Finally Fully Finishing Fun for November

Hosted by Rachel the Ten Hour Stitcher

This SAL is designed to motivate us all to do something with that box of Finished pieces instead of just storing them under the bed.  We will all be linking up on Rachel's blog on or after the 10th of each month (10 Hour Stitcher - 10th of the month).

I did some spooky scrapbooking in October.  First a couple of little Trick or Treaters:

Fang by Dragon Dreams

My conversion of a Lucie Heaton Fairy

Then some ghostly goings-on:

Scream Girls by Just Nan

Little Hallowe'en House by Knotted Tree NeedleArt

The scrapbook page had the black silhouette along the bottom and I wanted it to overlap the stitching.  Rather than cut out the shapes on the actual page, I drew them onto a piece of black paper and stuck that on top, you can see where the two versions are not identical and it adds depth to the finish.

The next piece to get the Fully Finished treatment was my October Christmas Ornament.  I chose the Victorian Christmas Tree by Sue Hillis Designs and showed the pre- and after- bling photos in my last post.  Here's the finished piece:

I used the same beads to make a hanger and to add swags along the bottom of the design to match those on the tree.

In my last post I also promised to show you the finishing technique I intend to use for my Jessica Savage Words.  I was in The Works looking at their crafting supplies when I saw this box frame:

It's some kind of thick card like they make their decoupage base items from.  There's a series of little hooks on the internal sides and you attach the string provided from hook to hook, making a zigzag line to which you pin photos.  Or small cross stitched pieces attached to stiff paper!

This is the illustration they give you for inspiration, they even include the little pegs:

What I like about this is that it doesn't matter how many Words there are in the series, I can simply adjust the placement.  This was a great find and only £8 too.  It will need painting but it's the perfect size for a 12 x 12 scrapbook page for the background.

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎅🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

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:

Advent Calendar Blog Hop 2018

A Haunting We Will Go

was the Mystery Phrase for this year's Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop.

A big Thank You to everyone who posted a letter and well done to all who followed the Hop around and discovered the Mystery Phrase.  I like to think it was a little bit easier this year!

Christine even came up with a little song for us:

A Haunting we will go,

A Haunting we will go,

We'll catch (a ghost and tie him to a post?) 

A Haunting we will go

As you know I completed Nora Corbett's Raven on the final day of October which then left me with that "Post-Finish Indecision" which you get when you've been focused on one piece for a little while.

I wasn't really sure what to stitch next.  So I started my Christmas Ornament for this month, another Dragon Dreams and then spent a day beading last month's Ornament.

Victorian Christmas Tree by Sue Hillis Designs from the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Special 2003.

Before beading:

 

After beading:

stitched on 28 count green evenweave

I used the bugle beads I bought to make little candles with a gold bead flame and then strung some random Mill Hill beads left over from a kit to make the garlands.  There is a mixture of white, green and gold beads.

I also FFO'd it that same day but will save that photo for Rachel's FFO Gallery on the 10th.

I completed the Jessica Savage Word of the Month:

stitched over one on 25 count blue evenweave

The three words so far:

I have started the fourth word now.  I also discovered the perfect way to finish these.  I don't know how many will be in the series which makes it hard to plan a layout.  I decided to stitch them in a 3 x 3 block and see how that went.  If there were 10 in the series I'd make them into smalls instead.  But with my inspired finishing idea I don't need to worry about how many there are.  I'll save that for Rachel's FFO Gallery too!

Thanks to work (paid and vountary) I have actually had three days of stitching my "travel" project which is Mirabilia's 25th Anniversary Cameo design.

stitched on 28 count random hand-dyed evenweave

Finally I did some tea-dyeing today.  We had a packet of teabags in the staff room at work which were well out of date so I brought some home to dye fabric.  Two pieces here, both 28 count evenweave, which took the colour in totally different ways.  One was a pale blue to start with and came out a gingerbread colour.  The other was more grey and came out a more classic neutral shade.

 

October Smalls SAL

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

At the beginning of the month I managed to finish my Christmas Small from September.  Several people guessed it was a dragon!  This is You Are My Gift from the 2010 issue of Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Special.

stitched on 32 count dark green linen

The design I chose for October wasn't the best choice for stitching time unfortunately.  As it is Dark October and I am stitching Hallowe'en all month, the only time I get for Christmas stitching is at bath time.  But I can't bead at bath time so this month's design is looking a little dull.  It is Victorian Christmas Tree by Sue Hillis Designs from the 2003 issue of Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Special.  You stitch the basic tree and then add beads to make candles and garlands.

Here is the tree:

stitched on 28 count green evenweave

I love the effect of the pine needles - they are blended with one strand of dark green and one of light green and then you backstitch the needles.

I will be adding the beads the first chance I get in November.

I have started this month's Word by Jessica Savage.  This is a series in Cross Stitcher magazine.  This is a very pretty one and will say "Imagine" when I finish it. 

stitched over one on 25 count blue evenweave

I also made a little bit of progress on the 25th Anniversary Cameo by Mirabilia.

stitched on random 28 count hand-dyed evenweave

Finally, this is the last call for the Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop.  There is still room for more people to join in, I will be sending the emails out on Monday so everyone knows what they are doing.  Just leave a comment or send me an email if you are a no-reply person.