A Springy New Cyber Class!

Have I got a treat for all you stitchers that have taken my cyber classes in the past: 

a brand new, Springy cyber class piece that make you smile every time you look at it.... 

And it's called DAFFODIL TIME:

The idea for this fun design came as a surprise to me.  For all the years I've been teaching

FLEUR-DE-LIS with it's bright blue iris, it never occurred to me to design a companion

piece - until I was posting the iris photo on Instagram, and something about

the angle of the photo made me do a double-take and say to myself, "Hey, wouldn't

it be fun to create a daffodil design in the same layout?"

So I did!  And I had a lot of fun figuring out four different floral patterns 

that I could highlight around the center daffodil, creating little flowers

that sorta had a daffodil look to them.  And working with the bright Springtime colors

was definitely another perk - and much appreciated during the cold grey winter months!

Here's a close-up look at a few of the stitch patterns used in this piece:

DAFFODIL TIME is worked on my fav Santa Fe Sage Green 18 ct. canvas,

and it's finished size is a managable 8" x 8".  The thread palette is built around

Watercolours 297 - " Goldenrod" which has a cheerful mix of yellows, greens,

and a dash of blue.

 

So, if you LOVE daffodils (and honestly, who doesn't?),

  you might want to try your hand at stitching up this new Springtime piece.

(And I promise you that this is one daffodil that WON'T wilt, fall over in the rain,

or get eaten by bugs - and you'll enjoy looking at it all year long...)

Skip on over to my website and check out all the cyber class information....

Registration runs from now until April 30th, and the class starts in late May.

Springy Things

 

Are the flowers blooming where you live?

Does it get you in the mood to stitch some springy things??

One of my favorite spring pieces is LONG SPRING PANEL, which I originally stitched

in cool pinks and greens:

 

 

Then I loved this design so much I stitched it again in warm pinks and greens:

Both versions are yummy and I STILL can't decide which I like better!!

Then there is the fresh and airy SPRINGTIME BOUQUET, that reminds me

of a garden gazebo, covered in vines and climbing roses:

For a springy blue piece, I created this SPRING BOUQUET SAMPLER below, which is stitched 

on 24 ct. Congress Cloth with delicious Waterlilies 110 - "Hyacinth".  The stitched patterns

are a combination of "composite stitches" and "blackwork stitches" done in color.

The fun thing about this design is that it can be stitched in ANY color palette, if you first

choose a variegated Waterlilies thread you adore, then pick your solid colors to coordinate:

And for another light-filled springtime piece, here's BLUE RIBBON SAMPLER, 

which sneaks in a bit of hardanger amongst the blackwork flowers for a lovely lacy feel:

I stitched the above piece in blues and apricots - using variegated 

Wildflowers 147 - "Winter Sky",but again, 

you can change the colors in this piece just by choosing another variegated thread,

then matching the DMC #8 and #12 pearl cottons to it.

Just looking at these pieces creates the illusion of walking through a springtime garden, 

filled with colorful flowers waving in the soft breeze.  So if any of these pieces 

strike your fancy, please skip on over to my website and look under my

"SAMPLER COLLECTION" to peruse these and other springy designs! 

 

INDIAN SPRING is here!

Over the years, one of my most popular quilt designs has been INDIAN SUMMER, with its muted fall colors (using Watercolours 168 - "Rainforest") and complex star blocks:

INDIAN AUTUMN is another favorite, with more Southwestern/Indian blanket motifs, and using the same color palette as the previous INDIAN SUMMER design:

A year or two ago, I added INDIAN WINTER to the set (using a blue & brown color palette with Watercolours 279 - "Martinique", although it would be equally lovely in the same "Rainforest" colorway used in the other quilts):

And since then, I've had lots of queries from stitchers asking if I was going to do an INDIAN SPRING design to complete the four season set.  Of course I had always planned to do a spring design, once I could figure out a quilt design that
     1)  had an Southwestern/Indian blanket kind of motif in it;
     2)  had a floral look to it as well;
     3)  could evoke a springtime feel; and
     4)  would fit in with the other three designs in the series.
And that was harder to find that you can imagine...

But -- TA DA!  I finally found a quilt block that met all those requirements and once I had it partially graphed out, boy-oh-boy, I did some marathon stitching.  Here's what the new INDIAN SPRING quilt design looks like:

I just love how it turned out!  Especially since it hits all my design targets, PLUS I think it has a rather contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright look to it as well!  For a spring design, I wanted brighter colors, but not pastels...so I used Watercolours 093 - "Painted Desert" for the variegated thread, and picked a vibrant mix of pearl cottons from that.  [BTW: while the lower half of the dark green border looks like a different color, it's not - the stitches go in a different direction and the scanner reads it as a lighter color!]

And, again, although I stitched the model in spring-like colors, it would be equally impressive done in the fall "Rainforest" palette.... or how about a traditional Indian blanket color scheme of black/grey/red??  Something to think about, huh?

So if you're one of those stitchers who's been waiting to complete the Indian quilt series, now you can stitch up your INDIAN SPRING!!   Please gallop on over to my website for ordering information....

