Sunday

Hellebore Garden Embroidery Kit — A Quiet Bloom for Winter’s Edge

There is a moment, just before spring fully arrives, when the garden feels still…
not asleep, but waiting.  It is here, in that quiet space between seasons, that the hellebore begins to bloom.

Low to the earth, with petals that bow like they are holding a secret, Hellebore often called the Lenten Rose - has long been a symbol of resilience, hope, and quiet strength. It doesn’t wait for perfect conditions. It blooms anyway.

The Hellebore Garden Embroidery Kit was created as a study in softness and patience. Each stitch follows the natural rhythm of the plant...deep green leaves anchoring the design, warm brown stems grounding it, and soft mulberry blooms unfolding gently across the linen.


It is a piece meant to be stitched slowly.
A project to return to in the early morning light or in the quiet of evening.

Not rushed. Not forced. Just… tended.

Inspired by the In-Between

This design holds that in-between space, the place where winter hasn’t fully left, but spring is beginning to whisper.


It’s a reminder that growth doesn’t always look loud or obvious.
Sometimes it looks like rest. Sometimes it looks like small, steady movement forward. And sometimes… it looks like a single bloom pushing through the cold.

What’s Inside the Kit

Each kit includes everything you need to begin:

  • Fabric sized for an 8" hoop
  • Embroidery needle
  • DMC embroidery floss in a curated winter garden palette
  • Printed pattern and stitch guide
  • Traceable line art
  • Step-by-step instructions


Whether you are new to embroidery or have stitched for years, this kit is designed to feel approachable, grounding, and meaningful.

A Creative Ritual

As you stitch, let this be more than a project. Let it be a pause.  A breath.  A return to your hands and your rhythm. A reminder that something is always growing, even in the quietest seasons.

You can find the Hellebore Garden Embroidery Kit now in the shop.


With love from the studio,

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Saturday

Goldenrod Meadow - A Barn Quilt Pattern Release

There is a certain kind of gold that only arrives at the end of summer.

It grows along the edges of fields, lining quiet country roads and open meadows,
a wild brightness that returns year after year, no matter the season that came before it.

This is the spirit behind Goldenrod Meadow.

A Field Remembered

This design began, as many do, with memory.

Goldenrod has always felt like a marker of time...
a gentle signal that summer is softening into something deeper.
That harvest is near.
That the work of growing is giving way to the work of gathering.

For me, it brings me back to New York…
to the cottage, where goldenrod grows wild and abundant all around us,
spilling into the fields, catching the light, and turning everything to gold in late summer.


The yellow in this design was inspired directly by those fields
by the goldenrod that surrounds our cottage…
a color pulled not from imagination, but from place. There is something sacred in that, to paint with a color that already belongs to the land.

The Design

Goldenrod Meadow is built from movement.

Small triangular pieces come together like scattered blooms...shifting, turning, gathering into something whole. Set against a deep grounding background, the golden shapes feel alive, like sunlight caught in motion.


Around the edges, a soft border of color echoes the wildness of a meadow—
unexpected, varied, and beautifully imperfect.

This design is both structured and free…
a balance between tradition and the untamed.


Now Available

The Goldenrod Meadow design is now available in the shop as:


  • Barn Quilt Pattern 
  • Barn Quilt Kit (includes your board, pattern, and Prairie Paints)
  • Finished Painted Barn Quilt
  • Goldenrod Prairie Paint – the color at the heart of it all

Each option is created to meet you where you are,
whether you want to paint from scratch, follow a guided kit, or bring home a finished piece.


Prairie Paint: Wild Goldenrod

Wild Goldenrod is more than a color.

It is warmth.
It is resilience.
It is the quiet glow of something that thrives in its own place.

This shade was created to reflect that exact feeling...
inspired by the goldenrod surrounding our New York cottage,
a true meadow gold with depth and richness, designed to carry beautifully across wood, fabric, and time.



Sealed with our Prairie Paint Finishing Wax, each piece is made to last,
indoors or out...aging gently, just like the fields that inspired it.


A Creative Invitation

Goldenrod Meadow is an invitation to slow down.

To paint in rhythm.
To notice color.
To create something with your hands that holds meaning beyond the making.

Whether you’re painting at your kitchen table,
in the studio,
or out under an open sky…

this piece is meant to bring you back to the quiet beauty of the season.


Shop the Goldenrod Meadow Collection →

Use code SPRING20 for 20% off through the weekend.


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Thursday

The Log Cabin Star, Reimagined in Stitch

The Log Cabin Star, Reimagined in Stitch

There are some patterns that never leave us.

They follow us from wood to cloth…
from barns to homes…
from hand-painted boards to quiet moments with needle and thread.

The Log Cabin Star is one of those patterns.

