A Tender Year: April embroidery pattern is now available!
This design was stitched on Kona cotton (this time in colorway Bone) and wrapped around an inexpensive 5" x 7" (13cm x 18cm) stretched canvas. (If you'd like a tutorial on wrapping canvas with embroidery, please see this page.) It uses DMC floss. The pattern includes illustrations for all the stitches included, so if you are a beginner you should have no trouble. If you'd like to stitch along with the entire series, here are the January, February, and March patterns.
Thank you so much to every single person who purchased the March design last month. One hundred percent of all sales of that pattern in March was donated to the Ukrainian Bible Church here in Fairview, Oregon, to aid in their efforts to support displaced Ukrainians with food, shelter, and medical supplies. We were able to send checks totalling $360, and I hope that it helps in some small way, though the need is still so great. I know that all of us around the world have heavy hearts over what we have seen of this terrible war, and I continue to pray for peace and relief for all Ukrainians.
I wanted to list here my other patterns and kits that you may find pleasing for spring, in case you missed them in the past. Above is a cross-stitch design called Whan That Aprille, and it is probably my favorite thing I have ever designed. It is stitched on 32-count Wichelt linen with DMC floss.
The Spring Wreath kit is quick to stitch, and the kit comes with everything you need, including the instructions and designs as well as the fabric, floss, framing hoop, felt backing, and ribbon for hanging. I think it would make a perfect Mother's Day present, either in kit form or already stitched and ready to hang (if I do say so myself).
The Time of Flowers cross stitch kit is also stitched on 32-count Wichelt linen with DMC floss. I originally designed this in 2018 and it was reissued last year. It's my homage to the springtime woods of the Pacific Northwest and it makes me want to go find some sheep to visit sometime soon (anyone have any sheep nearby that want visitors? Let me know!).
I still also have kits left for my embroidered jewelry designs, called Flower and Frond. They include everything you need to make the five pieces of jewelry, including the chains, pictured here. This is so much fun to do, and quite detailed and fiddly, and I think you will be very proud to either wear of gift these finished pieces.
Blackberries and Heather-bells is a PDF pattern; the kits sold out long ago and were not reissued (nor will they be). This is an embroidery project done with DMC floss on Kona cotton that frames in the 6" hoop. It is done mostly with one ply of embroidery floss. It was part of the Secret Garden collection that I did several years ago. This was my inspiration post for that, and these items were what was included in the collection. That was really fun. I should do something like that again. I did find a great vintage clothes-drying rack at the antique mall over the weekend that makes me want to dye a lot of yarn so hopefully I'll get that done for sale sometime this spring or early summer. We don't have anywhere to dry yarn in the house so I need to wait until the weather warms up so I can do it outside.
Things of Spring is, alas, not available as a kit because the original fabric that I used is discontinued by the manufacturer (32-count evenweave linen from Wichelt in Provence Lavender, though you might be able to find it in fat quarters online, I don't know). It was done with DMC floss. I still love this one and think it could be equally effective on a pretty pink or darker purple.
And you might like this little guy, the Spring Ring pattern. It's done on 28-count linen with DMC floss and will fit into a 4" embroidery hoop to frame. Simple but with lots of color changes, so you'll be done quickly but it will hold your interest as you stitch the flower wreath. I recommend having several needles threaded with different colors and using them like crayons to do a few stitches here and there as you go around. Keep them all threaded.
Also, I made a black calico Scarborough Fair skirt last weekend in anticipation of warmer weather soon, and I thought you might like to make one. Maybe we should do a sew-along? I've never done one so I'd have to Google how to do that, but I would be up for it. This skirt is made entirely out of rectangles that you calculate based on your own custom measurements, so you can make it in any size up to a 44" waist (and you could go bigger than that if you want it a bit less full). If you haven't made one yet, give it a try. I have four or five of them and I wear them constantly throughout the summer. Keys, wallet, and phone in the pockets and boom, you're good to go.
I do have a new cross-stitch kit that I will be ready to launch next month. It's not seasonal for once so I've been kind of lax in getting it together, but I'll sneak you a preview in a bit and see what you think. It's small and sweet and a little bit silly. :) Thank you for being here and for your orders and please let me know if you have any questions! I am sorry I am late with this!
P.S.: By the way, the snow from yesterday is entirely melted and it's like it never even happened (except for many downed trees and crushed houses/cars), but now it's supposed to snow again tomorrow!
I came here to read your last post ( I've been waiting for a suitably peaceful point in my day to sit and read it!) and I find this one too, joy :o) I'm going to stop by your shop right after I've caught up!
Thank you for the beautiful compilation of your lovely designs. I have yet to purchase a kit...just feeling too overwhelmed with work and family and unfinished quilts and garment sewing. But I so appreciate the creativity and dedication that goes into these projects, I appreciate the glimpses and the joy it brings even just to look.
Maybe you already know these makers, but it feels like you might like them and so many gifted creators out there it is super easy to miss some. @purplesewingcloud makes such lovely garments! and I have learned so much from listening to the podcasts at love to sew.
Helena and Carolyn are fabulous and their guests are too! https://lovetosewpodcast.com/episodes-feed/.
A sew along would be fun and that skirt looks cute and not too intimadating. I will look through my stash and see what inspires me.
Please delete this useless comment once you've figured it out, but I wanted to note that the directions for stretching an embroidery over canvas assume wood thicker than thumbtacks, but the cheap canvases linked to do not appear to have wood and look to be thinner than thumbtacks are deep?
(I love your work, and your blog is a breath of fresh air! I was just confused by this and thought it might be good to ask.)
Your embroidery and cross stitch are impeccable. I always love your designs. And I must say that the staging of your photos is so creative and pretty. You are a true artist. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the beauty you bring to my life.
Love the April embroidery 🦋🌱☂️. I also love that sweet crocheted duck in the picture. Did you make this - is there a pattern?
I love the Tender Year series so much! Once I finish stitching the rest of Things of Fall and then all of Winter, Summer, & Spring I'll start on these. I especially love the bodice pattern piece on this one!
They’re too far away to visit, but if you want to see some darling sheep, check out Wing and a Prayer Farm on Instagram. Everything about Tammy and her farm is magical (you can watch some of her highlights to get caught up on lambing season).
I would love to do a sew along!
I read through Audrey's post again and my heart aches for you all. Oh the snow! And your new plants! I would love to do a sew-along. I always look at this skirt pattern but feel a bit intimidated due to my lack of proper sewing skills! I cannot tell you how much I love this blog. My life will be very empty if you ever decide to discontinue.
Yes please! I would love a sew along! I would also like to see a picture of your black calico skirt. I have very fond memories of a black calico skirt I made in 1981 in my Home Economics class in high school. It was a Gunne Sax knock off. I just purchased several yards of Sevenberry fabric by Kaufman from his Petite Garden line in black, it is crying out to be one of these skirts!
I am ready for a sew-a-long - please, please! I love your patterns and instructions are accurate and easily to follow!
That snow was crazy! We're above 500 feet (in Camas) and got a ton. I thought I was going to cry as I watched my budding lilac bush get buried under the snow. Hopefully it will recover.
Your April embroidery is just gorgeous!! One can also embroider that in a sweet little pillow or a skirt for a little girl. Very sweet!! I need to start the embroidery projects I got from you and have not done yet. May Spring be beautiful and happy for you and your family!!
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