Advent Blog Hop - 8th December

The Advent Blog Hop is again hosted by Jo, Serendipitous Stitching. There is an entry for each day up to and including the 24th December. Pop over to Jo's blog for the list of participants.

My winter/Christmas themed stitching that I'm sharing today is a Christmas Robin. This was due to be completed as an envelope but due to my miscalculations it's larger than that. I'm thinking of finishing it as a mounted flat-fold ornament. That won't happen until I find the safe place that I put it!

A Robin's Christmas - Lynne Nicoletti

Fabric: 28ct pale blue linen

Threads and beads: Recommended DMC and Wisper threads, Mill Hill beads

This year Jo asked us to share our favourite Santa traditions from our family or local area. The main thing I remember about Santa was that he came down the chimney in our bedroom (it is an old farmhouse) and left our toys at the foot of the bed. We were told that if we ever saw Santa delivering our presents that would be the final time he would visit us. Needless to say that left us with the quandary of who would risk getting out of bed during the night to see if our presents had been delivered. Someone usually did and we learnt in later years that we were usually awake not long after Santa had visited.

One summer there was great excitement when the chimney was cleaned and a small soft toy duck fell down it. As children we were convinced that it fell out of Santa's sack when he was leaving us the Christmas before. The mystery of how that unknown toy ended up there has never solved.

Enjoy your month of December.

Gifted Gorgeousness - November 2023

It's  a good job that Jo keeps the link up page for Gifted Gorgeousness open until the end of the month, otherwise I would have missed another month. If you visit Jo's blog you can find the other Gifted Gorgeousness posts for November.

Needlecraft Haven held an Autumn exchange at the end of October and I took part. I stitched this flat ornament for Julie. I now need to stitch this design again so that I have it for myself. I already have Spring and Summer completed as small pillows.

Spot of Autumn- The Drawn Thread

Fabric - 32ct Zweigart Light Mocha linen

Threads - Suggested DMC threads

Charm - Acorn charm from stash

I received this pillow from Christine. I love the Hips (I think they are hips and not haws) as they remind me of walking home from primary school along a country backroad.

For those of you who might be interested, an explanation of the difference between the two berries can be found here.

Needlecraft Haven Autumn Exchange

Received from Christine

I've not stitched much this year but I have returned to working on Just Nan's Tea with Honey. This is a travelling pattern that has been temporarily gifted to me from Jo.

Tea with Honey - Just Nan

Fabric: 28ct Zweigart Flax Cashel linen

Threads: Suggested DMC threads

Until next time, enjoy your stitching.

Halloween Trick or Treat Blog Hop 2023

It's Halloween and time for Jo's annual Halloween Trick or Treat Blog Hop. If you want to make sure that you've collected all the letters for the mystery phrase make sure to go to Jo's blog where you will find the link to all this year's participants .

I've pulled out one of my favourite Halloween finishes from a few years ago. I like the quick and effective use of felt here.

Boo - Val's Stuff

JCS Halloween 2012

Fabric: Crafty Kitten 32ct Belfast Mottled Sage

Threads: Suggested DMC threads

This year my letter is:

and the next person in this blog hop is:

Books, Crafts and other procrastinations 

Gifted Gorgeousness - May

Our Internet has been erratic this past month and the telephone company seem to be no closer to solving the problem, whatever the problem is. This will be a short post as I wish to get it up while I can.

First up is a quilted throw that I started back in late November. I followed Jenny Doan's tutorial (Missouri Star Quilt Co) on how to make this Double Friendship Star quilt. The recipient received it last month and was delighted with it. I admit I was pleased with it too.

Double Friendship Star - Missouri Star Quilt Co

Front

Double Friendship Star - Missouri Star Quilt Co

Label and close up of quilted star

Double Friendship Star - Missouri Star Quilt Co

Back

My other item of Gifted Gorgeousness is my long delayed start to Tea with Honey. This is a Travelling Pattern which Jo has passed on to me. After debating which colour fabric to use as I had no Light Sand Cashel linen I settled on Flax. Then I discovered that Light Sand is also know as Latte! I'm glad that I'm happy with Flax as I would hate to restart this project. Oh, I've just noticed that I've missed some stitching in the green border. I must fill that in first thing later today.

Tea with Honey - Just Nan

Fabric: 28ct Zweigart Flax Cashel linen

Threads: Suggested DMC threads

If you are not familiar with Gifted Gorgeousness which is hosted by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching, you can find the full details of how it operates here.

Fully Finished Gallery and an Easter Exchange

I hope you all had a good Easter Sunday. As I participated in Needlecraft Haven's Easter exchange (hosted by Clare) I have some Fully Finished items to show.

I stitched this free 2011 Easter Heart design from Aliolka for Christine.

Easter Heart - Aliolka

Fabric: 32ct Zweigart Vintage pale blue Belfast linen

Threads: Suggested DMC threads but substituted DMC 3078 for 727

As Christine often shares cat images I couldn't resist stitching this free Janie Hubble design of a cat in an eggshell for her as well. Sadly this design no longer seems to be available.

