Tuesday, April 10, 2012

A Big Finish (for me anyway!)

Yes, I have a finish--and it's something just a bit larger than the ornament-sized pieces I typically share with you... May I present "Nature's Alphabet" by Elizabeth's Designs all stitched up and ready to be framed. I began this piece in late December of 2011 and should have had it finished by late January of this year, but those little creations that I'm so fond of making just kept getting in the way! I truly enjoyed stitching each little letter and the specialty stitches (Rhodes, Smyrna, and lots of Satin stitches) really make each tiny square special. Don't you just want to sit and pet those cute ewes with their white satin-stitched wooly coats?


Below are some more of my favorite squares (I also showed you close-ups of others back in this January post). We have "Z" for Zinnias, "X" for Xmas Tree, "V" for Violets, "K" for King's Cup,and "B" for bees.
Nature's Garden is stitched on my perennial favorite fabric: 32 ct. flax Belfast Linen--I just love that stuff and tend to turn to it for any larger design. I used the suggested DMC with one exception: I changed the border color around each square to DMC 3828--I just found the DMC 3829 too "brassy" looking for my taste. The only part that "dragged" a bit was all of that green backstitching between each of the squares. I swear I could have stitched that design in my sleep by the time I was finished!! But, it adds so much to the look of the finished piece, don't you think?
The only other change I made was to add some pretty beads to the nest for the eggs. After all, what is a nest without those delicate, robin's egg blue eggs? The white beads on the Christmas tree, the black "bee" beads, and the little Mill Hill Treasure beads (garnet colored tulip in my initials square and frosted white hare in the "H" square) all add nice dimension to this finish, as well.

Nature's Alphabet
32 ct. flax Belfast linen
DMC threads

Mill Hill Beads & Treasures


So, how was everyone's Easter? I had a wonderful surprise which truly made my day. Only one of my sons was able to be here for the day, but guess who came to visit and is staying for the entire week? My dear mother--the first time she's been able to visit my home in nearly five years! The last time she was here was June of 2007 when my youngest son graduated from high school... Caring for my dad, moving north from Florida, and cleaning out and preparing two houses for sale have left her with a huge need for a break and what better place to get some much-needed rest and a bit of pampering than at her oldest daughter's house? I am loving having her here to shop with, play Scrabble with, and just plain relax with.

You see, I never had the luxury of living near my mom. In my nearly 35 years of marriage, we've seen each other only a handful of times each year. During some of those crazy-busy years when my husband and I had three growing boys to raise, I only saw her and my dad a couple times a year. I always envied mothers and daughters I saw lunching together or strolling down the street pushing babies in strollers. Are you are lucky enough to have your mom living nearby? If so, count your blessings... I know I'm going to enjoy every second of my mom's unexpected visit this week!








There is still time to enter my giveaway on my April 1st post only. I'm so pleased with the number of you who have shown interest in it already! Sure wish I had something for everyone, but, hopefully five of you will be happy. The drawing is open until midnight EST on Saturday, April 14th... I'll announce the winners sometime next week. Best of luck to all!

This has to be the shortest post you've had from me in ages!! I may actually get a few more readers who make it through the whole post this time! Wishing my newest followers a warm welcome--so glad you're here! Thank you again for your meaningful comments, emails, and support...I truly appreciate each and every one. I'll be back next week with the winners of my giveaways and a couple of small finishes I think you'll enjoy! Bye for now...

116 comments:

Mavi. said...

Gorgeous Carol, it shows you've enjoyed embroidering each letter, with all its different details.
I am glad to tell these days with your mother.
My mother is a season with each of us, we are five sisters, my father died. We live in different cities, but relatively close to several hours by car.
I hope that luck knock on my door.
Kisses.

Barbi said...

What a wonderful finish Carol! It's just beautiful! I am fortunate enough to have my mom living with us. We've never been too far away from each other and I couldn't imagine it any other way. :) Have a lovely time with yours!
PS: I always manage to get thru your posts with pleasure.

Glenna said...

