Gifted Gorgeousness May Link-up Post

    

Welcome to the May 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 focus piece this month does not have a gifted component at all, so I can't show that.  Some of the Just Nans were gifts so here are the latest ones:

Days 10 and 11 - Bunny Hop

Days 12 and 13 - Heart Butterfly

Day 14 - Italian Ice 

(the lovely blue fabric is not showing up at all)

This one was a gift from the designer and the fabric was a gift too.  

Steady Thread - Tree of Life Temperature SAL

Look at those warm yellows and even 2 days of orange in May

stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers

I record the temperature each day and then stitch the leaves on the Sunday morning.

My Dark 13 design is stitched on gifted fabric, a beautiful 40 count linen called Witch's Brew from Zweigart.  My plan is to stitch one letter per month until we reach October and then complete it during Dark October.

stitched on 40 count linen called Witch's Brew from Zweigart

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 "May 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, I will do my best to pop round and visit everyone this month, I'm a little behind in my blog reading again!

Finally Fully Finishing Fun for May

    

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).

Just one framed piece this month.  I had a very simple black frame in my stash which was the perfect fit for a recent finish - Hocus Pocus Cabinet from The Primitive Hare:

Not very exciting, but does the job!

Finally, the Just Nan-athon continues.  Here are Days 7, 8, and 9:

Yes, there is just one photo.  In the past when I have finished a design in the previous year, I started a new one the next year.  But this year I decided to continue on whatever I was stitching in an attempt to get more done on each one.  So last year True Blue Heart was Day 7, I finished the projects for Day 8 and Day 9, so this year I stitched Day 7 for three days in total.  And got a lot done!

 

May TUSAL

      

It's TUSAL time!  

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current projects:

On the left is my focus piece for the month; Claire by Nora Corbett and on the right is today's Just Nan design which I'll be stitching this evening - True Blue Heart.

Here's Claire and my progress so far.  I've cut my thread into equal lengths and so far I've used 6 lengths which is just over half a skein.  The chart says the design uses 2 skeins of DMC (8m) so we shall see how I go.

stitched on 28 count anonymous hand-dyed evenweave

Finally, here are Day 5 and 6 of my Just Nanathon:

May Plans

 At the start of the year I made a list of 24 projects I want to stitch this year for my "24 in '24".  The order I stitch them in is going to be determined by the WIPGO Board.  Jessie-Marie calls two numbers each month and those will be the two projects I stitch that month.  One small and one medium.

In April, the numbers were 18 and 21.  These related to the Quiet Hour Sampler by La Broderie and A Partridge in a Pear Tree from Cottage Garden Samplings.

I finished both of them in record time and then went back to the March choice of The Primitive Hare Hocus Pocus Cabinet which was also a finish.  A very successful month.

In May, the numbers are 5, 13 and 19.  These relate to Drawn Thread Spot of Autumn, my Longest Day Marathon and Nora Corbett's Claire.

Claire is no problem, it's amusing after all the black on Hocus Pocus Cabinet that I now have another all black project!

stitched on anonymous hand-dyed 28 count evenweave

I bought this offcut piece of evenweave from a needlework shop, it wasn't labelled with a colour or dyer.  It's just big enough to fit Claire and her sister Evanora on.

However, for the small, May is the month for my annual Just Nan-athon so that will have to wait, either until I finish Claire or next month.

Meanwhile, here are the first four Just Nan designs:

Finally, what about 13?  Well, that's the centre square and I use that for my Longest Day Marathon so I'll be ticking that off next month.  Hopefully!