It’s time to celebrate!
Yes, it’s the first day of Spring, but I have another reason for celebrating. I’ve made my last college tuition payment to Denison University. Yippee!
I started selling my kits, then felt, and then books back in 2018 after years of sharing my free patterns. Many of you encouraged me to go beyond that. Paul coaxed me along. Hannah helped me get it rolling.
I look back on the past few years and don’t know how I would have pulled it off without this little business. Despite generous grants and scholarships, Downeast Thunder Farm designs have helped pay for almost two years of tuition.
So, yes, it’s time to celebrate! As a thank you, I’m giving away my latest kit – the American Robin – to ten people in the United States. I’ve entirely redesigned this Robin from my earlier free pattern. Here’s the link for Robin kit in my SHOP.
So here’s what to do if you want to enter.
Visit my website here https://www.downeastthunderfarm.com/2021/03/welcome-spring-robin-giveaway/ scroll to the bottom and comment to share a pattern idea you’d like to see at Downeast Thunder Farm. Your comment (one comment per person, please) has to be on the website – not Facebook or Instagram! On Sunday evening, March 21st after 9 pm EST, I’ll randomly select ten winners.
Happy Spring!
~*~
Congratulations to the drawing winners!
If you haven’t received an email from me, please reach out and contact me!
Shirin (tuckertomahawk)
Wendi Girard
Amy (fyffea)
Joanne M Haas
Alex Franges
Fran Clukey
Joyce Moyer
Noreen McCafferty
Sheryl Buckle
Kathryn Howlett
Hi, first of all I love your patters and have made a lot of the owls. They are big hit when we have visitors.
I think a bison/Buffalo pattern would be a great addition your collection of patterns.
Kind regards from Atlanta, Anja
Hi!! What have you got in the way of sea birds? I’d love to see some seagulls(they’re such funny birds), or an albatross, pelican!! And this isn’t a sea bird but a fun one: flamingo!!!
Long time fan. Bought the book a couple months ago. Congrats on your ‘last payment’.
Hi, I would love to see a pattern of the pea hen that stopped by for a visit. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us!
Have you done an eagle or a buzzard? You have so many amazing patterns.
Congratulations on your final payment. I cannot believe it’s been four years. Time really flew. I love all your designs, especially my yellow Volkswagen ornament. Thank you for all of them.
How about either an Altamira Oriole or Audubon Oriole. They are very colorful.
Congratulations on the last payment!. We are just starting with our youngest who is taking dual credit classes as a 10th grader( Only 5 1/2 more years to go!) I love the bird patterns. I don’t know if you are interested but I’d like to see more mammal patterns.
Love your website and birds.
Jaimie, Texas
I have enjoyed your patterns so much over the years. I love the owl book too! Your kits are so nice too! I can’t remember if you have a pattern for a horse? Would love that. Thank you for the opportunity to win a spring Robin kit! Congrats on last tuition payment!
First I would like to say, I just love all your bird patterns and have made many of them. I would love to see a common pigeon pattern, as we have so many beautiful ones here on our farm in southeastern Pennsylvania. We have not only the traditional greys, but also some beautiful tans and white with tan.
I love, love your patterns. I make ornaments out of them and tie them on packages. How about a black swan? They can be so elegant.
How about an opposum with babies. Love your patterns.
I love your patterns! As a bat biologist, I’d love to see some bats! Red bats and big browns are native to the US and super cute!
I’m a huge fan & I’m happy you’re finally selling your patterns. I’d love to win the kit!
My suggestion is a series of chickens because I think they’d sell really well…& I want you to do well. After that, farm animals would be fun. I expect it’s hard to decide what to do next. You could spend the rest of your life just doing all the birds in the world. But I think having some variety will be good for you business & adding to them as you can will keep us all coming back!
Love the Robin and would love to win the kit–and how great is it that your little business gave you so much wealth as to be able to put your Hannah though school–way to go girl!! and I see you have your future loaded up with really good pattern ideas–no rest for you!!! Me–rabbits are a good one and my sister wants a kangaroo!!!
Have fun–luv,di
I love the new robin, the colors are perfect! I was thinking about other bird patterns and thought of maybe a Sanderling or let’s see, have you done a Mockingbird? I can’t remember. I read some of the comments and I think a Flamingo would be great and a Pelican. I work at a bird rescue with every parrot imaginable. Parrots would make great colorful patterns. Shall I stop suggesting now? Whichever you choose it will be wonderful I’m sure. Congrats on your business venture, I’ve been with you since the beginning and I still get excited when I see a new pattern. I’m glad it’s doing so well. PS I’m waiting for the next book, also!
