We have a winner!

Thank you so much for the response to my little giveaway! There were 54 entries and the winner is #25 Linda M. who said, "I would love to take a class from Barb Carroll for Rug hooking or go to the Country Sampler stitch retreat Looks like a fun time was had with friends Thanks for sharing pictures"

 

Linda, you are a no-reply blogger so I am unable to reach you. Please email me at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com with your mailing address by Tuesday, May 31 and I will send out your prize.

 

It was so much fun to read your responses. Many of the retreats that you mentioned are ones that I have been to: From Our Hands of course, Boxwood & Berries, and classes with Country Sampler, Blackbird Designs, Maggie Bonanomi, Stacy Nash, Rebekah L. Smith, Lori Ann Corelis, and La D Da. But many that you mentioned are also on my bucket list: Buttermilk Basin, Shepherd's Bush, Primitive Stitchers Society, Attic Needlework, Primitive Gatherings and at the top of my list: Notforgotten Farm! Hopefully we might even get to meet at one of these retreats in the future...

 

 

I just had to share these photos...

My strawberry patch one month ago, watched over by a wonderful folk art rabbit that I purchased from Ginny Henson last summer.

 

My patch last night - my rabbit has almost disappeared!

My strawberries are growing faster than any year before...

 

I even picked my first pound last night!

I think this may be a record breaking year!

 

And the clematis in the first picture is not even three feet tall yet, but is bursting with plate size flowers! It's a great spring for the garden!

 

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."

Acts 20:24

 

Blessings, Patti

 

Collection #1

 

Hello, my name is Patti and I am an addictive collector.

Why own one of something when you can have many?

Once something catches your eye, you can't help but buy more.

I come from a long line of collectors and have learned from the best

(Hi Mom & Dad ;)

 

Not long ago, I posted about the Best.Estate Sale.Ever. you can read more about it here and here.

I mentioned that I would like to share come of my collections after being inspired by the incredible collections at the estate sale. So here is my first collection - antique strawberry emeries. I have only been collecting them for a few years. When I bought my first two, I remembered that I had one or two tucked in an antique sewing cabinet that I have. So I pulled them out to join the group.

 

Here is my most recent purchase for this collection:

 

An incredible petite antique sewing basket that came with a tiny little ditty bag and pincushion both tied to the basket and three sweet strawberry emeries.

<3 :="" love="" p="">

 

I think that this little emery is my current favorite.

(now that I look closely at these photos I think it needs a lint roller :)

 

I'll try to post a new collection each week.

At that rate, I think I will be sharing collections for a few years lol!

 

 "I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

~Psalm 91:2

 

Blessings, Patti

A Long Time Coming...

 

"The Strawberry Collection"

by Beth Twist of Heartstring Samplery

(photo shown with permission.)

 

A long time ago (June 2012), I fell in love with an inspiring pattern.

I had to stitch it right away.

 

Everything else just had to wait.

 

And so it did. 

The sweet strawberries stitched up very quickly.

and then it sat,

and sat,

and sat.

 

Finally, it couldn't sit a moment longer and demanded to be finished immediately.

How could those sweet strawberries sit in a dark box with no one to admire them?

 

And so they came back into the bright summer daylight and became:

 

a sweet sewing collection

 

A scissor fob, perfect for a pair of antique scissors,

 

A long pincushion filled with crushed walnut shells, perfect for weighing down a cross stitch pattern in a soft summer breeze,

 

 

and a little sewing book with an antique bone ring and a piece of old ribbon to close it

 

An antique fruit fabric backing them all

and inside the little book a place for needles, scissors and pins.



And they lived in my sewing basket happily ever after :)

 

Thank you to Beth Twist for continuing to inspire me with her delightful patterns. You can visit her lovely Etsy Shop here.

 

There is still time to enter my little giveaway for a little homespun heart and wrapped votive candle here.

 

"Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
 Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God."

Psalm 90:1-2

 

Blessings, Patti

A peek at June...

 

My planned post for today was to share my offerings for June...

But my mailing list friends gave me such an overwhelming response and I have sold out.