Bravo, Carol--how beautifully done. I've got the pattern and have been overlooking it, and now I want to stitch it also! It is both delicate and colorful, and I like the addition of the beads!

Deborah said...

Another beautiful finish! I just love this design. Have a great time with your mom. Hope you do a lot of fun things.

riona said...

I think your Alphabet piece is charming and I am amazed at the speed with which you stitched it, considering all the other small projects you tend to have going. Best wishes for a lovely visit with your Mom. Although I was separated from my Mom by about 800 miles for the first seven years of my marriage, for the past 34 years I have been a mere 20 minute drive away.

One last thing I have always wanted to note: I love the wall paper on your blog. Violets are one of my favorite flowers and your photo is just so lovely.

Nicola said...

Congratulations on your wonderful finish! Enjoy your time with your Mum.

sana said...

Beautiful finish. The beads which you added are wonderful!!!

CATHI said...

What a gorgeous finish! Love it!

Cathi

Grit said...

Der Sampler ist wundervoll.
Ein richtiger Traum.
Liebe Grüße Grit

priscilla said...

Your new finish is beautiful ! Can't wait to see a bowl full of spring ornaments though !!

Glad you got a surprise visitor ! Enjoy your time with your mom.

Shirlee said...

Carol ... Your Nature's Alphabet is gorgeous! Congratulations on finishing such a lovely project! I can't wait to see it framed : ) I'm thinking it might be fun to use the blocks to spell out a name in a band sampler! Hmmm ... I might have to add this pattern to my collection : ) I know you will have a lovely visit with your mother! Mine passed away several years ago, as did my dad, & I would give anything to be able to visit them again or have them visit here.

Kate said...

Your Nature's Alphabet is quite lovely ... so much work but worth it.
How nice for you and your mom to have some quality time together - enjoy!

Meari said...

Enjoy the week with your Mom!

Congrats on your big finish. It's very beautiful. I really love the letter X.

Margaret said...

I love your finish! It's soooo beautiful! It's so great that your mom is able to visit for a while too. Sounds like she needs it. And it sounds like you are enjoying it too!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to you on your gorgeous finish, Carol! Looking forward to seeing it framed! Enjoy your visit with your Mom!

Robin in Virginia

dulcinella said...

wonderful finish. Congratulations!
I am truly happy for you your mom is visiting for some time and I wish you a wonderful time with her. I'm one of the happy people whose mom lives very close ( two houses away), but then again our country is so tiny that two hours driving is like going abroad:-) But I do enjoy it every time I see her...

Elizabeth said...

I'm so happy to hear that your mom is there and resting! I hope your dad is doing well too......

Ellen said...

Natural Alphabet is gorgeous! Congrats on the finish!

Hugs,

Jennifer said...

Hi Carol, What a beautiful alphabet! Love it all . So nice your Mom is there with you . I had the pleasure of my parents company here for the weekend with us . They came last Thursday and just left. They hadn't been to our home for a year . Living 8 hours away in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. We saw them at Christmas . So i know exactly what you mean! It was a great weekend with the celebration of my Birthday on Good Friday and then my daughter sang a solo in church on Easter Sunday . Got a lot of family pics as my brother came from 4hrs away in Windsor Ontario. So great we all could be together . They have just left for their long car ride back to the Sault.
Probably won't see them till the summer now but we talk and email frequently . Have a great time with your Mom Carol.

Vickie said...

BEAUTIFUL :) I really like it Carol. Well done. Enjoy your time with your mom.

Anne said...

Oohh!! I love that alphabet! I wish I could pet the sheep through the screen! It's such a lovely design and I love how it's Nature's garden! So perfect!! Well done Carol!!

Well, just like you, I spent some time with my Mom too this past weekend! We don't live close and only see each other a couple of times a year too. So yes, I do cherish every moment with my mom. I'm so glad you got to spend time with yours!! How wonderful :D

Hugs

Anne

Tricia T said...

