Friday, March 17, 2023

Stitching of the green

Top 'o the morning to you, my sweet stitching friends! How are you doing on this fine St. Patrick's Day? Are you wearing your green? Are you preparing any special Irish foods for dinner?  Are you feeling especially lucky today? I always thought I had no Irish blood, but after my middle sister dug a bit more into our family history, she discovered that indeed we do have a tiny bit on my maternal grandmother's side. That might explain why I love stitching with so many green threads this time of year. Or, perhaps, I just enjoy the many shades of green that represent the rebirth and blossoming of nature after our long winter here in the northern hemisphere. Whatever the reason, I have some cute new St. Patrick's Day finishes to share with you today!

I've stitched three new pieces for my Pottery Barn cubby and my favorite of the trio is this wee leprechaun. Isn't he darling carrying his giant clover--he looks like he's going to topple right over from the sheer size of it! This is called "Clover of Clovers" and can be found only in kit form from Bent Creek. I was lucky to be able to borrow just the chart from a stitching friend. Using all DMC threads (which I did change up a bit from what was suggested on the chart), it is stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle linen. I also gave the little fellow a pair of green socks rather than the charted black. The three golden yellow buttons represent some of the gold he's just found at the end of the rainbow. I thought the polka dot yellow ribbon was a perfect accent at the top.

Bent Creek finish: "Clover of Clovers"

 

Next up, is this very sweet design by Luminous Fiber Arts called "Gathering Clover." I just love Misty's series of birds which you can see right here. I think I'll be stitching "Gathering Honey" next for my summer bee display. Anyway, this piece marked a first for me! It was the very first time I stitched on 56 ct. linen! I just love how teeny tiny the stitches look and how small the piece came out. I used white 56 ct. Kingston linen with Gentle Arts "Green With Envy" thread. If you look at the button you'll see that I repeated the clover motif found in the birds' mouths. Yes, I made a little covered button and glued it onto the satin ribbon in the left corner. I really love how this one turned out and I'll definitely be trying other designs on the 56 ct. linen.

"Gathering Clover"--such a sweet design!
 

Finally, a finish from a new-to-me designer, Mamaida Pattern, on Etsy. This design caught my eye because it was so unusual--I don't think I've seen any St. Patrick's Day patterns similar to this one. It was only a couple of dollars and if you'd like to buy a downloadable copy for yourself, you can find it right here. This was also stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle using DMC 311 and 905. I finished it off very simply with some handmade cording in the same shade of green and added a couple of stacked buttons tied into the middle. A very fun and different finish for the holiday!

"Clover" cross stitch design by Mamaida Pattern

 

As you can see, I'm quite an eclectic stitcher! Are you, too? Or do you tend to stick with one theme or type of stitching? Below you have the cute Bent Creek, the sweet Luminous Fiber Arts, and the more modern looking Mamaida Pattern...

Such varied shades of green in this month's finishes! Which one do you like best?

I don't have that many St. Patrick's Day finishes for my Pottery Barn cupboard, but I still managed to create the fun display shown below for March. What do you think?

My March 2023 Pottery Barn cubby

I'll give you some close-ups and link to my finishes just in case you have any questions about what's what... Just click on the title of the stitched piece and it will take you to my post with all the information on that particular finish.

At the top is a lovely card from Robin in Virginia and two merry Irishmen from the book "Un Air de Fête" by Perrette Samouiloff. Below is:  "Basket O' Luck" by Pineberry Lane (in #1) and "Erin Go Braugh" by Pineberry Lane (in #3), "March--the Lion and the Lamb" by Rainbow Gallery (in #6) and Prairie Schooler's March finish from "A Prairie Year" (in #7). The sweet hand painted dish and pitcher (in #2) were from my maternal grandmother and I found the little green stein (in #8) in a thrift shop in Ohio last fall.
 

On top is With Thy Needle and Thread's "Holiday Hoopla St. Patrick's Day. Below is Mamaida Pattern's "Clover" (in this post above), Lizzie Kate's "March Stamp Flip-It," and Bent Creek's "Clover of Clovers" (in this post above)

Blue Ribbon Designs "Leprechaun Lodge" (in #14). The little clover cups in #19 were also a thrift store find.

