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.

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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.

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October Plans

At the start of the year I made a list of 24 projects I want to stitch this year for my "24 in '24".  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 two projects I stitch that month.  One small and one medium.

In September, the numbers were 4 and 11.  These related to TraLaLa Couer de Sorciere and Hands on Design [never.more].  I have completed both of them now.

stitched on 32 count Taupe evenweave

stitched on 32 count Khaki linen

It would be nice to get these both FFO'd before the 10th, wouldn't it?

In October, the numbers are 8 and 17.  These relate to Cottage Garden Samplings' Halloween Sampler and Drawn Thread's Spot of Summer.

The Halloween sampler was always going to be my Dark October project regardless of when it was called so I allocated that as number 8.  I started this in January for Dark 13 and stitched one word per month. Here's where I was before the start of October:

Here's where I am now - 5 days and 5 new words added

stitched on 40 count Witches Brew linen from Zweigart

My evening piece is supposed to be Spot of Summer from Drawn Thread but I haven't started it yet.  I am thinking of rolling this one and Spot of Autumn over to next year.

Instead I have been stitching the Steady Thread Halloween SAL:

stitched on 30 count tea-dyed linen

I'm not keeping up with the releases, this is still only Part 1 but it's a lovely stitch and I'm really enjoying it so I'll keep going with it.

Finally, I have got behind on my blog posting again so don't be surprised if an older post pops up in your Reader!

October TUSAL

   

It's TUSAL time!  

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current projects:

At the back, we have Cottage Garden Sampling's Halloween Sampler.  This has been my Dark Thirteen piece all year and now my focus piece for October.

stitched on 40 count Witches Brew linen from Zweigart

The smaller piece has been my evening project throughout September and is close to a finish now.  Hands on Design [never.more]

stitched on 32 count Khaki linen

Finally, I am behind in blogging again thanks to a bug that made me very tired and sleepy so expect to see some back-filled blog posts over the next few days!

September WIPocalypse Learning to Stitch

            

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 "24 in '24" for this year. This month I stitched on 5 of them and had four finishes.

2. Shepherd's Bush Halloween Trifles

11. Hands on Designs [never.more]

12. Living on the Rainbow Haunted House

16. Tra La La Couer de Sorciere

24. Cottage Garden Samplings Halloween Sampler

Finally, Measi always gives us a topic to discuss:

September – How did you learn to stitch?

I actually stitched my very first piece in Year 2 in Primary School.

After that, there was a long break until I saw a friend cross stitching a design for her baby son in 1993.  I was intrigued and thought it looked easier than sewing or embroidery because of the squares on the fabric.

I bought a small kit and started immediately, following the instructions in the kit:

After I'd got the basics I moved on to stitching with metallics, stitching on black, stitching on linen etc.  In the pre-internet days there was no-one telling you that something was supposed to be difficult!  You just tried it out to see how you got on.

Some of my techniques remain from the original kits - I'm a centre starter and much prefer to start that way.  Some developed from my own habits, I stitch using "secured needle" because it's practical when travelling and with cats or small children around.

The main change I have made is from stitching ////// then \\\\\\\ for rows to stitching each X individually.  I realised I prefer the tension and the look of the stitches when I do them individually.