Happy Dance with the February TUSAL

It's TUSAL time, the Totally Useless SAL where we all show our ORTS and link-up on Daffycat's blog.

Here is my TUSAL jar with two current projects:

What's that you say?

The borders on Dracula have joined up?

Does that mean a finish?

It most certainly does!

This is Dracula by Dam Good Crafts (chart no longer available)

stitched on 32 count Amortentia from Chromatic Alchemy

The fabric was a gift from Tiffany and looks absolutely stunning with the solid black stitching.  I plan to photocopy the finished piece and make that into a book cover as I did with Book of Spells.  Then I will frame the original piece.

The other piece in the photo is my Chatelaine, Gardens of London:

stitched on 32 count Cotton Clouds Belfast by Crafty Kitten

Making nice progress going round and round with various shades of green!

Finally, the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop was a great success, I believe everyone now knows who their Secret Stitching Sweetheart is and hopefully has some new friends.  Here are the collages of the designs sent in, some absolutely gorgeous stitching and a cute dragon too!

Don't forget to leave a comment on the original post if you want to be included in the Five Hops Challenge this year.

January WIPocalypse SALs

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.  For me, this will be my "18 in '18".  I started this idea back in 2011 with my "11 in '11" which was not a success.  Since then I have gradually made my targets more realistic!

Just for fun, here is my old 11 in '11 list:

I completed three of them in 2011 - Frosty Morning, Heart from Stitch Graffitti and Bluebeard's Mermaid.  How funny to see Joan Elliott's 12 Days of Christmas on there which finally got stitched last year.  The Art Nouveau Head is a UFO and the rest never even got started!

Anyway, I've done better than that this year already, having stitched on 9 of my list in January.  You can see the full list here.

1. Lavender & Lace - Enchanted Alphabet Spooky Conversion:

I stitched the S

stitched on 32 count Tiger Lily Murano by Sparklies

2. Lyndisfarne Designs - Discworld Mappe:

From here:

To here:

stitched on 32 count Murano custom dyed by Sparklies

3. Just Nan - Summer in the Square (10-a-Day)

stitched on 32 count Light Mocha linen

4. Donna Kooler - Zodiac:

stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen

5. Jardin Prive - Happy Hallowe'en Night:

stitched on 32 Cognac linen

6. Dam Good Crafts - Dracula:

stitched on 32 count Amortentia Belfast from Chromatic Alchemy

7. Just Nan - 12 Days of Christmas:

stitched on 32 count Vintage Grain linen

8. Mrs Peggotty - Alice & Flamingo:

stitched on 25 count blue evenweave

so close to the bottom left corner now!

9. Just Nan - Diamond Bouquet:

stitched on 28 count lilac evenweave

Pretty impressive!  Apart from the JN Ornaments for my 30-a-Day everything I have stitched this month is on my WIPocalypse list.   Anyone would think I liked 32 count fabrics...

Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too.

January 28 – What SAL’s are you participating in this year?

Obviously the WIPocalypse!  And these ones too:

Zodiac Club - post the first Saturday each month

Gifted Gorgeousness - post anything gifted on the 15th
TUSAL or Totally Useless SAL - post your ORTs on the New Moon each month

Hallowe'en Ornie Blog - a different spooky theme each month

Christmas Ornie Blog - a different festive theme each month
IHSW - 3rd full weekend of each month

Smalls SAL - last Friday of each month

As well as SALs I also host 5 blog hops a year.  You can read all about them here and I have listed them on this post too:

In February we will have the Secret Stitching Sweetheart for Valentine's Day - send me a suitable picture and I will forward it to another participant, hop around the blogs to see who got your picture.

At Easter it's the Easter Treasure Hunt - sign up and be allocated a letter, post a picture and your letter at Easter, hop round the blogs (like an Easter Bunny) and find the Mystery Phrase.

During the whole of the Summer we usually have the Summer Postcard Hop - send me a picture for a postcard plus a holiday message, I will forward it to another participant, hop around the blogs to see who got your postcard.

At Hallowe'en it's the Trick or Treat Mystery Phrase - same as Easter but spookier!

During Advent I will host our Calendar - sign up and be allocated a dated door, post a picture on your day and add some information about your Christmas traditions. I copy the pictures onto my blog so we have the full calendar for everyone to see.

Finally you can see from the list of Hops that the next one will be the Secret Stitching Sweetheart in February.  You still have time to sign up for that one.  Just leave a comment or send me an email saying you would like to take part.  I will need a photo of your stitching item by 10th February.

