April Stitch From Stash, Pie and a Second TUSAL!

 Last day of the month and Time for Pie!

14 days on one project - Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow.  Here's where I started the month:

I finished Block 4:

And got this far on Block 1:

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cassia Rose from Chromatic Alchemy

I will continue with this block in February and then start Block 1.  So far the number of days is:

Block 7 - 13 days

Block 6 - 16 days

Block 2 - 19 days

Block 3 - 20 days

Block 4 - 15 days

Block 1 - 2 days and counting

My WIPGO Board chose Little Snap Dragon by Kustom Krafts.  This is a design I loved from the first time I saw it in a magazine advert.  I was "this" close to finishing the dragon!  He isn't on my WIPGO Board again this year so I'm going to have to try squeeze some days in there.  There is still a lot of greenery to go around him.

stitched on 32 count Evening Sky Murano from Crafty Kitten

I have decided to log my bath-time stitching this year.

You've seen both those projects in yesterday's Smalls post.

Stitch from Stash wasn't too bad.  I asked Kate from Sparklies to put the Cottage Garden Samplings Year in the Woods charts on auto-ship and the first two came through.  I also subscribed to the digital version of Just Cross Stitch again.  They currently refuse to ship to the UK so digital it is.  The grand total of £3 was for 3 Just Nan charts on eBay.  I actually have one of them already, but for that price, who is quibbling?

Finally, it's a Double New Moon this month, which means Double TUSAL posts.  Here is my TUSAL with Little Snapdragon:

April 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.

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 so I'm including some slightly larger pieces.  This is my Tiny Modernist Greenhouse:

stitched on 28 count grey-blue evenweave

Which became an FFO this month:

I now have a need for more 3D buildings and immediately started another.  This will be a Book Shop from Living on the Rainbow on Etsy:

stitched on 28 count Tan evenweave

The original is designed to be a drum shaped ornament stitched as one long piece but I am stitching four walls to make a rectangular building instead.

My final 3D piece is a Just Nan Travelling Pattern called Tea with Honey.  When constructed it makes a little tea table and you can purchase a miniature teaset to make into pins to stick on top.  Again, I am stitching it as six separate pieces to be stitched together.  I didn't have a piece of fabric big enough to stitch as one piece. 

stitched on 28 count Dusky Pink linen

I was able to start this because I completed my previous Just Nan project, the Spring SAL Sampler:

Just Nan - Lily Pond

stitched on 32 count Pale Green linen

Finally, it's nearly time for my annual Just Nan-athon!  I used this to take part in Maynia in previous years.  I stitch on a different JN Small each day.  

Here are last year's projects:

April WIPocalypse Shopping for Stash

      

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.  Since my last post I stitched on 4 of them and had 1 "block" finishes.  

2. Kustom Krafts Little Snapdragon

stitched on 32 count Murano in Evening Sky from Crafty Kitten

5. Carriage House Samplings Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow

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

17. Jardin Prive 12 Days of Christmas

stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen

18. Nora Corbett Virgo

stitched on 32 count Murano in Virgo from Sparklies

The full list can be seen here - WIPocalypse and 22 in 22

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

April – What is your favourite store (either online or bricks and mortar) to purchase your supplies?

I use a mixture of online stores trying to use places run by enthusiasts.  Lakeside Needlecraft is one of the first places I look, Kate is very helpful.  If she hasn't got what I need then Peakside or Patchwork Rabbit are the next ports of call.   For hand-dyed fabrics, it's Sparklies or Chromatic Alchemy.   There is a small needlework shop about 10 miles away who supplies me with the latest Just Nan designs.  

Two places I will never shop - Hobbycraft and Amazon.

April 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 month, it fell on the perfect weekend - a four day Easter holiday!  So plenty of time to stitch.  Friday was my Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop too, so lots of stitchy goodness to see as you all hopped around visiting the participating blogs.  All the links now go direct to the Hop Post so it's easy to find them if you're late joining in.

I continued to work on my Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow on Friday and got a small part of Block 1 done.  This skeleton is so cute!

stitched over 1 on 25 count evenweave in Cassia Rose by Chromatic Alchemy

That was the 14th day of stitching on this project so it goes away until next month. 

I also completed my Just Nan Spring SAL Sampler which has been Lily Pond:

stitched on 32 count Pale Green Linen

I used all DMC for this one, using the same shades as Morning Meadow:

Rose Blush - 3688
Rose Quartz - 3689
Spruce - 501
DMC 890 - 501
(I felt the 890 was too dark for this sampler)

It came with the bead pack so I used those as charted.

Of course, completing a Just Nan means I can start another one!  I was lucky enough to receive a Travelling Pattern from the JN FB group and I need to stitch it and pass it on in a timely fashion.  This is my start on Tea With Honey:

stitched on 28 count dusky pink linen

On Saturday I looked to my WIPGO Board to see what I would be stitching and this golden oldie came up - Little Snap Dragon by Kustom Krafts.  Originally started in 2015 for the DUCJC, this was stitched quite a bit in 2016 and then only on the Longest Day since then.

