Rainshowers, Stitching and Pink Lemonade - A Summer Stamp Freebie

Good evening, sweet friends. I am sorry about missing my early morning post for the Summer Stamp SAL, but with the rains, we have had downed trees. But more on that later.

☔☔☔☔☔☔☔☔☔☔☔☔☔☔☔☔☔

You were right! You said that when I cleaned up the avalanche of fabric that came tumbling down last week that I would find some forgotten projects to work on. 

Late Sunday evening, I bustled into the quilt room determined to wrangle that "mess" into submission.

 Soon Mrs. M. ( my oldest daughter) peeked into the room. "Holy Cow what is going on here?" she said in dismay. 

"I escaped within an inch of my life as the fabric totes fell, " I laughed. 

Mrs. M. eyed the situation and shook her head.  It wasn't long after that  she and I retreated from the "avalanche room" to  visit with one another. 

Later, I returned and whipped the wild and woolly fabrics back into their totes. Several projects pranced forward  like little neighing fillies begging for my attention. I just scooped them aside and took them into the living room to study later. Two of which were Winter Checklist...

 and... low and behold , I found more wee four patches ripe for the picking and ready to be made into a teeny quilt. 

 A little stack of 4 patches ready to be made into a small quilt. 

On Monday, Mr. Pinker and I woke up early and began cooking for the Memorial Day cookout. Hamburgers, hot dogs , cornbread salad and all of the fixings . Yum Yum.😋 

By 12: 30 most of the family was here. "Where's everybody at? " I inquired. 

"Well you know, here and there and everywhere, " one family member sighed. 

"Busy, busy , busy, " I replied. Gone are the days of large family gatherings as everyone is pulled in one direction or the other, but that is alright we had a good gathering , we had loads of  fun and we stuffed ourselves full until we our bellies were as tight as ticks.

 

The boys went outside to play. Meanwhile the adults  sat back, watched TV and chatted until it was "nap time" . LOL.  Then slowly , the family sauntered home for their own recliners and couches. 😁

"I am going to go work in the garden, " I declared to Mr. Pinker after everyone left. 

"Whoa there, Nelly! " exclaimed Mr. Pinker. "Don't you hear that? The pitter patter of rain." 

I worked on Melva's Prairie Rose Block. 

"Aaw shucks, " I sighed "Well I am going to go sew. " And with that I headed to the sewing machine where I spent most of the afternoon. That is until the electricity went off. "Oh bother!  Grumble! Grumble! What am I to do now?" Well I sat and sat and sat.  With nothing else to do I  finally headed to bed for a restless night's sleep.

The electricity was off for hours. Trees had fallen in the holler knocking out power. When it did come on, we found out that we did not have cable/ Internet service either. Uggh ! Grumble! Grumble again! The cable line and box was smashed to smithereens from the fallen trees, and the cable line is currently lying in the road for all passersby to run over . Hopefully, the service will be returned tomorrow, but we shall see. 

By late night fall, Mr. Pinker figured out that I could use the Hot Spot on my phone and connect it to the computer, but only  for a limited time -just to post.  ( You know limited data and such) 

So here I am , better late than never. Right? Hee! Hee!   

But let's get to today's Summer Stamp SAL shall we. 

What do I like to drink come summertime?  Mmmm... A great big glass of freshly squeezed lemonade. But I opted for pink lemonade in my newest Summer Stamp . 

Of course, if you stitched it, you could make it plain lemonade or maybe a pitcher of  iced tea with lemons. Mmmmm- refreshing. 

Pink Lemonade Stamp was stitched on 14 count Aida. 

 Old Fashioned Pink Lemonade

Servings: 12

9 cups of water

2 cups of white sugar

2 cups of fresh lemon juice

1 cup of chilled cranberry juice

Combine  water ingredients in a large pitcher, stir until sugar dissolves. Serve in tall glasses over ice. 

Pink Lemonade Stamp was stitched with 10 DMC floss colors which includes: DMC 223, 725, 745, 815, 898, 926, 930, 3345, 3346, Blanc. 

🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵

If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵

If you missed any of the previous posts in respect to the Summer Stamp SAL , below is a schedule with links back to the appropriate posts.  

     🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

SUMMER STAMP SCHEDULE

April 2nd  Summer Stamp Introduction

April 7th  Stamp Stamp Border

April 14th Summer Stamp Header

April 21st  Summer Stamp 1 "And the Garden Grows" 

April 28th Summer Stamp 2 Summer Harvest

May 5th  Summer  Stamp 3 Summertime Treat

May 12th  Summer  Stamp 4 Sunflower Strut

May 19th Summer Stamp 5 Summer Quilt Stamp

May 26th Summer Stamp 6 Pink Lemonade

June 2nd Summer Stamp 7

June 9th Summer Stamp 8

June 16th Summer Stamp  9 

June  23rd Bonus Summer Stamp 10

June 27th Final Reveal

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

Alrighty, my sweet friends. I am off to sit in silence and sew. It has been a quiet and somewhat productive day here in the holler with no TV or Internet to lure me away. Hee! Hee! I hope you have had a lovely day as well.  Love ya! 😘

I have a post scheduled for Thursday, but hopefully, I will be back online if the Cable/ Internet is restored. 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day.  "- Winnie the Pooh

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy who loved  the family gatherings. Amy loved to cook, especially bake for the holidays. I can imagine her making patriotic cupcakes for all to enjoy 

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

🌞Parade of Homes 2026- Early 2026 parade of home freebies.

🌞2026 Love Parade- A Parade of Previous Valentine Freebies- Valentine themed stitches up to Feb. 4, 2026.  

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞 A Parade of Stamps 2025  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to August 14, 2025

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

🌞Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Parade Of Previous Freebies- 2025- A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of November 15, 2025. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

🌞A Chilly Parade of Winter Stitches 2025- A parade of Winter themed freebies up to the date of Dec. 21, 2025

I am making progress on Bunny Harvest Roundabout.

Berries, Butterflies and a Doodle- Spring Doodle Freebie

 It is another  beautiful Slow Stitching Sunday.  Yesterday I spent much of the day pulling weeds and working in the garden before the rains came.  I gave myself a good pat on the back for what I accomplished.    

Another peek at Melva's Heart block. I just adore it! 

Once I went inside,  I cut out more background squares for my Berries and Butterflies quilt. 

I need 25 butterflies total and I think I need 40 berries, but I will have to refer back to my notes just to make sure. 

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

Dollar General has little faux wooden strawberries for a dollar. I thought this would make a good finishing piece later on for a stitch. 

The background fabric that I chose for the next batch of butterflies is more of a bubblegum pink. Oooh so pretty. 

So that is what I will be working on today- bookoos of butterflies. Well to be honest , I will be happy to get 1 or 2 butterfly bodies appliqued before I flutter to the next project which will be the   beautiful Hankie Butterfly quilt. 

This quilt top was a gift from dear Susan and  it went into the hoop earlier this month.  I am just in love with this quilt. ❤

This hankie butterfly is so elegant! 

Thank you, sweet Susan for such a precious gift. 🤗

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

A couple of weeks ago , Mom gave me her strawberry apron that she wore while selling strawberries on the farm.  The berries would be sold by 12:00 each day. Many customers would call and preorder just to make sure they could pick up fresh berries. Those were the good old days. I hung Mom's apron on the vintage Hoosier top for the season, but I will be changing out  this apron soon.

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

The other day I bought a vintage apron at the antique shop for $4.00.

 Isn't the vintage fabric so pretty? ❤💚💛

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

Hmm.... What Should I do This Week? 

🌞1.Continue working in the gardens. There is plenty  of weeds to pull and I need to transplant some polka dot plants. ( My new favorite. )

🌞2. Work on Bee Haven Cottage

🌞3.  Work on stitching a new Strawberry Sampler

🌞4.  Piece more Four Patch Fun blocks. 

As I pieced Melva's Heart block earlier this past week , I also worked on Four Patch Fun. 

Two more Four Patch Fun blocks  to add to my growing bath. 

🌞5.  Whatever other mischief I can get into. Now that will not be too hard. Hee!Hee!

 

Yesterday , I shared Bunny's Harvest Roundabout. Well I am still playing catch up on posting the little doodles . So today I wanted to share May Flowers Roundabout.  Over the next few weeks, I will be working on these embroideries, and I will update the posts with photos as I make progress. 

