January Smalls

 

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

The Ornament/Smalls SAL is celebrating it's 10th Anniversary this year!  Started by Stitching Lotus back in 2013 and continued by our current hostess Mary's Thread in 2019 this is the SAL for the last Friday in each month where we show our ornaments or smaller stitches.

Because I am focusing on my BAPs again, I won't have so many smalls this year but I do have a couple of series with small components so I will share them this month.

The first is the Blackwork Tarot by Circle Cross.  I loved her Art Nouveau style Tarot cards when I first saw them so when I saw she would be releasing the Zodiac Signs later this year AND there was a sale on, I jumped at the chance.  My plan is to stitch the four Elements across the top of the fabric with the appropriate Zodiac Signs under each one.  Earth is first, so Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn will go under her in due course:

stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweavers

The fabric is much prettier in real life, it comes out grey in photos.  I love the stitching style of these cards, it's like drawing with thread.  I usually do the Holbein Stitch for blackwork but experimented with backstitch for the outer border and discovered it does make a smoother line, so I'll be doing that for all the long straight lines in the rest of the cards. 

My next collection of tiny items is the Potion Bottle Temperature SAL from Stitch It Picasso.  Another one I fell in love with when I first saw it.  I was up-to-date but then decided I didn't like the limited range of colours I was using.  I had allocated one colour per every 6 degrees C and it simply didn't change enough.  Plus days which were really cold were coming out the same colour as days which felt warmer.  Blue covered days which "hovered at 2 degrees and peaked at 4 midday" and days which "were 7/8 degrees all day".  However the extended colour range added more green and blue tones which meant the overall design would be skewed to those colours.

In the end, I decided to add one red for the very hottest days and a lime yellow/green in the middle.  That way I can have a colour change every 4 degrees.  And those cold days went lilac instead of blue.  I felt this more accurately represented the weather we actually had last week.

stitched over 1 on 25 count tea-dyed evenweave

The three test-tube bottles on the right will stay blue but the two bottles in the gap will be lilac.  

The next series is from Amanda Butler in Cross Stitcher magazine.  She is designing a different house each month and here is Harrogate House in a style often seen in that town.

stitched on 28 pale grey evenweave

There's a lot of backstitch in these designs, there is a row of railings along the bottom!  I decided not to stitch the names of the houses.

Finally, I will be running the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop on Valentine's Day.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

It's really very simple, all you have to do is email me a picture of something you have stitched which is suitable for a stitching friend on Valentine's Day. It could be a heart, or a pair of cute creatures, or the word "love" or anything which warms your heart. Really anything you think a fellow stitcher would like to receive in her email Inbox. It can be something you've stitched in the past or something you've made especially for this year. It could also be quilted or sewn this year as I know some of my followers do other crafts too.

Send me the email by 10th February.

When I have all the emails I will randomise them and send one to each participant on 13th February. Then on 14th February you must post the picture you receive onto your blog under the heading

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

There will be a list on my blog of everyone joining in, so check out all the blogs and find out who got your picture and identify yourself in their comments as their

Secret Stitching Sweetheart

Does that make sense to everyone? I hope so!

If you'd like to be involved then leave a comment on this post or send me an email if you are "no-reply". I'll be putting little reminders up from time to time and will email on 9th February to make sure you send the pic in time.

January 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.

I worked on Friday but took my Amanda Butler Harrogate House with me, so with evening stitching it now looks like this:

stitched on 28 count grey evenweave

On Saturday and Sunday I continued to work on the Faces SAL by Joan Elliott.  My goal is to finish this larger block this year.

This is the start photo for Saturday morning:

and here's where I am now:

stitched over 28 count Snapdragon Jazlyn from Crafty Kitten.

In between times, I also put some stitches into the Earth Element from Circle Cross:

stitched on 28 count sky blue evenweave from Silkweaver

And my Temperature SAL from Stitch It Picasso:

stitched over 1 on 25 count tea-dyed evenweave

Lots of blue days (between 4 and 8 C) and one lilac day (0 to 2 C).  I also stitched all the bottle corks so I could see how wide the piece will be.

