A Whole Lot of Rambling and Country Clutter

A very Super Sunday  to you, my sweet friends. 

How has your weekend been thus far? Have you been celebrating the upcoming holiday  with hot dogs, burgers and lots of treats ? Not me- well not yet! 😀We will celebrate on the 4th.

 It was raining sheets yesterday ...

 but by dusk all cleared out and the fireworks commenced. 

Mr. Pinker and I did hit a few thrift stores on our outing yesterday.

 Not a lot of grand finds, but a few treasures to add to my clutter.  

 Eagle eyed Mr. Pinker found the big wooden barn at the Goodwill for $3.00; you can't beat that with a stick! Can you?   He didn't know if I would snatch it up or not . Why it was in my buggy quicker than two shakes of a lamb's tail after he showed it to me.

 " Every country gal needs a  barn !"  I exclaimed to Mr. Pinker  who just smiled and shook his head.  

I will paint this barn very soon. 

My raggedy tree is all decked out for the fourth. I didn't add the red Christmas balls this year. I do wish I had though. 

Stars and Stripes by Little House Needleworks is one of my favorite patriotic stitches on the tree. 

The tree is choked full with ornaments , patriotic stitches, crafts from the grandbabes and even farm pieces. Tell me if you spot the kitchen sink in there. 😂 Ya'll know I cram my trees full. 

Soon all of this will be changed out to another theme. But the tree is a great place for me to display my extra stitching. 

The only patriotic purchase I made this year was the little bear that I found at the Goodwill. She jumped in the truck with the vintage doll.

The small foyer hall is decked with red, white and blue country clutter too. 

My little tree only has some red beads and homespun strips of fabric on it. It looks pretty raggedy now. 

Some of the knick knacks on the vintage shelf. 

I made the little firecrackers from scraps of wood that I  found at a campground. Someone was using them as fire starters.  I just painted them and glued some jute twine to the top and Wahlah!  Firecrackers! 

In my foyer, I  have 3 shutters that I found at the Goodwill of various sizes. I drape my quilts over them. 

One of my favorites is my Sybil Ludington quilt that I designed a few years ago. Sybil is one of my favorite heroines of the American Revolution.  She was a 16 year old girl who rode over 40 miles to muster local militia troops.  Click here if you  are interested in reading more about Sybil. 

I quilted stars in the quilt because her horse was named Star. 

I completed the little basket quilt in 2022. 

I hope to add a new quilt to my shutters next year . And that brings me to my Sunday Slow Stitch project- 

I will be binding my flag quilt that I pieced last year.  Oooh it might be on the shutters by Tuesday if I hurry! 

Well ya'll. I better get off here. I have chatted your ears off. 

I hope to post my patriotic hutch tomorrow. So do drop by if you have the chance.  

Have a sparkly day!!!!

As always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, ya'll

Melisa 

Freedom lies in being bold- Robert Frost

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

A little patriotic quilt stack in teeny red wagon. 

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy . I 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

My Patriotic Tree and a Little Rambling

 Good evening, ya'll! It is a beautiful spring day.  Earlier I peeked out the window to see what might be on the bird feeder hoping to see the whole crew feeding happily together- The crew is 2 squirrels- Sandy and Squirrelly  , 2 very bossy Doves ( Dennis and Debra), a Indigo Bunting ( Lindy) , and Alvin my beloved Chipmunk that lives on my front porch. Well, Sandy was there as well as the bossy doves . So I quietly went to the door and eased it open trying to get a good photo. Sandy quickly dashed to the Sweet Gum tree .

 After scampering up the trunk and making a jump from one limb to the next, she soon  perched herself in the nook of the limbs watching warily hoping I would leave soon.

 "Sorry, Sandy. I just wanted a photo". Of course the bossy doves left in a  hateful flutter annoyed that I had bothered their morning meal.

 Well, I was about to go in when these 2 feathered friends  approached and began to have a hissy fit fluttering all about the porch  and landing in the tree limb above me. They were carrying on something awful. 

 It was clear that they were intent on staying put and for me to leave.  "Oh boy, ya'll are beauties. Can I get a few photos?" They politely obliged and then I went in the house so all would be content.  

Later I found out that they are building a nest in my fern. Well this is a dilemma because it is time for the fern's weekly watering. Hmmm I am going to have to figure out what to do. But in the meantime, I wanted to share these beauties. Love the male's coloring.Of course I love anything red and yes even birds!  I think these are House Finches.

 Now what can I name these sweeties ? Maybe Flo and Finley. 

I have been working feverishly on my 2020 Flag Quilt. 

This is the quilt that I pieced last year during the beginning of the pandemic. I was also making masks at the time and my sewing machine tore up during the big mask assembly line production. Oh no! I could not do without a sewing machine - not because I had a great desire to make masks, but I had a quilt going on. So I found a sewing machine online like the one that bit the dust and hustled to the neighboring county to snatch it up at Walmart. That got the quilt blocks back into production, but I was done making masks.  After the 4th of July last year,  I had put this quilt away.  I pulled it back out this month and completed the quilting on Sunday.  Time for the binding and it will be all ready by Memorial Day. 

The little raggedy white tree is all adorned in her patriotic decor. So I thought I would share that today.

             

 It is crammed full of all kinds of stitched pieces as well as red, blue, white and silver balls and stars. 

                  

Many of ya'll know already I am not a minimalist. Lol and I like my tree crammed full.

Say did you spot the kitchen sink in that tree? 😆😃 

 I added a Dollar Tree America sign and Dollar Tree patriotic metal flowers and bows to the top as well.  

                  

One of my favorite stitched pieces on the tree is Little House Needleworks "Stars and Stripes." It is always lovingly placed center stage. 

 There are  number of Lizzie Kate pieces  as well.

 I even pulled out my patriotic Santas .

             

 I stitch one every year . I stitched this Santa last year; it was a design sent to me from my dear friend, Joan . I just love this little guy. 

                       

 I also placed my Red, White and Blue ornament on the tree.  It was an earlier freebie. 

At the bottom of the tree is a vintage  plastic Raggedy Ann and Andy that was my mom's . I have no idea where she got them nor do I remember them as a child but they are always out for display in my home. 

            

I thought  I would leave you with an itty bitty stitch. This is Old Glory, and it is teeny.

 I was going to make mine into a pillow but at the last minute decided to try to make a drum. This was my 1st attempt at drum making. It was fun, and I will try it again

  This will either land in my tiered tray or it may just stay right on the foyer shelf. 

Click here for the chart. 

Boy was I long winded today, but that is ok.  Well thank you so much my sweet  friends for visiting me today.  As always...

Happy stitching, ya'll

Melisa

                                

I love Old Glory long may she wave over America the homeland of the brave. 

 Hugs and Stitches