That is such a pretty finish. I think the little Ewes are my favorite!! How nice that your mother could come for a visit. Playing Scrabble sounds like fun! I don't have anyone at my house that really enjoys word games, but I love them. Too bad you didn't live closer! : )

Have a blessed week!

Tricia

BrendaS said...

Carol --
What a beautiful finish! I love each little square with all it's detail. Can't wait to see what frame you choose for it.

I never had the luxury of having my Mom close either so I know exactly how you feel. Treasure this week with your Mom and have fun doing all sorts of things you both enjoy.

HUGS to you.

Beth said...

Carol - Natures Garden is truly lovely. Congratulations! It certainly is a BIG project in my book. I hope you and your Mom have a great time together - you already realize how special it is...

Laurie in Iowa said...

Congratulations on your finish the sampler is beautiful!
Enjoy your time with your Mom.

Loraine said...

What a lovely finish! I have not seen this sampler before, and it's just wonderful. Thanks for sharing, and give yourself a big pat on the back!
Love the way you arranged your pictures too. :)

carol fun said...

What a beautiful sampler! I don't think I've ever seen this one before but I think I need to add this one to my stash. I love the little touches you added. It makes it special - from one carol to another Carol - thanks for sharing!

butterfly said...

Hello Carol, wow your Natures Alphabet looks beautiful. I have this one in my stash to do pile, I must do it one day.
Hope you are having fun with your mother, It's nice to spent special time together.
Enjoy your week , say hi to your mother and give her a hug from me.

Dani - tkdchick said...

Carol it sounds like you had an excellent Easter!

Congratulations on your fantastic finish its beautiful! I'm going to have to get me some of that Flax Belfast it does look lovely... my first instinct is always evenweave!

Cole said...

Beautiful finish Carol! It's gorgeous!

Enjoy your visit with your mom!

Hilda said...

Dear Carol!
Congratulations on finishing this wonderful project! It looks gorgeous.
I love to read that you had a wonderful Easter. May each day, that you mom is staying with you last 48 hours ;-)
Have a nice week with your dear mom!
Hugs
Hilda

Rita said...

Beautiful finish!

I'm glad you enjoyed the visit with your son and mother.

BeckySC said...

Congratulations dear Carol...it's BEEutiful :)

Elia said...

You've left me speechless, it is beautiful work.
I'm a lover of the alphabet and seeing yours, I've fallen in love.
How wonderful!

I'm glad you're enjoying your mother. You know how important it is for me, enjoy these days. ;-)

Here I'm impatiently waiting for the draw, as the children behind a window full of goodies!

kisses, be happy!
besos

eljardindemiduende ^^

Annie said...

Seems like you stitched this up really quickly given all of the other smalls you have turned out in that time. It's a gorgeous finish and you can really be proud of it.

What a treat for you and your Mom! You both deserve that time together.

Jenny said...

Oh, what a gorgeous finish and it is HUGE! I love how you stitched all the sweet little ornies too and you are right about the BW border - it really does pull the squares together very nicely (plus, I love blackwork).
The little bunny treasire is too cute for words also!
Congrats on a fab finish.

Barb said...

I think I can safely say that we all love reading your blog postings whether they are long or short - love them all!

Your "Nature's Alphabet" is truly stunning! Please be sure to post another picture after it is framed - it will be even more beautiful then!!

And enjoy your visit with your Mom. I'm lucky that my Mom lives fairly close by so I do get see her pretty often and I always consider visits with her a gift.

Have a happy, joyful week!

Cath said...

A gorgeous finish , well done. I'm pleased that you're getting some much needed quality time with your Mom , enjoy .X

marly said...

WOW!!! That is a big project! You've done a beautiful job and I think you are correct about that green backstitching pulling it together. What a special surprise - enjoy your mom's visit.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your beautiful finish!

Jeanne said...

Love your finish Carol....I have many of Elizabeth's Designs and she always puts in lots of specialty stitches which I love. Yes the backstitching between the blocks gets tedious to stitch but it really does add to the piece. Great finish!!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Absolutely beautiful finish, Carol! The backstitching really does add a great bit to the piece and the addition of the beads is perfect.

