Free Design "Happy Spring"

I have a "Happy Spring" design for you. I am sooooo happy spring is here. I just love listening to the birds sing in the morning. I don't even care that they wake me 4:00 am :)
I made this little happy bunny sharing his flowers with you. I have the chart as a PDF for you to stitch and finish as you please. If you would like to finish yours as I did  I have available the directions for finishing with the finishing kit on my Etsy shop. The finishing directions come with 14 color photos to help you along the way. The kit supplies are the wool,  plastic template disc, ( lobster claw, chain, and wool with grommet already put together) and the fabric with the printed words "The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come and the cooing of turtledoves fill the air"  Song of Solomon 2:12.

Click Here For Cross Stitch PDF Of design

Just one more quick note I will be teaching at Yankee Cross Stitch in North Hampton NH a workshop on May 17th from 10:30 to 1:30. The cost is $40.00 and includes a choice of 1 of 2 doors that are available.
These doors have been originally hand painted by renowned Maine Artist Kathy Carter in collaboration for our newest product line. These paintings have been printed onto Kona Cotton for embellishment. If you are in the area please join me for this workshop. I would love to meet you and talk stitching.

Have a great day and talk to you again soon, 

donna

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Gal 5:22

Pic of Bird #11 and trunk show visiting a shop near you?

Happy Wednesday,
I have a pic of Bird # 11 to share, and yes I seem to be slow because I am still folding charts. But it is so cold here today with a gray sky and so much wind but NO snow!! YEAH
I promise to get the charts out by Friday the latest. So check back on Etsy or your local needleart store.

 I have a trunk show that is visiting Mary at Ye Olde Cross Stitchery in Bristol PA. We sent along some free charts for her to give away with a purchase from By The Bay. So check out her site and if you live nearby please stop in and visit Mary. She is a great person to talk to :)
My next blog update will be about my "Messengers" so check back.
Thank you for reading my blog and have a great day
donna

#4 Photo and a peek at all of the birds

Nantucket Village #4

Nantucket Village #1, 2, 3, & 4

Sorry my design is not ironed but I wanted to get a photo up for you today, Just one more scene to go and this will be quite a long design, I cant wait and then I will have to shop for a frame :)
And don't forget if you do not want to stitch this very large scene you can easily stitch any one of the scenes and they are a picture in themselves.
I am off the finish up bird #11 and I have posted a computer image of all 12 on the side bar.
Have a good night and until next time,  pray for the Peace we need in this world
donna

Just finished Nantucket Village #4,

Oh yeah, I just finished Nantucket Village #4 and I am working on #11 of the Birds of a Funky Feather, I will share photos tomorrow as it needs to be ironed and photographed but right now I am in a stitching mood :)
have a good afternoon
donna

Thank you for the messages and the winners are.......

And the winners are Kris  and Pam . Just need them to email me their mailing address and I will snail mail the charts out. Thank you to everyone that sent me a message I enjoy reading and will check out your blogs soon if you have one. I am busy stitching away on Nantucket Village #4 and I cant wait until it is finished and framed, I am loving it :). Also just finished designing the other 2 Birds Of A Funky Feather and will stitch those up soon too. Busy fingers .

Have a good weekend and I will blog more next week.

Donna

Winter Holiday Giveaway :)

Well the sun is out today and it is beautiful. I  finished framing my new design just in time for February vacations!!. It is stitched it on 28ct "White Chocolate" linen with a stitch count of 125 x 96.
I designed it to fit perfectly for you in an 8 x 10 frame. So I  am having a giveaway for this cross stitch chart. Please leave me a comment and your name will be added to the hat. The drawing will be on Saturday morning and I will draw 2 names for the free giveaway. Good-luck

Sundays Sermon and a Free Chart

I am sitting here in the quiet of the morning. Just sipping my coffee and looking out the window in my corner chair. It is gloomy outside but I know the sun is shining above. At least we do not have weather like to much snow, down pours of rain, or 150 mile an hour winds. So I am blessed for a quiet morning. Meagans gone off to work,  a waitress on a 12 hour shift but at least she has a job and what a day for tips with the big game, hubby is off to church and he is feeling well enough this morning to venture out and feed his soul. So I thought I would just sit here in this welcomed quiet time and give my thanks for all I have. I made this chart up a while ago and started stitching it for me but I was led to share it with you today. This is a beautiful saying that I treasure and I am passing it on. 

