Serendipitous Stitching

Saturday, 6 January 2024

The People Chose Designers for 2024

The People's Choice started in 2018 following the The Alphabet Club and The Zodiac SAL. The idea was to showcase current and older projects that fit a certain theme. It's been a great success but out of all the blog posts I write, this is the one that takes the most time, planning and finding the appropriate photos. I have really enjoyed doing this and love seeing what you all post too. However, it's time for this SAL ito take a break. We will be finishing on a great theme - the designer that you are most looking forward to stitching this year:

January - Your Designer of the Year

I have made my list for my "24 in '24" in a slightly different way to previous years, it ties in perfectly with my WIPGO Board and you'll see more tomorrow in our first WIPocalypse post of the year.

But one thing I noticed is the appearance of a new-to-me designer, I have never stitched one of their designs but suddenly there are three on my list! Who could it be?

Cottage Garden Samplings

Cottage Garden Samplings is the answer. They do love a series and so do I, so I can see why I have become interested in their designs. The first one I bought was Halloween Sampler, a few years back. I intended to start this in previous years but couldn't find the perfect blue-black for the initial letters. I have decided to use GAST Midnight and this will be my Dark 13 stitch each month.

The next design is one I started at the end of 2023 and didn't finish as December was rather a busy month! I have cracked on in the first 5 days of this year and it now looks like this:

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cirrus evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

Once I finish The Fox I will move straight onto The Swans and see how much I can get done in January.

The final series is the 12 Days of Christmas series, These are quite unusual in that each one is a different size so they make an interesting collage if you stitch them all on one piece of fabric. I am currently undecided whether to do one large piece or twelve smaller ones.

I have a nice piece of creamy-yellow 35 count which would be big enough for all of them.

I also have my eye on their new series of Fabulous Houses. I might just pick and choose my favourites from that series.

Now it's over to you. All you have to do is make a post about your Designer for 2024, 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.

Finally, Rachel and I have made plans for a new A-Z challenge. It won't be like The Alphabet Club but it will involve stitching something with the relevant letter each month. I plan to stitch two letters each IHSW started with A and B in January. That will cover 24 letters. The remaing two might be skipped if I don't have anything or I might do three letters and extend my Hermit Weekend! Stay tuned to see what works.

Here is the A project - Amaranth by Shepherd's Bush, my current evening stitch.

Progress so far:

stitched on 32 count Antique White linen

Sunday, 31 December 2023

December Stitch From Stash and Pie

It's Old Year's Night and time for a look back at the past 365 days of stitching.

First of all, here is the Pie for December:

The two main projects were chosen by,my WIPGO Board and I was very pleased to see that Cottage Garden Samplings Year in the Woods was one of them. It's a smaller design with not too many colours and the chance to stitch outlines then fill in without looking at the chart too much.

At the end of the month I had reached this point:

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cirrus from Chromatic Alchemy

By lucky chance, it is the first number to be called for 2024 so I can finish The Fox and make a start on February's Swans.

I saved Fairy Idyll for the period after Christmas and have been stitching some not very exciting draperies and columns. But every stitch counts.

stitched on 32 count Murano in Vinyard from Crafty Kitten

Here's the Evening Pie:

I showed all the Just Nan's in my Smalls' post - December Smalls

In my WIPocalypse post I showed you my finishes from my "23 in '23" list and now here are the rest of my finishes for the year:

Let's have a look at the Annual Pie Chart now:

The top three individual projects were:

Hawk Run Hollow - 107 days and a finish

Little Snapdragon - 37 days and a finish

CCN's Main Street - 34 days and a finish

I came into the year with 15 WIPs and started 20 projects over the course of the year of which 5 are still WIPs (although one only needs beads). I also completed 4 projects started prior to 2023. My current WIPs are:

Prior to 2020 7

2021 2

2023 5

Total 14

How did the spending go last month? My magazine subscription came out and that was it for the month.

I also tallied up the spend for the whole year:

Magazines are a little bit up, I only get Cross Stitcher via subscription and Just Cross Stitch digital subscription plus paper copies of the Halloween and Christmas Specials.

Charts are way down, I bought a few Just Nans, a Mirabilia and some spooky stuff but nothing big this year. I'm still trying to work on stash charts.
Fabric was up however because I bought fabric for the next four Zodiac Girls and some from Chromatic Alchemy for the Year in the Woods. Plus a big piece of the charted fabric for Turn, Turn, Turn which I plan to use a few more times in 2024.

Threads were about the same and "other" included two bead packs for the Zodiac Girls.

Looking at the last ten years, this was pretty much an average spend which is good.

Finally,

Have a very Happy Old Year's Night

and a very Peaceful New Year's Day

December WIPocalypse Annual Review

WIPocalypse

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.

