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Tuesday 26 December 2017

Boxing Day Renamed "Stitching Day"

As the Advent Calendar revealed that some countries do not celebrate Boxing Day and others simply have Second Christmas (like festive hobbits) I have decided that 26th December will  henceforth be International Stitching Day.  Just sit in your stitching spot nibbling on leftover turkey and chocolates while stitching to your heart's content.

We will start with a piece that I actually stitched just before Christmas.  I finished Joan Elliott's 12 Days of Christmas on 15th December so technically I had 9 stitching days before Christmas Day but I knew I was working on 4 of them and would be pretty busy on the other 5 so I decided to stitch a very small design.  Kerry the Biscornu Addict showed what she would be stitching on in the run-up to Christmas which inspired me to stitch one of the same designs:

Merry Christmas by Stitchrovia
Stitched on 28 count Colonial Blue evenweave

This was the cover kit with Cross Stitch Crazy issue 237 and came with this red hoop but I will probably scrapbook it instead.

My Christmas Day start is another 12 Days of Christmas design (No, Stephanie, I cannot get enough of these designs!).  I'm doing 12 Days of Stitchmas as I did last year.  So on Day 1, I stitched Block 1:


On Day 2, I stitched on Block 2 and Block 1:


On Day 3 I will stitch a little of each of the first 3 blocks and so on.  The plan is to stitch the black border on the new day so I can get the placement right for the next day.  Then one length on each of the preceding blocks.  Chosen to avoid changing colour too much!

At the end of the Twelfth Day of Christmas I should have Block 1 completed and then I will stitch one block a month for the rest of the year.

Today being the 26th I should have stitched my spooky conversion of the Enchanted Alphabet by Lavender & Lace.  But guess where that it?  In the chest hidden behind the Christmas tree!  So that will have to wait until Epiphany when the tree comes down.

Instead I picked up the next project in the rotation; my Zodiac SAL by Donna Kooler:

stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen

I'd already done my 10-a-day and 30-a-day projects in the morning:

Just Nan - Summer in the Square

Just Nan Butterfly Rose

There's still one more project to come today, the bathtime stitching which is Dracula's Book Cover by Dam Good Crafts.  Here's where I finished last night having just started the moon:

stitched on 32 count Amortentia Belfast by Chromatic Alchemy

So that's five pieces in one day!  Same again tomorrow and the rest of the month until I go back to work on 1st January.  For one day.  Then another week off.  I do love part-time working, especially when you do lieu hours in December and get to take them in January.

I do hope you all had a lovely Christmas and got everything you wanted.  My favourite presents were stitching and book related, of course.  I also got these really cute earrings:


She does quite a range of books and will do custom designs too!  I wonder if I ordered our Book of the Month each month if I could put them through petty cash?

I NEED the Alice in Wonderland ones next, then some Discworld covers, the Dragonriders of Pern, The Power (Naomi Alderman) and then every book Chris Riddell has ever done a cover for...

Finally, we are approaching the end of the year so I will be putting up the Sign-Up page for Gifted Gorgeousness soon and preparing my special recipe End of Year Pie for all you Statistic lovers.  But before that we have the final Smalls post on Friday!











26 comments:

gracie said...

Great idea...Stitching Day for Boxing Day. I managed to do a bit of tatting.

Katie said...

Fantastic projects. I've had catch up on emails and blog reading day instead haha.

Mary said...

I am glad you are getting some stitching done. Your start looks great and I am enjoying your progress on all of your wips.

Vickie said...

Merry Christmas is a great finish!

Sarah Beth’s Stitching said...

Really nice finishes. Love the Halloween one

Brigitte said...

I think that's the best thing ever you can do on Boxing Day - stitch! And stitching on five projects throughout a day sounds like a lot of fun.
I love your Merry Christmas finish very much. And I'm not really surprised that you started another 12 Days of Christmas project for the next year.

Justine said...

I need a lie down just from reading all that! I love those earrings.

Mini said...

I like renaming of Boxing day. Lovely Stitchrovia finish, why not use the hoop for finish?Lovely earrings.

Mary said...

Great idea to rename Boxing Day stitching day!! Wow, the Dracula's book cover is neat, I might have to do that for my husband, we went to Dracula's castle in Romania!! The Just Nan stitch is so pretty....you certainly are an ambitious stitcher with so many variations of style. Mary

D1-D2 said...

You've been busy. I love the earrings.

Linda said...

You always amaze me at how much stitching you get done in a day Jo. I so need to get organized. I have like 15 challenges a month next year and I'm sure I'll fail the first month. They sound like great goals when I'm thinking about them this month.

Linda

Kerryp77 said...

Fab finish on the Christmas hoop. love the fabric that Dracula is stitched on.

Sheryl said...

I like the idea of stitching day on Boxing day. Pretty work as always Jo, I especially like the Summer in the Square and the Merry Christmas piece. lovely unusual earrings.

Susan said...

Those earrings are wonderful. That "store" is definitely going on my "look at and droll" list. Great progress on everything. Will be watching your 12 Days. I have my 12 Days berries from Erica Michaels in the wings, but not sure if I will pull them out or not yet.

Rhona said...

What a great plan for boxing day!Love the Just Nan projects.

Julie said...

Your 12 Days of Stitchmas border looks very much like my Just Nan that's hanging on the fireplace, its one of our favourite Christmas stitchy projects that come out.
Perhaps you could get authors to have some of those earings made to promote upcoming books and you could model them at work....

rosey175 said...

Man, I want to be a festive hobbit. Your stitching looks lovely. Summer in the Square looks especially sweet.

Aaa those earrings are fantastic! I've seen the needle minders before but wearable books are awesome too.

Barb said...

Merry Christmas is so pretty. I love the bright colors!

Renee said...

Such beautiful stitching! I love the earrings.

Carol said...

Yes! That is a great idea to rename it, Jo! I asked my sons if they new when Boxing Day was and they both did--I was amazed :) Lovely stitching and I do hope 2018 brings you many lovely hours of stitchy contentment!

Christine said...

Stitching Day sounds like a plan to me!
I LOVE those earrings!

StitchyDragon Creates said...

Festive Hobbits! Bwahaha! Stitching and leftovers sounds like a perfect Boxing Day to me! Lots of lovely stitching there but I especially love your version of the little hoop on the dark blue fabric. And those earrings!!!! Wishing you a very happy (and stitchy) New Year!
Helen

Anna van Schurman said...

Love the book jewelry. Had a hard time making choices on my visit! :)

Leonore Winterer said...

I immensely like the idea of international stitching day, and I shall certainly help spread the word about it! Coincidentally, I also spent a large portion of that day stitching. You made some great use of your stitching time!

beadgirl said...

Oh my gosh I love the earrings!

I need to get back to cross stitching -- between this stupid, horrible cold I've had for 11 days and trying to knit a scarf for my son, I've neglected the poor, last ornament I'm determined to finish before Sunday.

Suz said...

I'm still absolutely adoring your Dracula book cover.