Three small finishes and a giveaway

Hope all of you have had a good April!  To be honest with you, I'm extremely happy to bid this month farewell--it's been a tough one for some of our dear friends and extended family members. We're fine here--our hearts just hurt for their pain. We're simply taking things one day at a time and doing our best to be supportive. Stitching has helped a bit--I don't feel that I was very productive this month, but I do have three small finishes to share with you today.

My March ornament is this charming Soda Stitch Design piece that I purchased on Etsy for only a few dollars. (You can find it right here, if you're interested). I like my ornaments on the smaller side, so I stitched it "over one" on 25 ct. black Lugana using most of the suggested DMC colors. The only changes I made were to substitute DMC 3345 for one of the shades of green and to use DMC 3799 on the roofs of the teeny houses. I just love the sleeping Santa as he cradles the little town in his long, flowing beard. This is called "Santa Village" and, for the finish, I surrounded it with red handmade cording and topped it with two different bows and a silver bell. The red and white snowflake fabric in the back is what I used on the other side of the ornament. I'm so pleased with the final look!

My finish of "Christmas Village"

And, I stitched two Christmas ornaments for two new babies! Both will look familiar, especially the first one as this is the fourth time I've stitched it! Sadly, the chart is no longer available since the death of designer Brooke Nolan of Brooke's Books fame. It is called "Remy Rabbit" and I'm so glad I printed it off way back when it was first offered. Just a reminder--print off those freebies while you can! So many are removed from websites after a few years and are then no longer available. I used 40 ct. water green Newcastle and some of the suggested DMC colors along with a few of my own choices. Quite a few snowflakes were added to shape it into an oval and I added the baby's name underneath. The new mom told me it brought tears to her eyes when she opened my gift...

"Remy Rabbit" for a sweet baby girl

My second baby ornament finish (arriving a bit late as this baby girl is turning one in June!), is this cute piece by Tiny Modernist  called "Snow Much Fun at the North Pole." I also used 40 ct. water green Newcastle for this one (my last tiny scrap of this wonderful fabric). I changed up the colors for this one using pink and gray along with the black and white that were suggested in the chart. I then stitched the baby's name at the bottom of the snow globe, glued a miniature white pom-pom onto the penguin's hat,  added  pink and white cording, and topped it with a perky, pink polka-dot ribbon at the top. The backing fabric is the pink gingham fabric on the left. You can find the chart for this cute design in the 2017 Just Cross Stitch Ornament magazine. 

I've always loved pink and gray together and thought they worked especially well for this little girl's ornament.

 

If the above ornament looks familiar, I also stitched it for my oldest grandson's second Christmas back in 2021 using different colors. As you can see, I used the more traditional Christmas red and green for his. This is such a sweet design and you could personalize it with many different color combinations. 

The same ornament stitched in different colors for Mister B for his second Christmas in 2021.

I'm nearly done fully finishing my ornament for April so I'll share that with you next time! What are you stitching these days? Or are you too busy with gardening this time of year? Our gardens are going to have to just limp along this year as my husband is still not able to do any heavy lifting or digging since he's still recovering from his shoulder replacement surgery in January. But, that's okay--I'd so much rather he fully recover before he does anything that might cause problems. 

Giveaway... As I mentioned in a previous post, my sweet friend April (in Virginia) gifted me with a wonderful assortment of small charts to share with you as giveaways.  I thought one of you might like to stitch these classic Lizzie Kate patriotic charts if you haven't already done so. I actually stitched the one with the tall, skinny house way back in 2009 and I'm thoroughly embarrassed to admit that I never fully finished it! Maybe this year? 

