Whoppee....Not only am I about to celebrate the 4th...but I've got a long overdue finish to show

I try to clean up around my stitching seat, when I finish a project, get the fibers put back in their drawers, any left over fabric goes back in the fabric drawer, embellishments returned to their homes, etc.  While I was doing that last finish I came across Drawn Thread's "Pastoral Pocket" fob & sampler.  I had completed the stitching, but still had the beading (wasn't called for but I love dimension to my projects) and finishing to do.  Beading, of course, came easy and done with quickly and then the daunting finishing.  Drawn Thread has actually given the finishing directions in the chart pack, unfortunately I'm too stupid to understand one part and after 2 weeks of reading it, putting it done, reading it again, putting it down, and finally last week I decided it was time to get my butt in gear and at least try.  So I did.  I started off following directions and knew something couldn't be right after step 4.   So I went out of the box and decided to finish it my own way as that seemed more important that struggling to do it her way.  Then it was a matter of just sewing things together.  Now, if you have followed me before, you know I love a lot of design on a project and when it comes to pockets, etui's, needlebooks, I have to have extras over what the designer calls for.  Pastoral Sampler pocket shows a pocket which forms at the bottom with a piece of felt and the name and date on it.  Then at the top of the pocket are 5 threads rings.   I know many of us, including myself, stitch these pieces without any intent of actually using them.  These are display only things for me, however, I still want it to be something I could pick up and use if I ever felt like it.  So, it is necessary for me to have more than 5 thread rings as I'm usually using many more colors than that.  So I decided to take a ring and attach it with wool to the top of the pocket, so that I could add my threads as they come, such as Weeks Dye Works, with the headers so I know which thread is which.  Then I added a wool scissor sheath and added a beautiful pair of Gingher Scissors which I think were called "Sarah" at the time and then I also added a wool pocket for things like the charms or buttons or whatever is called for on the project and last I added a pocket for a needle threader.  Since they were constructed using Weeks Dye Works wool it was an easy thing to do, but, of course, I couldn't leave them bare so I got out my silver bead collection to see what I could find.  I then added silver beads to all pockets, etc.  In the end, this is a favorite pocket of mine as I have loved the design since I saw it.  It can also be made into a sampler (chart in the chart pack) which is also fabulous. Pictured below is the outside of the pocket and then the inside showing the layout of pockets,etc.

then you see the inside with the supplies in use.

now the finished folded pocket,front, back and inside after folding the bottom half.

A true joy to have it and especially to have it finished after 3 years of sitting there staring at me.  Love the details, from the specialty stitches forming the wings on the butterflies and the bees, to the white button which resembles a floral blossom  button being used for closing, and its sitting on a flower stem...perfect.   Last week, in whatever daze I was in, I informed West Side Frames I needed a patriotic molding frame for the Little House Needleworks, "Suffrage Act Proclamation," which I had just started, thinking I had a week until the 4th.  He called me on Monday, July 1st, to say I only had 4 days before the 4th and he still didn't have the dimensions.  It was then I realized I had missed a week, how time flies when you are retired (I haven't worked one day in 2 weeks...thank you Jesus).  Well, I gave him the dimensions praying he wouldn't get it done in time since I didn't think I'd have the piece done in time since I was taking a lot of time with the finishing of the Pastoral Sampler pocket.  Crap...he showed up at my door about 5 hours later with the frame in hand.  Yikes.  So now it's a mad dash to get the stitching done so I can get it framed in 2 days.  I've been hampered a little (I have to find someone to blame) as Izi has become bored with summer and has decided to come to my house every afternoon while his mother is upstairs taking a nap (she has early morning duty at the hotel, and comes home mid day to take a nap before she goes back to work after dinner.   Izi loves You Tube bloggers so I watch those while we eat popcorn and drink ice tea.  The last hour he likes to play games which I'd prefer and I don't mind if I don't win, however the last couple of days I've been winning on games, ( he usually dominates) so I'm afraid it's back to You Tube (I can't believe people pay these people to do this).  Anyway, he usually leaves around 6:00 and while we haven't done anything strenuous, I then tend to need a nap after which I don't feel like stitching for some reason.  Now you see why I haven't been able to finish Suffrage.  But now that the pocket is done I will be dedicating the next 2 days to it and since I'm about 1/2 way done I should be able to get it completed.  Fingers crossed.  Then it's back to the Shores of Hawk Run (I know you are as tired of hearing about it as I am of talking about it.)  I did get on a roll with it and was so thrilled but that was only for a few days and then it was on to Pastoral Sampler.  But after Suffrage I plan to work on it and hopefully make some progress.  I could still lose the challenge, which has changed from having to be completed to having to show progress.  I'm still on the last mast on the ship.  So the only thing I'm completed is 1/2 a block (in my defense it is a double block), but that's not much of a defense.  And then I hope to finish Blackberry Lane Designs "All Dressed Up for Winter."  Boy, there are just not enough hours in my day.  That's all for now as I have some serious stitching to get done.  

Have a safe 4th of July as you celebrate our independence, freedom and our pursuit of happiness. Hope you find time to stitch.....I'll keep you posted on my progress