Krazy Kitty's Easter - Janie Hubble Designs

Fabric: 32ct Zweigrart White Belfast linen

Threads: Suggested DMC threads but substituted DMC 703 for 704 and DMC 415 for 318

Though she organised the exchange, Clare didn't take part, so as a Thank you I stitched this free design from My Fanny. I omitted the word 'Easter' from the original design.

Easter - My Fanny Design

Fabric: 32ct Zweigart Antique White linen

Threads: Suggested DMC threads

I also included this Hardanger card.

Hardanger cross - Designer unknown

Fabric - 32ct Fabric Flair unknown colour

Threads: DMC Perle 8 Ecru, unknown DMC soft pink and green

Over the Valentine season Clare and I stitched a card for each other. I stitched this Friendship card which was special to me as I had received the design kit in a previous Valentine Exchange from Angie, one of Needlecraft Haven's departed members.

Friendship - Carolyn Meachan, Serendipity Designs Kit

Fabric: 28ct Zweigart Natural Linen (replacing Aida in kit)

Threads: DMC as provided in kit

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop

Hello again and welcome to the next step in the Easter Treasure Hunt.  This Blog Hop is hosted by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching. To learn more about this Hop and find all the letters to complete the mystery phrase, please head over to Jo's where she lists all the participants with links to their blog.

My letter for the blog hop is:

K

The next letter in the Hop can be found with Mouse of Tales of a Stitching Mouse. 

Most of my Easter stitching has been gifts which I will show later but for now I will share this Hardanger card which I have stitched a number of times. 

Hardanger cross - Designer unknown

Fabric - 32ct Fabric Flair unknown colour

Threads: DMC Perle 8 Ecru, unknown DMC soft pink and green

Wishing you all a Happy Easter.

Advent Calendar Blog Hop 2022

Sorry, I've just discovered that this blog post disappeared. I wondered why I received just one comment. I hope it stays up this time

I might not have been stitching recently but I didn't want to miss Jo's Advent Blog Hop. Each person taking part posts a photo of something we have stitched with a Christmas or Winter theme. In addition we answer a question which this year is "What's for Afters?", otherwise known as dessert.

Jo has listed this year's participants for each day here. Day 3 will be from Clare at Aimetu's Stitching.

My photo is a small Christmas ornament called Joy Ambigram by Meg Shinall of The Flower Thread Company. This design features in The Gift of Stitching, Issue 69, November 2011. The fact that the word "Joy" in the design is an ambigram (can be read right-side-up or upside down) appealed.

Joy Ambigram - Meg Shinall, The Flower Thread Company

Fabric: 28ct Zweigart White Linen

Threads: DMC - Blanc; Carrie's Creation - Frosty Pine, Colonial Red

Growing up we always had a choice of 'After's' on Christmas Day. It was either Christmas Pudding with custard or Sherry Trifle with whipped cream. I usually chose the Christmas Pudding and had my Sherry Trifle in the evening. As Christmas Pudding isn't a 'thing' in France, I settle for keeping the tradition going with Sherry Trifle and the second choice of dessert is a butter cream chocolate Buche Noel.

Gifted Gorgeousness and Fully Finished Gallery - September 2022

At Needlecraft Haven we exchanged summer themed pincushions. This is the pincushion that I sent to Julie using a free design from Hello at Liz Mathews and it is my sole Fully Finished item for the past month.

Summer Celebration Small - Hello from Liz Mathews

Fabric: 28ct Zweigart White linen

Threads: Recommended DMC threads

In return I received this beautiful sunflower pincushion and threads from Gill. The sunflower is appropriate as so much of the surrounding countryside is full of them during July and August.

I also sent to Clare these two initials (J and Q) for her church Christmas tree. If you read her blog you will have seen her finishing of these here. The J initial is a free design from Fox and Rabbit Designs' Cherry Monogram Pincushion.

 J from Cherry Monogram Pincushion- Fox and Rabbit Designs

Fabric: 32ct Zweigart Vintage Blue linen

Threads: Suggested DMC threads but substituted Atalie's Carmen for red

Q from Country Alphabet - Leisure Arts

Fabric: 32ct Zweigart Silver Moon linen

Threads: Recommended DMC threads

For those of you unfamiliar with Jo's Gifted Gorgeousness and Rachel's Fully Finished Gallery SALs, further details can be found here and here.

Until next time, enjoy your leisure interests.

Stitching Friends Summer Blog Hop

 

This year's Summer Blog Hop from Jo of Serendipitous Stitching is another opportunity to get to know our stitching friends. We each write something to describe our stitching friend and choose a design we think they might like. I will reveal my partner at the end of this blog post.

My UK Stitching Friend has been blogging for the past nine years though of course she has been crafting for much longer. You will note my use of the word 'crafting' as this stitcher can turn her hand to crossstitch, quilting, applique, lace making, salt dough and card making to name a few. However, by her own admission, knitting is not one of her strong points and she has not acquired a liking for it.

I tried to determine if this stitcher has a style but I think her style (in her own words) is best described as unique but I discovered that she definitely has a weakness for dragons. I thought she might like this scissor fob I stitched for an exchange some years ago. It is by Dragon Dreams Inc and it is her 2011 Thanksgiving Facebook Sample Chart. I changed the wording on my version.

