Here is my stitching/crafting pie for October.....

Okay, what is a Stitching Pie, I hear you ask?

Well, I am "stealing" yet another great idea from my dear Stitchy and Bloggy friend, Jo, from Serendipitous Stitching. Each month she includes a pie graph of which projects she has been stitching on - showing how much time, proportionally, has been spent on each one in that month.

I really like this idea, so I am copying it, thank you Jo, I hope that you don't mind, so here we go for October 2018 .....

Altogether I stitched for 7.8% of the month.  This is less than last month which was 10.3%, but I did have a few days this month when I did not stitch at all! October has been a busy month for me, what with 60th birthday celebrations, lots happening with the house (I spent a lot of time this month getting quotes for blinds, etc.) plus work has been quite busy, too.  So, I suppose all of that explains my lower figure this month.

So, what has all this stitching been?  Let's take a look, taking it from the top....

Peas and Qs by The Cricket Collection

Surprised Santa from More Bah Humbug by Sue Hillis Designs, 

Hangover Santa from Bah Humbug by Sue Hillis Designs

Alice by Aury TM

Christmas Goose by Stacy Nash

(if you think this looks familiar, I did stitch this about five years ago - check it out here - but I love the pattern so much that I am stitching it again as I think that I gave the first one away).

Frosty Hopes

Elephant Baby Sampler

Xmas Trees (on the right) from Nordic Holiday, by Prairie Schooler (Book #191)

Pumpkin Man from the Boo Man booklet from Prairie Schooler.

Partridge in a Pear Tree from Nordic Holiday , by Prairie Schooler (Book #191)

Broken Ornament from More Bah Humbug by Sue Hillis Designs

So, in all, still a busy month of stitching for me, I think.

Thanks for visiting, 

P.S. Click on this pic below to find out all about my latest Giveaway - closes next Sunday.

The People's Choice SAL_October 2018

Hallowe'en

The incredibly talented, clever and redoubtable Jo from Serendipitous Stitching has come up with a fab new monthly SAL.  She explains it better than I can, so here is her explanation:

"Regular followers will be aware that for over 3 years now I have run a themed SAL on the first Saturday of each month.  First we spent 26 months doing The Alphabet Club and then 12 months of the Zodiac.  Now I have decided to listen to the People and post about your choice of theme.  In September I asked for suggestions on the blog and then made a poll in the IHSW Facebook Group from those suggestions.

The top three choices were:

Hallowe'en

Birthstones

Dragons

So I will do one for the next three months.  At the end of this post I will ask again for your suggestions and one of those will become the theme for January.  In November, we choose February's theme and so on.  I will post the results in my sidebar so you have plenty of time to decide what to show."

So, here is my little Hallowe'en offering.....

Just for the SAL, yesterday I started "Pumpkin Man" from PS Book #189, "Boo Moon". (I am stitching him on a very small scrap of 32 ct linen - he will just fit!)

What a fun idea for a SAL, thank you, Jo, although I am struggling a bit with next month's theme - Birthstones.  Any suggestions anyone for a good, free, birthstone pattern (preferably October, as that is my birthday month)?????

If you want to check out Jo's fabulous post and to see who else took part, please visit Jo's blog post here.

Thanks for visiting,

hugs, 

P.S. As I was adding my labels to this post, I discovered that I have stitched a PS Pumpkin Man once before (a different one).  So, in the spirit of Hallowe'en, here he is.....

Pumpkin Man

Prairie Schooler

JCS Halloween Ornie Mag 2015

28 ct linen

Assorted DMC and specialty threads

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,