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...  

Spring, please come soon!!

The middle of February already! How did that happen? I always look forward to this short month of February as I feel that the worst of winter is over. And what a winter it's been here in the East! I can't remember having snow on the ground continuously (for most of January and February) in a long, long time. Thankfully, our deep freeze seems to be waning--it will be in the 40s this weekend. I know, I know... for those of you in the South or in California, you are thinking that still sounds quite cold. But... after weeks of not coming anywhere near the freezing point, 40° sounds darn good to us! 

So, what has been keeping me busy since I definitely avoid going outside at all costs? Well, three things--reading/listening to a couple of good books, stitching (of course), and spending way too much time browsing online looking for a mother-of-the-groom dress for my youngest son's wedding in June. Oh, boy... what a process! I've already tried on 7 dresses and my petite stature is not doing me any favors when it comes to long gowns. They are just overwhelming/swimming on me! They do make a few petite dresses, but none that I've really liked. Thankfully, both Macy's and Nordstrom offer free shipping for the dresses and then I can return them at my local stores so that is very helpful. It's just an extremely frustrating process. At age 71, I'm truly feeling like the grandmother of the groom rather than the mother. Sigh... I may have one possibility, though, so I'll be taking that dress into Nordstrom to see if alterations can easily be made. Any advice for mother of the bride/groom dress shopping? All suggestions are welcome! 

Anyway, back to my stitching... I've managed to stitch and finish my ornaments for January and February and both just happen to be Prairie Schooler designs. The first one is from the "Old World Santas" (Bk. No. 80) chart and is stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen. I changed the colors a bit and eliminated the base that Santa was standing on.

A new "Old World Santa" finish for January

As you can see, I wanted to make this an oval finish so I added lots of Smyrna-stitched snowflakes surrounding Santa. I then used handmade cording (DMC 221 to match Santa's robe) and a burgundy checked ribbon to embellish the top. 

Oval and round finishes are my favorites. 

If this finish looks familiar it's because this is the fourth Santa in this series that I've finished the same way. Love seeing them all together! There are four more in this chart, but I only have enough gingham ribbon to finish one more. Of course, I can always change it up... we'll see!

Such a handsome quartet! Do you have a favorite? Mine is the Santa with the walking stick and the little bird (on the far left).

February's ornament brought this cute galloping deer carrying Santa and his bag of toys. This is from the "Santa Rides" (Bk. no. 47) chart.  I rarely change colors in Prairie Schooler designs, but I did this time. I used DMC 610 (rather than the charted 844) for the deer so he would resemble the local deer that visit our backyard. I also changed the color of the motifs surrounding the deer, to white. They were charted as a sort of pale yellow color (DMC 3046) and I just didn't care for that look.  

Another Prairie Schooler Santa finish for February

To finish it, I created a simple pillow ornament bordered by green cording with just a touch of green ric-rac peeking out between the (40 ct. raw natural Newcastle) linen and the accent fabric.

"Santa Rides" his deer with some color changes

I tried something new to hang the rusty bells from the right side... I took three strands of DMC and braided them to create hangers for the bells and I love the look! Will definitely be doing this again. Here's a close-up for you...

To hang the bells, I simply braided some strands of DMC floss.

So, one-sixth of the 2026 ornaments are finished--ha ha! One-sixth sounds so much more impressive than 2 out of 12, doesn't it? On to March--time to select a new chart! I have an huge folder of ornament charts that I love browsing through to find my next project. 

Two down--ten to go for 2026!

 

So, do you celebrate Valentine's Day? I think this is the first year in a long time that I didn't stitch a single thing for the holiday. But, I did do a bit of decorating in the corner of my kitchen. These are my "mostly red" ornaments, the  "mostly pink" ones never saw the light of day this year, I'm sorry to say... They're still buried in a dresser drawer and, at this point, they'll just have to be patient and wait another year! I bought the sweet felted mice on Amazon and thought they made a perfect addition to my tiered tray display this year. If you have any questions about the stitched pieces, just let me know... I was too lazy to link them to previous posts this time :) 

Such a bright, happy corner of my kitchen!

 

I love the sweet white mouse couple carrying the fuzzy red heart!

Sending all of you a little L-O-V-E today! Aren't their little gold bow ties and hairbows adorable?

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

 

"V is For Valentine" (by Heartstring Samplery) hanging on the wall is one of my favorites!

