Lilac Time

I think this must be the most beautiful time of year, isn't it?  Just about everything that can bloom here is doing so:  the apple and cherry trees are frothy with blossoms and buzzing with bees, and the lilacs are showing off like I have never seen them do before.  I guess they are all grateful our extra cold winter is behind us too!

Last weekend was Mother's Day, and I thought it might be fun to have tea outside as the weather could not have been better.  I got out my pretty dishes and Murchies Earl Grey; Mr. Crafty World bought some lovely sweet cakes from the Italian bakery.

Every time I pull out my silver tea pot I keep thinking, "I really need a tea cozy for this one".  So promptly after tea was finished I set to work making one.  I used the 'Gather Lilacs' tea cozy pattern from Issue 51  of Bustle and Sew magazine.  I have to tell you it was quite the sensory delight to stitch lilacs outside while being able to smell the lilacs all around me!  That afternoon I got the embroidery finished and on Friday night I constructed the cozy.

It was a lot of fun choosing the fabric for the patchwork.  It's a good thing I don't have a huge selection of purple fabrics or I probably would have been paralyzed by indecision!

The lilac fabric was perfect for the backing.  I have been waiting for a chance to use it.

The inside is another piece of thrifted fabric.  I thought it had a nice, vintage look to it with its green background and purple roses.

Tea, anyone?

Thanks for visiting!

xoJenn

M.I.A.

Well, that was certainly a much longer absence than I had anticipated!  All is well in my Crafty World, but sometimes Life has a way of diverting your attention from blogging, doesn't it?
In this time I have had a lovely vacation to visit my parents on the West Coast; my computer hard drive gave up and I lost everything on it; I celebrated a birthday(!); the weather has turned for the better and my attentions are now diverted to that great money pit otherwise known as the yard!

Not much crafty business has been going on here recently, but I do have a few things to show you that I finished off during my vacation.
Over Lent I only let myself work on older projects so I could tick off a few more boxes on my Work In Progress list.  First up was the Ricicles Shawl by Sandra from Cherry Heart. I started this last spring with a lovely duck egg blue Debbie Bliss yarn.

It has gotten so warm I have only been able to wear it once:  not that I'm complaining about the weather!

My favourite project to finish was my cross stitched Teacup Peony:

I just love how French designs use so much shading to define areas as opposed to back stitching.  Being pink this of course goes with nothing in my house, but I am bound and determined to make a space for it!

I finished off another letter from my Stitcher's Alphabet.  Sadly I am way behind on my goal of stitching two per month, but I can't get discouraged because guilt and stitching really shouldn't mix, should they?

I have completed A,B,C and E.  Next up will be D and F.  Both require lots of colour changes so it may take another three months!

I am almost finished two other older projects, but will wait until they are completely finished to photograph them.  This weekend we are to have beautiful weather, and I see a lot of stitching on the deck for me with something fruity and cool to drink.  Tomorrow is Mother's Day, so I wish all you lovely Mums an equally lovely day!

Thanks for visiting and your sweet comments!

xoJenn