Monday, June 15, 2015

~ Birthday Wishes from Afar ~

Rain, rain, go away...come again another day!

Luckily, I got all my errands in town finished 
before the rain started...


Looks like we're going to have another rain day...perfect 
stitching conditions!

♦

~ Studio News ~


I enjoyed a quiet Sunday in the Studio folding 
linen & fabric for Little Sparrow Pinkeep Club Kits...


"Happy Hearts Rejoice" Pinkeep Nest


Everything is still on schedule and will be shipping next 
Monday, June 22nd.


It is so amazing how birds know how to intricately weave
their incredible nests!

♦

~ Country Life ~

On a normal day things are fairly quiet here on our farm, 
so this really got our attention...


My son Sam took this quick little video of two
Chinook helicopters flying over our farm...what a noise!

Our guess is that the Wisconsin National Guard is 
probably on their way to Camp Douglas on 
training missions.

♦

Sunday, June 14th was flag day...


Granddad's Bluff ~ La Crosse, Wisconsin

Flags everywhere were flying at half~mast.

♦

Sadly, there are over 2 thousand miles keeping us away from
wishing our son Nathan a happy birthday today...


Hoping your day is special and stress free!

Hope you enjoy these pictures...








Wisconsin misses you...


Dad misses you...


 Sam misses you...


We ALL miss you...WISH YOU WERE HERE!

Happy Birthday ♥♥♥

♦

Whenever I'm on a walk and happen to see a colony of 
ants, certain things always come to mind...


I love to watch these busy, busy little ants!


But most of all it makes me think of this scripture verse...

♦

~ Weekly Soul Food ~

Go to the ant, thou sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise:

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Provideth her meat in the summer, 
and gathereth her food in the harvest.

~ Proverbs 6:6~8...KJV ~

♦

Enjoy a great week!

Check back on Friday, to see what's new!




Friday, June 12, 2015

~ Happy Hearts Rejoice Pinkeep Nest ~

Welcome friends to the start of a great weekend!

Do you have something special planned for 
your weekend?

♦

Every morning I'm greeted with happy little birds 
singing their hearts out...


I knew from early on that I would title my next finish
for the Little Sparrow Pinkeep club ~ 

"Happy Hearts Rejoice" Pinkeep Nest



The back side is finished with Civil War Reproduction fabric,
Mill Book Series Circ 1852.


The center seam is embellished with a handwork
stitch called "Cretan Stitch".



The finished size of my pinkeep nest is 8" across,
which includes the rise from the filling.  Not including
that rise it would measure approximately 7" across.

~ Firmly packed with 2 full quarts of sawdust ~

Please note the finished size may vary depending on how it is packed.

The full tutorial for this pinkeep is scheduled for 
Monday, July 20th.

Club members ~ your kit is scheduled to ship on
the first day of Summer, Monday June 22nd.
(the 21st falls on a Sunday)


32 count Belfast Platinum linen is all cut!



Civil War fabric is cut and ready to go, 
all that's left is going to the print shop...yay!

****
If you're not a club member and would like
to become a Little Sparrow...it's never to late to join!

Many payment options are available...YOU 
choose the method YOU prefer!

For all the details here is the link that
will take you to the direct listing 
in my Etsy Shop ~



Now, here is a special message from a 
Little Sparrow Worker...


Isn't my young Mourning Dove the sweetest thing!

Mama and papa dove wake me up every morning
with happy hearts of cooing!

♦

My Fed~Ex driver brought me more back ordered linen...


Weeks Dye Works 32 count "Beige"...love it!

♦

My friend Ona stopped to see me this morning and
told me about a fun little shop that just opened
only a few miles away!

So I dropped everything to go check it out!


I instantly spied this hand pointing up as I entered the shop.


Couldn't wait to get back to the Studio to dress it up...what do
you think?



My Grandmothers old embroidery hoop, and topped
with a Little Sparrow Thimble!

A lovely addition to my "hand" collection...thank you Ona!

♦

My son Sam kindly unloaded my white treadle iron...


I decided to put it on the back porch...my little herb
pots are still waiting to be filled!

Mr. Toad (keeper of my rusty old birdseed barrel),
who also resides on the back porch...


....gave His stamp of approval!

♦


Thursday, we enjoyed a steady gentle rain all day long...just 
what my Iris's needed!

♦

Wisconsin's countryside is so beautiful this time of year...


Rolling hills and fields of green.



♦

~ Weekend Soul Food ~

To every thing there is a season, 
and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1~2...KJV ~

♦

Thank you for joining me today!

Take care and enjoy a great weekend!

Kindly, Tammy
Scattered Seed Samplers 







Monday, June 8, 2015

~ Civil War Reproduction Fabrics ~

Welcome friends to warm summer days!

The farmer's markets are once again open...nothing 
better than the taste of fresh veggies and 
mouth watering fruits and berries!

Or, maybe you have a nice garden right at home? 


My three favorite old tomato pinkeeps that I can 
admire year around!


The older they get...the prettier they get!

♦

I'm SO happy starting this week knowing my
fabric safari was a great success!! 

I was looking specifically for the wonderful 
line of Civil War Reproduction Fabrics...


This is going to work out perfectly for my new kit coming 
out soon for the Little Sparrow Pinkeep Club.


I'll be revealing the finished pinkeep on Friday.

Kits are scheduled to ship on June 21st....the 1st day of Summer.

Plus, I couldn't say no to this retired Civil War print...


I love the name of this one...General's Wives!


