Small SAL 2016 - January Check in...

Time for the first 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  for my first Smalls SAL check in for 2016 is my spooky hello to you all, my January Winged Creature for the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL (which also doubled up for my Prairie Schooler SAL), and it is a Finished Finish - double yay!- so it fits into the new SAL I have joined OPAM (one project a month - triple yay! This is a SAL run by the lovely Kris and Peg) Also, it is not only my first finish for the year but also my first start and finish for Debbie's Ultimate Crazy Challenge - only 30 Starts and finishes to go! (So, am I up to quadruple yay, now?)

Thank you to my dear friend, Brigitte (gorgeous stitcher and fab blog, check it out) for the great idea of having 31 starts and finishes for the Challenge (to represent 31 starts in January).  Every year, I have tried to have 31 new starts (and one year 60) in a row over January with my dear friend, Linda, (another gorgeous blog for you to visit)  and each year I have failed (I would start really well and then go back to work - lol!). But last year, I saw on Brigitte's blog that she had committed to having 31 starts and finishes over the year, to honour Debbie and the challenge, so I have "borrowed" the idea from her, I hope that you don't mind, my dear Brigitte.

If you would like to know more about this challenge, check out the FB group.

Anyway, here is my first Smalls SAL/Hallowe'en Ornie SAL/Prairie Schooler SAL/DUCJFC2016 finish for the year, I made it up into a simple soft ornie.

I was lucky enough to find the perfect backing fabbie in my stash.

A close up of the stitching.

Design: Part of "All Hallow's Eve" by Prairie Schooler (Book *180)

28 ct linen "Rain"

Floss: DMC 310

A very quick, enjoyable stitch.

Next up is a piece I picked up for Friday Frolics and it is also a Gifted Gorgeousness SAL piece (if you want to check out all these different SALs either click on the links or there are buttons for each on the right hand side bar)

Proverbi 3 by Paola Gattiblu

28ct Flax Linen

My selection of speciality floss

(The two blues are WDW Blue Jean and GAST Cornflower)

Well, I worked on this piece for the rest of the weekend and into the week and now I have a finish!  Yay, yay and yay!

I am so thrilled with this piece.  The kitty cat is meant to be black but, of course, I had to stitch Furio!  There is a companion piece, onto which I will stitch Milo, naturally.

Anyway, if you want to see everyone else's Small's projects, please click on this link.

Thanks for visiting, 

hugs, 

October Smalls SAL report.....

Hello my dear fellow stitchers, as you will see, I have a few Smalls to show you this month:

First up is Liberty Starburst by Summer House Stitche works, this was stitched as part of my Americana SAL blog.

Now, I did make one change, if you look at the original pattern:

you can see that there is a piece of blue felt blanket stitched in the centre - well, do you think I could find that piece of blue felt when I was ready for it?  No way, Jose!  Nowhere to be seen, so I improvised:

... and made up my own centre, which I am actually really happy with.  I hope that you all like it, too.

Now, of course, as soon as I wasn't looking for it, I found it! lol!

Now, I have offered this pattern as a Giveaway on the American SAL blog and if you follow this link, you can find out who won!

Next, we have my Friday Frolics SAL/ FNSI/Prairie Schooler SAL finish from this post (love to double or triple dip! lol!)

Day 11 of PS's Santa's 12 Days of Christmas

I especially love Mr Fox in the bottom right hand corner.  Plus I have finished Day 12, as well, so now the set is complete:

... and lastly, I finished two Hallowe'en pieces:

Moon and Cider Apple Cider

Needlework Press

28 ct overdyed fabric

Floss: as per designer

My second Hallowe'en stitch is "Bump in the Night".  Again, when I saw this cute row of tipsy houses, I just knew that I had to stitch this one, too!

Bump in the Night

Tempting Tangles Designs

JCS Hallowe'en Ornie Mag 2015

28 ct overdyed blue fabric

Floss: I chose my own overdyed threads from my stash

I must admit that I am thrilled with both of these finished pieces - each have their own special brand of spookiness.

So, there you go, a very productive month of stitching.

If you want to see how everyone else went with their Smalls this month, you can check them out here:  Stitching Lotus

hugs, 

Triple Dipping....

Well, I am pleased to announce that as part of: Friday Frolics, FNSI  and for my Prairie Schooler SAL;  last night, I finally managed to finish Day 11 of Santa's 12 Days of Christmas.  Woo Hoo!