If you'd like to win this LK chart, please follow the guidelines below:

If you would like to throw your name into the hat to win the above Lizzie Kate chart (both designs are included in this one chart!): 1) Please specifically say so in your comment, 2) Be sure to leave your email address if I don't already have it, and 3) Tell me the name of your favorite patriotic design finish and why you like it so much. Mine is "Fourth of July Picnic" by Samplers Not Forgotten--just love the old-fashioned look of it, the button tree, and that cute pup!  I stitched it back in 2023--you can read about my finish right here. I'll pick a winner for the Lizzie Kate "Land That I Love" chart and post the name next month. Good luck to all!

My favorite patriotic finish: Fourth of July Picnic

 

Statin update... I want to thank all of you who weighed in on your experiences with statins for cholesterol control. I'm pleased to say that I "think" my body has finally adjusted to the increased dosage. My cardiologist doubled it from 5 mg. to 10 mg. back in January and I was truly thinking about going back to the 5 mg. dosage due to increased muscle and joint soreness. But, all of a sudden... things seem to be almost back to normal. I had my lipid panel blood test last week and all of the results were good so I'm happy! Hope they stay that way!

It hasn't been the best year for our gardens as I mentioned above. Many of the cherry blossom trees suffered from the black knot fungus this year and the crab apple trees barely bloomed, possibly from apple scab fungus. So, not the prettiest of springs. But we did manage to get a few colorful flowers...

Aren't these tulips beautiful? I'm so thankful that may husband planted the bulbs last fall for me to cut and bring inside this spring!

The little plant that could... My middle son brought me this hibiscus plant last year for Mother's Day. Because we were down in Maryland helping with our newborn grandson for two weeks, he set it out on our patio table not thinking about our neighborhood deer. When we got home, the poor plant was bitten down to nothing--the deer loved it! We never dreamed it would survive, but we brought it inside and nursed it along all winter. Lo and behold--it's blooming again! Aren't these orange blossoms stunning? I'm planning on keeping it indoors this summer and safe from the deer!

Love the combination of the orange with the beautiful potted hydrangea plant that my husband gave me before Easter! Blue and orange were the colors of my oldest son's October 2017 wedding--such a lovely combination! 

Random thoughts for the month...

*Believe it or not, my younger grandson, Baby N, turns one year old next week! How time flies as we've watched in awe all the changes a baby goes through during those first twelve months.

*I just finished listening to a book that I gave a rare 5-star rating to called "The Sunflower House"--the debut novel by Adriana Allegri. Have any of you read it? Set in Nazi Germany, it deals with the notorious Lebensborn program where young women of "pure" blood were placed in houses specifically to give birth to future Aryan children, thus perpetuating the "master race." Over 8000 babies were born in this program in Nazi Germany.

*Only another six weeks 'til my youngest son's wedding. I'm trying not to stress, but it's just in my nature. I did find a dress which looks fairly decent on my 71-year-old body. I think I'm going to be the oldest person attending the wedding--now that is really something to make you think!  

*My youngest son visited us last week for a few days and, boy, did we need his positivity and cheerful demeanor. You see, my husband lost his second biking friend in less than two months in mid-April. There was a core group of five guys and now only three remain. We always joked that the guys saw more of each other than they did of their wives as they biked at least three times a week for hours at a time. You just never know when your time is up, do you? Their biking community is still in shock after losing two such special friends so close together. That really makes you think about how to live your life, doesn't it? Surround yourself with positive people and treat yourself to beloved hobbies, travels, and new experiences while you can.
 

And, on that note, I'll say goodbye for this month. On to May! I want to thank each of you for popping in and saying "hello" whether in your comments or via email. I love hearing from you. Have a wonderful new month, my friends! Bye for now...  

If not for Mister B...

... I wouldn't have put out a single Easter decoration this year! True! But, my grandsons visited last weekend and five-year-old Mister B called me out with "Nonna, why do you still have this St. Patrick's Day stuff out! It's over!" And he was right... old Nonna was just being lazy this year and didn't want to bother even thinking about Easter decor since no one would be here but my husband and me. So, off to my guest-room dresser (which is crammed full of seasonal smalls) I went and pulled out this drawer.

