Calendar Collection's "February~Vintage Coverlet"

 Hello all!  It is a snowy December day here on Gracewood and I'm reaching for warm clothes, covers and cups of tea!  

The February entry in the Calendar Collection is Vintage Coverlet inspired by the colors and motifs of vintage fabrics.

February~Vintage Coverlet

I love the light and movement found in such textiles.

For sale at my Website 

Stitch count is 150 x 150 

Most of the stitches are cross stitch along with some 3/4 stitches.

May everyone who celebrates Christmas have a most blessed and Merry one and a Happy New Year to all!

New Design "January~Cozy Cabin"

 Hoping all of you and yours are doing well!

This will be a short post just introducing the latest pattern in the Calendar Collection and that is - "January~Cozy Cabin" 

It is for sale for $8.00 on my website  

January~Cozy Cabin

It has been a challenging year for all of us and I'm sure many have dreamed of a retreat to just have some peace and quiet and of course stitching time :)

While everybody doesn't have a place to escape to, all my life I've found my own 'retreats' in things like reading, stitching and watching things produced from great writing.  Just brought out my dvds of Anythony Trollope's gems.  Want a cozy night? Try stitching while watching the Pallisers series.  

Sending hopes you'll have a blessed Thanksgiving and lots of your own retreats.

Calendar Collection ~ May Design

 It took far longer than I'd hoped, but finally, I'm publishing the May entry in the Calendar Collection of patterns.

May~It's Raining Violets

Four shades of violet and stitch count of 170 x 176, Assisi style of stitching only the background.  It can also be stitched as needlepoint using a white or off white wool for violets and other vacant stitches.

May is such a beautiful month in our part of the world.  Usually wet and very green it is the time so many wild violets cover the floor of the forest.  

 And while the design is definitely for Spring, it is the first day of October and Fall fills the air.

Fall in the Selkirk Range of the Rocky Mountains

We've had our first heavy frost though we're now in a few days of 'Indian Summer' with warm days and chilly nights.  Definitely time for fall chores like firewood for winter.

Terry had one big chore for summer and that was building a new carport.  He did a craftsman like job on it too!

Have a lovely October wherever you are!

Still Here!!!

I can't believe the last time I posted was in February!!  And I can't let it be July before I post again, so here on June 30th, though I have no new design to share, I wanted to say hello and that indeed I am still here on glorious Gracewood ~

Why no new design?  Because I'm still having a very bad crash of ME/CFS as well as Fibromyalgia that has included such severe rib cage inflammation and pain - Costochondritis - that I can't hold anything in front of me so stitching is only a memory at the moment :(

'Eden' climbing rose and mad Honeysuckle

I'm also experiencing vision problems that these illnesses can bring with them, so I'm pretty much limited to ... well not much..lol

If nothing else it is all making me realize how much I love doing it and how much I miss it!

Knowing what all the world has been enduring I know I am not the only one 'confined' at home and I hope all of you are as well as you can be and using the time to do lots of stitching!  Hopefully you'll stitch lots of Christmas gifts!

Morning raindrops on cabbage leaves

Lots of mints that grow like this even when harvested daily

Heirloom May Queen butter crunch lettuce

Another heirloom lettuce - Merveille sooo buttery!

My dear dh, Terry, is not only taking care of all the things I can't do inside the house but has also planted a beautiful garden that is going great guns!  I'm so blessed to have him!

Please all stay well and remember all we have to be thankful for!

Hoping it won't be as long till next post and next design :)

Not One but TWO New Designs

How did this happen?  Not one but two new designs?

It happened because after trying my best to recover from the latest crash I experienced with both Fibromyalgia as well as ME/CFS I've come to the realization that sitting and stitching for any length of time is probably not going to be something I'm able to do any time soon. 

Up to this time I haven't released patterns until the model was stitched.  However, after talking with publishers who assured me it wasn't necessary I've decided to go ahead and publish new patterns as they are created. 

So, I've completed two designs recently, one is the next month in the Calendar Collection - and I've begun going in the opposite direction now, June to January - and I also took an older pattern, 'One May Night', and converted it to an assisi style. 

First up - 'June~Roses & Hydrangeas' which was inspired not only by the beautiful flowers that are brightly blossoming here in June, but by a vintage table runner type of textile.

'June~Roses & Hydrangeas'

The pattern is stitched with a background of squares in close shades of green.

The second design is 'Moonlit Garden', the older One May Night made into Assisi style.

'Moonlit Garden'

 As you can see, roses & hydrangeas are the 'theme' this month, maybe the big piles of snow still outside the window is making me dream of such things? lol

Gracewood in February

'June~Roses & Hydrangeas' is available on my website Here and
'Moonlit Garden' is available Here

Both are available on ICG's Everything Cross Stitch Here

There will be a brief delay in Creative Poppy's listing but should be listed there soon.

How I hope all of you are well and making some 'artful' stitches!