Rooted in the long tradition of the Log Cabin quilt block, symbolizing warmth, shelter, and the heart of the home—this design has always carried a deeper meaning for me. Each “log” built around a center…each layer a story…each color a reflection of the life lived within those walls.


When I first painted the Log Cabin Star Barn Quilt, it felt bold and grounded. like something that belonged out in the open air. Framed in cedar, resting against wood and sky, it carried that familiar sense of strength and structure…with a bright, joyful twist in color.

But this time…

I wanted to bring that same design inward.

From Barn to Stitch

There is something sacred about translating a design from paint to thread.

Where the barn quilt is expansive and architectural…
the stitched version becomes intimate.

Slower.
Quieter.
Closer to the hands.

In this Log Cabin Star Cross-Stitch, each painted line becomes a series of tiny, intentional stitches...built one by one, just like the logs of a cabin.


The black background shifts the feeling entirely.

Instead of sitting in daylight, the star now glows—like a window lit at dusk…or a lantern left on to welcome someone home.

The colors feel brighter here.
More alive.
Almost like they’re floating.

A Pattern of Home and Light

The Log Cabin has always been a symbol of protection, a structure built to hold life, warmth, and memory.

But when you add the star…

It becomes something more.

A guide.
A center point.
A quiet reminder that no matter how many layers we build, there is always something steady at the core.

In both the barn quilt and the stitched piece, that meaning remains.

One hangs on the wall, bold and visible.
The other rests in your hands, forming slowly, stitch by stitch.

Both tell the same story.

Stitching the Story

This cross-stitch kit was designed to be more than just a project.

It’s an invitation to slow down…
to build something with intention…
to return, even for a moment, to the simple rhythm of making.



Each color placement echoes the painted version.
Each stitch becomes part of the structure.
Each finished piece carries that same feeling of home.

From My Hands to Yours

It’s always a special thing to see a design move between mediums...
to watch it shift and soften and take on a new life.

The Log Cabin Star began as a barn quilt…
but it feels just as at home in thread.

And maybe that’s the beauty of these old patterns....

They were never meant to stay in just one place.

✨ The Log Cabin Star Cross-Stitch Kit is now available in the shop.




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Tuesday

Cathedral Window Barn Quilt – A Tribute to Faith, Family & Stained Glass Memory

The Cathedral Window Barn Quilt is one of the most meaningful designs in the Moonbeams & Cabin Dreams Collection, a series inspired by the stories of my ancestors who homesteaded the Nebraska prairie in the early 1900s.

This barn quilt is a tribute to faith, family, and the places that hold our memories.



The color palette was inspired by a stained glass window dedicated to my grandmother Mildred and grandfather Alvaro in the Howard Community Church in New York. The rich reds, greens, golds, and soft tones reflect the way light filters through glass—carrying both beauty and reverence.

My family’s journey took them from New York to Belle Prairie, Nebraska, where they homesteaded the land, and then back again after the Great Depression. That story of leaving and returning is woven into this design.



Painting this large 55” Cathedral Window Barn Quilt was a deeply personal experience. Each color felt intentional. Each line felt connected. It became more than a design—it became a way to honor those who came before me.

This piece is available as:

  • A finished barn quilt
  • A DIY kit
  • A downloadable pattern

Bring the feeling of stained glass, heritage, and handcrafted beauty into your home or outdoor space with this heirloom-inspired design.

This week we celebrate spring in Our Shop with 20% off all orders with code Spring20.  





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Friday

The Orchard Tree

A story of roots, memory, and the hands that tend what grows

There are some designs that come from sketchbooks…
and others that come from memory.

The Orchard Tree Barn Quilt is one that has lived quietly inside me for years,
tucked somewhere between rows of apple trees,
in the hum of bees,
and in the steady hands of my grandfather, Alvaro Lyke.


He tended his orchard with a kind of patience that felt sacred.

Grafting branches, season after season,
different varieties of apples growing from the same tree.

I remember watching him,
not fully understanding what he was doing,
only knowing that it mattered.

That there was something almost miraculous
about one tree holding many stories.

A Quilt Made of Branches

When I began designing this piece,
it didn’t start as a tree.

It started as shapes,
half-square triangles, diamonds, repeating forms,
the language of quilts.



But as they came together,
branch by branch,
the pattern shifted.

A tree began to emerge.

Not a literal one,
but a quilted one...
built from pieces,
just like memory.

The reds became apples.
The greens, leaves in late summer.
The soft gold, that fleeting moment of harvest light
when everything feels full.

And at the base, a deep blue trunk,
steady, grounded, holding it all.

From the Studio

As I painted this Orchard Tree,
I found myself thinking about the small things we care for each day.

A garden bed.
A creative practice.
A family.
A dream that hasn’t fully taken shape yet.