My dresser drawer of bunnies and chicks and all things Spring

I have a drawer for each holiday and the Easter/Spring drawer is almost full. But, I can't seem to stop stitching bunnies for some reason. They're just too cute to resist. Most of you are familiar with my Pottery Barn cubby that I like to decorate for the holidays. Would you believe I had never decorated it for Easter and Spring, though? Time to change that!

Love all the pastel shades of spring stitching after the long, grey winter we had here in Pennsylvania

I have far more Easter and Spring stitched smalls than there are spaces in the cubby so this is just a portion of them. Would you like a closer look? If you're wondering about a certain finish, just leave a comment (with your email address) or email me directly and I'll be sure to get back to you with the name of the piece and the designer...

 

 

If you are new to my blog, you may not know that the center square (number 13) is always reserved for my dear mother. That is her silhouette you see along with one of the ceramic shoes from her childhood collection, and my maternal grandmother's gold thimble. Oh, how I miss her--especially on holidays!

Which one is your favorite?

So, do you have a favorite? I think mine just might be that charming bunny couple in cubby 18. That is actually a freebie from The Snowflower Diaries called "Spring Bunny Love" which you can find right here. I recently updated my Favorite Freebies list in the right sidebar getting rid of links that no longer worked and adding new freebies. Check it out... you might just find something that calls your name!

I've been working on a couple of baby gifts and my Christmas ornament for March (just a bit behind) lately. I'm almost done with all three and I'll share them in my next post. Honestly, I haven't felt my best lately. I'm not sleeping well at all (very worried about several health issues with extended family members along with stressing about my son's June wedding). But, I think part of the problem might be the increased dosage in the statin I take to control my high cholesterol. My cardiologist doubled it and I haven't felt quite right since. I think a call to her is in order. Do any of you  who are taking statins have side effects from them?

What are your plans for Easter? Since all of our kids and grandkids were home last weekend for my youngest son's bachelor party (no the grandkids/women did not attend the bachelor party festivities--ha ha!), they won't be here this weekend. We were nicely invited to dinner at my middle son's girlfriend's mom's home so all I have to do is take a salad. I'm making this yummy Apple-Pear Salad which I've made before and everyone seems to love. I think this may be the first year ever that I didn't buy myself some little chocolate Cadbury mini-eggs... Oh, how I adore those, but with the wedding coming up in just two months, I really need to watch my diet. 

Thank you all so much for stopping in! I'm behind on my blog reading, but will catch up next week. I hope all of you who celebrate Easter have a wonderful day tomorrow with family and friends. Eat some chocolate for me, okay?! Hope to be back soon! Bye for now... 

Spring stitching as the snow flies...

I'm writing this on yet another snowy afternoon... Yes, it is March 17th (Happy St. Patrick's Day!), but, outside my window, it looks more like a winter wonderland. I actually don't ever remember a snow storm this late in the season. Our weather has been like a rollercoaster lately... We went from a high of 68° on Sunday to a high of 28° today--absolutely crazy! I'm so glad I can just stay in my cozy home and watch as the snow drifts and blows outside. It really is beautiful, but I'm very envious of those of you who have been sharing photos of spring flowers and sunny skies.

At least I have some spring in my stitching to share with you today!  I seem to be on a With Thy Needle and Thread kick lately because both of my latest pieces are Brenda Gervais designs. Doesn't this first one just scream spring to you? I mean, take a look at the sweet details... a plump robin, wee buzzing bees, that pink polka-dotted butterfly, and the multitude of pastel blooms. What could be more spring-like?

"Tis Spring! (at least in my stitching!)

This one is called 'Tis Spring! and it's probably one of my favorites. I stitched it 'over one' on 25 ct. mushroom Lugana with some of the suggested threads and some of my own choices. The pretty pale blue of the house is done in WDW Robin's Egg (the lighter part of the thread) while the blue bow is done using the same thread, but using only the darker portion. My piece is simply a brightened up version of the original design. When you have so much going on in a design, I think it's important to keep the finish fairly simple. So I sewed a little pillow and surrounded it with handmade cording made with DMC 598--quick and easy!

