Americana

As Memorial Day is quickly approaching, I decided to get out my Americana items and do a little seasonal decorating.



I planted a few flowers this weekend and spruced up the front porch.



I put out the rug and pillows so that I can stay cozy while I stitch on the front porch.



And a welcome flag in the garden is always cute, especially if it comes from Longaberger!



A new wreath for the front door.



And then I had a thought...didn't I stitch something Americana last summer? Yes, yes I had stitched something, but I never did anything with it. I decided that rather than framing the piece or using it on a pillow, I'd turn it into a little sign to decorate one of my wall baskets.





There is a philosophy in the needle art community that states "It's not about being perfect, it's about being done."

I like that philosophy! Sometimes, I get very picky about my projects. But other times, you just need to cut loose and have some fun with it. Today, I did just that. I made a sort of flattened pillow using a piece of calico on the back and some batting inside to give it form. Then I used a length of ivory seam binding from Stampin Up, doubled it, and stitched it along the edges with a running stitch in a sort of haphazard way to give it a little charm. It looks a bit like flag bunting.

To attach it to the basket, I stitched two lengths of bias tape onto the back, threaded them through the basket, and tied them inside.




I can't say that it's perfect, but I can say that it's DONE! And done is a good feeling! :)