Hi There cloud friends! I hope 2018 is going well for you. Things are just so so here. The DH and I have come down with a nasty virus, lots of coughing, nose blowing, and feeling very tired in general. Nothing serious thank goodness but enough to keep us pretty much house bound! At least I can work on my stitching and reading !! I did want to share with you some photos of our yard. While much of the country is freezing, we are mild and rainy here. Our weather was marvelous over the Martin Luther Week-end with temps in the 60's and sunshine. Too bad we felt too ill to really enjoy it! I am once again working on the LHN "Early Americans." I had a temporary stop when I realized I did not have all my floss. That's what happens when you buy the fabric and floss months before you stitch the project. I was missing several colors and did not have enough of several others. How did I ever make such a stupid error!!! I know from years of stitching that when you are using over-dyed floss, you need to buy enough for the entire project!! We all know about dye lot problems. Well, 123 Stitch came to my rescue but I did have to spend quite a bit of money to get the floss all matching. I just put the ones that I did not have enough of into my stash and used the new matching floss for my project. A big lesson learned.
This is much prettier in normal light. This photo makes it look very faded. I finished Betsy last night and have started on block two, John Hancock.
The daffodils are coming.
These hellebores have been blooming since Christmas!
These will be blooming in February. They are a pretty shade of pink.
If you live in the Pacific NW you will learn to love moss and lichens.
These were both growing on the fence in my garden.
Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you all stay warm and healthy!!
That looks similar to the oak moss I used to buy in bulk for sachets. If I'm remembering correctly, very soft and light silver/white, intoxicating but soft fragrance. Hope you two get over the crud soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Barb! Only the first photo is coming through for me tonight and I do love this stitch. Glad you got the threads worked out. I know how frustrating that can be.
ReplyDeleteI will try again tomorrow to see if I can see the rest of your photos. RJ
Our garden is beginning to wake up, again today we have sunny blue skies but very cold. No snow thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteLovely stitching! So nice to see your new flowers blooming. There are flowers in my balcony too but my DD has taken so many pics that I need atleast two days to shortlist and then make a collage.
ReplyDeleteHi Bar, very nice your new stitching. My garden is also waking up wright now, can´t wait to see them blooming.
ReplyDeleteGreetings, Martina
Looks like you have a good start on Early Americans.
ReplyDeleteWow, flowers already, so pretty.
We still have freezing temps here.
I don't remember a Winter this cold, ever. Usually only a few days, but this is sticking around. :(
I hope you and hubby feel better soon.
Take care.
Marilyn
I learned the hard way about overdyed floss being so different in shading. I'm glad you got it sorted out before you started the project. Great start on the Early American series.
ReplyDeleteWinter in the East has been terrible. I can't imagine seeing daffodils in Jan! Love the lichens. I love taking photos of all the different varieties of mushrooms, your moss is so neat!
Your Early Americans piece is looking good. Sorry about the floss issues though! Your flowers along with the moss and lichens look super.
ReplyDeleteHi Barb! I think you must be one of the few locations in the U.S. that isn't seeing snow this year... 60 sounds so wonderful after our sub-zero temps. I am SO ready for spring... Love your pretty moss and your pretty stitching and how wonderful to see the daffodils shooting up!
ReplyDeleteI do hope you feel very better soon--so sorry you both got "it!" Take care now...
Barb, what a beautiful blog posting..thanks for sharing all your lovely plants just gorgeous ♥️ Your stitching is coming along nicely ...it has been the winter of bad flu bugs of all kinds! Hoping your feeling better soon, many blessings...
ReplyDeleteHi, Barb, you cheered me up with you photos of spring! Hope you and DH are feeling better soon. I came down with influenza A right before Christmas and am just getting over it! Hope that isn't what you two have. Melinda xxx
ReplyDeleteWe must have the same virus as you Barb. What a drag. blech. Early Americans is looking so good! So is your yard. Nothing but snow and ice here.
ReplyDeleteI love the Early Americans! Nice start! And thank you!!! for sharing pictures of things in bloom! No warm temperatures here. : ) Very sorry to hear you and your husband have been sick. Seems to be very bad this year -- once you get it, it just seems to hang on forever. Get well soon wishes for you both!
ReplyDeleteHoep you feel better soon. I had a flu shot in October and have been taking vitamin C and Zinc every day. We cut back all the old growth on our Hellebores and they look much the same as yours. We are so lucky to have a long extended spring show from Feb thru June here in the Pac NW. My witch hazels are blooming too.
ReplyDeleteHope you are both well on the mend Barb.
ReplyDeleteLovely stitching and great photos.You have more plants flowering than we do at the moment.The lichen is fascinating
I have known the problems with overdyed floss in the past, too but rarely ever stitch with them nowadays. But recently I discovered some differences with some of my DMC colours as well. Older skeins sometimes look different than newer ones. But that's not really a problem, I just have to be careful when there is some solid stitching on my piece.
ReplyDeleteYou made a nice start on your Early Americans.
Your garden looks so different than ours - here everything is still covered with snow. And you can already see the first flowers. That's wonderful.
I hope you could get rid of the nasty viruses by now and feel great again.
Barb, I hope you and hubby are feeling better by now. I get into trouble kitting projects and then needing to get into them to borrow a floss for another project I'm working on! Those are some interesting moss and lichens going on there!
ReplyDeleteHi Barb: Betsy Ross is very pretty, I am like you I always buy weeks or months before starting a project, except the automatic ship designs I get.
ReplyDeleteLove the flowers blooming, it has been cold here then warm now back to single digits this coming week, brrr.
I do love moss, it is delicate and pretty.
Blessings
Catherine
Betsy is so very pretty, Barb and how lovely to see early signs of Spring. I hope that you are both feeling better now.
ReplyDeleteHi Barb, Betsy turned out great! How lovely that you have flowers blooming. Hoping you and DH are feeling better now. Our weather has been bitterly cold then warm, then bitterly cold again. Typical for Illinois, lol.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're both feeling better by now, it's been a terrible time for getting sick!
ReplyDeleteBetsy looks great, in spite of the floss trouble.
I wish it would snow here, but I am looking forward to blooming flowers, lucky you!
I really like your new decorative designs! it's so beautiful so much and good idea on site.
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