I especially love Mr Fox in the bottom right hand corner.

On to Day 12 now for IHSW, very excited, nearly there!

Have a great weekend,

hugs,

How are all my new SAL blogs going?

Quite well, on the whole, thank you for asking - lol!

Here is a breakdown of their popularity - the Christmas Ornie SAL (despite the angle of the pie graph) is the most popular.

Christmas Ornie SAL	39*
Prairie Schooler SAL	31
Americana SAL	14
Tudor Tuesdays SAL	5
Friday Frolics SAL	13**

*Number of members
** Not bad numbers considering I only started the blog 9 days ago!

And here is a snippet of my latest posts on each blog, just to whet your appetite (just click on any of the links to see what each blog is all about):

Christmas Ornie SAL blog - I stitched a second Santa for the month of August, with my American Santa.

Prairie Schooler SAL blog - I blogged about my progress on Day 11 of Santa's 12 Days of Christmas

Americana SAL blog - I showed off my Americana Santa finish

Tudor Tuesdays SAL blog - I blogged about The Case of the Disappearing Wives mug

Friday Frolics SAL blog - I welcomed everyone to the new blog

Of course, there are lots of lovely posts from my fellow members but I did not feel that I could share their posts, you need to click on the links to find out all about the exciting stitching going on by everyone.

I am so thrilled by how much everyone seems to be enjoying these new SAL blogs, it has been lots of fun, so far.

Remember, if you want to join any or all of the blogs, just comment on this post but please do give me your email and blog address or else you can email me at kayedep@gmail.com

Have a great weekend everyone, I intend to do so!

hugs,

Ebony and Ivory update...

Last night I picked up what has to be currently one of my favourite WIPs.... Ebony and Ivory by Tempting Tangles Designs.  I am loving the delicateness of the whole piece.

Now, I have also been so very busy setting up my new SAL blogs - such a wonderful response to my ideas, I am so thrilled.  I only have one person (a no-reply commenter) who needs to get back to me with her email address and everyone is added, I hope!  If I have overlooked anyone, please get back to me with both your email and blog addresses.

For those of you who do not know what I am talking about, you can check out the new SAL blogs by following the links below:

Christmas Ornie SAL

Prairie Schooler SAL

Americana SAL

Tudor Tuesdays SAL

Have a great day, everyone,

hugs,

Oh no! I have had two more ideas .....

.... I am sure you remember that a few weeks ago I had an idea - an idea to start a Christmas Ornie Blog.  Well, I have been very pleased by the response to this, lots of lovely bloggers have decided to join in the fun at the Christmas Ornie SAL 2015 blog.  (By the way, it is not too late to join this SAL blog, if you wish - just leave me a comment letting me know).

Now, I love these sort of blogs, you have all month to stitch a little something on a theme.  I find that it really focuses me and makes me so much more productive each month with my craft.

So ..... I was thinking.... and thinking .... and thinking .... and I came up with the idea for two more SAL blogs.  Oh no!  Or maybe Oh Yes!

Idea Number One:  An Americana SAL.....

I love what I call Americana stitching or what is sometimes called by U.S. stitchers Patriotic stitching.  We just do not seem to have that same sort of genre of designs here in Australia.  I think my love of Americana began when I studied American history in Year 11, I still remember my textbook was called "From sea to shining sea".  Let's see, that would be forty years ago now - lol!  I learnt about the seven colonies, then the thirteen colonies and on it went - fascinating.

So, I found that I am drawn to stitching American designs, like Liberty Lane below:

Idea Number Two:  A Prairie Schooler SAL.....

I am sure that most of you have heard the sad news for us that Prairie Schooler is closing down:




An era is ending, but I know that so many of us love Pamela and Nancy's designs and have lots of them in our stash.  Surely enough to get us through a few more years of stitching  - lol!

So, the idea with both of these SALs is that once a month (whenever we feel like it), we post our progress on our Americana and Prairie Schooler projects on the SAL blogs.

If you are interested in joining either or both of these SAL blogs, please just comment on this post and let me know - I only need one other person for each SAL to get going.  They will be relaxed SALs, I promise but should be lots of fun!

I am hoping that you all think that these ideas are "OH YES" - please come join me!

hugs,