Giveaway time... I received a wonderful package of birthday gifts from my friend, April, in Virginia, a couple weeks ago. In the package she thoughtfully included some small-sized charts that she said I could use for giveaways. Wasn't that sweet? So, why not start today? The first one I'm offering is just perfect for this time of year and is called "Spring Delivery" by With Thy Needle and Thread. Would you like to be entered into the drawing to win this darling chart? If so, please leave me a comment below with the answer to the question: "What is your favorite fabric to stitch on and why?" I think you all know mine: 40 ct. Newcastle linen! I love the feel of it, the weight, the muted colors. I don't like fabric to distract from the design itself which is why I often use basic colors like white, ivory, gray, or various shades of brown. But, the primary reason I love it is because I am able to stitch with just one thread--so much easier, in my opinion!  If you do want to be entered to win this chart, please make sure to include you email address (if I don't already have it). And thank you again to my generous friend, April--your charts will be much appreciated by the lucky winner of the one below and those offered in the future!

I'm giving away this sweet chart by With Thy Needle and Thread. If you would like to be entered into the drawing, please follow the guidelines above. I'll post the winner on my next post.

I'll leave you with some wintry photos...hope to have sunnier spring photos the next time I post. Thank you, as always, for taking the time to read my little blog and say "hello" in your comments--I truly appreciate each of you! Happy Valentine's Day to all who celebrate and I hope everyone enjoys the rest of this short month. Take care all! Bye for now... 

It's been such a cold year that even the deer have become frequent visitors to our bird feeders. Isn't this buck magnificent?! We usually only spot female deer so seeing this handsome guy was quite a treat.

 

No, my little grandson wasn't running around in the snow. These are all deer tracks shown in this night time photo! We call it our deer superhighway :) 

With the sunshine comes melting icicles. Can you spot the tiny water drop falling from the middle icicle hanging just outside our bedroom window? Spring is coming soon (hopefully)!  

♥ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL OF MY STITCHING FRIENDS! ♥

A new year begins...

The morning dawned bright and sunny on January 1st, 2026--a beautiful start to this new year. We received a fresh coating of snow on New Year's Eve and the shimmering brilliance outside was almost overwhelming (but very welcome) after a week of gray, dreary rainy days. It was a nice way to start the month and the sunshine encouraged me to begin packing away Christmas for another year. My tree will remain for another week or two--after working so hard on all those ornaments, it's hard for me to take it down. I've been concentrating on one room each day, carefully wrapping and packing away all the decorations in their boxes and bags to rest in the attic for the next eleven months. 

Yesterday, I took a little break from "undecorating" and spent some time creating a new display for my kitchen counter. This one will stay up through January and is perfect for what is, typically, a frigid, snowy month here in western Pennsylvania.  I love this corner so much and don't understand why I had left it fairly bare (other than a stack of blue plates) for the past 30 years. Yes, 30 years ago this year, we remodeled and added on to our home--hard to believe! My sons were just 13, 10, and 7 at the time and we lived in our house (along with our huge 20-pound black cat, Shadow) for the entire nine months it took to remodel. It was a crazy year, but we were rewarded with a larger, more livable home. After 30 years, it definitely needs some updating again, but that will come slowly.

This is the snowy display I came up with for January filled with smiling snowmen, icy looking stitching, and even a miniature tree... If you click on the names of each piece (underneath the photos) you'll be taken to my post on that particular finish.

My kitchen corner display for January

 

The stitched pieces on the top shelf are: JBW Designs "French Country Snowflake" and "Inverno" by Renato Parolin.

On the lower portion of the tiered tray are "Snow Sampler" by Country Cottage Needleworks (on black in the back left), "Heartstruck Friends" by Midnight Stitching (in the back middle), and "Snowmen" by Country Cottage Needleworks (on the right). Sitting in front of the tiered tray are: JBW's "French Country Snowman" and "A Year in Chalk: January" by Hands On Design 

 

To the left of the tiered tray, I added a miniature tree (just 12 inches high) with some white lights and tiny glass snowman head ornaments. The little snowmen ornaments mean so much to me... You see, I bought a set years ago and as time passed, they shattered one by one. I was left with only a couple when, unbeknownst to me, my middle son found an (almost) complete set of them on eBay and gave them to me for Christmas a few years ago. They will always remind me of him and his very thoughtful gift! They have the cutest little faces, don't they? 

To the right of the tray is the framed finish of  "A Country Winter" by Plum Street Samplers. I just love this peaceful stitched scene with the lovely white barn, and that snowman proudly showing off his pretty red and white quilt.

 

Lots of blue and white brighten up a normally dreary, long January in my kitchen.

