Some Christmas stitching

Last week I decided to do some Christmas stitching. This gingerbread boy design will be for my youngest niece. It was a quick stitch from the 2012 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament magazine.

Sweet Hugs Gingerbread Boy - Keepsake Stitches
Fabric: 32ct Belfast Flax linen
Threads: Suggested DMC and DMC alternatives

I also started 'Silent Night' by Country Cottage Needleworks. I love how the thread colours show up on this fabric. The fabric, threads and chart were a Secret Santa gift from Jennifer at The Stitch Specialists in 2012. This will now be my Wednesday Parlour night stitching at Needlecraft Haven.

Silent Night - Country Cottage Needleworks
Fabric: 32ct Belfast Pearl linen
Threads: Recommended DMC, Weeks Dye Works and sampler threads

Unfinished exchange

Over at Friendly Stitchers we had an unfinished exchange where you stitched something small and sent it with fabric / other notions to your partner who will decide how it should be completed.

My partner was Joyce (Joyce's Love of Life) and she sent me this lovely autumn design with some woollen material and ribbon. I haven't decided how I will finish it - maybe as a hanging ornament?

Autumn design - Unfinished exchange from Joyce

I stitched this Told In A Garden design 'Friendship quilt' and sent it with some backing fabric and a small canvas and easel stand (not shown). I'm curious to see how Joyce will finish it.

Friendship Quilt - Told In A Garden, The Bookmark Collection
Fabric: 28ct evenweave in a natural like colour
Threads: recommended DMC threads

Joyful World SAL and a little quilting

I finished August in the Joyful World SAL this week. This one was special to me as it reminded me of my father's last dog. He was a great canine friend. I was pleased with how my lazy daisy stitches came out. Usually they never lie as I would like.

August, Joyful World SAL - The Snowflower Diaries
Fabric: 40ct Newcastle Vintage Mocha
Threads: Suggested DMC threads

I've made progress on quilting my hexagon quilt.

Design: Josette, found in Magic Patch hors serie, no.91,
'15 quilts miniatures'
Fabric, Moda charm pack  'Icicle kisses'

Since it is just the inner and outer edge of the centre rosette that is being quilted, it is not obvious in the above photo what I have done. So here are a couple of close-ups. I'm finding it hard to produce even stitches.  I've read in Kathleen Tracy's latest Sentimental Quilter blog post about Tiger Tape. This is supposed to help you learn to space your stitches evenly. I'm tempted to give it a try but I suppose what I really need to do is just practise and be patient.

Potted Poinsettia - Travelling pattern winner

In time honoured fashion, my dear husband chose the next recipient for this pattern by choosing between the letter 'D' or 'S'. He was bemused by my request as I didn't explain why he was doing it until he had chosen.

He chose the letter 'D' for Deb. If you email me your address, I will be able to post the pattern to you on Wednesday, Deb. I hope you enjoy stitching it as much as I did.

Latest stitching

It's been a week of stitching little bits and pieces on different things as I had a couple of items which were almost stitched.

I finished my hardanger piece at the beginning of the week and though I say so myself, I really like the colours. In fact I decided that I would use it as a coaster so I went looking for some coaster covers I had. I found them - three different sizes, but they were all round! So I'm back to my original idea of finishing this as a lavender sachet.

Hardanger Coaster - Abi Gurden, Bee's Needleworks
Fabric: 25ct white evenweave
Threads: Anchor #5 perle 386, Anchor #5 perle 1304, DMC 3823

I had only the border to complete on April's Joyful World SAL so I finished that one evening.

April, Joyful World SAL - The Snowflower Diaries
Fabric: 40ct Newcastle Vintage Mocha
Threads: Suggested DMC threads

The following day I completed the outstanding stitching on Snow Days from Little House Needleworks.

Snow White- Little House Needleworks
Fabric: 28ct unknown linen in a thyme-green colour
Threads: DMC 3865

For now, I've skipped May, June and July and I'm stitching August from the Joyful World SAL.

August, Joyful World SAL - The Snowflower Diaries
Fabric: 40ct Newcastle Vintage Mocha
Threads: Recommended DMC threads

All in all a satisfying week, stitching wise.

Back to Hardanger

It's been a while since I did any hardanger so I pulled out this design by Abi Gurden of Bee's Needleworks.
It was a complimentary design when I signed up for her Confetti of Hardanger SAL a couple of years ago. I hope to complete the stitching over the weekend.
When it is finished I think I will complete it as a lavender sachet/cushion rather than a coaster.

Hardanger Coaster - Abi Gurden, Bee's Needleworks
Fabric: 25ct white evenweave
Threads: Anchor #5 perle 386, Anchor #5 perle 1304, DMC 3823

Potted Poinsettia - Finished and A Giveaway

It's taken a few weeks to get there but I've finally finished my stitching on LHN's 'Potted Poinsettia', also known as the Perambulating Poinsettia. This has become a travelling, gifted chart and so it has acquired an alternative name.

I was gifted this chart from Christine (The Alchymyst's Study) and I now would like to gift it on. If you'd like to be the next person to stitch it, please let me know via the comments box below. If more than one person is interested, I'll draw a name by the end of Sunday 14 August 2016. I will also include a small 'stitchy related' gift which will fit in a standard size envelope. Give the cost of overseas postage these days, I think we all find ourselves being practical, hence the self-imposed size restriction.

