No Baby Blues in Knitting

Knitting has so many health benefits! I spent some time researching articles on studies that have been done on knitting. I'm sure they would apply to any needlework, including cross stitching, where repetative motion actually puts the brain in a meditative state. They compared it to equal benefits of meditaton, prayer, and yoga.

The benefits include:

• reduced stress hormones
• reduced blood pressure
• increase in serotonin (the happy hormone)
• increase in dopamine ( the hormone low in addictions like smoking)
• a 30-50% increase in memory retention as we age
• relieves arthritis in the hands by limbering the joints
• increases socialization if you participate with other knitters in a group
• increases self-esteem by finishing and accomplishing a project
• reduces pain and useful in pain management/chronic pain
• decreases risks for depression
• decreases risks for anxiety disorders

So whatever your mood for needlework, whether, knitting, cross stitching, quilting, or any repetative needle art----pick up some needles and go!!! It's a holistic approach to many good things for your body and mind.

I've been working on designing 2 cross stitch designs this week and those are finished. Yay! I just need to model stitch them. I have pulled threads and also some fabbie for finishing.

I've almost completed a project set of baby washcloths for a friend that is having a boy. I am using I LOVE this Cotton yarn which is found only at Hobby Lobby. It's their brand and it's the softest 100% cotton I've stitched with.

Here are few pics of my set of three. One is a plain garter cloth, the next is basketweave stitch (my first try on this one) and a pattern in Ravelry (free) called Revenge. I do not like the name of the pattern at all but the picture is pretty for an eyelet washcloth.

These are small, of course, for a prescious little baby boy due in 3 weeks for a friend of mine.

I also picked up at a thrift store for almost nothing, a small baby boy picture frame in blues to cross stitch a 2 x 3 design of something I have yet to decide but will design.

The color almost looks green in these pics but the colorway is Aqua.

This last one is the first time I've tried this pattern and I'm hoping it will go well.

 

On the homefront, I have found, that a sink full of water with Pinesol will actually clean copper like you haven't ever seen before if you soak it overnight. You can see the difference. I love finding ways like this to save money.

 

 

 

The old tea kettle is singing quite a bit at the homestead as we both love hot tea. Earl Grey is our favorite. Especially I love Twinnings decaf. Mr. Darcy loves robust Earl Grey in regular caffeine.

 

My progress is just a little but a little counts, on the Blackbird Design pincushion (Reward of Merit) Bluebird, is here:

 

 

So, just a little bit more and I can start finishing it with a pretty Confederate fabbie I have in my stash cabinet of fat quarters and rummaging through my oldest of buttons to place under the first flower at the bottom of the design. I can't wait to finish this one as well!

 

Jennifer Holcombe gifted me with the thread, Crescent Colors Belle Soie, Blue Lagoon, the linen, a beautiful mother of pearl thread holder, the Love scissors and pattern a long time back.

I'm so happy working on this Bluebird!!!!

 

We have had alot of rain in the mountains here. The good things are that that the temps have been much lower for July but I was SOOOOO glad to see sunshine this week.

We've had 3 sunny days now!

Interesting because I had a routine eye appointment for glaucoma check and my eyes were dilated so much that I was seeing double for 9 hours. That's the longest I've ever had the dilation to last on my exams; however, I'm blessed to be able to see a good eye doctor and glad to say no progression of my glaucoma but cataracts have worsened so this changed my prescriptive glasses. I was so happy Mr. Darcy went with me to drive home this time as it was the first day of bright sunshine!! But, again, he is my sunshine!

 

I just pray and thank God I can see every day because I love to read, stitch, knit and I'm glad my eye drops are working well. It's funny how I took vision for granted until I found out my diagnosis. I'm blessed and thankful for the staff where I go as they are so kind to me, understanding, and explain things well.

 

On the reading front, I just started reading a VERY old book, published in 1954 and written by Irving Stone. The name?  Love is Eternal. A novel about Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln. For 25 cents for a hardback copy, I can't complain. I love my Kindle but when I find a good old book, there's something about reading the yellowed pages that make it better. I'm a sucker for non-fiction old books.

 

Purl of Wisdom:  Keep stitching. It's good for your health and whatever life is presenting to you as struggles will be eased soon with the rhythmic nature of needlework. We help ourselves in order to help others, which is as beautiful as the design our life is making.

