22T10:53:00.004-05:00

Look at this sweet little face.....I love his chin. He doesn't have a name yet as he is just settling in to his new home next to my sewing chair.
Lori Ann Corelis does the best work ever.....and she is the sweetest little soul I've ever met.

I found this old velvet pincushion at the ~In The Spirit of Friends~ Show at Malabar Farm.
And it's a perfect match to my new little friend.

So this was my little splurge birthday present and I couldn't be happier. It's so comforting to me to have a hand-made treasure created by such a talented artist that I so admire.

Today I'm making a few little Journal covers and I'm hatching a few ideas for the Country Sampler Group kit. This is the last one for the year so I'm making it a good one : )

Happy Stitching My Friend....

Smiles to you, Stacy

Fun at the Farm....

2009-09-21T19:50:00.008-05:00

Here are a few pics from the Malabar Farm show last Saturday.
We had the best weekend.....the farm is beautiful and we couldn't have asked for better weather.
The girls that promoted the show did a fantastic job and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they do it again next year.
Thank you again Tammy, Debbie, Carol, Carolyn & Julie !!!
I had a few free minutes from my booth to look around and I found so many good primitive things. I bought some wonderful old wools that I can't wait to use and I bought myself an early birthday present from Lori Ann Corelis......I'll post a picture of my little treasure tomorrow.

The Black Horse Sewing Pouch turned out really nice.....I had so many requests to make it into a pattern so I'll start working on that right away.

I love this one....this picture is not good but look for it to be a pattern the first of Oct. I'm going to offer a few kits for this one too. And it has some fun wool applique on the back......love it!!!
I gotta tell ya that I'm loving the black linen. When I stitched this design I wasn't too crazy about it but after it was finished I fell in love. The strap is long enough to wear across your body like a purse. I can't wait to make more.....I might even have to keep one for myself : )

Well this is me.....my husband snapped this when I wasn't looking or I would have had my hand in front of my face. I must confess a few things....I don't like having my picture taken and I get nervous in big crowds of people.
I know....I know.....it's crazy....but I'm working it.

I want to thank everyone that came to see me at the show.....I loved meeting you and it's so nice to have a face to go with a name. You have all inspired me so much.

Until tomorrow.....
Smiles to you my friend : )

This is what I've been working on....

2009-09-09T17:35:00.006-05:00

I think I'm still trying to settle into our school schedule. I've been staying up way too late and getting up way too early. All I want to do these days is sit and stitch.
And now I have all this finishing to do.....ugh.
It's not like to me stitch something and not finish it right away. So now I'm going to pay with a week of nothing but finish work : )

I've been stitching on this black linen and I really like it.
It took me a little bit to get used to stitching on something so dark but I finally got the hang of it.
I've noticed it's easier to stitch on outside in natural sunlight. Taylor and I have been going to the park in the afternoons so I take it along and do a little stitching while she's running around burning off some energy.

I can't decide about this ~Eliza Ann~ on black linen.....should I make it into a little sewing pouch or a pinkeep??? The only bad thing about the black linen is I can't stuff it with sawdust.....it wants to stick all over and it's just a mess. Cotton stuffing isn't bad....I just prefer the sawdust.

Oh yes....I wanted to tell you, I dyed my linen black myself. When I was working on the ~Merry Hallowe'en~ Book I dyed a yard to mess around with. I used the liquid Rit black dye. It took 3 times of dipping and drying to get it right. And I'll still use the walnut dye to age the cotton fabrics I'll use to finish it....and it will age the floss nicely too.

~Something Wicked This Way Comes~
I love this one and I can't believe I haven't finished it.
This is going to be a Sewing Bag with wools on the outside and reproduction cottons on the inside.
And on the back I think I'll stitch ~BOO~ in some old wools. Fun!!

The black horse wind vane is either going to be a Journal or a pinkeep. It's done in pumpkin, black and moss colors and I have some really good fabrics to go with it.

If these 2 things turn out I'm thinking about making them into patterns.
They would be really fun : )

I'm going to make another ~True Love~ Sampler Bag to take to Malabar Farm in a couple weeks.
And the ~Peace & Plenty~ will be a hanging pinkeep. It's really nice finished.
And it's from the ~From Hollyhock Farm~ Book. I love the colors.

Oh my.....I really love this one too. I'm thinking about stitching up another one of these really fast. But....I have to finish this one first.
I'm not crazy about the color I used for the basket....I think it was DMC 611.....I'll change that on my next one. But once I age it maybe I'll be happier.

This is going to be a Sewing Pouch. I have some great black fabric for the back and I'll choose a good reproduction cotton for the inside.....something with a pumpkin color.
And I think the next one I stitch will have a slit opening in the front like the old ladyes pockets.

