Official IHSW

Many years ago (2011!)  Joysze of Random Ramblings coined the phrase Hermit and Stitch Weekend where you spend as much of the weekend as possible stitching.  This became very popular and also International.  Hence IHSW.  It always commences the Third Friday of every month and there is a sign-up post on Joysze's blog.  Or there was for the first few years!  Recently she has been a tad busy with one of those job things people insist on getting.  Presumably to pay for her Chatelaine habit?

Anyway, Kaye and I kicked her out of hibernation and got her to hermit instead!  So now we can see who else is hermitting each month and not feel alone, even though hermits usually are alone, it's nice to have company while you're being alone.

Here are the guidelines for IHSW and here is March's sign-up page.  You can also copy Hermie the crab onto your blog to show everyone you have joined in.

Enough (Random) Ramblings, what did I stitch this weekend?  The focus of all my IHSWs this year has been Elizabeth Shephard by The Scarlet Letter.  This is a long term project started back on Day 14 of the DUCJC 2015 and worked on each month since then.  She is a Quaker so you get a mini Happy Dance with each complete motif.

This is the motif I focused on this weekend:

I also added quite a few of the red parts elsewhere in the sampler:

stitched on 30count linen using AVAS silks.

There is one more large motif and then five half motifs.  At the current rate of stitching she could be completed by the Autumn.

I squeezed in a little more progress on Nora Corbett's J is for Me:

Stitched on 32 count Love-in-the-Mist by Crafty Kitten

And I did some scrapbooking!  That side of the craft has been neglected while I have been working on the first three Alphabet Fairies to meet the deadline.  I finally got this piece mounted on a suitable page:

January Wordplay by With Thy Needle & Thread

Here is the post where I talked about the designer and the project

June D.E.S.I.G.N. SAL

I also took some inspiration from Anna the Stitch Bitch and attempted an Exploding Book.  This is a kind of origami "book" rather than an gunpowder plot.  I made a little dummy version first and was pleased I did because there are two ways of doing the folded-in parts and one works better than the other.  Then I made a proper version using black card.  Then I realised I did not have any scrapbook papers suitable to decorate it so I had to spend an hour on the internet searching for some!  Luckily my favourite online scrapbook company had an entire book for half price!

Scrapping the Magic

And I stitched some more of the L*K Sampling Easter and The Primitive Hare Christmas Cube which you can see over on the Christmas Ornie SAL Blog or wait until the Smalls SAL post at the end of the month!

Finally, the Easter Blog Hop is almost upon us.  I have collected a lovely long list of names this year but there is still a day or two left if you want to be a picture poster.  Drop me a line before Wednesday which is when I will be emailing further instructions to those already signed up.

February WIPocalypse Most Admired

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.

The focus of my WIPocalypse will be my "16 in '16" which are 16 projects I particularly wanted to concentrate on in 2016.   The full list can be found on my WIPocalypse page where you can also find my secondary list "16 Series in '16".

My main goal is to keep to my rotation of one small every Friday and the rest of the month working on my focus piece until it is finished.  I also have a number of SALs I want to keep up with:

The Alphabet Club - a different letter on the first Saturday of each month

Gifted Gorgeousness - post anything gifted on the 15th

Hallowe'en Ornie Blog - a different spooky theme each month

Christmas Ornie Blog - a different festive theme each month

Smalls SAL - last Thursday of each month

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And now for the progress report:

So far this month I've worked on six of the main 16 and three of the series list.

7. Strawberry Sampler by The Sampler House - WIP

8. Book of Spells by The Goode Huswif - Finished

11. Elizabeth Shephard by The Scarlet Letter - WIP

I worked and finished on the motif on the far left last Friday

13. C by Nora Corbett - Finished

15. S by Nora Corbett - WIP

I am OBSESSED with this piece!  I simply cannot put her down!  I stitched her wing all of Sunday.

16. Counting Bats by Just Nan - WIP

And the series:

1. Christmas Cubes by The Primitive Hare - WIP

I am stitching these out of order to fit in with the themes on the Christmas Ornie blog

6. The Stitcher's Alphabet by Brooke's Books - WIP

15. Alphabet Fairies by Nora Corbett - see above.

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Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too:

February - If you have any of your pieces on display in your home which attracts the most plaudits?

I do have quite a lot of my stitching on display at home.  It doesn't actually attract a lot of comments, partly because we don't have a lot of visitors these days.  When the Large Boy was at Primary School we were always having coffee mornings and get-togethers but as our children have grown up we have gone back to work and have less time to meet up.

The piece which gets the most attention is Mirabilia's Bluebeard's Mermaid.  Mostly because she is most visible when you enter the room.  I think the problem is that the pictures I have on display are so different to the average English person's idea of cross stitch that they don't even register as stitching!  The Eilean Donan Castle looks like a painting and I'm assuming they think the same of my other larger pieces.

I looked at my Happy Dance blog to see which posts there have the most visitors.  The Round Robin posts are clear favourites with the most visitors.  And on this blog, the Gifted Gorgeousness posts are run away winners with in excess of 1000 pages views for each one.  I am guessing that people like a communal post!  Either that or people usually read posts in their Readers rather than visiting the website.

Finally, I blogged about the Concern Stitching for Syria project last post.  The charity is running a Women's Centre in Lebanon and wants to make a hanging for the walls to show the women that the international stitching community is aware of their difficulties.  You sign up on the website and they send you a little chart to stitch and send the square to their London office.

It really is a little design, only 2.2 inches on 28 count.  Although they talk about aida, this is often used as a generic term for "cross stitch fabric" in the same way "Hoover" mean "a vaccum-cleaner" and evenweave is fine.  I asked!

Stitched in DMC 107

This took me about 1,5 hours stitching while the Small Boy was in the bath over the course of three evenings.  So really, there's no excuse not to get involved!

January WIPocalypse Introduction

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.  Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too.

January - Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!

I think you all know who I am by now!  The focus of my WIPocalypse will be my "16 in '16" which are 16 projects I particularly wanted to focus on in 2016.   The full list can be found on my WIPocalypse page where you can also find my secondary list "16 Series in '16".

My main goal is to keep to my rotation of one small every Friday and the rest of the month working on my focus piece until it is finished.  I also have a number of SALs I want to keep up with:

The Alphabet Club - a different letter on the first Saturday of each month

Gifted Gorgeousness - post anything gifted on the 15th

Hallowe'en Ornie Blog - a different spooky theme each month

Christmas Ornie Blog - a different festive theme each month

Smalls SAL - last Thursday of each month

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And now for the progress report:

So far this month I've worked on five of the main 16 and four of the series list.  Although there is one overlap there!

Here are the main projects:

6. Poinsettia Cottage by CCN - Finished

8. Book of Spells by The Goode Huswif - WIP

I've actually done a lot more on that house

11. Elizabeth Shephard by The Scarlet Letter - WIP

13. C by Nora Corbett - WIP

16. Counting Bats by Just Nan - WIP

And the series:

1. Christmas Cubes by Primitive Hare - WIP

6. Stitcher's Alphabet by Brooke's Books - WIP

(you're not getting a close-up until the block is finished!)

14. 12 Days of Christmas by Plum Street Samplers - Finished

15. Alphabet Fairies by Nora Corbett - see above

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Finally, a little bit more About Me - I run a number of Blog Hops throughout the year.  Open to old friends and new bloggers alike.  The next one will be the Secret Stitching Sweetheart 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

II 

500th Post!

That's a real cause for celebration!  I have been blogging for over four years and seven months now and love every minute of it.  I've made some great friends and stitched an enormous amount of little x's.

Here's a look back at some milestones posts:

100th post - 8th March 2012

WIPocalypse catch-up and a rant about "touchers"

The Dark Alphabet letter T

200th post - 15th February 2013

Theme-a-licious progress

Joan Elliott Cherub

(finished some time later, I frogged the heart as I didn't like the colour contrast)

300th post - 20th January 2014

Stitch From Stash SAL

Just Nan Lady Scarlet's Christmas

400th post - 24th December 2014

Advent Calendar Blog Hop

Well, isn't that just the most serendipitous co-incidence?  I really had no idea that was my 400th post until I just looked!  Of course I am now taking sign-ups for this year's Advent Calendar.  I really do need more people this year.  Last year we had so many we did double-up Sundays, this year we are a little short!  So please sign up now.

So much for past stitching, what about the current projects?  I have just spent the weekend with Elizabeth Shephard from Scarlet Letter.  Here she is now:

stitched on 30 count linen

I've been working on that floral motif to the left hand side this week.

I'll save my Plum Street Samplers for the Smalls SAL this Wednesday and show you two pieces which I've had to keep secret up until now.  The first is an ornie for Clare AKA Aimetu:

Earlier this year Clare told us she is decorating a tree for her church's Christmas Tree Festival and her theme is Joy to the World.  She invited us to send in Joy ornies.  The little Jeanette Douglas design came from JCS back in 2010 and has now been received by Clare.  I changed the colours to make it a little brighter.

I made a beaded hanger for it.

I am rather pleased with it and will do that again.

The second donated stitch is for my dear friend Mouse who will be celebrating a zero themed Birthday at the start of next year.  She has decided to make a quilt using squares stitched by all her friends.  Well honestly, I changed my mind four times on what to stitch!  The obvious thing is a little mouse but then I thought "everyone will do mice" so I thought of a monogram and downloaded a few.  Then I found my Michael Powell book and a lovely cake (who doesn't love cake on a Birthday?).  But then Glendon Place went and released this SAL design and I really wanted to stitch it.  There wasn't time to stitch this AND a square for Mouse so I thought "I will stitch this FOR Mouse, it has the perfect title too!"  More serendipity, you can see why I named my blog, can't you?

Friendship Compass by Glendon Place

I only stitched the centre because I felt the whole square might overpower the quilt a little plus it looks more compass-like.  I added my initials to the East point because I live in the most easterly point in the country.  I also subbed the beads for eyelets in bright pink. 

