Gathering Berries is the first chart in a new series by Luminous Fiber Arts.

With a Stitch count of 76h x 76h the finished size when stitched on 16/32ct is 4.75″ x 4.75″ I chose a piece of 16ct white aida I had in my stash and Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Fabulous Red for mine. I am waiting on the ribbon to finish it as a small pillow.

I chose to stitch mine without the buttons and I added an extra leaf on the right hand top flower.

August 2022 Decided to mount it on a simple wood pallet board from Michaels.

Sweet Home is #4 in the Blackbird Design Garden Series. This series of twelve can be stitched as one large project or as individual pieces as I chose to stitch them.  

The recommended fabric is 32 Ct. Beige linen, Since the wording is charted over one, I chose to use 28ct cream Monaco with the recommended floss. I started stitching this one on December 9, 2016 and completed it on December 16, 2016. I made no note of color changes so assume I used the recommended floss.

Finished was done by Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher.

Sweet Summer, Come Again copyright 2020 is another beautiful leaflet by Blackbird Designs. It contains two projects, a drum and a needleroll.

The recommended fabric is 36ct Wren by Picture This Plus. The recommended floss is Weeks Dye Works.

• Aztec Red
• Bee’s Knees
• Caper
• Cayenne
• Cocoa
• Dirt Road
• Dolphin
• Oscar (DMC 3011) I used DMC as Oscar was not available
• Parchment

I chose to stitch the Berry Basket on 16ct Lambswool with the recommended colors. It was a quick stitch.

Started: March 26, 2021
Finished: March 30, 2021

For the needleroll I chose 14ct Friendship Greene from Fabrics by Stephanie.

I doubt my finishing skills will be up to a drum or a needleroll so they just may be finished as small pillows.

November 2, 2021. Sweet Summer Comes Again by Blackbird Designs joins the others in the dough bowl. I used the red Rhubarb and Ginger BBD fabric for the back of both of these. And the ruched ribbon trim is a dark olive color.

As part of my digital subscription to Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine, I also had access to last years issues. The Spring 2020 issue contained Spring Hare Etching by Cecilia Turner. It looked to be a quick stitch and it was.

The model was stitched on 32ct Wren by Picture This Plus with Classic Colorworks floss, Sticks and Twigs and Tennessee Red Clay. . I chose to use 16ct aida Lambswool with Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss – Faded Barnwood (brown), Winter Rose (green) and Columbine (pink). JABCO heart button.

This is a companion piece the Winter Cardinal Etching I stitched earlier this year.

Started stitching: March 24, 2021
Finished Stitching: March 26, 2021

Now to finish it, probably as a small pillow.

August 2021 – I decided to go ahead and finish this one myself rather than send it off. I chose two pieces of Blackbird Design fabric I had for the trim and the backing. Happy with how it turned out although finishing projects is NOT my most favorite thing to do. I find that I have to actually mark a line on the fabric so I can see well enough to sew a straight line.

Giving Thanks chart #138 by Little House Needleworks was a Hoffman Distributing Exclusive at the Nashville 2015 Needlework Market. It was sent to me by a stitching friend in one of my Facebook groups. I had admired it when she posted a photo of her stitched project. A Bonus Chart is also included.

The recommended fabric was 32ct Winter Brew by R & R Reproductions. I chose to use 16ct Vanilla Latte from Fabrics by Stephanie. I used the called for Classic Colorworks floss except for Red Currant which I did not have. Instead I used Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Berry Wine.

• Hazelnut
• Red Currant
• Roasted Chestnut
• Weeping Willow
• Caterpillar

It was a quick stitch. I started on March 14th and finished on March 21st for the main piece.

Not sure how I am going to finish it. Now for the pincushion

The pincushion was stitched on the same vanilla latte with the called for colors and finished with fabric by Blackbird Designs. The spool of thread button is from Just Another Button Company. And thank you, Vonna Epperson Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher for your great finishing tutorial Finishing a Pillow with Handmade Piping and Accent Fabrics.

Now to find a small frame for the picture.

Took a while but here it is June 2022 and this one is finally fully finished.

Merry and Minty was a free SAL offered by Brenda Gervais of With Thy Needle and Thread. The chart was only 64w by 85h and used a combination of DMC, Weeks Dye Works and Classic Colorworks floss. It proved to be a quick stitch. I chose a piece of 16ct fabric I had in my stash. Not sure of the color but it was dark so the white and cream floss showed up nicely.

The cranberry and popcorn string called for Colonial Knots but I could not get the hang of it with my magnifying lamp in place so ended up doing French knots. If I stitched it again, I would use beads instead of fooling with the knots.

I decided to TRY and finish the piece as a cube following Vonna Pfeiffer’s (The Twisted Stitcher) excellent tutorial. She makes it look so easy. It was not for me but that was NOT the fault of the tutorial. First, my tacky spray would not spray at all. Trying to clean the nozzle was a total failure. Then I could not find my package of finishing pins so ordered some more. I was lucky enough to have two pieces of foam core that were just the right size so I used them. I covered one side of the foam core with one piece of batting and the other side with two. The stitched piece would go against the two pieces for a bit more padding. And a had a piece of red plaid fabric for the backing.

I still need to figure out what to do with the top of it but I am happy with how it turned out. Not perfect but . . . .

The Last Ripe Berries is #9 in the Loose Feathers For the Birds series by Blackbird Designs and the 6th one I have stitched in this series.

As with the others I have stitched, I am using the called for fabric Wren by Picture This Plus but on 16ct aida. I am also using the recommended threads. I started stitching this in 2019 but did not finish until August 2020. I decided to leave the date as 2019. I think the reason it took me so long to get get back to it was the large number of lazy daisy stitches which I do not enjoy.

The finished size on this on is 5 3/4 by 5 3/4. It joins Hear the Crickets Sing, The Summer Beaming Forth, She Sights a Bird, The Light Upon the Lawn, and It’s Spring Fever.