Some New Stitching Finishes

I am so in love with the "hello summer" stitch by Plum Street Samplers. I waffled back and forth between a flat finish or a pillow. I will be honest, I feel I am a tad bit better at the pillows than the flat pieces. I am learning with each finish and getting better, but I can't stand it if the corners don't come out neat on the flat fold. I feel it is easier to fudge and adjust on a pillow. However, I decided to go for it and if I couldn't make it work I could always change course.

I did lace the back and that seemed to help with the corners a bit. It is always difficult to get two pieces to match up perfectly too, but cording helps there.

I am in love with it. I know I will enjoy it on a little easel this summer.

I backed it with the same fabric as the patriotic piece I did last month called Happy 4th by Threadwork Primitives. I hope maybe I can display them together.

I also finished up my Bless Our House by Country Cottage Needleworks. For all my fretting over the lighter colors I finally figured out what I wanted to do with it and just love the finish.

I decided to make it look a bit older. I really like how it turned out. I was hoping to make a longer piece. So many of my little pillows are all square, so that was my vision for it. I perused all my favorite bloggers until I had some inspiration for it. 

I think I will use it with the Summer piece I did last year. 

Maybe one set of darker patriotic pieces and maybe one set of more muted colors. I am thinking a little pattern with some pink roses or at least pink flowers would be cute with these two in a display basket or bowl.

I will use all of these pieces in early summer.

I have some other plans for late July and August. 

For late summer, I hope to use some sunflowers.

I still have to finish my bunny with the sunflower and then I can use that with two sunflower pieces I did last summer.

Currently I am stitching on two pieces. 

I started with another bunny from my old Leisure Arts book. It is a patriotic bunny dressed in red and blue. However, I thought I might need to get started on my June wordplay so I started that one as well. These two will keep my company in May.

Can you believe it is May already? 

I will leave you with some family and doggie pictures.

When Jeff comes in and gets out of his work clothes, Gus knows right where he is headed and lands in the chair first.  He wants to sit and snuggle for a minute.

Lemony is slowing down. I don't really like to think about that, but she is getting her white face and a little stiffer these days. We are doing more swims than ball chasing these days.

Tucker went out to eat with his other grandparents this week. He decided after a few minutes to use his high chair as a recliner.

Too funny! Check out that cute foot.

I guess it is  almost hello May.