Even though this stitcher will work on more than one project at a time she focuses on that project while it is in her hands, even when that involves some dreaded backstitch. Her two main projects currently appear to be her Wednesday night SAL with her friend and her Sunday stitching time while she listens to the speakers at her church. 

Before I reveal my Stitching Friend I have another design that I think she would like. Based on some of her patchwork and quilting projects as well as recent crossstitch I think this Celtic knotwork Crosses design from Teresa Wentzler would appeal.

Celtic Knotwork Crosses by Teresa Wentzler

In case you haven't guessed by now, my Stitching Friend is Deborah from A Patchwork of Crafts. 

All the participants in the 2022 Summer Blog Hop can be found at Jo's Blog, Serendipitous Stitching.

Gifted Gorgeousness and Fully Finished Gallery SAL - July

Between visiting family and this heatwave I managed to squeeze in some stitching during the past month.

For those of you unfamiliar with Jo's Gifted Gorgeousness and Rachel's Fully Finished Gallery SALs, further details can be found here and here.

Increasingly I find it difficult to find birthday cards that I like to send. My taste hasn't kept pace with that of the card industry. As a result I stitched this card for a 60th birthday and it is both my Gifted Gorgeousness and Fully Finished item this month. The cupcake design is free on Durene Jones's Facebook page.

Cupcake - Durene Jones

Fabric: 28ct Crafty Kitten Jobelan Just Peachy

Threads: Recommended DMC threads

There has been no progress on my Alpine Seasons Garden this month but I have managed to catch up on my Jardin Privé Temperature SAL. Here is the midway point at the end of June.

Projet Météo 2022 - Jardin Privé

Fabric: 32ct Zweigart Light Lilac linen

Threads: Suggested range of cool, warm and other DMC colours

and using a 4 degree Celsius range between colours

As the heatwave continues, stay cool and safe.

Fully Finished Gallery - June 2022 and Needlecraft Haven Jubilee Exchange

I actually have something to show for this month's Fully Finished Gallery which is hosted by Rachel, The Ten House Stitcher.

At Needlecraft Haven we had a Jubilee coaster exchange and I stitched this Commemorative Crown free design for Gill (no blog). It was my first time putting stitching in a round coaster and I imagine it will be awhile before I do it again. It was fiddly! I added some lettering, ER II and 70 years in silver but I couldn't get it to show up well in any photographs. I should have used another colour such as purple. Why purple you might ask.

Commemorative Crown design - Jenny Barton www.gathered.how

Fabric: 28ct Brittany Ivory evenweave

Threads: Suggested DMC threads except Krenik 102HL for

DMC Light Effects Gold and a gold sewing thread for backstitch

Well, it so happened that Clare stitched the same design for me and she used purple which as you can see below is more effective. As an aside, purple is one of my favourite colours.

This is not the first time that Clare and I have stitched the same design in exchanges.

Finally an update on my Jardin Privé Temperature SAL. Here is how it looked at the end of May. As you can see, it is definitely getting warmer. I haven't started on the strong reds yet but I'm getting there.

Projet Météo 2022 - Jardin Privé

Fabric: 32ct Zweigart Light Lilac linen

Threads: Suggested range of cool, warm and other DMC colours

and using a 4 degree Celsius range between colours

Happy Easter and Gifted Gorgeousness - April 2022

Happy Easter. We had an Easter card exchange at Needlecraft Haven and I received this pretty card from Clare. These colours are so delicate. I wish I had an Easter egg tree in my my garden :)

Easter card from Clare, Needlecraft Haven

For this exchange Clare was my partner and I stitched an egg design from The Cricket Collection.

Tisket-a-Tasket Egg - The Cricket Collection

Fabric: 28ct Jobelan, The Crafty Kitten, January 2018 Limited Edition

Threads: Suggested DMC threads

I'm still stitching on my Jardin Privé Temperature SAL and this is my progress as at 31 March 2022. The range between my daily and minimum temperatures in March is broad.

Projet Météo 2022 - Jardin Privé

Fabric: 32ct Zweigart Light Lilac linen

Threads: Suggested range of cool, warm and other DMC colours

and using a 4 degree Celsius range between colours

In recent weeks I wasn't able to stitch as much as I would have liked on Chatelaine's Alpine Seasons Garden nor Wiehenburg's Cottage Garden SAL but at least some progress was made.

The final side of the border on Alpine Seasons Garden has met up (bottom border) and I am currently filling it in. When that is completed I'll have 'just' the corner flowers to stitch and then it will be time to start beading.

Alpine Seasons Garden - Chatelaine as at 9 September 2022

Fabric: 32ct Belfast Sand linen

Threads: Recommended silk threads

I'm still stitching the first part of the Cottage Garden SAL. While I like it on the cream fabric I wonder if it would 'pop' more if I had used a fabric that was slightly darker. I'm not inclined to restart it so I will continue on cream.

Cottage Garden SAL - Wiehenburg

Fabric: 40ct Zweigart Ivoire/Cream

Threads: Suggested DMC threads

To see who else has taken part in April's Gifted Gorgeousness and to learn more about it, please visit Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.