New England Stitching Retreat - Gift Shop Finds

Today, I start out with a bit of sad news...before I share the things I purchased at the Enfield Shaker Store, I will give you an update on the House Finch nest...

I woke up this morning to the basket on the ground, my geraniums crushed and broken...and the nest was on it's side and empty...some how during the night, the basket had fallen and the contents had crashed all over our front doorstep. There were no signs of the eggs...wanting to remain positive and hopeful, I was trying to figure out how the birds could have moved or saved the eggs...but my mother was quick to smash those hopes and dreams by telling me a predator probably found them and had a delicious meal. I was so heartbroken. As I cleaned up the mess and tried to salvage what was left of my geraniums, I only found a few small pieces of egg shell. So, there will be no photos of the baby birds...at least not in the near future - I did read pairs may raise three or more broods in a season, so we may have a new nest soon!

Now on to something much more fun!...
Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I did some wonderful stash shopping while in New England...and I brought back some fabulous finds from the Enfield Shaker Store (the gift shop located in the Great Stone Dwelling House/Museum). It was extremely difficult to choose mementos to bring home, as there were SO MANY incredible, hand-crafted boxes and gifts in this lovely shop. There were many gorgeous pincushions and sewing boxes in a variety of shapes and sizes...it really was hard to choose what to purchase and bring home.

First, I chose this amazing Fir Balsam Pillow - it smells so fresh and relaxing...plus I love that is has a natural linen cover that I could actually do some stitching on, if I so desire. This pillow is about 8" x 8"...and I am going to find the perfect place to put it, so I can continually enjoy it's delightful aroma.























Next, I chose this quaint little framed print. It is 5" x 7" without the frame...and it was a little difficult to get a good photo, as it is framed with glass. One of the things that drew me to this piece was the lettering of "Hands To Work, Hearts To God" - although you probably can't tell from the photo, the letters are made up of little tiny "x"s, so they look like cross stitch...and the hands are holding strands of thread. Plus the birds and the flowers...I just loved the whole design...


























And finally - I purchased this beautiful walnut shaker box made by Steve Grasselli. I love the unique two-tone look and the size of this box - it is about 4"W x 6"L x 3.25"D...a great size for sewing or stitching tools. I plan to make a padded cushion for inside and possibly some needlework smalls. The craftsmanship on all the various boxes was truly exquisite and I looked over many boxes multiple times - it was so hard to choose...I almost brought home a second box with a handle, but showed a little restraint!

So many fun things to share with you this week! I will be back tomorrow to share the stitching stash I purchased at ABC Stitch Therapy during our shopping spree and tea...

Also...I have to mention...Marie has started a New England Stitcher's Retreat Blog, so if you are interested in seeing photos and information on future retreats, you will want to visit:
http://www.stitchingretreats.blogspot.com/

It's My Blogiversary

I had no intentions of posting today, as I leave for the New England Stitching Retreat at 8:30 AM tomorrow morning...I have such a pile of things to do before I leave...BUT, I couldn't miss my 1-year Blogiversary! Yep, it's been a whole year since my first post...and looking back, what a year it has been!! I have really enjoyed this first year - 140 posts sharing my favorite projects, giving some of my creations away...and of course meeting fellow needleworkers and new friends - thank you all so much for your comments! I am so happy I decided to start this "blog" journey...and I am thrilled to have so many fun followers and readers...

House Finch Update - the egg total remains at five...so looks like in about a week I will have a photo of five baby birds to share with you!

...and one photo to share. I managed to find time to work on a couple gifts this week - two more quilted journals. These were done with the same free pattern I have shared with you before...the pattern is from an older Quilts and More Quarterly Challenge and can be found in PDF form on the allpeoplequilt.com website. I took these gifts to Marie at ABC Stitch Therapy and Kathy from New England Stitching Retreats - a small thank you for all their all their hard work and a memento from their first stitching retreat (which I hope is the first of many to come!)...

Well, that is my short update for today....I am off to teach at a retreat in New Hampshire tomorrow morning and won't be back until very late Sunday night...I am taking my laptop with me, so we will see if I find any time to do an update while I am gone...

Wishing you all a wonderful week...and thanks for making my first blog year such a joy!

A Sign of Spring: UPDATE

A little update on the basket bird nest....

First of all, after seeing the mother bird in the nest and the father bird close by (and with a bunch help from my mother who is a bird aficionado), it has been determined that this nest belongs to a House Finch. When I posted on Wednesday, the bird nest had two tiny adorable eggs....Thursday morning, the nest had three eggs....Friday morning the nest had four eggs...and today, the nest had five eggs! Looks like my little bird family is growing...who knows, maybe tomorrow the nest will have six eggs....

Unfortunately, there are no cross stitch or sewing project photos to show today...I have been busy getting all the materials and kits finished and shipped to New England for the retreat next week. I have also been doing some charting for new summer designs, a magazine sampler, and a class for 2011...I'm keeping busy, as usual...

Wishing you a joyous weekend filled with sunshine...

A Sign of Spring...

The wonders of nature never cease to amaze me! While working on a project today, I was hearing a commotion outside our front door...several birds singing so loudly, it sounded like they were in our entryway. I went outside to investigate...only to see the birds fly quickly from our front door to the tree in the front yard. Next to my front door, I have a beautiful basket filled with geraniums...at first glance you would only see the geraniums....but looking closer, you can see the birds have built a nest in the lower left corner of the basket...and low and behold, two tiny eggs...

I couldn't believe it - it is tucked down inside the corner of the basket...and is perfectly round! Had the birds not been making a ruckus outside, I would have never seen there was a nest...it is completely camouflaged. Maybe I will be able to do a covert operation and get a photo of the parents at the nest...

Baby Birds Leave the Nest

This afternoon, I was lucky enough to see some baby birds leaving the nest for the first time. It was quite the sight...there were three babies (that I could find) hopping around our yard...with the parents chirping and flying overhead. It was so amusing to the see the babies learning to use their wings. They were teeny tiny - at the most a couple inches in size - and could actually move quite quickly - I was thrilled to get a decent picture of each of one. Within just a few minutes they were all flying and off on a new adventure!