OhSewCrafty Blog

• Pattern by Joan Elliott
• Fabric: Purely Primitive Belfast linen by Silkweaver (old), threads, etc as charted
• Finished Size: ~10″ x 14″
• Time to stitch: 3.25 months (March 21-June 30, 2013)

Here’s my second finish in Joan Elliott’s seasonal fairy series!  I’m partial to Winter, but I’m very fond of Spring as well.  I love the detail in her skirt- some of it was rather fiddly, but the finished effect is almost three dimensional!  The mushrooms were fun to stitch and I love the detail of the bird’s nest full of eggs.  Overall, this project wasn’t too laborious- required maybe 3 one week rotations plus several hours at the end for the beads. 

Though the model is on pink, I chose to stitch her on Purely Primitive, which appears neutral in most online pics, but mine is definitely a subtle green.  Green just says “Spring” to me, but I didn’t want anything green enough that it would obscure her wings, grass, or plants.  Like I did for Winter, I modified the backstitch, eliminating all the “stair-step” in favor of smooth curves and sharp corners.  In my opinion, this creates a more sophisticated look.

Like her sister Winter, Spring is seriously sparkly!  There is a ton of Kreinik metallic braid on her outfit and wings.  There are also plenty of beads- I went through an entire package plus more of Mill Hill 3021 (antique royal pearl).  After seeing Winter and Spring together, I am feeling inspired to continue with the series.  Next up, Summer!  Oh, and this is my fifth happy dance of the year, which meets one of my 2013 goals.