Framed Over Barn Quilts

You know how there are just some days that you are super duper excited and you can't hold it in?  Well, today is one of those for me!  I am so excited to share with you the first three of our "framed over" barn quilt and a brand new design, the Blue Belle Wildflower Barn Quilt!

Blue Belle Wildflower Barn Quilt

We got the idea to frame our solid wood planked barn quilts while teaching our Summer Tweetle Dee Workshop, when one of our students asked if we could frame their 44" barn quilt before they left.  Of course we could since the shop is right there and we love doing new things.  Well friends, the results were amazing!!!  So, we decided then and there to begin framing over many of our most popular barn quilts.  They took a great design to vavoom!!!

 Swiss Cross Barn Quilt
We have the brand new Blue Belle Wildflower Barn Quilt, the Framed Over Texas Star and our favorite Swiss Cross available in The SHOP with limited quantities.  Each piece is hand drawn on our signature solid wood planks, each color is hand painted and perfectly distressed and then the boards is sealed, signed, and dated.  No two are ever alike!

Framed Over Texas Star
Aren't they gorgeous?  Seriously amazing!  To make this new release even better, we are extending our Summer Sale through the end of July with 30% off all orders.  After the 30th we will be closing the shop for some big changes coming to Tweetle Dee which we are sooo excited about and you will be too!  I promise.  So, don't miss this sale!!!  We added many of our favorite fall barn quilts as well, which is awesome, right?  
Remember to use code SUMMER and we hope you grab these before they are gone!  Have a great weekend and see you in LA this week for a bunch of classes!

Tis a Gift to Be Free Hoop Art Pattern

Happy 4th of July!  I can't believe we are already celebrating the red, white and blue.  This is one of my favorite holidays because of the family celebrations I remember with our family on the farm in New York.  We would get together at the cottage on the lake and swim or fish...a little canoeing happened too.  A great picnic with potato salad (my favorite), rhubarb pie, and Grandma Brown's baked beans (thick and sweet).  We finished the night with fireworks over the water and a drive to the town firework show.  Lots of laughter and tons of fireflies....oh summer!

Those memories of my summers at the lake with family are about as simple as you could imagine.  I think if we could film them in the Kodachrome colors they would be called pure Americana.  I feel lucky and very blessed to have the heritage I have and to remember my ancestors who came as pilgrims, Palentines's and immigrants to this country because they had a hope of something better for themselves and their posterity.   It was their gift to us that we can be free.  
I created this hoop-art embroidery Tis a Gift to Be Free as a free downloadable pattern for you to stitch an enjoy.  The words come from an old Shaker hymn, which happens to be one of my favorite songs to play and sing.   The materials for this project are super simple to pick up.
Tis a Gift to be Free Hoop-Art Embroidery Pattern
 8 or 9" Wood Embroidery Hoop 10" Square of Chambray Blue Fabric 10" Square of Cotton Batting DMC Floss  Needle Scissors  Frixion Pen or Sulky Paper Sulvy
1.  Click on image below and enlarge to the size you want.  Print on home printer on paper or if you are using the Sulky Paper Sulvy, print the design off onto the paper.  
2.  Transfer design onto fabric using a Frixion Pen and a light table OR trim the Sulky Paper sheet to the desired size and stick to fabric.
3.  Layer the fabric onto the cotton batting and place in hoop.  Remember to tighten the screws and stretch the fabric to be "drum tight".
4.  Begin Stitching...
       Ecru - Back Stitch all lettering.  Star Stitch three stars.        #3820 - Back Stitch flagpole, star, beehive, and Cross Stitch x's inside hive.        #321 - Back Stitch lines on flag.  Star Stitch two stars.        #799 - Back Stitch square inside flag and Cross Stitch "stars" inside.  Star                            stitch three stars.
5.  If using the Sulky Paper Sulvy, lightly rinse transfer away with cool water.  Let dry.  If using a Frixion pen, steam the lines off and let cool.
6.  Stretch back into hoop and enjoy!  Remember we now have our Hoop Art Box Frames that would be darling to display this stitch in.  
We wish you all a happy 4th of July and to celebrate we are giving FREE SHIPPING on all order through July 10th in Our Shop!  Use code FREEGIFT and everything you order has free shipping...seriously,  even the big babies!  We hope you have a great time with your family and friends and thank your stars for the gift of freedom.  Happy Independence Day!!!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie

We came home from Portland a week ago to a huge patch of rhubarb growing in our garden.  It might be the largest growth we've ever had, which is funny considering we were gone for weeks and it didn't get watered.   Mother nature is amazing!  The hearty nature of rhubarb is why the pioneers and homesteaders would bring starts of it when left to go across to the plains.  It served as a vegetable and fruit for them.  For us, it is the perfect tart compliment to my other favorite fruit, the strawberry.

Strawberries are in season and rhubarb is obviously ready to harvest, so this past weekend we made my favorite pie the Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie.  This pie is so simple with only a few ingredients.  It showcases the fruits of the season without the spices that some fruit pies add, which in some cases detracts from the pure summer goodness of the fruit.  My favorite way to eat this pie is cold, ice cold!  The crumble hardens crisp and the fruits are tender and sweet...with a little tartness.  Oh my heart!  

