December TUSAL Two

    

It's TUSAL time!  December has two TUSALs this year and round off the year nicely.

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current project:

This is Aslan from Life in Stitch on Etsy.

Aslan looks a bit creepy with two large black holes in his face but they will be filled in soon.  I'm stitching colour by colour, darkest to lightest.  I'm now on the palest blue and will then finish with white.

stitched on 28 count black evenweave

Finally, here is the list of New Moons for 2025 if you want to join in with the TUSAL:

December WIPocalypse Annual Review

     

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

Each month we have to share the projects we want to complete before the End Of The World.

Since 2011 I have chosen a number of projects to focus on that year, starting with my "11 in '11" and increasing to "24 in '24" for this year.

1. Sweetheart Tree - September Strawflowers  - Finish
2. Shepherd's Bush - Halloween Trifles  - Finish
3. Rainbow Hunter - Alice Bottles - WIP
4. Drawn Thread - Spot of Summer
5. Drawn Thread - Spot of Autumn
6. Lizzie*Kate - Sampling Christmas  - Finish
7. Shannon Christine - 12 Days of Christmas  - WIP
8. La Broderie - Quiet Hour Sampler  - Finish
9. Shepherd's Bush - Amaranth - Finish
10. Full Circle Designs - Moonshadow Mini - Finish
11. Hands on Designs - Nevermore  - Finish
12. Living on the Rainbow - Haunted House  - Finish 
13. Joan Elliott - Faces SAL  - Finish
14. Stitchy Princess - Alice in Wonderland - Finish
15. Life in Stitch - Aslan  - WIP
16. Tra La La - Couer de Sorciere  - Finish
17. Cottage Garden Samplings - 1st Day of Christmas   - Finish
18. Nora Corbett - Claire - Finish
19. Nora Corbett - Capricorn  - Finish
20. Maria Brovko - Evening in the Shire  - Finish
21. Cottage Garden Samplings - Year in the Woods - WIP
22. Primitive Hare - Hocus Pocus Cabinet - Finish
23. Cricket Collection - Spring - Finish
24. Cottage Garden Samplings - Halloween Sampler  - Finish

18 projects ticked off from the list this year (but one was a triple finish, three were parts of a series which makes 23 individual finishes).

There were only two projects that didn't get touched.  The two Drawn Thread Spots both got bumped in favour of seasonal projects, my Just Nanathon in May and Dark October.  The two December picks are both WIPs but close to a finish.  The final two are both ongoing series where I finished some of the designs but not all.

Here are the 23 WIPocalypse Finishes - I did have more finishes this year, these are just the ones from my "24 in '24"

I've been thinking about doing a  "25 in '25" for next year and have decided not to pick 25 projects out.  I really want to try focus on my oldest WIP and on one larger project.  I have put together my WIPGO Board which is a FB group where you make a Bingo Board for 25 of your projects.  The Admin calls 2 numbers each month and you reward yourself for completing rows or columns. 

So I do have "25 in '25", it's just that there are 2 projects with 6 numbers each, 6 projects with 2 numbers each and 1 Longest Day Marathon.

My evening project will be a lovely chart I received for Christmas, the 12 Days of Christmas Stocking by Annie Beez Folkart because clearly I do not have enough 12 Days designs in my rotation...

I've got a list of Smalls I will stitch if I finish each stocking before the end of the month.

Finally, I do hope you are all enjoying this time of year - the planning for the New Year, when everything is possible!  The fun of going through our stash and working out what we would like to start.  The promise to work on those older projects and keep up with the SALs too!

December Smalls

           

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Rachel

For my Smalls stitching this year, I have chosen 12 smaller designs and numbered them for my WIPGO Board.  Each month one Small will be stitched in the evening timeslot and hopefully finished within the month.

In November the WIPGO Board called Moonshadow Mini from Full Circle.  Ifinished this one at the start of December.

stitched on 32 count white linen

Then I started my December pick,  which would be a finish if I hadn't put an enormous great tree in front of my bead storage boxes and can't get to them!

So here's the top half of Day 1 of the 12 Days of Christmas by Shannon Christine again:

stitched on 28 count black evenweave

Finally, here's a picture of the great old tree blocking my bead storage!

And with the lights on:

December IHSW

 

IHSW or International Hermit and Stitch Weekend always starts on the third Friday of the month.  It's a chance to lock yourself away and focus on your stitching for the weekend.  You can take part on your blog or via the Facebook page - IHSW on Facebook.

This year I have been trying something different for IHSW - an A-Z Challenge!  These usually take place in April and people stitch one letter every day except Sunday.  I don't want to swap projects daily so thought I could do 2 or 3 letters per IHSW instead.

Of course, I totally forgot that plan for the final IHSW of the year and just carried on with my two focus pieces.

My daytime piece is Aslan from Life in Stitch on Etsy.  I am loving this so much!  You can see the shape of the lion appearing already.

stitched on 28 count black evenweave

My evening piece is also stitched on black fabric, this is Day 1 of the 12 Days of Christmas from Shannon Christine:

stitched on 28 count black evenweave

I've nearly finished it so I'm only showing the top half!

Finally the next IHSW will be 17th - 19th January so make sure you note the date in your diary or come and join us in the Facebook Group - IHSW on Facebook. If you don't do Facebook then you can check in here by leaving a comment on my post.