Old-Fashioned Quilts

I was doing some printing this week of older quilt designs and came across some favorites that evoke old-fashioned quilts that are softened and faded with time.  I pulled out a few of the models so I could look at them and reminisce about stitching them many years ago.  sigh... I still love these traditional quilt designs....

SAWTOOTH SAMPLER, originally stitched in soft pastels, but great for working from your stash:

I also stitched it in slightly BRIGHTER colors, and list those threads on the pattern as well:

Then there's FLOWER BASKET, a soothing geometric quilt, which I love for its scalloped borders:

And this is FLOWER GARDEN, which has a slightly stained glass look to it, I think, and looks good in lots of different spring color combinations... The first model I stitched in greens and pinks:

...then I stitched it again in cool greens and apricots (another yummy combination!):

Then there's GRANDMOTHER'S GARDEN, which has such a lovely old-fashioned feel to it
(and LOTS of little squares to stitch!!):

So if you're in a soft pastel, old-fashioned quilt kind of mood, please check out these quilts, along with many others, in my American Quilt Collection, over on my website....

Bunnies & Eggs For Your Easter Basket

Are you looking forward to celebrating Easter this weekend?

Do you have plenty of springtime projects to help you enjoy the season?

Here are some of my favorite Easter pieces that feature eggs and bunnies:

 SPRINGTIME QUILT

BARGELLO EGG

 EASTER EGG ORNAMENTS

 

my most recent SPRING SURPRISES

 

 DAISY O'HARE

 SPRINGTIME WREATH

 

 and last, but not least, HAPPY EASTER, HAPPY SPRING!

Enjoy your weekend, Stitchers!

Fresh Eggs!

 

Is there anything more satisfying that stitching on a springy project in the depths of winter?
Not much.... except maybe FINISHING a new project, so you can start another -- am I right, Stitchers?!?

Anyway, I've been happily stitching on a fun new quilt design that is a springtime companion to the HOLIDAY GIFTS quilt design I did around Christmas time.
  
 I've finally finished it, and it's called SPRING SURPRISES:

Oh, Yum!!  This was just plain fun to stitch, especially working with perky Watercolours 145 - "Carnival" - which I don't think I've ever used before. And then there are the four happy eggs.... they were lots of fun to design and stitch, using the simplest stitch patterns I could think of (there's not a lot of room on these eggs to use complicated stitches!)   Here's one of them up-close and personal:

Happy, happy stitching, I gotta tell you....
So if you're in need of a springy new project to boost your spirits in the midst of this rainy snowy season, please grab your flower basket and hop on over to my website to gather up some fresh eggs to create your own SPRING SURPRISES!

A Springy Cyber Class!

Deep in the dreary wintry days of rain and snow, it's nice to dream of spring.  With that in mind, I've chosen LILAC TIME as my next cyber class, to begin in March 2016.

It's a sweet 8" x 8" counted canvaswork design, done on santa fe green 18 ct. canvas.
The palette is based on yummy Watercolours 064 - "Pale Lilac" and has a nice range of different types of threads, with #5 pearl cottons, floss, a bit of floche, and metallic ribbons making up the rest of the thread palette.

The stitches are easy and fun, using a handful of soft pastel colors....

And you get to dream about sweetly scented lilacs while you stitch -- how nice is that?!?

So if you're in the mood to start thinking about springtime flowers, please snowshoe on over to my website for ordering information on LILAC TIME!

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.

Egging You On...

Are you getting into that springtime Eastery mood yet?
I think springy stitching projects are the best mood-lifters after a long grey winter,
and I'm always in the mood to work on something with soft spring colors,
 like this LONG SPRING PANEL:

  
But around Easter it's really fun to stitch up some eggs, like these 4.5" x 5.25"
 EASTER EGG ORNAMENTS:

And if you REALLY like Easter eggs, how about this large BARGELLO EGG:

Go visit my website and take your pick....
 then get to work stitching some Eastery surprises for your friends and family!
Happy Friday!

Spring is Busting Out All Over

Are you seeing signs of Spring in your neck of the woods? 

 Here in northern California everything is bursting with tender green leaves

And gardens are filled with lots of bright colors...

It's the right time of year to start a springy new project, that's for sure!

If your daffodils aren't blooming just yet, you can always stitch up a bouquet,

 with my classic DAFFODIL COLLAGE pattern:

 Or are you a tulip person?

Here's my softly pastel PINK TULIP COLLAGE:

If you crave something a little brighter, how about the SPRINGTIME RIBBONS piece, 

which features lots of fun flowers, bunnies, chicks and eggs:

Or brighter still, here's a vibrant HAPPY EASTER/HAPPY SPRING! project that's perfect for hanging in your entryway or making into a happy pillow (you can find the pattern under my American Quilt Collection):

Can you guess that Spring is my favorite season?? Anyway, over the years I have created many wonderful springtime projects that are sure to lift your spirits and get you into a happy stitching mood.  If you're craving a dose of sunshine, please visit my website to see these and other springtime designs!