November's End ~

Welcome friends, can you believe it's already 

time to say goodbye to November!!

So many things are calling my name...what to do first?

♦


Little Sparrow Pinkeep Club Update...

This is the chosen ribbon that will be used to 
embellish the next pinkeep. 

And the chosen linen will be Belfast 32ct Summer Khaki.

This will be the fourth club kit with a 
scheduled ship date of "on or before" December 31st.

All the information for rejoining for 2016 will
be included with the kit.

More updates will follow in the next couple of weeks.

♦

I enjoy feeding the birds during the cold wintery months...

Seed barrel and suet feeders are filled...birds are happy and content!

♦

The new issue of "Circa Home Living" is out...

You can call and request a catalog at 1~888~887~1820
or visit them at...

www.CircaHomeLiving.com

♦

Sharing with you today are six of my all time favorite
Christmas decorating books...

"Christmas of Olde" ~ hardcover, 160 pages

"An Early Christmas" ~ hardcover, 160 pages
Both of Tina Woltman's books are truly inspiring!


The next four are all from the "Simply Country"
book series by Judy Condon...

Sleigh Bells Ring ~ 2014, softcover, 144 pages
Holidays at a Country Home ~ 2011, softcover, 144 pages

Stockings Were Hung ~ 2012, softcover, 144 pages
Country Decorating for All Seasons ~ 2008, softcover, 144 pages

Always a relaxing way to spend a quiet 
moment alone!

♦

Every year I pull Bittersweet Nightshade vines out of 
our Arbor Vitae tree, but this year I never 
got around to it...

Even frozen and icy the berries are still 
bright red and hanging on!

Pulling these vines out is still on my list of things
to do!


♦

Tis the season to be jolly...

I'll be having a special Christmas gift giveaway as a small
token of appreciation for my faithful friends 
and followers!

Thank you so much for taking the time to join me every 
Monday and Friday for all my ramblings!

Please know that every message and comment
is read and very much appreciated!!!!

All the details coming soon, 
Lovingly Tammy


♦

Weekly Soul Food...

In every thing give thanks:
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18...KJV

♦

During this busy time of year, it is my wish for you
to find peace from within!

Stay warm and carry on,
Joyfully, Tammy

The Early Workbasket ~ Needles

Welcome friends and needleworkers, hope your

Thanksgiving Day was very special!

♦

Oh my goodness, it's time to peek into this

 week's workbasket...

Today's topic is the humble little "needle"

This young peasant girl will share her 

most treasured possession...

Needles are the most important tool for sewing,

and are as old as time! 

They were found in gold and silver in Pre~dynastic Egyptian

tombs, and are used virtually unchanged today.

Little is known about the origins of the steel needle, except 

that it was brought in Medieval times from Islamic countries to

Spain, from where it slowly filtered into the rest of Europe.

Recorded needlemakers were registered in Vienna, Austria as

early as 1295.  Nuremberg in Germany was making steel needles 

by 1370 and Queen Elizabeth I had the steel needle brought to 

London in 1566.  

From the end of the sixteenth century Amsterdam had it own

needlemaking industry.  

Here are some examples of early museum needles...

These three brass needles were excavated in Amsterdam 

in the 1970's....dating back to the first half of the 14th century!

By the 1840's sewing needles were being produced in

great quantities.  The average person could now afford to buy

a packet of needles whereas previously it was only possible

to own an individual needle.

During the eighteenth century fine embroidery was very 

much the province of the upper classes.  

These were the ladies who owned fine embroidery tools and 

spent their time producing decorative items and samplers.

On the other hand, the sweet peasant girl, a poor villager,

thought of her needle as her most treasured possession as it

was needed for the necessities of life! 

There are, in fact, recorded instances of one needle being 

shared by a small village!  

For this level of society there was no time or place for fine

decorative embroidery. 

As the years passed needle companies were a growing 

industry.

  

All competing for attractive packaging!

Wow, a whole package of needles for only .4¢!!!!

This package is from my Grandmother's workbasket.

 Frozen in time...just the way she left this single needle!

Then, retail companies started using needlebooks as a means

of advertising, to reach the woman of the house...

Do you have any old needlebooks in your stash?

And finally, during the 1960's ~ 1970's grocery stores

gave them out as a complimentary thank you gifts...

I actually remember shopping at A&P grocery store as a 

little girl.

I wish grocery stores would revive such a generous

shopping incentive!

♦

Back in 2007, I purchased one of my favorite needles...

It may look like other needles, but it is very special because

it is a handmade Japanese needle!

I still have the original little glass jar it came in...

And I like to keep it in this jar...so I don't loose it!

♦

For my personal everyday favorite needles I always 

use John James Tapestry Petites...

I recommend using size 24 needles on

  28 ct linen or 14 ct aida cloth

Size 26 needles for 28 & 30 ct linen or 16 ct aida cloth

Size 28 needles for 32, 35/36, 40 count linens or

16, 18 count aida cloth

What makes these needles different is the shorter (Petite) shaft,

making them wonderful to hold in your hand while stitching.

Because there is less needle shaft, you are able

to keep stitching, using most of your thread...much less waste!