January IHSW

The weekend just gone was the first IHSW of 2018 and what happens?  Jo has to work on the Sunday!  Typical.  Anyway, I started on Friday with some crafty coffee morning stitching on Alice by Mrs Peggotty:

stitched over one on 25 count blue evenweave

Another 200 stitches in there and working my way down the border.  I figure that if I stitch the border then I can use that as a reference point instead of gridding the inside.

My focus piece was the Discworld Mappe by Lyndisfarne Designs:

stitched on 32 count Murano custom-dyed by Sparklies

I stitched a turtle flipper and backstitched the main landmass with lots of little mountains.

I'm a bit confused at the moment as I am stitching Discworld but reading Lord of the Rings.

I finally finished the moon on Dracula and have almost completed the gold in his name.  Then it's finish Bram St... and add the border.  Once I complete this I will be able to put Alice in this time slot and really see some progress.

stitched on 32 count Amortentia by Chromatic Alchemy

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 on this post 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 TUSAL

It's TUSAL time, the Totally Useless SAL where we all show our ORTS and link-up on Daffycat's blog.

Here are my current projects with the first ORT jar of the year. There are ORTs in there, right at the very bottom of the jar!

The little tin is where I keep my bathroom ORTs and here is the current bathroom project; Dracula by Dam Good Crafts:

stitched on 32 count Amortentia Belfast by Chromatic Alchemy

For those of you new to this blog, my bathtime project is the project I stitch on while supervising the Small Boy in the bath.  Not for stitching during my own bath!  I usually choose a monochrome or simple colours like this so I can thread the needle and stitch until it is done.  I can usually get 2-3 lengths per night and have completed several large projects in this way.

This is the other project in the photo; my focus piece for January - The Discworld Mappe by Lyndisfarne Designs:

stitched on 32 count Murano custom-dyed by Sparklies

I backstitched an island and started the turtle's foot.

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 on this post 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.  

New Year, New Starts

Don't you love a New Year?  The chance to make a fresh start with your goals and projects?  Make resolutions and keep them for a whole week!  To say "I haven't spent anything on stash this year" and mean it.

And most of all; guilt-free new starts!  Last post I showed my Mrs Peggotty's Alice which I am hoping to work on regularly with an aim of 700 stitches per week.  Or maybe not.  I took her to the coffee morning at the local craft shop and got 200 stitches in 1.5 hours.  Here's where she is now:

stitched over one on 25 count blue evenweave

I'll do a bit more tomorrow and take her into work during the week for my lunchbreaks.

The plan is for her to replace Dracula at bath-time when I complete that design.  Here's the current position:

stitched on 32 count Amortentia Belfast by Chromatic Alchemy

The moon is taking FOR EVER but once I reach the top of the U I can put in the words "Bram Stoker's" and then the white fits round the outside of that.  Then it's an R and D and some boring border!

Here's another new start from the WIPocalypse list.  This was a gift from Brenda and she will be stitching along with me this year.

stitched on 28 count lilac evenweave

The design is Just Nan's Diamond Bouquet and will eventually look like this:

It's not very big and I'm aiming for two bands per month with a July finish.

As promised 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 on this post 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.  

Finally, a Public Service Announcement - Blogger no longer sends email notifications for comments from "no reply" bloggers.  If you moderate comments like I do, all the "no-reply" people are loitering in your "Awaiting Moderation" section along with the Yahoo people that Blogger also doesn't like.  I really do advise people to attach an email to their profile, preferably a Gmail, so we can see your comments easily and respond to them.

Boxing Day Renamed "Stitching Day"

As the Advent Calendar revealed that some countries do not celebrate Boxing Day and others simply have Second Christmas (like festive hobbits) I have decided that 26th December will  henceforth be International Stitching Day.  Just sit in your stitching spot nibbling on leftover turkey and chocolates while stitching to your heart's content.

We will start with a piece that I actually stitched just before Christmas.  I finished Joan Elliott's 12 Days of Christmas on 15th December so technically I had 9 stitching days before Christmas Day but I knew I was working on 4 of them and would be pretty busy on the other 5 so I decided to stitch a very small design.  Kerry the Biscornu Addict showed what she would be stitching on in the run-up to Christmas which inspired me to stitch one of the same designs:

Merry Christmas by Stitchrovia

Stitched on 28 count Colonial Blue evenweave

This was the cover kit with Cross Stitch Crazy issue 237 and came with this red hoop but I will probably scrapbook it instead.

