Smalls SAL _ April 2017

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Stitching Lotus

First up is a Small which I forgot to post about in February (although I did post about it here on my March GG post).  It was the initial heart pillow which I stitched for the Swap organised by Cheryll for Valentine's Day.  This was sent to Sharmayne.

This is a modified Blackbird Designs piece.

This is most my recent Smalls finish - it the scissor fob design for Barbara Ana's A Snooty Parrot Sampler SAL (which I started in 2014!)

I have a sweet photo frame that was my mother's (we found a box of them when we cleaned out Mum and Dad's house in January - my DDIL persuaded me to keep the box of them for my stitcheries and I am so glad that I listened to her as they have been useful already), so I am thinking of framing it instead - maybe keeping it on my desk at work as it is such a sweet finish.

Next up is a FFO of my March Smalls SAL finish and the FFO of another long finished stitchery - both into cushions.

With the top cushion - I again, literally checked out my fabbie stash and pulled out this gorgeous paisley fabric which matched the design perfectly and when I didn't have enough for the back, I went back and pulled out the plain burgundy fabric - I think that this shows that I have way too much fabric!

I also found the perfect pearl ribbon floating around in my bits and bobs drawer!

I also found the perfect pearl ribbon floating around in my bits and bobs drawer!

I also finished stitching and FFOed March for the 2004 Cross Stitch Surprise series (January to December) 

... and I am very happy to report that I am way ahead on my "Smalls" finishes for both the  Hallowe'en Ornie SAL and the Christmas Ornie SAL.

February: Witchy Poo

March: Creepy Crawly Spiders

April: Winged Creatures

May: The Witch's Familiar, the Black Cat

Day Three: Three French Hens for March.

Day Four: Four Calling Birds for April

... and Day Five: Five Gold rings for May (although to be fair, this block was finished in January for a FB challenge).

And here is the whole piece so far - lots of border to keep me busy over the next few months until it is time to finish Six Geese-a-laying for June.

So, I am feeling very, very happy with all of my Smalls achievements!

If you would like to see what everyone else has stitched this month for the Smalls SAL, please click here.

hugs, 

A very late Smalls Update_March...

Hello, Hello, a very late Smalls Update for March for me, I am so sorry!

But here is my Smalls finish:

                                     Do more of what makes you happy

Abbey Rose Designs

32 count grey spot linen

A mixture of suggested floss and my own choice of overdyed.

Phew! Just made the link up with three hours to spare!

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Stitching Lotus

If you would like to see everyone else's Smalls, please click here.

hugs, 

P.S. I just realised that this is my first Smalls SAL post for the year - but I don't want to miss the Link up, so April will have to be a catch up post. lol!

FNwF and Friday Frolics...

....  again involved a little bit of creative timing because, as seems to be the case so often and was indeed again this Friday, I was quite busy.  A very good excuse this time - I spent ALL day helping my sister move house!  So, once more I fudged a little and started my FF on Thursday and then snatched a little bit of time on Friday evening once I had settled myself in my comfy stitching chair with a heat pack for my back (sore from all that bending and lifting and unpacking boxes) and a cat to cuddle.

But first, in case you do not know what I am talking about ...

Kitten Stitching and the Friday Frolics (or FF) is a SAL blog run by me to help us work our way through some of our WIPs and UFOs, each Friday.

Friday Night with Friends or (FNwF) is a monthly SAL, run by another wonderful SAL Mama, Cheryll, from Gone Stitchin' again to help us get some of our stitching goals accomplished.

If you would like to see everyone else's stitching for the various SALs, please click on the following links:

                                                       FNwF

                                                       Friday Frolics

Firstly, I worked on finishing this sweet Spring Celebrations design by The Primitive Hare.  It is a freebie which you can find here.

I found a scrap of overdyed fabbie and just managed to squeeze the design on it but I changed all of the colours to hopefully create a very sweet, very pastel, springlike feel.