The green bunny pitcher was a Goodwill find! My dear mother's silhouette in cubby #13 is adorned with a little shamrock bow for the occasion. "Two Wee Lassies" (in #17) and "Little Shamrock Girl" (in #18) are both by Pineberry Lane. "St. Patrick's Day kitty" from Embroiderbee's Primary Hive (in #22) and "Gathering Clover" by Luminous Fiber Arts (in #23) in this post above. The darling embroidered hankie (in #22) was one of my maternal grandmother's, too!

I know I'll be stitching more green-themed designs to add to my cubby next year. So, there you have it... another year of St. Patrick's Day stitching in the books! Do any of you have anything fun planned for the day ahead?

The impatient patient!

Surgery update... First of all, I want to thank all of you who sent positive thoughts and prayers for my husband's shoulder replacement surgery. It appears to have gone well, but we'll have a better idea after we visit the doctor today and get his evaluation of things at the first post-operative check-up. My husband is normally an extremely active man (biking, going to the gym, gardening, house repairs, etc.) so this having to rest and take it easy makes him a very impatient patient. I've actually had to get upset with him a few times and tell him to take it easier. You just can't rush the healing process after such a complicated surgery! It's been a long two weeks--let's just put it that way :) Thank goodness, my stitching is always waiting to help calm me down... I've been able to stitch a lot in between helping him shower, cutting his food, helping him get dressed, icing his shoulder, etc. With one arm in a sling, he is  limited, but he is hoping to be rid of the sling in another couple weeks. We aren't sure yet when he'll be allowed to drive again.

My husband received a number of sweet get-well cards and phone calls, but the nicest gift came from my youngest sister and her husband. If you ever want a gift that offers pure comfort, check out this nice box of goodies that came from Spoonful of Comfort. It's a wonderful gift for a far-away friend or family member who could use some tender loving care after an illness, a death in the family, or for someone who needs some cheering up.  It's rather pricey, but oh, my--the soup, rolls, and cookies were all so very tasty and they provided two meals for us at a time when we truly needed them. The cute silver soup ladle was also included and I loved how recyclable the packing materials were. This will definitely be on my list to give future loved ones who need a lift!

This gift of comfort food from my youngest sister and brother-in-law couldn't have come at a better time!

So, now it's just physical therapy and hard work to get back to normal for my husband. He's still having some pain and numbness now and then which is concerning, but hopefully it is normal after such a major operation. We'll find out more today...

As the weather forescasters predicted, March has been a colder month than February. So many ups and downs! Just last Saturday, I spotted this beautiful bluebird (which we rarely see here in my yard so I was super excited!) dining at the suet feeder.

♪ Bluebird, bluebird at my window ♪

 

And then just three days later, this was the scene out the back window of our house! Yes, snow--but not much and it melted the following day. It was just beautiful and made me wish we had had just a bit more snow this year. According to the National Weather Service we haven't had a winter with this little snow (only about 14 inches all winter!) since 1931!

We often get one last snowfall in mid-March and this year was no exception.

 

I hope you enjoy this last half of March and that your spring flowers are soon popping up all over your yards. Our daffodils are about to burst open--perhaps next week which is about the earliest I remember seeing them. Thank you all for your kind comments and emails. I know I have a few emails to respond to--I just haven't been on my computer much since my husband's surgery. I'll try my best to catch up with all of you over the coming week! Take care, everyone. Bye for now...

♣ Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!♣


34 comments:

  1. I love your decorating! The PB cubby is so full of eye candy. And that darling pitcher from Goodwill!!!! I've learned to buy the cute things at thrift shops when I see them. I passed up a couple darling lamb figurines last week; and, of course, they were sold later that day. I try to limit my shopping to once a week, but sometimes it's tough; and seeing your haul is tempting me to run to the store today. lol

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  2. Your latest green stitches are all wonderful...my fave is Gathering Clover. I just finished Gatherng Honey...you will love it! Your cubby looks fabulous..you have some cute finds there.
    Hoping your hubby's follow up goes well and he can start the road to full recovery...it IS hard to keep a good man down.
    I am still in my jammies, but I will definitely be wearing the green today. We usually go out for dinner on St. Patricks day so my hubby can get some corned beef and cabbage, but our usual spot, Cracker Barrel, doesn't serve it anymore. I don't care for it, but we found a packaged meal at Wegmans and are going to cook that for his dinner.
    Have a great weekend!

