January Stitch From Stash and Pie

Regular followers will know I produce a delicious home-made pie to illustrate my focus projects for the month.  I don't record minutes or stitches so this gives an approximate idea of how much time each WIP got.

I think you can tell that this is going to be a Focus Year already, with 14 days on one project - Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow.  Here's where I finished the month:

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cassia Rose from Chromatic Alchemy

I didn't manage to complete the whole block in the fortnight as I'd hoped.  This does have quite a lot of full coverage compared to the previous two blocks which took 29 days to stitch them both - they form one large block together.  I will continue with this block in February and then start Block 3 next to it.

Just Nan Christmas Elegance got worked on during my lunchbreaks at work for three days but also for 26 bath-time sessions!  I have decided to log my bath-time stitching for the first time this year.

Here is where Christmas Elegance is right now:

stitched on 28 count off-white evenweave

I have started the beading!

Compare the beaded tree with the non-beaded trees!

For Tiny Modernist Greenhouse, I am continuing with the white:

stitched on 28 count grey-blue evenweave

I also signed up for Stitch from Stash again.  This is my 8th year, I skipped 2016 as it was my Big Birthday and I didn't want to restrict myself.

At the end of last year I finished with £32.55 in my SFS budget so I decided to treat myself to the final three Zodiac Girls from Nora Corbett.  I now have all 12!  And fabric for one.

I do need some DMC to top up my supplies, several skeins are down to the last lengths but hopefully this will be a low-spend year!

Finally, I will be running the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop on Valentine's Day.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

It's really very simple, all you have to do is email me a picture of something you have stitched which is suitable for a stitching friend on Valentine's Day.  It could be a heart, or a pair of cute creatures, or the word "love" or anything which warms your heart.  Really anything you think a fellow stitcher would like to receive in her email Inbox.  It can be something you've stitched in the past or something you've made especially for this year.  It could also be quilted or sewn this year as I know some of my followers do other crafts too.

Send me the email by 10th February.

When I have all the emails I will randomise them and send one to each participant on 13th February. Then on 14th February you must post the picture you receive onto your blog under the heading

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

There will be a list on my blog of everyone joining in, so check out all the blogs and find out who got your picture and identify yourself in their comments as their

Secret Stitching Sweetheart

Does that make sense to everyone? I hope so!

If you'd like to be involved then leave a comment on this post or send me an email if you are "no-reply". I'll be putting little reminders up from time to time and will email on 9th February to make sure you send the pic in time.

January WIPocalypse Stitching Style

   

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 "22 in '22" for this year.  This month I stitched on 4 of them:

   

5. Carriage House Samplings Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow

6. Mirabilia Fairy Idyll

8. Just Nan Christmas Elegance

ready for beading!

17. Jardin Prive 12 Days of Christmas

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

January - Describe your stitching style – are you a one-at-a-time stitcher? Do you stitch on rotation? Are you a chaos wrangler? Are you comfortable in your current stitching style, or are you still searching for that stitching zen?

I used to be a one-at-a-time stitcher but now I stitch on a rotation because it gives me a chance to stitch different designers and styles depending on mood and time of year.  It also means I can take part in more challenges and SALs too.  I do like having a focus piece for half of the month as I can really see the progress on the project.  This year it will Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow.

I have decided not to start new pieces without a definite plan as to how they will fit into the rotation.  I can see from my WIP list there are a number of older pieces I dived into starting without thinking about how I would fit them into the time I have.

The plan is to chose one each year and work on it until it is finished.  This year the choice is Little Snapdragon.  I may finish it this year, if not then I'll keep going next year until it is done.  Then choose another oldie.

January Smalls

  

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

This year my Smalls will be the Jardin Prive 12 Days of Christmas which I started on Boxing Day 2021 for the 12 Days of Stitchmas.