 

What's the New Year Bringing

Well, the New Year came swiftly and schedules are back on track. I've so much to clean up and organize that it's not funny. There have been some really cold mornings in these mountains this week and even though the sun is shining brightly today, rain is headed our way tonight and tomorrow.

 

Mr. Darcy had a good birthday and at least I did get his scarf made in time. We had a couple of nights where we toasted marshmellows in the fireplace stove and YUMMY, I tell you. Yummy.

 

The wood burning stove is keeping the homestead quite warm and toasty and the hum of the blower frequently woos me to sleep early on these long cold nights.

 

I'm ready for some SNOW! Seriously. Ready to make a snowman or two and snow angels! I do hope we get some this year. The thermals are ready!

 

I critiqued the Downton Abbey sampler so much until I had to just stop and say, ENOUGH! LOL

I was going to use the Sullivan threads but now have changed directions with overdyeds which I will have to order. I decided the overdyed sampler threads would look SO much better as this sampler is quite large.

 

Here's a peak:

This is the first printing of Downton Abbey~~~the Family sampler. This copy will go to Jolene as part of the Christmas Giveaway. I really enjoyed working on this for hours and hours and I'm sure this is the first of many smaller of ones I am working on now for DA.

This is the general finished look. I have yet to model stitch this one but I am going to start THIS weekend. Promise. The size finishes to 10 x 15. I  added some specialty stitches as well.

So stay-tuned for copies to go on sale soon as Mr. Darcy helps me get my office in gear to print and manage mailing and such.

There are rich golds, greens, blues, reds, pinks and lavender shades. I can't wait to start the model stitching.

Speaking of Abbie......................

here she is. Herself. Watching me take pics of my knitting and designing this morning.

She is simply the sweetest lover of all computers that generate heat from a fan and lover of all things pork, i.e bacon.

(she also is begging with her eyes for some cheese and crackers I'm snacking on)

 

 

In the knitting chair, I had to frog ALL of the Mixed Berries scarf I'm making for a friend I work with and start all over. I simply had to.

 

The green is really a 3/4 hank I had leftover from something else and I started out making a Kindle cover with wooden buttons to close; however I cast on WAY to many stitches for that and will simply make a carrying back for my cross stitching stash. I will still use the wooden buttons.

 

I am still planning on making a Kindle cover but in another color in the future.

 

So much stitching and so many hours in a day..................

 

 

I'm still practicing the garter stitch and haven't ventured into new things but I have watched many U-tube videos and learned several things.

 

Well, off to get the house in order and plan what we are having for supper tonight.

 

Remember that song back in the 80's Things that Make You Go Hmmmmmmmm???? :p

 

That's what supper tonight is doing for me right now.

Spaghetti, however, is really sounding like a simple make and tonight I need simple.

 

I did see a new recipe which is simple for Cheese biscuits that I might try. I think Mr. Darcy would love those.

 

Cuddling by the fireplace with Abbie and hot tea,

Jennifer

Mary Todd Lincoln in Progress

I got up bright and early this morning, started the wood stove and made some coffee. Read alot and decided to finish up a design, Mary Todd Lincoln, to match with the sillouhette of Abe that I posted earlier.

  I tried to adjust Abe's sillouette a bit by adding his first initial in the left upper corner but my computer will not let me transfer this new one right now. I have no idea why but if you want to add an A to his that would be good to have them facing each other in 2 black or dark brown wood frames.

 

These should be quickies. Since I'm flying by the seat of my pants this week, I have many projects to work on, XXXXXX my fingers to finish Abe and onto Mary.

 

I really wanted oval black frames. I'm going thrifting today so I might find some.

 

 

If you remember the posting about Mary Lincoln, the book I recommended is quite old. You might be able to find it at the library, It's called  Mary Lincoln: Biography of a Marriage by Ruther Painter Randall. If you are interested in history or the Lincolns, this book is supposed to fill you in on untold stories and the REAL Mary and Abe as found in safety box letters.

The book was published in 1953 and is really good.

 

here is his:

 

 

 

 

Happy stitchin'

Jennifer

Silhouettes in Needleart ~~~a shadow

Silhouettes

 I'm really into those lately. To me, they are an interesting way of expressing the artsy side of needleart and not too hard to stitch up as it being monochromatic. Black thread seemed to be the vintage style and I"ve seen many of the old ones done in black in antique places.