And I wondered...

What is growing, even now, that I cannot yet see?

A Gentle Reflection

Take a moment, if you can,
to think about your own orchard.

Not just the one in the soil...
but the one in your life.

What are you tending?
What has been planted long ago
that is just now beginning to bloom?

You can find this design in the shop, ready to come to your home as your trees blossom this spring.  


With Love from the Studio,



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Wednesday

From the Kitchen: Irish Apple Cake

A Recipe for Slow Afternoons & Remembering

There are days when the kitchen feels like a place to get things done
and then there are days when it becomes something softer.
A place to return to yourself.

Today felt like that.

The light came in gently, not rushed.
The kind of light that doesn’t ask anything of you.
And without really planning to, I found myself reaching for apples.


Not for anything fancy.
Not for a new release or a photo or a launch.
Just…for something warm.

There is something about apples and cinnamon that lives deep in memory.
It feels like wood floors and quiet conversations.
Like something baking while life happens around it.

This Irish Apple Cake is like that.

Simple.
Humble.
The kind of recipe that doesn’t try too hard—
but somehow becomes the one you come back to again and again.



🍰 Irish Apple Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

A soft, tender cake layered with apples and topped with a buttery cinnamon crumble.

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • ½ cup butter, softened

  • ¾ cup brown sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 tbsp vanilla

  • 1¾ cups flour

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • Pinch of salt

  • ⅓ cup heavy cream

  • ⅓ cup milk

  • 2–2½ cups apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

For the Streusel

  • 3 tbsp cold butter

  • 3 tbsp flour

  • ¼ cup raw sugar

  • ½ tsp cinnamon

🍂 Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Cream together the butter and brown sugar until soft and light.
Add the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Slowly add this to the batter, alternating with the milk and heavy cream.

Fold in the apples gently—the batter will be thick.

In a small bowl, work together the cold butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon until crumbly.

Spread the batter into a prepared pan and scatter the streusel over the top.

Bake for about 45 minutes, until golden and set.

✨ Closing Blessing

May your kitchen be a place of return.
May what you make with your hands soften what you carry in your heart.
May there always be something warm waiting for you—
and someone to share it with when the time is right.

With Love from the Studio,


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Tuesday

The Clover: A Small Thing Holding Great Luck

There are plants that ask to be noticed, tall blooms, bright petals, something showy and full of declaration.

And then there is clover.

It grows low to the ground, tucked into the spaces between.
Underfoot. Along edges. Quietly persistent.

And yet, for centuries—it has carried the weight of luck, protection, and blessing.



☘ The Meaning of Clover

Traditionally, each leaf of the clover holds something sacred:

  • The first for faith

  • The second for hope

  • The third for love

  • And when found… the fourth for luck

But beyond symbolism, clover teaches something softer.

It reminds us that good things rarely arrive loudly.

They come in small, steady ways—
in growth that spreads gently,
in roots that hold fast beneath the surface,
in quiet returns each spring.

✿ A Botanical to Stitch Slowly

This mini clover was designed as a pause.

A small hoop.
A simple pattern.
Just enough stitches to sit with for an afternoon.

Each satin stitch like a breath.
Each knot like a moment held.

On black fabric, the green rises forward—
like something emerging from the dark.
A reminder that even in shadow, something is always growing.

✿ A Creative Almanac Note

Field Note — Early Spring / Clover

Clover appears where the soil has been disturbed.
Where the ground has been turned, walked on, or weathered.

It does not resist this.

It grows anyway.



🌿 Mini Clover Botanical Embroidery

Pattern Details, DMC Colors & Instructions

✿ Finished Size

  • Designed for a 5" embroidery hoop

  • Works beautifully on black linen or cotton

✿ DMC Color Palette

(soft, natural, slightly romantic—just like your stitched version)

Clover Leaves & Stem

  • DMC 3346 – Hunter Green (main leaf fill)

  • DMC 3347 – Yellow Green (highlight/variation)

Clover Blossom

  • DMC 3716 – Dusty Rose (main knots)

  • DMC 761 – Light Salmon Pink (highlight knots)

Decorative Accents

  • DMC 680 – Old Gold (circle stitch)

  • DMC 321 – Red (side star stitches)

✿ Stitch Guide

Clover Leaves

  • Stitch: Satin Stitch

  • Fill each leaf with long stitches radiating outward

  • Optional: blend 3346 + 3347 for subtle dimension

Stem

  • Stitch: Stem Stitch

  • Use 3346, 3 strands

Leaves (side clusters)

  • Stitch: Satin Stitch or Fishbone Stitch

  • Add a central vein with a single straight stitch if desired

Clover Blossom

  • Stitch: French Knots

  • Use 2–3 strands

  • Wrap 2 times for soft, rounded texture

  • Mix 3716 + 761 randomly for a natural look

Circle Border

  • Stitch: Running Stitch

  • Use 680 (gold)

  • Even spacing for that hand-drawn, folk-art feel

Side Stars

  • Stitch: Simple Cross Stitch

  • Use 321 (red)

  • Keep small and delicate

✿ Thread Use

  • 2 strands for most stitches

  • 3 strands for fuller satin stitch if you want more coverage on black fabric

To transfer the design onto black fabric, print the design off onto Solvy and stick to the fabric, stitch and rinse the Solvy away.




