pilgrims, paws, and packing . . .

With VBS in full swing this week, I didn’t have much time to stitch . . . but I did finish all my boat pilgrims!

Whoop, whoop! Next stop: sails. But that’ll have to wait because—Aloha!—I’m headed to Hawaii on Tuesday!  And this boat trip doesn't require sails.  <wink>

Back to this past week—I got some fun, happy snail mail . . .

Don't know how I'd missed this Simply Sweet offering from Kathy Schmitz!

Etsy's Pixie Fibers (aka One of the Flock) is clearing out all of her inventory.  Among other things, I got this darling PRE-cut wool acorn kit!!  It's so cute!

And this cute little sashiko kit from Brooklyn Haberdashery!

A little retail stitching therapy is always good for the soul, right?

And speaking of stitching, I also received my quarterly issue of Needle Arts from EGA.

I joined the national Embroiderers’ Guild of America (along with our local chapter) back in March, and I’ve really enjoyed diving into all the wonderful inspiration and techniques they share. So much great information between the covers!

Now here’s a little before-and-after story that made my stitchy heart happy:

Last week I picked up this lovely hand-stitched table runner. It had been poorly stored—there were food or grease spots, and those pesky little speckles that looked like spider waste. I soaked it in Dawn for a couple of days, but no luck. Then a friend recommended Retro Clean. After soaking the runner in it for 48 hours—voilà!

The stains vanished, and the piece was restored to its former glory. I’m so tickled with how it turned out!

Today would have been my 29th wedding anniversary. I had signed up for a barn quilt workshop to help fill the day, but I woke up nauseous and dizzy, so I ended up back in bed instead. Thankfully, my girls took excellent care of me.

Starry kept checking in like the little nurse she is.

And Celeste was basically a purring hot water bottle for the entire afternoon. They’re such good girls. I’m so thankful for their sweet companionship.

Linking up with Kathy’s Quilts for her Slow Sunday Stitching post. I’ll be back at the end of the month—hopefully with sails stitched (at least partially) and stories/photos from the islands!

:)