I'll be using this fabric for a different club kit in the 
near future.

♦

Look at what my mailman brought me...


Weeks Dye Works back order of 32ct. Havana...this was a
 4 month wait!! 

♦

While on my fabric trip, I was so excited to find this 
old treadle iron at a yard sale...


It's still in the back of my Kia Soul...just waiting for some 
 extra hands to help me unload it!

♦

I also found these sweet little terra cotta herb pots...


Aren't they neat...just waiting to be filled with fresh
herb plants!

♦


With Summer just beginning, I bet this little Squirrel
is already thinking about gathering nuts later this Fall!

♦


View from an Interstate 90 bridge of a barge on the 
Mississippi River and Wisconsin Hills!

♦


After a nice gentle rain last night...my flowers are
smiling!

♦

~ Weekly Soul Food ~

The law of the Lord is perfect, 
converting the soul:
 the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple.

The statutes of the Lord are right, 
rejoicing the heart: 
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes.  

~ Psalm 19:7~8...KJV ~

♦

Take care my friends...I'll be back on Friday!

Kindly, Tammy
Scattered Seed Samplers








Friday, June 5, 2015

~ On A Mission ~

Hello friends!

Sorry I can't be with you today...I'm on a mission 
in search of just the right fabric for
my next Little Sparrow Pinkeep!


Please wish me luck....I had NO luck locally!

I look forward to sharing on Monday.

♦♦♦

~ Weekend Soul Food ~

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

The Lord make his face shine upon thee, 
and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, 
and give thee peace.

~ Numbers 6:24~26...KJV ~

♦♦♦

Enjoy your weekend....relax & stitch!

Kindly, Tammy
Scattered Seed Samplers






Monday, June 1, 2015

Extra, Extra...Read All About It!

Hello friends...are you looking forward to this new week?


As promised last week, the wait is finally over, 
and early sign up is now available for... 

"The Sheepish Needle" Samplar Club!


Today, you can "read all about it".

First, I'll share an overview for any one who missed the
previous information.

"The Sheepish Needle" Samplar Club is exclusively from 
Scattered Seed Samplers©2015...established by me (Tammy Black).

Are you a needle worker who seeks out sheep samplars?
(then you are a lady after my own heart)

The Sheepish Needle is excited to present four, small, exclusive samplar
kits per year that will be dedicated to these peaceful wooly
four legged friends!

Each samplar kit will be designed with the mission to be both
practical and unique for the passionate sheepish stitcher at heart ~♥~

~ Kits will ship quarterly ~ approximately every three months ~

~ Mid July
~ Mid October
~ Mid January
~ Mid April

Each kit will include...

~ pattern/chart
~ color photo of finished project
~ finishing instructions
~ John James petite needle
~ full skeins of thread to complete project
~ linen to complete project
~ homespun fabric (if used in project)
~ any special finishing trims or hardware 
~ full finishing tutorials 

The follow up finishing tutorials will offer handwork tips and full 
finishing instructions to make this club fun and exciting!

They will be approximately one month after the kit ships and
will be right here on my blog.

All stitchers Near & Far are welcome to join!

Many payment options are available...YOU choose 
the method YOU prefer :)

The first option is paying for the one year membership 
through my Etsy shop, look for this listing photo...

~ just click onto this image ~

For your convenience here is the direct link...just click onto the 
image.

~ one full year is ~$129.61~ 1st class shipping INCLUDED for USA

~ Additional shipping rates for stitchers OUTSIDE the USA ~

~ $129.61 plus $18.00 = $147.61 ~ CANADA
~ $129.61 plus $24.00 = $153.61~ INTERNATIONAL

~ Or take advantage of the quarterly installment plan ~

The installment plan is four quarterly payments approximately
every three months...

~ $32.40 each (USA)
~ $36.90 (CANADA)
~ $38.40 (INTERNATIONAL)

You choose which payment method you prefer...

~ invoiced through PayPay ~ OR
~ credit card over the phone by calling (608) 799~4418 (Studio)

If you choose the PayPal invoice method, I will need an email
for sending the invoice, plus a shipping address.


Sign up for The Sheepish Needle is limited...enroll early to 
reserve your space in the flock!

♦♦♦

Look at what I found laying in front of the Studio
this morning...


A small delicately woven birds nest!



It must have blown out of our tall Arbor Vitae tree next
to the front porch of the farmhouse.


I'm happy to see my snippets of thread were 
used in weaving this nest!


Even a few bright green sprigs of Arbor Vitae!


This is the bottom side...so fascinating!

♦♦♦

I found a couple special needlework notions this weekend...


This special little ruler is stamped made in the USA ~ 1937


I love, love, love this!

♦♦♦

I love searching for fun new tools when ever I stop
at shops like Jo Ann's, Hancocks, Hobby Lobby; I found
this sassy tool at Michaels...


~ "Slice" cutting tool ~


After getting home and trying it out...I'm so glad I decided 
to buy it! 


This is ideal for cutting intricate shapes with the micro~ceramic
blade.


The regular price was $6.99 and after using a 40% off coupon
I only paid $4.19.

♦♦♦

Sorry for the lengthy "Sheepish Needle" details today, 
how about a little sheepish humor?


Isn't this fitting for the crazy world we live in!

♦♦♦

~ Weekly Soul Food ~

All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

~ Isaiah 53:6...KJV ~

♦♦♦

Busy fingers are happy fingers...take time to stitch!

More to come on Friday...see you then!

Kindly, Tammy
Scattered Seed Samplers