Last month I started the latest SAL from Faby Reilly, it’s called the Anthea SAL and it’s a sort of flower calendar, it can be stitched as one big picture or twelve little ones. I decided to do them individually with the idea of making cross-stitch smalls.
Having stitched the first one I was a little undecided how to finish it as it was a little bigger than I anticipated. Del from Curls n Skirls suggested a textile book, a bit like the stitch one I made last year. The idea grew on me and I mulled over various ideas for a couple of weeks. If I just made the twelve squares it would only be six pages long, so I wanted something on the opposite page for each month…
Inspired by the With Thy Needle wordplay designs I decided to do a little wordplay including a seasonal poem or verse, dates and occasions through the month, the latin name of snowdrops together with a single snowdrop from the design. My design method is very traditional – graph paper and bluetack!!
I quite enjoy playing with words like this – I did a big family one a couple of years after we got married, the only difficulty I find is I find it easier to stitch the words as I would write them – and if you turn the cross-stitch round you tend to do the cross-stitches in the opposite direction!!
The poem is one I found years ago, unfortunately I have no idea who it is by…
As morning awakes in the still grey sky
And a scamper of snowflakes rise up on the wind
Spring warmth reaches out and touches the earth
As snowdrop by snowdrop the winter ends
I had to include Helen’s Passing Out parade – here’s me in my proud mum moment, she’s now a qualified nurse in the army…
I had a bit of space left over so I included a flower from our garden and a visitor to the bird feeders in our garden in January, hence mahonia and nuthatch. I also discovered that the first full moon of the year is called a wolf moon!
I used the same colours for both the linen and the floss, it looks a bit darker but that’s just indoor lighting! The running stitch round the edge just helps me stay within the size I wanted, I haven’t decided if it will stay or not.
I’m already about three quarters of the way through February’s design, I’m just doing the back-stitching and then all the embellishments and fancy stitches. Then I need to think about February’s wordplay.
thecraftycreek 
Pretty idea, a sort of nature diary, birthday book and bird-watcher’s journal combined in stitch!
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Thanks Kate, it’s got a bit of everything in 🙂
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so beautiful Margaret! and such a brilliant idea to make yourself a book.
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Thanks Claire, it’s made a good start!
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A wonderful idea and I love the word play. This is like a stitched diary. This book will be cherished.
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P.S. Congratulations to your Helen. You have a lot to be proud of there.
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Thanks Lisa, I’m hoping it will turn into a little record of the year.
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Love, love, love! Your designing is very creative, and you have every right to be a proud Mum, Margaret! 🙂
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Thanks Laura, I’m pleased with it 🙂
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What a great idea! Congrats to Helen, what a proud moment for you!
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Thanks Kathy, I was one proud mum 🙂
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I love those lines you found, snowdrop by snowdrop the winter ends. Congratulations to the new army nurse, you do look a proud Mum, and may I say she is a pretty woman as well as an angel. Super idea for your book.
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Thanks Cathy, I was very proud, especially as she also got the Commanding Officer’s Award for Excellence 🙂
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Congratulations to you both! This is a lovely project, Margaret, and will be a real family treasure. 😘
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Oh how lovely February is….and deservingly a proud Mom! Congrats to you, your daughter and whole family 🙂
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Thanks Sharon 🙂
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Congratulations and lovely photo with your daughter! I am a nurse too and please tel her I wish her much success in her new career and thank you for all the people she will be helping in her field! Beautiful stitching as always!
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Thanks Tierney 🙂
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What a lovely verse. And your ideas for your book are wonderful. This will be yet another treasure.
🙂
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Thanks Sue 🙂
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Hello Margaret, Congratulations to Helen, you should be rightly proud of her. Your idea for a book is going to be great, I look forward to following your progress throughout the year. Regards Mandy xx
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Thanks Mandy, hopefully the book will work out OK 🙂
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Thank you, proud mum, and thanks to your daughter for her service and dedication she will bestow on those grateful for her expertise. Congratulations to you both!
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Thanks 🙂
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Fantastic – you have set yourself quite a challenge – the word play is very effective
Congratulations to Helen too – no wonder you look so proud
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Thanks Jane, I’m hoping I’ll get a bit quicker at the design stage, otherwise I’ve nearly doubled my workload!! Helen also got the Commanding Officer’s Award for Excellence, so I was extra proud 🙂
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Beautiful, and I love the wordplay, especially with such great things to celebrate.
Will you display the book, open at the relevant page?
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Thanks Steph, that is the plan
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What a lovely idea. It’s going to make a really special memory of 2020!
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I love that idea. I have PC stitch for cross-stitch designing, but I often return to graph paper because I can try out several designs at once and just move them around. I really like your word design for January as well as the cross-stitch you did for it. February is looking beautiful too. Congratulations to your daughter.
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Congratulations to you both. Your stitchery is beautiful!
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This is just so amazing I can’t stop looking at it!
Your creativity is inspiring!
Congrats to the army nurse, and to her Mom… we all know what goes into an accomplishment like this!! Kudos to both of you for all the hard work!
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That’s a gorgeous project and I love your wordplay idea to go with it. That’s going to be a fabulous keepsake.
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Thanks, I hope so
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Oh my goodness, you’re turning this into such an amazing project !!! I adore your idea of making it into a book, with an extra page with decorative words… So special !!!! I can’t wait to see your fabulous book take shape, page after page ♥♥♥
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