I’ve just finished this month’s stitching for the Anthea SAL by Faby Reilly. The stitch-a-long is of a flower themed design for each month, you can either stitch them into one big picture or individually. I’m doing them individually, but just in case I might catch up with my projects, I’ve doubled the workload on this one by also stitching a facing page as I’m going to make mine into a textile book.
March’s flower could only be one thing (if you live in this part of the world!) …daffodils! The flower synonymous with spring, it cheers us up as it heralds the end of a long, dark winter. Years ago the councils around the country planted lots of bulbs in the road embankments, each year they increased and now they give an amazing show. They do lift the spirits!
Anyway, here’s Faby’s beautiful version…
I’ve stitched it on a linen called lambs wool, it’s a bit more creamy than it looks in the photo. I love the way the stems are woven together.
For my facing page I’m stitching a wordplay, using the colours of the flower page and trying to include a design aspect from it too. I now have a huge amount of respect for Faby as even trying to include the gold lines was difficult!! Trying to work out how to space them so the Algerian crosses would be right caused a fair bit of concentration!
This page is actually stitched on a soft green linen, not the grey it looks like in the photo!
I’m trying to include a couple of memorable dates in the wordplay, a quote and flowers and birds in our garden too. I’m also trying to keep it positive and optomistic – not easy this month!!
The quote at the bottom was my parents favourite quote, it was meant to be included in mum’s funeral service, but what with all the panic over covid as we headed rapidly into lockdown, I think the vicar forgot it. My mum’s was the last funeral he could do before it became immediate family only. I decided to include it here as it seems pretty apt at the moment, and it includes my mum’s funeral without actually listing it. It’s actually part of a poem by Minnie Louise Haskins, commonly known as ‘The Gate of the Year’.
Other entries;
It was our wedding anniversary on the 17th and on the 22nd it was Mothers Day here in the UK.
We had lots of long tailed tits in the garden in March, they are tiny, pretty little birds, in wintertime particularly they go round in flocks of ten or twelve birds as they all roost together in the same hole to try and keep warm. They flutter one by one through the trees til they reach the bird feeders and then all try and feed together!
Narcissus is the latin name for daffodils, lungwort is the old name for pulmonaria which has been flowering all month in my garden. It was called lungwort as it was thought to treat lung diseases, mainly because the leaves look vaguely like lungs! Pulmonaria is a prettier name but lungwort is shorter to fit in!!
We’ve seen the first bumblebees out in the garden this month, another sign that things are warming up. In March hares are often seen acting erratically and boxing with each other, generally excitable as they enter their breeding season. There’s an old English saying ‘Mad as a March Hare’
Faby will be releasing next months pattern shortly, in the meantime we’ll have to wait to see what flower will represent April.
thecraftycreek 
Lovely working out of your opposing page with Faby’a design, Margaret, and lovely garden photos! Do you know if Faby would allow her free designs to be translated into ‘regular’ embroidery stitches? I can’t abide doing cross stitch but do admire some of her designs.
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The daffodils are just lovely, it must be a sight to see all the yellow blooms bursting forth, it makes me smile just imagining it!
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I love how this project is like a diary of your year. Lovely quote for your mom. Our daffodils are in bud. No blooms yet. I do have some crocuses in bloom. Also, my primroses are starting to bloom. The witch hazel is also in bloom. Stay safe and healthy
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Thanks Gail, though I’m hoping the year starts to improve soon!!! I’ve got some primroses flowering and the magnolia stellata is just starting. Keep safe
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Lovely, a real ‘pick me up’
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I think daffs are the perfect spring pick-me-up 🙂
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Daffodils are like sunflowers, so bright and cheerful! Love! 🙂
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You’re right Laura, daffs in the spring are like sunflowers in the summer, you can’t help but smile at them 🙂
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Lovely Daffs. So many smell gorgeous too. I’ve always loved the electric blue of Pulmonaria, perhaps it is a very apt plant for what is happening now.
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I’ve a few highly scented daffs, they’re gorgeous, it fills the air. It did cross my mind after that maybe lungwort was quite apt
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Hello Margaret, your garden is beginning to show lovely. I didn’t know the name lungwort but when I saw your photo of the plant I recognised it as something I have in a pot in my garden. I love Faby’s designs, your stitching really brings them out and the idea of word play come diary is brilliant. This is going to be a fabulous book. Regards Mandy xx
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Thanks Mandy, it’s very pretty is lungwort, just goes a bit shabby in the summer but I just cut it back and it resprouts. I’m pleased with how my Anthea book is coming on x
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What a lovely inspiring post during these crazy times. I love your parents favorite quote and have also gone and read the poem. Just wonderful! Our daffies are up and spreading their love around 🙂
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Thanks Sharon, it is certainly crazy at the moment! Daffies are great at spreading cheerfulness 🙂
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Another wonderful post of your work, Margaret! Thank you!
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Thanks Prue 🙂
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Great job staying positive!
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Thanks Steph, I’m trying 🙂
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Gorgeous project, your daffodils have made me smile today. Stay safe and well xx
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Thanks, you can’t beat a daff for cheerfulness 🙂 Keep safe and smiling 🙂
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🙂
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Your daffodils are lovely and sunny; perfect for keeping one positive, especially in these days. I love your parent’s favourite quote; very profound for this time. Take care
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Thanks Kim, daffs always make me smile 🙂
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This is a wonderful project, and a lovely quote. Daffodils are probably the nations favourite flower as we all need cheering up a little. Stay safe.
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This is a lovely project and making it into a journal is such a great idea! I love daffodils they are a very happy flower.
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Daffodils are my favorite flower and your March page is beautiful. I really like your journal page too. You have done a fabulous job working these pages out with all those gorgeous stitches.
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Gorgeous stitching and flower! Happy belated anniversary!
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Yes, staying positive is a great idea!
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