Apples , Apples , and More Apples- Fall Hutch Tour

Good morning, Sweet Peas and Happy Happy Monday!   Gosh, here I go again  filling my hutch brim to brim with good ole country clutter.

Do you think you are up to a country clutter tour today? I promise, I have some sweet treats in the kitchen to entice you to join me ? 😀😂Aaah come on!  I know it is not for everyone, but I am maximalist and love what most people call "junk". 

Let's see ! We have Banana Nut Bread for our  munching pleasures. Now that sounds yummy doesn't it?  Please now don't be shy. Grab you a plate and a mug of coffee . Or would you prefer a cold glass of sweet tea?  

Last year I decorated my hutch in the apple theme after seeing a glorious stepback cabinet in an antique store decorated in all things red and apple related .  That image is burned into my memory. 

If you missed last year's hutch tour click here.

2023's An Apple a Day Hutch display

So again I decided to pull out all of the stops and enjoy my apple pieces.  A lot of these things you have seen before. I just rearrange them . Some things in fact stay on the hutch year round. 

In the corner is my Nanny's vintage red coffee canister. It looks pretty crusty, but it was well loved and used. Nanny kept some of her recipes in it .  I found a small canister last year for a dollar to pair with Nanny's . 

My newest thrifty find is the 1950 Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book . It is falling apart, but I think it is nifty and well loved.  I found it on the World's Longest Yard Sale last month. 

Earlier this year I found my first piece of Watt's pottery for $6. 00 in Louisiana. I was jumping for joy and though it is not an apple piece, I had to include it on my hutch. 

The 2nd shelf is just as full as the top. Oh, before we go on, please ignore any dust bunnies that may be peeking out. 👯I have dusted ,but they seem to always reappear. 

A vintage bowl , a precious tin and strawberry jam- just treasures that make me smile. 

The vintage red glasses were another  thrifty find from the World's Longest Yard Sale this year.  I believe I found those in Georgia. 

Apples, Apples and more apples are crammed on the bottom shelf. 

Have you seen the Dolly Parton decor at the Dollar General? I had to have her cookie jar.  Sshh don't tell anyone I have a cookie jar obsession. Hee! Hee!   🍎🍪😂

My sweet friends have made my apple hutch possible too.  Like sweet Stacy who gifted me the vintage apple ornaments that are scattered throughout. 🍎🍏

And  dear Shelly who gifted me the "apple cider " rolling pin. 🍎🍏

 

As well as  dear Karen, who gifted me the precious Apple Pie dish .🍎🍏  ( Oh yes , pie dishes are another obsession, but we won't talk about that right now. Hee! Hee! )😅

😲 Hey, did I hear someone whisper , "What is she not obsessed with? "  Hee! Hee! Well you are right. LOL. I am a collector/ hoarder at heart. 😀😁❤🤪

The bottom shelf has a hodge podge of apple items and recent finds like the tins, pitcher and wooden rolling pin.  Little salt and pepper shakers which were gifts from my sis are scattered throughout.  Amy loved thrifting as well. And would often come rolling into my driveway to show me her recent finds. Such sweet memories. 

I did include one stitch which is STAMP 1 - A BASKET OF APPLES

Well,Sweeties, that is my Apple shelf in a pie shell!    That was a lot to take in wasn't it? 🧐   Is your head spinning and your eyes crossed?😵💫 LOL  What do you think? Should I rock the apple cart and try to squeeze one more apple piece on it?  I am sure I can find an inch somewhere. Lol. 

Pumpkins will be rolling in to replace the apples next.   I do look forward to changing things out again. 

 

Little Quaker Pumpkin is a freebie on the Stitchy Fish Designs blog in the September 12, 2016 post and the little pumpkins and gourds was a freebie. Do you know who the designer is? My memory escapes me. 

I really appreciate you joining me today. I can not tell you how much you mean to me.  In fact, you are the apple to my pie! 

Have a beautiful day and  ...

As always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

Thank you for the sweet visit. 

You can count the seeds in an apple, but  can not the apples in a seed.  

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy who enjoyed climbing apples trees and was the apple of our family's eye . Love and miss you, Amo. 

My newest house start is Winter at Pine Berry Lane. I am stitching a quilt of snow right now. 

