Starting a New SAL

because I don't have enough to stitch already!!

The new SAL is actually part of my planned stitching this year so that's OK.  Back in 2013 Chiara of The Grey Tail sent me a signed copy of Spooky Countdown by Primitive Hare.  Giovanna also has this chart and so we decided to do a little SAL, one motif a week until Hallowe'en.  By starting on 31st January this actually gives us 30 weeks to stitch the motifs and 10 weeks spare to stitch the top and bottom pieces plus fnishing (and catching up on missed weeks!)

Here is the finished design:

And my progress so far:

I found it very hard to decide which fabric to use, 28 over 1 or 32 over 2.  Anyway I started on 32 over 2 and it seems rather large to me.  Maybe this weekend I'll do a test piece on 28 over 1 and see how that looks.

My main focus has been my Scarlet Letter Sampler, Elizabeth Burrows.  I really want to finish this by 20th February but it will be pushed to the wire!  I do have the 19th off work so maybe I will spend all day frantically stitching and post a finish at 11.59pm.

The other piece I am working on is Noel Blanc by A Mon Ami Pierre.  I stitch one or two lengths of thread each evening while supervising the Small Boy's bath.  The first photo is from 20th January:

 

and here is today's photo (16 days of stitching later)

This is the full width of the piece and it is now too wide to fit on the scanner so I have to photograph it.  I like this piece alot and have every intention of finishing it to display next Christmas.

Famous Friends - WOCS magazine recently featured a link to IHSW on their FB page as a rather brilliant new idea (only slightly spoiled by FB deciding to add the WIPocalypse logo not the IHSW one!!).  This raised lots of interest among their FB readers and one lady said she would like to join in but didn't know how to start a blog.  Ever helpful I sent her a copy of my "How to Create a Blog" crib sheet.  And here is the result - Pam's Stitching Diary.  She has posted some of her finishes, including a gorgeous lifelike Alsatian dog.  I am not a dog-lover but if I was forced I would have an Alsatian, I think they look like such intelligent animals.  Obviously not as intelligent as cats but they are only dogs LOL.

Finally, only three days to sign up for the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop.  Just send me a photo of something suitable to be sent to another stitcher as a token of friendship/love before 10th February.  More details found on the link from the Big Heart to the right of the blog.