Week Thirteen: Farm Fresh Bunny

The Prairie Schooler has always been among my favorite cross stitch designers and this little bunny is no exception. I love the use of colors and the simple beauty of Pamela Byrd Smith's designs (although stitching all that brown wasn't my favorite thing to do; is it just me or does anyone else get annoyed when stitching a lot of brown in a design?). This rabbit, from the "Farm Fresh" leaflet, was stitched on 18 count white Aida with DMC threads. Nothing fancy--just plain cute! I'm posting this week from a mostly sunny (but VERY windy!) Daytona Beach where I'm visiting my parents for a few days of relaxation by the ocean. Perhaps by the time I fly home to Pennsylvania the grass will have greened up and spring will truly be here...

Week Twelve: Painted Egg

What a beautiful (although chilly) first day of Spring we had yesterday and what a special day today is! Exactly 27 years ago today, my oldest son was born making me a new mom. I still can't believe how quickly the past 27 years have gone... I remember that day like it was yesterday-I even remember what I ate for dinner before leaving for the hospital to give birth. I suppose this little bird standing on her egg is an appropriate piece for today as it symbolizes new life and a new season. This Cricket Collection design, titled "Painted Egg," is one of my favorites and I stitched it on 32 ct. Twilight Blue linen with DMC threads. That tiny bird with the flower in her mouth just makes me smile...

Week Eleven: Winter's Eve

Last week I stitched a whole village; this week, just one house. It was certainly much easier to complete this ornament in seven days! I love the colors of the variegated floss in this piece--the different shades of blue remind me of the lovely Victorian house across the street from my childhood home which was painted in three shades of blue. This design is from the Just Cross Stitch 2006 Ornament Issue and was stitched on 32 ct. flax Belfast linen using Crescent Colours, Weeks Dye Works, and DMC threads. "Winter's Eve" is designed by Country Cottage Needleworks.

Week Ten: Christmas Village

It was surprising just how many stitches there were in this week's ornament--it took much longer to finish than I would have expected! Of course, I added to my work by incorporating some back stitching around the little windows and changing many of the colors of the houses and their roofs. This tiny 3 3/4" square "Christmas Village" was worked on 18 ct. summer khaki aida with DMC threads from a pattern by Nancy Sturgeon of Threads Through Time. The chart can be found in the 1999 Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue. Having grown up in a tiny New York village myself, I feel that this piece really captures the feeling of Christmas and winter in a small town...