Halfway through February already?

The days since December have flown past, full of celebration, snow, cold, appointments, meetings, marmalade-making, more snow, baking, writing, cold, visiting, everyday life - and of course stitching :)  

Cloister Garden

First of all, here's my Drawn Thread's Cloister Garden framed - the cut-out at the top was a surprise from my framer, and I love the way it adds to the design. 


It's now part of my sampler wall, although I may change its location as I add more to this wall throughout the coming year.  

Twigg Miniatures - "LT"

I've been participating in Nicola's Scarlet Letter challenge - so far, I've finished the small "over 2" sampler in The Twigg Miniatures.   The Sarah Twigg sampler (entirely "over 1") remains - I've  made a start, but it will be a while before I see a finish with it.  Here's the first one, known as "LT" - LT may perhaps have been Sarah's Twigg's younger sister.  

In October, I posted a photo of the first of the Tristan Brooks Christmas Sampler Trio that I'd finished, Goodwill to Men.  I've now completed the stitching in the second one, Peace on Earth - these are deceptively simple, but I found the eyelets and the queen stitches a real challenge.    Each time I work through this type of section, though, I learn more about how to improve my execution of the stitches, and gain a new appreciation for the sampler-stitching skills of the young girls of centuries past! 

Tristan Brooks Christmas Sampler Trio - Peace on Earth

Blackbird Designs' vintage-style "Tis the Season" was lovely to stitch and I look forward to having it on the wall for next Christmas.  I chose the wording in French, and changed one of the colours so that the words and snow would be more distinct on the muted hand-dyed linen.  Cardinals don't live in this part of the country, but as I grew up with them in our yard in Ontario, I like to remember them, especially at Christmas.  They still come regularly to visit my mother when she's outside on her patio there. 

Blackbird Designs Tis the Season

Currently I'm working on three pieces - a simple Victoria Sampler design, the second Twigg Miniature, and an Easter design from  Gracewood Stitches.  I'll add images of these when I have a little more to show.  

Besides stitching,  I'll be baking cookies and squares early in the week (for a funeral lunch) and more marmalade mid-week (the Seville Oranges are only in season for a short time)  -  hopefully the kitchen duties won't stretch into the evenings and I'll be able to see more progress in all of the handwork projects.  

Till later ......