Christmas In July

These two early style Santas are here just in time to help you celebrate Christmas in July! I actually meant to have this pattern published before the 4th but my daughter's computer had other plans and decided to have issues. Since she is the one who gets all of my patterns ready for publication I just had to be patient and wait for her computer to be repaired. That day finally came and so now I am able to share my latest design called Americana Santas, Two Holiday Pinkeeps. The pattern is now available in my Etsy shop where everything is 20% off until at least the end of July.

Thanks so much and happy stitching!

Sandy

Autumn Pinkeep

Some of you may remember this design from several years ago. I finally decided to chart it this year and offer it as a pattern. "Autumn Pinkeep" is now available in my Etsy shop as either a mailed paper pattern or PDF file. Hope you like it!

Wishing you a beautiful day filled with everything that makes you smile.

Happy autumn stitching,
Sandy

Three Witchy Pinkeeps

I've been having way too much fun stitching witches lately! These three little pinkeeps...Elizabeth, Rebecca, and Sarah...are available as finished pieces in my Etsy shop. I will not be making patterns for these...just wanted to relax and stitch while I count the days until Halloween finally arrives!!!

Happy Halloween Stitching!
Sandy

April Update On Early Work Mercantile

Happy April!!! I just updated my Early Work page with a couple of pinkeeps and wanted to share them with you here.

The first one is a little sampler design by Primitive Things called "Eliza Adams" and the second is a great design by Early Workings called "Edna Hagen". There are a lot of new artists on that site, so if you haven't visited lately, I invite you to stop by and check it out.

I think I am calming down from our recent earthquake here in Southern California but it definitely hasn't been easy! I am California born and raised so these things are no stranger to me but this one was a little closer to home in that the epicenter was very near where my kids went to high school. I am thankful that no one was injured but talk about frazzled nerves...yikes!!!

Happy stitching!

Sandy

Another Pinkeep Finish

I just finished another pinkeep and wanted to share it with you all. It is a Country Rustic Primitives Design called "Tulips In Spring Pinkeep" and I really like how it turned out. I changed my antiquing process on this one so it came out a little darker and grungier than usual but the look is slowly growing on me. Hope you like it, too!

Happy springtime stitching!
Sandy

Welcome March

Happy March! Spring is just around the corner and so, in order to celebrate, I wanted to share my latest finish with you. It is a spring themed pinkeep that I stitched from a wonderful Early Workings design called "1801 Sarah W".  I love the colors in this one and am especially fond of those blue flowers...aren't they great??? This piece is available on my Early Work Mercantile page if you get the chance to take a peek.

We are finally getting some much needed rain here in California and I am enjoying every second of it! I know many of you have had your fill of rain and snow right about now but we are in a drought where I live and this rain is most definitely welcome. There is just nothing like stitching to the sound of raindrops...I love it!

Happy stitching!
Sandy

Happy February On Early Work Mercantile

I just updated my page on Early Work Mercantile and wanted to share my offering with you here. It is a wonderful design by Tina Woltman of Early Workings called "Clara F. Higgens". I love how it turned out and absolutely love the bird and flowers in this one...Tina's designs are amazing and so much fun to stitch!

Happy February!
Sandy

Belsnickel Found And Some Santas

Sometime in the 1970s I was out shopping and chanced upon a store selling chalkware Belsnickels. I ended up buying only one (wish I could go back to that store now!) and have cherished him ever since. Somewhere along the way he became misplaced and I have missed him for the last several Christmases...I just couldn't find him anywhere. Happily, I was able to rescue him a couple of days ago when I finally found him in a box set way back behind all of the other Christmas boxes...no wonder the poor guy was lost! He now has a special place by one of my favorite little gameboards and definitely won't be going back in that box anytime soon!

Besides my special Belsnickel, I also have several old plastic Santas that I have managed to collect throughout the years. They remind me of my childhood Christmases and that is why I am drawn to them.  It's hard not to have a jolly Christmas with these guys around!

