A Fistful of Finishes

One advantage of the DUCJC was that I now have rather a lot of started projects which don't take much to finish them off!  So although January was a washout for actual finishes, they have been coming thick and fast in the last month or so.

So fast in fact that I haven't blogged about them all here!  All three of these have appeared on the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL blog so some of you may have seen them already.

First up is a design I received in a Giveaway from Gaynor of Stitchers Anon.  She gave me a free choice from her website and this was my favourite because I love the book:

Stitched over one on 28 count Platinum linen.

Shown with my scissors for scale.

This was a nice quick stitch, even over one.  It only uses a couple of colours so is ideal as a travelling project, I did most of the border in a lunch break at work.

The next design was even quicker, just one day!  This is for the May theme for the Ornie SAL which is Pumpkins:

Stitched on 32 count Lavender evenweave

This was a Just Nan freebie, I think I downloaded it from JCS's website but I can't remember.  It's been sat in my files for ages anyway.  I love those little top hats the spiders are wearing.

And now, the Big Finish:

Stitched on 28 count Chocolate Orange evenweave from Crafty Kitten

This is Just Nan's design Haunted Pumpkin Tree, the chart was a gift from Mouse and the fabric from Shebafudge, both for my Birthday last year.  I started it in October, did one day for the DUCJC and then picked it up again this month to complete.

The pumpkins took so long, there are five different shades of orange in them and each one is slightly different so you need to pay close attention to the chart.  Once they were done the colours went really quickly.  The black backstitch was the most fun because it made each character come alive.

The heart charm came with the chart.  There are four of these designs in a series called Charmed Heart Trees.  This is most definitely my favourite.  I may or may not buy any of the others,  I am undecided and there are more Just Nans higher up my list!

Here are some close-ups:

Just to prove it's not all finishes around here, I've been working on two WIPs:

Anchor Kingfisher, the fabric is blue evenweave

The Goode Huswife Book of Spells

on 40 count Jewel Butterbeer

Finally, the next post will be the Gifted Gorgeousness Link Up on the 15th.  We will be having another Giveaway, this time a chart donated by the lovely Stitching Noni.  So sort out your GG projects to be in with a chance.

Days 20 to 23 of the DUCJC 2015

The DUCJC is being held this year in memory of SoCal Debbie and I am attempting to stitch on 31 different projects throughout January.  A mixture of WIPs and new starts.

This week was a busy week at work so I chose three of my WIPs to stitch on those three days.

Day 20 - Jannlynn - Gathering Honey:

Stitched on 28 count linen.

I stitched more of the green in the bottom two blocks and some more backstitch.

I think I can start adding some flowers next time!

Day 21 - Joan Elliott - Faces SAL:

Stitched on 28count Snapdragon evenweave by Crafty Kitten

This will be a fairy eventually!

Day 22 - Just Nan - Winter Typography:

Stitched on 32 count lilac linen.

I stitched the mittens, the bunny, the scarf and some of the pink in the border.

Day 23 - Stitcher Anon - Marley was Dead:

Stitched over 1 on 28count Platinum linen.

A new start at last!

Only a week to go on this challenge.  I have found it easier than I thought.  Some of the pieces have been very hard to put down but being able to start a long-awaited design has made it easier.  I am hoping to finish all the obligation stitching and most of the smalls throughout the year.  It would be nice to finish Gathering Honey too because that is for a friend.  I think the JE Faces will continue into next year though.

The Gifted Gorgeousness SAL's first monthly sign up was a great success and I have visited everyone who linked up now.  I had so many page views for that post and also my 7000th comment!  The lovely Gillie left that comment and I have offered her first choice of my finished charts later this year.  My intention is to finish a few of the smalls and have a giveaway, possibly on my Blogaversary in April.  So Gillie will get first dibs and then whoever enters!

Finally, I will be hosting the annual Valentine's Day Blog Hop this year.  See this post for more details.  Just send me a photo of your lovely stitching to be sent to another blogger on Valentine's Day,  I've added the Heart to my sidebar, please feel free to copy it onto your blog to link back here.