Whenever I pick it up, I remember why I don't stitch computer generated designs and also, how big this is!  But I do adore this little dragon so I persevere with him and his 20,000 shades of green and blue.

stitched on 32 count Murano in Evening Sky from Crafty Kitten

I'll stick with him until the end of the month and hopefully finish his wings.

And then, I had another new start!  Finishing my 3D Greenhouse left a gap for another 3D project and I chose this one by Ukrainian designer Living on the Rainbow.  Because it's one thing to buy the charts to support them but you can also help by stitching and linking to their shops.

stitched on 28 count Tan evenweave

This is going to be a Bookshop, where else would I begin a set of shops?  The original is finished as a drum ornament but I'm thinking of stitching it as four separate walls and making it a 3D rectangle to match the rest of the village I haven't made.  Yet.

Finally the next IHSW will be 20th - 22nd May 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.

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2022 and Gifted Gorgeousness Link-Up

 

Welcome to the Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop for 2022.  I am sure you all know how it works now - hop around the list of blogs and collect the letter each one has for you.  They spell out a message which you can leave in a comment here for me.  I have moderated comments so no-one will see them until 22nd April.  Just to give everyone a chance to play along.

This year we are starting with:

Jeremiah's Mom

Mary's Thread

An Arizona Stitcher

A Patchwork of Crafts

Elfin Stitches

Jocondine

Aimetu's Stitching

Needle, Pen & Sword

Beth's Needlework Stash

Tales of a Stitching Mouse

Life Outside the Washing Basket

Guava Gems

The Flashing Scissors

Sewing After Seven

Yellow Flower Meadow

Stitching Grandma

Dragon Stitches & Stuff by Astrid

Le Coeur Celtique

Tiffstitches a Blog

and back to me for this letter:

But wait, there's more!

  

Welcome to the April 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.

My main gifted project is my Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow which is my focus project for the year.  Last GG I had finished Block 3 and now I have finished Block 4!  That was slightly quicker, only 15 days.  The letters, lightning bolts and bats were much quicker than all the solid fill on Block 3.

I love how effective the backstitch is on these bats: 

Here's the whole thing so far:

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

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 "April 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, don't forget to leave an encouraging comment on each blog you visit.  There wouldn't be a Hop without all the lovely participants.

Finally Fully Finishing Fun for April

   

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).

There's only one finish again this month but it's a goody!  One you've all been waiting for pretty much since I started stitching it!  

Here it is in it's flat form:

Tiny Modernist 3D Greenhouse

Thanks to Sandra, I was able to adjust the gable ends so they fitted better. 

You can see they are just a little bit too short to fit the slope of the roof

One thing I love is the way you can see the corner plants on both sides

There's something lovely to see from all aspects

Each piece is mounted on thick card which has made it very sturdy when I was sewing it together

So many nice details, like the little trowel on this side

I used the ladder stitch for the first time which was very effective for a 3D project

I made a nice little video to show it off too

Now I have completed this project, I can safely say there will be more 3D buildings in the future.  The Bookstore from Living on the Rainbow will be next and I also have Just Nan's Scream House nearly ready.  There will be a whole village soon!

🐇 Good Friday - Friday 15th April 🐇

Finally, it's the last chance to sign up for the Annual Easter Treasure Hunt.    If you would like to take part this year, just leave a comment here.  The week before Easter I will send you a letter of the alphabet which will form part of the mystery phrase.  On Good Friday you will post that letter along with a photo of something seasonal that you have stitched (could be Easter or Spring or just something cheerful and sunny or floral).  We all hop around like little bunnies to find the Mystery Phrase!

Here's a link to last year's hop so you can see how it all works - Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2021

11 Years of Blogging!

 

Today is my 11th Blogaversary!  That's a great milestone to celebrate.  So, here are the stats:

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11 years

1190 posts

699 followers

22,187 comments

1,474,390 pageviews

WOW

Last year I did a Ten Things Tag which several people joined in with, that was great fun.  We seem to have reached a point with blogging where there's a hardcore of us still blogging and posting as well as people reading and those who post from time to time.

If you are struggling with keeping going, here's some advice:

Post when you can, a schedule helps for some people (me)
Post when you have a finish

Post to link up with an event or linky party

NEVER apologise for it "being a long time since I posted"!
If you're not up to writing much, just post a picture with the name of the designer.

Most of us now follow blogs via a Reader such as Feedly or by email so we know when a new post appears and it's always a delight to see someone in my Reader who I haven't seen for a while.

This time last year I was rotating between a number of larger designs, having spent the previous year focusing on my Discworld Mappe.

Chatelaine Gardens of London went from here last April:

to here:

Not a lot of progress to be honest!

My Spooky conversion of CCN's Main Street went from here:

to here:

Mirabilia's Fairy Idyll saw her skirt grow and grow from here:

to here:

Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas went from here:

and gained two more days to here:

But the most progress has to be from Carriage House Samplings' Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow which was here last April: 

And is now my focus piece and looks like this:

With this bit added on the side!

Lots of bats to be added to Block 4 will hopefully see that completed this month.

And now a little teaser for my FFO Gallery post in two days time:

Finally, a Happy Birthday to my Blog's twin - Susan from Yellow Flower Meadow!