7.13.2013

Under the influence...

The Service Berry trees in our backyard are loaded with berries this year...
the most our 3 young trees have ever yielded. 
Just beautiful.


Their abundance of berries has been a distraction for me, 
and an attraction for the birds...
Many minutes each day,
 have been spent watching young robins
 and parent robins
 feasting upon the ripened berries.  
 
 
Since these are young trees,
 their branches don't hold the weight of the birds very well.
But that doesn't stop their determination to get each and every berry.

 
The berries are mostly now all plucked,
except those hanging out along the outer limbs.
 
 
This is where bird-acrobatics comes in handy...
  Flying up to a branch and making their "pluck" in mid-air.  The birds all claim to "own" these trees...lots of cackling, scolding, and the chasing of others off...no one wants to share! 
 It is quite entertaining to watch.
 
Just a heads up, I will for-warn you... 

 
You will see lots of berries in my future designs,
and birds too!
  (piece pictured is a future release titled, "Paper Snowflakes"....to be released at August market, along with The Noel Sampler & Peacock at Manor Hill...you will find berries & birds on these pieces, too ;) 
 
 
I guess you could say,
 I've been  "under the influence of berries",
 lately....
 
X X X X X X
 
And on a side note...
See the little wooden hoop?
I get emails quite often asking,
"I noticed your hoop on your blog." 
"What brand do you use, and do you sell them?"
 
My favorite hoop is a little wooden Duchess hoop. 
 I purchased a few of these at an antique shop several years ago,
 and I love them. 
 They have a strip of wool felt that holds the fabric,
 just how I like it,
 and it is gentle on my stitches. 
 Also,
 no metal hardware for my floss to get hung up on.
 
Just as the ad says...
The above ad is one I purchased on eBay, while perusing there for more Duchess hoops. 
 This ad is from a 1915 magazine. 
 If you enlarge the picture,
 you will see the hoops sold for 10 cents. 
  If are lucky enough to find one in an antique shop, eBay or Etsy,
 I highly recommend them....they are my favorite hoop!
 
With thy Needle &Thread,
Brenda

10 comments:

Angie said...

Oh my goodness, Brenda! I already love what I'm seeing. Can't wait for market now! Your designs are quiet addicting!
Angela

Bernadett said...

Lovely tree ,lovely influence,lovely stitching...:)

L'Aiguille au Fil du Temps said...

Belles photos, belle broderie... Ce tambour Duchess a l'air très intéressant, je vais tâcher d'en trouver un !

The Attic said...

Your new designs are beautiful. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your designs.

The berries on our Serviceberry trees never get as red and beautiful as yours, as the Robins eat them while they are still green!

Judy
Attic Raggedys

linda said...

I was looking at your photos thinking what a nice idea for a design and lo and behold they are already planned by you!! Love your designs and always look forward to them.
I saw on another blog today a recipe for serviceberry jam; I had not heard of them before, now twice in one day.

Karen said...

Because of your help I have been able to purchase several of the Duchess embroidery hoops. They are perfect and do not squish my cross stitch work and are easier to manipulate than other brands. I have bought them on eBay and etsy and they go quick! Thank you for sharing with me. I was one of the people asking about the brand and followed your leading and for that I am grateful to you. I love all of your designs and like you mad particularly fond of birds, berries,plus deer in samplers. We have all three in our back yard and I can sit with my stitching and watch God's gifts he has given unto me!

Kellie said...

Love the sneak peek of your new design. Your designs are among my favorites and I'm currently stitching August Wordplay now. The information regarding Duchess hoops is very interesting. My aunt recently gifted me with a couple of hoops that had been used by my uncle's grandmother. One of them is oval shaped with no hardware. I didn't have a clue about it until reading this post and the 1915 ad. I just checked the side, and it has the Dutchess marking. Thank you for helping me figure out my treasure. :)

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Fancies, Thimbles And Threads said...

Love your designs! I have seen your designs back in the day as I worked at Calico Canvas & Colors for many years, and as many years ago! Wondering though about the Duchess hoops....is there any history about them other than the ad you purchased. I love history and would like to not just own one of these gems but know more about them. I know they are felted on the inner ring...have you ever been inclined to re felt them if that has worn off?

Isabel said...

I am working on am embroidery display for my county fair and would like to get a copy of the Duchess hoop ad.
I have the hoops to display but would live to get a copy if the ad.