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...  

Christmas Ornaments on Black

Hello, my stitching friends! I hope this post finds you doing well and enjoying the countdown to Christmas! First of all I want to thank you for your lovely (and always appreciated!) comments on my last post. I usually try to thank those of you who I have emails for, but I haven't been on my computer very much between trying to decorate, bake, and get my Christmas cards out. Why, I haven't even gotten Baby N's first Christmas ornament stitched yet! Hopefully, this weekend... On top of all that, I'm still struggling off and on with cold symptoms after an entire month. I did test for Covid and it was negative. It's the strangest thing--every other day, I seem to feel poorly and then the alternate days I have more energy and the cold symptoms are lessened. I went through this same thing last year in November/December and it's so frustrating! Anyway... I have been squeezing in time to stitch each evening and managed to finish my final two ornaments for the #12in25ornamentstitchalong that I host over on Instagram. 

For November, I stitched "Winter Rose Manor Pincushion" (which is part of the "Winter Rose Manor" chart) by With Thy Needle and Thread. It is stitched "over one" on 25 count black Lugana using all of the suggested threads, but one. I did change the cardinal's face to DMC 844 so it would show up better on the black. I also added (and rearranged) a few of the snowflakes.

"Winter Rose Manor Pincushion" 

I do love a round or oval finish, don't you? I added some handmade cording (using DMC ecru), a satin bow, and some pearl-headed pins around the perimeter. At the top, I simply glued a larger "pearl" that I had snipped from a Christmas floral pick. What do you think?

Don't you love that cardinal and the colors in this piece?

These sweet mice in "Plum Pudding" (also by With They Needle and Thread) had been squeaking at me for years to "Please, please stitch us!" This month, I finally took a deep breath, picked up my needle, and got started. And although it took a while, I love the final result of my December ornament. This one is also stitched "over one" on 25 count black Lugana, but I did change many of the threads. The green dress is done in DMC 3347 and the red in Colour & Cotton "Cherry Cobbler." I also made their wee shoes match the colors of their dresses (I think those mice have more of a fashion sense than I do, that's for sure :). 

"Plum Pudding" mice in the kitchen

 

To finish it into an ornament, I simply made it into a little pillow, surrounded it with green cording (and a very, very short hanger because I ran out of DMC 3347!), and added a polka-dot bow. This is definitely one of my all-time favorites. I love to bake (although I don't do it nearly as much as I did when my three sons were living here) and I plan on incorporating this ornament into a cute baking-themed display that I have planned for my kitchen. Stay tuned... 

My December ornament--hard to believe another year of ornament stitching has come to an end!

I think you can see from my final two 2026 ornaments, that my taste in Christmas decorations is very eclectic. I have to say, though, that the ornaments stitched on black are among my favorites. This year, they've taken over my Pottery Barn cubby for Christmas. Here are 24 others that might provide you with a bit of inspiration... As always, my mom's sweet silhouette graces the center cubby and she is surrounded by angels. I miss her so very much, but never more than at Christmas time...

My ornaments on black have taken over my Pottery Barn cubby for December

 

I took some close-up photos of the ornaments that you might enjoy. Do you have a favorite among these? I think mine is the one right above my mom with the two little angels holding five golden rings. I stitched it way back in 2012! "Five Golden Rings" was designed by Cottage Garden Samplings and is still available for sale.

This is my very favorite of my black ornaments--stitched 13 years ago!

 

 

Which ornament is your favorite?

One of the very first Christmas decorations to be put up each year is this wonderful hand-carved wooden Nativity set. My parents bought it in Italy and gave it to me when I was first married--almost 50 years ago. I still have the handwritten note that mom included when she sent it to me and I get a bit teary-eyed each year when I read it as I carefully unwrap each character and animal and place them in the stable. 

The workmanship in this wooden Nativity is gorgeous!  I bought the pretty red silk lamp shades this year on Amazon which really brighten the display in my kitchen.

Above the Nativity is the largest piece of cross stitch I've ever completed: "Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow." Oh, my--I still remember struggling to hold that giant piece of linen (since I don't use hoops or frames when I stitch). I did a block each month during 2010 on 32 ct. flax Belfast linen using most of the suggested DMC threads. If I was stitching it today, I would use 40 ct. because I just love stitching with one thread. I can hardly bear it if I have to use two threads these days! If you'd like to see a close-up of this huge piece, just click here. 

"Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow" gets a place of honor each year.