I haven't decided on how I will finish it yet, but here it is.

Little House Needleworks - Potted Poinsettia
Fabric: 28ct Cashel Flax linen
Threads: Atalie - Les 4 Saisons, Carmen and Desert

Here comes the bride ... (Juliet mouse)

Romeo the Groom Mouse doesn't need to wait any longer for his Juliet. She has arrived!

Just Nan - Juliet the Bride Mouse
Fabric: 32ct Silvery Moon Belfast linen
Threads: Recommended DMC, Kreinik #4 Braid #3231 and accessory pack

Here are Romeo and Juliet together. I hope these will be a fond reminder of their wedding day for our cousin's son and his bride.

Just Nan - Romeo the Groom Mouse and Juliet the Bride Mouse
Fabric: 32ct Silvery Moon Belfast linen
Threads: Recommended DMC, Kreinik #4 Braid #3231 and accessory pack

It wasn't any easier inserting Juliet's tail than it was Romeo's. I'm sure there is a knack to it but I don't know what it is. As I struggled with the tail I kept my fingers crossed (literally speaking) that I wouldn't tear the fabric. If you know an easy way of doing this, please let me know as I have the Christmas mice on my 'to do' list.

Romeo is waiting on Juliet

During this spell of hot, sunny weather, I have been stitching ... slowly.
Just Nan's Romeo the Groom Mouse has now been stitched and finished but as you see in the photo below, poor Juliet is still waiting to be made up.

Just Nan - Romeo the Groom Mouse and an unfinished Juliet the Bride Mouse
Fabric: 32ct Silvery Moon Belfast linen
Threads: Recommended DMC, Kreinik #4 Braid #3231 and accessory pack

With the exception of inserting his tail, this was easier to make up than I expected. It makes me wonder why I kept putting it off during this past week. Below you can see a close-up of Romeo on his own, waiting for his Juliet.

Just Nan - Romeo the Groom Mouse

Fabric: 32ct Silvery Moon Belfast linen

Threads: Recommended DMC, Kreinik #4 Braid #3231 and accessory pack

I've made some progress on LHN's "The Potted Poinsettia" but it is not yet finished. It's larger than I would like but that is my fault for stitching it on 28ct and not 32ct as planned. By the time I realised my mistake, I had stitched too much to feel like starting again.

Little House Needleworks - Potted Poinsettia
Fabric: 28ct Cashel Flax linen
Threads: Atalie - Les 4 Saisons, Carmen and Desert

Christmas in July

Just wanted to share that Carole who blogs 'From My Carolina Home' is holding a 12 days of Christmas tour from the 14-25 July to get started ahead of time with ideas for handmade gifts, table toppers, recipes, mini quilts and lots of other crafty things. In addition she will be joining in a blog hop and having giveaways too. See here for more information.

A short update

I'm pleased to say that I achieved my goal from last week, that is, to get my hexagon quilt to the 'sandwich' stage.

Here it is! The dark red fabric with the deep cream pattern is the backing fabric and will also be the binding.

I want to start quilting the rosettes ... now. Maybe I'll take it on holiday with me next week. We are self-catering, so there is a chance that I might be able to do something in the evenings? That's probably wishful thinking.

Design: Josette found in Magic Patch hors serie, no. 91,

'15 quilts miniatures'

Fabric: Moda charm pack 'Icicle Kisses'

I've started stitching "The Perambulating Poinsettia" that I won in Christine's of The Alchymyst's Study give-away. I plan to finish it by the end of the month so that it can continue its travels via a give-away here. I took lots of photos but I found it very hard to capture the true colours of my fabric and thread. This is the best I could manage.

Little House Needleworks - Potted Poinsettia
Fabric: 28ct Cashel Flax linen
Threads: Atalie - Les 4 Saisons, Carmen and Desert

Happy May Day

In our local town, there is a flower show held every May day. Since I am not always here when it is held, I made sure to be there today. The sun was shining and though there was a cold breeze blowing, there was a good turnout of people. For a change, in addition to an update on my hexagon quilt, I thought I would share some of the photos I took at the flower market. I hasten to add that I am not the gardener in our household. I enjoy looking at flowers but everything else to do with them I leave to my husband.

First up is one of the stalls selling lily of the valley (muguet). These are traditionally sold on the 1st of May here as symbols of springtime and good luck.

Lily of the valley

A selection of the plants available to buy as well as some metal garden ornaments.

A selection of hens, birds, wind chimes and other garden ornaments

Finally, the latest progress on my miniature hexagon quilt. I'm almost halfway through stitching the rows together (the bottom left section). I hope to finish this part of the project and add the batting and backing by next weekend. After that I will be putting it aside for a while as I have two wedding samplers (both in the same design) and a house warming gift to stitch before the end of the July. I have stitched both the designs for these before so I know it is achievable within my timeframe.

Design: Josette found in Magic Patch hors serie, no. 91,

'15 quilts miniatures'

Fabric: Moda charm pack 'Icicle Kisses'