Thursday, December 24



Peace on Earth
May your Christmas be filled with hope and
Joyous memories of those who have touched your heart~


I'm looking forward to a few days off with hubby~
Pushing some loops, pulling some loops & slow stitching...
A batch of cookies or two~
Alaina & I have been planning a day of paper mache, too!

Sharing how I finished one of my latest patterns~
Home in New England

I used four stands of wool yarn.
Long enough length to trim around the entire piece.
Whip stitch in place with DMC floss.
Sometimes your piece will try to curl as you're finishing it...
No worries, you can press it at the end.
Finished side down against a plush towel, mist pressing cloth
with water & iron on medium heat.


View from the back side



 Wishing you every joy of this beautiful season~
Praying you all stay strong & healthy!

Friday, December 4



Annual Christmas Stocking Pattern

~To thank you, Friends~
For your kindness, support & patronage throughout the year!

2020 Can use a little extra love & distraction 
so I designed two stocking patterns to share this year.

'Christmas Star Santa'
Additional photographs and project hints below~


Please right click on the pattern file, save to your computer.
Print from there~


'Snow Rabbit'
Additional photographs and project hints below~


Please right click on the pattern file, save to your computer.
Print from there~



I used #12 Valdani threads for most of my stitching~
DMC floss for the eyes and mouth.







Wishing you joy-filled December days and good health!
Stay strong and take good care~

 




Wednesday, November 11

Veterans Day

 Thank you for your service, your strength, your commitment~

We are forever grateful!

 

Wednesday, November 4


The sun streaming in today.
The trees are glowing, leaves are dressed in brilliant yellow! 
Our son has moved into his first apartment~
He is very happy & we're so very excited for him.
His bedroom has become another leg of my studio.


 My favorite fabrics, mostly used for slow stitching...
Some patches add a little color & interest to my pinkeeps.
No longer on a top shelve... now they're a tease!
"Stop working for just a few minutes~ sit down & stitch awhile'


I painted the ceiling the same color as the walls~
Convivial yellow by Sherwin Williams.
The room is so cozy!

Next sunny day I'll share another peek~
Hope your November is off to a great start!

Tuesday, November 3

Monday, July 6

Greeting cards, blank


Perfect for you to color or mail a little note for your recipient to color!


Greeting cards measure 4.25" x 5.5" depending on orientation
They come in sets of five, envelopes included
Blank inside
Printed on white card stock






Hope your July days are off to a great start!
Take good care, Friends~

Saturday, July 4

Independence Day America


God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above~

From the mountains to the praries
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home...

Kate Smith

Wishing you a safe, relaxing and restoring weekend~

Wednesday, July 1

Land That I Love punch needle



Hi, Friends!
Welcoming July~ though I'm not sure where June disappeared to.
I hope this finds you well, staying strong and healthy~

Back on schedule after the sweetest little lady, we named her Cricket,
came into our life for fourteen days! I shared some photographs below.


I love the punch needle version of the wool hooked rugs~
Mini mats!
My rugs were originally translated from my walnut ink & watercolor illustrations.


We met this little love on June 10th~
Our Cricket
House sparrow nestling... four days old.
Alaina and I were walking at a shopping mall. From the corner of my eye
I saw something move. Alaina scooped up the wee little bird, not one feather on her.
It was 96 degrees and not all stores were open due to Covid restrictions.
We searched for a nest... we listened for other nestlings...
It appeared that little bird had taken a two story drop. She calmed in Alaina's hands.
We were off to our local farm & family store for advice to keep her healthy. 


I began feeding Cricket as soon as we had an egg cooked, hard boiled.
We mashed the yolk only, added a bit of Pedialyte so it would go down and 
with a blunt end toothpick began feeding her every hour.
Careful to watch her crop and not overfeed her.
The next day we added a little canned puppy food.

Day two with us we thought her tail feathers were getting a bit longer~
The third morning we uncovered her and pin feathers were popping out!

Her voice started getting stronger!
This is how Cricket slept. Full tummy and all tucked in.
She cuddled next to her woolen nest mates and a hot pad I set
outside of the yarn bowl.
All that I would hear from the corner of  my desk was a tiny
chirp of happy dreams... cricket-like sounds.


I would set the wool rounds in and she would wiggle around
until she found the perfect spot~


She outgrew her yarn bowl so her woolen nest mates and flannel
bedding were tucked in a corner of the butterfly keep we kept her in.
We added a perch...
On day ten we brought Cricket to the backyard for her
'in the grass time'... helping her feel comfortable in her natural environment.
After a few minutes she flew away!
We had graduated her to mealworms, cracked corn, millet, suet...
She knew what to eat~
It was still hard to see her go!

