A blog trying to focus on all the nice things in life, those moments when everything turns out right. Finding the perfect fabric for that chart you love, the ideal sampler quote, just the right picture in all the 1000s of magazines you own. Meeting people who share your interests and obsessions and totally understand why you NEED that chart when you already have enough to last until you're 104
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.
Last year I did my A-Z Challenge for IHSW with mixed success. I actually forgot it a couple of times! But I did manage to work on all my WIPs across the year so I count that as a result.
This year I am going to attempt International Hermit and Blackwork. I do love blackwork and have a couple of projects I want to try fit in to my rotation without being on the WIPGO Board.
The first project up was the Temperature Tree from The Steady Thread. I filled in the corner and then worked on the final branch for the December temperatures:
And then it was done!
stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers
I moved on to my second WIP from The Steady Thread, the Halloween Bookshelf:
stitched on 30 count tea-dyed linen
I focused on the clock this session and then stitched some more of the crystal ball inside. Here's how it looks now:
I realised that my photo in Friday's post was not the current state of the piece. I had stitched more since that was taken.
Today I am going back to my focus piece for the month, the Art Nouveau Head:
stitched on 14 count white Aida
Finally the next IHSW will be 21st - 23rd February 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.
Welcome to the December Gifted Gorgeousness link-up. The link-up date continues to be the 15th and I will keep the link-up open until the end of each month so you have plenty of time if you are late posting.
The format remains exactly the same, there is a list of rules on the main sign-up page if you want to check what is required but basically anything connected to the word "gift" is allowed, whether it was a gift TO you or is a gift FROM you.
I have only stitched on one thing which comes under the Gifted Heading and that's on gifted fabric. We're currently in the blues/greens although I need to catch up on the last couple of weeks of leaves.
Steady Thread - Tree of Life Temperature SAL
stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers
I record the temperature each day and then stitch the leaves on the Sunday morning.
Finally, it is your turn to show us your Gifted Gorgeousness for the month. Please use your name or your blog name in the field and NOT the words "December Update" so I can easily see who has linked up this month. And link to the actual post, not just your blog. It is easier if you copy and paste the link, rather than typing freehand.
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.
This year I am trying something different for IHSW - an A-Z Challenge! These usually take place in April and people stitch one letter every day except Sunday. I don't want to swap projects daily so thought I could do 2 or 3 letters per IHSW instead.
The letters T, U, V and W were designated for November. I went for 4 letters as I don't have anything for U or V so it still worked out as two letters for the weekend.
First up was Stitch It Picasso's TEMPERATURE SAL for 2023.
It started here:
And finished here:
stitched over 1 on 25 count tea-dyed evenweave
I was doing quite well with that one until May 2023 when I put it to one side to do my Just Nanathon and never really got going on it again. I do have all the temperatures recorded so it will be on my list for next year to try finish off.
Next up was another TEMPERATURE project, the tree from The Steady THREAD. That went from here:
To here:
stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers
On Sunday I went for Papillon Around the WORLD in 80 Stitches, another older project which has stalled.
That went from here:
To here:
stitched on 28 count white evenweave
I think I might try get all the borders done next year and then think about the fill-ins. It's very satisfying to complete each shape. There are 32 altogether and I have stitched 13 of them. If I stitch one or two a month then that would get them all done next year.
Next month will be X, Y and Z. I have one project which will cover both X and Y and nothing for Z. So hopefully 2 days stitching on one project will see some good progress. Despite it being the weekend before Christmas!!
Finally the next IHSW will be 20th - 22nd 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.
Welcome to the November Gifted Gorgeousness link-up. The link-up date continues to be the 15th and I will keep the link-up open until the end of each month so you have plenty of time if you are late posting.
The format remains exactly the same, there is a list of rules on the main sign-up page if you want to check what is required but basically anything connected to the word "gift" is allowed, whether it was a gift TO you or is a gift FROM you.
The Halloween Sampler from Cottage Garden Samplings was my focus for Dark October and a finish. This was stitched on gifted fabric.
stitched on 40 count linen called Witch's Brew from Zweigart
Nevermore from Quaternion Creations was stitched on the same fabric:
I also finished this adorable little chameleon which was a gift from Jocondine:
Miguel le Cameleon from Fil'anthrope
stitched on 36 count dark green linen
Need to get him FFO'd before the 10th of next month.
