May Smalls

  

         

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Rachel

For May, I am taking a break from my 12 Days of Christmas Stockings and stitching my Just Nanathon.  Started in 2018, I stitch a different Just Nan small each evening. 

Here are the designs from Day 19 to Day 29:

Some of them are getting closer to a finish!

May TUSAL

        

It's TUSAL time!  

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current project:

This is Fairy Idyll from Mirabilia and I've completed the wing now!

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

Finally, here's the latest days on my Temperature Chart.  Lots of orange and yellow for May and even a touch of red on 1st May!

May WIPocalypse WIP or UFO?

          

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 "24 in '24" for last year.  For 2025 I have decided not to attempt this.  I want to focus on 2 larger pieces and then spend the rest of my stitching time on the series I have started.  This month I stitched on 2 of them, one new start and one focus project but both from Nora Corbett.

First up was the fourth in the Zodiac Girls series (for me) from Nora Corbett.  This is Scorpio: 

stitched on 32 count Scorpio Murano from Sparklies

You can see how many beads she is going to have from some of the gaps!

The second project is Fairy Idyll by Mirabilia. 

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

I decided to focus on her wings this month and stitch them 1 thread over 2 to give a more translucent look to them.

Finally, Measi always gives us a topic to discuss:

May - How do you personally distinguish between a Work in Progress (WIP) and an Unfinished Object (UFO)?

For me, a WIP is a project that I will stitch on at least once a year during my Longest Day Marathon even if I don't pick it up at any other time.  A UFO is a project I have got tired of and no longer want on my list.   I might stitch it one day, I might not.  I don't often UFO projects these days as I am more careful about what I choose to stitch.

Out of all the WIPs I have at the moment, the one most likely to be UFO'd is the cover kit from Cross Stitcher magazine that I started on a whim in January:

stitched on 14 count Aida

I thought it would be a quick stitch but it's taking too long and there are other things I'd rather stitch.  But it is cute and there's only the sky to do now which is 3 or 4 shades of blue and purple.  Then the backstitch.

May 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 year I am attempting International Hermit and Blackwork.  I do love blackwork and have a couple of projects I want to try fit in to my rotation without being on the WIPGO Board.

My main blackwork piece is the Halloween Blackwork from The Steady Thread.  It went from here:

to here:

stitched on 32 count tea-dyed linen

This is the part I worked on over the weekend:

I spent two days on the Blackwork and one on the lovely Scorpio from Nora Corbett.  You can really see how her hair resembles the scorpion's tail now:

stitched on 32 count Scorpio Murano from Sparklies

In the evenings I continued with my Just Nanathon and stitched three more designs:

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

I'm stitching my Just Nanathon pieces this month but I did make a start on Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas Stockings last month so here's the progress picture:

stitched on 28 count Black Jobelan evenweave

This one isn't a gifted piece but I'll be stitching it on the 13th of every month for Dark Thirteen so you'll see this every GG post too.

This is Halloween Tiny Town from Heart in Hand Designs:

stitched on 32 count Tobacco Belfast linen

Here are the latest Just Nan pieces, some of these were gifts:

Finally 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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May Plans

This year I want to focus on 2 larger pieces and then spend the rest of my stitching time on the series I have started.  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 projects I stitch that month. 

In April the numbers 4 and 10 were called.  These related to Nora Corbett's Evanora and Cricket Collection's Summer - two new starts!

I made great progress on lots of black for Evanora:

stitched on 28 count evenweave from an unknown dyer

By contrast, Summer had lots of white and light colours:

stitched on 32 count Wandering Ivy Lugana from Silkweavers

For May, the numbers 5 and 19 were called.  These relate to Mirabilia's Fairy Idyll and Nora Corbett's Zodiac Girl.

I didn't have a lot of stitching time the first two days of May so I decided to spend the time on Fairy Idyll as I could just pick her up and resume stitching.

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

Once I had time to get the fabric ironed and choose the colours I was able to start my fourth Zodiac Girl - Scorpio:

stitched on 32 count Scorpio evenweave from Sparklies

Once again, I am using the fabric from Sparklies that has the same name as the chart.  Scorpio is more green than it appears in this photo.  This is the mock-up from The Viewer:

Finally, my evening projects for May will be my annual Just Nanathon.  Started in 2018, I stitched a different Just Nan small every evening throughout May.  The following year I stitched each one on the same day.  As I complete them I either start a new one or stitch the previous day's for another evening.

I have stitched four so far this year: