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Tulips and a SAL


Last year, my birthday present to myself was some wildflower tulips from here.  It was a very dry winter and tough spring, alternating between above average temperatures and below average temperatures.  There would be a few days of warm and sunny weather followed by blizzard conditions for a few days.  This cycle continued for over a month.  I was afraid the bulbs would die.

But, the tulips survived to bloom.  First where some bright magenta ones that defied photography.  Now there are yellow and white ones blooming.

Tulips are on my mind.  So, as I was finishing up my last project a SAL invitation involving tulips arrived that I couldn't resist.  If you'd like to join it's not too late.

All the supplies from the last project are put away so I've been picking out my supplies for the SAL.  With visions of spring colors I started going through my scraps for some suitable bookmark shaped fabric.  The best I could do was some antique linen so I'm going another way.


Yes, I'm doing a spring garden with fall colors.  The floss comes from a large bag of unidentified floss.  Last year a friend brought some cross-stitch kits at a yard sale.  The pictures were hideous but I graciously accepted.  I tossed the pictures and charts and kept everything else.  One of the kits had a rusted needle in the fabric so they weren't too new.  I'm glad to be putting these threads to use.

Since this is blackwork I don't want any of the colors blending in to the background.  It looks like all the colors are going to stand out so I'm ready to go.

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  1. Aurelia EglantineMay 24, 2013 at 5:52 PM

    Your tulips are gorgeous! I'm not cut out to be a gardener, but I've been getting seed catalogs on a whim all winter and I can't help imagining gardens everywhere, LOL :) So much hope and uncertainty goes into sowing plants, and I'm glad your efforts have paid off!

    And awesome thread and fabric choices for the SAL! Those colours really look so lovely together, and I greatly admire your sense of stitchy adventure :) Also, I think it's grand that you're using orphaned threads in need of a good home! I think they'll stitch up into absolutely beautiful flowers ;)

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