Oh, I'd really like to do one on raw linen with the original colors from the book and finish it in wools. I would love that. Maybe I can get it done before Malabar Farm....it would be great to take along.

I'm off to tend to a little laundry and then some finishing...

Happy Stitching my friend

My favorite place to visit....

2009-08-31T08:34:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we visited our favorite creamery....Trader's Point Creamery
in Zionsville, IN.
Taylor found a new friend right away. This sweet little thing ran right up to
us like she had been waiting all day for us to arrive.
Taylor was sure she needed to go home with us.
But I'm pretty sure kitty has is made there at the creamery.
She gets fresh milk everyday.

And take a look at this sweet little baby. How can you not fall in love with that face.

The chickens are my favorite part of the visit.....they free range over the
farm and produce the best organic eggs.
I would have a bigger herd of chickens if we had room here on
the homestead. I love to make them cornbread and listen to them
go crazy with peeps and coos.
There's nothing better than sitting on the porch with stitching in my lap
as the chickens scratch around under the holly bushes.

We had the most wonderful relaxing day yesterday.....it was sunny with just
the slightest chill in the air.
There's nothing like farm animals to re-charge my batteries : )

And now today I'm going to tear into that old green wool blanket. I'm almost
finished stitching the sampler for the front and I think I'm going to applique BOO on
the back with some scraps of old wool.

Oh, and the best news ever....today is Taylor's first day of pre-school.
It has been a long summer.
She woke us up at 6 am to let us know she goes to school today : )
We call Taylor our 'spirited' child. She is non-stop, high-maintenance and
very strong willed. But we love her. She inspires me everyday.....in between making me crazy :)
I'm in the process of designing a prairie inspired girls clothing line
for her........ Tater Bean's.
What does Tater Bean mean you ask.....well Daddy started that when she
was just a baby. Her name is Taylor Jean and Daddy nicknamed
her Tater Bean.
She was the size of a bean when she was born and it just caught on.
Daddy even made up a Tater Bean song and it still makes her
giggle uncontrollably when he sings it.

This is the first time I've told anyone outside of my family about my plans.
It's still on the drawing board but I'm very excited about it.
When I get my samples stitched up I'll post some pics.
I could use some input about them.

Have a wonderful day my friend. And I hope you have time for a little
stitching.....I can hear mine calling me now....

Smiles to you, Stacy

So many textiles, so little time....

2009-08-27T18:50:00.002-05:00

I collected these little treasures over the summer and they have been
screaming at me to do something with them.
The wool blanket on the bottom is to die for....it's the softest wool blanket
I've ever had and the satin border is hand stitched.
I found it in a little antique shop in Pentwater, Michigan.

The coverlets are good and worn so I will cut them up.
The coverlet on the top also has a bird design that I'm really excited about.....
I'm not too crazy about the roses.

And the feed sacks are my favorite little treasures.
They have good printed labels and are nice and thick.
I plan to do a little wool applique on them
and make them into Sewing Pouches and Sampler Bags.

I've been staring at this stack for a good month now
and I'm itching to start cutting and stitching.

The green wool blanket will make the best Halloween Sampler Bags....
and maybe even a Sewing Pouch.
I can just picture the drab green wool on the outside
with a good early sampler done in old browns, black and even a dirty pumpkin color....
and maybe a worn brown cotton fabric on the inside.

I'll take some of the finished bags to the September show at Malabar Farm in Ohio....
~In The Spirit of Friends~
And I'll put some on my website too.

My poor brain is bursting with ideas...I can't wait to finish a couple to show you.

Smiles to you my friend....

It's finally ready....

2009-08-25T09:27:00.003-05:00

~Merry Hallowe'en~

A Book of Pinkeeps

It's hot off the press.
I've been working on this for awhile now and it's finally finished.
There are 4 sweet and spooky pinkeep projects.
I'll be listing it on my website so you can see pics of all the pinkeeps.

2009-08-25T09:09:00.001-05:00

I've been giving roses away to the neighbors because there are just so many.
But I kept enough to fill all my pitchers.

My favorite ironstone bowl....

2009-08-25T09:05:00.003-05:00

This is my very favorite little ironstone bowl. It's not very big and it didn't come with the lid but there's something about it that is so sweet.
And the shell is one of my daughters little treasures. We found it last Fall when we were walking around the pond. I love the color of it.

Roses, Roses and more Roses

2009-08-25T08:41:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I made the centerpieces for my sister-in-laws wedding reception. Now my house is full of beautiful roses......hundreds to be exact. They are just now starting to fade but I thought you would enjoy a few pics of what I get to look at everyday : )
I just saved the roses from each centerpiece and re-arranged them in all my old ironstone pitchers and bowls.