August TUSAL and my Stitching Library

    

It's TUSAL time!  

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current projects:

I left the ORTs in their tins so you can see just how much stitching I got done this month!  They are really full which is always a good sign.

What's on my Shelf?

This is a new feature I'm going to include on my TUSAL post until I run out of books! I started a Page on my Happy Dance blog for my Stitching Library and realised what a huge task it was so decided to break it down to one book per month. For the next four years...

Title: Fantasy Cross Stitch

Author: Lesley Teare

Publisher: David & Charles 
ISBN: 9780715326893

The contents show this book does what it says on the cover!

Each chapter has one larger design and then several smaller ones on the same theme

Wizards and Mermaids

Something a little different - Zodiac signs for Native Americans.
I am not sure of how authentic these are but I like the individual designs anyway.

There are 12 altogether plus 4 elements

Lovely unicorn

I like this design:

This is a nice blackwork and gold alphabet 

And a dragon

This isn't my favourite book in my collection but there are some nice designs ideas and I have elements from the alphabet in other stitching.

Finally, another sneak peek of Miss Virgo:

August Smalls

       

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

This year my Smalls will be the Jardin Prive 12 Days of Christmas which I started on Boxing Day 2021 for the 12 Days of Stitchmas.

stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen

I thought I'd better start FFO'ing them too

My Just Nan Mermaid Heart is considered a Small by the No New Starts Group so here it is again:

stitched on 32 count grey-green linen

I've nearly finished the green seaweed, then there's quite a lot of white and finishing with the beads and charms.  Could be this month or the beginning of next.

My next Just Nan SAL will be for Halloween and that will be finishing Scream House.

Finally, a "small" peep at Virgo by Nora Corbett.  Lots of beading details in this one, also due to be a finish by the end of the month:

stitched on 32 count Virgo Murano from Sparklies

August IHSW

 

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 weekend I focused on Nora Corbett's Virgo.  I'm converting her to various shades of purple.

Here is where I started on Saturday:

and here's where I am now:

stitched on 32 count Virgo Murano from Sparklies

Lots of silver sparkle added to the butterflies, all the gaps in her hair will be beads

The wings are a purple blending filament

I put quite a few more stitches in my Summer Just Nan Mermaid Heart, from here:

to here:

stitched on 32 count grey-green linen

I've completed all the pinks now and started the green.  The design is charted for 939 with a green blending filament on top but I'm using a DMC Satin thread instead.  It's a darker green with a nice sheen to it.

My bath-time project is the 3D Haunted Mansion from Fiona Baker in Cross Stitcher magazine.  I have completed all the purple on three sides and have started the fourth.

stitched on 28 count purple linen

Finally, the next IHSW will be 16th - 18th September (my Birthday weekend) 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.

Gifted Gorgeousness August Link-up Post

      

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 main gifted project is my Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow which is my focus project for the year.  Last GG I was plodding along on Block 5 which is almost all full-coverage:

By the end of July's stitching I was here:

Another 3 days in August saw this block finally completed!

Which meant moving over to Block 8.  Here's where I am now:

Here's the whole piece so far:

stitched over one on 25 count Cassia Rose evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

The second half of the month was spent on my Chatelaine Gardens of London.  This was a Birthday gift and several friends donated skeins of the silks and DMC needed.  I worked on the various borders:

stitched on 32 count Cotton Clouds Linen by Crafty Kitten

My current Just Nan is Mermaid Heart which was also a gift.  My son chose it from my Wish List on SewandSo a few years back.  

stitched on 32 count grey-green linen

(more like the called-for Rue Green than this shows)

Now 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.

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Finally, it's IHSW coming up at the end of the week and I'm hoping to get lots of stitching in on my Nora Corbett Virgo design.  It would be amazing if I could complete her this month as we are now entering the Virgo dates at the start of next week.  Stay tuned to see if this happens!

Finally Fully Finishing for August

    

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 had an early finish for this link-up and just couldn't resist showing everyone!  Here it is again, my 3D Bookshop from Living on the Rainbow on Etsy:

You can read more about it here - Spoiler Alert for FFP Gallery

I felt it would be a shame to not have anything else to show so that encouraged me to make a start on my 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments while I waited for the next 3D design to be released (more on that in a later post).

These are by Jardin Prive and are stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen.  The backing is some tartan leatherette my friend used to make hairbows.  It is sparkly!

I mounted the stitching on some thick card, cut a piece of the backing to size and then whip stitched them together, remembering to sew the tartan ribbon tag in place.

