Happy Spring

Spring is my favorite season. Where I live it seems like there isn't really a spring. It seems like the snow takes a long time to melt, the ground becomes soupy and muddy for a week, and then it is summer. Needless to say, I savor any springtime that I can!

I love this series from Lizzie Kate. It is called Spring ABCs. I love seasonal motifs and samplers, and I think that this is the perfect combination of the two. This is the second piece I ever stitched on linen around this time last year - so it is sort of an anniversary for me!

Before last spring, my stitching consisted mostly of kits I purchased at craft chain stores that used standard floss and 14 count Aida. I also would stitch stamped cross stitch pieces. For embroidery, I would often buy kits that included pillow cases or a dress scarf, and then pick colors for the stitches.

I went to a needlework store that was close to my house, and it opened up a whole new world for me! I had no idea what 28 count linen was, or what it meant to "stitch over two threads". A woman working at the shop showed me how to count the threads, and steered me towards patterns she thought would be easier for a beginner- my first introduction to Lizzie Kate! I couldn't wait to get home to try it, and I was truly enthralled after one stitch.

Shortly after that, I started searching online for patterns and found blogs devoted to the topic of needlework. This fostered also a renewed excitement in embroidery and also to trying to sew. For quite a while I had also been thinking about starting a blog, but didn't know what kind of topic to blog about. I was in graduate school studying library science, and was learning a lot about technology and social media. The idea came to me to start a needlework blog because of everything I was learning from others- thus Lessons on Linen was started!

So while it is spring and a time for new beginnings, it is a good time for reflection to help me move forward.

Thank you for reading!

Pattern: Lizzie Kate Spring ABC's

Thread: Crescent Colors (called for in pattern)

Button: Just Another Button Company

Frame: Joann's Fabrics