So, a big Thank You to everyone who follows and reads my blog; if you haven't already clicked the Followers Button on the right, please do.  It's how I track my followers and find their blogs too.

Finally I am also celebrating a big zero Birthday next year (the same one as Mouse, it was a good year!).  Any suggestions for a project I/we could do to celebrate?  I have a few ideas but they are very much in the draft phase at the moment! 

Gifted Gorgeousness November Link-Up Post

  

For newbies, this is my first year long SAL.  Click on the picture above for the full details.

We will be posting and linking up on the 15th of each month, because it is 2015.  Should be easy to remember.

Elizabeth Shephard by Scarlet Letter - a gift from Nicola:

stitched on 30 count linen

Mail Art based on Primitive Hare's Hallowe'en Town

stitched over 1 on 32 count Cognac linen

Book of Spells

stitched on 40 count Jewel Butterbeer gifted fabric

Gifts received this month included an RAK of this awesome piece of fabric from Rachel.  I tried photographing it and it's just impossible to get the colours right, so I'm using the stock photo from Crafty Kitten's website:

Autumnal Woodland

32 count Belfast

My plan is to stitch at least one of the Ink Circles' Hallowe'en Mandalas on it.  The Ghosts will look great stitched in white.

My other gift was a Thank You from Lisa for sending her the issue of Cross Stitch Collection she appeared in:

I am using the project bag to house my Plum Street Samplers 12 Days of Christmas.

So far the frogs have stayed on the outside of the bag!

And now over to you - Here is the place for you to link up so we can see what Gifted Gorgeousness you have been stitching so far this year.  Please use your name or your blog name in the field NOT the words "November Update" so I can easily see who has linked up this month.  

And link to the actual post, not just your blog.  People are still getting this wrong!  It is easier if you copy and paste the link, rather than typing freehand.

Thank you.  I can amend links if you make a boo-boo though.

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Finally, it's time to sign up for the final blog hop of the year - The Advent Calendar.  Same format as last year - sign up and be allocated a date.  Post a stitched Christmas picture on your date plus a comment about the festive season.  You can email me now if you like stating if you have a preference for an early date or later in the month or any dates you can't do. 

October Stitch From Stash

Month: October
Spent:   £ 0.00

Earned: £ 0.00

Stitch from Stash is hosted by Mel from Epic Stitching

Essentially the idea behind Stitch from Stash is that we are limited to spending US$25 (or £15) per month. There are various exemptions (Birthday money, existing mag subs, clubs etc) but the idea is not to try and pervert the rules and to stitch some of that stash!  I will be posting on or around the 20th of each month because that is when I get paid!

July Budget	£ 15.00
July spend	£   7.75
August Budget	£ 15.00
August spend	£ 14.57
September Budget	£ 15.00
September spend	£   0.00
October Budget	£ 15.00
October spend	£   0.00
Current Balance	£ 37.68

Once again, a zero spend.  This being broke business is great for Stitch From Stash.

So that's the financial side of things, how about the stitching?  Poor, good and good!  I picked up Brooke's Book's Trixie the Hallowe'en Witch for my Friday Frolic and didn't do too well.  I've done all the DMC and now have the Kreinik.  I didn't have any of the charted Kreinik so I took the time to convert them to DMC metallics which I have quite a collection.  The Fuchsia looks great in her eye mask but then I started on the black in her hair.  It just doesn't cover well or look sparkly at all.  So I guess I have to bite the bullet and buy the Kreinik.  I will probably try the other colours first in case I need to order those too.

stitched on 28 count tan evenweave

I was much more successful with Elizabeth Shephard from Scarlet Letter for the IHSW:

The top photo shows the two motifs I worked on this weekend and the bottom one shows the whole piece so far.  I've got three complete motifs and six half-motifs to complete on this one.

stitched on 30 count linen

I was making such good progress by Sunday lunchtime I decided I deserved a new start!  Paulette from Plum Street Samplers recently posted about two ornies she designed for JCS back in 2011 and 2012 based on the First Two Days of Christmas.  People regularly ask about the other ten so she has decided they will be her SAL this year!  I have the two magazines with the originals in but even if you don't, you can still join in because she is giving them away for free on her blog. 

I've using a 25 count linen and stitching over 1 to keep them small.  The thread is a lovely silk from Splendor which Ruth was kind enough to send me.  She sent a selection of reds and blues and this was my favourite.  It's S826 if that means anything to anyone!  I'm planning on stitching these individually and scrap booking them unless a better idea comes to me.

Finally, Hallowe'en is fast approaching which means it's nearly time for the Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop.  Regular followers will know the format.  Leave a comment here saying you would like to take part in the hop as a Picture Poster.  When I have everyone signed up I will choose a Mystery Phrase and allocate each Picture Poster a letter of the alphabet.  On 31st October they must make a blog post showing their letter and a photo of something they have stitched on a Hallowe'en theme.  On my blog there will be a list of all the contributors so people can hop around and collect the letters to work out the Mystery Phrase.  You don't have to be a Picture Poster to collect the letters and join in with the competition but all Picture Posters do get an extra entry in the competition.