Weekend Roundup.....

.... and what a good stitchy weekend it turned out to be for FNSI, FF and IHSW!

FNSI = Friday Night Sew In, hosted by Wendy from Sugarlane Quilts
FF = Kitten Stitching and the Friday Frolics, hosted by moi!
IHSW - International Hermit and Stitch Weekend

Please click on any of the links on above to find out more.

Firstly, I stitched for my Prairie Schooler SAL blog. The piece I started is for an exchange (shhh!), it is the Summer piece from Book #138 "Measure of a year".

I am just stitching the block with the word "Summer" and the block next to it with the beehive.  Not sure how I am going to finish it yet but I am surely open to suggestion.

Then I stitched some more on my latest Americana start. It is called "Liberty Starburst" by Summer House stitche workes ... 

At the start of the weekend, I was here:

by last night, I was here:

While I am finding the fine count of linen a bit tricky to stitch on at times (I know, I know, I am being a wimp complaining about 32 ct linen when so many of you stitch on far higher counts but you must remember that I often stitch smalls like this on the train during my commute to and from work!) I am loving the way it is stitching up.  I am over three-quarters done and I hope to have it finished over next weekend.

Then, I thought I had better get my act together for the Christmas Ornie SAL, this is my post from this morning for the blog:
.. oh dear, as I have been a little busy (setting up another new SAL blog plus work has been horrendously busy), it has taken me a little bit of time to decide upon a design to stitch for this month.  I couldn't make up my mind between a tree or presents, so I was happy when I found a design which incorporated both!  (and a Santa and a snowman!)

"Wee Santa 2015" by Heart in Hand designs... and here is Furio's "hand" holding it out to you...

... not a lot of progress on it this weekend, I am afraid (I did only decide upon it late yesterday afternoon), as I ended up frogging that pink Christmas tree, twice!  Oh, how I hate it when the Frog Prince visits me!

So, hoping to work on it some more during the week,

This design is the prize for September.  To win, all you need to do is post a finish on the SAL blog by September 30th.

(And no, Furio does not come as part of the prize - lol!)

And last but not least, for my FNSI and FF piece, I randomly picked up this WIP:

ABC Christmas by Lizzie Kate.

This is what it looked like when I picked it up early Friday evening...

By the end of the evening I had finished the word "Poinsettia" and started on the "S" for "Snowman"....

I then worked on it intermittently over the weekend (interspersed with other SAL stitching) and I finished quite a bit more.

Psst!  Do you want to know a secret?  Of course you do!  See the three "snowflakes" under the snowman?  Well, that are not meant to be there at all!  Just above the "W" there was a tiny reddish-brown mark (possibly blood from a pricked finger) which I could not remove (as the floss is overdyed I didn't want to try washing the piece), so I came up with the bright idea (well, I hope it is a bright idea) of adding three snowflakes like the one at the end of the word.  What do you think?  Does it work okay?  I am pretty happy with my solution.

So, lots and lots of stitching and I also, managed to take my Dad out for lunch on Saturday, hit the gym twice, catch up on my loads and loads of washing, catch up on my blog reading a little bit, post on my four other SAL blogs and bake a cake!

Spice cake with Lime icing

Have a great week, everyone, I am off to work to have a rest - lol!

hugs,

SDUCJC 2015

This year I am taking part in the  SDUCJC (SoCal Debbie Ultimate Crazy January Challenge) which is a very special challenge to me. It is being undertaken by many of us this year to honour the memory of a very special cross stitcher and friend to many of us, SoCal Debbie. She was a prolific stitcher, blogger and commenter but sadly she passed away very suddenly last year.  I still miss her oh so encouraging comments on my projects and I miss SALing with her, as well.
One of her favourite challenges was the CJC:

CJC = Crazy January Challenge, one new start for the first 15 days of January

UCJC = Ultimate Crazy January Challenge, one new start for all 31 days of January

DUCJC = Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge, stitch 31 projects one per day for January

Linda Stitchin' with my Furbabies and I (mainly Linda) are organising this all via a FB group. Stitchers are free to undertake whatever level of commitment they like to the challenge, with some stitchers cleverly shoehorning their starts into other challenges they are doing for 2015 or in many cases, using a WIP, which has been languishing for a while as one of their projects.

In 2012, Linda and Debbie did  the SDUCJC (Super Duper Ultimate Crazy January Challenge) or 59/60 starts throughout January and February, so some of us are doing that this year, with dear Linda.

Now, as I have the wedding coming up in, oh my goodness, FOUR DAYS!, I actually started a little early so that I could allow for the days that I couldn't stitch (how is that for organisation?) and yesterday as I had to wait at home all day for a couple of tradesmen (who were supposed to come between 7am and 10am but turned up at 1.30pm and 2.30pm!), I actually managed a finish and a new start!

So, I am going to post all of my starts so far - I actually have 11, with two stitching finishes and I am starting Day 12 today!  But don't worry, from about Thursday onwards I will be lucky to do one stitch for quite a few days and then in Feb I have a conference on the Gold Coast for three days hence the need to get myself ahead.

Here we go:

#1: Noel Blanc by A Mon Ami Pierre

This design was gifted to me by the lovely Jo of Serendipitous Stitching, it will make a reappearance later in the month as part of my Gifted Gorgeousness SAL which Jo is running for 2015.

#2: ABC Christmas by Lizzie Kate

This was sitting all kitted in my stash - yay! I am so pleased I actually managed to complete a whole word plus two baubles.

#3: Quaker Village by Rosewood Manor

I love the colours of this start - I was sorry to have to put it down.

#4: "K" from a Stitcher's Alphabet by Brooks Books (freebie)

This is my first finish for the year - yay!  The "K" is for my upcoming Swapaway.

#5: "J" from a Stitcher's Alphabet by Brooks Books (freebie)

The J" is for my upcoming Swapaway but unfortunately still has a bit of stitching to go - it is "J" for Japanese Stitching.

#6: "Counting" in brown by A Primitive Hare
I just love Isabella's designs.

This is also for my upcoming Swapaway

#7: "Counting" in red by A Primitive Hare

I just love Isabella's designs, so I am doing it twice!

This is also for my upcoming Swapaway.

#8: Halloween Globe by Gazette 94

This is a freebie from the wonderful Gazette 94. She has a series of Snowglobes, so I can see some more in my future.

This will turn up again in February as part of my Halloween Ornament SAL 2015, which is also hosted by the wonderful Jo.
I actually started this because I thought that Skeletons was the theme for January but luckily my dear friend, Noni, over in Perth put me on the right track (see #11).
Still, this is 3/4 done, so at least I am ahead on that SAL now!

#9: Santa's Sleigh Ride by JBW
Something I found when I was tidying up, lucky!
Isn't Santa cute?

#10: Holiday Spirit, freebie (you can find the pattern here - thanks, Chiara for reminding me where I found it and thanks to Robin for being so generous with her designing).
Also found when I was tidying up. I stitched this last year, too but when I found the pattern again, I thought why not?  This is my second Happy Dance for the year - double yay!

#11: Spring Witch by The Snowflower Diaries (freebie)

Aha! Here she is: January's theme for the Halloween Ornie SAL - witches!
Isn't she cute?  Last year I stitched Autumn witch, so after Summer, only two to go.

So, that is me up to date.  Off to do some wedding stuff and then to work on today's stitch  - Well-behaved Women by Lizzie Kate.

hugs,