My Christmas Day start is another 12 Days of Christmas design (No, Stephanie, I cannot get enough of these designs!).  I'm doing 12 Days of Stitchmas as I did last year.  So on Day 1, I stitched Block 1:

On Day 2, I stitched on Block 2 and Block 1:

On Day 3 I will stitch a little of each of the first 3 blocks and so on.  The plan is to stitch the black border on the new day so I can get the placement right for the next day.  Then one length on each of the preceding blocks.  Chosen to avoid changing colour too much!

At the end of the Twelfth Day of Christmas I should have Block 1 completed and then I will stitch one block a month for the rest of the year.

Today being the 26th I should have stitched my spooky conversion of the Enchanted Alphabet by Lavender & Lace.  But guess where that it?  In the chest hidden behind the Christmas tree!  So that will have to wait until Epiphany when the tree comes down.

Instead I picked up the next project in the rotation; my Zodiac SAL by Donna Kooler:

stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen

I'd already done my 10-a-day and 30-a-day projects in the morning:

Just Nan - Summer in the Square

Just Nan Butterfly Rose

There's still one more project to come today, the bathtime stitching which is Dracula's Book Cover by Dam Good Crafts.  Here's where I finished last night having just started the moon:

stitched on 32 count Amortentia Belfast by Chromatic Alchemy

So that's five pieces in one day!  Same again tomorrow and the rest of the month until I go back to work on 1st January.  For one day.  Then another week off.  I do love part-time working, especially when you do lieu hours in December and get to take them in January.

I do hope you all had a lovely Christmas and got everything you wanted.  My favourite presents were stitching and book related, of course.  I also got these really cute earrings:

Just 1 More Chapter

She does quite a range of books and will do custom designs too!  I wonder if I ordered our Book of the Month each month if I could put them through petty cash?

I NEED the Alice in Wonderland ones next, then some Discworld covers, the Dragonriders of Pern, The Power (Naomi Alderman) and then every book Chris Riddell has ever done a cover for...

Finally, we are approaching the end of the year so I will be putting up the Sign-Up page for Gifted Gorgeousness soon and preparing my special recipe End of Year Pie for all you Statistic lovers.  But before that we have the final Smalls post on Friday!

Christmas TUSAL

It's TUSAL time, the Totally Useless SAL where we all show our ORTS and link-up on Daffycat's blog.

Here's my final ORTs jar of the year with my current projects:

Here's a close-up of Dracula's Castle by Dam Good Crafts:

stitched on 32 count Amorentia Belfast from Chromatic Alchemy

The other project is a new start "just because", it was the cover kit with last month's Cross Stitch Crazy magazine (issue 237).  The design is by Emma Congdon of Stitchrovia:

stitched on 28 count Colonial Blue evenweave

We put our tree up at the weekend and I have a special area for my stitched ornies:

Most of them were received in previous years, except this one:

Anyone recognise it?   Yes, it's a Denny's Angel!   Gracie from Needles, Pins and Dragonflies has been tatting these this year and sending them out to her friends.  It is a great honour and privilege to receive a Denny's Angel and I was really touched when I opened the card.  Thank you Gracie.

I must be honest and say I have sent very few cards this year, and none overseas.  The time ran away from me so maybe I will be sending Happy January cards instead.  I have been sending the Jacquie Lawson e-cards so if you haven't had one of those yet, watch your inbox!

Finally, the Advent Calendar is going well again this year, lots of beautiful festive stitching and some great ideas for how to spend Boxing Day.  We still have more doors to open, with some being double door days so keep checking back each to see the latest picture and link.

Gifted Gorgeousness December Post

Welcome to the final 2017 link-up for Gifted Gorgeousness. The linky will stay open until the end of the year so you have plenty of time to link up and join in.

Two gifted finishes this month and another one imminent.

Memories by Just Nan - chart was a gift fromVickie

Witches by Oberlin Samplers - chart was a gift from Barb

Dracula by Dam Good Crafts - fabric was a gift from Tiffany:

12 Days of Christmas by Joan Elliott - a gift from my MIL:

So now I hand over to you. This is where you link up your post for this month. Please use your name or your blog name in the field and NOT the words "December 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, the Advent Calendar is going well again this year, lots of beautiful festive stitching and some great ideas for how to spend Boxing Day.  I feel that this celebration could catch on in America if we all promote it right!  We still have 9 doors to open, with some being double door days so keep checking back each to see the latest picture and link.