Summer Birds: American Kestrel

Gorgeous bird alert! This is the American Kestrel, the smallest North American falcon. I've never been lucky enough to see one of these in the wild, but I am fascinated by how beautiful they are and by the way they hover while hunting. Of course I had to stitch one for my bird collection. This is from Crossed Wing Collection's Gone Birding, No. 32. I stitched him on 28 ct. Eek from PTP.

I guess the fabric choice is kinda unconventional, but I'm going for maximum color with this collection so I'm really steering away from neutrals. I am very happy with the way it's coming together.

Have no fear, Wilbur fans! He'll be back soon!

Happy Stitching!

A Weird Post with Bad Pictures: Sparkly Werewolves

The werewolves are sparkly.

I first noticed this when the girls would get into my lap while I was stitching and my stitching lamp would shine on them. The coppery fur on the tops of their heads sparkles. They have this color all over, but elsewhere it's just shiny. I've tried to photograph this many times, but I can't get decent pictures of it.

So I decided to just share the bad ones. Maybe you can see it.

Marigold

Butterfly 

Just wanted to share this important update. 😆

Enjoy your day!

The Birds Are Back!

 

Happy Spring, y'all! The birds are back! I have been looking forward to getting back to last year's Summer Birds project ever since I wrapped it up last fall. I don't have that many yet, but I wanted to display them anyway so I just filled in with little toadstools and nests and birds I already had. I'm delighted with how it turned out and am already working on new additions!

I also used my Nimble Birds WIP to fill the space (I really need to get going on that one).

Ready to go!

And my first Summer Birds finish for this year, from Loon Lake by Crossed Wing Collection, stitched on 28 ct. Twilight Mist Jobelan. 

Off and running! This display will stay out til the fall, so I've got all spring and summer to add to it. Can't wait!

If you want to know about any of the designs, click on the "birds" label for this post or in the right sidebar, and scroll til you find it. Most of these finishes are from last year.

Happy Stitching!

Wilbur Wednesday, Part 2

 

Second section of Wilbur's wings done! What a bright, cheerful little guy he is! I should have him finished soon and I'll share the link to the design.

Stay tuned for what I'll be working on next... I'm excited!

Wilbur Wednesday

 

First sections of Wilbur's wild wings are done, and two more to go. This is such a fun stitch! And I am really loving this fabric color. The more colors I stitch on it, the more I appreciate what a great neutral it is. If you're tired of using the same light neutrals over and over, give this one a try. 

32 ct Sandbar from Under the Sea Fabrics

Saturday Sampler: Full Color Edition

 

Meet Wilbur

 

Why am I stitching a bat? Short answer: Because he's adorable. Look at that toothy grin. Look at that little snout. And those giant ears. What a goofball. He makes me smile. 

Long answer: I've mentioned many times how much I enjoy stitching mandala or geometric style animals. I've done three foxes so far, and have another one ready to go; this is my first non-foxy critter. I have a few birds in my stash, as well. I find them so relaxing. Wilbur (I had to name him if I was going to be staring at that silly face while stitching his giant wings) is the first symmetrical design I've done, but they're all fairly similar, with bright colors in large-ish patches or regular patterns, which makes counting easy and stitching relatively quick. They're available in a variety of styles on Etsy by just searching for mandala or geometric or modern animal cross stitch patterns. 

This beautiful fabric is 32 ct. Sandbar by Under the Sea Fabrics. Such a unique color. It reads very neutral and it's hard to find darker neutrals.

Cheerful colors, a nice mix of soft and bright.

Stay tuned to see how Wilbur comes along. When I get him finished I may go ahead and stitch my fourth fox. Unless I get distracted by something else. I have my eye on a couple of Market designs!

Happy Stitching!

Werewolves Update: Fluffy, Snuggly, Very Round

 

Sometimes a picture perfectly captures personalities. 😂

January Kitty

 

Found what looks like is going to be a very cute monthly series, just starting in this Etsy shop. I probably won't stitch every month in this one, but I really liked the January kitty, so here she is. I stitched it as charted with the recommended DMC. I didn't have the blue glass treasures or the blue beads called for, so I just used a couple of buttons from my stash and Mill Hill beads #2009.

The February kitty is also available. Am I the only stitcher on the planet who doesn't stitch Valentine's Day? I think there are a few reasons. I'm not really a "heart" person. I don't have any in my decor and I don't think I've ever stitched just a heart. I'm also not a fan of pink and red together. And finally, my birthday is not long before Valentine's Day and I've always been more interested in that! So I'm skipping February kitty and we'll see what March looks like. If it's shamrocks and rainbows, I'll probably skip that one too. Who knows, I may only end up stitching the fall and winter kitties... which I'm sure wouldn't surprise y'all!

Happy Stitching!

A Winter Finish: First Snow

 

Ever find a design that seems like it was made for you? When I ran across this beautiful little winter scene in this Etsy shop, I actually gasped. These are my three favorite birds all together in one snowy design: Tufted Titmouse, Black Capped Chickadee, Dark Eyed Junco. Aren't they sweet?

I stitched this on 28 ct. Twilight Mist Jobelan (which I don't think is available anymore) with just a few changes to the recommended DMC. I used 3866 for the birds' tummies and Blanc for the snowflakes, for a bit more contrast between the two. I also toned down the greens a little, using 319 and 320. And I slightly altered the eyes to give them a more round appearance and added a tiny fleck of white for brightness. 

This is one of twelve designs in the Nature Walk series. There are a couple more I'd like to stitch at some point. Check them out if you're a nature lover looking for something different to stitch.

Hope y'all have enjoyed my impromptu mini week of winter. It's been a lovely weather week that has made me so happy and I wanted to share some of that spirit. I can't believe we still have some snow in shady spots, three days after the storm. What a rare and wonderful experience!

Happy Stitching!

Winter in the Sewing Room

I went all out with my winter display this year. I figured I could at least pretend it was cold and snowy... and then! Real cold and real snow! I spent Tuesday, the day the storm hit, stitching on a lovely little design called First Snow (which I started last week!) and watching it snow. Pure bliss. I'll have a finish to share tomorrow, if you'd like to come back and see it!