Robins are for lfe, not just for Christmas!

Here we are in September again. It's almost a whole year since I rescued that poorly hedgehog* (wonder what it's up to now?)

I've been very busy for the last couple of weeks re-formatting all of my patterns and updating my shops with new versions. I've also built a brand new website. You can find links to both my shops and this blog as well as the two free patterns in my Payhip shop.

hawthorntreedesigns.com

So, you're wondering what this all has to do with robins? Well, I've just added a brand new pattern to my collection...

This sweet little robin redbreast compliments my bullfinches. I have several more which will be available in the near future and others in the planning. (Did I mention I love birds?)These bird designs are really easy to stitch and I would have finished the robin in one afternoon had I not decided to change the shade of orange I was using. I was also distracted by Frodo and Sam making their way through the Dead Marshes in The Two Towers so you may well finish it sooner than I did!

Like the bullfinches, this robin has been designed to fit into a 4-inch hoop but he also makes a great motif for Christmas cards, should you want to get a head-start on making some of your own before things start to get really busy.

However, as the title  of this post implies, robins can be seen all year round so he is definitely not just for Christmas! To stitch him for yourself click here.

*To read about my hedgehog rescue, click here.

September - and a rescued hedgehog

Yesterday (23rd) was not only the 65th birthday of Bruce Springsteen but also the autumn equinox. We have now entered the last quarter of the year and we're going to see the nights getting gradually longer until December.

 

I used to dread September as a child because it always meant going back to school, although it did mean we would be singing one of my favourite hymns in morning assembly - Autumn Days. If you fancy reliving those days, you can do so with this video.  Now however, I have a whole new appreciation for this month. For me, it is the mirror image of April; the world is starting to liven up again but instead of getting warmer and brighter, the days become shorter and colder. I've seen lots of red admiral butterflies lately, stopping to feed on sedum, Michaelmas daisies and valerian as they head south. It's been a couple of weeks since I've seen swallows or martins but two days ago I saw my first wigeon of the autumn. A large starling flock has been spending a lot of time in the garden and chattering on the gutter above my window.

 

I had a very close encounter with a hedgehog a couple of weeks ago when it turned up in the front garden looking very poorly. I took it inside and put it in a box and then looked on the internet for advice. I found some excellent information from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and followed the instructions. I warmed up the hog with a hot water bottle and fed it some cat food. I then contacted a local rehabilitator and the hog was handed over at Shipley Country Park Visitor Centre. Here are a couple of photos I took of it. The first is before it woke up and the second shows it enjoying a snack.

 

 

 

It was a privilege to help this beautiful little creature and now I know what to do if I ever find another one.

 

In the meantime, for us crafters this is the time of year when we spend more time on our hobbies and we start to think about our Christmas projects. Over the last three weeks, I have been stitching three new designs which will be on sale very soon. They are all festive-themed and are really easy to work and easily adaptable for your own colour schemes. I'll give you more details when I put them on sale but I'm sure you're going to love them. You can see previews of them on my twitter and Facebook pages.