Snowdrop Week

 

I chose snowdrops last week for my project, as mine were just starting to come out down by the stream - see the photo below of them hiding in the leaves just before it snowed at the weekend. It was a lovely morning so I dug some up and had some long missed time in the garden all morning. I made the above little rustic display on my window cill. It looks so nice and its great to see the snowdrops all day long.

Snowdrops are really very delicate and their flower heads are tiny and droop down so you don't get a really good view of how pretty they are close up. Mine have little heart shapes barely visible on the outside and when you turn them up a lovely lined green underneath. Its such a shame this is all hidden away. This is as close as I could get with a mobile phone camera I hope I managed to capture it! Folklore says snowdrops are both lucky and unlucky - so I will take them as lucky and the first sign that spring is on its way. (Although it did then snow on sunday!! 

I have so many projects on the go at the moment, it was nice to choose a snowdrop project that didn't take too long to make! I have been dying to make this tiny little hoop (I have two and this is the largest of the two!! ) The other one may feature in a future project. Just a couple of chain stitches (lazy daisy) for the petals and leaves and a little line of backstitch for the stems, french knot is the little knobbly above the petals.

I found so many lovely embroidery projects for snowdrops it was hard to choose and to stop! ( I still have one I want to make, but it may take a while longer as it is a cross stitch). I did manage to make the one below today with a combination of embroidery floss and ribbon on a scrap of furnishing material from Suzi Watson designs.  This will go on my 'quilt' with the robin and mole from weeks 1 and 2. I should have a nice collection by the end of the year. I should also be much more knowledgable about each as I do lots of reading up and googling to find out all that I can about the subject throughout the week as part of my project. I had to choose a backing material that the white of the snowdrops would show up on. I could have inked a white background but I quite liked the vintage feel of this fabric.

OTHER MAKES:

I was enjoying a week of finishing off some projects last week. The card below is an idea I stumbled on while on Pinterest and thought I better make it straight away or I will forget. Its for my daughters wedding anniversary in April (so nice and organised). The tree die is Stampin' Up from Silhouette Scenes. The hearts have also been die cut twice once and glued directly to the card and the second layer sandwiching the red twine in the middle. I used music paper because they are musicians - the original on pinterest was a typed paper.

I have a tonne of birthdays in February and all girls - so I made some pretty vintage style cards using Free As a Bird stamp set. I then decided I don't really like colouring in much so I sold the set (I also sold the alcohol pens).  The card bases are beautiful laser cut blanks and came in a pink and gold tin with pretty matching envelopes. I bought about 3 tins in the Stampin' Up Sale last month!! and I have some plans for the tins to house my embroidery threads as they look like they may be the perfect size. I have purchased some vintage wooden embroidery bobbins with the money from the proceeds of the stamp sale! 

My sister doesn't read my blog so I can reveal some of her birthday present. My knitted tea cosy from Little Box of crochet is now completed and I made a card to go with it. She is a very good knitter and drinks tonnes of tea (like me) so I thought she would love this. I am still working on the pot stand and two coasters - I just love the tassels and the wool is fabulous to work with. The die cut teapot was given to me by my friend Leanne, it is from Tattered Lace. The knitting needles are cocktail sticks with glass beads glued on the ends. I actually knitted on 2.5mm needles and not on the cocktail sticks!!

I'm planning to knit me one next as its a joy to knit albeit a little bit slow in double knitting.

Also finished are my socks - a bit longer than I usually wear and I still didn't use up the whole 100gramme ball!! The cuffs on these are knitted first, made into a circle and then stitches picked up for the socks. They are an absolute dream to wear. I have to keep them away from Wallace as he loves them too and will chew holes in them. He has been at my tea cosy wool too and I have had to keep it up high out of his way Its soft wool and gets all broken into pieces - luckily I have lots more tassels to make. I am actually enjoying making socks now and already have two more pairs one for me and one for Simon on my needles this week. (Will I finish them? Have to wait and see next weeks posting!!) 

This week I have seen catkins on my walk identified by my App on my phone as Hazel tree, so this is my project for this week and I have found some amazing facts but I'm struggling with projects - but I have had a break-through today and I will tell you all about it if it works out next time! I will leave you with a photo of Wallace eating snowballs on Sunday and below, the big thaw on our walk today in dripping woodland.

Look at those colours! 

Love JoPx