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  3. That PB cubby is just perfect for your little stitches and all the green accessories..wow. You would have made a great elementary teacher:) Librarian is close second.
    I know it is hard to keep those men down. I hope he gets a good report today.
    The weather has been all over the place this year. It happens ever so often like that.

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  4. Each one of your green finishes is lovely, but my favorite is Gathering Clover. I love Misty's bird pieces. I have stitched two and plan on stitch the others down the road. I hope Tim gets a good report from his post-op appointment today. Happy St. Patrick's Day and have a wonderful weekend, Carol!

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  5. The cubby looks great Carol! Happy St. Patrick's Day! I am wearing my green. I am 1/8 Irish. I stitch a new Irish piece each year. I will bake Sharon's Irish Soda Bread this afternoon. Emerson is coming for dinner. We all love it.
    I hope Tim's checkup brings good news.

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  6. Happy St Patrick's Day Carol, I do hope your husband is mending well and soon back to his activities and you can truly relax with your needlework! Your cubby is fabulous and thank you for sharing the patterns with us. I was particularly taken with the plaid four leaf clover, such a clever idea. Well, happy stitching and how lovely to find you here on blogger. Teresa 🍀

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  7. Hi Carol - thank you so much for sharing your posting today. I so hope your husband is doing well and please let us know how his check up visit with the doctor goes today.
    Your St. Patrick’s Day stitching and your PB cubby are so wonderful! Each one is so much fun and so charming to see - you truly are very talented and creative - just beautiful!!
    I’m sure you are quite busy helping your husband but I hope you can find a little time to sneak in a little stitching time.
    Best wishes to both of you!
    Barb R. 🌸❣️

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  8. I love the embroidery of the tree of trees with the Leprechaun!!!
    do you have the pattern?
    I would love to embroider it
    The cubicle looks wonderful for Saint Patrick!! I hope you had a memorable day Hugs

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  9. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Hope the hubs check up goes well. He will feel so much better when the sling comes off.
    I was reading and my mouth dropped open at 56 ct. Wow, I haven't gotten past 18 ct yet. But I have a friend who does 40 ct and I love the small stitches. I treasure a small piece she gave me.
    Looking forward to seeing your Easter stitching.

    Marie

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  10. Lovely works. The second one with those birds is so pretty... I love it! The cubicle looks great for St. Patrick!

    I wish you a happy St. Patrick's Day!

    Rebeca

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  11. What a glorious St. Patrick's day cubicle display. You have such a talent for
    finishing and displaying, Carol. Hope your Beloved's check up goes well and
    that he can be restored to his active routine before long. Our temp is down
    to 20 this evening and continues through the weekend. Genuine Spring cannot arrive too soon. Thank you for that cute St. Patrick's greeting and an
    O'Houlihan hug to you, too.

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  12. Oh yes, the little guy with his giant clover is really cute, a great finsih.
    Oh my, on such fine fabric? Respect, I would probably not be able to see properly.
    And with your last finsih you did something very nice again. 3 wonderful stitches, great. And your Pottery Barn cubby looks amazing.
    happy st patricks day,
    Hugs Martina

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  13. Good luck to Hubby for his check up. I love your cubby with so many special items. I change my side board ornaments each month/occasion but I have never done a colour theme, something to think about 🤔

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  14. What a wonderful display, of the lovely month of March .
    Happy St Patricks day .
    Your stitching looks lovely and so cute I love all your new stitching and wonderful finishing .
    Hope your hubby is resting and on the mend .
    I think Spring is here at last I hope your Spring will be with you soon .
    With warmer days so you can both sit outside the best way to heal in mind and body.
    Enjoy your day and Hugs to you both June.