I have the same situation as you - my folks live an 11 hour drive away so I only get to see them a few times a year. We always vacationed with them in the summers so my boys would be sure to know them. I miss having my mom nearby and like you, truly envy those that do.
Enjoy your visit!

Michele said...

Love love love your finish! I have this in my stash too .. someday :)

I'm so glad you get to spend time with your mom! Enjoy your scrabble games ... we used to play scrabble with my mom in law all the time. I sure do miss that woman, and my mom too .. hugs to your mom!

dixiesamplar said...

Love your newest finish...beautiful indeed! And I am so happy that you have this special time with you mother!!

Vicki said...

Nature's Alphabet is gorgeous, Carol! Enjoy your visit with your mom...

passionfruitprincess said...

It turned out beautiful, Carol! I love it!
My Mom lives far away in Brazil. I call her a couple of times every week. I love the figurine! I am getting the same one for Mother's Day :)
How wonderful to have your Mom visiting! Enjoy your time together.
Hugs,
Ana Paula.

Sweet Sue said...

Pretty Spring finish Carol, I really enjoy seeing ~new to me~ finishes, thx for sharing. Somehow I see you passing this sweet sampler along to your grand-daughter... someday. Hope you left some chocolate raspberry thingies for your mom:) Can't seem to find them around here, but will keep looking.

Solstitches said...

What a beautiful finish Carol.
Yes, it's a big one but each letter must have been like a little design in its own right.
Happy for you that you have your mom staying with you. Enjoy your time together.
Margaret

valerie said...

Gorgeous finish Carol! I love all the specialty stitches. I actually have this chart and haven't stitched a single block from it! I am so glad you're enjoying your mom's visit. This one on one time is a gift. Hope you had a nice Easter!

Jenny said...

Carol, Your finish is beautiful! I just love it. Thanks for sharing. My Mom and I have always been close, but we haven't always lived near each other. She had a complete hip replacement a few weeks ago so I have been staying with her and my dad to help her recover. We have had a wonderful time...grins...

Charlene ♥ NC said...

Beautiful, Carol.
Continue to enjoy your visitor!

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

Your alphabet is just gorgeous Carol.Every single letter a little masterpiece.
We had a quiet but pleasant Easter,thank you.
How lovely to have your mom staying with you. It sounds like you are both having a wonderful time,made all the more special because you don't see each other as often as you'd both like.
My Mum lived at the other end of the country, for all but three years of my adult life,to be near to my Grandpa.She passed away 19 years ago as a result of MS,but I treasure the last three years that she was close enough to me that I could visit her at least once week.
The mother/daughter relationship can be very special,as yours obviously is:)

natalysneedle said...

Carol,

I love your finish! I am taken a back with the way you photographed it. I especially love the collage shot.

Great work!

Happy Stitching!

Daffycat said...

Don't be silly, of course we read ALL of your posts ~ even the really-really long ones!

Your finish is stunning and so beautiful. I love each square!

How wonderful to see your mother. You are going to have the best time ever! I sent 3 years away from my parents when I was newly married but they only live an hours' drive now.

Theresa said...

Gorgeous finish!!!!!!!! I love all the details and all the specialty stitches!!!! Amazing!!!

So wonderful your mom had joined you for Easter!!!!! It's always nice to be able to spend time with mom. Enjoy!!!

Julie said...

Congrats on a beautiful finish and i'm sure you will be having a great time with your mum.

Judy said...

I have been reading your posts for awhile--all of it! I love your smalls. THe alphabet is ofcourse beautiful. Enjoy your week with your Mother.

Judy. heartland stitcher

Barb said...

Carol, Your alphabet finish is spectacular!! Just beautiful. I do think some different stitches add to most designs. Enjoy the time with your Mom!

Anonymous said...

I want that alphabet!!!

Wow, simply beautiful.

Kelly
www.twofriendscrafting.blogspot.com

Lisa V said...