I love the color of blue that I chose for the house.

Here is a better look at the sweet robin standing on his nest with those bright blue eggs sitting inside...

Can you spot the teeny bees? So cute!

 

My second spring finish is called "Spring Delivery" (also by With Thy Needle and Thread) and is stitched on  40 ct. platinum Newcastle linen. I actually changed most of the colors in this one except for the rabbit (which is stitched with the called-for GAST Apple Cider). I also left off the ABC, 1234 that were charted and filled in those spots with more of the little "doo-dads" and changed up his eye a bit. 

"Spring Delivery" by With Thy Needle and Thread

I knew I wanted to frame this piece so off I went to rummage through my four Rubbermaid bins filled with thrifted frames (which are stored in my basement). I was hoping to find a rustic looking frame, but when I held up this beauty to my stitching, I totally changed my mind! I love how elegant the final look is--just shows you how a frame can make a major difference in elevating a simple finish. I think I paid $2.99 for this frame at Goodwill a few years ago--quite a savings from a professional framing job, I'd say!

An elegant frame for a sweet spring finish.

 

 

Giveaway winner... Now, if you recall, I was offering this chart as a giveaway in February. I was happy to see how many folks threw their names in the hat for this one and sure wish I had more than one chart to give away! But, the winner's name, randomly drawn, is...

 CHRISTEL  (in France)

Christel, you are the winner! Please send me your mailing address.

Congratulations to Christel! Please email me with your mailing address (my email is in the sidebar underneath the "A Bit About Me" section) and I'll send this chart out to you. I'll be having more giveaways in future posts, everyone, so please visit often!

Over the weekend, we celebrated a birthday for my middle son's longtime girlfriend. It was a milestone birthday for her so I wanted to make her day special. These mini-bundt cakes were fun and festive and very easy to make--you can find the recipe right here.  I halved the recipe since there were only five of us (her mother joined us, too) and everyone seemed to enjoy them!

Some mini-bundt cakes and a newly blooming white orchid. My neighbor gave me the lovely orchid for my birthday in January 2025 and I was thrilled when it bloomed again this month!

I'll leave you with a few of our unexpected mid-March snow photos. As I mentioned before--beautiful, but...

The snow began falling at dusk on Monday as our deer herd visited for their nightly supper (in other words--our lawn!).

 

Tuesday morning dawned bright and sunny (for about an hour) and then the snow picked up again.

Is there anything prettier than a fresh snowfall against a bright blue sky?

You can see just how much snow fell from the depth on our patio table.

Love this titmouse trying to crack a sunflower seed as he carefully balances on the edge of the bird feeder.

I think the birds are especially appreciative of our efforts to feed them each winter--especially this one!

I want to thank you all for your comments on my last post and apologize for not acknowledging them. I've been having some issues with my eyes which make it difficult for me to look at my computer screen for very long so I've been limiting my time. I have a lot of trouble looking out at this bright snow, as well. Thankfully, my stitching doesn't seem to be affected!

Do you have anything special planned for this last half of March? My two favorite little people will be coming for a visit in ten days and I can hardly wait! We miss Mister B and Baby N so much, but didn't dare be around them while my husband was recovering from his shoulder replacement surgery. He still can't lift anything over a few pounds so I'll have to do the heavy lifting with the baby (who is one BIG guy!), but I've been actively trying to bump up my exercise routine to include heavier weights so I should be fine. We'll also be celebrating my oldest son's 44th birthday--where have the years gone?! Take care now, everyone, and I hope that by my next post I'll at least have some photos of pretty spring flowers to share! Bye for now...  

