Ah, and I am ready for the roses to bloom, too! Hello there. How are you?
It is the last week of winter here in the northern hemisphere. Yay!!! We got about 6 inches of snow last week and it just started melting yesterday. When the snow melted off of the garden beds I checked on the little crocuses which were blooming before the snowfall and they still are. I don’t know how those delicate blooms can withstand 6 inches of icy snow weighing down on them for days, but they held up fine. They sure are little troopers.
Last fall my husband and I planted quite a few different varieties of bulbs and we are eagerly awaiting their arrival. The early ones have started showing, but no buds yet.
My Ruby Red Fashion Friend Bella is a bit impatient this year and has skipped right past the start of spring to late spring when the roses will start to bloom. She really cannot wait!
Bella wears a rose print cotton dress with two different styles of cotton lace adorning the skirt. A rosy pink ribbon sash ties around her waist. Faux pearl buttons decorate the bodice’s back.
Bella’s elbow length cardigan sweater is hand knit with merino wool that has been hand dyed and the rosy mauve color custom mixed to coordinate with the dress. I embroidered bullion stitch pink roses at the neckline. The cardigan can be worn open or will close with rosy pink glass pearl bead buttons.
Bella wears a crocheted cap in white bamboo thread. A wool felt blossom and knitted leaf decorate her cap. Her drawstring bag matches the cap in materials and decoration. So that she would have something to put in her bag I made her a tiny hanky in cotton lawn. (This is how I used to fold and iron my grandma’s hankies when I would help her out with her chores.) Bella’s bracelet features a rosebud charm and pearly heart to show that I made this just for her with love.
Bella would like to know if you’re excited for the rose gardens to come into bloom. I cannot believe spring starts next week, can you? Those rose gardens will be glorious in no time!
I hope you enjoy the rest of the week and the upcoming weekend! Thank you for stopping by and visiting with me. ❤️🤗
Cindy Rice Designs 
Bella looks lovely in roses. What a pretty outfit for her. The bracelet is perfect and very delicate. So nice for her to have a sweater for cool days too. The Mary Janes finish everything off so well.
I’m sure things will be blooming for you soon. We have a patch of grape hyacinths blooming and quince which the hummingbirds have discovered. Lots of daffodils are springing up too and seem to have survived the deluge of rain we’ve had. Unfortunately, the weeds have also loved the excess rain, so I need to get on them right away. 🙂
Hope you see roses soon.
Hi, Joy. Thank you! Bella cannot stop smiling in her new ensemble. 😄
Oh, it sounds so fresh and springlike by you. I love both daffodils and grape hyacinths and both were planted last fall. How sweet that you have teeny tiny hummingbirds flitting to and fro amongst the quince blossoms. It is very rare to see them in my yard. Once in awhile I will catch a glimpse of one. Their size never fails to amaze me. Sorry about your crop of weeds. That’s never fun…
We’ve had a very cold weekend here, -5 degree windchill yesterday morning–colder than any day in Feb. and most of January, too. The growing has halted for a little while. It should be warmer this week though.
I hope you have a beautiful and sunny week ahead.
Take care, Joy❤️
I love the tiny roses and the embroidery on the darling cardigan …what is the average time it takes you to make the gorgeous little dresses and the beautiful wee cardigans? I love your work! ❤️
Hi, Marie. Thank you! Years ago when I would work entire days on an ensemble I could complete one in four days, so almost a full work week. Not sure how long I spend these days. The embroidery is the most tedious part and requires much creative thinking. It is my favorite part of each ensemble–when it is done. The cardigan knitting takes the longest, but is very relaxing. The sewing of the dresses could get accomplished in a day and is enjoyable, too. Then, I need extra time to plan and execute the additional pieces which takes creative energy like the embroidery.
Thank you so much for enjoying my work. I am happy to share what I do.
Wishing you a beautiful week!❤️
Thank you Cindy…I hope your week goes well too! 🌺
i would love to see a pattern for the crochet hat and purse, The dress and sweater are lovely.
Thank you, Judy. I will keep that in mind for future patterns. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.❤️
Bella’s new spring dress is such a pleasure to see. It is so soft and delicate like a new rosebud. The color of pink of the sweater is so soft and pretty.
Very beautiful Cindy!
Hi, Debra. I love pink, especially these rosy mauve shades. Who am I kidding–I love almost every shade of pink!!! Thank you for stopping by to chat, Debra. Have a wonderful week ahead!❤️
Chaque nouvelle tenue est une merveille de finesse et de délicatesse! C’est splendide!
Chez nous, (au nord-ouest de la France), les fleurs commencent à montrer le bout de leur nez en janvier (pour les crocus) et en ce moment, nous avons des jonquilles, des jacinthes, les tulipes sont formées et fleuriront d’ici une dizaine de jours. Bizarrement, il y a deux roses fleuries, c’est la première fois!
Je vous souhaite un très bon week-end!
Bonjour, Corinne. Oh mon Dieu, tes fleurs commencent à fleurir si tôt dans l’année. On vit encore le pire de l’hiver quand on a des fleurs ! Et vous avez des roses !!! Ah, je peux presque les sentir… tu as de la chance. Profitez de vos jardins de fleurs. Bonne semaine, Corinne.
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Hello, Corinne. Oh my goodness, your flowers start blooming so early in the year. We are still experiencing the worst of winter when you have flowers! And, you have roses!!! Ah, I can almost smell them… lucky you. Enjoy your flower gardens. Have a beautiful week, Corinne.
I am so ready for blooming roses too, but the only place I can see them is in a flowershop Cindy !! We are having a slight warm up coming , so we will see if it melts much snow . I am amazed you have crocuses blooming , and also that they have survived the weight of the snow! You will have fun seeing your efforts from planting last fall take fruition. I totally understand Bella’s thinking! We are all ready for roses. The dress print is just gorgeous ! I love the two different lace designs on her dress. You did great once again with the accessories, I want t hat pretty ribbon sash. The cardigan is a great cover up for the cool days . You went to great efforts to hand dye it to coordinate fully. Her hat and drawstring bag are so cute. It is important for a girl to carry some tissues with her. That rosebud charm bracelet shows so much love. Bella, I am so looking forward to seeing Rose gardens in bloom !!! We will have to wait a while here in Minnesota as there is a few feet of snow to melt yet . It is good to drop in a nd see you Cindy! Big hugs to you and Bella , Terri ❤❤
Hi, Terri. I hope you’ve had a nice week–we sure have. However, tomorrow it will snow a few inches, but then warm up on Sunday to melt. That is how our winter has been, melting quickly after each snowfall. I feel for you all in MN having a few feet of snow to melt yet. ugh…
Thank you for the compliments on Bella in her new ensemble. She is still smiling and waiting for those first roses!
Have a great weekend. I hope your weather tomorrow will be better than ours!❤️