Its soo gorgeous Carol.
I have my fingers crossed for your giveaway, I am soo in love with Peter & Peep, soo cute!!
Hugs

barbara said...

How wonderful that your Mom is visiting! I hope you have the most magical, memorable time together. :)

Maggee said...

I love your alphabet! The green between each block is perfecto!! I lived across the country from my parents and saw them infrequently if at all. They never met my son. I am the type of mom that my kids hang with, if they are around (my eldest has been away a lot but is about 3 hours away now, which is great!) In fact I think my middle child has told me I can never move away from her! I love the Willow Tree figurine you showed. I have one, the Angel of Courage, given to me by Lois of Elegant Stitch when she heard I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I didn't even KNOW her! But my LNS Owners do, and mentioned me to her. Real nice lady--I met her a while later. Hugs!

Jannie said...

Now that is a project! Absolutely gorgeous! And inspiring. My Daughter lives near me and I love it. Enjoy your Mom. Life is so short. Would love to be considered for lovely your giveaway. Jannie timandjannie@comcast.net
Thx!

Linda said...

Congrats on the finish Carol. It is absolutely stunning. The beads add so much to it.

Linda

boysmum2 said...

A to Z looks great well done

Catherine said...

What a fabulous finish Carol! I love all of your special touches with the beading.
Enjoy this time with your mom ~ I know how excited you are!!

Tatkis said...

What a beautiful alphabet! And it's really a big finish!
You are very lucky to have your mum near now :)

Hugs,
Tatyana

Quiltsmiles said...

I'm glad that your Mom was able to "retreat" at your home and you are enjoying her stay. Of course your alphabet finish is just darling. Nicely Done.

Lesleyanne said...

A gorgeous finish Carole. I am luckily enough to have my mum nearby and go to lunch at her house every Saturday and in the school holidays she looks after my two boys when I have to work. I am truly grateful for a great mum.

Anonymous said...

Easter with mom, what better treat one could have! You pamper her, but I'm sure you fell pampered also just by having her around! I see my mom every two weeks now. She is living with one of my sisters, but I can consider myself living close to her.
Love the letters and the work is amazing!
Enjoy your time well and play one Scrable for me (I do miss playing it)
Hugs
Paula

Giovanna said...

Congrats on the wonderful finish - really stunning!

Kay said...

Congrats on your beautiful finish! I love it. Sounds like your Easter was a wonderful one for you with having your mom and son home with you. Happy stitching!

Chris said...

Wonderful finish Carol! I love this design and the different stitches that are used.

Sherry said...

Wow! That's an incredible finish! So beautiful!!! Enjoy the time with your Mom.

Teresa said...

Beautiful Carol, yours reminds me I have this chart in my stash...will have to give it greater consideration to move up the list.

Vinniey said...

How wonderful to spend your Easter with your mom! :) Same like you, I visit my father only once a year even thought he live just 2 and a half hour drive from me. I hope I can visit him more often during my kids' school holidays. I missed my beloved mom a lot.

Your big finish is beautiful! Especially love alphabet "E", those little lambs are so cute! :)

Have a wonderful week, Carol!

Susan @ Real Girl Designs said...

Congratulations on your finish, Carol - it's stunning!

Keeper of the Crowes said...

Nature's Alphabet is truly a thing of beauty!!! It really shows off your love for stitching! Glad you're getting to spend time with your mother.
Linda

Autumn said...

Oh my...it's GORGEOUS!! Love love it!

Enjoy your time with Mom. Precious memories are made when we spend time with family.

Kay said...

Beautiful project, I particularly love the 'X'.

Melissa said...

Congratulations on a big finish! I like the changes you have made!

Glad your mom was able to come and visit you. I'm sure you are having a ball!

Talk to you soon!

Barb said...

That piece is so pretty. Glad you had a nice visit with your mom.

Jackie said...

Awesome!!! Beautiful!!! and take a bow Carol. It's gorgeous.
How sweet that your Mom came to visit. Do enjoy.
Hugs and take care.

♥ Nia said...