Here are the 12 starts:

And the First Day completed:

stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue Linen

Because this year is going to be a Year of Focus, I won't really have a lot of Smalls to share but I did manage a few stitches on my Tiny Modernist Greenhouse:

stitched on 28 count grey-blue evenweave

I've nearly completed the final wall and then I have another gable end to stitch the framework.  After that I will go colour-by-colour for all the sides.  This will be my bath-time stitch until it is finished.

Finally, I will be running the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop on Valentine's Day.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

It's really very simple, all you have to do is email me a picture of something you have stitched which is suitable for a stitching friend on Valentine's Day.  It could be a heart, or a pair of cute creatures, or the word "love" or anything which warms your heart.  Really anything you think a fellow stitcher would like to receive in her email Inbox.  It can be something you've stitched in the past or something you've made especially for this year.  It could also be quilted or sewn this year as I know some of my followers do other crafts too.

Send me the email by 10th February.

When I have all the emails I will randomise them and send one to each participant on 13th February. Then on 14th February you must post the picture you receive onto your blog under the heading

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

There will be a list on my blog of everyone joining in, so check out all the blogs and find out who got your picture and identify yourself in their comments as their

Secret Stitching Sweetheart

Does that make sense to everyone? I hope so!

If you'd like to be involved then leave a comment on this post or send me an email if you are "no-reply". I'll be putting little reminders up from time to time and will email on 9th February to make sure you send the pic in time.

January 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.

I worked on Friday but took my Just Nan sampler with me and managed a little bit in my lunch break and some more at bath-time in the evening:

Just Nan - Christmas Elegance

stitched on 28 count off-white evenweave

The white Perle will show up much better when I add the metallic and the beads.

On Saturday and Sunday I continued to work on Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage House Samplings.  

This is the start photo for Saturday morning:

Start of Sunday:

End of Sunday

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cassia Rose evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

I've stitched for seven days on this block and I'm not quite halfway done.  I think it will take a little more than two weeks per block as some are more fully covered than others.

Finally the next IHSW will be 18th - 20th February 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 January Link-up Post

Our new logo for the year is a portion of Nora Corbett's Gathering Eggs design.  It was a gift from Carol of Stitching Dreams.

Please remember to change your badge and the link to the new page as the old link no longer works.  Don't forget to link up on the main sign-up page with your blog address.

Welcome to the January 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.

Deb sent me the charts for the Stoney Creek 2019 Ornaments which were my Stitchmas project last year.  I finished the final three days in December:

stitched on 32 count Lime Green Linen

Also in December I finished the Third Day of my Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas, the kit was a Christmas present:

stitched on 32 count blue-grey linen

The word for 2022 is FOCUS with one project being allocated two weeks of stitching each month.  That still leaves two weeks for other WIPs and this week's design chosen by the WIPGO Board is Mirabilia's Fairy Idyll.  The chart and special threads were a gift from a blogging friend.  Here's where I was at the start of the year:

And this is my starting point for the WIPGO Weekend:

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

(top photo is more accurate for colour matching)

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 "January 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, I will be running the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop on Valentine's Day.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

It's really very simple, all you have to do is email me a picture of something you have stitched which is suitable for a stitching friend on Valentine's Day. It could be a heart, or a pair of cute creatures, or the word "love" or anything which warms your heart. Really anything you think a fellow stitcher would like to receive in her email Inbox. It can be something you've stitched in the past or something you've made especially for this year. It could also be quilted or sewn this year as I know some of my followers do other crafts too.

Send me the email by 10th February.

When I have all the emails I will randomise them and send one to each participant on 13th February. Then on 14th February you must post the picture you receive onto your blog under the heading

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

There will be a list on my blog of everyone joining in, so check out all the blogs and find out who got your picture and identify yourself in their comments as their

Secret Stitching Sweetheart

Does that make sense to everyone? I hope so!

If you'd like to be involved then leave a comment on this post or send me an email if you are "no-reply". I'll be putting little reminders up from time to time and will email on 9th February to make sure you send the pic in time.

Finally Fully Finishing Fun for January

 

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).

