Sunday, July 10, 2016

A beautiful summer day

Hello, readers, today and yesterday have been perfect summer days here on the farm.  I am grateful for a couple of nice days, as the heat shall return tomorrow and the rest of the summer is supposed to be very hot!
Can I start to complain yet?  Anything over 75% and I am miserable.  I just want to stay in my cool 69 degrees air conditioning.

I have finished the stitching and photographing on my next reproduction sampler release, Mary Clay 1805, the Chinese Quail Sampler.  I am printing and trimming photos and should be announcing her release tomorrow or Tuesday.  Here is another sneak peak.  She will officially be released at Norden Crafts online needlework show this summer, so she will not be available at most shops until then.  However, I can sell individually to my friends and readers, and to shops on my automatic list.


This sampler has an interesting back story, which I will share when I release it.

It seems I rarely have the time to stitch just for myself, but I did manage to work in the limited edition Nashville release from The Primitive Hare.  The kit came with a frame, but I chose to mount it on an upside down breadboard for a hornbook look.  The little apron is special to me, I had a very pretty handkerchief that was given to me by the Hospice workers when my husband was dying.  It is known as a tear cloth.  Rather than just keep it folded up in a drawer forever, I decided to use part of it for this apron, now I can see and enjoy it every time I walk by.


I do have this small collection of miniature Rowe pottery, or at least I think it is all Rowe.  It is stamped and dated and if you are interested, let me know and I will get out a magnifying glass and read the dates, I think 80s and 90s.  Asking $50 in US which will include priority mail shipping.  No chips or cracks.  Includes rare Maple Syrup jug.  SOLD


This is totally off topic, but here is a photo of Blizzard Babe back in her glory days that was sent to me from the Michigan farm where she was born.  She was the top pacer in the state that year.  She looks like she is flying...all four feet are off the ground!


One more piece of news...we are having a wedding here on August 23!!  A barn wedding!  Evans best friend is getting married, and he is the best man.  I guess barn wedding are all the thing right now.  It will be in the this barn, which we don't use, so it is getting turned into a wedding venue.  They have worked so hard.  The barn is early 20th century with a loft for the band, they are building a bar, and things are coming together.  It is a beautiful barn with lovely old beams.  I will post more pictures as it gets closer.


I had planned on posting some garden pictures that I took today, but for some reason they won't load on the blog :(  Maybe next time...
Melinda

11 comments:

  1. Wonderful idea for the hanky. I love what you've done. How nice to lend your property and that beautiful barn for the special day. Waiting for more photos!

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  2. Morning Melinda, love the hanky idea, your work is wonderful. Oh a barn wedding sounds perfect, your yard is so beautiful. Blessings Francine.

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  3. What fun a barn wedding will be! And your new sampler looks wonderful. The name has me curious...Chinese Quail sampler....this might be the ticket to get me stitching again (I've been only knitting for the last year or so).

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  4. Love the use of your hanky...what a great way to use it. Can't wait to see your piece when released and pictures of the barn

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  5. I think it a wonderful way to display the handkerchief. Love the picture of Babe and yes she is flying !!! Will look forward to reading more about the wedding and good luck with the new release, the peek looks fabulous.

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  6. Can't wait to see your sampler release, Melinda! I absolutely love the hornbook finish with your tear hankie. What a beautiful way to use and remember. How exciting to be having a wedding in your beautiful barn. I'll bet you have lots of requests by others to do it too, once word gets out. You may have a new business venture coming your way!

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  7. such a wonderful post Melinda! how awesome to hear about the barn being used for a wedding. What a beauty. I loved seeing the photo of Blizzard. The family I work for bred trotters for years in No Ga. They still have their farm but they retired from breeding a number of years ago. I don't remember their breeding farm name. What a beauty your girl was and yes I believe she is fully suspended. I used to show Afghan Hounds for 25 yrs and we took zillions of moving shots trying to catch 4 feet fully elevated and the gait extended. Afghans are known for their extreme lift like floating on air. Or that is how I believe they should move. Congrats on the new sampler release - looks very intriguing.
    Good luck ! it's been hotter than the hinges of hell for so long down here in the deep south - I'm so thankful I don't have dogs in the kennel any more to worry about. We never air conditioned them because when you'd take them to outdoor shows they would just die because they couldn't tolerate the heat. They are a desert breed and as long as they were given ample water and shade they could tolerate the heat just fine. one last thing - the use of the hankie was so sweet and so memorable.
    Mel

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  8. Hi Melindal I am interested in your miniature Rowe pottery. I have a bowl and crock, but not any of the others. Would love to purchase!

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  9. The Sampler looks like a keeper, and great finish with the hankie.
    Babe looks awesome!
    A barn wedding is a cool idea.
    Marilyn

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  10. Very cool about the barn wedding! Should be very fun!

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  11. I would love to be entered in your draw, Marlene Smit

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