Summer Farm Hutch Tour

A big howdy doo and welcome, sweetie pies!  It was just a few weeks ago that I shared with you my patriotic hutch. But guess what? I have changed it out into a late summer farm theme. And it is jam packed with country clutter. Now you know I am not a minimalist. 😆  You want to see what all I have crammed on here?

                     

The theme is Farm and Summer time with lots of reds, blues and bits of yellow. 🚜🤠  I love color. Can you tell ?  

Now most of this stuff you have seen before. It comes in and out of the hutch displays.  I kept my red and white buffalo checked shelf runners though you can't see them ,and I also kept the white plates and added in some red Dollar Tree plates. 

There is no stitching on the top shelf.  In one corner is my Pioneer Woman Bless this Home sign. Below it is a watermelon that I painted from a notch of a log that was cut.

 The milk can tin was a Goodwill find many years ago. I placed a cow creamer in the red ceramic truck which is actually a candle.

 In the other corner is a yellow riser stand with another Pioneer Woman sign on it.

 Some yellow prickly floral picks from Walmart and a ceramic milk jug with a chick salt and pepper shaker on top round out this corner.  My sweet friend Sue, gave me the little milk can which I made a sign saying Moo. I love it, Sue; thank you. 

The 2nd shelf is just as full as the top shelf. 

 I left Nanny's red vintage Coffee canister in the corner. I guesstimate it is from the 50's . I wish I had the whole set. Inside of it is some of Nanny's recipes.

 On top of it is a creamer with a chicken ornament and a Pioneer Woman dish with a cow in it. Leftover from the patriotic hutch is the white creamer with the red chicken salt and pepper shaker.

 In the middle is Little House Needlework's "Bessie " which I stitched 2 years ago.

 In the other corner is  a blue pitcher with sunflowers and my Summer Pasture design.  

Now onto the bottom shelf. 

My vintage juicer is just as it was with the red Dollar Tree soup mug and one of Lori Holt's stitch card designs featuring the red tractor. 

I also kept out the stack of white plates but placed my Big Lots cow on it which has lost a horn. 🐮😳 My Summer on the Farm  and Summer Farmhouse  designs are also on the bottom shelf along with some Pioneer Woman barn salt and pepper shakers. 

In the middle is my big rooster bank that I have had close to 20 years. Underneath is a little quilt made from my Life is Better on the Farm. I used some of my girl's clothing to make it. 

             

 On the vintage scales is a beautiful dish towel knitted for me by my dear friend, Tracey. Isn't it gorgeous? I see it displayed in many vignettes in the future.Thank you, Tracey. I love it. 

                   

 On top of it is a gifted dish with a cloth watermelon and  a Lizzie Kate freebie called Freedom which I stitched last year. It is finished into a pillow with some ripped homespun attached as a ruffle. 

I have tucked sunflowers and little farm Christmas figurines here and there among the decor. 

Wheww! That's it- my Summer Farm Hutch in a big ole' nutshell. I will probably change it out again in a few weeks to sunflowers. So stay tuned. Do you think I can convince hubby that I need another hutch? 😄 

Thank you so much my sweet friends for stopping by. I hope your day is a joyous one and as always...

Happy stitching and decorating, ya'll

Melisa

Make everyday a little less ordinary. 

Hugs and Stitches! 

A Little Bit of Stitching

Santa arrived ! Fortunately, noone received coal, but instead loads of presents. The grandchildren jumped in glee as we arrived to watch the grand opening of presents. Wrapping paper was flying and boxes popped open. What a joy to see Christmas through children's eyes. Santa visited me too. What did I get?  Well some Farmhouse decor and Pioneer Woman pieces.  

A livestock metal sign, a rooster stool and enamelware cake stand. 

Love Pioneer Woman pieces . 

I have not figured out where I am going to put these pieces yet. 

 I have to admit- very little stitching has gone on here this week. How about you?  

