Design - "Snowdrop Placemat"
Designer - Marjolein Bastin
Fabric - 28 count Light Mocha Cashel
Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads
Started - 11 March 2014
Completed - 19 March 2014
My snowdrops are blooming so I thought featuring a snowdrop cross stitch was appropriate.
Spring is marching ever closer, and none too soon my Dad and I took down the birdhouses. I removed the old nesting materials and cleaned them with a mild soap / bleach mixture to kill mold any lingering parasites.
The very next day, we had House Hunters!
My pair of Tree Swallows returned to make claim to the house they've occupied for the last two years.
The Tree Swallows had a rather messy nest - a mix of feathers and dried grasses.
The Violet-green Swallows have also returned.
See the Violet low on the back of the bird and the green above?
They too immediately started house hunting.
I expect this pair is also making claim to the same house they used last year.
Here's a look at last year's nest.
It was overwhelmingly dried grasses with a light layer of feathers on top. Tidying looking than the Tree Swallow nest. 
Last year one of the houses was occupied by a family of Black-capped Chickadees.
I thought their nest was the most impressive. The small birds' nest had a base of fine sawdust. The remainder of the nest was comprised of mosses. Perhaps 3"-4" of moss. I can't help but wonder how many trips it took the pair of chickadees to build this nest.
The houses are ready for Spring 2017! I cannot wait to see who decides to make use of them this year.
7 comments:
That stitched snowdrop is so pretty Beth.
That nest of the chickadees is impressive and soft looking alright!!
That cross stitch header is BEAUTIFUL! I'm working hard at NOT adding it to my already huge TBS pile.
My dearest friend lives in Spokane and she sent me a shot of her snowdrops this weekend - they had been hiding under a layer of snow!
LOVED the posting on the nests. Beautiful pics and great info.
MaryO1230
San Pedro, CA
All cleaned and the "ready for occupancy" signs are obviously up. :) The colors on that swallow are amazing - so deep and rich! Never heard of that kind....
And (I'm such a turkey head - this time of day my brain rather resembles a sieve) your stitched snowdrop is so pretty and I like the way you added a picture of the real thing right below. Hooray for spring flowers! My daffys have leaves up, but those are now beneath about 5 inches of very cold snow - brrrr.
Hello....found your blog via PINTEREST. Just getting back into cross stitching again. Love how you start your blog with a cross stitch. Love the pics. We started showing spring last week in Nashville TN. but then Sat., SNOW. Cold now with possible snow later in the week. Great blog.
Les hirondelles ne sont pas encore arrivée chez nous . Les vôtres sont très jolies ;-)
Céline & Philippe
Such a pretty stitched snowdrop, Beth--almost as pretty as the real thing. Very interesting to see the different nests--I guess some birds are just sloppy housekeepers, just like some people :)
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