Red, white and blue – woo-hoo! That color combination takes center stage on the Fourth of July. It’s the day we celebrate all the good things that come to us because we are citizens of the United States. It’s a time to have fun with family and friends – the cookout, the clambake, the long weekend at camp or cottage.

For those of us who sew, craft or do other stuff with fabric and fiber, it’s easy to get carried away with the Fourth of July celebration – just think what can be done with stars, stripes and eagles.

Fabric stores carry American flag and Fourth of July-themed fabrics that are perfect for fashioning place mats and napkins to grace the table in the screen house. Those same fabrics turned into pillows can enliven the wicker furniture on the front porch and the Hatteras hammock hung between the maples.

Decorate the backyard for the family cookout with strings of twinkle lights tied with short, narrow strips of red, white and blue fabric or ribbon. Even the fireflies will be dazzled.

Or how about a garland of paper stars to twine from tree to tree on the night of the big birthday bash?

A patriotic mobile complete with miniature flag, stars and red, white and blue ribbon streamers might be fun to concoct, too. It will let your neighbors know that you thank heaven for the good old US of A.

Or fuse two pieces of patriotic-themed fabric with iron-on fusible webbing, then cut out stars to clip with clothespins to the clothesline on the night of the neighborhood bonfire. Or thread a loop through each star to hang from the boughs of the lilac bush.

Tie up sets of plastic knives, forks and spoons with fabric or ribbon in the national colors. A bit of red-white-and-blue ribbon topped with paper stars can be fashioned into napkin rings.

Use patriotic-themed scrapbooking paper to fashion a flag mobile to hang from the eaves of the porch or in the screen house. The same paper can be used to make pinwheels for the little ones at the cookout or to wave in the air when the parade passes by.

To find directions for making Fourth of July decorations and other items, visit www.dltk-kids.com or www.enchantedlearning.com. Visit www.ladiesinred.org to find Fourth of July images suitable for red-work embroidery.

And since the Fourth of July is a long weekend, maybe even vacation time for some, it’s not too soon to plan which needlework books you want to browse while sitting on the porch in the rocking chair.

“Stitch Graffiti: Unexpected Cross Stitch” by Heather Holland-Daly will be in my stack. The designs in this book are among the best I’ve seen in a long time. Many of the designs are mottoes, such as “Imagine World Peace,” “Follow Your Truth,” “Relish the Night” and “On a Bad Day There’s Always Lipstick.”

Spiral designs are a feature in many of the designs. My favorite in the book is a spiral pattern moon embroidered in shades of orange.

The book also includes whimsical designs, such as “No Fly Zone” stitched onto a fly swatter, and bracelets fashioned from nylon screening bought at a hardware store.

And if you are looking for knitting inspiration during the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, look no farther than “Inspired to Knit: Creating Exquisite Handknits” by Michele Rose Orne of Camden. The sections of the book are divided by seasons, beginning with autumn. Patterns for warm things, for the most part, are in the winter section. The lacier fare is in the spring section.

The book is geared toward the experienced knitter. Those who love to knit lace patterns will be inspired by the wedding dress design. Those who adore working with multiple colors will be challenged by the jacket knit in an allover wildflower pattern.

Both books are from Interweave press. To learn more about the books visit www.interweavebooks.com, call local bookstores or visit the local library.

Snippets

. Shopping for fabric in Greenville just got a whole lot easier. Marilyn and Dave Goodwin of Beaver Cove have opened Crazy Moose fabrics at 16 Pritham Ave. in Greenville. The unofficial opening was June 8. The grand opening is set for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29. Marilyn is a quilter and she figured the best way to get the fabrics she wanted was to open her own shop, the first ever in town. Store hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily during the summer. For more information, call the store at 280-0227.

. If you have beading on the brain, don’t miss “Behind the Mask” on display 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, June 27-July 27 at The Beadin’ Path in Freeport. The exhibit shows the work of more than 50 artists from the United Sates and seven other countries, all using beads as a medium. An opening reception will be held 5-8 p.m. Friday, June 27 at The Beadin’ Path. For more information, visit www.BeadinPath.com.

The public is invited to the presentation by Brad Emerson, president of the Jonathan Fisher Memorial, of two Blue Hill vintage quilts to John Roberts, president of the Blue Hill Historical Society. The event will take place at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, at the Jonathan Fisher House, 44 Mines Road. One of the quilts is a white hand-woven and embroidered coverlet signed by Caroline Douglas, with the legend, Blue Hill, 1860; the other is a Victorian album quilt bearing the signatures of members of prominent Blue Hill families.

Passamaquoddy Eric “Otter” Bacon will conduct an Introductory Ash and Sweetgrass Basket Making Workshop on Saturday, June 28, at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor. For more information, call 288-3519 or visit www.abbemuseum.org.

ahamlin@bangordailynews.net

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