The Annual Design For Aaron: Aaron's Flowers 2012 sampler

Aaron's Flowers

designed by Feathers in the Nest

copyright 2012

Every July, when the hottest of the year yields it's heat, I know that Aaron's (my first born son) birthday is soon around the corner. For the past few years, I have designed a sampler in memory of him. This year, I was inspired by the flowers that grace his memory. Blue and yellow were his colors in many ways. He was born and died in 1985 and I can't believe this August 16 he would have been 27 years old.

This sampler, as most all samplers has some symbolic meaning interplaying in it's design.

There are 27 blooms in honor of his years we have been apart. Some small and large hearts in both colors are representative of his sweetness and the love and have and will always have for him. The one blue and yellow heart represents the overshadowing of his death on my life throughout the years.The small cross represents his innocence as a baby and that he lives in Heaven but his spirit is with me all the time. His initials for his name Aaron Franklin and the year of his physical prescence as he was nurtured to full term but left way too early. The yellow centered heart flower, the large one, standing alone represents his yellow outfit he was buried in and the surrounding lighter blue of which covered him with a blue and white blanket that said "Thank Heaven for Little Boys". The overshadowing top Morning Glory color border reminds me of the rain that followed the day after he was buried. I can clearly remember this as if it was yesterday.

This memory for me is bittersweet even after all these years. I often wonder what he would have been like if he had lived until today. Butterflies outside frequently remind me that his prescence is always near me and will be for the rest of my life. I think of him as my little angel and God needed Him at that time.

Posting this does bring a tear to my eye but it's not for pity or sadness. It's just in remembering how his birth and death shadowed my heart. For all who have had the loss of a child, I'm sure you can relate to what I'm saying. I look forward to the day I will be reunited with him in Heaven and because of his innocence and sweetness, I'm sure he will meet me there with open, not closed, arms.

His footprints.

Fibers of choice on this piece but I really like Gentle Art:

Morning Glory

Presidential Blue (darker blue)

Butternut Squash

Gold Leaf

Apple Cidar ----the base of the flowers

Strawbonnet for the word "in"

Baby Spinach--green

linen of choice and this would be gorgeous in 1 over 1 on linen, but also good for 2 over 2. I would make this a pillow keep and use the gold fabbie I got this week at the quilt shop in the making.

One of the things I need to do as a goal this year is to stitch more of my own designs! I keep saying that but there are so many I want to do!!!!

This one will be in my basket soon though. 24 hours in a day is just not enough!!! :)

Hope you are having a bright, sunny day just as we are in the mountains today.

Lots of good plans for the weekend. I slept really good last night and right now I have Abbie staring at me in the face awaiting some playtime with her toys. ;)

Till later,

Jennifer

Strawberry pin cushions, fat quarters, and matching totes

Today's adventures rambling about with some finds. One I needed, the rest, well.....you know the stash has to grow......

this lighted tree has been in my kitchen since Christmas. I saw these Strawberry pin cushions with the black ball pins  (the seeds) and for 50 cents, they add a little Summer to the kitchen.

and they made my skirt fly up............

I've enjoyed this little tree but sadly when the lights go out, they are OUT~so enjoying them while I can.

Mark down on the record I haven't dreamed, smelled or perused through a quilt store in over a year.

So I spent some quality time in an old Victorian quilting store with rooooooooooooooms of colors and picked up these fat quarters to live with my other stash members.

This one I just loved the colors. It's flannel.

Then met with a friend who owns her own business for the past 25 years and knows I'm blogging about this adventure. I went in there to get a duffel bag because this girl has been "on travel" alot these days. My other ones broke the zipper.....soooooo.............she engraved my name Jennifer Ann for free.

The Black thread didn't contrast well but I didn't want anything that screamed at me.

So the duffel, good for an overnight adventure with a little bag to match.

And you KNOW I had to get this bag. It even would be a great cross stitching tote and the engraving is FREE. Takes her about 10 minutes.

She has great prices. This bag has room for a waterbottle, a zipped top and even a little zipped pocket for scissors or other notions.

So, the much-needed day out of the house was well worth the adventure.

By the way, these backs and free monogramming are at Vickies on the square in Dahlonega, Ga.

She amazes me with her machine how straight, how fast, and adept she is with them.

And, if you really are into monogramming, i.e, sheets, pillowcases, shirts, even panties........this lady will fix you up. She has all colors.

So now when I travel, I will not look mismatched together and another plus is these are not too heavy by themselves, a must for ole timers like me. :P

I hope your day was with some peak of fun, a dash of a friend's stories, a Taco Bell, and a good

Cherry Lime Spritzer in this heat!

Till later,

Jennifer

New Start of Love One Another--Blackbird Designs

New start of a Blackbird Design sampler out of their For My Friend book that I got while at In Stitches back in March in Alexandria, VA. The fabric 30 count Sheep Straw and the entire sampler is in 6 skeins of Gentle Art Mulberry.

I really like the dark red for this piece and will be happy to get to the motifs. There are instructions for learning new stitches besides the cross stitch and I'm so ready to get to the part.

This is a great book by Blackbird Designs as there are other goodies tucked in for small projects as well.

Next~~~~~ one thing that came in the mail. I looked on Ebay and saw that a dealer was going out of business and selling stash so I got this for a third of the cost and brand new. It is a BAP but I was attracted to the cute litte fox in it.

This is a 19th century reproduction piece. Mansion House at Fox Hollow.

Of late, I have an attraction to anything fox!

Mansion House at Fox Hollow

designer Country Stitches--With Thy Needle and Thread

I also caved and got this pair of scissors for my stash. I've been doing quite well with not getting as much stash this year due to financial restraints but this little pair looks lovely.

Anybody interested in maybe adding a pair to their stash? Is so let me know and I might be putting a pair for a giveaway.

This pair is from The Scarlett Letter website.

I get alot of comments through the past few years how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful area.

I can only agree that as any season here, the mountains are beautful and I truly am blessed.

My Kindle is loaded up with a few more Jane Austen books. I have a great love for Pixel of Ink on FB where daily freebies are posted and most of the time to load onto the Kindle (Gracie).

Another FB Kindle site for freebies is Inspired Reads.

Just a couple of funny ones from the local area. :)

Stay in Stitches!

Jennifer