Lace Traces~ Fourth Design & Other Blooms

Lace Traces~Vividly Violet

It took too long to finish this model.  But considering I had to stop mid-stitch twice to finish a couple of other projects for a magazine I am not going to be too tough on myself and be happy to see it turned out just the way I hoped it would.😊

It is my plan to use the four models from this series to create a wall hanging.  Though I've had more requests for submissions to magazines so it may take longer than planned to put them together.

'Vividly Violet' is for sale on my website and will soon be available through  Creative Poppy and Everything Cross Stitch

Life on Gracewood in May and June is usually busy but beautiful and this year with all the blessed rain everything is so green and lush it is hard to stop looking at it all!  Terry is busy putting our garden in place and already getting firewood for next winter, since this last really cold snowy one consumed last year's stock.

Here are a few photos to share this lovely time with you -

Spirea in all its bloom

Growing corn in fabric bags

Season's first pickler

Last snow left on Mount MolyB

Jasper is finally tired after his morning ball chasing

You may remember the special doe we named 'Baby' since she visited us on her own at a very early age?  Well Baby is getting ready to have her own baby as you can see.

May your June be as beautiful as ours has been!

5th Season & Vividly Violet Debuts!

MUD Season Arrives on Gracewood

Greetings from Gracewood as we slowly - and I mean v-e-r-y slowly - emerge from a memorably epic winter here in the inland northwest.  Record breaking snow and now equally epic rain is bringing us into what we call (rather unaffectionately) our 5th season, known as MUDDDDD! We've been under flood and landslide warnings for so long I don't remember what our accuweather page looks like without big red triangles saying 'warning'!!!

It is easy to know this season has finally fully arrived when you see the stack of towels at the back door with the wet mop next to it.  The towels are there of course, to wipe dog paws and yes even his big Chessy chest which somehow manages to pick up more mud than his feet.  And I'm going through so many microfiber wet mop pads it is really time to get more so I still have some available while the others are in the wash.

But, all this moisture is taking us further away from the drought that plagued us for a few years so I am still nothing but thankful for it, though the brief bit of sun we had today was glorious and a promise to the tomato seedlings warming under grow lights in the loft that indeed the day will come when they can actually go outside.  It really shows what optimists gardeners are that with temps in the 20's and snow still on the ground, we still break out the grow light stands and pop seeds into trays this many weeks ahead of our official last day of frost, which is May 15th - though we've had more than an inch of snow one May 27th!

In between cleaning dog paws and mopping floors I am happy to say I was able to design the 4th pattern in the Lace Traces series.  This one was a little more challenging since it needed to 'fit' with the first three patterns especially since they are going to go together in a wall hanging.

Here are the first three pinned to a fabric I'm contemplating using -

Lace Traces Collection

I decided to make the fourth pattern in shades of violet and at least for the moment I'm calling it Vividly Violet.

Lace Traces ~ Vividly Violet

I hope you'll find it appealing :)

Now I hear a scratch at the back door so it is time to do more battle with a very muddy but happy doggy.

Tussie-Mussie in April Just Cross Stitch Magazine

Even though it is still thoroughly winter on Gracewood (see photos at bottom of post) Just Cross Stitch's April edition is hitting the stands and will definitely put you in the mood for spring!

And the pattern for 'Tussie-Mussie' is on page 52.

My thanks to Just Cross Stitch for another very nice feature of one of my designs.

While it is still winter here, some of our four feet of snow is melting and this morning Jasper discovered that he has a new place to play -- on top of the barn!

Jasper discovers a new place to play!

It is hard to believe we'll be starting seeds inside soon, so I need to finish the ornament for this year's Christmas edition and get to work designing Traces of Lace 4.

Happy stitching!

Lace Traces~Bursts of Blue Stitched! January on Gracewood

How happy am I that I have finally been able to have no interruptions and have completed the model for Lace Traces~Bursts of Blue?  Answer, VERY! lol, this poor model had to be put down so many times so I could complete other deadlines but now it looks happily back at me and makes me realize the wait was worth it.  It is a beauty, if I do say so myself 😉

Lace Traces~Bursts of Blue

This pattern is now for sale on my Website

I hope to get the fourth design in this Lace Traces series started soon, though first I need to design another ornament for this year's Just Cross Stitch special Ornament edition.  Designing something that necessarily small is hard for me, so it will surely take some time.

