2023 Advent Calendar Blog Hop

    Here is our Online Advent Calendar, it will be updated every day. 

Scroll down to see the latest picture and a link to the poster's blog.

This year I have asked each participant for their "Santa Stories"

Please share your favourite Santa traditions and customs from your family or your home town. Maybe you always visit a certain Santa in a shop? Does Santa arrive by train, sleigh or motorcycle? Does your family have a Magic Key so he can get in or does he still come down the chimney?

And here is a photo of Santa arriving at an event my husband worked at this year!

Hop over each day to discover a new Santa Story from our blogging friends.

Friday 1st December

Count it *all* joy

Saturday 2nd December

https://lifeoutsidethewashingbasket.blogspot.com/

Sunday 3rd December

http://shelly-anarizonastitcher.blogspot.com/

Monday 4th December

http://dragonsluver.blogspot.co.uk/

Tuesday 5th December

http://tiffstitch.blogspot.co.uk/

Wednesday 6th December

http://elfinstitches.blogspot.co.uk/

Thursday 7th December

http://guavagems.blogspot.com/

Friday 8th December

Saturday 9th December

Sunday 10th December

Monday 11th December

Tuesday 12th December

Wednesday 13th December

Thursday 14th December

Friday 15th December

Saturday 16th December

Sunday 17th December

Monday 18th December

Tuesday 19th December

Wednesday 20th December

Thursday 21st December

Friday 22nd December

Saturday 23rd December

Sunday 24th December

Finally, I'll be updating the Calendar every day, do remember to leave a comment on each blog.  It really does encourage people to keep on blogging!

November WIPocalypse Ornament Finishing

          

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 "23 in '23" for this year.  This month I only stitched on 2 of my WIPs.

3. Chatelaine Gardens of London

So much detail in those little guardsmen!

18. Circle Cross Blackwork Tarot

Sagittarius

The full list can be seen here - WIPocalypse and "23 in '23"

Finally, Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too:

November – What is your favourite way to finish ornaments and/or smalls?

You mean apart from "popping them in a folder to be finished later"?  I call this The Ron Method.  Because they will be finished Later Ron hahaha.

A lot of my Smalls have been scrapbooked as I simply don't have space for loads of smalls everywhere.  I do try finish my Christmas Ornaments and have a lovely garland I put up each year with some of my ornaments and some gifted by my lovely friends.

Here's a couple of photos from last Christmas:

Mostly simple pillows.  Although I do like a 3D finish and here's my festive bookshop from Living on the Rainbow:

November Smalls

          

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

Because I am focusing on my BAPs again, I won't have so many smalls this year but I do have a couple of series with small components so I will share them this month.

The only one I stitched this month is the Blackwork Tarot by Circle Cross.  I have finished Scorpio:

stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers

and started Sagittarius:

Sagittarius is the start of the bottom row.  Once I stitch these four I go back to row 2 and fill in Aries ad Taurus to finish.  My plan is to stitch each one in the relevant month, give or take a week or two!

I should have a couple more smalls for next month.  The plan is to stitch some of the festive Just Nan Smalls I started during my Just Nan-athons and attempt to finish them!  This worked well in Dark October so should be fun for December too.

Finally, last call for the Advent Calendar.  I have four spaces still empty so if no-one volunteers, I'll be doing them myself!  If you're not sure what is involved have a look back at last year's Hop:

2022 Advent Calendar

If you want to take part, just leave a comment here or email me if you are a "no reply" person. I need an email address for you to take part in this hop.

 

November 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.

My main project was my Chatelaine, Gardens of London.  I'm stitching this as often as I can throughout the entire month as it's not very portable!

stitched on 32 count Cotton Clouds Belfast from Crafty Kitten

I managed a little bit of Sagittarius from Circle Cross too, you can see her arm pulling back her bowstring just appearing:

stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers

In the evenings and during the days when I can't stitch my Chatelaine, I've been working away on my Tree of Life from Steady Thread.  The tree itself is quite complicated but the border is very simple and once that is in place it's easier to see if the tree itself has gone wrong.

stitched on 28 count Cashel linen in Meadow Mist from Silkweaver

Finally, the next IHSW will be 15th - 17th December 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.

Gifted Gorgeousness November Link-up Post

          

Welcome to the November 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.

For October, my focus was my spooky conversion of CCN's Main Street which was a lovely Halloween finish:

stitched on 32 count Charcoal Slate Murano from Sparklies

I continued with my Dark 13 project which is Mani di Donna's Halloween Sewing Basket and FFO'd that in time for Halloween.  

So far this month my focus has been my Chatelaine Gardens of London.  This was a gift for a Big Zero Birthday.  This month I've been stitching the iconic phone boxes.

I also had a new start which was a prize I won, stitched on gifted fabric.  This is Tree of Life from Steady Thread and will be a Temperature SAL for 2024

I made some more progress on the Zodiac Signs from Circle Cross' Tarot design.  I finished Libra and Scorpio then started on Sagittarius: 

stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers

Now 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 "November 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.

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Finally, it's time to sign up for the biggest Blog Hop of the year. I am sure you all know how it works but for those who need a reminder - here's a link to last year's:

2022 Advent Calendar

If you want to take part, just leave a comment here or email me if you are a "no reply" person. I need an email address for you to take part in this hop.

November TUSAL

 

It's TUSAL time!  

Here is my TUSAL jar with two of my current projects:

At the back we have my Chatelaine Gardens of London:

stitched on 32 count Cotton Clouds linen from Crafty Kitten

I'm working on the two phone boxes at the moment.  I want to get them finished and maybe one of the guardsmen this month.

It's quite tricky finding time for this as it's not something you can easily pick up and put down!

So my other project has been a new start from Steady Thread.  This will be a blackwork Temperature Tree for 2024.  I figured that stitching all the border and the tree trunk would make it easier to keep up next year.

stitched on 28 count Cashel linen in Meadow Mist from Silkweavers

Not the easiest fabric to stitch blackwork on but it's a pretty pale grey-green in exactly the right size and count.

Finally, it's time to sign up for the biggest Blog Hop of the year. I am sure you all know how it works but for those who need a reminder - here's a link to last year's:

2022 Advent Calendar

If you want to take part, just leave a comment here or email me if you are a "no reply" person. I need an email address for you to take part in this hop.