So give thanks in all things and have a blessed day

The link is on the side bar for you to download

donna

Last Day for Etsy sale and Pinterest update

Hi everyone, this is the last day for the Esty Sale. CODE: iamblessed25 will give you 25% off your purchase in the Etsy checkout.
And this is a Pinterest update for you. Just click the name ROOH  below the picture and get connected to my Pinterst Board for embroidery and more. So much eye candy and inspiration. So if you have a few minutes click on the name ROOH below and visit my board.

One of my husbands friends ROOH loving the snow

Have a good day

donna

Quick etsy update

I have just finished adding more to Etsy. I have some models. I have made so much and  I have no room for all of them so I am getting a head start on spring cleaning. Check it out as some of them are one of a kind. Tomorrow I will post some fabric Don't forget that 25% disc coupon

They are the way to your inbox

I sent the emails out! Yeah

I have a small winter freebie in the newsletter so check for it and I have the coupon for my Etsy shop.

 It is "iamblessed25"   This is good for .25% off your purchase until the end of January so take advantage as I have some limited kits and models for sale. I will also be adding something new everyday until the end of the sale. 

I hope you enjoy the little winter freebie that was included in the newsletter.

This is a good time to show you my new design "Winter Holiday" This will be coming out soon. It will be released in time for the stitching MARKET that is held in Nashville. If you would like to look up info on the market click here 

"WINTER HOLIDAY" 

OK I am slow

Sorry the newsletter is not ready yet, but I will get up bright and early to work on it. thanks for your patience.

Newsletters Going Out Sunday

Hi 

I want to tell everyone that newsletters are going out this Sunday so make sure you are signed up. Etsy sale will be posted and all things NEW!!

Yes this pic is from before Christmas (Notice the pumpkin) but I wanted to share a little color to brighten your day
donna

What's Up Wednesday

     " Hump-Day " promotes different thoughts here on the beautiful Maine seacoast, as this diving Humpback whale so majestically shows us his tail !

     In light of that line of thought, Id'e like to share some Winter pix. from our recent Nor'Easter dubbed by the weathermen as " Hercules " . As you can see, " Neither rain nor sleet or even snow, ...can hold our Fishermen on the GO ! " 

     There is indeed a layed back " Fishing Village "  charm here in York, Maine. A Good Ol' Fashioned New England Winter, is well deserving of being placed on everyone's Bucket List !

     From experiencing the actual beauty of a Snow Storm, to sipping a glass of fine wine, fireside at renowned York harbor Inn, you can STITCH in the quiet serenity of that crackling  stone fireplace.
What a treat !.....How about a RE- TREAT ?,...................coming very soon !!!

     Meanwhile, I'm stitching away on a new Old Fashioned New England Winter scene that I'm truly excited about, as well as finishing up my " Bird's of a Funky Feather " series.

Other projects that are keeping me busy are an upcoming class for a Massachusetts Chapter of The Embroiderers Guild of America, which is being held at Yankee Cross-Stitch in Hampton, N.H.
The group has chosen to stitch a 3-D StumpWork project.

     Be on the look-out for a new product line which is a Needle Felted / Mixed Media group of angels, which I have named " MESSENGERS ".
                                            Something NEW,......Fun, Fun, Fun !!!

Keep Warm

Keep Stitching and...

BE BLESSED !

   donna

" HOLIDAY BLESSINGS "

        I must surely be on " Santa's Naughty List " ! " for neglecting my blog"  and consequently YOU,.....my friends and followers. So it seems natural to make " staying on top of my blogging ", my New Years Resolution !

        Until then, let me wish you all a Multitude of Christmas Blessings!  May the Spirit of Christmas Fill the Hearts of Each of You, as well as your Loved Ones !

Please know how very Grateful I Am for each of you. As some of you know,..( and for others, ..now ya do know ), I am deeply Spiritual. In light of this, please know that I consider each of you to be a Blessing to my life.