December Gifted Gorgeousness Link-Up Post

           

Welcome to the December Gifted Gorgeousness link-up. The link-up date continues to be the 15th and I will keep the link-up open until the end of each month so you have plenty of time if you are late posting.

The format remains exactly the same, there is a list of rules on the main sign-up page if you want to check what is required but basically anything connected to the word "gift" is allowed, whether it was a gift TO you or is a gift FROM you.

I have only stitched on one thing which comes under the Gifted Heading and that's on gifted fabric.  We're currently in the blues/greens although I need to catch up on the last couple of weeks of leaves.

Steady Thread - Tree of Life Temperature SAL

stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers

I record the temperature each day and then stitch the leaves on the Sunday morning.

Finally, it is your turn to show us your Gifted Gorgeousness for the month.  Please use your name or your blog name in the field and NOT the words "December Update" so I can easily see who has linked up this month.  And link to the actual post, not just your blog.  It is easier if you copy and paste the link, rather than typing freehand.

*

*

Finally Fully Finished Fun for December

     

Hosted by Rachel the Ten Hour Stitcher

This SAL is designed to motivate us all to do something with that box of Finished pieces instead of just storing them under the bed.  We will all be linking up on Rachel's blog on or after the 10th of each month (10 Hour Stitcher - 10th of the month).

Sorry Rachel, nothing new this month but here's a recap of the year!

January

Special Delivery from Just Nan framed by me

February

Amaranth from Shepherd's Bush framed by me

March

Snowberries from Just Nan made into a card

April

September Strawflowers from The Sweetheart Tree framed by me

Peacock Tapestry from Just Nan framed by me

May

Hocus Pocus Cabinet from The Primitive Hare was framed by me

June

Spring Spell from Just Nan was scrapbooked

September

Faces from Joan Elliott framed by me

3D Haunted House from Living on the Rainbow

October

Capricorn from Nora Corbett professionally framed

The Hare Moon for Taurus from Circle Cross Designs professionally framed

3D Haunted Mansion from Fiona Baker

November

Couer de Sorciere from TraLaLa which I finished into a primitive heart shaped pillow:

Halloween Trifles from Shepherd's Bush on a wooden pumpkin

Finally, the total of different finishes:

Framed by me - 6

Flat finished by me - 5

3D finished by me - 3

Professionally framed - 2

Total FFOs this year - 16

December Plans

At the start of the year I made a list of 24 projects I want to stitch this year for my "24 in '24".  The order I stitch them in is going to be determined by the WIPGO Board.  Jessie-Marie calls two numbers each month and those will be the two projects I stitch that month.  One small and one medium

In November, the numbers were 14 and 16.  These related to Maria Brovko Evening in the Shire and Full Circle Designs Moonshadow Mini "A Child's Dream".

Maria Brovko - Evening in the Shire

Mostly all backstitch with just small areas of cross stitching for effect.

The backstitch is a combination of one, two or three strands to add dimension

stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen

stitched on 32 count Antique White linen

This is a sweet sampler with lots of speciality stitches

It just turned out a little different to the way I was expecting!
I used the charted colours, but here's the cover:

Definitely looks purple and lilac to me and not brown!  But it looks nice and I'll see if I have a nice brown frame to match.

By default, the December numbers had to be 7 and 20.  These relate to Shannon Christine's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 1) and Life in Stitch's Aslan.

The latter is another Ukrainian designer on Etsy.  By coincidence, both designs are going to be stitched on black fabric, so that will be fun!

Finally, I am still making plans for 2025!  After a year of small/medium designs I have two larger pieces I want to focus on and then keep up with some of the series I started the last couple of years.  Designs such as the Zodiac Girls, the 12 Days of Christmas, The Year in the Woods.

December TUSAL

     

It's TUSAL time!  

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current project:

This is Evening in the Shire by Maria Brovko stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen.

There's a small amount of cross stitches then loads of backstitch!

Nearly done now so I'm going to keep going with this one until it's finished and then start my December WIPGO project.


Finally, if you've got the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Special this year and fancy joining a year-long SAL on Facebook then we've just chosen our favourites for 2025 and I'll be announcing the winners soon.

The group can be found here, please answer the membership questions to be accepted - JCS Stitch Along

November Smalls

          

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Rachel

For my Smalls stitching this year, I have chosen 12 smaller designs and numbered them for my WIPGO Board.  Each month one Small will be stitched in the evening timeslot and hopefully finished within the month.

Last month I was stitching Dark October and started a small from the current Just Cross Stitch Halloween Special.  

This is stitched on the same 40 count linen as my main focus, there was enough left to stitch two smaller designs.  This one is Nevermore by Quaternion Creations:

stitched on 40 count Witch's Brew linen from Zweigart

I also completed the cute little skeleton chameleon that Jocondine sent me.

Miguel le cameleon from Fil'anthrope

stitched on 36 count dark green linen

Then in November the WIPGO Board called Moonshadow Mini from Full Circle.  I was really enjoying stitching the Halloween Blackwork so didn't start this right away which is why it isn't finished yet!

stitched on 32 count white linen

 

Finally, I did make the decision not to host an Advent Calendar Blog Hop this year for the same reasons as the Halloween Hop!  Maybe I'll do a look back through previous years instead.