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?
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| "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!
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| 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...
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| 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.
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| "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!
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| 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)
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| 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!
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| 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...
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| The snow began falling at dusk on Monday as our deer herd visited for their nightly supper (in other words--our lawn!). |
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| Tuesday morning dawned bright and sunny (for about an hour) and then the snow picked up again. |
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| Is there anything prettier than a fresh snowfall against a bright blue sky? |
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| You can see just how much snow fell from the depth on our patio table. |
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| Love this titmouse trying to crack a sunflower seed as he carefully balances on the edge of the bird feeder. |
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| 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...
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| ♣ Happy St. Patrick's Day! ♣ |
