January TUSAL

It's TUSAL time again, the first one of the year!  For those of you new to blogging, the TUSAL is a project run by Daffycat, click on the button on the right hand bar for more details.

Here is my ORTS tin posing with the current stitching project:

The new project is one of Nora Corbett's Alphabet Fairies.  This one is C.  I'm using a 32 count Murano called Oceanic Fantasia from Crafty Kitten.  I chose this fabric because it will work well with S and also because C features a solid stitched background which none of the rest do.  I'm not a fan of solid stitching so it makes sense to use a lovely fabric instread.

I also debated which threads to use.  The letters are all charted in Crescent Colours (now called Classic Colourworks) but you don't use much of some of the colours so I wondered whether it was worth buying them.  A friend sent me some she wasn't using when I started J so I looked at those and realised I needed a few of them for C too.  So I sat down and made a list, nearly all the colours feature in at least 3 of the designs I have (C, E, J and S) so it was definitely worth getting those.

I tried a new-to-me supplier - Patchwork Rabbit and I have to say I was very impressed.  I ordered them Friday lunchtime and they were with me less than 24 hours later.  All nicely wrapped in a waterproof envelope because it does rain here and the postman will carry the mail in his hands on the way to our door.

I had another new start and a partial finish on Friday this weekend.  My loose rotation said to start the design for the Christmas Ornie SAL blog on the second Friday of the month.  Like the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL blog I have a cunning plan to enable me to join in with the SAL and complete a larger piece at the same time!  Here is my finish for the theme Music:

And here is the chart cover:

I'm using an amazing fabric called Country Mocha by Willow Fabrics.  It's a 35 count linen and I love it!  The Christmas Cubes fit a 100mm x 100mm cube when they are done.  I'm using the recommended DMC except for the snow which is B5200 instead of Blanc.  It just pops better on a neutral fabric.  I also changed the words Jingle Bells to 814 instead of Black.  It's Christmas not Hallowe'en!

Now, do you remember I mentioned I was going to be reviewing something which you don't usually associate with art work?  Well, it's not artisan soap and it's not toilet roll!  It is teatowels!  Look at these:

Anglo Saxon design

Close-up: 

These are based on brooch designs and would make great stitching motifs.

I'm sure many of you recognise this design from the Bothy Threads kit?

Dictionary of Tea

And my favourite of all:

Mona Lisa teatowel

All three of these teatowels come from the lovely people at All Tea Towels.  A name which does exactly what it says!  They sell teatowels, from the comic to the fine art, there really is something for everyone on their website.  The website is nicely arranged in categories and easy to browse too.

The parcel arrived quickly and very well wrapped in waterproof plastic (remember the postman?) with the teatowels themselves wrapped in tissue paper inside.  They are nice and thick, two are 100% cotton and the Dictionary design is a cotton/linen blend.  Not sure of the count LOL.

I can't comment on what they are like for drying up the dishes because they are just too nice for that!!  I intend to make two of them into totebags and the third will be a little gift for someone I know.

The website gives some suggestions as to what you use them for (other than drying dishes) and there's even a link to a blog called My Tea Towels dedicated to tea towels!  Would you believe it?  And you thought cross stitch was a niche subject!  (Actually the blogger is really interesting, she tells some great anecdotes about where she bought her collection of teatowels.)

Anyway, I can thoroughly recommend the All Tea Towels website if you are searching for something a little out of the ordinary as a gift for that person who has everything.  I bet they haven't got a Tunnock's Teacake Wrapper teatowel!

Disclaimer - I was not paid to write this review and I am not affliated with the company.  I did, however, receive three lovely teatowels free of charge.

Back to stitching.  The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted the addition to the Mona Lisa teatowel.  A very small stitched Mona Lisa.  This one is a freebie from Mr. X-Stitch back in July and I've been stitching it off and on ever since then.  I'm stitching over one on 28 count evenweave.  That's a petite 28 needle for scale.  I've done all the interesting bits and just have to fill in with 3799 for about 20 rows!

Finally, the next Blog Hop will be the Secret Stitching Sweetheart for Valentine's Day.  Full details to follow or you can look at last year's to see how it works and sign up by leaving a comment.