February Smalls

February is coming to a close and hopefully winter won't be far behind! I've had enough of the ups and downs in temps this year which have played havoc with my sinuses. Spring can't come soon enough!
 I had hoped to stitch some Valentine pieces this month but after looking at my collection I decided that I had plenty and what I could really use was some small winter finishes. I managed to accomplish just the one but it's a cute one!
This is Merry Winter by Country Rustic Primitives.

I chose the year 1981 since that was the year of my first born's birth and it occurred in January. That was a Merry Winter indeed!

The second small I completed was a carry over from 2017. I had originally started to stitch it as a small pillow for a friend but found another design I liked better. This little stitch then fell to the side, half finished. I decided to pick it up and finish it off since it was a quick little piece. I have found a small storage box which I think will be just perfect for displaying this on. Until I get it completed I've laid the finished piece on top of the box so you get the idea. It will be a perfect fit when it's finished. This is Blackbird Designs Summer Stars, taken from their book, A Stitcher's Journey.

While visiting a friend last Sunday she pointed out the piece I had stitched for her several years ago. I knew that she had gotten it framed but I had never seen it since. It made me so happy to see it gracing her wall.
This is My Big Toe Designs Cast All Your Cares.

Today I will be sorting through my stash in search of a few new smalls to get started on in March. I always find something I'd forgotten that I had when I do this. I think I have too much stash, lol!

New moon rising

So April's new moon is rising and it's time to post my TUSAL for the past month. As you can see I've some orts in both my little jars. One is kept upstairs and one is kept in the family room downstairs. That way I have something handy to drop orts into at any time. Here is what they amounted to when their contents were added to my main jar.

There's definitely more colour showing up thanks to my Spring Quakers. Tonight will be the beginning of a new start which I hope to have pictures of shortly. It's a wedding gift for my cousin's daughter so I have to get moving on it.

I made sure that before I started the wedding piece I completed the other stitching which a friend had requested. If you remember, she requested something stitched by me to hang in her new home.

Cast All Your Cares is designed by My Big Toe Designs and is stitched on 32ct Lambswool Jobelan. The floss used was Weeks Dyes Works as was charted. I made sure to use a big enough piece of material so that she could use mats with the frame if she wants.

My new start is simply called Wedding Sampler designed by Lisa Cowell. I'm using another piece of Lambswool, this time 28 ct and I'm not using the gold leaf floss suggested. Instead I'm using the colour of the bridesmaids dresses which is tangerine. I had originally decided to go with a Silk 'N Colors floss called Orange Grove but I really think this one is more orange than tangerine so instead I'm using an overdye by Six Strand Sweets called Apricot. This one also has more variation in the floss.

I'll also be continuing with Sweet Little Berries this coming week. I should also have some pictures later in the week of my recent newly framed stitches which include Jardin Prive's Noel

Now I'm off to settle into my comfy stitching chair and watch The Tourist while I stitch. A little Johnny Depp can fire up anybody's night, right?