Summer Floss Colors And Some Garden Pictures

Not so long ago I bought this little group of floss - these are such pretty colors.  From left to right the colors are DMC 321, 307, 956, 813 and 208.  These colors are perfect for summer stitching projects:

I have quite a few stitching and other projects in the works.  Some with summer colors, some not!

Speaking of summer, we are having a stretch of hot {for us} weather here in the pacific northwest -   It has been really nice for the garden.  

Shasta Daisies:   
                                                           

Onion:
                                                                 

Scarlet Runner Beans:

Tomatoes:

White Hydrangea:

So many beautiful colors!

Space Stitching Update

I have a quick update to share on my rocket stitching project from the Space Pattern.

The rocket is done:

and I am just adding some stitching in yellow to accentuate the orange blastoff exhaust.  Now I need to fill in the count down numbers and the words.  I am having a hard time deciding which colors to use for these.  I tried the red on the number three and I tried the bright orange on the exclamation mark but I am not really sold on either one:

Hmmm....here is my color palette so far.  If you have any color ideas I would love to hear your suggestions!

After I finish this part, I am going to be adding a border:

I also wanted to share some spring garden pictures.  I have been trying to get pictures of all my spring favorites as they are coming into bloom around the yard and garden.  First up are these sweet miniature daffodils:

They look so pretty blooming next to these grape hyacinths - the hyacinth blooms are just starting to open, I love the white edging on each bloom.  They are spectacular when they are fully open. 

And some daffodils:

This is a lilac bloom just getting started.  It is my favorite lilac, it is a white blooming lilac called Madame Lemoine.  I only see a few blooms on it so far so it may not be very showy this year.

And finally some rhubarb!  This is the first year I will be able to harvest from these plants - they are finally mature enough - I cannot wait to make a pie!

Garden pictures and wip

 I have an embroidery wip update to share and also a few garden pictures.  First the garden pictures! This gorgeous red rose:  {hybrid tea - Ingrid Bergman}.  I love this rose bush, it blooms beautifully every year:  

Some ripening cherries...these are pie cherries - not at all sweet - but so delicious in pies.

Some sweet peas: These smell so good!

My embroidery wip: remember this? I took out the stitching on the tomato and am now doing a split stitch using six strands of floss.  I like the look much better.  I finished the mushroom in the tan floss {thank you everyone for your help in the mushroom color choice!}

I like the green I have been using for the carrot and the tomato tops.  It is dmc 906 - I am nearly out of this color and I can't finish this until I get some more.  I could use one of these beautiful shades of green but I really like the 906...

I am still working on my tea towel and will post pictures soon!

Whoops :(

An update on my patisserie project.   Everything was going along really well.
 

I finished the upper edge of the awning and the border around the iron sign with the double knot stitch.  I stitched the curtain swags with a couching stitch. 

I also used the double knot stitch on the top of the curtains.  I was loving the way it looked when I noticed the spacing between all the knots was not quite right on the left-most curtain top.  I just had to go and fix it, which meant taking the stitching out.  Can you spot the resulting disaster?

Here is a closer look.  I used my scissors to take the stitching out and snipped right through the fabric.  You may remember when I did this exact same thing on another project.  That time, the damage wasn't as bad.  I don't know how I am going to fix this!

On a much happier note, we had a beautiful, sunny weekend and I took some pictures of my daffodils:

these miniature daffodils:

And one of my rhubarb plants:

I'll be back soon to post some pictures of my zinnia wip - much happier news on that progress!

Some odds and ends

I have some random odds and ends to post... First, I finished a wip:

This is a little octopus, some waves and sea grasses from the Seashells and Seahorses pattern packet.  I think it makes a really sweet picture. I stitched double lines of back stitch in two blues for the waves:

 

and I combined these two greens to highlight the sea grasses:

Second, some I took some really interesting garden pictures.  How fuzzy is this bumble bee?  I am growing oregano and I have let a lot of it go to flower - the bees love it!

This is a picture of the beautiful berries on an oregon grape bush:

I have quite a few sunflowers blooming:

Here are a couple of blooms from my "Queen Elizabeth" rose bush that is

always fun to photograph!

and a bloom from "Chrysler Imperial"

And the best for last - Berit and Rego!  Here they are relaxing in the shade:

and here is Berit - wishing I would come out of the weedy herb garden!

stitching some salad fixings

I stitched up some of the vegetables from the Salad Fixings embroidery pattern packet: I love the way they turned out! I stitched a tomato:
a purple onion:
and a little radish:I am really pleased with the look of the running stitch around each one, sort of like a picture frame:
I also wanted to share - on a non-salad or even embroidery note - some beautiful garden pictures! These gorgeous blossoms are on my apple tree: and these blossoms are on the ornamental cherry - so dreamy!

Rose border and rhubarb

I stitched this beautiful rose border - sort of as a sample to see how it might look on a pillow case.I think it will work!On a non-embroidery note, I am posting a picture of one of my rhubarb plants. I have three of them and I transplanted them this year. I was worried they wouldn't survive the move - I am so happy to see they like their new home! This one is the biggest, the other two are coming along nicely!