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).

Last month I showed you an "Almost Fully Finished" piece and now I am happy to show you the Fully Finished version:

The Sweetheart Tree - Holly and Hardanger

From Just Cross Stitch Ornament Special 2005

stitched on 32 count linen

I added a bow and ribbon loop on top

then used red drawing pins to hold the ribbon in place around the edge:

I also got around to framing the final in the Just Nan Typography series, this is Summer Typography:

The raw wood frames I used for the first three are no longer available but they had a white wood one which I painted pink.  Here are the other three designs in the series:

Awesome Autumn completed 2013

Winter Wonder completed 2015

Splendid Spring completed 2016

Super Summer completed 2019

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

2018 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.

Finally Fully Finishing Fun for September

Hosted by Rachel the Ten Hour Stitcher

This new 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).

This is what I was supposed to be showing as my FFO this month; The Sweetheart Tree Holly 'n' Hardanger:

I had a circular polystyrene shape which was the perfect size.  I cut the original fabric into a circle and drew a circle a bit bigger than the polystyrene shape.  Then I used sewing cotton to make a running stitch all the way around the pencil circle.  Place the fabric over the shape, pull the cotton drawstring, adjust it a little bit, smooth out wrinkles, pull a little bit tighter, adjust again, pull tighter, get the Large Boy to hold it while I knotted the cotton thread and call it done.

Whip stitch a piece of circular felt to the back and cover the edge with a ribbon.  That's where the problem started.  All my ribbons were too wide or too narrow.  The only piece that was the right size was the wrong colour.  So it's off to the Haberdashery to find the perfect width of ribbon.

At least I will have an FFO'd Ornament for next month!

But I still needed something for this post.  Luckily I have had a bit of a finishing flurry over the last few days so I had another project ready and waiting to be framed.  I just had to hope I had the right frame in my stash.  My luck held!

Back at the start of the Summer Holiday I completed my 10-a-Day project which was a Just Nan design called Summer Typography.  I decided that rather than start the next 10-a-Day design I would have a slightly more challenging Summer Stitch.  A sampler in six weeks.  The Random Number Generator chose Summer Night by Just Nan and I divided it up into 42 segments with a row of speciality stitches or colour per day. 

Here's the daily progress pictures:

You can really see the difference in lighting conditions each day with the change in the fabric!

The first 36 days were spent doing the DMC stitching and the final few days adding beads and ribbon.  I couldn't get the Soie Tressage recommended but did get some narrow sparkly silver ribbon which was perfect.

stitched on 28 count Jobelan in Dragon Shades from Polstitches

Trying to capture the beads and the ribbon sparkle

You wanted lots of photos?

The Final Fully Finished Framed piece:

Finally:

All the postcards have been sent out in the Summer Postcard Blog Hop. Thanks to everyone who sent a card in and who posted their card on their blog.  The links go direct to the posts so you can catch up with any you missed!

Aimetu's Stitching

Needle, Pen and Sword

Miniz Diary

Ariadne from Greece

Jocondine

Jeremiah's Mom

Finally Fully Finishing Fun for August

Hosted by Rachel the Ten Hour Stitcher

This new 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 managed two different FFOs this month - one ornie and one scrapbook page.  The ornie was a recent finish and the scrapbook piece rescued from the "Chuck it in a Bag for 20 Years" finishing bag.

The recent finish was a Just Nan design called A Little Joy from the 2002 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Special.  I made it into a padded square ornament with a beaded trim and a ribbon hanger:

Stitched on 28 count Platinum linen

The main design over two and the centre sampler over one

Beaded trim

Backing Fabric

With two Sweetheart Tree recent finishes

The older piece was probably a magazine cover kit from the 1990s.  I have no idea.  I can't think of any other reason for stitching it!

stitched on 14 count aida

I was pleased with the choice of paper and mount.  I wanted the look of an old fashioned living room with the cat asleep on the settee.

I would have FFO'd Summer Typography but Wilkos have discontinued their 6 x 6 inch raw wood box frames.  I was hoping to have a spare one at home but sadly not.  So I will have to buy a white one and paint it.  I want it to co-ordinate with the other three.  Here are some more photos of Summer Typography for those who missed it.

stitched on 32 count Pink linen

Did you spot the word I changed?  Answer at the end of the blog post!

Finally:

Three postcards have been sent out in the Summer Postcard Blog Hop to:

Aimetu's Stitching
Needle, Pen and Sword
Miniz Diary

so make sure you follow their blogs and see who the cards come from.

It's not too late to send your postcard to me if you want to join in!






















(The word is Super!  Hope you are having a Super Summer too)

Finally Fully Finishing Fun for July

Hosted by Rachel the Ten Hour Stitcher

This new 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).

It was a little bit of a quieter month for fully-finishing owing to me working two out the four Sundays since the last link-up.  Sundays seem to be a good time to FFO!

I completed another scrapbook page for a Just Nan small.  This is Butterfly Lace so I added some purple lace trim around the edge and some butterfly stickers:

It shares a page with Dragonfly Summer, renamed Butterfly Summer as I didn't have the dragonfly charm:

I also managed a slightly more complex finish.  The Christmas Joy Bellpull by The Sweetheart Tree is now a padded ornament to match the Christmas Noel Bellpull:

I found the ribbon I had saved and even remembered which two colours I combined to make the tassel!

If you are a Fan of Fully Finished pieces (and who isn't?) then have a look at my People's Choice this month which is all about finishing and some of the different techniques I have used.  Plus we have people linking up to show their's too.  While you are there, don't forget to leave some idea for the Poll for the next choice.

Finally, I will be sending out the first postcard in the Summer Postcard Blog Hop this weekend.  So keep your eyes open to see who receives it.  There is still plenty of time to sign up and take part this year.  Just leave a comment letting me know you would like to join in.

Finally Fully Finishing Fun for June

Hosted by Rachel the Ten Hour Stitcher

This new 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).

Over the last month I have been very unseasonal!  I have continued with my progress on some older pieces which were all finished in the same way - Put It In A Bag For Twenty Years.

First up is a jolly little Santa from Mill Hill:

It took a massive amount of work to FFO him, two pieces of double-sided tape:

He looks a bit lonely so at some point I will stitch his friends:

I only have the charts and some leftover threads as these came from my friend who was destashing a few years back.

The next piece was also a Santa, look how well he matches the paper I had in my stash: 

You can see how old this one is, issue 8 of Cross Stitch Collection from December/January 1993!  The card mount came with it.

Now for something a little bit more recent, although still an older magazine:

Not a Creature Was Stirring by Dragon Dreams

from Just Cross Stitch Ornament Special 2001

The little card frame came from an old Christmas card

Finally, there will be a Summer Blog Hop this year.  We will have an International Theme for the Postcards this year.  Each person emails me a photo of something they have stitched on an International theme which is suitable to send to a fellow stitcher along with a short message of the kind you write on a postcard.  I will forward the photo to another participant who shows it on their blog.  The photo can be anything which fits the International theme, let's see which countries we visit this Summer.  If you'd like to take part then leave a comment or send me an email.

A couple of people have asked "what do you mean by "International"?"

To which I replied "Use your imagination!  If you don't have something which represents a country or an area of the world, how about a mode of transport?  Or something designed by an international designer?  Or gifted by an international friend?  Or stitched on French Navy fabric? LOL!!"

The Hop will run over the whole of the Summer with a few cards going out each week.  Final deadline will be the end of August, just in time for Back to School!