This is what I typed on my January post in 2020, which I copied into my January 2021 post:

Let's start the year off as we don't mean to go on - doing nothing all month and realising on the 9th that you have one day to FFO something, anything to show on the 10th.

Guess what?  Same thing this year!

So yesterday morning I sat down to find out where I had hidden everything over Christmas and found the circle badges that DJ sent me to use for FFO'ing round ornaments.

Basically you get two plastic circles, one domed and one flat.  Lace the stitching around the domed one, lace the backing fabric around the flat one and whip stitch together adding a hanger or trim as you please.

I padded the front with some wadding which made it a little bit bigger than the back

But no-one is looking at the back!

 I secured a long piece of sewing cotton to the back and then threaded on loads of beads.  I took a second needle and secured the cotton with a tiny stitch between beads.  It's not perfect and there are some gaps but it won't be noticeable when it's on my garland next year.

The design is Poinsettia by Punochka from the Just Cross Stitch Ornament Special 2020.  Stitched on 32 count mid-green linen.

You can buy a set of six ornaments direct from her Etsy shop now - Punochka Christmas Ornaments

Finally, I will be running the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop on Valentine's Day.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

It's really very simple, all you have to do is email me a picture of something you have stitched which is suitable for a stitching friend on Valentine's Day.  It could be a heart, or a pair of cute creatures, or the word "love" or anything which warms your heart.  Really anything you think a fellow stitcher would like to receive in her email Inbox.  It can be something you've stitched in the past or something you've made especially for this year.  It could also be quilted or sewn this year as I know some of my followers do other crafts too.

Send me the email by 10th February.

When I have all the emails I will randomise them and send one to each participant on 13th February. Then on 14th February you must post the picture you receive onto your blog under the heading

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

There will be a list on my blog of everyone joining in, so check out all the blogs and find out who got your picture and identify yourself in their comments as their

Secret Stitching Sweetheart

Does that make sense to everyone? I hope so!

If you'd like to be involved then leave a comment on this post or send me an email if you are "no-reply". I'll be putting little reminders up from time to time and will email on 9th February to make sure you send the pic in time.

January WIPocalypse Introduction

  

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

(Blog currently offline)

Each month we have to share the projects we want to complete before the End Of The World. Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too.


January - Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year


Since 2011 I have chosen a number of projects to focus on that year, starting with my "11 in '11" and increasing to "22 in '22" for this year.  For 2022 the list includes some older WIPs, some BAPs and some partworks as well as seasonal stitching.

Here are the WIPs:

This is the full list of 22:

1. Joan Elliott Faces SAL (1 large block)
2. Kustom Krafts Little Snapdragon
3. Chatelaine Gardens of London
4. Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas
5. Carriage House Samplings Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow
6. Mirabilia Fairy Idyll
7. Amanda Butler Alice in Wonderland
8. Just Nan Christmas Elegance
9. Just Nan Summer Sampler
10. A Dark October Halloween project
11. Hands on Designs Scary Apothecary 7
12. Hands on Designs Scary Apothecary 8
13. Hands on Designs Scary Apothecary 9
14. CCN Halloween Village 5
15. CCN Halloween Village 6
16. CCN Halloween Village 7
17. Jardin Prive 12 Days of Christmas
18. Nora Corbett Virgo
19. Stitch It Picasso Dragon
20. Stitch It Picasso Dragon
21. Stitch It Picasso Dragon
22. Stitch It Picasso Dragon

(Do you think I ran out of ideas by the end LOL?)

And this is the New Starts collage, which actually represents 7 of the list:

Then there are two which are TBA - the Just Nan Summer SAL Sampler and my Dark October focus piece.  I have a few ideas for that slot and don't want to lock it down until nearer the time.

I am also taking part in WIPGO again.  This is a FB Bingo group.  You choose 25 goals for the year and each month the Admin pick two numbers to focus on.  When you have met your goal, you tick off that block.  You can give yourself rewards for completing a row or a column.

