needle little love

I could probably list at least 20 things that scream summer to me and the majority of them would probably be on your list too....I'm wondering though, how many people would have cross stitching on their summer activities list?  Anyways, cross stitching is one of those quirky things that definitely make my summer things list and it goes all the way back to when I was in high school.  On the days when I wasn't at the swimming pool, my best friend, Kristi Evans and I would sit in my backyard in white Adirondack chairs and cross stitch the day away.  We'd pick tomatoes and grapes from her backyard garden (which conveniently backed up to mine) and eat them right off the vine.  I'm not sure there were too many other high schoolers stitching during the summer, but I could be wrong. 

25 years later and I still love to start a stitching project each summer.  This year, Kristyn sent me the patterns from Wee Wonderfuls.  They are the perfect summer project - fast and fun!  I finished the apples and the eggs as Christmas gifts.  

I loved how Kristyn framed hers with some fabric around the motif, so I copied her! (imitation is the best form of flattery, right?!)  Don't you love the punch the fabric gives to the finished project?

without fabric

with fabric

  The only thing I didn't like about these patterns was the absence of my dear friend....for the past couple of summers, Kristyn and I have stitched several projects during our summer visiting and in thinking back it has become a part of my special summer memories collection.  So when I needle little love, I pull out my stitching and remember all of the great memories spent with friends throughout the summer over our cross stitch hoops.  What's one of the quirky things that you love to include in your summer?  I hope you're making time for it while the days are still long and lazy.


ETA:  I'm linking up with Kristyn's ADVENTure post....more goodies added to my Christmas pile!!  yeah!