Gifted Gorgeousness and a finish

It's time for March's

Jo at Serendipitous Stitching hosts this SAL. As Jo said, "I am sure we have all benefited from the generousity of our fellow bloggers and here is your chance to show your appreciation for that generousness by doing what we do best - stitching and blogging about it!".  I have two pieces that fit the items in the list perfectly and one that I am shoehorning into the list.

 

The first piece is also a finish, Lizzie*Kate's Holly and Hearts Sampler. 

The Hubs gave the patterns and threads to me for our anniversary last year.  It is stitched on a 28-count Silkweaver Fabric solo from my stash. There are a number of "artistic license" items on this piece, so if you are stitching or have stitched it, yes, mine is different. 

The second piece is Shakespearean Fantasy from HAED. This pattern was gifted to me by Pull the Other Thread and is my first HAED piece I never do anything by half.  Here is where it was on my last GG check-in:

And here is where I left it last week:

A bit of green, a bit more dark navy and some more black.

And the third piece is Wild Rose Square by Faby Reilly. It is the second block in The Sampler Life's Yahoo groups SAL. I'm going to argue that, as a freebie, it is a gift from the designer...

Stitched on 28-count Vintage Light Examplar with DMC

 I have never stitched anything by this designer, but I am enjoying this square very much.

I also had progress on Christmas Presence from HAED. As this is a freebie SAL, I can shoehorn this one into the SAL too.

Just Nan's Spring in the Air was on the frame this week and it went from here:

To here:

Spring in the air certainly defines our weather today. I have been working in the yard most of the afternoon, pruning roses and generally picking up. Once I finish picking up the pruned bits, Chatelaine's Secret Victorian Garden is going on the frame and I plan to get a few hours of stitching in this afternoon and evening.