"Everybirdy"...

"Everybirdy" loves grape jam!

Here is Miss Sassy Robin with grape jam on her beak...

She is now chasing "everybirdy" away from the jam,

she has claimed the dish as hers!

If there is a bird with an attitude,

it is her...

Miss Grosbeak enjoys safflower seed,

 but has decided to check out the jam, too.

She sat there for some time, just watching and waiting...

for a turn.

When the plate was hers,

 all to herself,

she gave it a try.

Mmmm, this is pretty good stuff!

There are still daily squabbles going on between the males.

It is quite entertaining to watch...

They are in a feeding frenzy and no one likes to share.

They aren't the least bit interested in the females,

just jam...

and 

oranges...

I've had commenter's ask where I live, rural or urban?  I live in a small town, with rural countryside a few miles away on all sides.  Our home is in the oldest part of town

with our streets and backyards filled with 100 year old trees...so, we have lots of birds.

The Spring of 2014 will be remembered as the year of hungry orioles, lots of them!

The past few days

I've had the thrill of an Indigo Bunting

visiting "the plate"...

One of my favorite song birds.

You can see his brown winter feathers are starting to turn indigo blue.  

His feathers will turn a brilliant iridescent blue for mating season.

Isn't he the sweetest little guy?

Such a pretty blue.

Made me want to work with blue floss

and inspired me to create this little guy in cotton & linen

It is tiny, worked over 1 on 40 count and then framed in

a pocket watch frame.

  I simply tied it to a little old book 

with vintage ribbon

for a sweet little vignette.

I nice little remembrance token of the Spring of 2014.

With thy Needle &Thread,

Brenda

Decisions & Distractions...

 I've snapped a photo of this robin.

 She is a sassy robin and can be found most days chasing other birds away.

  She likes to forage in the seed droppings on the ground.
 I'm not sure if she is eating seeds or finding bugs in the seed droppings, or both.
She likes grape jelly, too!

You can even find Miss Sassy Robin on this sampler.

I chose lighter shades of floss for this piece.  

I was aiming for a more prairie style feel, something that will fit in nicely with
lots of old farmhouse whites and ironstone collections.

For the past week I been trying to decide a finish for this piece...
frame it,
or something more special?

I am finding,

 the older I get,

 the harder it is for me to

 make a decision...

Here is a sneak at a second sampler,
 waiting for a finish decision.

This piece is worked on the Corn husk linen and I love it!  

The greenish-yellow linen is a perfect canvas for the selected spring-time shades of flosses.
Frame it?
Make it into a pillow?
I can't decide.

Maybe there are too many distractions to make decisions...

Like this...

(Miss Sassy Robin has built her nest in this tree)

and these...

My last blog posting I showed you photos of the Baltimore Orioles. 

 These are snaps of the Orchard Oriole.  

They are a deeper rusty orange and smaller in size.

  Not quite as showy as the Baltimore Oriole.

  Males are rust and females are yellow.  

They are a very skittish, nervous, sort of bird.

 Any movement by my window and they are gone. 

 It has taken them some time  to get comfortable

with the lady on the other side of the window,

and I was able to snap a couple pics yesterday. 

When is it my turn?

And then there was this guy

 distracting me at lunchtime yesterday...

Who is he?

A new dinner guest?

It's a smaller bird, and

I figured it was a warbler of sorts,

but,

 I couldn't identify him...

My bird book tells me this is a

Cape May Warbler.

I only have seen one male and no females.

According to the book, he is off his normal migration route. 

 He is a  further west then normal.

He seems content with the Orioles.

Maybe he thinks he is an Oriole!

This Cape May Warbler is migrating 

to the forest of the Northern United States and Canada. 

 He has made his way here,

all the way from the West Indies,

where it winters. 

 During the winter months he fed on nectar

 that it collects with it's unique curled, semi tubular tongue.

  During the nesting season 

it will feed on spruce bud worms.

He is currently enjoying grape jelly and oranges in Iowa

 with the Orioles.

From my reading,

he is

 awaiting for a strong southerly wind 

that he will ride further northward to it's place of nesting.

Amazing!

Isn't he beautiful?

Look at those delicate little bird legs!

Wishing you all a day of good decisions and good distractions,

Brenda

Happy Mother's Day!