It's really a shadow. Of a person. Whose identity is vague. However, there are particulars that create shadows particular to the person and this is what is the most intriguing in designing one.

I hope your weekend is full of light, and not shadows, even though shadows is when we look inward so no one can see the details of our facial expression, our pain, our memories.  Just a shadow.

Till later,

Jennifer

A special sampler in memory of Grace

I want to send out many, many positive thoughts to readers for the best 2012 possible! 

 I know that this past year in review helped me see that true light shines after the rain. I couldn't have spent a better New Year's Eve this year and so looking forward to this year. I have a big smile on my face for many reasons.

God has been so good to me this year even through the ups and downs and I have faith He will continue to be there through all times. I can testify that He puts together a beautiful plan and knows exactly the right time to reveal it.

About this time of year, I always think of my Mama Grace, yes, that's what I called my grandmother that meant the world to me as a little child. She was probably one of the best mentors I had as a very young girl. She instilled in me faith in God, beauty of nature, creativity, joy, music, love, and encouragement.

She had a way with me that I can't even explain, but persisted after her early death in her mid 50's.

She never looked like the typical grandma and had the persistence and grace that I always dreamed to have growing up.

In fact, her name was Grace and she indeed, filled that name well.

She was born and died in the month of December. I'll never forget when I was asleep on Dec 31st, my mother gently brushed my hair back from my sleepy face in bed while the early, early morning was dark and told me, "honey, Mama Grace went to heaven during the night". We had expected it at some point because she had a malignant brain tumor that was caught very late. I watched her go from an energetic woman to a frail, head-shaven, sickly woman in 3 months time. Even though expected, I cried so hard because the world was different after that and my mom was sad to watch her go as well.

I have only good memories of her. I can't think of one moment I would change.

Have you had people close in your life that made such a difference early on?

Do you hold them close in your heart?

I designed something last year for her and then this past week I sat down and let me heart flow again in her memory for another sampler in her honor and memory.

I learned through her, that even through cold, dark Winters, there are some special flowers that still bloom and remain beautiful.

Amazing Grace

designed by Jennifer A Dalenberg

copyright 2012 Feathers in the Nest

 

 

I would so appreciate it and if you do stitch up, send me a pic at

jennifer.dalenberg@yahoo.com

and I will display your finish here

Colors and linen of your choice but I suggest:

Gentle Art Deep Sea--darker blue

Gentle Art Huckleberry (lighter, brighter blue)

Gentle Art Strawbonnet (face and hands)

Gentle Art Dark Chocolate --dark brown

Gentle Art Oatmeal (light whiter color blocked around GRACE)

Crescent Colors Frozen Margarita--lighter green

Crescent Colors Weeping Willow

Crescent Colors Heatherleigh (light purple)

Crescent Colors Pansy Purple

DMC 746 off white

DMC 743 gold

I may start on this one soon. I've been so blessed this week that I'm giddy. :)

Amazine Grace,

Jennifer

Abbie's Christmas Ornie 2011

2011 Abbie's Christmas Ornie

designed by Feathers in the Nest

copyright 2011

The white on Abbie really is very hard to read unless you click on the graph to enlarge.

If you have a furbaby, you can substitute his/her name for this year's ornie!

Use fibers and linen of your choice. The 2 hearts represent her age and peace this year means so much to both of us, it had to be included in this simple ornie.

To bed at 8pm last night, with flu symptoms and woke at 3am like I had not had a flu shot at all and I did 2 weeks ago. This too will pass.

Welcome to all new readers!  Hope your week is going well.

Jennifer

Ok So What I brought back from a short trip to Williamsburg!!!!

Because I'm a bit spoiled like Miss Abbie, I brought back a few things I drooled over for stitching purposes.

This book has many of the colonial houses at Williamsburg that I can "visit" when I have the time and also tells the history, design, details, etc. that I couldn't fit in an 8 hour trip.

I still haven't read it yet but it's awesome full of pics. My designing mind wants to know!

I just can't wait to delve into this book and simmer into it's stories with a cup of Earl Grey tea.

isn't this beautiful?