The very next day, Father's Day, I heard a sparrow near my studio door.
I thought it was Cricket. We have so many sparrows in our yard.
Could it be?
It sure was!
She flew to a lilac tree and called to us! Flapping her wings and quivering!
We brought her back inside... we kept her for a few more days.
I couldn't get her to peck at seeds.
She loved to be fed mealworms!
I made a little paste from egg yolk and pediatlyte again... just enough
on the tip of my toothpick to hold a seed, a piece of cracked corn~


Cricket was with us for a total of 14 days.
She continued to grow stronger... escaped and flew through the house frequently!
For her safely and development we decided to bring Cricket to
a wildlife rehabilitation in our town. 
She is safe in the care of a loving and gentle gal, in a much larger cage.
My heart is at peace.
The professionals will know when our sweet little gal is ready to fly.
Our winter is long and can be harsh here next to the lake.
It is important to us that Cricket learn to nest and prepare for the changing seasons.
Such a sweet journey~


"Nanny Goat's Flagpole Snack" copyright 2020 Michelle L. Palmer

This punch needle pattern has been published in the summer issue of
Punch Needle & Primitive Stitcher Magazine

Deb included my journal entry with the pattern... a sweet and sassy goat.
I still can hear the clang of the bell she wore to warn of her arrival!

I hope your summer days are filled with beauty, friends.
All the best to you~
Praying you stay safe, healthy and strong!

Monday, June 1

Common Thread Pattern


'Common Thread' copyright 2020 Michelle L. Palmer

Sharing a pattern~
Personal use only, please.
You have my permission to enlarge this pattern for your project.
Applique, embroidery, rug hooking, rug punch...
I think I'm going to relax with some slow stitching.

This pattern is for punch needle with embroidery floss~
Reversed & ready for tracing.

Right click on the image to save it to your computer.
Print 'Actual Size' or 100% to fit on standard printer paper.
The original is 9'' x 6''

"There is a thread that binds all of us together:
Pull one end of the thread,
the strain is felt all down the line."
Rosamond Marshall



Monday, May 25

Memorial Day


Memorial Day
We remember and we honor~

Wednesday, May 20

Wool hooked rugs~ color pairing


When I see color, my mind makes a connection.
In early April when I pulled my Plum (ProChem 822) sample from the pot...
I saw lilac petals, deep plum, just before them open & I made a sketch.
Our lilacs are just beginning to open and
it is just the color I hoped for!


Mottle purple, ProChem Violet 817, next to a warm gray texture.

Some colors and textures play so nicely together!
I hook a lot of color into my rugs.
Sometimes it is because I only have small pieces and
I need to mix several (close friends) in order to fill an area.
Other times, I have the most amazing dyed/overdyed
mottled yard of goodness! Plenty to fill a large area.

Thought I would share how I come to my backgrounds and
color planning before I use up the reference pieces~


ProChem Violet #817
I will always call it Caryn's violet, a treasured friend that shared
a sample of dye in a baggie. 
Some friends share eggs & sugar... this is much better for my waistline (giggle)


Inglehoffer horseradish jars are the best little containers
to reuse. With a very curious lab pup I don't leave anything to chance.
Out of the baggie & into the jar!



The dotted wool hooks nicely on a #7 cut.
I didn't have to go smaller on this pattern.
I have this texture in plum, forest green, orange and blue. 
Found all four pieces from different sources.
The butter cream yellow is very soft and plush~
Look how pretty the texture is in the scallop!
A solid would have worked nicely...
However there was a little room for some excitement~


A little area of the background and the
two pieces I am using for it.
The green stripe: I am cutting my strips with the line.
Giving me three different values.
The mottled violet, blue, green goodness does 90% of the work.
I like to add a strip of the bright green stripe for movement and
a line of the blue-green stripe to tie the purples and greens together.
The mottled piece of wool, all by itself would be beautiful.
I wanted to tuck in a little more green.
Mottled wool is a gift from two very talented rug hookers & dyers.


One are of this mottled violet, purple, lavender, green, blue, teal
wool piece... could plan the entire rug!
I have a large project board that I clip my pattern to 
when selecting my colors.
First color, the main subject, the focal point. I want to LOVE this color.
I clip that color beside the rug.
Then I begin thinking about my background.
Sometimes it takes several (all in the family colors) pieces for me
to have enough to fill. Then I want to be sure to have a
highlight, a shadow and some textures.


How different one mottled piece of wool can be!
How do that make this magic happen?
In this image, the wool is more purple and gold...
In the previous (same wool piece) more blue, teal and green!

Hope you're having a great week, Friends!