My doodles are hand drawn and are never perfect. ❤

That is what is going on in the holler on this lovely day. What are your slow stitching plans for the day? 

As Always, 

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

Thank you for the sweet visit. 

"A day with needle and thread in hand is a good day.   " 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy. Love and miss you, Amo. 

I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet.

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday

Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday

Kate at Life in Pieces for  Stitching Stuff ( Sunday) 

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework for Oh Scrap - Sunday 

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell- Sunday

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Carol at Quilt Schmilt  for To Do List Tuesday 

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

Amy Lou the Berry Picker 

A Slow Stroll in the Garden and a Roundabout. - A Doodle Freebie

Good morning , sweet friends. Please do come in and join me. The coffee is piping hot. Cream ? Sugar? Or do you like it black? Perhaps some iced tea? I am so happy that you joined me on this very lovely day. It is supposed to rain, but I am not sure if it will or not. We sure do need it. We are already in a drought- it is definitely dry as dust here in the holler. 

I have  enjoyed seeing all of the garden tours in blogland these last few days. It is so interesting to see what is blooming and where. Speaking of gardens , do you mind coming outside with me for a minute to see what is going on this week? We won't stay out to awfully long because it is hot and humid . 

I have been working on The Garden Is My Home. 

The snapdragons still look pretty. This is my 1st year growing them. 

One foxglove bloomed, and I have already snipped the  stalk with spent blooms. I still have not put down the mulch. And yes , there still are weeds. Hee! Hee! 

The day lilies will bloom soon. Ox- eye daisies are peeking beyond the yard art.

My Stella  De Oro Daylilies look mighty poor this year. Usually they put on a spectacular show.  Only a few are blooming. 😏💛

I have added a little bit of dianthus to the garden which is now drooping- like I said it is dry as dust. 

My oldest Annabelle Hydrangea is beginning to bloom. 

I must say I am one happy gardener.  The hummingbirds are happy too. I have a lot of hummers this year. 

Speaking of hummingbirds, when Mr. Pinker and I were in Arizona for the winter we visited the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. Outside of the visitor center was the most unusual but wonderful raised bed with hummingbird feeders. There were hummers all around , but it was hard to get photos of them. 

While we are outside, let's sit on the porch for a minute or two. Shall we?  

Yesterday, I was on the top porch and walked down the steps to the bottom patio. Low and behold a big snake was sunning itself. Yikesters! I screamed as it started up the steps to the next patio. Mr. Pinker shooed it away. It was just a rat snake, but it scared the bejeebers out of me! 😱 Such is the life of living in the forest. 

I have already checked on the porch. No snakes will bother us as we chat. 🐍🐍🐍

Anywhooo.... After 6 years , I finally fully finished "Americana Sampler" by City Stitcher. I just adore it. I think because it is a  red log cabin. 

The grandsons spent the night last night. As we sat and watched movies, I worked on more Roundabout Doodles. I will be playing catch up  on posting  those over the next few days.  

 

So today I would like to share "Bunny's Harvest" . This was supposed to be my April Roundabout, but time got away from me. I will be cutting fabric for this block and begin the  embroidery this weekend.  

My doodles are hand drawn and are never perfect. ❤

I did finish  Welcoming March Roundabout. It was stitched on an 8 1/2" square piece of fabric.  

Previous Roundabouts include:  Frosty Chill Roundabout,  Love Mail Roundabout , and Welcoming March Roundabout Doodle 

Well, I guess we best get in the house and cool off before the rain comes .  Have I talked your ears off? 😀😁 I sure hope not, but it was such a joy that you stopped by and visited me today.   

Remember to do something you enjoy today.❤

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.  "-  Janet Kilburn Phillips

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy 

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

 

 A collection of vintage cards- my latest thrifty find.

Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

🌞Parade of Homes 2026- Early 2026 parade of home freebies.

🌞2026 Love Parade- A Parade of Previous Valentine Freebies- Valentine themed stitches up to Feb. 4, 2026.  

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞 A Parade of Stamps 2025  A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to August 14, 2025

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

🌞Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Parade Of Previous Freebies- 2025- A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of November 15, 2025. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

🌞A Chilly Parade of Winter Stitches 2025- A parade of Winter themed freebies up to the date of Dec. 21, 2025