Thank you ever so much!

 

I thought that I would share a few photos anyway.

If you would like to join my mailing list, please email me at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com and I will add you for my July update.

I have plans on what I would like to create already...

 

Strawberry season has arrived here on Winding Vine. One of my absolute favorite seasons!

I started a little strawberry patch when we moved to Winding Vine 18 years ago. It has been such a joy ~ some years yielding 10 - 15 pounds in my tiny urban yard. My strawberry patch was decimated last summer due to the draught so I am rebuilding the patch this year. I am trying a new variety of everblooming strawberries that produce fruit all summer long. We will see how that goes…

  

My very first online offerings five years ago today were strawberry themed and I have made it a tradition every June since…

 

 

I hope that you have enjoyed my peek at June. 

And I hope that strawberries are beginning to ripen in your corner of the world.

 

There is still time to enter my little giveaway in the post below...

 

"THE Strawberry blooms upon its lowly bed,
Plant of my native soil!--the Lime may fling
More potent fragrance on the zephyr's wing,
The milky Cocoa richer juices shed,
The white Guava lovelier blossoms spread--
But not, like thee, to fond remembrance bring
The vanished hours of life's enchanting spring;
Short calendar of joys for ever fled!
Thou bid'st the scenes of childhood rise to view,
The wild wood-path which fancy loves to trace;
Where, veil'd in leaves, thy fruit of rosy hue
Lurk'd on its pliant stem with modest grace.
But ah! when thought would later years renew,
Alas, successive sorrows crowd the space!"

 ~Helen Maria Williams

 

Blessings, Patti



Strawberries Status

"A Garden Visitor"

a Winding Vine Designs original

A few weeks ago I mentioned a few strawberry projects I was working on here.

I finished my little wool mat. This summer our strawberry crop was smaller than usual. Part of it was due to the unusually hot spring. And part, I discovered, was due to a little visitor that decided to make our garden his home...

This baby bunny enjoyed our strawberries, sugar snap pea plants, and various other tasty morsels.

I don't mind sharing, but am a little surprised at the size of his appetite!



So, our little visitor inspired my creation.

I also finished stitching some smalls from Heartstring Samplery's Strawberry Collection.

When I started, I had my finishing ideas all planned out in my head. But as I stitched some alternate plans started to form... decisions, decisions!

As soon as I decide and pull finishing fabrics and trims, I'll share some again...

There is still time to enter my patriotic giveaway. Be sure to see this post for more information.

"Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight

and all the twinkling starry host.

Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer

than all the angels heaven can boast."

~Munster Gesangbuch, 1677

translated Joseph August Seiss, 1873

Blessings, Patti



Strawberries still in season...

I'm still in strawberry mode and perpetually sidetracked :)

This is one of my strawberry displays. On the top shelf is an apothecary jar filled with antique strawberry emeries. The little basket on the bottom contains teeny tiny strawberry emeries that I made with scraps of velvet too precious to throw away lol. 

I recently found these two old jars at a flea market. They are missing their lids, but I still loved them. I really like the detail on the jar on the left. My husband thought it might have been a pickle jar.



I wasn't sure what I would do with them, but needed to have them nonetheless.

Then it came to me...



"Canning Jar Strawberry"

design by Maggie Bonanomi

Buttonwood Farm book

I love them and am so glad that I bought the jars :)

Wishing you a week filled with unexpected delights!

Blessings, Patti



A Strawberry Season Giveaway

It's time for my monthly giveaway...

This month is a pinwheel that I made from an antique embroidered table cloth. The back features some wonderful crocheted lace edging. I'm also including a vintage tomato pincushion with lots of pins, a wooden spool of red thread, a vintage velvet strawberry emery with a green velvet cap and and green velvet bow (not sure if the glued pearls were original or added later), some old buttons and two old keys.

To enter simply comment on this post or email me at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com with "Giveaway" in the subject line. At Eastertide you were all so helpful with coming up with some wonderful religious Easter words for me. This month, can you tell me your favorite Patriotic word? I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Have a wonderful week. I'll be back on Sunday with a winner.