Each one took one bath-time session to fully finish!

Then I was in The Works who still had no stock of the raw wood box frames I like in the right size.  I asked the assistant if they were likely to get any more in.  She popped upstairs to their stockroom and found there were four up there.  Reduced price and they probably won't have them again.  So I bought all four to be on the safe side!

Then framed Just Nan Summer in the Square:

Displayed with Spring in the Square

I'll keep them both up until Autumn in the Square is framed and I have my Autumnal stitching on display

The wrought iron holders are for displaying ornamental plates and just screw into the wall making it easy to change displays.

Finally, the Summer Stitching Friends Blog Hop took place on Monday, we had a lovely time hopping around meeting old friends and new.  The links now go direct to the relevant post to make it easier for late-comers to the hop.  Do leave a nice comment or two and try guess who each blogger is before the reveal at the end of each post!

Stitching Friends Summer Blog Hop 2022

 

Regular followers will know that I host a number of Blog Hops throughout the year, each with a different theme.  Four of them are the same each year but the Summer one varies depending on what I feel like!   Most recently we have been connecting with our Stitching Friends across the globe.

Several years ago I designed a little ornament for an exchange on this theme - Stitching Friends are Friends who Count.  It's a pun on being important to us and counting crosses!  Who else understands the excitement of a new "must stitch" chart or the sheer joy of a Happy Dance for a finish.

I had 10 people sign up for the Hop and assigned each one a blog for them to visit and write a little piece about their stitching friend.  I asked them to choose a design they thought their friend might like.  Just for fun, I asked people not to reveal the name until the end of the post!  So why not see if you can guess each one as you go?

These are the participating bloggers, in no particular order:

Dragon Stitches and Stuff

Beth's Needlework Stash

A Patchwork of Crafts

Count it *All* Joy

Needles, Pins and Dragonflies

Jocondine

Needle, Pen & Sword

Le Coeur Celtique

Tales of a Stitching Mouse

Life Outside the Washing Basket

As previous years, I am going to feature a surprise friend myself!  This blogger did not sign up for this particular Hop but does take part in some of my other Hops and also in Gifted Gorgeousness.

This year's blogger is British multi-crafter who does cross stitch, knits, quilts, makes bags, dolls and assorted other gorgeous items.  She is the proud owner of a WIP sampler which is now considered an adult, having been started in 2004 and celebrated it's 18th Birthday last April!

I had a think of what I might show that she would like and also what might give you all a clue as to who it is.

Here's a clue from My Lovely Sewing Tools by Marie Suarez:

Another clue in Home of a Needleworker by LHN:

Final (and biggest) clue:

Patrick Wood Rabbit

So we have The Lovely Homely Bunny?

Or maybe it's something which appears in each of those designs?

Keep thinking - it might come to you in a flash!

If not then click here for the answer.  Do pop over and ask to share a cup of cocoa with her!

Finally, I hope you enjoyed hopping around and trying to guess who each stitcher was talking about.  My next Hop will be the Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop at the end of October so stay tuned for sign-ups.

The People Chose Outer Space

     

This SAL is all about what you want to see on the blog.  I asked for suggestions for themes and then put them up to the members of the IHSW Group on FB to vote for their choice.  Now we are working through the choices.  This is what has been chosen:

August - Outer Space

September - Sea Creatures

October - Wild Animals

Space - the final frontier...

Not something I have stitched a great deal either, considering I am a bit of a Sci-fi fan.

I have this adorable Darth Vader:

Dark Side from Dorkstitch on Etsy

"I love you to the moon and back" is a lovely sentiment:

Barbara Ana - freebie from Cyberstitches

As is "wish upon a star"

Andree Langhorn - cover kit from Cross Stitcher 195

This one I designed myself for my friend's granddaughter.  The name Danika means "Morning Star".  The little toys were based on the characters from the nursery furnishings the parents has chosen.  I charted them myself.

And now it's over to you.  All you have to do is make a post on the theme of Outer Space, mention The People's Choice SAL (you can copy the picture I used at the top of this post and in my side bar) and my blog. Please link up using the URL of the actual blog post, not the home page of your blog.   I look forward to seeing what you all post.

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Finally, I need your suggestions for the next poll.  Anything, no matter how obscure, weird or random will go into the poll.  Keep the theme suggestions to a single word or two - so you could have Elephants, or Green, or Holidays, or Warmth etc.   Really anything which could be illustrated in cross stitch.