To all you Mom's & Grandmother's,

Happy Mother's Day!

 

 

I have enjoyed a day of phone call greetings from both of our kids,

and

a day of quiet stitching.

Yesterday was spent having lunch and shopping with

my 85 year old Mother & sisters...

 

Mom was pretty quick to let every

waitress and store clerk know

that she was our mom...

she is so cute!

 

 

Mother's Day weekend also marks the return of the 

 Rose Breasted Grosbeaks and Baltimore Orioles to our backyard.

Like clockwork, every year!

 

They are hungry little buggers...

so I've been busy with bird chores.

 

Hmmm....where is that grape jelly?

 

 

I am on my third large jar of jam,

 since Friday

and I've lost count on the oranges!

 

 (male Oriole in front, female in back)

 

I will enjoy this spectacular view from my kitchen window for about two weeks,

and then they are off...

 

 

 off to the rural countryside

 where they'll find some big old Cottonwood tree

and weave their hanging

pouch-like nests,

in which to raise their young.

 

 

 The grosbeaks are here just to enjoy the feast of safflower

 and then...

 

(male Rose Breasted Grosbeak)

 

they will continue their journey

a bit farther northward

to their nesting grounds.

 (female Rose Breasted Grosbeak)



 

life is good.

 

Wishing you all a week full of sunshine,

Brenda

New Patterns!

Happy to show new patterns for your stitching pleasure!

"PATRIOTIC POPPIES"

 

Probably my favorite piece from this release group,
I hope you all like it as well!
 It was an enjoyable stitch
 and
so fun to add the little wool embellishments.
 Design is worked on 40 count Doubloon linen over two threads,
 using hand dyed threads.  

"SWEET VIOLET"

This is sort of outside of the box for me...

I don't use a lot of purple when I design,
but I enjoyed working with a different color palette. 

The 2014 color of the year is Radiant Orchid,

 I thought it would be fun to design a piece around this years color.

Orchid flowers didn't quite do it for me,
but the little wild violets growing in shady spots in our yard came to mind...

 what mother hasn't received a small handful of these from their child? 

Pattern or a finish of this design would make an a sweet Mother's Day gift.
Add the Kelmscott Pansy Needle Minder (found here), linen and floss kit
along with this chart and you have lovely gift for Mom!    

This piece is worked on 40 count Espresso linen over two threads,
using hand dyed threads.

"TIME FOR HALLOWEEN"

 Seems like we are always looking for different and fun ways to finish our work.
 These sweet little Halloween fobs are just that!
  I sold these finished a few years ago
 and
decided to offer them as a chart for all those of you
who have inquired about them over the past years.
The pattern includes one pocket watch to get you started
 and
I have extra watch frames for those who want to stitch more.
The  little Halloween creatures are worked on 40 count Confederate Gray linen
over 2 threads.
Letters taken from pages of old books
 and
sheet music spell out spooky words.
These little fobs are fun to place on a chain and wear,
 or use as hanging ornaments.

"MANOR AT STRAWBERRY HILL"

 Pattern for a larger punch needle piece that makes for a wonderful little table-top mat.
 Various old school girl samplers that hang upon my walls
 inspired me to create a punch needle design
 that had a sampler feel to it
.  The piece is worked entirely in hand dyed threads.

You can visit our website for more detailed descriptions of these new patterns.


After a cold and rainy week,
I think we are in for a warm up today!
I could use a little solar energy.

It's Friday....yay,
Brenda

For Thee From Me...

Please accept this free little chart

in celebration of May Day.

From me

to thee...

Pattern Name:	For Thee From Me
Designed By:	©2014 With thy Needle and Thread

 Click here to download charts pdf file.

The colors listed on the color key are just suggested colors, please feel to use your colors of choice.

Remember to send photos of your finishes, I look forward to seeing all the different finishes!
 I'll be sharing finishes of this design on future blog postings.

When posting photos of finished items or online postings relating to this chart, I ask that you link back to this page and credit given to With thy Needle & Thread.  This chart is for your own personal use only.
  ©2014 With thy Needle & Thread


"The fair maid, who the first of May goes to the fields at break of day & washes in dew from the hawthorn tree, will ever after beautiful be."- Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme

Have a good day,
Brenda