 

Over on Instagram the yearly #12in26ornamentstitchalong has begun! This is the sixth annual stitch-along that I've hosted and I love seeing just how many people join in each year. People from all over the world are now stitching an ornament a month and sharing them with each other online. If you'd like to join the fun, all you have to do is post a photo of your finished ornament on Instagram each month using the above hashtag so everyone can see it. Hope to see you there! 

So, how was your Christmas? As you read in my last post, that nasty flu bug interrupted our family get together and my youngest son and his fiancée didn't make it. To say I was disappointed was an understatement--we have not all been together since July 2025. We hope to see them later this month for a late mini-Christmas (which is one reason I'm keeping my tree up a bit longer). Thankfully, Baby N (7 1/2 months) and Mister B (almost 5 1/2 years) were both here with their mom and dad for nearly a week. The baby came down with a bad cold  a few days after Christmas, but neither my husband or I have caught it. It was such a delight having them here along with my middle son and his girlfriend. There's just something about having little children around which makes Christmas morning extra special, isn't there? 

We still enjoyed ourselves, eating way too much (of course!), building a gingerbread house, having a birthday party for Mister B's stuffed panda (who turned 7 according to B), watching movies, and playing games. There was just an empty space in our hearts without our missing son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Luckily, the little ones kept us very busy and took our minds off our youngest and his fiancée. Baby N is almost crawling--kind of pivoting and rolling to wherever he wants to go. He's such a smiley, happy little soul! As is his big brother--what a blessing they are in our lives...

The stockings were hung (and no, I didn't make them--they were all purchased from Land's End or LL Bean and I've blurred the names for privacy). Mister B and Baby N smiling for the camera right before going up to bed on Christmas Eve. They had just placed a plate of cookies (just visible in the lower left) along with a carrot or two for the reindeer, on the fireplace hearth for Santa. And, finally, Mister B working on decorating a gingerbread house a few days after Christmas (I think more of the frosting ended up in his tummy than on the house and he got a bit sick to his stomach later that day). 

 

Nonna Carol showing Santa Baby N some of her favorite ornaments on Christmas night.

  

I made eight kinds of cookies this year and gave some of the goodies to friends  (along with some Pumpkin-Cranberry bread). Everyone seemed to enjoy them!

Gift giving update... I was very pleased with how easy it was to give gifts this year for my adult children. If you remember from a previous post, I had asked each couple to suggest 1) something they would like for their homes, 2) the name of a favorite restaurant, and 3) an experience or membership that they'd like to do together. I used to buy five or so gifts for each of the six adults (amounting to 30 gifts!) which took a lot of time to buy and wrap. This way, I only had to purchase 9 gifts in total and most of them could be done online and popped in simple gift bags. The requested items ranged from bath sheets to car mats to a co-op gift card to a couple's massage to pizza/ice cream night to an evening (or two) at the movies complete with snacks. I definitely will be taking this approach in the future! 

I received some lovely stitched gifts from four blogging/Instagram friends this year which I truly appreciate! I sent a few gifts out, as well, but I'll share those with you in my next post...

From Cindy C. in Virginia (an Instagram friend) came this joyful ornament. I love the simple beauty and message of it... Thank you so much, Cindy--it is lovely!  

 

From my friend, Robin (in Virginia), came this jolly snowman tag ornament. I love it, Robin, and really need to make those cute tag ornaments soon! Thank you so very much! 

All the way from jolly old England came this adorable stitched snowman card, Prairie Schooler Santa chart, and pretty Christmas ribbon. Thank you so much, dear June--you are so sweet!

From my friend, Vickie in Wisconsin, came this darling Advent Calendar ornament. Stitched over one, it is so tiny and delicate. Thank you, Vickie--I will treasure it this beauty!

  

And from my friend, Stasi in Virginia, came this exquisite needlebook. Such tiny, precise needlework--and she chose to stitch it because she knew how special cardinals are to me. I'm using it every day, Stasi--it is truly special! Thank you!

And thank you to those of you who sent me cards this year, too--I do love receiving a nice old-fashioned Christmas card! Thanks so much to Marilyn F, Tricia B, Cindy D, Theresa B, Barb R, and Rita H... I really appreciate your thoughtfulness!

I guess I'd better sign off now... My husband is having his right shoulder replaced in the morning and we both need to get some sleep. He's a bit anxious about it, but we are both hopeful that it will go as smoothly as his left shoulder replacement went three years ago. Thank you all for your kind comments on my tree and your Christmas wishes--such a wonderful community we have here and on Instagram. We are so lucky to have chosen this wonderful hobby of ours, aren't we? Wishing you each a new year filled with peace and happiness, love and laughter! 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...