 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 needleworkers to meet. 

Joy at Days Filled with Joy for Home Matters

This and That Sunday

 Happy Sunday , Pumpkins! Please do come in and join me for a bit of this and that. 

            🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂

The other day I was looking though my old Country Living magazines. I loved the 1980's early 1990's decor. How about you?   Here are a few pages from a 1988 magazine.  These fall tablescapes make my heart go thumpity thump! ❤💓💖💓❤

This table has a pretty quilt top on it. 

I adore everything about this kitchen!  Mmm that braided rug. 🤗

I guess I should get my head out of the clouds of dreaming of pretty country kitchens and talk about stitching. 

Image from Pinterest. 

All week long my sewing machine has been humming and buzzing along creating lots of pretty 16 patches. 

I hope to finish piecing the blocks this week and then figure out the layout.

🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂

Baby Girl says "Hi!"  She is one of the baby strays that was born this year. 

Later today I will finish this wee pumpkin stitch and...

A Pumpkin and A Crow in the works. 

A new house stitch is under construction. But the work yard is being over taken by a turkey and her plump pumpkins. Oh bother! 

Monday night the grandsons played baseball. As I cheered along the sidelines, I also completed the embroidery work on Harvest Season. 

Being the thrifty gal that I am , I gathered up bits and pieces of bating to piece together. 

Piecing batting together. 

I whipped stitched the scrap batting together. 

Whip stitching batting scraps together. 

And chose the same Cranston print fabric that I used in A Leafy Mug Rug that I shared yesterday for the backing.

 

Now Harvest Season is ready for the hoop.  I will be working on it today and tomorrow. 

Well , Sweeties, I will leave you with the most darling sewing project of all!!! My grandsons and nephews spent the night over the weekend and my oldest made his own pincushion using 2 1/2" scraps. He then glued the corners into a little bowl. - just precious! 

My grandson made this darling pincushion. 

Have a super duper day! And ...

As always,

Happy Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

"Today I will be happy, be mindful, be grateful."

Hugs and Stitches!!! 🤗🧵

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy. I miss and love you so much.   ❤👼

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.

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  

Leafy Table Scrap Challenge

 Red , yellow , orange and brown

 Leaves falling  to the ground

Whispering softly  Autumn is here

Cooler weather and Autumn's cheer- MV

 Have you started yet?   Started raking leaves ? No, we haven't ,but they are tumbling to the ground especially after the rain that came down this weekend.  We did not lose any trees here in the holler, but on the farm, one cedar tree and an old pear tree came tumbling down from the winds. 

Happy  Friday evening, y'all and welcome. 

 My newest Campbell's mug that I found in north TN at a thrift shop. 

  It has been a spell since I have participated in Joy's  Tablescrap Challenge at The Joyful Quilter, but as soon as I saw her theme , I decided to jump in with both feet with a wee mug rug. 

 Of course, I used the "dark" colors " as Angela has suggested for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for the month of September. This was an easy peasy  quilt to piece using leftover strips as I pieced my autumn 16 patch. 

 I mostly worked with 2" strips for the mug rug. 

 A few of the logs in the mug rug use leaf fabric.

 The backing is a  print by Cranston that I bought this summer on the World's Longest Yard Sale for pennies. 

More 16 patches have been constructed.  More on this quilt in progress in a future post. 

Alrighty Sweeties, this is just a quick drop in. I had hoped to post earlier, but it was one of those lazy daisy days. Hee! Hee! 

Have a wonderful and restful evening and ...

As always,

Happy Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

"Be leaf in yourself."🍁🍂🍁

Hugs and Stitches!!! 🤗🧵

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy. I miss and love you so much.   ❤👼

Eeeh ! Another red house in the works! I began this stitch last night. Fingers crossed my borders will meet. 

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.

Nina at Creations, Quilts, Art , Whatever by Nina for Off the Wall Friday

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday

Finishing "Blessed" Into a Pillow

  Good afternoon, y'all.  Earlier today , I posted the Blessed - 5 year IG Anniversary chart, and I thought I would share I how I finished it. 

 This post has a lot of photos so I do apologize. 

