January in February!

Greetings from yet another snowy evening here in western Pennsylvania! Is it a coincidence that my finish this week matches the scenery outdoors? If I could just change the name of the sampler to "February" it would be perfect for this record-breaking, snow-filled month! I put the last stitch in the bottom, blue border last night and I'm so pleased with my wintry sampler. I think I'll keep it out all winter...it is too pretty to display only in January...



Just in case you're wondering, and if you missed my previous post, "January Sampler," by Waxing Moon designs, is stitched on 32 ct. sage Jobelan using WDW and DMC floss. I love the names for the blue floss in this one: "Deep Sea", "Father's Day", and "Sky"--so descriptive. I wonder if they pay someone full time to come up with such perfect names? Many of you asked if I was going to be doing each month of this series...I don't think so. I think they have only designed the months from January through June, but this was my favorite. We'll see what the rest of the months look like when they are published. I love fall designs the most, so I'm hoping September, October, and November will inspire me to stitch them. Then I could use one frame and just change the finished pieces out each month. Anyway, it was a very relaxing piece to work on and I hope you like it, too...


So, how was your Valentine's Day? Ours has been quiet since my husband came down with a bad cold and I'm beginning to have that horrid feeling that I'm on the way to catching one myself. He thoughtfully brought home this beautiful bouquet of yellow roses for me on Friday for Valentine's Day--aren't they lovely? After almost 33 years of marriage, he sure knows my favorite color of rose... I just love the breath of spring that they've brought into the house--only 33 more days to go until spring is finally here!




I know that you're probably tired of hearing us easterners go on and on about the snow, but it really is a rarity for us to get this much in one week (30+ inches.) Actually, we were among the lucky ones--we didn't lose our power at all! Many poor families south of us were without power for days and a few still don't have it after an entire week... We lost a 50 year old pine tree which toppled over barely missing our power lines and have sprung a few leaks in the oddest places--this morning I found water in the middle of my laundry room closet! Other than these few, fixable, and minor inconveniences, we have been very, very fortunate. But, enough snow already!! I hate to even say this out loud, but more is forecast for Monday and Tuesday :o(

Thanks for all of your suggestions regarding my overdyed floss storage problems. I think I'll be purchasing some of the floss away bags and metal rings and try that solution.

Wishing you all a wonderful Valentine's Day with lots of hugs and treats. You certainly deserve it because you are the sweetest and most thoughtful group of stitchers around! Thanks for all of your kind comments--I can't wait to visit your blogs and see what you've been up to this week...