The graduation party will be over and hopefully I'll be stitching and relaxing then :)

Blessings, Patti

It's Strawberry Season!

It is Strawberry Season here on Winding Vine! We’ve had a hotter than normal spring in Chicago, so the strawberry crop isn’t as big as usual. I’ve only picked about 5 pounds so far and it is quickly winding down. But a hot spring is good for the raspberries and the bushes are loaded with flowers! The strawberry folk art crop has been productive J and I can't thank you enough for your enthusiastic response to my TDIPT Mercantile offerings!

My offerings may be gone, but please stop by the Merc and see all the offerings from the other TDIPT artists. Click here to see them all...

It will be a busy, busy weekend! Senior Prom and 8th grade Promotion Dance are both tonight and High School Graduation is Sunday - I better keep my tissues handy!

Blessings, Patti

Strawberry Season

Strawberry Season has arrived!

Well, not the edible variety...

The strawberries in my garden patch are all green, but the velvet and wool kind are definitely ripe & ready!

The first of the month TDIPT Mercantile artists have updated their offerings - be sure to take a peek at all of the lovely summertime treats!

And click here to see more of my strawberry offerings.

Blessings, Patti

A few final berries

It was raining last weekend, so I made a few more Strawberry Sewing Companions...

They are $11 each plus shipping and can be purchased at TDIPT Mercantile or by emailing me at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com

The green berry on the left is still available.

Now I'll move on to another velvet summer fruit for July 1st...

I also finished stitching this Stacy Nash design ~ Queen of Spring. I think I need to take a day of hand sewing to put some of these stitcheries together and actually finish them :)

Blessings, Patti

Strawberry Season

It's Strawberry Season here on Winding Vine.

Both inside...

And outside!
I've been picking strawberries daily and we've been enjoying each and every one.

Thank you so much for your tremendous response to my strawberry offerings on TDIPT Mercantile.

These Vintage Hanging Strawberries are still available.

As are a few Velvet Strawberry emeries.
*These have sold. Thank you so very much!*


"God has given a kindlier power To the favoured strawberry-flower.
Hither soon as spring is fled You and Charles and I will walk;
Lurking berries, ripe and red, Then will hang on every stalk,
Each within its leafy bower; And for that promise spare the flower!"
~Foresight by William Wordsworth

Blessings, Patti

* Birds & Berries *

"Nest"

Primitive Gatherings

Well, the real baby robins haven't hatched yet, but the needlework ones have :)

"Nest"

Primitive Gatherings

I loved this design so much that I had to create it twice. After doing it full size, I wondered how it would look if I shrunk the pattern and used a different background fabric. I'm happy with both results.

Chicago has been in a heat wave this week and the strawberry patch is ripening early.

I love everything about my little patch and it brightens my heart.

Each morning as I leave for work, I take a peek and see how everything is progressing.

Last year's crop from my little patch weighed in at 13 pounds 9 ounces.

Judging by how things are progressing so far I think we might beat that harvest this year.

I've pulled out my red velvets and red wools and have gotten busy creating.
My TDIPT offerings for June 1st will all have a strawberry theme.

I'm thinking some really aged and worn primitive strawberry emeries...

Maybe even a few green unripe berries as well...

Before you know it, we will be having our strawberry smoothies each night after dinner...

Blessings, Patti

More strawberry inspirations

The strawberry batch continues to inspire me. I just completed "Strawberries & Bunny Pinkeep", a pattern by primitivebettys. If you are not familiar with the talented Betty Dekat, you are in for a treat. Betty works in a variety of mediums including cross stitch, needlepunch, and rughooking. Betty has a very sweet blog at http://primitivebettys.blogspot.com/

We are all blessed this year as Betty is sharing free doodles/patterns on her blog. These doodles are perfect for needle punch, rug hooking and wool applique. I've already completed one of her doodles as a penny mat and am itching to do more.

I've been fortunate to purchase several of Betty's originals including a needle roll that matches my new pinkeep.

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also"

Matthew 6:21

Blessings to you, Patti