Baskets and Breadboards

Are you a little curious about the history on punch needle embroidery? Well, punch needle embroidery is an old needle art dating back to the early centuries and was used in its day to mark clothing. The technique was worked using hollow bones of birds' wings as needles in its early days. Punch needle pieces are generally quite small in size and are indeed works of art!

It is so fun and so easy, I tell ya, you just have to try it yourself. I started doing punch needle when I was about 19 or 20 years old. There was a co-worker at the credit union where I worked that was a distributor of "pretty punch". It was through Shauna that I tried this fun little art and enjoyed it thoroughly (along with my cross stitch). I purchased spools of wool thread which was used in pretty punch years ago, but there are so many beautiful hand dyed threads we use today which make it so much "funner". Not to mention some wonderful designers, like Brenda Gervais of Country Stitches - With Thy Needle & Thread, who make this art form more enjoyable with her beautiful designs.

"Heart and Hand"

by With Thy Needle & Thread

Next up is the adorable "Peter Cottontail" hopping down the bunny trail with his little basket and lovely robin egg. Such a sweet finish, this one made me so happy. I am wishing and hoping for the arrival of spring, I am sure it will be here before long. I am in need of some sunshine soon.

"Speckled Eggs"

by With Thy Needle & Thread

Last night I stayed up and made Mexican Lasagna so I could just pop it in the oven for dinner today. It's spicylicious!!!! Did you know mexican food is my favorite?

And for dessert we had birthday love cakes! Complete with hearts and cherry icing. Yum! You see today is my dad's birthday, he would have been a mere 75 years young. It's hard to believe he has been gone for over 11 years now. I sure miss him, he was such a special man. I loved him dearly and think of him every day.

What's next ya say? Well I guess it will be "Signs of Spring".......stay tuned to see how sweet this one will turn out.


Thanks for visiting, I love your comments, they are so uplifting and very much appreciated. I hope you had a wonderful weekend and here's to a fabulous new week and month!!

Heart & Hand

Good evening!!! A sneek peek before tomorrows post.

A TISKET, A TASKET

A tisket, a tasket, I've been working on my Easter basket. Tonight I want to share with you a fun punchneedle design by "With Thy Needle & Thread" called "Speckled Eggs". It is stitched with variegated Valdani thread and Weeks Dye Works.

I started this on Sunday evening and completed it on the following day, Monday. It was so fun!!! Silly as this may sound, but I enjoy looking at the back of the fabric as much as the front. I have some osnaburg which I will stitch to the back side of the Easter design to form a pocket. I am deciding whether or not I will distress it a bit, what do you think? Then I will attach a wire handle and fill the basket with some moss and a few speckled eggs. Some silk ribbon will adorn the handle for the finishing touch. I can't tell you enough how much I love the way this is turning out....so exciting for me.

I have posted a few pictures to show you some step by step progress on this design.

What can I say but LOVE it!!!! I want to hurry and finish it off but just had to take a minute and let you know what I have been up to. As always, thanks for visiting, I hope this inspires you to try punchneedle someday, it really is rewarding. When the basket is finished I will show you how beautiful it will become. Until then, the following is a picture of a scrumptious chocolate cupcake pincushion that my friend, Diane, made me for part of my birthday gift. She knows how much I love pincushions!!!! I will cherish it always...Doesn't it look sweet???

The Happy Needle Giveaway

Is this not an adorable little scissor fob/pincusion??? Head on over to visit Sharlotte's blog for you chance to win this little lovely. You have until midnight January 31st to enter.

Job Offer Accepted!

Thanks for your interest in the stitching job for the Tapestry Peacock. This post is to let you know she has found someone who is willing to accept the challenge. I hope everything goes well and they are able to help her out. She has crippling arthritis and can't stitch. Money wasn't an issue to her, she just needed to find someone willing to help her out. I wished I could have helped her but I just knew there was no way I would be able to stitch it so quickly while I work a full time job.

Are You Interested In A Job???

I have had a request to stitch a custom order for Teresa Wentzlers "Peacock Tapestry". Unfortunately I do not have the time to accomplish this in the time needed because I work a full time job. So, I thought I would post this opportunity to my blogging friends to see if anyone is interested in making some extra cash. The item needs to be completed by the end of March. (There may be a little flexibility in the deadline) If you are interested, please email me and let me know if you are interested.

((((EDITED))))

This is being revised to anyone who is interested and how long (appoximately) would you need to complete this? Also, how much money would you charge to complete this? I have told her how hard it would be to complete in such a short time and she is now "seeing the real picture".

I will relay your information on to her so she can review/make a decision on what is possible.

Thanks you guys!!!!

BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER - MY GARDEN 2009

Every gardener knows under the cloak of winter lies a miracle--a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures our dream.

You're only here for a short visit.

Don't hurry, don't worry,

and stop to smell the flowers along the way.

All through the long winter, I dream of my garden.
On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth.
I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar.

Garden fairies come at dawn,

Bless the flowers then they're gone.


In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.


Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into.


The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there.

Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity.

I'll seek a four-leaved shamrock in all thy fairy dells,

And if I find the charmed leaves, oh, how I'll weave my spells!

Deep within the winter forest among the snowdrift wide

You can find a magic place where all the fairies hide....

Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul.


There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling


Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.

The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.

Shall we compare our hearts to a garden -with beautiful blooms,

straggling weeds,

swooping birds and sunshine,

rain -and most importantly, seeds.

Love is like dew that falls on both nettles and lilies.

"Gardening is a way of showing that you believe in tomorrow."

The earth laughs in flowers.


The garden is a love song, a duet between a human being and Mother Nature.


Grow what you love. Then love will keep it growing.

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.