Small SAL - February Check in ....

Time for the second Smalls SAL check in for the year.  What is the Smalls SAL?  It is quite simple, really - it is run by Heather of Silver Lotus (the SAL mama). Here are the main details:

1. Stitch a small every month. You get to decide what a small is for you. 50×50 stitches? 100×100 stitches? It’s up to you. You just need to be able to get it done by the check-in day. (WIP smalls that you complete in time for the check-in are great too!) You pick your design, I do not provide designs.
2. Post a picture of your completed small (stitching done, but the actual finishing is optional) on the last Thursday of every month, with the exception of November, which will be the last Wednesday.

First up  this month is Deck the Halls by Prairie Schooler which is  my January Music piece for the Christmas Ornie SAL, which also doubled up for my Prairie Schooler SAL and is also a DUCJFC 2016 piece - #3/31 finishes for 2016 for the challenge to honour Debbie's memory.

                                   

                                         

                                         

Deck the Halls by Prairie Schooler, Book #81

32 ct Willow Linen, DMC threads.

My second Smalls for the month was this little piece which I picked up as a UFO from last year's DUCJFC challenge and finished on the day I found out I had been made redundant - it was so soothing to stitch out my shock and upset - you can read about all of that here, if you wish.

"Ho, ho, ho" by Pineberry Lane

Next, is my heart which I stitched for the Secret Sweetheart Bloghop hosted by Jo from Serendipitous Stitching.

This is also finish #4/31 for DUCJFC2016.

Sweet Heart 

Joyeux Noel booklet

Blackbird Designs

28 ct Cocoa linen

Various specialty threads from my stash

... and next up here is my February Snow Finish also for the Christmas Ornie SAL and is my finish #5/31 for DUCJFC2016.\

Fa La La

Freebie from Plum Pudding Needleart 

(unfortunately the link no longer seems to work)

Unknown linen

Own choice of DMC and Valdani floss.

... and lastly, I was really struggling this month to choose a design for the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL, but then I saw the very "sweet" Pumpkin Man stitched by my dear friend, Noni, for this SAL and I was hooked.

So, may I introduce you to a second Pumpkin Man?

Pumpkin Man

Prairie Schooler

JCS Halloween Ornie Mag 2015

28 ct linen

Assorted DMC and specialty threads

I am quite taken with him, thanks again, Noni, for the inspiration.

This, is finish #6/31 for DUCJFC2016 (so, I am hoping that I am on track to finish 31 pieces this year in honour of Debbie).

hugs, Kaye

P.S. Of course, as this is a PS design - it counts as a finish for the Prairie Schooler SAL as well - yay!

So, that is it for me for another month of Smalls.

Please check out what everyone else is doing by visiting here.

hugs, 

What do you do ..... ??????

.... when you have just been made redundant after a very stressful week of waiting for the axe to fall?

This is what you do ....

1. Have a Monkey Shoulder Whiskey at 10 am with your close work colleagues.....

Then, you go for a long walk along Collins Street as you head home early .....

Then, you "drown your sorrows" all afternoon with some Baileys on ice, some chocolate, a cuddle with Furio, some Netflix (watched the full series of six episodes of "Between") and some stitching for Friday Frolics and FNwF ....

                                      

                            

"Ho, ho, ho" by Pineberry Lane

Then later that evening, you play Scrabble with TraderVic and DD and eat yummy cakes which DD and DS2 gifted you with to make you feel better .....

                             

.... then off to bed for yet another sleepless night but you know what, 

... the next morning you get up, pick yourself up and get on with the rest of your life!

hugs,  

P.S.  I see this as a chance for another exciting new chapter in my life - maybe some consultancy, some writing, another publishing job, back to some teaching or maybe even just retirement - who knows?