OR Use a sheet of white carbon paper.  Place onto the top of the black fabric and place the design on top of the white carbon paper.  Use a pen to trace the design over the printed design and when finished, lift the white carbon paper to see the design on the fabric.  (My favorite way to transfer on dark fabric.)




To finish off the stitch, stretch the fabric and tighten the hoop.  Trim the fabric off a half inch around the hoop.  Make a running stitch around the excess fabric and pull tight, knot off it's finished!  

Go to the Tweetle Dee You Tube Channel to view stitching tutorials.  



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Friday

The Story Quilt Collection

My house is full of these quilts I have collected over the years.

They are draped across chairs, folded at the end of beds, tucked into baskets, and sometimes pulled outside on warm afternoons to sit in the sun. I have always loved the softness of them, the colors, and the quiet beauty of the tiny stitches that run across the cloth like rows of handwriting.

Each one carries a story.



These hand-stitched quilts are traditionally known as Kantha quilts, made by layering cotton cloth and stitching the layers together with thousands of small running stitches. The stitching gives the quilts their beautiful rippled texture and turns simple pieces of cloth into something warm, useful, and lasting.

Over the years I began gathering them slowly - one here, one there - choosing the ones that spoke to me through color, pattern, and the life visible in the cloth.

Some are bright and playful.
Some are quiet and faded.




Some carry small patches or repairs that tell the story of the hands that cared for them before. They have lived in my home for years, but recently I began thinking it might be time to share them.

So I decided to create a small Story Quilt Collection in the shop.

Each quilt is numbered as it enters the collection - Story Quilt No. 001, No. 002, No. 003, and so on—because no two are ever the same. Once a quilt finds its home, that story is complete.

These quilts are lightweight, soft, and wonderfully versatile. They can be folded at the end of a bed, draped over a chair, spread out for a picnic, or even hung as a piece of textile art.



But more than anything, they carry the quiet beauty of handwork.

Thousands of stitches placed slowly by hand.
Layers of cloth that have lived other lives.
Colors that have softened over time.

Cloth like this reminds me that everyday objects can hold meaning.



That simple things like thread, fabric, and patient hands can create something that lasts for generations. I hope these quilts will find homes where they are used, loved, and lived with the way they always have been.

Because every stitch tells a story.




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Thursday

Green Tomato: A New Prairie Paint Color and Garden-Inspired Barn Quilt


There is a quiet moment in the garden before harvest arrives.

The tomatoes are still green on the vine. The leaves are thick and vibrant. Each morning you walk out with hope, wondering if today might be the day the first blush of red appears.

That in-between moment when everything is still growing and becoming, inspired our newest Prairie Paint color: Green Tomato. This rich garden green captures the deep, lively color of tomato leaves and fruit before they ripen. It’s a color that feels fresh, hopeful, and full of possibility.



The Inspiration Behind the Color

Gardeners know that green tomatoes hold a certain magic.

They are the promise of what’s coming next. The stage where the plant is strong and full of life, quietly preparing for the abundance of late summer.

When I began mixing this color, I kept thinking about those mornings walking through the garden rows, brushing past the vines, checking the fruit, feeling the warmth of the sun on the leaves.

Green Tomato became a color that celebrates that moment of growth and anticipation and is now available in our shop for all of your spaces and creative projects. 

The Green Tomato Star Barn Quilt

To introduce the color, I painted a new barn quilt design called the

Green Tomato Star.



This folk-art style star brings together the cheerful colors of a summer garden: Green Tomato -  fresh and vibrant like leaves on the vine, bright tomato red accents and a soft farmhouse white background

Framed in Green Tomato Prairie Paint, the design feels lively and joyful, like a kitchen garden at the height of the season. Barn quilts have always told stories about the land and the people who care for it. This one celebrates the garden and the simple joy of watching things grow.

A Celebration of the Growing Season

Before the baskets fill with tomatoes and the canning jars line the shelves, there is a moment when the garden is simply green and full of promise. That’s the feeling I hoped to capture with Green Tomato Prairie Paint and the Green Tomato Star Barn Quilt.

A color for gardeners.
A design for those who love watching things grow, and a small celebration of the season before harvest.

All orders this week are 20% off with code Spring20. 




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