 

 

Gift-giving question? My little family of five has grown to ten now (with the addition of grandchildren and significant others) and I've been struggling with how to give gifts. The little grandsons are no problem at all. It's the adults--I just don't know what anyone wants (and it seems like none of us truly need anything). How do you handle gift-giving with adult children? Do you pick names, buy them each presents, give money, skip it altogether? I've come up with a plan for this year that I hope will be easier on me (since I am the prime gift buyer in the family :). I've asked each couple to give me three suggestions: 1) something they need for the home or garden, 2) a favorite restaurant so I can purchase a gift certificate, and 3) a membership or experience that we might give them (a zoo membership, tickets to a concert, etc.).  What do you think? Will this make my gift-giving easier? I'd seriously love to know what all of you with grown/married children do in your family! All suggestions are welcome :) 

First snow of the season... There is something so magical about that first snowfall, isn't there? I still remember waking up as a little girl, raising the shades, and gasping with wonder as a fresh white landscape greeted me outside my bedroom window. And, as an adult, I feel the same way! We got about three or four inches last week and it was that beautiful kind of snow that sticks to every twig and tree branch. Sadly, most of it has melted away now even though we've had extremely cold temperatures in southwestern Pennsylvania. I do hope we have a white Christmas this year--fingers crossed!

Our first snowfall of the season in early December.

 

The male Cardinal and little Tufted Titmouse enjoy a snack on a cold snowy day. 

The female Cardinal shares her perch with the tiny Chickadee

It's funny, I always think I don't have much to write about at the beginning of each blog post, and then they end up running on and on! I hope some of you are still with me at this point... What is on your agenda for the week ahead? I need to finish up some stitched gifts (including my youngest grandson's!), send out my cards (which I'm definitely cutting back on this year), and start my baking. It will be a busy, busy week, but I hope to just rest that final week before Christmas (famous last words!). Hope you each have a wonderful week ahead and will stop in for my annual "Parade of Ornaments" post next time. Take care now and thanks for popping in! Bye for now... 

Merry Christmas Eve, Eve!

Well, are you ready? I am, because our Christmas will be very simple and quiet this year. With my sons all visiting their significant others' families for Christmas, it will just be me and my husband. We have been invited to lunch on Christmas Day with my middle son's girlfriend's family (who live about 40 minutes away) so that will be a nice treat. I'm making the desserts for their lunch--a pumpkin roll and a flourless chocolate cake. I've made both before so, hopefully, all will go well when I attempt to bake them tomorrow! 

I've been wanting to take some photos of my tree, but the weather has not been cooperating! We got about four or five inches of snow over the weekend and my sunroom is so blindingly white from the reflection that it has made picture taking difficult. Not that I'm complaining! I'm thrilled to have snow and finally have a white Christmas after a string of green ones. Anyway... here are some photos--at night and during the day. Hope you enjoy my tree filled with over 200 cross stitched ornaments--lots of time and patience and love has gone into making each one.

Since we are going to be alone this year, I didn't get many of my decorations out. However, I did make sure to put up my cross stitch tree! Can't have those little beauties stuck in their under-the-bed box for another whole year without seeing the light of day, can I? It's a lot of work putting up even that one tree, but I've so enjoyed sitting in the evening with the fireplace lit and just relaxing by the glow of the tree.

Just look out the windows--can  you see all the snow covering the ground and the tree branches?

I just love the ornaments from the Little House Needleworks Hometown Series and need to get back to stitching them in 2025.

I grouped my sweet stitched angels together this year.

I scattered my many Prairie Schooler Santas throughout the tree, but a good bunch of them seems to be gathering in this spot!

As you can see, my ornament stitching is quite eclectic.

I need to stitch more tiny ornaments for the very top of the tree.

The view from our sunroom into the family room where we spend most of our time. My stitching chair is right behind that wicker basket on the right.

The view from our kitchen into the sunroom.

All is calm... all is bright

So, do you have snow where you are? For those of you who don't, I thought you'd enjoy a few photos to view from the warmth of your home. I really don't mind the snow at my age because I no longer have to venture out into the icy cold and treacherous roads for work. I actually enjoy sitting inside and watching it fall. 

The snow was coming down so quickly, we could barely see the house across the street!

This is the view out to our pond from one of the upstairs windows.

One of my favorite things about snow is how well the red cardinals show up against it. Can you also spot the more muted female cardinal in the upper left branch?

I just want to take a moment to thank all of you who visit my blog and leave such nice comments. I don't always have the time to thank each of you personally, but I so appreciate your support and friendship! Next month, I'll be entering my 17th year of blogging--can you believe it? Thoughts of stopping come and go more and more often as I age, but for now, I'm still hanging in there! Not sure if I'll be back until 2025, so, if not, I wish each of you a blessed Christmas and a new year filled with good health, happy times, and lots of stitching. Thank you again for being here! Bye for now...

Wishing each of you a peaceful Christmas!

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!♣