Finally the next IHSW will be 17th - 19th 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.

January TUSAL and Stitching Library

        

It's TUSAL time!  

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current project:

stitched on 28 count Snapdragon Jazlyn from Crafty Kitten

The design is the Faces SAL from Joan Elliott, which I started back in 2014 and have been slowly stitching ever since thanks to a decision to stitch all the skin over one...

This is a sweet block with a mother and baby fairy.

What's on my Shelf?

This is a 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: Cross Stitch Angels

Author: Various

Publisher: David & Charles
ISBN: 9780715316481

This is a compilation of six different designers, all with their own unique take on the subject of Angels.

The cover gives a good indication of the contents:

Inside we have designs from Joan Elliott:

A series of 12 Birthstones Angels from Claire Crompton:

A cute Birth Sampler from Sue Cook:

A Wedding Sampler from Lesley Teare

As well as some sweet little Alphabet Angels/Fairies:

Household Angels from Helen Philipps, who wouldn't want one of these in real life?

Christmas Angels from Maria Diaz, including a cake band:

A pretty versatile selection there.  I love the little cherub on the front cover carrying a pile of books myself!

Finally, I will be running the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop on Valentine's Day.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

It's really very simple, all you have to do is email me a picture of something you have stitched which is suitable for a stitching friend on Valentine's Day. It could be a heart, or a pair of cute creatures, or the word "love" or anything which warms your heart. Really anything you think a fellow stitcher would like to receive in her email Inbox. It can be something you've stitched in the past or something you've made especially for this year. It could also be quilted or sewn this year as I know some of my followers do other crafts too.

Send me the email by 10th February.

When I have all the emails I will randomise them and send one to each participant on 13th February. Then on 14th February you must post the picture you receive onto your blog under the heading

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

There will be a list on my blog of everyone joining in, so check out all the blogs and find out who got your picture and identify yourself in their comments as their

Secret Stitching Sweetheart

Does that make sense to everyone? I hope so!

If you'd like to be involved then leave a comment on this post or send me an email if you are "no-reply". I'll be putting little reminders up from time to time and will email on 9th February to make sure you send the pic in time.

Gifted Gorgeousness January Link-up Post

 

Our new logo for the year is Just Nan's Tea with Honey design.  It was a Travelling Pattern gifted to the Just Nan Junkies Facebook group.

Please remember to change your badge and the link to the new page as the old link no longer works.  Don't forget to link up on the main sign-up page with your blog address.

Welcome to the January 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.

Back in December I nearly finished the Fourth Day of my Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas, the kit was a Christmas present:

stitched on 32 count blue-grey linen

For the first fortnight in January my focus has been Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow.  The plan is to stitch this for two weeks each month until it is finished.

I finally completed Block 9:

and made a good start on Block 10:

Here is the whole design so far:

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cassia Rose evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

I am continuing with my Dark 13 project which is Mani di Donna's Halloween Sewing Basket.  The plan for this one is to stitch it on the 13th of every month.

This month I completed the second short side and one bat for the first long side:

stitched on 32 count grey linen

Here's something that was a gift to me:

My friend knitted me the 12 Days of Christmas stockings and popped a little treat in each one.

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 "January 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, I will be running the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop on Valentine's Day.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

It's really very simple, all you have to do is email me a picture of something you have stitched which is suitable for a stitching friend on Valentine's Day. It could be a heart, or a pair of cute creatures, or the word "love" or anything which warms your heart. Really anything you think a fellow stitcher would like to receive in her email Inbox. It can be something you've stitched in the past or something you've made especially for this year. It could also be quilted or sewn this year as I know some of my followers do other crafts too.

Send me the email by 10th February.

When I have all the emails I will randomise them and send one to each participant on 13th February. Then on 14th February you must post the picture you receive onto your blog under the heading

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

There will be a list on my blog of everyone joining in, so check out all the blogs and find out who got your picture and identify yourself in their comments as their

Secret Stitching Sweetheart

Does that make sense to everyone? I hope so!