Such a big finish!! You've been hiding that for some time ;) ehhehe Really pretty! I love the tree on the X square :)
Green backstitching gives a beautiful detail! Looks gorgeous :)

I'm glad you had a great time on Easter and that you had your mum visiting!! :D Glad to know you're that happy!!! :D
I live far away from my mum but we talk every day, phone and emails, we are always in touch ;)

Corssing my fingers for good luck on your giveaway!! :p

Hugs&smiles to you my sweet friend

Annette said...

What a beautifull finish Carol... love all the colors in it.. such a big piece... how great is that!!
and when it is framed your going to have so much fun with it..

We had a great Easter.. I had to work also but still got some family time, with the kids and DH..

What great your mother came to visit... I can imagine that that was so great for you..
Treasure the time with your mother..

Good luck with your give-away...

Kerri said...

Whata lovely finish! I love the style of Elizabeth's Designs. They just seem to be happy but calm pieces and your stitching is wonderful.

I never lived closer than 2 hours to my mom so I totally understand you. I lost my mom 8 years ago - so please enjoy every precious moment! Have a wonderful week!

Myra said...

Oh wow! That is an absolutely fabulous finish Carol. I know the backstitching was a pain but it just "makes" the whole design. I am so happy for you, getting to spend time with your mother.

Penny said...

It's beautiful Carol! The backstitching and specialty stitches really add to the beauty. I'm very fortunate that my mother is close by. Enjoy your visit with your mother. :)

Patty C. said...

Stunning - But your work always is !!!!

Rowyn said...

Hi Carol

Congratulations on your beautiful finish. I can imagine it having been a fun stitch with each little block giving a sense of achievement.

How wonderful that your Mum is staying with you for the week. I hope you are enjoying your time together.

I am lucky that my Mum lives only a few minutes drive from me, and I get to see her often. She is a cross stitcher too, but not so much over the past few years after becoming involved in our local animal rescue. (Although, she did show me some progress today on a Lanarte kit she's stitching).

Have a wonderful week!

Julie said...

WOW!! fabulous finish. This is the first time i have seen this actually stitched up in full, it will definately have to go on my wish list i think. I love it.

I am so happy for you that you have some mother/daughter quality time and at your home too. I'm sure you both will have lots of wonderful memories to hold dear until you can meet again.

Much love xx

The Queen Bee said...

What a nice finish. I'm impressed with how quickly you got it finished, too.

Glad your mother had a nice visit. I was thinking about you last week.

Pam

Edit said...

Your alphabet is so beautiful Carol! Must have been a lot of work, but it is absolutely amazing. Sure it will be a piece you will always like to look at. Love all the little details on it.

Must have been a great time those days your mum could spend at your house. I also know how is it to meet our parents only a couple of times per year, so I am so happy for you that you could spend precious days together.

Gabriele said...

Really beautiful this sampler!
And how wonderful that your Mom stays at your house. I wish you a grrreat time!

Kathy Ellen said...

Congratulations upon finishing a truly beautiful work of art! Your stitching of each block is wonderful! How blessed you are to have some special time to spend with your Mother.

I would love to be entered for your wonderful giveaway on April 14th. Your gifts are all very generous. Please enter my name for the Grand Prize. Thank you:)

Kathy Ellen said...

Oops...when I asked to be considered for your giveaway, I forgot to share why I love blogging. When I started my blog two years ago, like you, I was just thinking that it would be a nice way to share my love of stitching. I had no idea how my life would be so wonderful impacted by the connection to so many very dear and special stitchers around the world. Many of you, I feel that I know, even though we have never met in person, and it has made me so grateful for the connections we share through the 'threads' we stitch through time and space. Blessings!

Valentina said...

Wonderful finish! Nature's Alphabet is one of my favourite designs.
Thank you for remembering how blessed I am to have my mum here with me. Sometimes we don't get on well with each other, but I know she loves me and so do I.

Lois said...