I was able to get in some last minute finishing before Christmas though. I finished IStitch Designs "Joyeux Noel" freebie into a little pin pillow and tucked it in an old wooden salad bowl filled with mini glass ornaments.  Behind it, is  my 2019 finish of Little House Needlework's Country Christmas . Also on the table is my Santa Clause Sampler  which is  stitched  on some very crispy 14 count aida.

 

My dear friend, Georgia, sent me a complimentary chart from Stitchy Kitty called "Winter Blues"  . I was not familiar with Stitchy Kitty, but is such a cute design. I am using  the floss that I have   on hand and am stitching it on 14 count tea/coffee dyed aida. The flosses that I am using are  DMC white, 311, 932 , a mystery blue ( lol I have lost the label) 3753 , 310 and 798. I can not wait to finish this piece. 

"Winter Blues " by Stitchy Kitty" I'm  using what floss I  have on hand. 

I also began a new little design.

A sneaky peek. I am loving the colors so far. 

My youngest daughter bought me a few charts for Christmas. I am so anxious to start  one . Which one will it be? Hmmmm! 

"Winter Holiday"  is my first Mill Hill Kit. I always marvel at Illionoisstitcher and Crossinstitches365 on Instagram's Mill Hill stitches.  I just wonder " Can I do that?" Well now thanks to my daughter , I am going to try. 

I am hoping next week will be a more productive week for stitching, but I have a bedroom to paint and Christmas to take down. So we will see.  

Well I am hopping off to do a little stitching for the evening. Thank you so much for visiting. Have a Happy New Year. And as always...

Happy Stitching, 

Melisa

SALs , Snow Globes, and Santa

 Happy Saturday or should I say Happy Poinsettia Day ! 

A perfect day for me to start a sweet freebie from Lizzie Kate called "Snow Bird" . Are those not poinsettias ? I had planned to stitch this piece last year, but let it slip by me . My chart is  printed, fabric is dyed now to start pulling the floss.  You can find this chart on Lizzie Kate's website or on her blog. Click here for a link. 

Have you been joining in all of the festive fun this week on social media? So many amazing designers have offered free charts and have Stitch Alongs ongoing. I have been trying to keep up. 

The first SAL I have been working on is the Pine Needles  "Christmas Blocks" Stitch Along. If you have not seen it, you should  check out Pine Needles website where Sharon Workman has designed 25 teeny stitches. You can stitch them individually or all together which is what I am doing. Each block is so cute, and boy do they stitch up quick. 

The second SAL I am working on is Brenda Gervais's of With Thy Needle and Thread called "Merry and Minty". As with the Christmas Blocks" SAL I am using floss that I have in my stash. This is so much fun, and Brenda has also been posting yummy recipes each day too. The SAL ends on Sunday with a special project. Information on this SAL can be found on With Thy Needle and Thread's Facebook or Instagram. 

I have enjoyed seeing so many stitcher's working on both pieces. Other pieces that are on my agenda are Cathy Habermann's of Hands on Designs freebie called "Berries in Bloom" I hope to start it next week . Fingers crossed.  I also hope to begin Kelly's of That's So Kelly's exclusive subscriber chart called "Holly House"- another amazing design by Kelly. So much fun and so little time. 

      

 What else is on the agenda today? Well first is a basketball game. The oldest grandbaby will be playing bright and early. It is always fun to watch the little ones play. Then later today the grandkids and nephews will be making snow globes. All the supplies have come from the Dollar Tree. We did similar ones last year, and they loved it . This is a new tradition. We may even bake some cookies to munch on-chocolate chip of course.

 It would be nice to go see more Christmas lights tonight as well. We have gone out twice this week to 2 small nearby towns to see  lights. 

Does your town have special displays or are there certain communities or neighborhoods that really go all out in your area?  I enjoy the ride and seeing all of the lights whether they are simple lights in the windows or big displays with music and all. I have done this every year since my girls were born years and years ago. 