In the meantime, as January's last day is here and another 8" of snow is forecast this weekend, I thought I'd share what a scenic wonder Gracewood can be wrapped in winter!  I love having four seasons and will joyfully plant tomatoes as soon as possible, but oh how I love our home snuggled in for winter!  Have a lovely February wherever you are!

One gate we won't be using for awhile.

Jasper thinks all weather is frisbee weather.

You may remember the young fawn who'd losts its mother that we were feeding last year?  Well thankfully, she is back and looking gorgeous.  She still comes right up to the back porch and licks her lips to let us know she is hungry, here she is with one of her favorites - a carrot.

Merry Christmas from Gracewood 2016

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas from Gracewood on this snowy Christmas Eve morning!

Christmas Eve Morning

We woke up to about a foot of freshly falling snow, which makes us in a most festive mood for this holiday weekend.  It is also our wedding anniversary 💕

It was so beautiful I had to venture out with the camera so here are some images I have to share.

Cheeky Squirrel Making Merry at the Bird Feeders - They LOVE Suet!

Caragana - The Chickadee's Favorite Perching Spot

I KNOW there is a ball in here

Passing Thrush Waiting it's Turn at the Feeders

Finally, it's MY Turn!

And it is great stitching weather too, the next in the Traces of Lace series, True Blue is coming along.

May it be great stitching weather where you are too!  And may it be a most blessed New Year for us all. 😊

New Free Pattern - 'Amazed'

Since my last two designs, 'Tussie-Mussie' and now 'Belfast' have been sold to Just Cross Stitch magazine, and it will be a good many months till those are published - 'Tussie-Mussie' in the May/June 2017 issue and 'Belfast' in a Fall 2017 issue - I wanted to make something immediately available to stitchers.

So if you click HERE you can download and print a pattern for free.  I've called the design 'Amazed'

'Amazed'

Inspired by an English garden maze, the hydrangeas in the center are surrounded by meandering paths.  The colors are three shades of forest green.   I hope you'll enjoy my version of a maze!

Belfast Model Finished, New Lace Traces Design & Autumn up Close

I can't believe it but the model for the newest design in the Vintage Textiles collection, Belfast, is finally stitched!

Vintage Textiles ~ Belfast

I am waiting to decide if this one goes on sale immediately or goes to a magazine and as soon as that decision is made I'll let you know.  This is a big pattern, 213 x 213 stitch count and I have to say it turned out better than I'd even hoped it would.  Stitched on Wichelt's Touch of Yellow aida cloth with a dark butter silk mori floss from Kreinik, it truly achieved what I was after, the look of a damask table linen.

It was not hard to stitch, it just took a while at it's size.  It is either going to be framed or made into a pillow, stay tuned :)

It is good to be able to begin the next model and that will be the third in the Lace Traces series that I am calling 'True Blue'.  Below you can see why!

Lace Traces ~ True Blue

The same size as the first two Lace Traces patterns, Shades of Jade and Spun Plum, I'm still hoping to make the series into a wall hanging when I add the fourth, which is yet to be designed.

And to show you another side to Autumn on Gracewood I took the camera out to snap some close up pics of some of the smaller signs Fall has arrived.  I came across these when I went out to refill the suet cakes at our bird feeders this morning.  They've been a busy place recently since we've had storm after storm come through this month that were remnants of  Pacific typhoons.  The birds lay low till the winds die down then it is rush hour traffic at the suet cakes!

Autumn leaf among the rocks

Catnip coloring for Fall

Mountains with swathes of tamaracks turning gold and the first snow on the mountain top.

The view was a bit overcast this morning so I can't show you how brilliant the view is in sunshine, but you can see how already it has begun to feel like winter isn't far away.

Hoping all is well with you in your part of the world and that stitching is near at hand :)