I added a few Christmas pinkeeps to my Etsy Shop today including this wonderful design by Country Rustic Primitives. The Santa and sled belonged to my Grandmother so it is the most special Santa of all.

Christmas blessings,
Sandy

Giveaway Update And A Pinkeep

I just wanted to let you know that I will be drawing the winning name for my Sweet Meadows Farm doll over on The Humble Cupboard tomorrow. It was supposed to be today but my life got a little too hectic with doctors' appointments and car issues so I decided to postpone it for a day.  If you'd like to still enter for a chance to win there is a little time left...just hop on over to The Humble Cupboard, leave a comment, and become a follower.

Tonight is cold and a little rainy so it seems like the perfect time to share this pinkeep I stitched a while back. It's called "Primitive 1839 Winter Pinkeep" and is by Country Rustic Primitives. Jenny has so many wonderful designs for just about every season of the year. I don't think I will ever be able to stitch them all but I'm sure having fun trying!

Happy stitching!
Sandy

A Log Cabin Christmas

We are having "A Log Cabin Christmas" over at Early Work Mercantile this month so I wanted to tell you all about it here.  There are some wonderful offerings this time around made by some very talented artists...Hope you can stop by if you get the chance!

I stitched a couple of pinkeeps for the celebration and decided to turn them into Christmas ornaments. One is a design by Country Rustic Primitives called "Primitive Night Before Christmas Pinkeep" and the other is a simple marking sampler designed by With My Needle called "Quaker Pinkeep". These were fun to stitch (love that Santa!) but I still can't believe that Christmas is just around the corner!

On another note, I recently opened up a shop on Etsy which is something I have thought about doing for quite a while.  I have a few items listed but hope to have lots more in the weeks to come. There is a link to my shop on my right sidebar if you'd like to take a peek.

Happy November!
Sandy

Happy October!!!

My favorite month of the year is finally here...yippee! Happy October everyone!!!  I've been in an autumn stitching kind of mood for quite some time now so wanted to share with you what I've been working on.

I always love stitching Country Rustic Primitive designs and this one is a particular favorite of mine.  It is called "Primitive Autumn Thyme Pinkeep" and is just perfect for the season at hand.

Another favorite design of mine is by Primitive Stitchin' and is called "Bountiful Harvest Pillow Tuck".

Lastly is a design by primitivebettys called "Thankful". I've stitched this one more than once...that turkey is just too awesome not to!

These are all listed on my Early Work Mercantile update for the month of October if you'd like to take a peek. There have been several new artists that have recently joined the Early Work site so if you haven't dropped by for a while, you might be pleasantly surprised to see what's new.

Happy October!
Sandy

Happy Autumn!

My favorite time of the year is officially here! I want to wish you all a very happy autumn filled with cool breezes, warm fires and lots and lots of pumpkins!

Here is a little something I recently stitched for one of my favorite customers. It is a Country Rustic Primitives design called "Autumn Pinkeep" and I think it is just the thing to share on this wonderful first day of fall.

Happy stitching!
Sandy

Happy July On Early Work Mercantile

I love this design by Country Rustic Primitives called "Primitive Summer Pinkeep" so decided to stitch it for my Early Work update this month. I'm pleased how it turned out and hope you like it, too! I can't believe that tomorrow is the first day of July but the calendar is telling me that's exactly what it is. Yikes...this year is really getting away from me!



I hope you are all keeping cool on these hot summer days. My favorite thing to do lately is to just sit in front of the fan and stitch away...it's been way too hot around here to do much else!!!

Happy stitching!
Sandy

Happy May On Early Work Mercantile

I've been listening to happy birds singing for weeks now so just had to make something bird related for my Early Work update this month. I decided on two birdie pinkeeps which I stitched from a pattern of my own design. I wanted to share them with you here...hope you like them!