Love all your patterns..I would like to see some wild flower patterns.
Hi, I enjoy all your patterns and your posts. I raise guinea fowl and would love to see a pattern for one of these little yard vultures, lol.
I would suggest that you design a kit for a Barred Owl.
Love your patterns.. would love to see a draft horse like a clydesdale or percheron.
I love that the work from your hands and heart has helped you achieve such a wonderful goal, while at the same time inspiring creativity in so many! I would love a whole book of warblers, they are so beautiful and varied. I also think a Killdeer pattern would be fun. They are the most amazing parents who will feign a broken wing to move predators away from their ground nesting site. I once watched one lead a group of rowdy cub scouts out of their territory – anyone (human or critter) who can do that is amazing in my book!
I really like your patterns and kits and that you have been so generous in sharing so many free patterns. Had to take a look at all of them again and had forgotten how many good ones you already have designed.
I think a weasel in its winter coat called an ermine would be a fun one. They are one of my favorite animals, so fierce of a little carnivore. Love the way they pop up and down through snow tunnels in the winter.
CONGRATULATIONS!! My oldest Daughter is a Jr in college and the younger a senior in high school so I understand your excitement. I can’t wait even though we have a few more years of payments it will be gratifying for sure. College is an achievement your whole family can be proud of.
I love you patterns and so enjoy your photos off your excursion and pets are just too cute.
I’m not sure if you have done a Yorkie or cats but that would be fun. I have made several of your birds for my Mom she loves hanging them around the house.
I would also love to get patterns for a set of chickens to make for myself.
Thank you for this lovely giveaway. I hope the last semester is a success and much luck in her chosen field.
I have enjoyed all of your patterns. Living in the Pacific Northwest I would love to see a Stellar Blue Jay.
Love your patterns…. perhaps a flock of hummingbirds? Or Dragonflys would be good new patterns.
How about a Maine Coon cat pattern? They are such beautiful animals. Also, have you considered doing any floral patterns such as a sunflower or daisy? I scrolled thru your patterns. They are all lovely. Hard to choose a favorite; however, since I was born in Ohio, I think I would have to choose that state bird, Northern Cardinal, as a fave. I have since moved to Tennessee and am blessed to have lots of cardinals here too.
Your designs are so delightful AND accurate! Perhaps you could add one of the distantly beautiful, frequently seen, flying turkey vulture who is so ugly close up! I love cutting and using a few of their shedded, biggest feathers as lettering pens!
A variety of chicken or water ducks would be great. I have son wonderful duck stamp prints and would enjoy having ornaments to do with them.
The robin looks just like the flock that arrived this week on our field in western NY.
Thank you for all your free patterns and your emails that I so look forward to.
I wold love to see my favorite big cat…a cougar. They are so endangered and love to “see” one in my sewing studio. Your work is beautiful and thank you for the chance to win!
Congratulations To Hannah and Mom & Dad – job well done! My suggestion is a little out of your usual I wouldn’t mind some kits/patterns for Mushrooms to go with all the birds and forest friends!
My favorite birds are herons and egrets. To me, they are good luck symbols as they are in our area but you rarely see more than one at a time. I do enjoy the birds that you create!
Congrats on your last payment. I really like all your patterns. How about roosters and hens or a flamingo.
Have been using your wonderful patterns for years and years. Thank you so much for sharing. I would love to see patterns for a bat, mushroom, bumblebee, and the dragonfly. Congrats to you and your family. You have raised a talented daughter. She is following in her Mother’s footsteps. You are both so talented.
Congrats on paying it off, you feel so much lighter without it! I’d like to see a horseshoe crab. Just thinking of them brings me back to summers in Maine as a kid. They were like alien creatures to us. I can smell the little beach we went to and feel the wet sand and cold, cold water. I want to see how you’d do the ridges on the back and the legs on the underside. Challenge thrown down!
Congratulations How about a Cedar Waxwing?
My favorite bird is a Cedar Waxwing. It is so sleek and regal looking.
Love your patterns and recently made the cardinal just for me! My daughter is in love with Great Blue Herons…could you make a pattern for that majestic bird?
My Grandson’s wife is a photographer and I send her your lovely e-mails all the time – in fact I share them with many friends as well and some of them have become subscriber’s! A very talented family you have…thank you for sharing so much of that.
