Finally Fully Finishing Fun for February

 

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).

I did slightly better than last month when I was FFO'ing on the 9th.  This month I FFO'd on the 8th!

Last year I stitched a Just Nan sampler called Follow the Needle which included a chart for a smaller ornament design.  My plan was to make the ornament and pop it into the corner of the box frame the sampler is in.

Just a simple pillow finish with a few beads at each corner to disguise them!

That's it for this month!  Maybe I'll have more to show next month.

I did complete Day 2 of the 12 Days of Stitchmas.  My project this year is by Jardin Prive and I'm using this rather wonderful Millenium Blue linen.  

stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen

I used a different green to Day 1 to see if it would show up better and it does.  So the green will be frogged from Day 1 and replaced with this one. It's just a shade lighter and brighter.

My WIPGO Board chose Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow twice this month so I thought I'd carry on with Block 2 and start Block 3 from the beginning of the month.  Get my 14 days stitching in and then see what time I have left for another project.

I completed Block 2 after 5 days of stitching:

I changed the date on the tombstone from 1710 to 1709 because that is my Birthday!

And here's where I am on Block 3:

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cassia Rose from Chromatic Alchemy

The black got a little tedious so it was nice to move on to some letters today.

Finally, the stitching photos for the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop have been filling my Inbox with love.  If you're joining in and haven't sent your photo yet, please can you do so ASAP.  I'll be emailing everyone on the morning of 13th February.

Finally Fully Finishing Fun for October

   

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).

I decided to try get a headstart on myself this month and framed these two small pieces on the 14th September.

The first one is from 2014 and shows Frankenstein's Kitty and the Bride of Frankenstein's Kitty both by Carand88:

This one is from 2017 and is Spooky Night by Shepherd's Bush:

The spider's web is a scrapbook cutout to add a little something as the frame was a little bit big for the design.

Then I got a big one framed, this was my Summer SAL Sampler with the Just Nan Junkies - Follow the Needle:

I mounted this on a page from a Monet Calendar and put it in a box frame.  There was an extra Ornament design included in the chart and I want to finish that and pop it on the corner of the frame.

Back to Hallowe'en for a special Mouse House.  You all know I've been stitching the Just Nan Mice for a while now and looking for some way to display them all.  I bought this raw wood house on eBay and painted it black.

Here's how it came:

Then I printed off some tiles, bricks and floorboards:

Stuck them to the sides and floors:

Ready for the mice to move in!

I am considering adding some wallpaper.

Of course I am keeping up with my Primitive Hare Celebrations and here is Mabon:

Finally, there will be a Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop as usual this year. I am sure you all know how it works but for those who need a reminder - here's a link to last year's

2020 Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop

If you want to take part, just leave a comment here or email me if you are a "no reply" person. I need an email address for you to take part in this hop.

September Stitch From Stash and Pie

 Let's start the post with some pie!

Quite a successful last few days of the month.  I completed the second block on the Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas and ticked off a box on my WIPGO Board for that.

stitched on 32 count grey-blue linen

Here are the first two Days completed:

My goal is to complete Day 3 by the end of the year.

Another last minute finish, this was the Summer Band Sampler SAL with the Just Nan Junkies.  I completed the stitching but needed time to sort out which beads I was going to use as I didn't have the embellishment pack.  Then I decided to stitch the little ornament Nan included in with the main chart:

stitched on 28 count Lilac Brittney evenweave

So many pretty stitches and different effects in this sampler

Not so silent hours in my case as this was stitched over the Summer Holidays with a very not silent child sitting next to me!

This line reminds me of my dear friend Vickie and her blog A Stitcher's Story

Love these tassels

This is the Ornament design she included:

Hopefully this will be FFO'd in time for Rachel's FFO Gallery.

I took the Tiny Modernist Greenhouse to work and continued with the outline:

stitched on 28 count grey-blue evenweave

The WIPGO Board is looking great now, with four numbers ticked off in September!

The numbers called for October included one spooky project and one non-spooky project so that one will have to wait until November.

Stitch From Stash looks like I spent a lot but it was all Birthday money so a nil return for September.

I have received three of the Nora Corbett Zodiac charts already and I'm waiting for the next three.  I do plan to collect all 12 but they will have to wait until Christmas now.

The Stitch It Picasso spend was an impluse thanks to Tiff and Rachel.  I bought the Dragons they were stitching and also the Zodiac series and some Haunted Houses.  Here's the link to the shop - Stitch It Picasso on Etsy

As Leonore guessed, it didn't take me long to start one!

Here is the first colour completed on Dragon 2:

32 count Autumnal Woodland by Crafty Kitten

I started with Dragon 2 because when I cut the piece of fabric I had, it was the perfect size for three of the dragons.  The dragons are different sizes and shapes so it make the best use of the fabric I am stitching them out of order.

