It's the Fourth!

And the neighbors have started their fireworks display. Who needs to leave home when almost every man in the community turned into a thirteen-year-old the minute it got dark! I will say they have good taste, and I'm enjoying the display through my living room window . . .but as I am getting old and cranky, I hope they are through before midnight this year!

Last night I was thinking about what I wanted to stitch today. Some of my friends always start new projects on holidays, particularly when those holidays mean a day off from work. At the moment, I think I have enough going on, so that idea wouldn't work for me.

I was rummaging through the project basket, and lo and behold, the project I stitched during the Olympics was staring me in the face--stitched but not finish-finished.

And now it is,

Sweet Heart of Mine

designed by Barbara Jackson of Tristan Brooks

class from Jeannine's Gathering of Embroiderers

 I love Barbara's designs and the colors she uses so I'm always happy when one of her classes or designs come my way.  And the inside has one of my very favorite sayings:

"Count that day lost whose low descending sun . . .views from thy hand no worthy action done"

This was one of those rare finishing projects in which I did not leave any of my DNA. There may be hope for me and a sharp needle after all.

I will probably rework the button loop on the needle book (it's too long) and I haven't decided what kind of closure to put on the case. Barbara suggests twisted cording ties, but I'm not sure it really needs anything.

Last night I kept to the Ellie Plan and worked on Eve in the Garden.  I now have a butterfly.

I love the background stitch used for this part--I may use something similar to it on my casket.  I keep finding design elements that I want to use and making notes and planning and dreaming, but I still think I want to wait until I have the actual box in hand before I start stitching.

And I'm already thinking about what will go on the flat top casket, after the slope top one is complete.