A month of ups and downs

Good morning, everyone! How has your February been? For a short month a lot has taken place here--some happy things and some sad. Throughout everything, though, my stitching is one of the few things that keeps me grounded and brings me peace. I know all of my fellow stitchers can relate! 

I have just one finish to share with you today, but, boy did it take longer to stitch than I expected. To be honest, I actually started this one in mid-December thinking I would finish it before the end of the year. Ha! I never even came close... Part of the problem was simply a lack of stitching time during the busy Christmas season. And part of why it took so long was figuring out the colors. Because I made some changes--a lot of them! Anyway, it's finally done and I love it! May I present, "Hometown Christmas," by Abby Rose Designs.

"Hometown Christmas" by Abby Rose Designs

Doesn't this remind you of a Prairie Schooler Design? I've always enjoyed stitching houses and these especially appealed to me because of the small town feeling this piece evokes. Having grown up in a tiny western New York village (with just one traffic light at the time--today there are two!), small town life has always been very special to me. I stitched this on a piece of 40 ct. Pearled Barley (by Lakeside Linens) that had been in my stash for years and I was so glad to finally find a use for it. 

I changed the house on the left from red to green.

A number of changes were made to the colors in this piece, but the main one was was to the house in the front left (The Needle Shop). It was charted to be another red house, but I thought the green would make for a more interesting color palette so I used DMC 730 and 731. I also changed the colors of the green border and the pine trees to WDW Moss and WDW Bullfrog, respectively. Another big change came after I had the entire chart stitched and that was to change the name on one of the buildings. Do you see the red structure? Well, that originally said "Town Hall," but the more I thought about it, it just didn't have any meaning for me. The other two buildings certainly did (candy and stitching--yes, indeed!), but I wanted to personalize this little town with my interests. I really wanted to make the red building say "Library," but to make it fit the space, I would have had to make the letters tiny, so I chose to use "Books" instead. Of course, I decided this after I had already stitched the words "Town Hall!" I thought about leaving them, but... I knew that each time I looked at it, I'd be wishing that building had something to do with books. After all, I was a librarian for nearly 30 years! So, I patiently ripped out the tiny stitches in the top of the building and restitched it after charting the word "Books." Love how it turned out! 

Every town needs a bookstore, so I changed what was supposed to be a Town Hall to a big red bookstore.

In an effort to put winter behind me, I'm now working on a spring piece... In fact, it's the sweet bunny delivering flowers chart ("Spring Delivery" by With Thy Needle and Thread) which I offered in my giveaway in my February 13th post. I'm not quite done with it so I haven't drawn a winner's name yet. Anyway, there is still time to enter if you want to. Just head back to my previous post, read the guidelines, and comment to be entered into the drawing for "Spring Delivery." Next time I'll have the winner's name for you--I promise! And I'll have my own finish of this charming design to share with you!

   

As I mentioned earlier, February has been a very up and down month here. In the space of just one week, we lost two very special people. A dear woman (whom I considered my aunt) passed at the age of 93 after battling dementia for a number of years. She was one of my mother's dearest friends and her family used to vacation with mine in Canada each summer when I was growing up. So many memories came flooding back when I learned of her death. I am truly relieved she is finally at peace and I will always remember her beautiful smile and giving spirit.  

And exactly one week later, my husband got a call that one of his best biking friends had suddenly passed while in a rehabilitation facility. I think we are both still in shock as this wasn't the outcome that anyone expected. He had been in a terrible bike accident back in late August and had been hospitalized, undergone a 14-hour surgery, and seemed to be recovering. But, I guess in the long run, the effort of coming back from a broken neck and a back broken in several places, was just too much. He was only 72 years old--a year older than us. This makes the third person we've known to die from biking accidents over the past 15 years or so. To say that I worry about my husband is an understatement. He bikes three days a week in good weather--it is his passion just like stitching is mine. So, what do I do? I can't stop him from cycling, so I simply tell him to "ride carefully" and say a little prayer each time he heads out for another ride.  You just never know when it's your time, do you?

