I've been dreaming of the day the birds would finally return to my area, filling the mornings with their lovely melodies. However, I did not expect that when they did return, they'd begin their birdsong at precisely 3:25 a.m. every single day, beckoning me to join them for the sunrise.

Nevermind that they're 3 hours early, and at that hour, birdsong sounds a bit more like birdracket.

Regardless, I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to them, and this next release is dedicated to spring's bright and cheerful return…

Trellis Blackbirds

Stitch Count: 130w x 121h

Fabric Used: 35 ct. Lucky Penny by R&R Reproductions

(This color is a soft aqua color, very much like what weathered copper
looks like when it turns that lovely shade of green… but this
design would also look lovely on a nice neutral color, such as
Light Examplar by Lakeside Linens. Use whatever color you love!)

Threads Used:
WEEKS DYE WORKS in Onyx, Baked Apple, Guacamole,
Charlotte's Pink, Havana, and Seagull.
GENTLE ART SAMPLER THREADS in Baby Spinach and Pomegranate.
DMC in 3864.*

I do not have a DMC conversion available at the moment, but I'll
do my best to get working on that and post it when I have it.

*If you are substituting your fabric, you may wish to adjust this particular color to
something a bit darker in the DMC line.

ABOUT THE FRAME:
You can order this gorgeous frame from the lovely Sherri Berkman at
Total Framing in Virginia. Find Total Framing on Facebook, or visit
www.totalframing.biz. Thank you, Sherri, for the amazing job you
always do on my frames!

The model was stitched by Prudence Goodspeed. Thank you so much, dear friend.

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I hope to have this chart printed up very soon, and off to the shops on my auto by next week! I hope you all are enjoying your spring wherever you are, and may you hear only birdsong in your mornings. 🙂

I got the model for On Prudence back from Sherri at Total Framing, and immediately sent it off to the printer for a Monday release! I hope you all like it.. I had a lot of fun working with these colors – especially the odd spot of Weeks Dye Works' Sea Foam in the leaves here and there, and The Gentle Art's beautiful Loganberry and Raspberry Frost. As I said in an earlier post, with these gloomy days we've been having, it was a fun color palette to work with!

I love sending things off to Sherri to be framed.. it's always a surprise to see what comes back to me. (Once, she tortured me with a texted photo of my model in-framing-progress, but she cropped out the moulding. Bah, Sherri!!)

The verse was a fun one, and one that can sometimes be found on very old samplers. It reads:

What's in thy mind let no one know
Nor to thy friends thy secrets show
For if thy friends should prove thy foe
Then all the world thy secrets know.

(I had to laugh when Katrina said to me, "That's not directed at me, is it?")

The shops on my auto will have this either by Monday or very early next week, while the distributors will have it shortly thereafter.

In case you'd like to stitch this sampler, here is the information you'll need to kit it:

On Prudence

STITCH COUNT: 303w x 263h

FABRIC:
36 ct. Vintage Navy Bean by Lakeside Linens.
Suggested alternatives: Olde Towne Blend by R&R, or
any neutral fabric; both cool and warm colors will work
well with this sampler.

THREADS:
Weeks Dye Works in Artichoke (2 skeins suggested), Merlot,
Sea Foam, Mulberry, Tatanka, Dirt Road, Stepping Stone,
Sea Gull, and Havana.
The Gentle Art in Dried Thyme (2 skeins suggested), Linen,
Wood Trail, Oatmeal, Raspberry Frost, Cinders, and Loganberry.

IF CONVERTING TO DMC: 154, 3363, 523, 902, 819, 3813,
3740, 838, 3787, 611, 3861, 3041, 646, 3781, 315, and Ecru.

STITCHES USED: All cross stitch over 2 threads.

FRAME INFORMATION:
Total Framing
(Sherri Berkman)
www.totalframing.biz
703-426-0660

I hope you all are enjoying the first days of spring, although outside my window, it certainly looks like winter! I suppose I'll have to go find a new color palette to work with . 🙂

Enjoy your weekend!