This year our Guild was presented with a "Heart Challenge", a gentle invitation to stitch any design that incorporates at least one heart. From what I hear, members have been having a good time with this, stitching without any pressure but with a common goal and with kind thoughts in mind. I chose to stitch "Heart Collector" by one of my favourite designers, Jeannette Douglas - it's a small band sampler using at least a dozen specialty stitches. The colours are luscious and it was such a pleasure to pick this up each day in the short dark days of January and add another heart to the assortment. I'll have more stitching photos next time, but this time, here's a collection of figurines that I received many years ago - I have the supplies on hand now to stitch a reproduction sampler incorporating the same theme of the Flight Into Egypt - most appropriate at this time of Epiphany in the church year calendar.
And here's some recent stitching after all - By the Bay's Winter Hill. The sheltering tree on the hillside and the rabbit leaping through the snow reminds me of our own backyard.
And finally, a reminder of one of the pleasures of cold midwinter evenings - candles on a dinner table - a pool of warmth and glowing light when it's -30 outside ......