On the happy side, I'm pleased to report that my husband's shoulder replacement recovery is going very well. His range of motion improves each week and, although the physical therapy leaves him in pain for a day or two, he sticks with it and is very conscientious about going to each session. He hopes to be recovered enough to resume his biking season in late May or early June assuming he stays on this same path of recovery.  

Another joyful day was spent celebrating my niece's soon-to-arrive baby girl with a lovely shower in Indiana this past weekend. It was a long drive (6 hours) out there in rather dicey weather (terrible winds going out/snow and icy roads on the way home), but she was so thrilled to have us there and we wouldn't have missed it for the world. Is there anything better than a new baby to help ease your worries? I can't wait to meet the newest member of our family in April!  

So, what do you have planned for March? I don't think I'll be doing any St. Patrick's Day stitching this year and plan to jump to one of my favorite themes--bunny stitching for Spring and Easter. My grandsons (and their parents, of course) are going to be visiting at the end of March--I can't wait! I miss them so much... Hopefully, the worst of winter is behind us. We escaped that massive storm that hit the East Coast over the weekend and the sun is supposed to shine brightly today after this fog dissipates. In a bit, I'm heading to the dentist for a crown in one of my molars--oh, joy! Not my favorite activity, but I'll reward myself for being brave with an afternoon of stitching. Hope you enjoy your day, my friends--thank you, as always for visiting and for your kind words! Bye for now... 

Spring, please come soon!!

The middle of February already! How did that happen? I always look forward to this short month of February as I feel that the worst of winter is over. And what a winter it's been here in the East! I can't remember having snow on the ground continuously (for most of January and February) in a long, long time. Thankfully, our deep freeze seems to be waning--it will be in the 40s this weekend. I know, I know... for those of you in the South or in California, you are thinking that still sounds quite cold. But... after weeks of not coming anywhere near the freezing point, 40° sounds darn good to us! 

So, what has been keeping me busy since I definitely avoid going outside at all costs? Well, three things--reading/listening to a couple of good books, stitching (of course), and spending way too much time browsing online looking for a mother-of-the-groom dress for my youngest son's wedding in June. Oh, boy... what a process! I've already tried on 7 dresses and my petite stature is not doing me any favors when it comes to long gowns. They are just overwhelming/swimming on me! They do make a few petite dresses, but none that I've really liked. Thankfully, both Macy's and Nordstrom offer free shipping for the dresses and then I can return them at my local stores so that is very helpful. It's just an extremely frustrating process. At age 71, I'm truly feeling like the grandmother of the groom rather than the mother. Sigh... I may have one possibility, though, so I'll be taking that dress into Nordstrom to see if alterations can easily be made. Any advice for mother of the bride/groom dress shopping? All suggestions are welcome! 

Anyway, back to my stitching... I've managed to stitch and finish my ornaments for January and February and both just happen to be Prairie Schooler designs. The first one is from the "Old World Santas" (Bk. No. 80) chart and is stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen. I changed the colors a bit and eliminated the base that Santa was standing on.

A new "Old World Santa" finish for January

As you can see, I wanted to make this an oval finish so I added lots of Smyrna-stitched snowflakes surrounding Santa. I then used handmade cording (DMC 221 to match Santa's robe) and a burgundy checked ribbon to embellish the top. 

Oval and round finishes are my favorites. 

If this finish looks familiar it's because this is the fourth Santa in this series that I've finished the same way. Love seeing them all together! There are four more in this chart, but I only have enough gingham ribbon to finish one more. Of course, I can always change it up... we'll see!

Such a handsome quartet! Do you have a favorite? Mine is the Santa with the walking stick and the little bird (on the far left).

