A new Stich Along Harvest Hues with Mary Corbet

 I have gathered my supplies for the newest Stitch Along I am taking part in hosted by Mary Corbet.

You can read about it here and join along if you like, we don't begin stitching the leaves until next week so there is time.  Here is the link to Mary's Website for the SAL

https://www.needlenthread.com/2024/09/harvest-hues-1-design-materials-set-up.html

As soon as I saw the photos posted on her blog I knew I would join in.  I love Autumn colors and I'm always looking for something new and colorful to use to decorate my home here in Florida.

I have some wool blend felt I purchased about a year or so ago from Benzie Design for a project I did with quite a bit left over. Here is there website https://www.benziedesign.com They also have an Etsy store by the same name.  I love their wool palette selections most of the time you can purchase the DMC floss to coordinate with the felt which saves time trying to get that perfect match depending on what you make.

Also for autumn I am stitching another Mary Corbet design Autumn Leaf Lines the pattern is free for members of Mary's Patreon. 

I first came to know of Mary Corbet when I renewed my interest in Hand Embroidery way back in October 2014.  I enrolled in a hand embroidery class on October 7th we would make 2 projects from Gail Pan's Patchwork Loves Embroidery book. My finished needlebook and pincushion side by side with the photos from the book.  I can happily say my French knots have improved.

 The next project to follow was a Crab Apple Hill design which I am happy to say I am still crazy about those patterns. More about those another time.

After the New Year in 2015 we began to meet once a week for hand embroidery class learning new stitches and refreshing our skills.  Many of those classed included a video from Mary Corbet, it may have been either the website or YouTube. 

I have to say signing up for that first class 10 years ago was one of the best things I  have ever done.  I have grown as a hand stitcher following patterns to designing some of my own patterns and exploring the world of Slow Stitching in many of it's forms.

I will also be working on Kathy Schmitz Woven Wreaths block for October along with her Fright Night Table Mat which is available on Spoonflower, it includes the backing fabric when you purchase 1 yard.

I just love the vintage look of the motifs there are 12 in all and also available in Kathy's shop as a stand alone download to stitch the images.  I may use these as part of a bunting instead of the table mat.

The design images reminds me so much of the vintage Halloween cutouts from when my son was a little boy kind of like these vintage Beistle 

I just saw in the Spoonflower shop there is a Christmas Table Mat and a Wall hanging, I may grab one though I do have the Jolly And Bright ornament pattern to start on soon.

I am finally linking my post to Kathy's Quilts here:https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2024/09/slow-sunday-stitching_02122906470.html
It's been a while since I linked a post so it feels great to have something stitch related to talk about.

A Mary Oliver poem and my thoughts.

 

INVITATION by Mary Oliver

Oh do you have time

to linger

for just a little while

out of your busy

and very important day

for the goldfinches

that have gathered

in a field of thistles

for a musical battle,

to see who can sing

the highest note,

or the lowest,

or the most expressive of mirth,

or the most tender?

Their strong, blunt beaks

drink the air

as they strive

melodiously

not for your sake

and not for mine

and not for the sake of winning

but for sheer delight and gratitude –

believe us, they say,

it is a serious thing

just to be alive

on this fresh morning

in the broken world.

I beg of you,

do not walk by

without pausing

to attend to this

rather ridiculous performance.

It could mean something.

It could mean everything.

It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote:

You must change your life.

Mary Oliver

The words in this poem are almost my exact thoughts when I'm lying in my bed between sleep and waking listening to the birds singing out my window.  Some mornings there isn't a peep from a bird but on those glorious mornings when the birds wake me with their chorus of calls and songs of joy.  I will listen for the different tunes my own heart filling with joy.

Early this month we had rain for the first two weeks with some heavy downpours, the birds would gather at one of the feeders under the covered porch several perching on the windchimes and the table waiting to take their turn at the feeder or perhaps just being social while getting out of the rain.  They sing while they wait out the rain.  I often wonder are they calling other birds to let them know it's dry spot out of the rain with plenty to eat.  

I am fortunate to have this almost daily gift of birdsong and happy to say it's not only in the early morning that the birds come and sing.  For the past few weeks they have been coming in the late afternoon and early evening after the sun goes down filling the air with song.