Hummingbirds Are Back!

I love fall but it comes at a cost. My favorite part of summer is watching hummingbirds darting around, swooping and screeching, hovering and sipping, glittering jewels on wings. I'm always sad to see them leave as summer fades into fall but I love the way my heart jumps at the first sighting of their return in the spring.

I have long wanted to design a hummingbird alphabet, something easy and quick to stitch, not a lot of color changes and backstitching, etc. I finally took some time to get it done, I hope other hummingbird lovers will find uses for it, too. I think it is very versatile, and can look very different with color changes, additional backstitching, beads, metallics, etc. Today's chart is just the upper case letters. I have also charted the lower case and numbers, but will post them another day.

Hummingbird Alphabet Upper Case .pdf

The .pdf file is in Landscape format so you will want to set your printer accordingly.

Humming Along Scissors Fob

 

Humming Along Scissors Fob pdf

 

Something really quick to stitch and although it is very simple, I have always really liked it. I meant to post it last summer but never managed to get that done.

Photo from Lisa

Lisa has kindly shared a photo of the Hummingbird Scissors Pocket that she stitched recently. Isn't it pretty on that fabric? She said she would send a photo of the completed scissors pocket once she finishes it. Now the pressure is on for me to get mine stitched together, also! Thanks for sharing the picture, Lisa, I can't wait to see it assembled!

Photo from Lori

Lori sent a photo of her finishes of two charts, Hummingbird Scissors Pocket and Guiltless Dragonfly Scissors Pocket. I just love the colors she chose - it's fun to see how different designs look with a different color scheme! Thanks for sharing your photo, Lori!

Hummingbird Biscornu & Needle Case

Here are the biscornu and needle case charts to complete the Hummingbird Set.

Hummingbird Scissors Pocket and Fob Photos

Click on images for larger views.


Thanks to the generosity of the lovely Olga, I can post a picture of the Hummingbird Scissors Pocket and Fob completely assembled. I am absolutely amazed at how quickly and beautifully Olga stitched and assembled this piece! She sent me the photos on September 1 and I didn't even post the chart until August 23! I'm very impressed! (I am probably the slowest stitcher in the world!) I'm so glad she gave me permission to share her photos here because my own piece is still in pieces....not that I'm surprised about that! Olga has only been blogging a short time but her blog is already one you don't want to miss - be sure to visit and bookmark it because you will definitely want to return again and again. Please visit her blog here for more pictures of the Hummingbird Scissor Pocket and Fob set, and other great finishes. Thanks again, Olga for stitching my chart and for sharing the photos!

Hummingbird Triangle Scissors Case

This is another version of the Hummingbird Scissors Case. This one is designed for the folded, lined square assembly method that results in a triangular case. Linda of Litla Skvís has a great tutorial for this finishing technique on her blog. The dotted lines are not stitched - they just indicate where the flap will lay when closed although it won't be exact. The dashed lines are also not stitched - they are to show the approximate fold lines. The design features a second hummingbird stitched 1 over 1. Don't want to stitch over one? Replace with a charm or button (hummingbird, butterfly, dragonfly, etc.) or leave it off entirely. Have fun with the design - use beads for the flowers and eyes, change the colors, etc., etc. I used the same alphabet to personalize this version as I did for the first.

Here is a close-up detail of the 1 over 1 part of the chart:

Hummingbird Scissors Pocket and Fob

Here is the first of the designs I've been working on. After many revisions, I think it is finally ready. I liked the first color scheme that I chose, but the colors didn't show up well on the fabric I wanted to use so I had to restitch several areas until I got the colors right. Feel free to change the colors to suit yourself and the fabric that you want to use! I used 28ct Natural Opalescent Cashel linen. I've included the alphabet and numbers for personalization and a couple of choices for matching scissor fobs. Knowing how slow I am about doing the actual finishing on a project, I decided to go ahead and post the chart now rather than wait until the scissors pocket is actually assembled.

Here is a preview of what the scissor case will look like when the flap is closed.

Sneak Peek

Here is a sneak peek at what I've been working on. Charts and more pictures tomorrow.

Hummingbird Hoedown

Click on images for larger views

Summer is winding down and the hummingbirds are extremely busy preparing to migrate. They are always fun to watch but especially so at this time of year. They get in quite a frenzy at the feeders right now. They are my favorite part of summer which is not my favorite season. (I'm opposed to anything that makes me sweat!) I wanted to make something special for my new friend Heather, so I polished up this design I had been working on and stitched it with fabric and floss that would match her favorite scissors. I waited to post it until after she received it so it wouldn't spoil the surprise.

The Jewels of Summer Scissors Fob

©2006 - Click on images for larger view

Here is a scissor fob to match the earlier bookmark/needleroll design.

The Jewels of Summer Bookmark or Needleroll

©2006 Click on images for larger view.

Well, summer has arrived and that signals the return of the hummingbirds to our area. I never tire of watching them and I'm sure you can tell they are a favorite subject of mine. There will be a number of hummingbird charts offered here. I hope you will find at least one that you will want to stitch!

Small Heart with Hummer Scissor Fob

©2007 Click on images for larger views

Allergies, baseball and taxes - what do they have in common? They have all combined to keep me distracted from posting on my blog! A whole week has crept by! I have been doing some charting and have a couple of charts to post, although I haven't stitched them up yet. The one I'm posting today is the one I'm planning to stitch up tonight when I get home. Maybe I'll get a chance to get it and the baseball flat-fold easel completely done and photographed by Sunday.