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  15. Que de belles réalisations pour la Saint Patrick. La décoration de votre casier est toujours aussi jolie.
    Votre mari est un patient impatient, comme souvent le sont les hommes. Mon mari est pareil. L'opération des épaules est délicate et cause des douleurs post-opératoire. Je le sais car un de nos voisins s'est fait opéré au début du mois de janvier. Il ne porte plus le bras en écharpe seulement depuis mi-février, ensuite il a commencé la rééducation avec un kinésithérapeute, l’amplitude de son bras est mieux mais pas encore revenue totalement. il va devoir se faire réopérer car les broches mises dans son épaule le gênent fortement. Il aura ensuite plus de facilité pour faire les exercices de rééducation.
    Le printemps arrive, le jardin s'éveille avec quelques jonquilles. Nous avions plein de crocus l'an passé dans le gazon et cette année un seul... Nous ne savons pas pourquoi, peut-être la sécheresse de l'été dernier...
    Amitiés de France,
    Christel

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  16. Oh Carol, your cubby looks awesome with all of the green.
    Very cute finishes, so perfect!
    I made Corned Beef & Cabbage for hubby, it's too salty & rich for me, so, I ate the carrots, potatoes & cabbage. :)
    That gift of food looks awesome, what a great idea for someone that is homebound.
    We've had a strange back & forth winter here in WI.
    Not a lot of snow, but the temps go up & down so much.
    It got down to 10 degrees last night!
    We live close to a Marsh, & a lot of ducks, geese, & other waterfowl have come back early, only to find that it got so cold. I hope they survive. :(
    We even saw some Robins, I hope they are safe.
    Positive thought for hubby's appointment.
    Marilyn

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  17. Happy St Paddy’s Day!
    As always, I come away from your blog with a list of charts to find! 🥰
    I don’t really have a lot of SPD stitches, but I will soon! And as always, your Pottery Barn cubby is top of inspiration for me. I hope to FINALLY have mine up this month, then I can start gathering and filling!
    Happy to hear hubby surgery went well and he is on slow path to recovery! Thank goodness he has you to slow him down!!
    We too have had a pair of bluebirds visit daily! Funny how they enjoy stealing a piece of kibble from the cat food! But they are beautiful little birds and we welcome them!
    Watching March Madness and stitching while doing so!! Oh, I’m going to be a first time grandmother in September!! So working on a welcome for the little one🥰
    Have a wonderful rest of March and as always, thank you for the inspiration! 🥰
    Susan 😊
    SLM2LLM@BELLSOUTH.NET

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  18. So many sweet and meaningful things in your PB cubby. I'm sure it all brings wonderful memories.

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  19. Hallo Carol,
    alle drei Finishes sind wunderschön. Mein Favourtit sind die Vögel.
    Dein Cubby Shelf ist richtig toll und bestimmt kommen nächstens Jahr noch ein Paar neue St. Patrick Day Stickereien dazu.
    Auf 56 ct. Leinen habe ich noch nicht gestickt, möchte es aber gern mal austesten.
    Ich wünsche deinem Mann Gute Besserung und gute Erholung nach der OP.
    Einen schönen Sonntag und liebe Grüße, Manuela

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  20. Love those designs, Clover is my favorite. But 56 count? I can't imagine! Yet so many handle it well. Congrats! Your cubby is wonderful.

    I hope your hubby tries his best to follow orders. Not easy! I always slipped my arm out for a small task and it's easy to overdo that risk. He should have a very good outcome and be ready for that garden in plenty of time.

    Bluebirds are here early this year. The golf courses have the boxes out and we will today. Mealy bugs are on my shopping list! Very bitter and windy today. But no ice!

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  21. A plaid clover - how clever. All the Irish cross stitch finishes says Happy Spring. I think I need a cubby. A stitching outlet is beneficial when one is a caregiver. Hopefully, the dr encouraged the patient to be patient. Nothing can be better than chicken soup and accompaniments for a thoughtful get-well gift. Lucky you to have a bluebird visit the feeder! Take care!

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  22. I love your cubby, its fantastic! Your leprechaun stitchery is so cute. Hope your husband continues to recover well.
    Jillxo

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  23. I hope your hubby got good news at the Doctor and that PT starts soon. It will give him a goal and hopefully tire him out a little. LOL! I can't remember what happened to cause the need for surgery. Some type of repetitive motion or injury? As always, thankful for cross stitch!!!

    Love your cubby and I'm really drawn to the plaid shamrock. So unusual!

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  24. Hi Carol. I love the all green…esp bc my husband & I were married on St.Patrick’s Day(22yrs ago)! What can you tell us about box#15…the sheep? So cute!!

