Bloom Where You Are Planted

Bloom. Blossom. Reveal your true beauty and potential.

The total opposite of Doom. You know that feeling that everything is out of control and chaotic?

Well, when inspired to design this sampler, a year or so back, I decided that amongst all chaos, we are to be the best we can be in whatever place or situation we are dealt with. I definitely learned that when we are in the right enviroment our best will shine and we will be happy.

So, hopefully, this will be an encouraging one for you. This one was formerly a freebie.
I am stitching unconventionally this model out of just ........ serendipity.

I'm using burlap. Yup, burlap stretched on a wood frame. I got this at Hobby Lobby and you can get th 10 inch one or 8 inch one. The inches is the space between the wood not the total piece.

This is the 8 inches of stitchable space. FYI Hobby Lobby frequently has a 40% off coupon and the 8 inch one is 5.99. So for 4 bucks you have a piece to stitch and the frame if you like primitive/ rustic, style decor.

I stitched it over 2 with 3 strands of floss.  I think 6 strands could also be used as well.

It's larger stitches than most would like to stitch probably but I would say it is  approximately like stitching on 16 count without the "aida" look to it. I've gotten spoiled to linen.

The sampler is called Bloom. Copyright 2011 by Feathers in the Nest

 

I'm using threads of Crescent Colors Barn Door, and Sullivan threads (2) I had on hand.

 

 

 

you can see how tight this is on the wood frame.

 

 

the underside

 

 

 

 

 

I just clip on my large clip Mighty Brite lite. I use it for reading and stitching. I really don't need it with my glasses on but just for comfort, it helps.

 

Burlap comes in several colors as well. I really am interested in the Oyster color.

But this is the natural. One of my dreams is to teach locally to school -age children how to cross stitch on something of this nature and providing it as a kit. One day.

 

You could also stitch this on 40 count on fine linen and make a small with it to make a nice smal pincushion, or tiny frame.

 

Different mediums, provide different results.

 

 

 

If you see where I have the top needle crossing, I counted my flower border and it stops here. One stitch short of the wood border. Whew!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

So off to stitching I go to finish this border. This will be awesome in my country kitchen or on the wall of the screened back porch. I chose the colors for my own decor and inspired by some flowers that literally took over in the woods one year.

 

 The situation was that I weeded out so many plants in the plant section of my yard, until I really didn't know what I was throwing over into the other side of the dirt drive in the woods. I just knew I wanted it clean. I wanted it back to the start so I could plant what I wanted to.

 

Well, the next year across the dirt road, Hydrangeas took root from this evidently and because in that spot, it had the sunlight (the right conditions), they have bloomed every year and the bush gets larger and larger. The root had been over in the flower section and I didn't realize what I was tossing as weeds but in the right sunlight, then it began to show it's beauty.

 

I learned a lesson from this that we, are not unlike flowers, and will bloom the best in the perfect conditions. Life is not perfect but we certainly can try to surround ourselves with love, honesty, kindness, and "the right sunlight" in order to bloom our best! We can weed out those that try to pull us down, prevent us from growing or threaten our very existance, almost like parasites. Those weeds have to go.

 

Each year, these blue blooms in the midle of nowhere, that took root totally on its own, provide our homestead with many blossoms for vases. I do nothing to them. They grow on their own this way now.

 

 

 

Purl of Wisdom~~~ Bloom Where You are Planted. Surround yourself with lots of good environmental elements and lots of sunshine (positive) and weed out the people, places, things, etc. that prevent or hold you back from shining the way you were intended.

 

Things that help me "bloom" are:

 

a cup of hot tea in a special tea pot

 

the aroma of dried tea in many tastes

 

books, old and new, especially old ones

 

stitching of all kind

 

knitting

 

attending church to understand the Word

 

my dear husband's Christian love and committment

 

writing

 

taking care of Abbie, my sweet girl

 

reading the Bible

 

helping people in my job to help themselves

 

resting in the chaise after a long day

 

surrounding myself with good frendships, the kind that love unconditionally

 

living in the mountains and enjoying nature

 

Simple Living

 

Weeding out Chaos and unloving folks

 

 

I am fortunate to have many. I hope you have a great day and if only one thing to do in your schedule of busy Mondays, do something that helps you grow.

 Reach for the Son.

 

Till later,

Jennifer