If you'd like to be involved then leave a comment on this post or send me an email if you are "no-reply". I'll be putting little reminders up from time to time and will email on 9th February to make sure you send the pic in time.

Finally Fully Finishing Fun for January

 

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).

This is what I typed on my January post in 2020, which I copied into my January 2021 and 2022 posts:

Let's start the year off as we don't mean to go on - doing nothing all month and realising on the 9th that you have one day to FFO something, anything to show on the 10th.

Guess what?  Same thing this year!  Why break the run now?

I did have a piece planned luckily, I just didn't intend to leave it to the very last minute.

But here is the fourth in the Seasons in the Square series by Just Nan:

Winter in the Square

It's in a simple raw wood box frame like the other three.  I didn't have the charm for the centre but Christine sent me some lovely snowflakes to use so I chose one of them instead.

Here are the other three in the series:

Spring in the Square

Summer in the Square

Autumn in the Square

And here are four much older finishes I like to get out this time of year.  Technically they are Christmas themed but they seem more Winter to me and I don't have so many Winter pieces.

L-R Mistletoe, Holly, Juniper, Pine

They are all from Shepherd's Bush and I stitched them some time in 1998.

Finally, I will be running the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop on Valentine's Day.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

It's really very simple, all you have to do is email me a picture of something you have stitched which is suitable for a stitching friend on Valentine's Day.  It could be a heart, or a pair of cute creatures, or the word "love" or anything which warms your heart.  Really anything you think a fellow stitcher would like to receive in her email Inbox.  It can be something you've stitched in the past or something you've made especially for this year.  It could also be quilted or sewn this year as I know some of my followers do other crafts too.

Send me the email by 10th February.

When I have all the emails I will randomise them and send one to each participant on 13th February. Then on 14th February you must post the picture you receive onto your blog under the heading

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

There will be a list on my blog of everyone joining in, so check out all the blogs and find out who got your picture and identify yourself in their comments as their

Secret Stitching Sweetheart

Does that make sense to everyone? I hope so!

If you'd like to be involved then leave a comment on this post or send me an email if you are "no-reply". I'll be putting little reminders up from time to time and will email on 9th February to make sure you send the pic in time.

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


Since 2011 I have chosen a number of projects to focus on that year, starting with my "11 in '11" and increasing to "23 in '23" for this year.  For 2023 the list includes some older WIPs, some BAPs and some partworks as well as seasonal stitching.

This is my WIPs collage, which represents 11 of the list::

This is the full list of 23:

1. Joan Elliott Faces SAL (1 block)
2. Kustom Krafts Little Snapdragon
3. Chatelaine Gardens of London
4. Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas
5. Carriage House Samplings Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow
6. Mirabilia Fairy Idyll
7. Hands on Designs Scary Apothecary 9
8. CCN Halloween Village 8
9. CCN Halloween Village 9
10. CCN Halloween Village 10
11. Nora Corbett Taurus
12. Cottage Garden Samplings Year in the Woods 1
13. Mani di Donna Halloween Stitching Basket
14. Art Inspirate 31 Potions
15. Nicole B Hicks Discworld Objectiva
16. Just Nan Halloween design TBA
17. Stitch it Picasso Temperature SAL
18. Circle Cross Blackwork Tarot
19. Amanda Butler House 2
20. Amanda Butler House 3
21. Amanda Butler House 4
22. Amanda Butler House 5
23. Amanda Butler House 6

And this is the New Starts collage, which again represents 11 of the list:

Then there is one which is TBA - my Dark October Just Nan focus piece.

I am also taking part in WIPGO again.  This is a FB Bingo group.  You choose 25 goals for the year and each month the Admin pick two numbers to focus on.  When you have met your goal, you tick off that block.  You can give yourself rewards for completing a row or a column.

Here's my WIPGO board:

For January the numbers 6 and 10 have been called.  You can see that Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow and Fairy Idyll share 10 squares.  The plan is to focus on H@HRH until it is done and then switch to Fairy Idyll.

