First Thursday of July Things and Thoughts

Bloom where you are planted. I do not remove these when they pop up in spots like this till the blooming is done.

So pretty and a marvel up close. ( Taken with my cheap phone...I miss my old macro camera feature.)

 Here is one of the Laura Wheeler quilt pattern Pinterest sites featuring some of Laura's shared designs....Laura Wheeler Quilt Patterns. I've been reading there is a mystery surrounding who Laura really was. That seems like a shame as that lady's patterns, whoever she was, were renown and reached so many women in many countries. Laura published a version of this pattern below. I've been going down a rabbit hole to find out more about it-it's called Little Boy Breeches. Anyone familiar with it?

It would make an interesting EPP project. Btw, here are two friends who explore these older patterns and history...  Michele often chats about many vintage patterns and interesting tidbits on her Pennsylvania Piecemakers blog as does Melva at Melva Loves Scraps. I always find it interesting reading about anything vintage and the attached meanings and history. It's become popular to reproduce the look of old fabrics and cross stitch samplers, the kind stitched by girls and young women a century ago. And modern day cross stitchers are enjoying working them by the droves. They are being encouraged to attach an identifying label so someone in the future won't mistake their work for that of an original stitcher.

My Cardinal Rule is at this point now. Cardinal has his beak and wing. I did switch the white nest for a medium brown bit that in reality is darker than showing here.  Thank you all for taking the time to comment about this particular matter.

 I also decided not to use the pale orange blooms? because when I laid them all down they too seemed to be a little distracting and there were quite of few of them...

 Instead I foraged a few pieces of  deep red scraps and cut more holly berries. None of those are attached, just trying them out. I have enough wool to make a backing which will be next.

 If you have never worked with wool, you should know how lovely it is to stitch on. It is very forgiving and so soft to the hands. 

I also pulled out a couple aqua pieces to stitch more appliqued Hour Glass Blocks. The July RSC colour is aqua which is a difficult colour to pin down sitting as it does between blue and green on the colour wheel. (I looked it up). It is probably the scantiest of the colours I have on hand. And I haven't fallen off the fabric diet. Sticking to my guns. (I wonder where and how that expression came about.) I had two packs of 40 each Bella cream blocks and I've used them all. Sewing a couple of these here and there adds up.

Did Mother Robin nail true aqua?

I'm looking forward to cross stitching this weekend. And thinking about my next cross stitch project which will be another bee, a most suitable summertime theme. 

A very happy Glorious 4th to my American stitching friends! I admire the eloquent words of your Declaration of Independence written by 33 year old Thomas Jefferson. So young and so full of hope!