Wishing you all a happy May Day!
Sandy

Happy April On Early Work Mercantile

Wow...April is here already (no fooling!!!) and I have been busy stitching...you guessed it...pinkeeps!!!  I just updated my Early Work Mercantile page with these little treasures if you'd like to take a peek... I'd be honored to have you stop by for a visit :)

My offerings for this month include "Primitive Spring Tyme 1826" and "Merry Spring 1805"  both designs by Country Rustic Primitives as well as a Stacy Nash design called "Pine Tree Farm".  Pinkeeps are probably my favorite things to make so that is why you see them here often...I hope you like them, too!

Happy April :)
Sandy

Early Work Mercantile Time

Oh my goodness...here we are ready to start another month...where oh where does the time go??? Christmas is just around the corner and that makes me happy but for the life of me, I can't figure out how we
got here so quickly!

I have been busy stitching some Christmas goods this month for my Early Work Mercantile update...two are designs by Country Rustic Primitives and one I adapted from a pattern by With thy Needle & Thread. These are now on the Early Work site if you care to take a peek...I'd be pleased to have you stop by :)

Here's wishing you all the best holiday season ever and...
Happy December!
Sandy

A Log Cabin Christmas

I have gone from one holiday to the next in just a couple of hours but what a fun day it's been! The last trick or treater has finally left (we had tons this year!) so now it is time to share with you my November offerings for Early Work Mercantile. We are celebrating "A Log Cabin Christmas" this month on Early Work so I decided to stitch two designs by Country Rustic Primitives that I thought were just right for the theme.  They are "Primitive Home For Christmas Pinkeep" and "O Christmas Tree 1806 Pinkeep". I actually stitched O Christmas Tree last year but had to stitch another one for this year because...well...that wonderful log cabin is just too perfect for our theme! I hope you all had a great Halloween and now...here comes November!

Sandy

Early Work Mercantile Time

I'm not quite sure what happened to the month of September but here we are ready to start that wonderfully enchanting month of October and I couldn't be happier! Of course our weather here is not cooperating because it is still really HOT but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that cooler weather is just around the corner. It's hard to decorate for Halloween when it feels like the 4th of July outside but I'm sure giving it a good try! I've already purchased a few pumpkins but of course have many more to buy...they don't call me the crazy pumpkin lady for nothing you know!!!



I've been busy stitching some October themed pieces and have a couple ready to share later tonight on Early Work Mercantile.  Both are wool pumpkin pinkeeps of my own design, one features a crow and the other an owl. I hope you like them!

Happy October!

Sandy

Settler's Harvest On Early Work Mercantile

I am so happy to be back posting on my blog again...I've been dealing with a very stressful personal issue for a while now and this summer I just needed some time to sort thru a lot of "stuff" to try and get my life moving forward in a positive direction. After not picking up a needle for almost three months (gasp!) I have finally started stitching again and feel like everything is really going to be ok after all. I have missed you all terribly but want you to know that things are good with me and mine as I hope they are with all of you.



And now...moving forward...this month on Early Work Mercantile we are celebrating a Settler's Harvest for the entire month of September. I stitched a pinkeep from one of my own designs as it seemed to fit in so well with the Settler's Harvest theme. I hope you like it! If you get the chance, stop by and take a peek at what everyone has created...there are some amazing treasures to be had by some truly talented and gifted artists. I'm really loving all of the pumpkins!

 Happy Autumn!
 Sandy

Early Work Update Tonight

My life has been a little topsy turvy lately which is why I haven't been posting much but I hope things start to settle down soon. I did manage to stitch something for tonight's Early Work Mercantile update though so wanted to share that with you here. It is another wonderful design by Stacy Nash called "Olde Homestead Sewing Book".  I really love how it turned out and hope you do, too! I stitched it on linen and used Civil War reproduction fabric for the inside pinkeep as well as for the sewing book backing.  I then antiqued everything for that wonderful primitive feel that we all love so much.  This will be available later tonight on the Early Work Mercantile site if you'd like to take a peek...I'd be tickled to have you stop by for a visit!

I hope you all are keeping well and are starting to enjoy the warm days of summer.

Happy June!!!
Sandy