Gifted Gorgeousness - June 2020

Another month, another Gifted Gorgeousness. Hosted by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching this is an opportunity to share stitching projects/items that have been gifted to us or that we will be gifting. 

I'm stitching a silver anniversary wedding card using a chart gifted to me from Julie of Julie's StitchyKnitter Journal.  I've had the chart for over a year as originally I thought the silver anniversary was last year. Once I realised it wasn't, the project went on the back boiler until now. I love how the thread colours are blending with each other.

Silver Anniversary - Nia cross stitch
Fabric: 40ct cream Zweigart Newcastle linen
Threads: Recommended DMC and Anchor Marlitt threads

My Alpine Seasons Garden was a Christmas present from my husband several years ago. It has had very little attention during the past weeks as the weather has been so dull. The only addition has been about 20 light grey stitches on the extreme right of the snow capped mountains. I prefer stitching on it when it is bright as I think I concentrate better. Well, that's my excuse.

Alpine Seasons Garden - Chatelaine
as at 16 June 2020
Fabric: 32ct Belfast Sand linen
Threads: Recommended silk threads

My evening stitching continues to be Little Sheep Virtues. I have now completed 'Hope' and I've started stitching 'Patience'. There will no more stitching on this until I have finished the Silver Anniversary card.

Little Sheep Virtues - Little House Needleworks and
Sheep in the Meadow - Country Cottage Needleworks
Fabric: 40ct Zweigart Natural line
Threads: Recommended DMC and Weeks Dye Works threads

I've also baked a one pot yogurt cake as recommended by Christine. I didn't have a suitable cake tin so I found a slight variation of the recipe she suggested, here and baked it in a 2lb loaf tin. I used Greek yogurt and added a splash of lemon juice and some lemon zest and it tastes good. Half of the cake has gone in the freezer, for eating at a later date.

One pot yogurt cake with lemon flavouring

Stay Safe exchange

Clare at Needlecraft Haven is inventive and given the disruption/delays to postal services over the past couple of months, she decided to arrange a Stay Safe exchange. To our partner we each had to email a link to a free cross stitch design, a cake or biscuit recipe and recommend a film or T.V. series. My Stay Safe email partner was Clare and it was difficult making my selections as there are so many things I thought Clare would enjoy. If I was sending the email today it is more than likely it would be different!

My stitching design was Sweet Summer by Lizzie Kate.

I sent two recipes for my cake choice as these are both favourites of mine. The first is a no-bake Baileys Cheesecake. I used 2 tablespoons of Baileys rather than a miniature bottle and I found that plenty. My chocolate cake recipe is one that I've used for years.

Baileys Cheesecake with a
flaked chocolate decoration

My favourite chocolate sandwich

My film choices were The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and The Green Book.

After World War II, a writer forms
 an unexpected bond with the residents
of Guernsey Island when she decides
 to write a book about their
experiences during the war.

A working-class Italian-American bouncer
 becomes the driver of an
African-American classical pianist
 on a tour of venues through
the 1960s American South

I received my Stay Safe exchange email from Christine. Christine's design from La Comtesse et Le Point De Point is ideal to encourage positive thinking.

My fabric and thread choices
(for now)

La Comtesse & Le Point De Croix

A lemon flavoured yogurt will be added to my shopping list at the end of the week so that I can try this Yogurt Pot Cake from Nigella Lawson.

Based on her suggestions among my viewing choices this summer will be The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Misbehaviour.

A group of women hatch
 a plan to disrupt the 1970
Miss World beauty competition in London

A housewife in 1958 decides
to become a stand-up comic

 













Thank you Clare for organising this exchange which enables us to share those things that we enjoy.