Another Butterfly Free Pattern

I had promised this buttefly months ago. I stitched her brother back in February and shared pictures and the pattern. If I don't stitch things the moment I'm finished designing them they tend to get lost in the shuffle. That's what happened to this little lady. I had planned on stitching her with GA Picnic Basket and GA Roasted Marshmallow (like her brother) but use a peach thread rather than the teal. I never even got so far as to pick the thread color :)

In the way of an apology for having made you wait so long I've also included the border that was meant to go with the butterflies with perhaps a name or the date inside. All three patterns can be used together or seperate but at least someone will get to stitch them since I can't seem to find the time. All three patterns can be found on my Free Patterns page. Enjoy!!!


xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Happy Easter

It's cloudy and raining here but still a joyful Easter Sunday. We moved our Easter Egg hunt indoors this year. I even hid an Easter Egg in with the real eggs in the fridge, but my children are too clever. Mina enjoyed rolling her plastic eggs around the floor but oh the joy when one popped open and she discovered what was hiding inside. Those little pastel M&M's disappeared quite quickly.

Despite it being rainy it was up to 85 degrees here come the early afternoon. Suddenly that roast with potatoes and steamed vegetables didn't sound as good as it did earlier in the week. Instead Emma took over cooking and we had a picnic on the living room floor. We sliced the roast to make sandwiches, had pickles and potato chips with sliced strawberries and blueberries for dessert. Perhaps not a traditional holiday feast but it was wonderful.

I hope the Easter Bunny brought you something nice as nice as the memories I got!!!

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

I've never been good with names and dates . . .

I know it's been awhile since I posted; it's just such a busy time of year. My stitching has suffered as well. I find I have less and less time to stitch as Spring approaches and once Summer comes I practically stop all together.

I have been neglectful of my Free Patterns as well. I have every intention of stitching some up to post here but . . . I've decided that after Easter I'm just going to start posting them and let you ladies do the stitching for me :)

I have been stitching on the sampler I showed in my last post and it's coming along well. Forgive the condition. I stitch in hand so the whole peice is rolled and wrinkled and refused to lay flat for the picture. I promise, I will iron it. There is one part of the design I've been avoiding. I could use some help if you ladies wouldn't mind. Please please please please . . .

When stitching antique inspired samplers do you prefer to stitch your own name and the actual date or do you prefer a fictitous name with a date more appropriate for the style of the sampler? I just can't decide. I like the idea of a sampler I stitch being passed down through the years, in which case having my own name and the date it was stitched is important. However, I do love samplers that evoke a time gone by and a piece stitched to look aged and worn with a modern date and a more contemporary name (say for example Jennifer) can sometimes ruin that effect. I suppose I can always attach my own information to the back of the frame. I just can't seem to decide which to choose for this sampler.

There is a version of the design that simply has an alphabet which is lovely and a good way to avoid the issue all together. I've intentionally slowed my pace stitching the sampler because I'm almost done with the motifs and am still undecided on this. I figured if I could get some opinions on other people's preferences it might help me clarify mine better. It's highly unlikely I'll put my own name on the sampler (did I mention I've never felt my name suited me and rather dislike it?) The choice is really between a fictitious name or the alphabet. I've been considering Honour or Felicity for the first name and Bloom for the last.

This poor sampler is going to sit unfinished until I can make up my mind, so any help making it up for me?

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Cupcakes, Samplers, and Date Nights

So Birthday Season is finally over in our house (until mine in June, anyway). I counted and since January I have made a gross of cupcakes. A gross!!! I think I'm off baking for a little while but all the better since it's getting warmer here every day. It's time to replace those baked sweets with some fresh fruit.

There's a little quiet before Easter and I'm taking advantage of it by starting a new sampler. I haven't picked up a needle in weeks and my fingers were aching to. It's a little larger than I usually do but just a collection of simple spot motifs with an alphabet. The box to the side there is my attempt at organizing my floss. Several of the threads are very similar in color and having them all jumbled at the bottom of my sewing box caused quite a headache when trying to distinguish between them.

My hubbie and I have decided to institute a "date night". Since he works from home we are rarely apart but we have realized that's not actually the same thing as spending time together. We haven't worked out all the kinks yet but there are two rules each of us proposed to the other. From me he's not allowed to watch TIVO and from him I'm not allowed to stitch. I think each of us is a little jealous of the time the other spends on our respective vices. We've picked Saturday this week since he'll be out of town on Friday. We haven't decided how we'll spend our time but I have to admit I am looking forward to it.

I'll post more pictures of the sampler as I make more progress on it. Until then, best wishes.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

Happy April Fool's Day!!!

I'm not a big fan of practical jokes but I do love a good laugh. So go be silly and make someone you love smile.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

1852 Peacock

Here is my latest peacock. He will eventually be sewn into a pinkeep but I know I won't get the chance to take out my sewing machine for at least a week and I couldn't wait to show him off :) I used one of the new colors from Gentle Arts. If you haven't tried them yet, they're beautiful!!! It didn't show up so well in the picture but this particular thread is a beautiful shade of pale green The linen is Newcastle Antique White that I stained. The whole piece is very delicate, the colors subtle and aged. I can't wait to get him finished into the pinkeep but . . .

It's going to be busy around here. My oldest daugther is turning 13 in a week. 13!!! I can't believe it. She's been reminding us for over a month now (as if we needed reminding). My husband's birthday is the day before hers; though he's not quite as thrilled as she is. I have one person absolutely ecstatic and another (not so quietly) miserable. Needless to say there will be a lot of cupcakes and balloons in our house in the coming week and if I'm absent from blogging for awhile know that I am buried in wrapping paper and cake batter!

xoxo

Jennie Lynn

In like a lion, out like a lamb . . . and a peacock

I've just checked the weather forecast and it's official. We are expecting 1-2 inches of snow. Hooray!!! I know I know the rest of the country is yearning for Spring, meanwhile I applaud Winter's last breath. Where we live in Maryland it is absolutely unheard of to have snowfall this time of year. It's virtually unheard of to have much snow at all, any time of the year. I believe someone up there is looking out for me, giving me one last glimpse of snow before Spring and I will enjoy every last flake.

I've started work on yet another peacock. I meant to take a picture before I started stitching; it always looks so much neater. Now all of you get to see the mess I make of things while I'm stitching. I take such poor care of them it's amazing my threads survive from one project to the next. I'm still fiddling around with the colors. I had a specific color in mind when I designed this but now I'm not entirely sure it shows up on the linen . . . we'll see what we shall see. I'll be sharing the finished piece (fingers crossed) next week. Until then I hope all of you enjoy your weekend no matter what the weatherman brings your way.

xoxo

Jennie Lynn