Plus, with the petite needle you'll be able to stitch 

much faster!

John James Petite needles in sizes 24, 26 and 28 

are all available in my Etsy Shoppe...

https://www.etsy.com/shop/scatteredseedsampler?ref=hdr_shop_menu

♦

Weekend Soul Food...

It is easier for a camel to go through the

eye of a needle,

than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Mark 10:25...KJV

♦

Looking forward to visiting again on Monday...see you then!

Kindly, Tammy

Nature's Bounties ~

Welcome friends, is your week off to a happy start?

Happy thoughts...make happy days!

♦

 I'm so excited to share a wonderful surprise that was gifted

to me by my friend and extremely talented artist 

David Schump of "The Art Tramp"...

An Exclusive Tramp Art Scissor Necklace,

this is just so sweet!

I love how he painted my initials TB, and the little scissors
with the heart shaped handles...perfection!

This past summer I had purchased one of his extraordinary

Heart in Hand Thread Holder Pinkeeps...

It accommodates five colors of thread.

Attached with a ribbon is a velvet sawdust packed heart pinkeep. 

Embellished with a antique button!

To see David's full line of available hand crafted works

of art, please visit his web site and click onto the

"Gallery" tab...

http://thearttramp.com/

♦

Nature's bounties come in many different forms...

I'm so happy to have a fresh supply of Beeswax Bars to 

offer in my Etsy shop...brought to you by the 

humble little busy bees!

If you need a beeswax bar for your sewing basket,

please click onto the photo to go the listing 

 in my Etsy Shop.

These bars are premium quality hand poured 

Triple Filtered one ounce bars.

100% Beeswax No Additives ~ Chemical Free

Thread conditioner and protectant...reduces tangling!

♦

 Please meet a few of my furry friends,

Hi, my name is Rose, I'm a Peruvian Oreo Alpaca.

Rose, has graciously offered her Rosy Grey fiber to 

be used as pinkeep filler for Scattered Seed Sampler Models!

After being sheared her lovely coat weighed 25 ounces.

Wait until you see Rose's friends...

Hi, my name is Mocha, I'm an Alpaca!

Did you know that Alpaca is soft as cashmere, 

warmer, lighter and stronger than wool?

Mocha's coat weighed 20 ounces after shearing.

Alpaca fiber has a natural, rich luster, with a silky feel.

 And patiently waiting her turn...

Hi, my name is Silver Springs, I'm also an Alpaca.

This sweet young lady was a little bashful about having her

picture taken!

Silver Spring's coat weighed 25 ounces.

Also, Alpaca is seven times warmer and three times stronger

than sheep's wool and doesn't feel scratchy like other

animal fibers.

I'm so excited about using these three beautiful coats of fiber

to finish many future Scattered Seed Sampler models!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you...girls!!!

♦

With Thanksgiving Day only a few days away, are you ready?

A Turkey strike is on...love the protest sign!!!

♦

Weekly Soul Food...

One thing have I desired of the Lord,

that will I seek after;

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord 

all the days of my life, 

to behold the beauty of the Lord,

and to enquire in his temple.

Psalm 27:4...KJV

♦

Our minds mold who we become...are the thoughts you dwell

 on good seed (positive) or bad seed (negativity)?

Happy Thanksgiving,

Kindly, Tammy

The Early Workbasket ~ Etui

Welcome friends and needleworkers!

Tis the season for a never ending to~do list!

Do you have a endless list of things to do right before
the Holiday Season?

♦

Are you ready to see what's in Friday's workbasket?

Today's topic is "Etui"

This young girl will share the meaning of this unusual and 
commonly mispronounced word...  

 Etui is a French word, pronounced E~twee.

This French word, much used in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries, describes a small portable sewing set.

The sewing tools fit into an interior frame.


This is my first Etui that I purchased many years ago 
and is my personal favorite...

It is made of wood and is embellished with metal

hardware...love the old patina!

You press the little nob and the lid pops open...

The interior velvet lining has faded greatly over the years!

Individual holes to accommodate the different tools. 

With a molded thimble holder in the center...

This set of tools includes two Stilettos (an awl for making
holes in fabric), brass thimble, scissors, and
a knife tool.

My favorite is the knife tool, which has a beautiful
purple gemstone mounted on the end of the handle.

I love the early style hardware, this is the back view.

♦

This next example is very similar...

Even the hardware style is similar!


This next one is a little fancier...

Beautiful wooden box, lined with light gold velvet.
Nice original complete matching set!


This next one is similar except that it's in an oval box...

 Also a beautiful complete set with fancier tools...I love
the brass hardware on both of these sets.

Hope you enjoyed learning about Etui's today!

Please join me again next Friday, 
to see the heirlooms of an early workbasket!

♦

The last two photos are courtesy of my dear son Samuel... 

Decisions, decisions, decisions...which way should I go?

♦

Weekend Soul Food...

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed.

James 1:6...KJV

♦

Humble Hare Handwork Club kits will be packaged
over the weekend and will ship out on Monday.

♦

Wishing you a very happy weekend!

Fill your heart with gladness,
Kindly, Tammy