February's ornament brought this cute galloping deer carrying Santa and his bag of toys. This is from the "Santa Rides" (Bk. no. 47) chart.  I rarely change colors in Prairie Schooler designs, but I did this time. I used DMC 610 (rather than the charted 844) for the deer so he would resemble the local deer that visit our backyard. I also changed the color of the motifs surrounding the deer, to white. They were charted as a sort of pale yellow color (DMC 3046) and I just didn't care for that look.  

Another Prairie Schooler Santa finish for February

To finish it, I created a simple pillow ornament bordered by green cording with just a touch of green ric-rac peeking out between the (40 ct. raw natural Newcastle) linen and the accent fabric.

"Santa Rides" his deer with some color changes

I tried something new to hang the rusty bells from the right side... I took three strands of DMC and braided them to create hangers for the bells and I love the look! Will definitely be doing this again. Here's a close-up for you...

To hang the bells, I simply braided some strands of DMC floss.

So, one-sixth of the 2026 ornaments are finished--ha ha! One-sixth sounds so much more impressive than 2 out of 12, doesn't it? On to March--time to select a new chart! I have an huge folder of ornament charts that I love browsing through to find my next project. 

Two down--ten to go for 2026!

 

So, do you celebrate Valentine's Day? I think this is the first year in a long time that I didn't stitch a single thing for the holiday. But, I did do a bit of decorating in the corner of my kitchen. These are my "mostly red" ornaments, the  "mostly pink" ones never saw the light of day this year, I'm sorry to say... They're still buried in a dresser drawer and, at this point, they'll just have to be patient and wait another year! I bought the sweet felted mice on Amazon and thought they made a perfect addition to my tiered tray display this year. If you have any questions about the stitched pieces, just let me know... I was too lazy to link them to previous posts this time :) 

Such a bright, happy corner of my kitchen!

 

I love the sweet white mouse couple carrying the fuzzy red heart!

Sending all of you a little L-O-V-E today! Aren't their little gold bow ties and hairbows adorable?

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

 

"V is For Valentine" (by Heartstring Samplery) hanging on the wall is one of my favorites!

Giveaway time... I received a wonderful package of birthday gifts from my friend, April, in Virginia, a couple weeks ago. In the package she thoughtfully included some small-sized charts that she said I could use for giveaways. Wasn't that sweet? So, why not start today? The first one I'm offering is just perfect for this time of year and is called "Spring Delivery" by With Thy Needle and Thread. Would you like to be entered into the drawing to win this darling chart? If so, please leave me a comment below with the answer to the question: "What is your favorite fabric to stitch on and why?" I think you all know mine: 40 ct. Newcastle linen! I love the feel of it, the weight, the muted colors. I don't like fabric to distract from the design itself which is why I often use basic colors like white, ivory, gray, or various shades of brown. But, the primary reason I love it is because I am able to stitch with just one thread--so much easier, in my opinion!  If you do want to be entered to win this chart, please make sure to include you email address (if I don't already have it). And thank you again to my generous friend, April--your charts will be much appreciated by the lucky winner of the one below and those offered in the future!

I'm giving away this sweet chart by With Thy Needle and Thread. If you would like to be entered into the drawing, please follow the guidelines above. I'll post the winner on my next post.

I'll leave you with some wintry photos...hope to have sunnier spring photos the next time I post. Thank you, as always, for taking the time to read my little blog and say "hello" in your comments--I truly appreciate each of you! Happy Valentine's Day to all who celebrate and I hope everyone enjoys the rest of this short month. Take care all! Bye for now... 

It's been such a cold year that even the deer have become frequent visitors to our bird feeders. Isn't this buck magnificent?! We usually only spot female deer so seeing this handsome guy was quite a treat.

 

No, my little grandson wasn't running around in the snow. These are all deer tracks shown in this night time photo! We call it our deer superhighway :) 

With the sunshine comes melting icicles. Can you spot the tiny water drop falling from the middle icicle hanging just outside our bedroom window? Spring is coming soon (hopefully)!  

♥ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL OF MY STITCHING FRIENDS! ♥