January TUSAL

The first TUSAL of the year is here, only a few scraps in my tins:

The left hand tin is my travelling tin and the right hand tin lives in my kitchen, which is where I stitch the most.

The project on the left is the new Alice in Wonderland SAL by Amanda Butler for Cross Stitcher magazine.  The border was published in issue 353 and the first block in issue 354 which isn't due out until 28th January but subscribers get their issue early.

stitched on 32 count yellow Belfast linen

I think you can see that is Alice in her giant form, watching the White Rabbit scurry down the corridor.  The back stitching will really make it clear!  I am trying something different with this project - stitching with one thread over 2 to give a more sketchy look to the colours.

If it doesn't work I shall be stitching over each x again.  At least there will be no frogging involved!

The second project is finally finished!  This was started back in Maynia 2018 and then picked up again in September 2019.  Unfortunately I put it aside for Dark October and didn't really go back to it until this January.

stitched on 28 count beige evenweave

It was only when I started on the white corner pieces that I realised this was an un-evenweave!  So the piece is not square.  Luckily it looks OK being slightly elongated.

This chart was a gift from Mouse.  I filed it with my "smalls" to be part of the Stitch Maynia in 2018 but for some reason added it to the "Christmas" section of my Just Nan spreadsheet rather than the "Smalls".  So when Mouse sent me the embellishment pack some time later I couldn't find the chart.  Because I was looking for it in my Christmas bag.  Then, when I picked it up last September, I couldn't find where I had put the embellishment pack!  Luckily I found it this year when I was looking for some fabric Mouse had also sent me...  The two were reunited at last!  Which is good because those floral centre things are expensive and hard to find.

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

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 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 Gifted Gorgeousness Link-up Post

Welcome to the January Gifted Gorgeousness link-up,the first one of 2020.  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.

We do have a nice new logo and a new sign-up page - remember to add your blog here as well as at the bottom of this post for your January post.  If you have the link in your sidebar on your own blog, don't forget to update it to the new sign-up page.

My main project for Gifted Gorgeousness has been my Discworld Mappe by Lyndisfarne Designs, which will be a gift for my son.  This is where it was at the end of November:

And this is the portion I have been working on in January:

And the whole piece at the moment:

stitched on 32 count Murano custom-dyed by Sparklies

This is a Just Nan design called Christmas Friends, the chart was a gift from Mouse.  I've been using this as a travel and work lunchbreak project.  I am very close to a finish so here is the corner:

The final gifted project for this month is the 12 Days of Christmas by JBW.  Two of my friends bought two charts each for my Christmas present.  I started one design per day for the 12 Days of Stitchmas and completed the First Day: 

stitched on 40 count white linen, 1 over 2

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.

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Finally, I am taking sign-ups for the Valentine's Day Blog Hop.  The previous post contains all the information you need.  If you'd like to take part, please leave a comment.  If you are a "no-reply" blogger because you have not chosen to share your email on your profile, please email me direct or include your email in the comment.

December TUSAL

The final TUSAL of the year and my jar is not full!  I am very parsimonious with my ORTs, rarely more than an inch.

Edit to add - I keep my ORTs to stuff ornaments.  I do not put them outside.  Although they are cotton, they have been dyed and longer lengths can be very dangerous for birds.  Rather than risk a longer piece being in the pot I would rather keep them safe indoors.


There are three of my current projects in that photo.  The first being the Discworld Mappe by Lyndisfarne Designs.  This week I have been stitching an owl:

It's very fiddly and I am so glad I am stitching on evenweave!