Now I am no expert on finishing and some of you may cringe on my finishing techniques, but  I figure it is better done than sitting in a basket of shame. Don't you? Hee ! Hee! So please, oh please do not call the CSFP on me that is the Cross Stitch Finishing Police .👮🚓🚨 If you do , I promise I will run to the hills with needle and thread in hand🏃🪡🧵. Hee! Hee! 

First, I trimmed my Blessed stitch piece to 2 6/8" x 5". I know that is a strange measurement, but I play "chicken" with my edges and have the tendency to give myself little margin because I try to conserve fabric. Anywhoo... 

I then cut  5  - 1 1/2"x 3 1/2" strips of fabric to work with. 

Trimmed  cross stitch piece and cut strips for finishing. 

I pieced the strips using a 1/4" seam allowance,  and then sewed those strips to the stitched piece.  I then squared up the piece by trimming. 

The strips are sewn. I am fixing to sew the stitched piece to the strips 

I pinned a bit of crocheted lace in place along seam line and sewed a tacking stitch down on each side. 

Pinning the crocheted lace in place along seam line. 

Tacking the lace near the edges of the stitched piece. 

After looking at my piece , I decided to trim a tad off the bottom.

I trimmed mine so my piece would measure 5" squared. 

I measured my stitched piece to determine size of backing (measurements may vary for your piece  depending how much you trim and your seam allowance). Mine measured 5 " squared.  

Measuring my piece and squaring it up. 

I cut 2 pieces of fusible interfacing like PF 44   5" squared (one for stitched piece and one for backing) 

I cut the fusible webbing, backing and muslin . 

I cut my backing fabric slightly larger than my stitched piece. 

I also cut a piece of white muslin about 5 1/4' . ( This is a tip that I saw on Vonna Pfieffer's video). 

Follow manufacturer's instructions and adhere fusible to back of stitched piece and to the back of the backing fabric. 

Adhered fusible to stitched piece and another to backing fabric .

Layer white muslin on the back of the stitched piece . Trim any excess white fabric off.  

Pin muslin in place. 

Muslin pinned in place

Placing right sides together , sandwich stitched piece and backing fabric.  I add extra pins.. 

Pinned and ready to sew. 

I used  a 1/ 4" seam allowance and backstitched at the corners.  I completely sew off the edge of the fabric . Lift the presser foot turn the fabric and begin at the edge. 

Sew off the edge and backstitch corners. 

I left a 2" opening along the seam line. Sometimes I leave the "stuffing opening in the seam line; sometimes I make a small hole  in the backing fabric after I have sewn all the way around ( that is a preference choice and is totally up to you ) 

Trim excess backing off of the pillow form and clip the corners to reduce bulk.

Trimmed and corners clipped .

Press seams open. 

Press seams open.

Turn inside out . Using your chopstick. Smooth out seams inside pillow form. 

Turn inside out and smooth out seams and corners. 

Stuff with preferred stuffing.  I pull my polyfil apart and then stuff it tightly small bits at a time pushing it with my fingers and chopsticks. Stuff until it is at the tightness that you prefer. 

Filling pillow with polyfil.

Once stuffed bring seams together and pin closed.  On this piece , I used tan cotton thread to blind stitch and close the opening. Sink your knot into the fabric and take tiny stitches along the seams. Sink your ending knot into the pillow and pull the string out the backing and clip. 

Pin seam together and whip stitch closed. 

Once I have finished my pillow, I like to turn my pillow over , spritz it with water and press my pillow with an iron slightly. This is a personal preference for a flatter look that I prefer.  -Again that's just a personal preference. 

Wahlah!  Your pillow is finished. 

Wheew , I do not hear any sirens yet!  Do  you think I did ok on finishing this little jewel? I  sure hope so.  When I finish a pillow  , I always think about my Nanny who was a doll maker and a wonderful seamstress. I hope I did her proud . I am always inspired by her many finishes that I own and treasure. 

 I also  invite you to visit these wonderful ladies who are amazing finishers and who share their techniques on Youtube.    Vonna Pfeiffer and  Helen D. .

Thank you for taking the time to see how I finished my little pillow. 

As always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"It takes good effort to begin  and great effort to complete a task." 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy. I love and miss you so much.❤❤👼  You were and still are a blessing in my life. 

Thank you for the sweet visit.