The planned rotation this year will be:

Week 1 - stitch Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow / Fairy Idyll

Week 2 - stitch Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow / Fairy Idyll

Week 3 - stitch a WIPGO number or a "23 in '23" project

Week 4 - stitch a WIPGO number or a "23 in '23" project

The WIPocalypse posts are the last Sunday of each month

My other SALs are

The People's Choice - posts on the first Saturday of each month - theme in sidebar
Fully Finished Gallery - post anything fully finished on the 10th of each month
Gifted Gorgeousness - post anything gifted on the 15th
Smalls SAL - last Friday of each month

The TUSAL - post on the New Moon each month


Finally, I will be continuing with the ever popular Blog Hops this year. We will have Valentine's, Easter, the Summer Postcard, Hallowe'en and the Advent Calendar.  All at the appropriate time of the year.  I will be posting about the Secret Stitching Sweethearts for Valentine's Day very soon so watch this space.

The People Chose Designers for 2023

 

This SAL is all about what you want to see on the blog.  I asked for suggestions for themes from followers of my blog and then put them up to the members of the IHSW Group on FB to vote for their choice.  We are currently working our way through the choices.  This is what was chosen:

January - Designer for 2023

(a designer you are keen to stitch in the coming year)

February - Way With Words

March - Science

This is the time of year when all my plans have been made, my lists have been written up, goals set and projects ready to go.  It's also a time when someone releases a new design that wants to boot several other off the list and make those plans go awry before we even start the year!  But that's another story...

2020 was my Year of Focus followed by a Year of Rotation in 2021 and another Year of Focus in 2022.  This saw great progress on my chosen piece - Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow so I plan to continue to focus on that until it is done and then move to Fairy Idyll.  2024 is scheduled to be another Rotation Year as I have plans around "24 in '24".  Don't judge LOL

An unexpected theme of 2022 turned out to be 3D buildings which was great fun and I still have a number I would like to work on.  But so far the muse for 2023 has been Blackwork.  I was in a couple of groups for blackwork and suddenly the patterns became very tempting.  But which to choose?  Then this designer appeared in a group:

Circle Cross 

She is designed a series of Tarot cards in the SArt Nouveau style.  I'm not that into Tarot but I do love the artwork.  Did I need a full set?  No.  Death was fun as it featured some cats - "CATS ARE NICE", but then she released the four elements and I discovered she was going to release the full Zodiac signs.  And there was a Half Price Offer.  So that was enough for me!

The Zodiac will be out later in the year.  So my plan is to stitch the four elements in a row and then the relevant Zodiac signs under each one.  So Aries will go under Fire, then Taurus under Earth and so on.

I'm doing Stitch from Stash again, so this was a chance to use one of the larger piece of fabric I've been hoarding saving for a special project.  This is a piece of Silkweaver 28 count Jobelan.  It's an unnamed Solo but is a sort of blue mottled sky colour.  Not very variegated but very pretty.  This was a gift from a blogger at least 10 years ago so about time it was used.

I'm just using 1 strand of DMC 310 so it's nice and easy to pick up and stitch a length.  It's like drawing with thread and I'm loving it!

She has also designed this amazing Gothic Cathedral Window as a Temperature SAL

If I wasn't already doing the Stitch It Picasso Temperature SAL, I would absolutely be doing this one!

There are various other designs on her website so do check them out.

The Discworld Objectiva is in a similar drawn style to this and I plan to catch up on the motifs I have missed from December and then keep up with that.

For more "traditional" Blackwork there are at least 3 other SALs I am saving the weekly motifs:

The Steady Thread Botanical SAL 2023

Peppermint Purple 2023 SAL

xx Infinity Stitches xx

Various SALs and freebies on Facebook

LD BlackStitch

Some gorgeous all over designs, beautiful gates and scenes

Now it's over to you.  All you have to do is make a post on the theme of Designer for 2023, 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 Cats, or Green, or Holidays, or Warmth etc.   Really anything which could be illustrated in cross stitch.