January Small SAL

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Heather from Stitching Lotus

This year I have two Small Challenges:

1. The Hallowe'en Ornie SAL Blog

2. The Christmas Ornie SAL Blog

For the Hallowe'en Blog I have done something a little different this year, I've chosen a band sampler by Just Nan called Counting Bats and each band corresponds to the monthly themes on the blog.  So January was Winged Creatures and I stitched these bats:

Kaye has chosen the themes for the Christmas Blog and January's was Music.  I am stitching Primitive Hare's Christmas Cubes for this challenge and here is C:

I also had a really small Small finish, the Mona Lisa by Mr. X-Stitch.  While rummaging through my stash cupboard I found this display of frames I bought from a house clearance shop a couple of years ago.  One of the frames was the perfect size for Mona:

Edit - The finished piece is 1.75 inches by 2.25 inches.

Now I just need five more miniature Old Masters to complete the set!  If anyone has any ideas please send me the links.  I found a cute Van Gogh from Cloud Factory which is a start.

In an attempt to keep up with my scrapbooking I mounted this little tree in a new frame made from an old Christmas card:

And here's the whole page:

Another thing which has got smaller is my list of followers, you may have noticed the same.  But do not panic!  Blogger has simply decided not to allow people to "follow" with accounts other than Blogger ones.  If those ex-followers use a Reader they should still be able to see your posts.

Finally,  the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop will be taking place on Valentine's Day.  Full details can be found on this post but basically you email me a photo of something suitable for a lovely friend and I send you a photo from a mystery friend which you post on your blog to wait for your Secret Stitching Sweetheart to find you from the list of participants on my blog.  Have a look at last year's Hop to see how it all worked:

Secret Stitching Sweetheart 2015

Some Fantastic Finishes

It was a busy weekend and I had two finishes plus some great progress on my Nora Corbett letter C.

The first finish was the Mini Mona Lisa you glimpsed with the Mona Lisa tea towel in a previous post.  This was part of Mr. X-Stitch's 52 Projects in 2015 and I fell in love with it when I first saw it.

I stitched her over one on 28 count black evenweave using a DMC conversion (the chart was in Anchor).  She looks better from a distance, so if you're reading this on a tablet or phone - hold it at arm's length!

Now I need a really tiny frame to mount her.  The finished piece is 1.75 inches by 2.25 inches.

The next finish is a little larger but still counts as a small.  CCN's Poinsettia Place is part of the Santa's Village series and was a giveaway prize from Gaynor of Stitchers Anon.  I started it as part of DUCJC 2015 and continued it in December.

stitched on 32 count Twilight Blue linen

and mounted for my scrapbook:

I used the recommended DMC for this one with a couple of minor changes.  I used B5200 instead of Blanc for the snow.  I changed the side wall to a darker green and used a brighter yellow for the windows.

I haven't got a photo of C to show you so that will have to wait until next time!  I will also be recommencing Book of Spells tonight for avid fans of that design.  It took a little break while I stitched the 12 Days of Christmas and then Mona Lisa (that 3799 fill-in was rather dull!).  But now I can return to my spooky love.

Finally, speaking of love - it's sign-up time for the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop which takes place on Valentine's Day.  Full details can be found on this post but basically you email a photo of something suitable for a lovely friend and I send you a photo from a mystery friend which you post on your blog to wait for your Secret Stitching Sweetheart to find you from the list of participants on my blog.  Have a look at last year's Hop to see how it all worked:

Secret Stitching Sweetheart 2015

January TUSAL

It's TUSAL time again, the first one of the year!  For those of you new to blogging, the TUSAL is a project run by Daffycat, click on the button on the right hand bar for more details.

Here is my ORTS tin posing with the current stitching project:

The new project is one of Nora Corbett's Alphabet Fairies.  This one is C.  I'm using a 32 count Murano called Oceanic Fantasia from Crafty Kitten.  I chose this fabric because it will work well with S and also because C features a solid stitched background which none of the rest do.  I'm not a fan of solid stitching so it makes sense to use a lovely fabric instread.

I also debated which threads to use.  The letters are all charted in Crescent Colours (now called Classic Colourworks) but you don't use much of some of the colours so I wondered whether it was worth buying them.  A friend sent me some she wasn't using when I started J so I looked at those and realised I needed a few of them for C too.  So I sat down and made a list, nearly all the colours feature in at least 3 of the designs I have (C, E, J and S) so it was definitely worth getting those.

I tried a new-to-me supplier - Patchwork Rabbit and I have to say I was very impressed.  I ordered them Friday lunchtime and they were with me less than 24 hours later.  All nicely wrapped in a waterproof envelope because it does rain here and the postman will carry the mail in his hands on the way to our door.

I had another new start and a partial finish on Friday this weekend.  My loose rotation said to start the design for the Christmas Ornie SAL blog on the second Friday of the month.  Like the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL blog I have a cunning plan to enable me to join in with the SAL and complete a larger piece at the same time!  Here is my finish for the theme Music:

And here is the chart cover:

I'm using an amazing fabric called Country Mocha by Willow Fabrics.  It's a 35 count linen and I love it!  The Christmas Cubes fit a 100mm x 100mm cube when they are done.  I'm using the recommended DMC except for the snow which is B5200 instead of Blanc.  It just pops better on a neutral fabric.  I also changed the words Jingle Bells to 814 instead of Black.  It's Christmas not Hallowe'en!

Now, do you remember I mentioned I was going to be reviewing something which you don't usually associate with art work?  Well, it's not artisan soap and it's not toilet roll!  It is teatowels!  Look at these:

Anglo Saxon design

Close-up: 

These are based on brooch designs and would make great stitching motifs.

I'm sure many of you recognise this design from the Bothy Threads kit?

Dictionary of Tea

And my favourite of all:

Mona Lisa teatowel

All three of these teatowels come from the lovely people at All Tea Towels.  A name which does exactly what it says!  They sell teatowels, from the comic to the fine art, there really is something for everyone on their website.  The website is nicely arranged in categories and easy to browse too.

The parcel arrived quickly and very well wrapped in waterproof plastic (remember the postman?) with the teatowels themselves wrapped in tissue paper inside.  They are nice and thick, two are 100% cotton and the Dictionary design is a cotton/linen blend.  Not sure of the count LOL.

I can't comment on what they are like for drying up the dishes because they are just too nice for that!!  I intend to make two of them into totebags and the third will be a little gift for someone I know.

The website gives some suggestions as to what you use them for (other than drying dishes) and there's even a link to a blog called My Tea Towels dedicated to tea towels!  Would you believe it?  And you thought cross stitch was a niche subject!  (Actually the blogger is really interesting, she tells some great anecdotes about where she bought her collection of teatowels.)

Anyway, I can thoroughly recommend the All Tea Towels website if you are searching for something a little out of the ordinary as a gift for that person who has everything.  I bet they haven't got a Tunnock's Teacake Wrapper teatowel!

Disclaimer - I was not paid to write this review and I am not affliated with the company.  I did, however, receive three lovely teatowels free of charge.

Back to stitching.  The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted the addition to the Mona Lisa teatowel.  A very small stitched Mona Lisa.  This one is a freebie from Mr. X-Stitch back in July and I've been stitching it off and on ever since then.  I'm stitching over one on 28 count evenweave.  That's a petite 28 needle for scale.  I've done all the interesting bits and just have to fill in with 3799 for about 20 rows!

Finally, the next Blog Hop will be the Secret Stitching Sweetheart for Valentine's Day.  Full details to follow or you can look at last year's to see how it works and sign up by leaving a comment.