Hi Susan! Congratulations on your hard earned success!! I love your patterns and have improved my hand sewing making them. I know you have a sea turtle and the Blanding turtle but I would like to request a Gopher Tortoise from Florida. Their back legs are like elephant’s legs with claws and are just so interesting and important to our eco system. Thanks for your time and talent,
Sharon
Daytona Beach Shores Florida
Celebrations and congratulations!!!!! THank you so much for including us by offering this sweet giveaway!
Since this features a Spring robin, how about a pattern for a Spring peeper! When I hear their “singing”, I know the wonders of Spring have arrived . . . and maple syrup time, too!!!
Just love your shore birds! But I’d love to see a heron or egret. The kits work up so quickly, are a quality product and provide much enjoyment. Thanks for sharing your talents with us!
Love making your Backyard birds. I would love to see a pattern for a Puffin. Thank you for all your work and devotion to this art.
Thanks Susan for all the great patterns, but also for the heartwarming stories. I look forward to reading about your adventures 🙂 My first robin arrived yesterday, so this is a timely pattern. The peepers will be arriving soon! Have you considered a moose head – straight on showing a full antler rack?
Love your patterns – now that you’ve supplied me with a stash of felt, I’ve started on my favorite birds. How about a painted turtle?
I love your felt patterns! Have you considered doing flowers? I love all the birds you’ve done. How about a Western Tanager?
Wow! Congrats to your whole family–what a great group effort! I’ve made so many of your patterns and have loved them all. So many have been given to my family members because they were for one reason or another, perfectly appropriate at some point in their lives–it’s just wild how you seem to have a pattern for every occasion. 😉 Personally I prefer your “Critter” patterns, but that’s just me. That being said, how about a Macaw? The colors would be enormously fun to work with! Thanks for sharing your talents with people you don’t even know. <3
I read your blog, just never comment
best wishes to all of the entrants to your giveaway.
You are very sweet and generous and I love your life up there in Maine, away from the madness.
Congratulations on making the last tuition payment.
It was worth it in the end, right?
Congratulations! Have enjoyed your kits and all the free patterns. How about a lizard.
Wow, you came really come a long way. I love your patterns. Last year I made the cute corgi for our neighbors who have always had them.
I love everyone of the birds and look forward to anything new.
Congratulations to both you and Hannah. You can both be proud of your accomplishments. Thank you for sharing your creativity.
Well, I hope I’m not too late. How about making an Ivory-billed Woodpecker? I just learned about them this morning and they are supposed to be extinct but there have been some sightings. It’s similar to the pileated woodpecker but a little bigger I think? I love your bird patterns. And thanks for the opportunity to win!
I am just finishing my 1st kit of yours .. so easy to follow
I look forward to doing many more of your birds (and animals)
Thanks for sharing your creativity … HUGS
I love that you use your talents and inspire others. Any other bird patterns are great! An eagle with maybe his wings spread out. I see Eagles often where I live. I love their gracefulness!
I love all of your patterns! I do not believe I have seen a pattern for a badger. I think that might make a great pattern!
Enjoying your blog in Oregon, Paula
Congratulations on your last payment! I am sure you feel relieved at that! I love your patterns and don’t recall a bird or critter that you do not have so……why not try some flowers?
Love all your patterns
Just stumbled upon your website today. Beautiful patterns! I love to work with felt. I’d love to see you design a hawk. A baby red tailed hawk would be awesome.
Just stumbled upon your website today. Beautiful patterns! I’d love to see you design a hawk. A baby red tailed hawk would be awesome.
Congrats on making that final payment…..wooohooo!!!!I love your patterns and have made several of them. I made the free version of the robin and would love to make one of the newly designed ones.
I think flowers would be gorgeous. Imagine all the pretty bouquets or present tags flowers could make. Roses, lilacs, mums, regional flowers…it would open up a whole new design line for you.
Not sure if you’ve done a red knot or a horseshoe crab, those are both big in my area.
Congratulations on your final payment! That must feel amazing. Thank you for the chance to win the American Robin kit, I’ve wanted to try making some of your beautiful creations, this would be a great introduction. I, too, would love to see a collection of chickens! There are so many beautiful chicken breeds, and the roosters are absolutely stunning! Jan in MA
congratulations on your graduation from tuition payments. you have so many great patterns already. would love farm animals.