I was looking for something a little different to stitch for a baby sampler and since I am a big fan of Blackbird Designs decided to use the chart for March Hare from A Fine Collection. The book includes twelve projects, one for each month of the year.

The running rabbit is surrounded by a vegetable garland. Carrots, radishes, and peas abundantly available. His star eye and flower and ribbon collar dress him up for spring.

Some of the recommended threads were from Olde Willow Stitchery which no longer exists BUT a friend sent me the threads so I could try and match them to what might be available today. And I had to add additional space at the bottom for the baby’s name and birthdate.

The recommended fabric was 30ct Flax Fields by R & R Reproductions but I selected a piece of 16ct Milk Chocolate Aida from my stash. This is one of my go to colors and is from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie. The thread colors I selected as I went along.

Started stitching September 10, 2016. Finished the top Sept 19, 2016.

Recommended Threads: Olde Willow Stitchery (OWS) – Gentle Arts Sampler Thread (GA) – DMC

• OWS Rustic Red  (DMC 352/3024)
• OWS Spice Pumpkin DMC 3770/3859)
• OWS Prairie Grain
• OWS Tabasco (DMC 3832 is a perfect match)
• DMC 310
• DMC 3787 (Current shade of this has a greenish tinge)
• GA Evergreen
• GA Old Blue Paint
• GA Shutter Green
• WDW Sand (this is listed as Gentle Arts but there is no such color

The used the following colors to stitch mine in the same order as above

• Victorian Motto – Variegated Peach Orange (for the carrots)
• For Spice Pumpkin, I used a Special Edition of Gentle Arts but it had no name
• GA Sable (for the rabbit)
• DMC 3832
• DMC 310 (eyes of rabbit)
• DMC 3031 (rabbit ear and parts of the leg)
• GA Evergreen (lighter parts of leaves)
• Victorian Motto Primitive Sky (letters and personalization)
• Victorian Motto Spring Green (vines and darker parts of leaf and peas)
• GA Sand (pink in rabbit’s ear)

Now that the finished/framed piece has been received by my grandson, I can show the final picture here.

I liked this one so much, I stitched a second one for another great-grandchild who arrived in 2019.

I used slightly different colors for the floss on this one but still Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe threads.

I’ve been seeing postings for Spring Fling by Blackbird Designs for a couple of years now and thinking I MUST stitch this one. It is one of the many out of print charts but I was lucky enough to trade another chart for this one.

A friend sent me some of the colors to stitch this so I finally got around to working on it. I chose a piece of mint green 16ct Aida I had in my stash and changed around some of the colors. I forgot to take a picture of this one with the floss and fabric before I started stitching so this will have to do.

Started Stitching: August 24, 2016
Finished Stitching: September 4, 2016

The floss colors I chose were as follows:

• GAST Pineapple Sherbet
• GAST Avocado changed to changed to  Spring Grass
• GAST Hyacinth changed to Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Antique Violets
• GAST Lavender Potpourri
• GAST Dried Thyme changed to Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Spring Green
• GAST Poinsettia
• GAST Tea Rose
• GAST Slate
• GAST Buttermilk changed to GAST Summer Meadow
• GAST Sarsaparilla
• GAST Cidermill Brown
• GAST Summer Meadow changed to Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Dried Hay
• I also changed the color of the vase to Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Primitive Sky

And the finished piece is shown below. I am not sure yet how I will finish this one.

August 13, 2022 – I freed this one from the prison drawer, and rather than frame it, I used one of my favorite finishing boards from Michael’s. This is one of the 10″ x 10″ boards already stained.

Garden of Life is #21 in the Loose Feathers series and  is Out of Print (as are many of the early Blackbird Design charts). This is one I have wanted to stitch for a long time but just putting it off. Then I won a drawing by the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe for a set of Nancy’s Primitive Floss Collection. I decided this was the perfect set to select colors from for this project.

Rather than use the recommended fabric, I chose a piece of 16ct Legacy by Picture This Plus to stitch with. I also selected the following colors from the Primitive Floss collection:

• Primitive Green
• Dahlia Leaves (from another collection)
• Old Red Roses
• Pink Roses
• Weathered Teal (for the letters which I really like)
• Primitive Grey
• Mocha Tan
• Mixed Wood Brown
• Mocha Cream

I think I need one more color but will select it when I get to it. I started stitching Garden of Life on July 9, 2016. Here is my progress as of July 15, 2016.

