Flosstube 45 - Celebrating #MudpuppyMay (May 7, 2026)

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Current WIP (Works in progress)

Project name: Western Meadowlark

Started: April 13, 2026

Designer: Lindy Stitches

Chart purchased: 2022 from Lindy Stitches

Fabric: 14 count aida, blue-green, hand-dyed by me

Floss used: Blank, 451, Threadworx garden rock, 307, 728,310,822,367,414,3713

Project name: USA 250

Started: April 12, 2026

Finished:

Designer: Wrought Iron Stitching

Chart purchased: Etsy, 2026

Fabric: 14 count Aida, brown hand-dyed by me

Floss used: 832, 824, 3866, 3777, 898

New Starts

Project name: Strawberries and chickens

Started: April 28, 2026

Finished: 

Designer: Jess at LumiStitch

Chart Purchased: Gift from the designer

Fabric: 14 count Aida, hand-dyed by me

Floss Used: 310, 435, 777, 816, 841, 842, 987, 3347, 3852, 3865

Project name: George's Green Frog

Started: May 1, 2026

Finished: 

Designer: Mudpuppy Stitchery

Chart Purchased: Mudpuppy Stitchery patreon freebie

Fabric: 14 count Aida, "toast" fabric purchased at Hobby Lobby

Floss Used: B5200, 09, 11, 223, 304, 610, 644, 906, 907

Project name: Eastern Bluebird

Started: May 1, 2026

Finished: 

Designer: Mudpuppy Stitchery

Chart Purchased: Mudpuppy Stitchery patreon freebie

Fabric: 28 count evenweave "Ivory" purchased at Hobby Lobby

Floss Used: B5200, 320, 312, 518, 922, 3325, 3799, 3843, 08

Fully Finished Object (FFO)

Project name: Wee Bee Patriotic

Started: April 11, 2026

Finished: April 12, 2026

Designer: Mrs_AZFamilyzoo

Purchased: AZFamilyzoo.com

Fabric: 14 Count Aida, hand-dyed by me, green with yellow

Floss used: Blanc, 321,310,797

No yarn crafts this episode. 

Link to Porkie story 

https://amniconstudio.blogspot.com/2021/01/porkie-humble-internet-star.html

Books mentioned 

Alaska, by James Michener

The Saints of Swallow Hall, by Donna Everhart

Other things mentioned

*Reminder about Spring Mingle

*Won a chart from Black Ribbon Stitch Studio

*Shoutout to Bridget at Dawson's Stichery. Go check her out!

Other channels mentioned:

Jess - https://www.youtube.com/@LumiStitch

Kenzie - https://www.youtube.com/@mudpuppystitchery

Alison - https://www.youtube.com/@Mrs.AZfamilyzooStitchesAlison

Bethany - https://www.youtube.com/@Bethany.BirdStitcher

Mair - https://www.youtube.com/@sincity_crossstitcher

Weekend shenanigans

 The weekend turned out to be pretty pleasant. I woke at my usual time on Saturday and had a bit of a leisurely morning. 

My husband reminded me about the downed tree we saw in the back 20 a couple of weekends ago. A "fresh" fall from the recent windstorm, and it would be great for firewood. 

I thought I had taken more photos of this but I don't see them on my camera roll. Also, the photo doesn't do it justice.  The roots was a huge mass, and the tree was pretty tall. 

The tree is sort of circled in this photo. 

So it was decided we'd spend an hour cleaning out a new trail to reach this tree, so the ATV and trailer  could be driven up to the tree so we can haul it back to the house. 

My hubby surveying the land, seeing where a trail could be made. 

It was so pretty out there that morning. 

I was all bundled up because it was a wee bit chilly. A short bout of lomping down brush was just the thing to warm me up, and I had to start taking off layers. 

We discussed a few options and then decided on a direction to go.  My son was at the house. I called him and asked him to come help. Then my hubby drove back to the house to get him.  

This is where I thought "Oh, I'm a terrible content creator. 😆" I didn't think to take before photos. There was so much brush and undergrowth we cut down and cleared out.  The end result looks so good, and we have a new trail. 

This is a pile of what we cleared out. 

And this is the result.  

A cleared path. Along with a different view of the downed tree. 

The rest of the path. 

Spotted this tree out there. The woodpeckers are making art. 

That was the big project for the weekend. 

I think that was my first "big" laboring in a long time, too.  My body still isn't fully ... calmed down.  It's so frustrating.  I did everything I could to protect my core, so to speak, and I didn't feel crippled up at the end of the day. Yay!

Sunday we went out for the first bike ride of the season.  

We rode down to the river. I didn't get many photos because there were quite a few people there, and when I went to take photos of the river, someone else drove up. 

While we were down there we saw a dragonfly. Seriously, this early in the season? Hubby looked it up and it's definitely a thing.  The dragonfly was flitting this way and that. I was trying so hard to try and get a photo of him.  He never slowed down and landed anywhere. 

Guess what? I got a photo of him! Actually a few, but this might be the best one. 

After the bike ride I was out in the garden area. I cleaned out a few things, amending the soil in the planters and containers, and upblocking the few things that needed to be upblocked. 

I carried a few flats out so they could be carassed by the breezes.  

And caressed they were. ... the wind picked up and made it pretty much impossible to record a garden journal. 

Today the wind was crazy, as the kids would say.  They finally calmed down in the late afternoon. 

We had the makings of a beautiful sunset this evening. 

Frost on the pumpkin

 Wait, what? That cannot be correct. 

Oh, but it sort of is. 

May 1 and I woke up to a hard frost. 

Yuck. 

Also, I'm SO glad that I kept my pepper plants in the house last night. 

The morning sun was bright and gorgeous. It does not look like it was below 32 degrees F out there. 

It was my first time seeing how the back yard looked after my son spent some time cleaning up the pine cones, leaves, etc., last night.

Wow! 

Now it feels like spring out there! I could see the green grass.

The girls were already demanding to be let loose.  Nope, it was too early. 

I made my way over to the greenhouse. 

Things were looking okay. Thank goodness.

Work was busy and I was surprised at how quick the day went. 

Today was the first day of Mudpuppy May. Which is a month my fellow flosstuber and friend, Bethany,  declared last year. 

I spun the wheel and it chose "George's Frog" for my first stitch. 

One hundred stitches in and this is what I have so far. 

Not going to hide the fact that I had a rough start with this piece. Counting is hard, you guys! 

After working on that chart for a bit, I decided to switch back over to Strawberries and Chickens by LumiStitch. Uff, I messed on that one, too.  Cross stitch was not my thing this evening. 

Well, here's a progress update on it anyways. 

I'm looking forward to the weekend. Hoping the temps are a wee bit warmer. Fingers crossed.