A Stitchery for a Friend!

My dear friend, Carrie, of A Passion for Applique and I have both had issues on and off with elbow pain over the past year or more. Carrie has purposely stayed off the computer for a few weeks now hoping to ease the situation and she's most definitely been missed. We've chatted back and forth across the internet about this for some time now and I most certainly "feel her pain". I decided to make her a little pillow to rest her sore elbow on - something that helped me immensely at my worst. For a while now, I'd been working on a wonderful little stitchery from designer Catherine Baynes in Australia. When I was first buying the embroidery floss for it, I couldn't find one of the variegated threads she had listed. I emailed her and wouldn't you know - she was kind enough to send me some leftover she had - which was just enough!

As I was deciding what to make for Carrie, I thought, why not make this stitchery into a pillow - it's just the right size! Also, Carrie and I are both bird lovers, so I knew she would like this. I looked through my stash and found some coordinating fabrics and went to work! It had been a while since I made my own piping, but with some determination I remembered how - and here is the result!

Here's a peek at the back.

Yesterday we had some friends over for a Memorial Day barbeque! Old fashioned homemade potato salad, homemade baked beans and grilled hamburgers! What a way to begin our first summer in the Squash House! At first the weather was supposed to be beautiful, but the skies kept "weeping" so I prepared for eating both inside and out. I wandered around the yard and picked a few flowers for a little table arrangement - peony, rose, rhododendron, Rose of Sharon, and some little white wisps of something as yet unknown to me!
Then wouldn't you know it - the sun came out! I was so happy to have our first outdoor "soiree"!! Everything was quickly moved outside and it turned out to be a lovely evening and a very nice gathering of friends!

I continue to have wireless and computer problems, so if I don't get back to you right away about anything, please be patient! I've made some more blocks for Winter Wonderland - only 7 more to go and it will be on the design wall! Next post I'll preview some of the blocks.