Easter Parade by Blackbird Designs was first published in 2005. It had been Out of Print for quite some time. In July 2019, it was reprinted and released to the delight of many stitchers. The Fans of Blackbird Designs Facebook group will be started an Easter Parade SAL (Stitch-a-Long) in March 2021. Come join us! If you are not already a member of the group, when you try and join you MUST SNSWER ALL THREE QUESTIONS to be approved.

I have had this piece kitted up for some time and just needed an excuse to start it.

The fabric is 16ct Melody aida from Fabrics by Stephanie. The floss is a mixture of what is recommended and my substitutes:

• Border: GA Berry Cobbler/ Cosmos Seasons 8063
• GA Cidermill Brown
• GA Grasshopper
• GA Chamomile
• GA Antique Rose/VMSS Concord Grape
• GA Brandy
• GA Butternut Squash/ VMSS Western Wallflower
• WDW Cocoa/VMSS Faded Barnwood

Started Stitching: 2/20/2021
Finished Stitching: 3/12/2021

I have decided to finish this as a mounted piece I can display on a small easel and perhaps switch it out depending on the season. Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher has an excellent tutorial on how to do this. See Mounted Flat Ornament

Pictured below is the stitched piece mounted on the backing board and the fabric I will use behind it.

Unfortunately I had to order some bigger pieces of backing board so the final finish will have to wait until it is delivered.

Backing board and fabric delivered. Finishing as a mounted flat piece was a learning experience but I am happy with the finished piece.

Trix or Treat by Blackbird Designs is copyright 2005 and is now Out of Print. NOTE: Reprinted in November 2021. The book includes eight separate designs. I am not normally a Halloween stitcher but the more I saw one of the projects posted, the more I wanted to stitch it.

Trix or Treat is the design and I LOVE the bird in this one and it looked like it would be a quick stitch. I chose a piece of 16ct Carmel Macchiato from Fabrics by Stephanie and switched out a couple of the threads since I did not have them in my stash.

• WDW Mascara
• WDW Sweet Potato
• WDW Juniper/ DMC 936
• WDW Pecan/VMSS Antique Gold
• WDW Swamp Water
• WDW Kohl
• GA Cherry Bark

Design Size on 16ct: 5 1/2 x 5 1/8
Started Stitching: October 31, 2020
Finished Stitching: November 6, 2020

Now I just need to decide how to finish it. Probably a small pillow for my basket of smalls.

May 2022 – I had originally thought of framing this but decided to use one of the boards I bought at Michael’s instead.

When I first saw Winter Valentine posted, I knew I wanted to stitch it as cardinals are my very favorite bird as well as the state bird of Virginia. The Blue Flower is a new designer for me so I checked first to see if her charts were printed in color or black and white. Color charts are very hard for me to stitch from because of my eyesight.

I had recently purchased a Christmas frame from Michael’s Craft store and wanted to use this design for it. I left off the border as the picture needed to fit into a 5×7 opening. I used a mystery piece of mottled gold 16ct aida with some of the recommended floss and some Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe threads.

• DMC 937/ Varigated Pine Bough
• DMC 3865 / Primitive White
• DMC 22 (one of the newest colors)
• DMC 523
• DMC 535
• DMC 3045
• DMC 3371
• DMC 3776
• DMC 501/ Holly Leaves
• DMC 890/ Varigated Pine

I’ll be stitching this one again for a different finish and will include the border and the text.

When I first saw A Dog’s Declaration by Ink Circles, I knew I had to stitch it. Katie, our previous dog, and Shadow, our current dog were/are great pursuers of squirrels. My son knew how much I like it so he gave me the money to order the chart.

The design size is fairly big 243w x 315h. The recommended fabric is 36ct Tycho by Picture This Plus but I am going to stitch it on 16ct cream Aida as that is easier on my eyes. The recommended thread was 6ply cotton floss by Valdani. While I loved the variegated colors, I did not want to spend that much money on them and I had heard that they shredded easily. So I went with my very favorite floss, Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss.

• P1 Old Brick/VM Burnt Red
• P2 Olive Green/VM Dried Clover
• P6 Rusted Orange/VM Rust Swirl
• P8 Old Rose/VM Rose Plum
• JP5 Nantucket Rose/VM Soft Pastel Peach
• JP7 Faded Marigold/VM From Me to Thee
• JP9 Herb Garden/VM Twitterpated
• P10 Antique Violet/VMFrench Lilac
• P12 Brown/VM Colonial Chrstnu & Classic Chestnut Blended
• H203 Blackened Teal/VM Delphinium Blue
• O31 Tealish Blue/VM Nine Patch
• O512 Chimney Dust/VM Colonial Lavender
• O513 Coffee Roast/VM P27
• O518 Dusty Leaves/VM Into a Dragon
• O526 Green Pastures/VM Dark Fern
• O571 Tea Honey/VM Golden Amber

Finished Stitching: July 16, 2019 (not sure when I started this piece.

And now (April 2020) it is framed and hanging on the wall.

Blackbird’s Winter Delivery by Blackbird Designs is #5 in the Loose Feathers series.  Behind the blackbird is a rather sparse Christmas tree with a star on top. It is now OOP. It had never really appealed to me in the past but the more I saw the finished stitched pieces, the more I liked it. So I finally decided it was one I had to stitch. Since it is not a chart I own, I borrowed it from a fellow stitcher.

The recommended fabric is 28 ct. Cranberry Bog by R & R Reproductions which is no longer available. But I had a piece of 16ct Aida from Nancy Turner. that I thought would work. The closest DMC color looks like 3806.

I used the recommended floss: Gentle Art (GA) and DMC

• DMC 310
• GA Tin Bucket
• GA Dried Thyme
• GA Harvest Basket
• GA Dark Chocolate
• GA Flax
• GA Cherry Bark
• GA Chamomile
• GA Sarsaparilla
• GA Straw Bonnet
• Mill Hill Glass Seed Beads #02045

I will probably finish them as small pillows but for now they reside in the finished projects drawer.

And here it is finished and ready to join the other small pillows in my long basket.