6.13.2011

Part 2 Revealed!!

Part 2
of the
Birds of a Feather Mystery Sampler
is now
on it's way
to your local needlework shops...
members
should be getting it
very soon-like!

(lovely frame by Valley House Primitives)

During the design process of this piece
I was contemplating what kind of birds shall they be.
Robins, cardinals, sparrows?
As I sat and pondered this
I had a child-hood memory
pop into my head.

When I was just a young girl...
probably 8 or 9 years old
my piano lessons
included songs from the musical
"The King & I".
My favorite song was,
"Whistle a Happy Tune"
I had it memorized...
It was while I would play this song in the summer time,
that the notes would carry out through the old screen door,
into our tree-lined front yard,
and be heard by our summer-time guests...
the indigo buntings.

I'd play this song
and the male bunting
would sit in the tree
and sing his little heart out.

I played for him
and
he sang for me...
we were quite the duet!

My mother had me convinced
it was the song that made the bird sing...
now that I think about it,
it may have just been Mom's way
to get me to practice
my music lessons.
Either way, it worked!

The following summer
we moved 5 miles away to a "new" farm...
never to hear or see another indigo bunting again,
until this spring...
some 40 plus years later.

Earlier this spring,
I was sitting in my kitchen taking pictures
of the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks and Baltimore orioles
when I saw these two tiny little blue-colored birds.
It is an unmistakable brilliant
and iridescent blue...
a sight you don't forget!

It had been years...
I was shaking with excitement
and was able to shoot a couple of pictures
before they flew off.
There were no more sightings,
but I did hear them in the yard for a few weeks...
I had not forgotten their song.
Made me want to play the piano again...
how I wished I had that old sheet music!!
So in the meantime,
I'm on the hunt for the sheet music...
just because.

I found it to be such a coincidence,
since the birds in the "Birds of a Feather" sampler
had been stitched
earlier this spring
to look like the little indigo bunting
that serenaded me
so many many years ago
in that
old farmhouse
through it's
old screen door.

It made me think
of a line
from movie,
Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner...
"If you build it,
they will come".

Only,
my story line
goes something like this...
If you stitch it,
they will come!"

The sampler
now has found
a special spot
in my
heart & home
and
reminds me of these fond
child-hood memories
and the return
of
the
indigo bunting...

With thy Needle & Thread,
Brenda

23 comments:

  1. Such a sweet sweet story, beautifully told.
    Wendy

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  2. The sampler is just beautiful, and to have the Indigo Bunting return to you when you're all grown up, and had just
    put it in your new sampler. I find it
    more than coincidence (I'm silly like that) that the bird appeared now to you and very poignant. Thanks for the very
    pleasantly woven story!
    Warm Regards,
    Susan B., Western MA
    p.s. We missed you posting

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  3. Lovely post! I could just picture the story in my mind.... and it is such a sweet childhood memory....
    Beautiful sampler.... Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Thanks for sharing that childhood memory! The sampler is beautiful!!

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  5. What a wonderful and endearing story Brenda!! My youngest granddaughter and I were blessed one spring to see a pair of Indigo Buntings in my backyard. I had never seen one before so we had to look them up in my bird book. They are amazing... I'm so happy they came back to you and so happy we all get to stitch them and make our own memories!! Hugs

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  6. I AM PATIENTLY WAITING FOR MY 2ND PART OF THE PATTERN.

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  7. Such a sweet story!
    Thanks for sharing.
    Blessings
    Robin

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  8. What a beautiful story and what a gorgeous bird.
    Part 2 is looking awesome. Can't wait for it to arrive here in Australia.

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  10. Oh I love your story and part 2 looks fabulous, such wonderful colours, thank you Brenda.

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  11. Very sweet design, keep searching for that music! ~Kriss~

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  12. A wonderful story! I'm still working on part 1,but really appreciate the peak at part 2.

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  13. Brenda, this mystery sammpler is so beautiful. I had never seen these birds before they are unbeleiveable in color! Your talent in designing is fantastic keep up the wonderful designs. Maybe start a new tradition every summer with a SAL Mystery Sampler? I love a good story and it makes you wonder why they showed up now. If we only knew we would want that sheet music way down the road.lol Debbie

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  14. What a sweet story! Thanks for sharing. It makes this piece even better. I've finished part one and hope part 2 will be at my LNS this week.

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  15. That's a great story!! And I need to get the last little bit of Part 1 done, so I'll be ready for #2 - can't wait to get a bird done :)

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  16. Oh, I love this story! Thanks so much for sharing. (I found your blog through Sandy Gervais' blog).

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  17. Brenda hi
    How beautifully the story of your sweet memories has unfolded. Nothing can be more delightful than memories which involve events our loved ones took part in and these can so easily be triggered off by old songs, delicious fragrances and the sudden glimpse of something familiar. Sadly, there are no Indigo Buntings in England :>)
    The King and I has always been one of my daughter's favourite films and this is still a favourite song and she's 24.
    Your sampler is tantalising. I can't wait to see the final part.
    Angela

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  18. What a sweet story! Makes me extra happy I'm stitching this piece - as you said, the sight of an indigo bunting is rare (at least where I live) - but unforgettable.

    I swear my Dad used to have on-going whistling conversations with the cardinals in the neighborhood.

    Mary in MN

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  19. OMG, I think that's one of the best stories I've ever heard!! Awesome!!!

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  20. I've seen Indigo Buntings only once and it was out on a country road in Georgia - beautiful!
    The story you shared reminds me of when we lived in Columbia, SC, I'd sit on the screened porch and often listen to music. A fav at that time was Vivaldi and there was one particular piece that would play and the goldfinch would start singing! I finally looked to see what the piece was - it was Flute Concerto in D "Il Cardellino" also known as the Goldfinch Concerto!

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