                               Have a " Happy, Prosperous, and Safe New Year !

Please stop by the " ETSY " Shop on my blog sometime during the 1st two weeks of January, 2014 !

I will be having a " Customer Appreciation Sale "  which will offer a 25% discount, and a FREE CHART with each order !

I will be sure to post the sale by New Years Eve.

                                       WARM BLESSINGS AGAIN TO YOU ALL!

          " REMEMBER, THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS, LIES IN OUR HEARTS ! "

New Design "Holy Night" ornaments

I finished stitching my new design called "Holy Night"

I stitched it on 18ct Natural linen over (1). I like the primitive look. There are 6 ornaments each with a stitch count of 42 x 42.

I did stitch the 3 Wise men together as a long scene but they can each be stitched as a 42 x 42 stitch count ornament. 

I am working on the directions this evening and to the printer in the morning so charts will be ready to go out by Thursday evening. I hope you like what my fingers have been busy stitching.

Have a good night

donna

I finished my ornaments with stuffing but they would also look great as a flat ornament. 

Thanksgiving Freebie

Hi everyone, I sent out my Thanksgiving newsletters and some people signed up after and some people did not receive them so I have posted the freebie from the newsletter here for everyone!

I hope you enjoy it and stitch it up before the big thankful day!!

Click on these words "BE THANKFUL" and you will taken to the PDF file so you can print from home :)

I did suggest a Weeks Dye works thread for the background (Morris Blue) but you can choose whatever you would like or stitch on an already dyed fabric for the background. . 

 Also the stitch count is 56 x 28 and if done on 14ct Aida or 28ct linen over 2 this would make a great 2 x 4 size that will fit great in a 3 x 5 or a 4 x 6 frame. 

ENJOY

donna

Newsletters Have just gone out!!

A quick note for you that the newsletters have gone out and there is a Thanksgiving freebie that was included. I hope you like it. Check your in-box for the letter. And I am passing on a message from the newsletter to make sure everyone see's it.

OPEN HOUSE POSTPONED.  
Just a huge note that I was planning an OPEN HOUSE for my studio on Nov 30th but I have decided to NOT have it yet. I am going to wait until spring. We have way to much going on at the moment and I need more time to get ready so I figure the long cold winter will give me plenty of time to prepare.

I will give you more info as I plan for it but until now it is cancelled. Sorry if this caused any inconvenience
donna :(

Have a good night 

"Nine Woolly sisters" Tree Skirt/ Penny rug is ready and I have in stock tree stands

I am finally finished with the craft fair at church. It took so much work to prepare for and time. I made so many things that I thought would be for a craft fair. You just never know what will sell and to whom. So my porch is a mess and I still have things in the trunk that I need to take care of.
i cant wait for my Open House on the porch /studio. But at the moment it is a mess.
Just want to share some photos that I have and also to tell you that id anyone lives in the Maine area or NH seacoast I am teaching at Camp Wool this Sunday the Wool Feather Tree class and along with it I am supplying the "Nine Woolly sisters" pattern. So give LeAnn a call and sign up. I am also teaching it at Yankee Cross Stitch on Nov 2 and you can give Erica a call for that one.

. 

My little corner at the fair.

I met plenty of nice people and many of them stitch, so I am hoping we can get together and stitch some time. But now that I am free from that I am finishing my designs and working on my website. 

But in the mean time I have added some tree stands, tree skirt patterns and tree directions to Etsy.https://www.etsy.com/shop/ByTheBayNeedleart

Have a good night

donna

And the winner is..... for the "9 Woolly Sisters" tree skirt @ a Halloween freebie posted on blog!!!!!

And The winner is Kathy . Yeah for Kathy :-)  please email me your mailing address and I will get it out for you on Saturday. I am still typing the directions but all will be finished soon. 

THANK YOU TO ALL THAT LEFT ME A MESSAGE. I APPRECIATE YOUR KIND WORDS. 

I have my new design on Etsy and they are being shipped out today for the automatic shops. 

