A Big Outdoor Project, a Sampler and a Rug

Hello, everybody,
I have been just loving this cool fall weather!  Yesterday morning there was even some frost on the fields.  I think that fall may just may be my favorite season, cooler weather is so invigorating... I want to start new projects and accomplish so much!

My outdoor project was taking down the picket fence around the front of the house (or rather having someone else take it down)  :)  I decided that it just detracted from the front of the house, and the roses on it were SO much work...and most years not really worth it, they were only pretty for a couple of weeks, other than that...just spray, fertilize, water, much, weed, deadhead, just too much...  That said, I did move 3 of the prettiest ones to new locations, we'll see if they live.

Here is the project in progress...so hard, the posts were about 5 ft deep in cement!

Here is what it looks like now .... I am very happy with it.  I think people will notice the old house now.  Obviously, I have major seeding to do...

The mill stone on the right is original to the house, with IM for Isaac Mendenhall carved into it.  The other one on the left I got at Curry's Antiques fall open house.

Also at Curry's, I bought this cute pumpkin pattern by Mad Hen Primitives,  and indulged myself in Curry's new line of primitive hand-dyed wools to hook with.  The colors are not as bright as the photo.

I am on the final stretch with Margaret Leadbitter.  Just a couple more minarets on the top and one large flower motif on the bottom.  Such a beautiful sampler!!

I hope everyone is enjoying the first week of fall!!  I sure am!!!!!!

Hugs,
Melinda

Pincushions and kittens...

Greetings, all...
I have never "raised" kittens before, and this has really been a delightful experience.  Watching them grow, play (lots of play) and develop their own little personalities has been so much fun. They can be quite naughty at times.  My hooked rugs are really taking a beating, and today I noticed that the top of the little waxy looking candle bulbs have been bitten off!!  Those things are expensive!  Even little Charlotte, the calico, who was the shyest of the bunch, now loves to be held and made over.  The first picture is all 5 kittens cuddled up with Punkin.  He hissed at them at first, but now everyone loves the kittens.

And who says cats and dogs are enemies?  They all adore Oliver, my spaniel, and the feeling is mutual.  Here is Petunia kneading and "nursing" on Oliver.

Oliver with three kittens... His eyes are always big like this.

Three kitties on their condo, they are looking up at a moth that I just accidentally  let in.

What enormous ears!!

I've been busy making some little pincushions lately.  Since they are so small, I can always find somewhere to put them.  Here is a little tin pincushion with threads from ebay that I super glued on top of a vintage pewter candlestick.  Also, a pincushion that I made out of an antique silver sugar bowl that was my great, great grandmothers.  The bottom had rotted off long ago.  On the right is a little button roll designed by Stacy Nash, and a little square pincushion made from an orphan quilt block and old button

I have finished a really cool sewing box project by Brenda Gervais that uses a repurposed Whitman's sampler box.  I love how it turned out.  The directions called for antiqueing the paint with shoe polish, of which I had none, so I used watered down burnt umber paint applied with a hunk of quilt batting.  I think it looks almost like a wood box, don't you?

Here is the inside of the box.  It is lined with with an old yellowed DMC  ad that I found at an antique store for  $1.  There are several pages left to use for other projects.  Inside are some antique bone buttons, vintage scissors with sampler scissor weight,  vintage measuring tape and threads, and some old crochet.  You can see the paint treatment on the box better in this picture.

 The sewing box project has a matching pincushion.  There is also a super neat huswife that I have finished the stitching but is not yet put together. Surrounded by a few old oil cans awaiting a make-do. Also shown is a strawberry pincushion.  My filler of choice...poodle hair!  It is actually poodle wool, just like lambs wool.

And finally, here is a sampler that I really love.  It is Frances Jewkes, out of an old SANQ magazine.  It is special to me as I stitched it on actual antique linen, and boy was that a chore, but I love the looks of it.  Enlarge to read the wonderful verse!

That's all for now...
Hugs,
Melinda