Carol, what a wonderful finish! The alphabet-lover in me just thinks this is the loveliest piece! Enjoy having your mum to stay, I know how much that means to you and what a wonderful time you will both have. I have never had the joy of my mum living near-by although it is not the distance that you have but it is something I missed esp. when the children were growing up.

Sally said...

What a fantastic finish Carol! It is beautiful. Congratulations!

Glad you're having a great time having your Mum to visit.

Kellie said...

Hi Carol,
I think I am going to be your 100th comment on this post. :) Nature's Alphabet is absolutely beautiful. The green backstitching, while tedious, makes this piece, I think. Very pretty. I love the nest with the beads. What a great little addition! Enjoy every precious moment with your mom this week. I am lucky to have my mom about 45 minutes away, but still feel like it isn't close enough. Have a really fun week!

Unknown said...

fantastic...very very beautiful work!
Pat

Ariane20 said...

Your Elizabeth's designs is wonderful!! I love it!

MoonBeam said...

Carol, your alphabet is gorgeous! What a nice finish, and I can tell that you had fun stitching it. What more could one ask?

The visit from your mother sounds very special. I like your Willow Tree to designate this.

Wow, over 100 comments. You are doing something right here, girl!

Happy Spring!

Bobbi

Andrea said...

Congratulations on the glorious finish of Nature's Alphabet. Beautiful!

HOw very special to have a visit from your Mum too.

Heather said...

Hi Carol!! Your new finish is very pretty!!! Good job!!!

Love, Heather

Nancy M said...

Great finish, and I know what you are talking about with those borders! Enjoy your week with your mom. Mine used to be 3 hours away and now she is just an hour away. She's 82 and she still drives here every once in awhile. I usually go to see her.

Valma said...

Woo ! What a huge project and what a great job you did !
It's really fantastic ! =D
A short post for a big stitching :D
Hope you're having a lovely time with your Mum
Big hugs from France
xxxxxx

Melanie said...

Congrats on your new finish!! It's fabulous. And BIG. (For you. lol)

So happy for you that you are having such a great time with your mom over for visit!!! :)

msmartello said...

Love your alphabet piece Carol! How so great that your mom came for a visit. Enjoy!!

Maureen

Giovi's Creations said...

Ohhh! It's so beautiful!Congrats. And it's great all about your mom visit. Giovi

Siobhán said...

Congratulations on a stunning finish!! It's beautiful!

Enjoy the visit with your mom. I so wish I lived close to my mom--I never knew how lucky I was.

Jackie's Stitches said...

Congratulations on your finish Carol! It's not a project I'm familiar with and I enjoyed looking closely at the pictures. It really comes through in your post how much you enjoyed stitching it as well as how much you are enjoying your mothers visit.

Veronica said...

Whoa, congrats on the huge finish! Nature's Garden looks awesome. I love the changes you've made to it, especially adding those beads.

That's nice having your mum over to visit. I still live with my parents as I'm not married and I thank God I get to have them by my side everyday.

Looks like more people made it through the end of this post as you got more comments compared to the other posts this time round ^.^

Hugs,
Veronica.

Brigitte said...

Congratulations on a wonderful finish. It's such a delight to look at all the pretty little additions you made - a great piece!

Cathy from Kentucky said...

Hi Carol, Just discovered your blog this morning, LOVE IT! Will def be a follower. I truly love the 2 above bunnies. Would love to stitch these lil guys.I have no shops in my area so I rely on fellow stitchers for ideas. I have lost my mojo for stitching lately. Partially because of 2 lil Yorkies that love my lap after a long day at work I have a hard time putting them down. I think I have been reinspired thanks to your blog. Have a great day be back soon.

Lynn said...

Oh Carol, what a truly gorgeous finish! You're right, that backstitching really adds to the piece. You've done a lovely job!

How wonderful that you've had the company of your Mom! Like you, I have always lived a fair distance from mine and only ever saw my family a couple of times a year. My Mom is not well enough to visit us any longer so we are making a concerted effort to make that long drive home more frequently. Our next visit will be in May. I'm looking forward to it.