December Smalls

  

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

This year my Smalls have been my JBW 12 Days of Christmas ornaments which I started on Boxing Day 2019 for the 12 Days of Stitchmas.

stitched on 40 count white linen

I also completed another Gift of Stitching magazine design - Sugar Plum Tree by Rosewood Manor from December 2007:

stitched on 32 count mid green linen

This is from the Just Cross Stitch Ornament Special 2019 and was the September choice for the JCS FB group. Silvery Lace Snowflake from Works by ABC. Or Golden Lace Ornament as it now is:

stitched on 32 count burgundy linen

I also completed the Just Nan Owl Winder Pocket:

stitched on 28 count Tan Jobelan

A couple of people asked "what is an owl winder?"  It was a round piece of metal shaped as an owl face than you could wind your thread round, rather like a bobbin.  Very beautiful but very expensive which is why I don't have one.  I will make this up into a pocket next year and find something else to go in it.  Maybe a cardboard or thin wood shape?

Having completed last year's 12 Days of Stitchmas, I have now started this year's design:

stitched on 32 count Lime Green evenweave

This is the 2019 Stoney Creek Ornament series the lovely DJ sent me because I admired her's so much!  I will start one every day from 26th December to 6th January and finish one per month as I have done in previous years.

I will be posting my daily progress in the new 12 Days of Christmas Cross Stitching group on FB as well as sharing them here.

Finally, a big Thank You to everyone who took part in the Advent Calendar Blog Hop this year.  As usual, it was a great success and I loved hearing what your favourite books are.  Many people chose mine - The Christmas Carol.  It was interesting to hear how many different audio versions there are and which ones you all prefer too.

November Smalls

 

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

This year my Smalls will be my JBW 12 Days of Christmas ornaments which I started on Boxing Day 2019 for the 12 Days of Stitchmas.  Because I skipped October for Dark October, I completed two days in November.  As usual, the beads will be added when I stitch the third design:

stitched on 40 count white linen

I decided to use small charts for my Naughty November with Rachel and Tiff.  The first weekend I stitched three tiny Haunted Houses from the Stitchonomy SAL:

stitched over one on 28 count Moondust Murano from Crafty Kitten

The second weekend I started another Haunted House by the Cross Stitching Guild for the same piece:

stitched over one on 28 count evenweave in Moondust from Crafty Kitten

The third weekend I went for Christmas and started and finished a design from the Gift of Stitching magazine.  Red Berries by Rosewood Manor from December 2006:

stitched on 32 count mid green linen

I wonder what I will start this weekend?

My evening project has been Just Nan's Owl Winder Pocket.  I have finished the central Owl Mandala and the lovely zigzag design for the front of the pocket.  Now I just have the design for the back of the pocket and to make the whole thing up:

stitched on 28 count Tan Jobelan

Finally, some little Bubbles of Happiness from Lin Pulsion:

stitched over 1 on 25 count white evenweave

November IHSW with SALs and Added Turkey

 

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.

I started IHSW on Friday for a change, thanks to being furloughed there was no work!  Leonore and I have been working on a Just Nan band sampler again.  We chose Snowfire Christmas this time and it's rather larger than our previous SAL!  So I decided to spend the afternoon finishing up Band 8.

stitched on 32 count Burgundy Linen

(same colour as DMC 816)

Saturday saw another new start for Rachel and Tiff's Naughty November SAL.  I recently joined the Gift of Stitching Facebook Group and we're having an Ornament SAL there so this was a chance to hit two challenges with one design.  

I chose Red Berries by Rosewood Manor from the December 2006 issue:

 

stitched on 32 count mid green linen

That was a nice quick finish.  I used DMC 4045 for the green and 221 for the red stitches.  I used Mill Hill petite beads in red and gold for the baubles and the stars.

I finished the design on Sunday and even had time to FFO an ornament for yet another SAL - FFO Weekend in the Just Cross Stitch Ornament SAL FB group.  I'll share that in Rachel's FFO Gallery in December.

At bathtime I continued with my Owl Winder Pocket from Just Nan:

stitched on 28 count Tan Jobelan

So that's the SALs, but where does the Turkey come in?  Regular followers of Astrid's Blog will know all about her annual Turkey posts where she shows the artwork from her local Primary School.  Each child is given an outline of a turkey which they personalise with a bid for us not to eat the turkey.  It's my favourite post of the entire year.  Due to Covid Astrid was unsure whether she would be able to get photos of the children's work so she invited us to join in!

Here is my masterpiece:

Do you like him?  My son actually came up with the idea but declined to draw him so I used Paint to render him in all his finery.  A match for any 1st Grader I am sure!

Finally, the next IHSW will be 18th - 20th December 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.

November TUSAL

 

It's TUSAL time!

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current projects:

On the left I have the latest Naughty November New Start for the SAL with Tiff and Rachel.  This week I stitched part of a freebie from the Cross Stitching Guild on Facebook :

stitched over one on 28 count evenweave in Moondust from Crafty Kitten

I have the yellow to fill in the windows and a small hill to add.  There's also a creepy tree.  The idea is to add various small houses and fill the fabric.  

The project on the right is my current bath-time project.  Just Nan's Owl Winder Pocket.  Started for Maynia in 2018.  There is the centre square design which only needs their eyes and some corner stitches.  Then there is a lovely diagonal striped area and a smaller fence design.  The two smaller designs will form the pocket.  I don't have the Owl Winder so I may make it into a pillow finish instead.  Or find something else to fit in there!

stitched on 28 count tan Jobelan

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎅🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Finally, it's time to sign up for the Advent Calendar Blog Hop!  For this hop, each participant is allocated a day in December to make their post on.  They will show something they have stitched on a Christmas theme and answer the topic question I set.   I then copy their photo onto my blog post in the style of an Advent Calendar.

So if you'd like to join in, please leave a comment or send me an email.  Let me know if there is a date you would particularly like or one you'd like to avoid.  I will be in touch towards the end of the month!

Here is a link to last year's so you can see how it works:

2019 Online Advent Calendar