Here's my WIPGO board:

For January the numbers 2 and 19 have been called.  You can see that Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow is on there many times!  I want to really focus on that design this year.  Hoping to get 22 week in '22.

The planned rotation this year will be:

Week 1 - Either a CCN shop or the HoD Scary Apothecary design

Week 2 - stitch a WIPGO number

Week 3 - stitch Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow

Week 4 - stitch Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow

Any work days or extra days at the end of the month will go to projects not on the WIPGO board such as my Just Nan samplers.

The WIPocalypse posts are the last Sunday of each month

My other SALs are

The People's Choice - posts on the first Saturday of each month - theme in sidebar
Fully Finished Gallery - post anything fully finished on the 10th of each month
Gifted Gorgeousness - post anything gifted on the 15th
Smalls SAL - last Friday of each month

The TUSAL - post on the New Moon each month


Finally, I will be continuing with the ever popular Blog Hops this year. We will have Valentine's, Easter, the Summer Postcard, Hallowe'en and the Advent Calendar.  All at the appropriate time of the year.  I will be posting about the Secret Stitching Sweethearts for Valentine's Day very soon so watch this space.

January TUSAL

      

It's TUSAL time!

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

I'll empty all the ORTs out now and put them in a bag intending to stuff an ornie with them.  In reality they will live in a bag for ever more!

On the left is my Just Nan Sampler - Christmas Elegance.  I am behind on the schedule and currently working on Band 7 which is the word "Christmas" stitched over one:

stitched on 28 count off-white evenweave

The project on the right is my 12 Days of Stitchmas design from Jardin Prive:

stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen

I've decided not to show a book from my Stitching Library this month but to write about my Christmas tree and decorations as I didn't include it in my Advent Calendar post.  The pre-Christmas run-up was a little too busy for blogging much!

The question everyone was answering this year was - tell us about your tree.  Do you have a real one or an artificial one?  When do you put it up?  Do you use the same ornaments each year or change the colour scheme?  Cross stitch or glass ornaments?  Star or Angel on top?  Do the children help?  (if you have any!).  Any stories about your trees over the years?

Apart from the years we lived in the Far East, we always had a real tree when I was a child.  Dad's job was to find one for sale and bring it home balanced on the handlebars and seat of his bike.  Mum then decorated it with an eclectic range of baubles and ornaments, some from her childhood, some from the early days of their marriage and some new each year.  Our job was to watch and guess which bauble she would choose from the box to be carefully placed in the perfect spot on the tree.

We always had angels on top, a tiny red feather angel and a larger china doll angel which was Mum's as a child.

Once we left home, Mum started to choose a colour theme for her tree - maybe pink and silver or blue and gold, just to have a different look.

When I got my own house I was working full-time so I had an artificial tree for ease.  I collected ornaments over the years, buying a pair of special ones from John Lewis each Christmas.  My little treat to myself.  I have kept the same colour scheme every year too - red, metallic and crystal only.  Metallic includes silver, gold and brass.

When my husband and I bought our house together, we had a real tree for the first year and every year since then.  I've added to the ornament collection over the years but always in the same colours.

My articifial tree went to my parents' house as they no longer want the mess of a real one.  Plus Dad doesn't ride a bike any more!

At the very top I have a huge crystal star.

My older son does help, usually by unwrapping the ornaments and choosing which one will go on next.  My younger son helps by keeping his distance and not removing the ornaments from the tree!  I try to keep the more delicate ones higher up or around the side where they are not so tempting!

Of course, the tree isn't the only Christmas decorating I do.  I have all my Christmas stitching and my garlands too.

(in the hallway)

(in the kitchen next to my computer seat)

I also made a little slideshow of our trees from 2008 to the current year!

Finally, a little blog housekeeping is going on.  I have a new page for my WIPocalypse choices and one for the sign-ups for Gifted Gorgeousness for the year.  We have a new logo this year so if you use it in your sidebar remember to change the logo and link to the new page.