Friday Flowers: Azaleas

Azaleas!  It's all about the azaleas this weekend of The Masters in Augusta!

I've been busy running errands, plus printing and mailing lots of my new 

SPRINGTIME WREATH pattern this week.... all in hopes of clearing my desk

and looking forward to a Masters Marathon, watching tv and stitching this weekend. 

But seeing those luscious pink flowers reminded me to pull out my AZALEA COLLAGE
and hang it in my hallway, to enjoy my stitched version of these elegant flowers.

 

Well, YUM,,, Love, love, love these springy pinks and greens!

What better way to enjoy these bright blooms than to stitch them so they never fade;

that's my way of thinking, anyway.

 

But for one of this weekend's projects, I'm gonna finish up my small "R is for Rabbit" piece,

from Prairie Schooler's Alphabet (oooh, and it's got  more pink & green, imagine that):

 

 

I'm stitching this 4" x 6" cross-stitch design on eggshell 18 ct. mono canvas, using 

4 ply of DMC floss in plain ol' Tent Stitch.  Easy peasy, really, and something

I find very tranquil to do in-between other large, complex projects.

I'm almost done.... so I'll certainly be hopping over to another project in my stack.

 

HAPPY FRIDAY, STITCHERS and

hope you have a restful and stitchful weekend, too!

 

Egg-cell-ent New Wreath!

Oh, all you Springtime Lovers.... have I got a new pattern for you!

It's my new SPRINGTIME WREATH, that is filled with all the happiest things of Spring --

pastel flowers, decorated eggs, and a soft chick and bunny.

There's so much going on with this wreath, that it's hard to take it all in, isn't it?  

When I started stitching it up, I began counting out from the center point,

working the velvet ribbons and bow first; then adding all the eggs, doing them one by one. 

 The bunny and chick came next (done in touchable-softBella Lusso merino wool);

 then I wove the small basket and filled it with plump eggs.  

Adding lots of pastel flowers came next - 

daffodils, pansies, open tulips, and tiny pink blossoms were fitted between all the larger items

 on the wreath.  I selected a variegated ThreadworX #5 pearl thread for the wreath foliage, 

that is worked in an easy Pavilion Diamond variation to fill the background 

behind all the wreath items.  

After everything was stitched, I finished my wreath by adding a handful of beads (included with the pattern).  I also went back and outlined each egg with a simple Stem Stitch, using the softly variegated ThreadworX, to make each egg stand out a bit from the wreath greenery.

Like any stitchery project,

 if you break down this SPRINGTIME WREATH into manageable steps, and 

focus on each step at a time, it really isn't so difficult.... and as the piece begins to take shape

right before your eyes, you can celebrate the process (as well as the joys of spring) -- 

and take pride in creating something that you'll enjoy displaying every year!  

So if you're up for a new wreath to display in your house, please hop on over 

to my website and see the thread list and other information for ordering

this new SPRINGTIME WREATH.