Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop

Jo of Serendipitous Stitching is hosting our Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop. Each participant has a letter which when you have collected them all will reveal a mystery phrase. To visit all the blogs and compile the mystery message, please visit Jo's blog entry for the hop. Read on to see my Easter stitching, collect a letter from the phrase and find out who to visit next.

My letter is Y

Carol of Stitching Dreams often stitches on black fabric and her ornaments are beautiful. So I took the opportunity to stitch this little Prairie Schooler bunny on the suggested black fabric. As it was 18 count Aida, it wasn't hard to stitch on.

Easter Bunny- Prairie Schooler

Fabric: 18ct Black Aida

Threads: Suggested DMC

To find the next letter in Jo's mystery phrase, hop over to Jocondine's blog.

Fully Finished SAL - March 2021

For a change I'm ready to share my fully finished objects on the opening day for this thread. This SAL is hosted by Rachel (Ten Hour Stitcher) and the links to this month's other participants can be found here. 

I have two finishes this month. The first is a simple and straightforward padded card finish. As it needs to be in the post by Friday, I didn't dare delay finishing it any longer. It is a Just Nan design that I completed earlier in the year.

(Happy Birthday) Heartfelt Trio - Just Nan

Fabric: 28ct pale blue (not Zweigart) linen

Threads/Embellishments: Suggested DMC threads plus sequins

My second finish is a recycle of an earlier finish from 2015 when I stitched all the Prairie Schooler seasons designs from the February 2008 issue of The Gift of Stitching.  Originally I had finished this to sit on a little easel. 

However I was never really satisfied with this and had planned to change it for some time. I've now made it into a small pillow and will complete the other seasons in a similar manner throughout the year.

Spring - Prairie Schooler 

The Gift of Stitching, February 2008

Fabric: 18ct Flax Aida

Threads: Suggested DMC threads

Gifted Gorgeousness and Fully Finished SAL - December 2020

Once again I'm combining two blog events as there is a lot of overlap in what I am showing today. Jo of Serendipitous Stitching hosts Gifted Gorgeousness and you can found out how it works here. In summary it is an opportunity to show any stitching/craft related gifts you have made and/or received. 

Rachel of Ten Hour Stitcher is our host for our Fully Finished Gallery. The purpose of this gallery is to encourage stitchers to fully finish some, if not all, of their projects. I'm not great at finishing something when I've completed the stitching as I want to move on to the next thing instead. It's good for me to have an incentive to complete my smaller projects. 

First up is my gifted stitching.  For Advent I took part in Wichtelaktion (Advent Elf card exchange) organised by Martina. I wrote of this more fully in an earlier blog post but here is a reminder of the cards sent and received. 

 

Sent to Lynda Ruth (Purple Dixie)

 Received from June (Butterfly Wings)               

In addition, I received these extras from June.

Like many stitchers I've been busy stitching for Christmas over the past couple of months. The designs below are fully finished and have all been gifted. Three of these designs are from The Gift of Stitching magazine. I bought all the back copies years ago and in September I decided to choose some ornaments from this magazine. Just last month I discovered that there has been renewed interest in it and that it now has its own Facebook group. It's not like me to be 'on trend' :)

Prairie Schooler Santa - Prairie Schooler

Gift of Stitching, November 2008

Fabric: 32ct Raw unbleached linen

Threads: Suggested DMC

Snowed In - Something in Common in

Gift of Stitching, December 2006

Fabric: 32ct Flax linen

Threads: Suggested DMC threads

When I saw Snowed In on Margaret's Blog, I knew I had to stitch it. For some reason my photo is skewed. 

Snow Keeper - The Drawn Thread (freebie)

Fabric - Unknown light beige evenweave

Threads: Suggested DMC

Beaded Candle - unknown

Fabric: 18ct Antique White Aida

Mulberry Snowflake - Just Nan

Fabric: 32ct Natural Linen

Threads: Suggested DMC

Beads: Unknown petite brown/gold colour

Christmas Eve Deer - Prairie Schooler

Gift of Stitching, November 2009

Fabric: 32ct Raw unbleached linen

Threads: Suggested DMC

My first Christmas exchange of 2016

Thursday morning was opening day for Needlecraft Haven's Christmas ornament exchange.

I love the excitement of opening my packet to discover what is inside and as you can see I was not disappointed. I received this lovely snowman ornament from Angi. 

 I stitched Prairie Schooler's 'The Night Before Christmas' for Lindsay.

The Night before Christmas - Prairie Schooler
Design taken from CrossStitch Collection magazine
Stitched on 32ct Belfast Natural linen using recommended DMC threads

Another year almost over

Just taking a moment to wish everyone a Happy New Year. May 2016 bring you what you wish for and if you make resolutions, that you are able to keep them.

Here is my last stitched piece for 2016 which is 'Winter' by Prairie Schooler. I stitched this as part of Needlecraft Haven's four seasons SAL.

Winter - Prairie Schooler
stitched on 16ct Flax with recommended DMC threads

Prairie Schooler seasons

Throughout 2015, Clare has been running a four seasons SAL at Needlecraft Haven. To date, I hadn't shared my stitching with you so I thought I'd remedy that. Let me show you, Spring, Summer and Autumn from Prairie Schooler. Only Spring is fully finished and the other two seasons are just stitched. These designs were in The Gift of Stitching, Number 25, February 2008 (now discontinued).

Now all I need to do is stitch the winter design and finish off it and the other seasons so that they too can sit on a mini easel.

Spring - Prairie Schooler
stitched on 18ct Flax aida

Summer - Prairie Schooler
stitched on 18ct Flax aida

Autumn - Prairie Schooler
stitched on 18ct Flax aida

It's the most wonderful time ... Day 1

Due to work commitments, until now I've been unable to update my blog with the lovely Christmas exchanges I've received. To do each one justice, I'll do a daily post over the next three days to show what I've received and what I made.
My first Christmas ornament came from Gill at Needlecraft Haven. She made this beautiful Santa/St Nicholas ornament with a rocking horse charm. Unbeknown to Gill, she fulfilled a childhood dream. I always wanted Santa to take me a rocking horse and now he has :)

Santa ornament from Gill
Needlecraft Haven Christmas ornament exchange

I stitched a Santa ornament for Clare in this exchange. This was a Prairie Schooler 'freebie' pattern. I liked this design, so I plan to stitch it again.

Santa - Prairie Schooler sent to Clare
Needlecraft Haven Christmas ornament exchange