Continuing progress on this one as we cool right down, we're currently in the greens although I need to catch up on the last couple of weeks of leaves.
Steady Thread - Tree of Life Temperature SAL
stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers
I record the temperature each day and then stitch the leaves on the Sunday morning.
Finally, it is your turn to show us your Gifted Gorgeousness for the month. Please use your name or your blog name in the field and 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. It is easier if you copy and paste the link, rather than typing freehand.
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.
This year I am trying something different for IHSW - an A-Z Challenge! These usually take place in April and people stitch one letter every day except Sunday. I don't want to swap projects daily so thought I could do 2 or 3 letters per IHSW instead.
The letters R and S were designated for October. I don't have an R project so I went with three S projects which were actually the three projects I have been stitching all month!
First up was Cottage Garden SAMPLINGS and Halloween SAMPLER.
I had finished all the words and now have the motifs to work on. It started here:
And finished here:
stitched on 40 count Witch's Brew linen from Zweigart
Next up was the Halloween Blackwork from The STEADY Thread, from here:
To here, completed the Home Sweet Home sampler, added some colour and a little bit of the lacy border, then almost all of the Witch picture:
stitched on 30 count tea-dyed linen
The third project is my Temperature Tree, again from The STEADY Thread. That went from here:
To here, with a lot more of the border done:
and back down to green leaves again:
stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers
Next month will be T, U and V. Except I don't have anything for U or V so it will just be T projects. I do have plenty of those!
Finally the next IHSW will be 15th - 17th November 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.
Welcome to the September Gifted Gorgeousness link-up. The link-up date continues to be the 15th and I will keep the link-up open until the end of each month so you have plenty of time if you are late posting.
The format remains exactly the same, there is a list of rules on the main sign-up page if you want to check what is required but basically anything connected to the word "gift" is allowed, whether it was a gift TO you or is a gift FROM you.
My focus pieces for last month were both gifted charts and both finished. During the day I stitched on Couer de Sorciere by TraLaLa:
stitched on 32 count Taupe evenweave
In the evening it was this little repeating design from Hands on Design, [never.more]
stitched on 32 count Khaki linen
Continuing progress on this one as we cool down to Lime again:
Steady Thread - Tree of Life Temperature SAL
stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers
I record the temperature each day and then stitch the leaves on the Sunday morning.
My Dark 13 design is stitched on gifted fabric, a beautiful 40 count linen called Witch's Brew from Zweigart. This is my current focus piece and I am stitching one word per day, then I will complete the motifs around the words.
stitched on 40 count linen called Witch's Brew from Zweigart
Finally, it is your turn to show us your Gifted Gorgeousness for the month. Please use your name or your blog name in the field and NOT the words "October Update" so I can easily see who has linked up this month. And link to the actual post, not just your blog. It is easier if you copy and paste the link, rather than typing freehand.
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.
This year I am trying something different for IHSW - an A-Z Challenge! These usually take place in April and people stitch one letter every day except Sunday. I don't want to swap projects daily so thought I could do 2 or 3 letters per IHSW instead.
August was P and Q but I totally forgot to swap out my projects so I decided to roll them over to September.
I had a few choices for P but decided to focus on just one rather unloved project which covered both P and Q. Mrs Peggotty's Queen of Hearts.
I started this one back in 2019 after loving her Alice design. Unfortunately I got bogged down in the endless stripes on this one and haven't really enjoyed stitching her.
So this month I decided to fill in the roses and then move across and try complete all of Page 2 which included some of her face.
This is where I stopped on The Longest Day:
Here's where I am now!
stitched over 1 on 25 count white evenweave
I'm really pleased with that progress so while it's never going to be my favourite project I can see I will finish it one day. I also noticed that Mrs Peggotty has tweaked the design since I bought the chart. Look at how different the frame is and how there are a lot less long straight lines of stitching to do. Clearly I am not the only one who wasn't enjoying that aspect.