I posted my little Santa on Instagram today. He is a small stitch and is called "Santa Stamp" . I actually stitched him because I needed something to go onto this little stand which I had purchased from Dollar General earlier this year . It looked quite bare when I took the Autumn piece off so a new stitch was definitely needed.  He was a quick stitch since it measures just 35 W x 35 H. Santa is surrounded by some of his reindeer. I wonder which reindeer they are? 

If you would like to stitch this little design, just click on the links below . They may print up light. I believe that my printer is on it's last leg so I have asked Santa for a new one. Lol.

For the instruction page, click  here .

For the colored chart, click here .

For the black and white  chart, click here. 

Well I hope you join in all of the stitching fun and the Christmas festivities in your area.  I am so grateful to all of the wonderful designers who share their creativity, and to all of the stitchers who provide endless inspiration through their stitching, finishing and wonderful posts.  I always enjoy seeing  or hearing what you are up to. Have a fantastic day and go do something awesome and as always...

Happy Stitching, ya'll

Melisa

Is there a tree in there? My Halloween Tree!

Hello, dear friends . Thank you for coming to visit me  on this rainy day. Come sit for a spell and let's look over my overfilled Halloween tree; yep if  you look closely you might see a tree in there. Lol. 

My idea for decorating this raggedy little tree was to throw it all on there with a mismatch of all kinds of Halloween. The more the better in my little world. 

This tree sits in front of the built in china cabinet. I sort of use it as  protection for the cabinet glass since I have grandkids.  For several years, I have had this little cedar doll high chair beside the tree. This little high chair was bought at a craft fair many years ago for one of my daughters. It now holds seasonal dolls. For Halloween prim ole' black cat sits in the chair holding a wool applique pillow I made years ago.  On the wicker settee there is a quilted fall pillow, a pumpkin head pillow made from a skirt and a rail fence quilt top in fall colors. 

It looks as though a witch has crashed into the tree. I placed witch legs purchased from the Dollar Tree at the top of the tree. 

I topped the tree with a paper mache hat I purchased at the Goodwill. It is embellished with pip berries. 

 I have a number of cross stitch pillows snuggled among the Halloween jack o lanterns. This was a freebie I stitched years ago and is a favorite to bring out. 

There are ornaments that my grandsons painted, golden balls, buffalo check ribbons and skulls  scattered through out.  The grandbabies like looking for the spiders. 

Most of the ornaments have come from the Dollar Tree over the years.  Gotta love Dollar Tree. 

This is the view of the tree as I come into the room from the upstair's kitchen." Poisoned Apples" is painted on a scrap piece of wood. I like those no cost crafts.  I had this sign on the hutch last year which was in the theme of a witch's kitchen.  The enamel pot is filled with pumpkins and jack o lanterns, and the same old scarecrow that was out for my fall tree is standing on the stool. 

 My newest cross stitch addition to the tree is this Lizzie Kate freebie called "Spooky Time." I found it on the Lizzie Kate website.  Click here to go to the website to get this and other Lizzie Kate freebies. . 

The little tractor always is at the bottom of the tree. For Halloween, a little bear all decked out in it's pumpkin costume is driving the tractor. 

This little cross stitch ornament was a pumpkin from one of With Thy Needle and Thread's Halloween pieces. I simply stitched the jack and then finished it on a wooden Dollar Tree ornament. 

One of my favorite Halloween ornaments is "Brooms for Sale " by Homespun Elegance. I love anything by Sandra Sullivan.  I finished it into a little pillow hanging from a homemade broom made from a stick and raffia. 

The little black cat ornament was stitched last year and is in pillow finish as well. I was thinking ahead and put a jute hanger on it. The 2nd cross stitch ornament is called Big Jack and Little Jax's and was a freebie on my blog. You can find it here. 

Thank you so much for taking a Halloween tree tour with me today. After Halloween, I am going to take this tree out of the bushel basket and see if I can refresh it a bit and then onto Christmas decor. Woo Hoo! I always love Christmas.  Have a lovely upcoming week and enjoy all the fall goodness.  If you missed the Fall Tree tour click here. 

Happy Fall, 

Melisa