I have the 12 Stitch An Inch Halloween designs in one chart pack. And since I did not have time this year to make a free pumpkin head like I usually do I am giving you one of the Stitch An Inch designs from this chart pack. 

So here he is 

Click on his name "HERBIE" to be taken to the PDF directions for him 

So a quick update that I will be vending at a local town event that we have here in York Maine. It is called 

Marketfest and I will be in the church building. So I have been busy making things for it but please know that I have not forgotten about my "Birds Of A Funky Feather" or the "Nantucket Village Series". They are by my side on the couch and I am still stitching. I have also been giving classes and they are going well, hubby is back in the hospital :-( , and we move along one day at a time. 

I am off to finish cleaning my office, typing directions, and paying bills. Ugh!!. 

Have a good day and enjoy "HERBIE"

donna

Crazy About Wool Blog Hop, free tutorial & having a free giveaway too.......sign up

Hi everyone, I need to say that I miss you . I have been very busy and have some things to share. 

I am opening up my Studio/Shop for a Holiday Open House on Saturday Nov 30th from 9:00 to 4:00. 

I will post more about that this weekend and I will be attending Market-fest in York Village  Maine on Oct 18 and 19th. I also have more classes that I will be teaching at Yankee Cross Stitch and Camp Wool. 

But for now this is what I have been doing. 

I have 2 designs finished. A local watercolor artist Kathy Carter painted 2 doors for me.  I had them printed onto fabric, which I then embellished. I will be giving classes on these in my studio for embroidery.

 I also dabbled myself in some painting and painted a fall water scene. 

And Then I embellished it with flowers and grasses.

Actually this scene is an after thought because I made a tree first and it needed a fall background. My tree is 3 dimensional and here it is. 

AND HERE IT IS ALL TOGETHER!!

I am so excited about it. I will teach this piece at Yankee Cross Stitch, at my studio, and our local EGA chapter called "SOME"   . If you live in the Miane area you should join our chapter. Always having fun and getting together.

I am also teaching the wool feather trees again and this year I have made a miniature tree skirt to go along with them. Last year it was the clip on birds.

Here is a picture of tree skirt. I will release the pattern next week.

There seems to be a bit of wool stumpwork with those sheep :) 

There are nine little sister sheep and 3 poinsettias

AND NOW TO THE POMEGRANATE TUTORIAL

I made these 4 little fruit from some wool that was over-dyed. I cut out a six inch circle for each one. I did this by tracing a saucer(a plate for your tea cup) onto the wool with a marker. 

This is the 6 inch circle. Then go in about 1 inch and mark another circle this will be your gathering line.  

Before I made the running stitch for the gather I cut little triangles out to make the top of the fruit. 

Make your gathering stitch with a brown 6 strand embroidery floss or a pearl cotton. After you make this stitch, pull the thread and fill the fruit with fiberfill  (stuff as firmly as you can) pull the opening closed very tightly and then keep wrapping the extra floss around the top making a thick top like the real fruit. Secure your thread with a knot and tuck the thread into the top of the fruit so it will not show. 

see the thick brown section of floss

I made 4 of these fruit. On one of then I added a section of beads on the outside to look like the fruit ripped open and the seeds poured out. I added these beads on before I made the gathering stitch.
To finish it off I went out side and gathered up a branch from the yard. Mounted it onto a board that I had already covered with black wool. I then cut out some small green wool leaves.  To make these take a piece of wool 1 inch x 2 inches. Then cut around the edges to form a long leaf.  I made 10 of these.
I hot glued the branch to the board. Placed the pomegranates where I thought they would look good. Hot glued them down  I then added the leaves with hot glue around the tops of the fruit and a couple of leaves down the bottom onto a branch.

I would like to thank all of you for visiting my blog and Denise from Pieced Brain for making this fun "Blog Hop" . Please check back for more fun stitching and if you leave me a message I will add your name to a giveaway that I will have for the "Nine Woolly Sisters" tree-skirt PATTERN. 

I will have this drawing on Saturday evening and post the winner on Sunday 

Have a good day, and don't forget to check out the other blogs in the BLOG HOP that are listed at the top of the sidebar 

donna