Here's what else I worked on over the weekend, two projects from Steady Thread.
The first is the Halloween SAL which I am doing in a Victorian Motto Sampler Shop thread called Violet Grey and some dark toned Anchor threads for the accents.
stitched on 30 count tea-dyed linen
We're approaching the end of summer but we still have some lovely oranges and yellows for the Temperature Tree
stitched on 28 count Cashel Linen in Meadow Mist from Silkweavers
Next month will be R and S. I don't have an R project at the moment but S is covered by a number of projects so I will be spoiled for choice!
Finally the next IHSW will be 18th - 20th October 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.
Welcome to the September Gifted Gorgeousness link-up. The link-up date continues to be the 15th and I will keep the link-up open until the end of each month so you have plenty of time if you are late posting.
The format remains exactly the same, there is a list of rules on the main sign-up page if you want to check what is required but basically anything connected to the word "gift" is allowed, whether it was a gift TO you or is a gift FROM you.
Last month, my evening piece was a chart I gave to a friend as a Birthday present and then she gave it back to me to stitch for myself! I'm using the offcut of Sparklies' Tigerlily Murano for these.
Shepherd's Bush - Halloween Trifles
stitched on 32 count Tigerlily Murano from Sparklies
My focus piece for last month was Joan Elliott's Faces SAL, stitched on gifted fabric:
stitched on 28 count Snapdragon Jazlyn from Crafty Kitten
This month, both my focus pieces are also gifts! The charts were sent to me by a lovely friend who was clearing some of her older stash. During the day I am stitching on Couer de Sorciere by TraLaLa:
stitched on 32 count Taupe evenweave
In the evening it's this little repeating design from Hands on Design, [never.more]
stitched on 32 count Khaki linen
Continuing progress on this one as we cool down to Lime again:
Steady Thread - Tree of Life Temperature SAL
.
stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers
I record the temperature each day and then stitch the leaves on the Sunday morning.
I've caught up at last!
My Dark 13 design is stitched on gifted fabric, a beautiful 40 count linen called Witch's Brew from Zweigart. My plan is to stitch one letter per month until we reach October and then complete it during Dark October.
stitched on 40 count linen called Witch's Brew from Zweigart
Finally, it is your turn to show us your Gifted Gorgeousness for the month. Please use your name or your blog name in the field and NOT the words "September Update" so I can easily see who has linked up this month. And link to the actual post, not just your blog. It is easier if you copy and paste the link, rather than typing freehand.
Welcome to the August Gifted Gorgeousness link-up. The link-up date continues to be the 15th and I will keep the link-up open until the end of each month so you have plenty of time if you are late posting.
The format remains exactly the same, there is a list of rules on the main sign-up page if you want to check what is required but basically anything connected to the word "gift" is allowed, whether it was a gift TO you or is a gift FROM you.
My evening piece started in last month became a finish, stitched on gifted fabric and will be a gift for a friend too:
Circle Cross - Hare Moon for Taurus
stitched on 28 count opalescent Robin's Egg evenweave from Silkweaver
This month, my evening piece was a chart I gave to a friend as a Birthday present and then she gave it back to me to stitch! I'm using the offcut of Sparklies' Tigerlily Murano for these.
Shepherd's Bush - Halloween Trifles
stitched on 32 count Tigerlily Murano from Sparklies
My focus piece for this month is Joan Elliott's Faces SAL, stitched on gifted fabric:
stitched on 28 count Snapdragon Jazlyn from Crafty Kitten
Steady Thread - Tree of Life Temperature SAL
.
stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers
I record the temperature each day and then stitch the leaves on the Sunday morning.
A little bit behind because of how busy it's been
My Dark 13 design is stitched on gifted fabric, a beautiful 40 count linen called Witch's Brew from Zweigart. My plan is to stitch one letter per month until we reach October and then complete it during Dark October.
stitched on 40 count linen called Witch's Brew from Zweigart
Finally, it is your turn to show us your Gifted Gorgeousness for the month. Please use your name or your blog name in the field and NOT the words "August Update" so I can easily see who has linked up this month. And link to the actual post, not just your blog. It is easier if you copy and paste the link, rather than typing freehand.