Like I needed another sampler to stitch.....LOL  anyways, I wanted this one The Ann Hill sampler

the history of it.

included the floss and 35 ct linen

absolutely gorgeous colors which would go on our sampler wall in the master bedroom.

with 35 ct linen, antique ivory. I should have taken out of the plastic but this is fresh out of the suitcase!

I did a full happy dance when I saw this smaller floor cloth!  I LOVED IT!

The colors in our Dutch colonial home are sooooooo pretty! and I knew this was the spot to put it.

If you've never seen a floorcloth, it's actually like a piece of canvas and very durable. I have one in front of the fireplace, and it's withstood 2 winters so far without any scratches with walking on it and building fires.

They are gorgeous! This is actually a placemat size but I just got one because I knew exactly I wanted this on the sofa table.

and my most fave treat is this pincushion. I couldn't decide on which one to get as they had many ones to choose from. I almost chose the delft blues but decided I wanted this one better, besides it had pins in it!!!!

yep, this just fit with Feathers in the Nest very well.

I got a couple of other things as gifts for others but these are my favorite things from the Williamsburg short trip we took. I hope we go back one day and get to visit the other museums and buildings and I believe that we will in time.

Miss Abbie was so glad to see us. She dug right into a piece of pizza when we came back and slept soundly in the laundry pile all day.

she's a bit ready for play her on her snack mat, we call it, under my stitching chair. She has her fave treat, the sweet potato treat in her "paws".

brushed and groomed a bit today. She was pretty rough-looking when she came home...LOL

She loves to drag her blanket to the stitching chair.

But I haven't been in it today. Too much to do.

I tried to put bows on her after brushing but she doesn't like them and this was taken a few minutes before shaking and flinging them in mid-air.......

And praise the Lord, I found my "close up" glasses when we got home. OMG, I had to get readers again and what a difference as one eye is different than the other.  I was in a "tizzy" before I left and couldn't find them at the last minute, but finally did when we came back.....thank you, Lord!

and here is some progress on a design I'm making called "Follow Your Heart".

Methinks I have too many going on at one time.....stitching ADHD

I still have some pics from the Quilting section of the museum.....but later......

nite,

Jennifer

An Old Fashioned Easter sampler

 

An Old Fashioned Easter

designed by Feathers in the Nest

copyright 2011

suggested colors are:

WDW Teal Frost---Easter and basket

WDW Hickory--inside basket

WDW--Harvest--wording, An Old-Fashioned

CC Heatherleigh-very light lavender--egg

CC Blue Beadboard--egg and tulip

CC Little Pink Peony--Abigails initials (or your choice) and 1 egg

CC Dandelien Stem-darker green egg in basket

CC Frozen Margarita--grass, egg in basket and tulip stems, leaves

CC Purple Toile--darker purple egg in basket and outside basket

CC Secondhand Rose--egg outside basket

CC Antique Lace--lightest pink Egg on grass

CC Finley Gold--crosses and yellow eggs

Hope this brightens your Saturday morning for a quick stitch and using your imagination with it!

fabric suggested is Antique white linen of your choice count

Sunday snow is coming, yes, in the south. Let it SNOW!

Abigail Rennee

is hoping for more snow

while she is dozing by the fireplace

and visions of snowflakes dance in her head

She has her inside jacket that says, "Baby, it's COLD outside!" over her T today.

Watching Bodyguard take wood back and forth to the fireplace,

then she settles back down for a short little nap

before time to play.

Me?  I just designed a sampler with this inspiration and anticipation of the snow tonight!

When I first woke up at 8am, and looked out the window at the snow dusting, I was as happy as a child of about eight.

Oh, yeah, bring it on, more, more, MORE>

It was frosty enough for a cup of hot tea I had stashed away from our Boston trip this year.

And it is the LEADED kind. I usually drink decaf, but no coffee in the pantry.

I plopped a few Cranberry and Holly scented tart melts in the warmer to get the house cozy.

and looked at my towels I have placed in the old wood bowl and was even in the mood more for snowy weather.

I put out a pillowkeep I made last year. The design is from The Sampler Girl.

The quilted angel, the snow sampler, and some sprigs of lavender all made the morning calmer.

Abbie just became one with the sofa cushions while I did a little dabbling with designing snowflakes this morning.

