'early bloomer' features some lovely crocus and snowdrops, and it's our last pattern of 2023. it is also the 101st stitch club pattern!! ONE HUNDRED AND ONE, you guys. that's so many!

to start mine, i'm using 2 strands of floss, satin stitch for the berries (DMC 3810), and whipped back stitch for the golden branches (DMC 3852).

next, i've used the light green (DMC 472) to stitch the rounded leaves (still have a few to do) using [satin/2].

and i'm also using [satin/2] to fill the outer petals (DMC 10) and the base of these snowdrops. for the center part of them, i used [back/2] to outline, and also made 2 tiny [colonial knots/2].(DMC 472)

i am working on the big leaves now, using back stitch [2 strands] to outline (DMC 580 and 472). i might end up adding some fill later, but for now i am starting with a simple outline.

after stitching all the outlines with back stitch, i decided that i wanted the lines to be smoother. so all the back stitched lines are getting whipped.
i'm using 2 strands and whipped back stitch, and i love the results.

see how the large leaves on the lower right are so nice and smooth? those have been whipped. it's quite a difference!

i also whipped the back stitch on the crocus (DMC 209) and the stems of the snowdrops, and now... i'm finally done!

so to sum up:
all the filled areas = satin/2
all the lines = whipped back/2
snowdrop dots = colonial knots/2