Finally, there will be a Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop as usual this year. I am sure you all know how it works but for those who need a reminder - here's a link to last year's

2020 Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop

If you want to take part, just leave a comment here or email me if you are a "no reply" person. I need an email address for you to take part in this hop.

September WIPocalypse New Starts

         

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 "21 in '21" for this year.  This month I stitched on 6 of them and met 2 WIPGO Goals.  

5. Nora Corbett Gathering Eggs - a finish!

stitched on 35 count Vintage Country Mocha Linen

8. Just Nan Scream House

stitched on 28 count Wood Violet linen from Permin

10. Stoney Creek 12 Days of Christmas

stitched on 32 count Lime Green Linen

13. Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas - stitching finished, couched outline to be added

stitched on 32 count grey-blue linen

17. Just Nan Follow the Needle

stitched on 28 count Lilac Brittney evenweave

Also started the little Ornament chart which comes with the main sampler

20. CCN Halloween Village Cafe 

stitched on 32 count Murano in Charcoal Slate from Sparklies

The full list can be seen here - WIPocalypse and 21 in 21

Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too:

September  – List five projects you have unstarted in your stash that you’d like to start something in the (relatively) near future.

Only five?  That's so difficult!  But I dived into the box next to me and pulled out these four (technically seven because of the seasons!)

First up, Princess Elliana by Mirabilia.  I have an idea for a conversion for this one.

Next, the Seasons from Cricket Collection.  I'd like to stitch these as cubes with one letter per cube.

I've not stitched a Blue Flower design yet and I love Night Walked Down.

Next to her is The Halloween Sampler by Cottage Garden.  I even have the thread for that one!

The fifth design set is one I saw on Rachel and Tiff's blogs as part of their Para-Olympic Stitching.  These will be a series of 12 Dragons.  Even better, the fabric was a gift from Rachel!  It's a piece of 32 count Autumnal Woodland by Crafty Kitten which was wrong for the project Rachel bought it for.  I used it to stitch an Ink Circles' Mandala and have enough left for these dragons.

Here are three pieces cut to size for three of the dragons:

And here are the colours used for all the designs:

Finally, there will be a Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop as usual this year. I am sure you all know how it works but for those who need a reminder - here's a link to last year's

2020 Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop

If you want to take part, just leave a comment here or email me if you are a "no reply" person. I need an email address for you to take part in this hop.

August WIPocalypse Proud and Relieved

        

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 "21 in '21" for this year.  This month I stitched on 6 of them and met 1 WIPGO Goal.  

5. Nora Corbett Gathering Eggs

stitched on 35 count Vintage Country Mocha Linen

10. Stoney Creek 12 Days of Christmas

stitched on 32 count Lime Green Linen

12. Mirabilia Fairy Idyll

stitched on 32 count Vineyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

13. Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas

stitched on 32 count grey-blue linen

16. Hands on Design Scary Apothecary Coffin Paint

stitched on 28 count Radioactive Linen from Chromatic Alchemy

17. Just Nan Follow the Needle

stitched on 28 count Lilac Brittney evenweave

The full list can be seen here - WIPocalypse and 21 in 21

Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too:

August – Which of your project finishes made you the most proud? The most relieved?

This is a really difficult one to answer!  I am proud of a lot of my work.  I do try to challenge myself, changing colours or fabrics, adding personal touches and so on.  

One piece that I am particularly proud of is my Hallowe'en conversion of Lavender & Lace's Enchanted Alphabet.  I loved the actual alphabet as soon as I saw the design but wasn't so keen on the child and bunny.  One day it came to me - stitch it in black on orange fabric and make a Hallowe'en special!

stitched on 32 count Murano in Tigerlily by Sparklies

There is a full post on this on my Happy Dance Blog - Lavender & Lace - Enchanted Alphabet

I don't often stitch things which are a relief to finish because I try to choose projects I know I will enjoy working on.  But this old project definitely fits into that category!  I loved the design and started it way back when I still used aida.  This was a horrible scratchy aida that actually gave me a friction burn on my wrist from rubbing when I stitched.  In the end I decided to stitch just one portion of the border and call it done.

The fully finishing plan is to fix the border around a circular box and make something nice for the lid.  Then use the letters to make cards for people whose names beging with those letters!

It was definitely a relief to mark this one off the WIP list.

Finally, there's a new SAL in town!

Clare from Aimetu's Stitching has created this SAL where we stitch un-seasonal things!  The full list is as follows:

September - a design to celebrate New Year

October - any design for Valentine's 

November and December - springtime designs

January - Easter stitching 

February and March - summer designs

April - a little treat for myself, any small design I fancy

May and June - autumnal designs

July - a design for Halloween

August - Christmas stitching 

And you can find more details on her blog here - Aimetu's Stitching