The second project is Christmas Friends by Just Nan.  This was my travel project earlier in the year but I put it aside to focus on the Mirabilia 25th Anniversary Cameo.  December seemed an appropriate time to get it back out:

stitched on 28 count beige evenweave

The third project is my new start from the 12 Days of Stitchmas:

Originally I was going to start a Just Nan Christmas Band Sampler from my stash but on Christmas Day I opened a present from my friend which contained all of the new JBW 12 Days of Christmas ornaments.  Who can resist a 12 Days of Christmas series?  Not me.  So this became my new start. I wanted to stitch them on 40 count and searched through my fabric stash finding a piece which was big enough to stitch them three in a column and make four long hangings.  I started the border and soon discovered that the fabric may have been an average of 40 count but it was actually 38 count one way and 42 count the other so the circle became an oval!

Start again on some 40 count white linen instead.  This piece is a little smaller in size but I can make do with smaller borders.  The plan is to start one each day for the 12 Days.  Technically 25th  December is the first day but I'm starting from today and will finish on Epiphany, 6th January.


Finally, I do hope you all enjoyed the Advent Calendar Blog Hop this year.  I certainly did!  All the links now go direct to the relevant posts so it's easy to find them if you are catching up with your blog reading.  Which is what I am going to do right now.

September Smalls SAL

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

For this SAL I should be showing the monthly project for the Christmas Ornie Blog. Unfortunately I haven't quite finished it yet!

I did complete the second Word in the Jessica Savage series from Cross Stitcher magazine.  This one is Accept from issue

stitched over 1 on 25 count blue evenweave

I finished another Just Nan small - Butterfly Welcome:

stitched on 28 count Colonial Blue evenweave

I will try get that one FFO'd for Rachel's SAL on the 10th October

The next Just Nan in line was a Christmas one - Christmas Friends:

stitched on 28 count beige evenweave

I did a little bit more on that and then felt the need for a new start!  This is one from my "19 in '19" list - Nora Corbett's 25th Anniversary Cameo:

stitched on random 28 count hand-dyed evenweave

That seems to be the lot for Smalls this month.  

Finally, I have already stitched my 14 days for my Discworld Mappe but I'm going to carry on with it for the last 3 days of the month as I won't be stitching it next month.  Why not?  Because it's Dark October!  Michelle Cozyegg and her friend Emily Eclectic Possessions started this a few years back.  The idea is that you stitch dark and spooky stuff all October.  Last year I used the Tiny Decisions App to choose my project for each day and stitched 6 different designs with 3 finishes.  This year I plan to focus on Nora Corbett's Raven and my Enchanted Alphabet conversion.  Add in a daily stitch on Primitive Needle's Mystic Sampler and maybe a Just Nan Mouse or two.  If you're on Facebook I have added a daily event to the Hallowe'en Cross Stitching group - 

Hallowe'en Cross Stitching

August Smalls SAL

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

For this SAL I am showing the monthly project for the Christmas Ornie Blog. I am choosing from the back issues of the Just Cross Stitch Ornament Specials.  This month the issue was from 2005 and I chose another design from The Sweetheart Tree.  This SAL has been a great excuse to stitch some of their ornaments.

stitched on 32 count linen

Unlike the previous two designs this one is not a bellpull!  It's going to be a round ornament with a beaded trim to hide any unevenness in the rounding process!

I also stitched this bonus small by Jessica Savage:

stitched over one on 25 count blue evenweave

It was in Cross Stitcher magazine and when I showed it last time, someone asked which issue it was from.  Unfortunately they were a "no reply" commenter so I'm adding the information here.  It was issue 348 September 2019.

I started Just Nan's Butterfly Welcome last month and made a lot of progress, especially on the train trip to Cambridge.  All I need to do now is add the gold metallic and the beads.  So I'm only showing half of it!

stitched on 28 count Colonial Blue evenweave

Then I moved on to the next Just Nan in line - Christmas Friends:

stitched on 28 count beige evenweave

I didn't stitch much more because I've been focusing on my Summer Holiday project.  Another Just Nan called Summer Night.  I'll show the progress on that next time.

Finally, this really is the last call for the Summer Postcard Blog Hop!  I will be sending out the last card on 1st September so if you want to take part you have only 2 days.