First Finish of 2026

Just 12 days in and we have a finish already!  This is Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas series from Cottage Garden Samplings.  Stitched like the others using 1 strand on 35 count cream linen.

stitched on 35 count cream linen

I did decide to backstitch the hens as they did fade into the fabric a little bit too much.

Each evening I have been stitching on my Just Nan choice - the Witching Hour Cube:

stitched on 32 count purple linen

The borders are charted for Weeks Dye Works but I used DMC 333 for the main purple outline and then some silks for the inner borders.  I was gifted the silks kit for Counting Bats and as Nan uses the same colours for many of her designs I thought this was a good chance to use them again.  Those greens are so pretty.

I have chosen a new design for my Dark Thirteen stitching tomorrow but today I have been stitching on my oldest WIP - Yiota's Coffee Fairy.  So far I have outlined a biscuit!

January Plans

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".  Last year I decided not to attempt this and focused on 2 larger pieces and then spend the rest of my stitching time on the series I have started.  I intend to do the same this year.

This is the list for 2026:

1. Mirabilia - Fairy Idyll - 6 WIPGO numbers
2. Yiotas Cross Stitch - Coffee Fairy - 6 WIPGO numbers
3. Cottage Garden Samplings - 12 Days of Christmas - 2 WIPGO numbers
4. Nora Corbett - Trick or Treat Fairy - 2 WIPGO numbers
5. Nora Corbett - Zodiac Girl TBA - 2 WIPGO numbers
6. Cottage Garden Samplings - Year in the Woods - 2 WIPGO numbers
7. Cricket Collection - Autumn - 2 WIPGO numbers
8. Satsuma Street - Taurus - 2 WIPGO numbers

As you can tell, 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 7 have been called.

Number 2 is Day 3 in the 12 Days of Christmas series by Cottage Garden Samplings.  Here's what it will look like:

And here's my progress so far:

stitched on 32 count Cream Linen

My evening projects this year will be a mixture of whatever I feel like stitching!  I want to get some of my Just Nan Halloween designs stitched and the Random Number Generator chose this one:

Just Nan Witching Hour Cube

stitched on 32 count Purple Linen

The border is stitched in DMC 333 and the fabric is pretty much the same colour.  The chart calls for some WDW for the borders but I'm using plain DMC.

I have already stitched the mouse shown on the cover so she will be happy to have a cube to sit on now!

Miss Hazel Fun Witch Mouse

The Coffee Fairy from Yiotas is currently my oldest WIP and will look like this:

Currently looks like this:

A WIPGO Finish

I'm doing WIPGO again this year because it's fun to have the element of surprise in your planned stitching.

I started The Year in the Woods series from Cottage Garden Samplings in December 2023 and finished The Fox in January 2024.  I straight away moved on to The Swans on the same piece of fabric.  

Here's where I left off stitching them:

That was my start point for 2025 and I stitched on them every day this February except for the 13th.  Here are my finished photos:

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cirrus evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

I substituted B5200 for the white snowflakes and added a strand of blending filament for extra sparkle as I did for The Fox.

I also changed the water to DMC 927 and the gold wings to DMC 832.

I again used 522 for the trees so they show up better.

Other than that I stuck to the charted DMC conversion.

Finally, here are the pair together:

February 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 January, the numbers 11 and 20 were called.  These both related to my oldest WIP, the Art Nouveau Head so I made some great progress on that project, finishing here:

stitched on 14 count White Aida

For February, the numbers 7 and 8 were called.  These relate to Cottage Garden Samplings Year in the Woods series and the Art Nouveau Head (again).

I'm currently stitching The Swans for the Year in the Woods and here's where I left off last year:

Here's where I am now, I've got quite a lot done in just five days!

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cirrus evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

Finally, my evening project will be the Annie Beez 12 Days of Christmas Stockings.  Here is Day 2 so far:

stitched on 28 count Black Jobelan

Halloween Spooky Link-up 2024

   

This is the time of year when I'd usually do my Trick or Treat Blog Hop but due to circumstances beyond my control, I just haven't had time to organise it this year.

Instead, we will have a Spooky Link-up party all week!  Just make a post on anything spooky; stitching, decorating, crafting etc and link up below.  Make sure you come back and visit some of the other bloggers too.  We've all noticed visits and comments dropping this year so it would be nice to show some spooky love to our fellow bloggers.

*

* 

Here's what I have to share with you all.  This year I have been stitching for Dark 13 each month.  I chose the Halloween Sampler from Cottage Garden Samplings and stitched on word per month

At the start of the month I had completed up to I:

And now we have a finish!

Here's the whole piece:

stitched on 40 count Witch's Brew linen from Zweigart

I just need to find a square black frame that is big enough for this design.

I did manage to FFO the three Halloween Trifles from Shepherd's Bush, using a wooden pumpkin board from The Works.  I mixed up some orange acrylic paint with a splash of black and diluted it with water to make a paint wash which turned out really well.  Then I mounted each of the three pieces to card and stuck them to the board with double sided tape.

I didn't have the right charms so I just chose some from my stash

I realised I had used all my spider charms so used this bigger web instead:

Very pleased with the final result:

Here are some more photos of my Spooky Stitching on display this year:

Finally, enjoy the Spooky Link-ups!

        

all from Hyraea

October 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 trying something different for IHSW - an A-Z Challenge!  These usually take place in April and people stitch one letter every day except Sunday.  I don't want to swap projects daily so thought I could do 2 or 3 letters per IHSW instead.

The letters R and S were designated for October.  I don't have an R project so I went with three S projects which were actually the three projects I have been stitching all month!

First up was Cottage Garden SAMPLINGS and Halloween SAMPLER.

I had finished all the words and now have the motifs to work on.  It started here:

And finished here:

stitched on 40 count Witch's Brew linen from Zweigart

Next up was the Halloween Blackwork from The STEADY Thread, from here:

To here, completed the Home Sweet Home sampler, added some colour and a little bit of the lacy border, then almost all of the Witch picture:

stitched on 30 count tea-dyed linen

The third project is my Temperature Tree, again from The STEADY Thread.  That went from here:

To here, with a lot more of the border done:

and back down to green leaves again:

stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers

Next month will be T, U and V.  Except I don't have anything for U or V so it will just be T projects.  I do have plenty of those!

Finally the next IHSW will be 15th - 17th November 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.

October Gifted Gorgeousness Link-up Post

         

Welcome to the September 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 pieces for last month were both gifted charts and both finished.  During the day I stitched on Couer de Sorciere by TraLaLa:

stitched on 32 count Taupe evenweave

In the evening it was this little repeating design from Hands on Design, [never.more]

stitched on 32 count Khaki linen

Continuing progress on this one as we cool down to Lime again:

Steady Thread - Tree of Life Temperature SAL

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.  This is my current focus piece and I am stitching one word per day, then I will complete the motifs around the words.

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

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 "October 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.

*

*