Finishing Well

The summer of 2014 passed by so quickly with very little to show for it, so this year I was determined to enjoy every last second and make the most of our time of no-school. As the end of the long vacation rolled nearer, the kids and I grabbed hold and did so many things that we enjoy doing together.

There were stops at Jamba Juice and strolls through the orchard, read-alouds on the picnic blanket and trips to Kohl's to try on funny clothes, the meal prep was as simple and fresh as possible and the playdates with friends added some variety, there was a little bit of bike riding and a whole lot of concerts in the park, and most of all we had fun. The summer came to an end and I had no regrets, no surprise that the time was gone and we hadn't had time to take it all in. We didn't go camping or make any trips to the beach. We didn't get away for a vacation anywhere exciting. But we savored our time and the simple pleasures of life.

The only thing that could have possibly made it better would have been to share every second with the Farmboy instead of sending him off to the office every day.

*NEW* Take Heart

Recently, there was a charmingly naïve, skinny and tall, really worn and primitive band sampler that I nearly won on ebay. It was one of those days when I totally could have been present to place the winning bid, but completely spaced the timing and therefore lost the auction. I was so sad, and irritated with myself, because I had planned to share it with you all, not to mention the fact that I really wanted to hang it on my wall! Because I now couldn’t offer it as a pattern in good conscience, I chose a completely different verse, different colors, different motifs, but tried to capture the same feeling and dimensions. It was a super quick little sampler to stitch up, taking me only four days, and the size is perfect for hanging on an end wall or the side of a cupboard.

The verse is a favorite of mine from the Bible, found in John 16:33, the full verse reads, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Stitch Count: 55 x 256
Model stitched with one thread over two on R&R Reproductions’ 32ct. Star’s Hollow Blend
Using Classic Colorworks': Cocoa Bean, Hazelnut, Honeycomb, Olive Branch, Used Brick, Weeping Willow


This design is now available in my etsy shop, and will be going out to my distributors and the shops on my automatic shipments list soon. If you prefer to bypass etsy and order directly through me, you can send me an email: beth@heartstringsamplery.com