Embroidery Journal Project - April

For this month's embroidery journal project I found a pattern at Sue's Treehouse that reflected the main focus and highlight of the month: Easter. I made some modifications to it to make it more personal, and reflect the happenings of the month.

Starting at the top of the Easter egg, there are four whipped wheels. They stand for my mom and us three children (my sister, brother, and me). This is the first Easter without my Dad there with us.

The next block is done in the chevron stitch. It is purple - one of my favorite colors.

The next section includes dark blue French knots and light blue hearts. I picked blue because that is my mom's favorite color. Sophia, Olivia, and I (represented by the three hearts) did quite a bit together to prepare for the Easter dinner which was on April 8th (thus, eight French knots).

We tried some new things (like the Peep-mobiles which everyone thought turned out great and Jello eggs which the children devoured), and did some things that we normally do each year (like make the lamb-shaped cake, buttermint Jello salad, and banana bread).  

The focus was trying to make it a memorable and positive Easter for my mom who has spent her time in a hospital and then transitional care unit at a nursing home since February 28th to heal a cracked ankle and now deal with her diabetes which needs to be stabilized.

The next section is done in the chevron stitch again. It's green - another one of my favorite colors.

The next section includes three pink rabbits - also a symbol of Easter. In addition to the holiday tie-in, this section also represents a three-day homeschool conference that I attended. For Sophia, Olivia, and I, homeschooling is such an important part of our days. Learning and doing fun activities together is something that I feel so fortunate to be able to do.

The conference was a way to learn some new and innovative methods for teaching as well as get the curriculum and resources I need for next year. I'm very excited about what we will doing next year!

The next section is done in the chevron stitch and is yellow. This is to represent the warm days of early April.

The last section of the egg itself are orange circles. I picked orange because it also represents warmth.

The bow is done in two shades of green. I think of green as representing spring - new life.  The intriguing thing about this spring has been that the frogs in the pond were singing in late-March when it was very warm. They were quiet then, and then began singing again - this time around their normal time of mid- to late-April when they typically emerge from hibernating.

This "double spring" - where the frogs sing twice - is something I've never heard since I've moved here in 1995. To be able to hear them sing again, was truly a gift.

The outline of the bow is done in the chain stitch. The "shaded" parts are done in a darker green in the back stitch.

On the bow are two blue snowflakes. In the middle of the month, after temperatures in the 70s, two mornings reminded me that I live in a state with unpredictable - and quite varying - temperatures. One morning, there was a light covering of snow on the ground. The other morning, there was a layer of frost.

Thankfully, all the blossoms on the fruit trees and flower shoots that had emerged safely made it through the drop in temperature.

In fact, the crabapple tree is covered with beautiful pink blossoms that have stayed on the tree for what seems longer than usual. As a reminder of the beauty and fragrant apple-blossom smell every time I walk by the tree, I outlined the Easter egg in pink.