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  25. Ohhh I love it all. The trio of new finishes is just adorable. I might just be forced to do that clover from Etsy. Adorable!!! My son is a red head so we know we are Irish. A family member looked it and no surprise we are quite a bit. Name like Elshire too haha.

    That cubby display just makes me scream every time. LOVE IT!!

    Glad to hear about hubby. Tell him sit still and heal.

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  26. Hello Carol: I did wear green on St. Patrick's Day, I am 1/3 Irish.
    Your Clover Of Clovers is a sweet design,
    I have never stitched on 56 count, the design and finish are beautiful, beautiful four leaf clover design and finish.
    It is good news about your husbands surgery, some men just cannot be kept down, when Mike had his shoulder done O had to almost tie him down he wanted to do everything.
    We still have almost three feet of snow on all our lawns warming this week hopefully the snow will start to melt.

    Have a great day

    Catherine

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  27. Happy belated St. Patrick's day to you Carol! I've been traveling during March so have been busy and we missed our usual St. Pat's cooking and festivities. I did make my father in laws Irish soda bread at the end of February and put it in the freezer for our return home.

    I love your PB cupboard and your new additions for March are so sweet. I can't believe you can see to sew on not only 40 ct, but 50 something too?? My word, I'm squinting and cross eyed just trying to imagine. You are very fortunate indeed. My stitching has taken a back seat this month literally...while I brought some with me, I only pulled it out a couple times in the car and got very little accomplished. I guess once home and back into the routine again....

    Hope your husband is healing well and everyday feels a bit better, and physical therapy goes well. It's hard to keep someone so active quiet, but, hopefully he will be enjoying more movement and activities soon enough...or certainly by late spring or early summer. Good luck to you too...it's not easy being the patient nurse, but I am sure your husband appreciates all you are doing.

    Take care, Kathy H.

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  28. Zero Irishness here! And green is possibly my least favourite colour but I can still admire your cubby and those cute clover finishes! I love the clever checkered design, it reminds me of the joke about buying tartan paint - did you stitch with tartan thread? LOL

    Hope your husband is able to be up and about soon, for both your sakes!

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  29. Sono felice che tuo marito stia meglio, vedrai che guarirà presto! Bellissimi i tuoi ricami per San Patrizio!

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  30. Hello Carol, hope your husband contineuos to recover well.
    Your PB cubby looks awesome, all beautifully diplayed.
    I love all your new finishes, such lovely greens you had chosen.
    Happy Spring❤️

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  31. I love the St. Patrick's display. I really like that plaid shamrock you stitched so of course I am going to have to go over and have a look at her designs later this evening. I hope that Tim had a good report from the surgeon and he is close to being able to do 'stuff' again. Does he read or do anything like that where he can just sit and be quiet? I bet he even has trouble sleeping. Poor Tim, it sucks when you are not used to being down with orders to do nothing! What a pretty bluebird! I have heard that they are a symbol of peace and hope coming soon so that is something to look forward to.

    Have a good weekend Carol.

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  32. So much cuteness in your St. Patrick's Day cubby. Great new additions to your collection too. The leprechaun is adorable. I hope your dear hubby is doing well and I wish him a very speedy recovery. I am sure it has been hard for him to get comfortable as well. Looking forward to seeing your April cubby decor. Hugs.

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  33. Love all the green in this post, Carol! Your St P's day stitching is just cute. Sorry to hear about your hubby. I am a terrible patient, impatient and I always try to do more than I should. So I bought the buffalo check shamrock pdf! St Patrick's Day is another day I'd like more display cross stitch. Sending thoughts of fast healing for your hubby, and more stitching for you! Take care!

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  34. There's not a lot happening for St Patrick's Day around here (except for in Irish Pubs, I'd assume) but I LOVE the decorations and ornaments with all the green and the clovers! Your new additions are so cute, especially the little leprachaun with his giant clover.
    Hope your husband is doing alright and hasn't driven you insane yet (I'm a little behind with blog reading as you can tell, so I'm sure there's another update waiting for me!)

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Hello! So glad you dropped in and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I truly appreciate each and every one...I'm happy to try to answer any questions you may have, but please make sure to include your email address so I can get back to you...

Hope you have a wonderful day!
Carol