I will be taking a brief break to stitch another of the Out of Print charts that has been loaned to me. Just waiting for the recommended floss to arrive.

Started: July 9, 2016
Finished: August 11, 2016

The picture does not do the threads justice.

And after five years, here it is framed.

 

Beneath the Sunlit Sky is another beautiful design from the Blackbird Design ladies. It is another one in the Loose Feathers series #26 that is out of print and much sought after. While the recommended floss is very pretty, there are several of us stitching this particular chart using the alternate colors. You can read more about the alternate colors we are using Beneath the Sunlit Sky Color Changes.

I chose to stitch this piece on 16ct Aida Legacy from Picture This Plus.

I started stitching this piece on November 17, 2015 but stopped for a few days to stitch a special Tribute to Katie. I still have not decided on what color to use for the border so it remains unstitched for now.

Finished! with the exception of the three flowers that require the buttonhole stitch which I have never done.

And today (February 1, 2021) I gave myself permission NOT to stitch the dreaded buttonhole stitches and just add some plain crosses for the flowers so it is now complete and ready for framing. Once my craft room is painted, this will join a number of new ones for the walls.

And after six years, it is finally framed.

Casting a Spell us one of the newer booklet of charts from Blackbird Designs. It is meant to be stitched as a sewing box with two extra pincushions. The model was stitched on 30ct Confederate Gray by Weeks Dye Works with Gentle Art Sampler threads (or DMC 839, 3371, 3826, 829).

I am not real fond of finishing off little pillows or even of Halloween but I had seen the piece stitched as on all-in-one sampler by Carla Coburn on the Fans of Blackbird Designs Facebook Group. I liked the idea! I selected a piece of 16ct Chocolate Milk Aida from Hand-dyed Fabrics by Stephanie and used an assortment of threads – DMC and Gentle Arts Sampler threads.

You can read more about stitching Casting a Spell Sampler by Blackbird Designs on my website.

Forgot to note when I started stitching but somewhere around August 15 or 16 but finished stitching: October 2, 2015. Now to wait for a frame sale.

October 2020: After five years of sitting in the “to be finished someday” drawer, I finally ordered some fabric to finish Casting a Spell as a wall hanging. Fabric is  Moda Fabric ~ Trick or Treat Smell My Feet by Sandy Gervais.

And I finally finished assembling the stitched piece as a wall hanging as well as painting the dowel rod and ends black and hanging it on the front door.

Loose Feathers pattern #19, Quaker Garden is another very sought after chart that has been out of print for quite some time. While I kept seeing pictures of the finished piece, somehow I really did not yearn to stitch this. But as I kept looking I decided yes I would. I had a chance to buy the chart, floss, and fabric at a very reasonable price so did. I now have two of this chart, one out on loan, one I am using. The second one will go out on loan as soon as I finish.

I don’t stitch on linen so selected 16ct Wren Aida by Picture This Plus. The only specialty stitches are Smyrna crosses that work well on this fabric.

Started stitching October 6, 2015.

Progress October 23, 2015 – had to do some frogging last.

Finished but not yet framed.

Framed and ready to hang.

Bittersweet Lane by Blackbird Designs  was one of the Ladies Prim Society patterns for 2014. Never heard of the Ladies Prim Society? It is an exclusive club through Dyeing To Stitch, featuring Blackbird Designs and Heartstrings Samplery. Every 8-10 weeks they send a complete kit including any finishing supplies needed to the members of the group. The kits usually  cost between $35 and $40 and are NOT available except through the club. However you can find them listed on EBay, usually for a pretty steep price. I was lucky enough to find another stitcher who was willing to sell one of the kits for what he paid for it. I jumped at the chance.

Two of the kits I had seen and wanted to get at least the charts for were Bittersweet Lane and Bittersweet September. Bittersweet Lane is pictured below with all of the supplies that came with it which include the linen for stitching it on, the required floss, backing fabric and trim to finish it off as a pin keep or small pillow.

I don’t like stitching on linen and I wanted to frame the finished piece rather than make a pillow out of it. Since the chart includes full cross stitches and Smyrna crosses, I decided to use a hand dyed 16ct Aida Heritage from Picture This Plus. Below are my supplies for stitching this piece.

Started stitching July 4, 2015.

Progress so far:

Progress July 22, 2015

FINISHED! July 29, 2015

Finished and Framed.