I promise to share tomorrow, hopefully with some snow pictures as we are supposed to get the snow mostly tonight! 

The word.   SNOW. 

 Snow.

 Fireplace burning.

 Cranberry and Holly scent.

 A warm, cute puppy.

 Snow stitching and designing all day.

Long Janes all day.

Hot tea.

Now, that's what I call a perfect day.

Ole Christmas Spirit 1855 sampler

Good afternoon, friends. It's been a short weekend.....so much to do, too little time but enjoying every bit of it. We've enjoyed our fireplace immensely and now Miss Abigail is drying by the fire after her bath. She is fluffed, conditioned and given a treat! ;)

She loves the fireplace as well as me and BG. As I pick up and clean the house today, I am bringing out a few Christmas things already. Have to take advantage of the spirit when it comes. :)

Late last night, I stayed up to design a freebie for you to stitch into an ornie. I hope I have the time to stitch a model of this one because I like it alot. I have a remnant of 30 ct Coconut Macaroon which I plan to stitch mine on  but any fabric of your choice is fine.

 Just remember, not to be sold or kitted and please give credit to Feathers in the Nest!

Old Christmas Spirit 1855 sampler

designed by Feathers in the Nest

copyright 2010

DMC colors

310 black, if desired to outline the candle holder

814 dark garnet

919 copper for flame

729 medium old gold

3011 dark khaki green for foliage and border, date

451 dark shell gray, for pewter candle holder


And remember if using all DMC you may choose to coffee-stain for a vintagey effect after it's stitched.
The size is 92 W x 63 H

This would look cute stitched up as an ornie to sit by your favorite Christmas candle or give as a gift with a candle to a friend.

Enjoy!

Inspirational Color for Abigail's Christmas Sampler

Brasstown Bald mountain is the highest peak in Georgia and at the tower, you can walk in a circle and see the tips of 4 states, including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennesee.

Before my computer took a major crash, I thought I had lost all data but just got my computer back this afternoon and had to share our last weekend visit with you. It's not far from our house.

 I also took a few videos with my camera and this was the first time I learned how to do that. 


If you love the mountains like we do, you will like to see these pics!

The leaves had peaked in the valley and as you will see, the pics on top of Brasstown Bald Mountain, all the trees are bare.

on the drive up to Brasstown, patchy color left on the road.

It was a cloudless, beautiful, sunny day.

The kind of day to go up to the top of Brasstown Bald Mountain.

Here I am standing in the parking lot and you can see the lookout tower at the top.

They give you the option to hike up the steep, steep .6 mile which really feels like 6 miles,  or a van will drive you up there.

Years ago, I hiked but today we took the van.

a close up view of the tower, you will later see in the pics.....

The season just closed the other half of the tower which holds a museum of local memorabilia and a great educational spot for kids and adults. Only the tower at the top to walk around was open.

Another reason I like the van better.

For the past 10 years at least, the same driver has been here. He is very cheerful and loves his job!

He dropped us off here and up to the tower.

I love to walk along the rails.

Body Guard stands back a bit. I don't mind going to the edge of heights but he is a bit reserved and prefers to profile the visitors there instead. LOL

This is the breathtaking view.

I love the edge.

and around and around we go.

This is actually Lake Chatuge and Hawaissee, Georgia in the background.

Looking up.......I love you to the moon and back.

It was quite a windy day but it did renew my spirit to be on top of the mountain.

The natural elements grounded me.

It reminded me that things that look so big, can really be so small. This is the parking lot, so very small now, where we were parked earlier.

And the Van Man came back every 20-30 minutes to pick up those waiting at the bottom of the tower.

Here is Moi looking up at my hubbie playing around while we waited for the van.

And in walking distance from our home, was this one beautiful red, brilliant red tree.

I hopped out of the car to take some pics and enjoy the color.

Another reminder that there are at least one or two spots of breath-taking beauty, even in the valleys.

I picked one of the many flowers in our yard that was blooming and put two contrasting colors with a bud, in a tea cup.

the colors inspired me to start designing Abigail's Christmas Sampler. Here's a sneak peak!

And Miss Abbie herself, is pleased with the sampler so far!  ;)

She is my constant lapanion........a companion in the lap.

Till later,

Jennifer