A Rooster and A Chicken and their Love

I apologize to my friends and readers for being so elusive in the recent months. As mentioned before I have been overly enamored with games and books and stitching has been going ever so slowly. My brother in-law came to live with us and I found that my routine was tossed into the air and nothing has been getting done the way I'm used to . Although in all fairness it took me quite a long time getting my pictures even taken. This poor couple has been done for almost a month.

My neighbors are the coolest people, they are fun and I love spending time with them. She had (at that time) recently re-done her kitchen and while I was over she proudly showed me this large glass rooster, the kind that has oil and beans and chick peas layered inside. Her curtains were these great vintage inspired chicken and rooster print in red and golden yellow and I knew that I had some perfect patterns to use for her new kitchen set up. I stitched these to match her color scheme and I still have not yet given them to her... I hope she loves them. Admittedly I have not done the last 2 patterns in the set but I may go back to do them for a Christmas gift perhaps or something for the summer.

Mr.Rooster looks so sharp with his hat and cane. I tried a few different ideas with his tail feathers but I kept feeling that it was over complicated. Simplify. That was what I chose to do and I like how they are colored but not over stitched in comparison to the other elements in the design.
Mrs.Hen Looks to me to be just a little snooty, with her delicate beak up in the air. I chose a lighter color for her bottom feathers and I just love how they turned out... fluffy. ( I know I have some "fluff" too) Hehe
I did all of the flowers in the set to match using 2 colors for the petals, they are brighter this way I think and I just really like them this round.

I used a teeny but of satin stitch on the hearts popping out of their heads.

Swoon...
Fluffy bottom again, just makes me giggle a little.

I started to feel like I was never going to stitch anything but chickens again and is really why I chose to stop at 4 rather then do 5 and 6. The next scene is them walking home from the market with a basket of food and flowers, followed by pattern 6 and is of them and their baby chicks.
I've moved onto another project and have the 1st in the set all done and am 3/4 done with the 2nd, they are for my mom though. And on occasion she checks this blog... I'll have to wait on those till I have them ready to give before I can post them. (Sorry mom... love you). The waiting will drive her crazy, my mom can not keep a surprise secret where as I can. I suppose I could hand them over as I complete them but I think it would be more fun to hand over all at once.

And lastly on a note of other news, I recently found out that my company will be closing it's doors. I have mixed feelings about this turn of events. On one side this is my chance to go back to school to get my Associates in Horticulture. On the other side I'm worried about us getting by, as my Husband worked for the same company and we are both out of work soon. I still have 30 days left so hopefully I can acquire a part time job at a nursery or a greenhouse to help while I return to school, he has 60 days before his final day too. If anyone is knowledgeable about Horticulture please feel free to share any thoughts on my diving into this field, I love to garden though you can hardly tell by my yard. I spend so much time at work and driving to and from that there just is not enough hours to spend outside to make it as beautiful as I would prefer.

I'm not afraid of this change just apprehensive, I don't know what to expect. Here I am 31 and starting all over again.

Sigh* Just keep stitching. Stitching, stitching, stitching...

>^_^<