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.

Joan Elliott Faces SAL (1 block) - Goal Met
Kustom Krafts Little Snapdragon - Finish
Chatelaine Gardens of London - WIP
Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas - WIP
Carriage House Samplings Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow - Finish
Mirabilia Fairy Idyll - WIP
Hands on Designs Spider Legs - Finish
CCN Halloween Village Flower Shop - Finish
CCN Halloween Village Art Gallery - Finish
CCN Halloween Village Gazebo - Finish
Nora Corbett Taurus - Finish
Cottage Garden Samplings Year in the Woods The Fox - WIP
Mani di Donna Halloween Stitching Basket - Finish
Art Inspirate 31 Potions
Nicole B Hicks Discworld Objectiva - WIP
Just Nan Halloween Smalls x 3 - Finish
Stitch it Picasso Temperature SAL - WIP
Circle Cross Blackwork Tarot - WIP
Amanda Butler Harrogate House - Finish
Amanda Butler London Houses - Finish
Amanda Butler Belfast Houses - Finish
Amanda Butler Cardiff House - Finish
Amanda Butler House 6

13 finishes from the list this year (but one was a triple finish) plus one Goal Met.

My big focus piece was Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow which went from here:

to here:

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

The other long-awaited finish was Little Snapdragon which went from here:

to here:

stitched on 32 count Evening Sky Murano from Crafty Kitten

Here are the other BAPs:

Chatelaine Gardens of London

from here:

to here:

stitched on 32 count Cotton Clouds from Crafty Kitten

I'm still thinking it would be nice to finish this one on it's 10th Anniversary in 2027.

Mirabilia Fairy Idyll

from here:

to here:

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas

from here:

to here:

I achieved my goal of another blockson the Joan Elliott Faces SAL. The 2024 goal is to add the final large block and maybe even finish it. The large block took 16 days and the previous small block took 7 so it is possible.

stitched on 28 count Snapdragon Jazlyn from Crafty Kitten

There were only two projects that didn't get touched. The Amanda Butler houses were my bath-time projects and they lost out to Turn, Turn, Turn which I didn't even own at the start of the year! The Art Inspirate Potions lost out to my new love of blackwork, in particular the Circle Cross Art Nouveau Tarot Cards.

Here are the 13 (15) WIPocalypse Finishes - I did have more finishes this year, these are just the ones from my "23 in '23"

I've been putting together my "24 in '24" for next year and also my WIPGO Board which is a FB group where you make a Bingo Board for 25 of your projects. The Admin calls 2 numbers each month and you reward yourself for completing rows or columns. And just for added fun, I'm doing the 24:24 in the WIP Warriors group (formerly No New Starts). For that challenge, I have to keep my WIPs below 24. I currently have 15 so I can start 9 new things but after that I have to finish something before I start another thing.

Finally, I do hope you are all enjoying this time of year - the planning for the New Year, when everything is possible! The fun of going through our stash and working out what we would like to start. The promise to work on those older projects and keep up with the SALs too!

Friday, 29 December 2023

December Smalls

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread

Following the sucess of the October Smalls Focus I decided to do the same in December with three Christmas Smalls from my Just Nan-athon.

The first up as the complementary Angel Ornament which comes with the Angel Flowers chart. I started this one in May 2021 and finished and FFO'd it this month:

Next up was Snowberries, part of the Ornamental Treasure series. I started this one way back in 2018 and it's finished all except the beading. I don't have the beadpack so I have to find substitutes from my stash and need the time to do that.

stitched on 28 count pale blue evenweave

The third Small is finished and I added beads to it rather than wrestle with metallic Smyrna Stitches! This one is Special Delivery, the 2003 Ornament. It came with the fabric and the gold envelope charm which even has a tiny Christmas card inside! I also started this one in 2018.

stitched on 28 count Flax linen provided

Card inside the envelope!

Not bad for one month - one FFO, one finish and one nearly finished.

Finally, thanks to everyone who took part in the Advent Calendar Blog Hop this year and to everyone who visited each day and left lovely comments on each post. People really do appreciate those comments, especially at such a busy time of the year.

Sunday, 24 December 2023

2023 Advent Calendar Blog Hop

Here is our Online Advent Calendar, it will be updated every day.

Scroll down to see the latest picture and a link to the poster's blog.

This year I have asked each participant for their "Santa Stories"

Please share your favourite Santa traditions and customs from your family or your home town. Maybe you always visit a certain Santa in a shop? Does Santa arrive by train, sleigh or motorcycle? Does your family have a Magic Key so he can get in or does he still come down the chimney?

And here is a photo of Santa arriving at an event my husband worked at this year!