In addition to how delicious this pie is, it is super simple to make.  You can either make your own pie crust or use a store bought crust.  Sometimes it's just nice to keep it simple and buy the pastry already to go.  Here is the rest of the recipe...
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie
2  Cups Medium Sized Chopped Rhubarb 3 Cups Fresh Strawberries, Washed & Chunky Sliced 1 & 1/2 Cup White Sugar 3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
Mix these first four ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set aside.  Preheat your over to 375 degrees. Roll out your pie crust in a deep dish 9" pie dish. Lightly toss the fruit mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Make the crumble.
1 & 1/2 Cup White Flour 1 & 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 1/2 Cup Cold Butter Dash of Vanilla
Mix the flour and brown sugar together.  Cut in the cold butter using a couple of knives or a few pulses in your food processor.  It will be just right when the crumble looks like the size of peas.  Add a dash of vanilla and toss.  
Sprinkle and spread over the fruit pie mixture.  Bake in over uncovered for 50 to 55 minutes or until the crumble and crust is lightly browned. Remove from over and let cool. Serve with ice cream or fresh whipped cream, but plain is just  fine with this baby!

Now that you have the perfect summer pie, go find your self some rhubarb.  Most Whole Foods stores have it in their produce section now and differently in their freezer section, in case you can't find a patch of it.  I hope you enjoy this "taste of summer in one bite" pie.

Flower Box Wire Embroidery

I have always loved the look of vintage crewel embroidery.   It was popular in the 1970's and typically was stitched on canvas with bright and muted wool flosses.   Big framed crewel pieces are collector items today, and although I loved framed needlework, I also love vintage floral box trays with the wire and wood.  Often they are discolored from years of plantings.  

When we began designing our floral collections for this year, I knew I had to find a way to combine the look of vintage floral trays and embroidery.  I searched for wool flosses that would be hearty and beautiful and asked my very cute carpenter to make something that looked like the old floral seed trays that I collected on a recent trip to the south.

The first Wire Box Embroidery Tray came out of the shop and I squealed!  I couldn't wait to begin "stitching" on them.  They are lightweight and perfectly distressed, even the wire is antiqued.  I began with a basic daisy and a thick DMC Yarn and tied off the first knot onto the wire.  Then I began winding the wool floss around the wire to create the first flower.  I filled it in until it was thick and full.  It was so simple and easy to create a flower.  Holding the lightweight frame was also a delight compared to heavy fabrics.  

I then experimented with all of my favorite embroidery stitches and found a few tricks to use them all in a collection of flowers.  What I love most about this style of embroidery is you can be a free-form as you wish.  It is simply about winding yarns around the wire until you create a flower of leaf or whatever that you love.  

I use a thick Yarn Darner Needle to get my heavy flosses through and if there is a stitch I don't like, I can clip it out and start again without ruining my fabrics.  

You can find our Wire Box Embroidery Frames on our site in several sizes and shapes.  We also offer kits which include the flosses, needles, stitching guides and patterns.  In addition to using these frames for wire embroidery, they can be used as frames for fabric embroidery and for photos or dried flowers or any other use you can imagine.

If you would like to watch a tutorial on how to begin stitching your own Floral Box, you can watch today's Fresh Living segment on KUTV Channel 2.   We will be posting video tutorials on our Tweetle Dee You Tube Channel in the next few weeks!  We are super excited to share these Wire Box Embroidery Frames and Kits with you and look forward to seeing lots of beautiful stitches blooming in your homes.

Belle Prairie Wild Flower Mother's Day Sale

 There are two new Belle Prairie Wildflower Block of the Month kits in the shop today, and they just might be the sweetest flowers in the collection.  Wild Clover and Lily of the Valley are prairie wildflowers painted on these adorable hexies.  Each flower in the collection was chosen because of the meaning these little blossoms have.  

Belle Prairie Wild Clover

Wild Clover symbolizes faith, hope, and love.  If you were lucky enough to find the rare four leaf clover you got a little luck too.  The purple and pink blossoms are so dainty and sweet.  Have you ever walked in a field of wild clover?  I have and can say the fragrance is so sweet, it's no wonder the bees flock to those clover blossoms.  

Belle Prairie Lily of the Valley

The Lily of the Valley flower literally translates to "a return to happiness".  I can imagine these little white and blue flowers were given amount the prairie women in times of trial to bring a little smile and cheer...and a reminder that happier times lie ahead.

The entire Belle Prairie Wildflower Collection is available in kits to paint yourself and already painted.  These blocks are different than our typical barn quilt patterns in that they are a template, which means you place them on your hexie and trace the design onto the board instead of measuring for a grid.  
They are so fun to paint.  I use both tape/sponge brushes and soft watercolor brushes to fill in the tiny little bits of color and curves.  They were a joy to paint and even more, I love the meaning behind each and every flower.  
This Mother's Day weekend Our Shop is celebrating the special women in our lives by giving 20% off all orders.  Use code MOMSRULE at checkout.  The Mother's Day Sale ends Monday at midnight.  
We hope you have a lovely Mother's day weekend and pick up the two newest Belle Prairie Blocks to share a little faith, hope, love, luck & happiness in your corner of the prairie!