Weekly Stitching

 I am surprised that I was able to get five squares done this week because I spent so much time on my Christmas cards. Yes, I said Christmas cards! So many people have stopped sending them, but I love to get cards in the mail and I like sending them. For the past few years I have been making my own. Last year I sent out 50 and will likely do the same this year.

On to my squares. I had ordered some new variegated colors from DMC and I wanted to do some different things with them this week.

I did this one first and loved the variegated purple thread. However I was disappointed in how the paler color got a little lost, especially from a distance.

Sooooo, I used the red variegated that doesn't show much difference in the dark red and darker red, but I did like the way you can really see the negative space circle. Lots of stitching on both of these.

A friend clued me onto some stencils online. They showed the designs in a big square and I was surprised when they arrived to see that they were all cut to about 3 3/4 inch squares. They are just the right size for my project. I probably won't use a lot of them because some of them are just too intricate for my stitching.

This is another of the stencils. I never would have been able to draw this on my own and have it come out so even.

Appropos of nothing, I just liked the design. It seems like I keep going back to flowers.

And speaking  flowers....this Mandevilla on my deck is climbing on 8 foot stakes and still reaching for the sky. I have chucked a lot of my containers as they just looked tired, but this beauty keeps on going and going and has given me many flowers all summer long. Unfortunately, the first frost will kill it and I don't have any place to put in inside.

More flowers of a different type. I grew up with African Violets and my mother even belonged to the African Violet Society. We had a big bay window in the dining room where the light must have been perfect and she always had several growing. I bought this one in ShopRite in May (probably for Mother's Day) and it was in a pink Chinese take-out container. I put it on my  kitchen window sill in my own blue and white pot. It has been blooming and blooming and has many more buds. I love the large purplish blue flowers that are perfect for my mostly blue and white kitchen. My mother would have approved.

I am linking up with Off the Wall Friday.