Once I had finished this piece, I was too tired to go rootling around in my Girl's Nest for an old WIP, so I settled for a more recent one, one that I am finding very soothing to stitch.

Design: Do more of what makes you happy

Designer: Abbey Rose Designs

Fabric: 32ct Grey-spotted

Floss: Mixture of suggested and own choice over-dyed threads

These pics below show you where I got up to last time I posted about this piece in January - as you can see, I am close to finishing.

Anyway, enough "rabbiting" on from me for now - off to do some laundry and hopefully some sewing in my Girl's Nest.

hugs, 

Kaye

First IHSW for 2017 .... Woo Hoo!

So, for my first International Hermit and Stitch Weekend (IHSW) for 2017, I continued with my FNSI and FF piece by Abbey Rose Designs.

After Friday night I was here:

And by the end of the weekend, I had made some great strides with it (despite a couple of visits by the Frog Prince - Grrr!)

Design: Do more of what makes you happy

Designer: Abbey Rose Designs

Fabric: 32ct Grey-spotted

Floss: Mixture of suggested and own choice over-dyed threads

And, our chosen snack for the evening was this surprisingly delicious, Kale and Quinoa popcorn!  (and yes, it is a bit green -that's the Kale bit, I think).

And, in case you are wondering what I am rabbiting on about re IHSW, here is an explanation from our SAL mama's blog, the darling Joyce from Random Ramblings.

"International Hermit and Stitch Weekend takes place every 3rd full weekend of each month, from Friday till Sunday. In our very busy and hectic lives, IHSW is a chance for us to squirrel some time away for ourselves and "Hermit and Stitch." It is a time set aside to take care of us and our love for stitching."

So, that is my first IHSW report for the year, have a great week everyone, 

hugs, 

Gifted Gorgeousness_ January Update.... PLUS FF and FNSI....

But first, in case you do not know what I am talking about ...

Gifted Gorgeousness (or GG) is a SAL run by the wonderful SAL Mama, Jo from Serendipitous Stitching.  Basically, on the 15th of each month, we post anything which is stitchy gift-related.

Kitten Stitching and the Friday Frolics (or FF) is a SAL blog run by me to help us  work our way through some of our WIPs and UFOs, each Friday.

Friday Night Sew-In or (FNSI) is a monthly SAL, run by another wonderful SAL Mama, Wendy from Sugarlane Designs, again to help us get some of our stitching goals accomplished.

Let's get started with GG.  So, for this month I have a very big Happy Dance - DD's London Blanket is finally finished.  Yay and Double Yay!  Can you see me doing the Fandango all over the house????

Way back on my last GG post (in November last year - where oh where does the time go?) I had stated that I hoped for a finish soon on the blanket but alas! It was not to be and it was still two more months before it was done but here it is at last.....  (It has only taken me SIX months to knit it - lol!)

It will be winging its way to DD later today, alongside her "shopping list" of Aussie foodstuffs:

• Smiths Crinkle Cut Salt and Vinegar chips
• Burger Rings
• Twisties
• Double-coated Chocolate Tim Tams
• Vegemite 
• Milo (the drink not the cat!) 

She is obviously on a health diet, not!

My next Gifted Gorgeousness piece, also doubles up for FF and FNSI.

This pretty design was a gift to me from a dear friend - isn't it pretty?  I am in love with the 32ct spotted grey fabbie (the first pic shows the correct colour).

Design: Do more of what makes you happy

Designer: Abbey Rose Designs

Fabric: 32ct Grey-spotted

Floss: Mixture of suggested and own choice over-dyed threads

Pretty happy with my progress on this piece.

If you would like to see everyone else's stitching for the various SALs, please click on the following links:

Gifted Gorgeousness

FNSI

FF

hugs, 

P.S. I do have some other GG stitching and bits and pieces but they are parts of exchanges, so I cannot reveal them yet .... Next Month!

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