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Friday, June 23, 2017


June Birds and Bees
Week three 

Before we get started with our stitches, we want to say thank you for the tremendous response to our give away.  We are happy you like it and want to be included.  If you have not signed up yet, there is still time ... the sign up will continue until July 13 th! Requirements are simple: just be a sidebar follower and leave a comment where you are from so we can put you in the correct drawing.  If you forgot to let us know which drawing you need to be in there is still plenty of time to let us know.  Details of the give away can be found in the June 16th Grab Bag post.

Something Old Made New

We have some old stitches that we have been working on this week to add a little something extra to their original finish.   For June we picked two of our favorite oldies.

RJ - I picked Sleigh bird by Little by Little.   I saw this stitch on Twisted Stitcher one afternoon and had to find the pattern.   I totally fell in love with it.   I searched the title on google but did not have a lot of luck until one day I found it on an online source called Stitching Bits and Pieces.  It was a tricky one to stitch but it really caught my attention and so I made two of them.  The first one I stitched on 30 ct linen and it was nice but bigger than I like so I stitched the second one on 35 ct. cocoa linen and liked it much better.  I decided to stitch the word Noel instead of the called for year because it would be going on my little French tree.   

Before:
I love this stitch but it needed a little more!


After: When I think of those old sleighs, bells come to mind.  So that is what I did.  I added some bells to the sleigh rim. At the top, I put a bow and a few larger bells.  Luckily, Mary had the perfect sized bells for the sleigh bird ornament. It was a simple addition but just enough to make a difference. 


Closeup of Sleigh bird


Sitting under some lights in the bookcase and next to a vintage birdcage

Mary sent me this adorable little stand which worked perfectly for this ornament

Sleigh Bird
 Little by Little Designs
35 ct. Weeks Cocoa Linen one over two
Called for over dyed threads


                                                                             
  💙


Mary - Little House Needleworks "Seven Pines" is my old ornament that I have updated with a new look.  This was a fast and easy update since all I had to do was add a bell charm, a small heart button and a cording bow.  You can find the bell charm at A.C. Moore.

This was a complimentary chart from LHN that can be found here.

I used the called for threads with the exception of Crescent Colors English Ivy for the trees.


Before:
I added a red border around the stitch.

After:
You can see I added a red heart, a twine bow and a bell charm.

Here's a closeup of the bell charm.

Seven Pines
Little House Needlworks
30 ct. linen
called for threads
charm is from AC Moore

                                                              June Freebie 
Here is our June freebie from With Thy Needle and Thread.   Love the birds on top of the basket and the alphabet that is surrounding it.   You can find this chart here.


Next week we will be back with our new stitches for June.   Hope to see you then.
                                                                   RJ and Mary



                             Bee yourself because everyone else is taken.

                                                     author unknown

37 comments:

  1. I love these makeovers y'all do! Such a great idea to breathe new life into old finishes! :O)

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  2. Both of your made-over ornaments are lovely. It is so nice to keep Christmas around all year!

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  3. Wonderful stitching and finishing.

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  4. I love the way you both updated older pieces. It's an inspiration for me!!

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  5. I love the updates of your work, those little bells make me smile. And the little Heart at the snowman, makes it perfekt.
    Greetings and happy Weekend, Martina

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  6. Very inspiring, it is amazing what a big difference a little change can make.x

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    1. Thanks Kay, I now know more about finishing and will do a better job from the get to, updating after is a challenge! I played with 3 other ornaments before settling on this one. (it was the easiest!)Have a great weekend.

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  7. Enjoy your blog. I am from the Chicago area.

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    1. Michaels craft store and they still stock them, I always wait for a 50% off coupon. Glad to hear your enjoying our makeovers! Have a great weekend.

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    2. Thanks for stopping in, I love the city of Chicago, I have been twice and going again either late summer or early fall to visit my Uncle in a nursing home. Any great needlework shops in the area?

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  8. The sleigh bells are the perfect addition of course RJ! Mary that bell charm is darling. I like the stand you sent RJ very much.

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  9. Oh ,ces ornements sont magnifique ,j'adore celui avec les clochettes!
    Bon week end
    Amicalement

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  10. I am enjoying your makeovers of the old into the new. Good additions of the bells and the bell charm. Mary, where did you find the easel you gave to RJ? Enjoy your weekend!

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    1. Hi Robin, glad your enjoying our little makeovers. I bought the holder at Michaels and they still carry them. Be sure to use a 50% off coupon! Have a great weekend. Mary

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    2. Thanks for the information, Mary! I will look the next time I am there.

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  11. love the finishing ideas .. in a breeze that sleigh will ring :) love the June chart you have picked too that is in my to do list :) love mouse xxxx

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  12. Love your updated ornaments--very clever ideas!

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  13. What a wonderful way to update your ornaments! They both look just lovely and it was great motivation to start stitching the ornaments that I make for my family each year! Enjoy your weekend!

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  14. Such a good reminder that I have an old finish that I am not happy with how it looks! Your updates look wonderful and rather painless. Wonder what is taking me so long! :)

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  15. I am from Hungary, Szekszárd and I'm your new follower.
    Thanks for the chance, please count in your giveaway!

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  16. Love the changes in your pieces and the fact that you coordinate projects so well in your blog posts...so interesting! And thanks so much for the freebies! Yay!

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  17. Two beautiful ornaments, RJ and Mary! How pretty your stand gift from Mary!

    Enjoy your weekend!

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  18. Oh what pretty pieces. They were pretty before the makeovers and even more so after. Again I've come here and am leaving inspired. I too have the chart with the basket and the birds and have been wanting to do it for some time. It seemed elegant and yet simple. Hugs and stitches to you both.

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  19. RJ and Mary: What a difference a few bells and ribbons make to an already couple of adorable ornaments, thank-you for sharing with us, I love how they were finished.

    Blessings
    Catherine

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  20. Love the updates to the ornaments! They look like totally new ornaments and I love them!

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  21. Great makeovers on both ornaments!!

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  22. Thanks for sharing your finishes. It is always good to see something new and different.

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  23. I am a new follower-Brenda Hayes from Alabama.

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  24. Two gorgeous finishes, Mary and RJ - I love the extra embellishments on both, they really do make a difference, don't they? I have the Seven Pines design but not the sleigh one - I will have to have a look for it online now. lol!

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  25. P.S. Thanks for the link to the freebie, too. xxx

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  26. Thanks for the freebie! I am a sidebar follower from Norman, OK and would like to be entered in the give-aways

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  27. These are both such great makeovers! Very inspiring.

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  28. RJ, I love your version of the Sleigh Bird with the little bells hanging from the sleigh. It looks gorgeous and is a nice idea which I have to keep in mind. I love Little by Little designs.
    I also love your embellished version of the LHN freebie, Mary. I have this freebie in my stash and I think I have to stitch soon :)

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  29. I am catching up ... Such lovely finishes and thank you for this lovely pattern!

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  30. I love how a few simple additions can really take a finish to the next level! Both of you did a wonderful job on your ornament re-dos, Mary and RJ! Makes me want to get some of my old finishes out and jazz them up a bit, too :)

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  31. What a wonderful way to update your ornaments! They both look just lovely and it was great motivation to start stitching the ornaments that I make for my family each year! Enjoy your weekend!

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