This week, I started my little grand daughter, Olivia's, birth sampler. Now don't laugh...Olivia is going to be three years old, so to say I am a little behind is an understatement! But Olivia has a little sister, Isabel, who was born last July...haven't started that sampler and then we had a another baby girl, Charlotte, who was born last month...haven't started that one either...so I figured I had better get on the ball. There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day..I try to get in about an hour of stitching or rug hooking every evening..but I am so tired after work, I usually fall asleep in my stitching chair around 8 pm. Boy am I getting old!

I am using motif's from the new booklet by Blackbird Designs, "Honeysuckle Manor". I love the colors in the sampler and I thought it would be a nice one for the girls. As you can see...I have the dreaded "hoop" marks on my fabric, but I have to use a hoop..can't help it! I am also using 14 count aida....which is so much easier on my eyes..and I find I can stitch a heck of a lot faster. I only wish I had purchased all of the hand-dyed floss that was listed. I used mostly DMC floss with the color conversion...but I did purchase 3 Gentle Arts skeins and the colors are so soft and the variations in the thread is just beautiful. Well...I'd better get back to the sampler...I've got lots of stitchin' to do!