Smalls SAL_January 2020

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary's Thread. 

On the last Friday of each month we post about the Small designs that we have stitched in that month.

For January, I have quite a few Smalls (of various Smallnesses) for you to view:

The first is called "Snowman's Quaker Christmas".

It is a sweet design that I found through Carol from Stitching Dreams.  It is a freebie from Midnight Stitching that you can find here.

You can see Carol's gorgeous finish here.

I have actually stitched it twice, the first is on Mocha fabric in traditional Christmas colours.

The second is in icy blues using a gorgeous Threadworx floss, using Carol's finish as inspiration.

 I have also started a third version (as I really love the design and playing with the colours) with a turquoise to yellow variegated floss of unknown origin.  Please visit my New Start Sunday blog to see this colourway.  I should have a finish for this by next month's Smalls post.

I also finished "Aussie Friends", which was a fundraising design for the Australian Bushfire Relief that you can read all about here.

... and here is "Falling" by Plum Street Samplers

... and two more Christmas finishes....

Moose Joy by Angel Stitchin' from the JCS Christmas Ornie mag 2019. 

... and "Be Joyful" by Tempting Tangles Designs

So, a very successful Smalls SAL for me in January with SIX finishes.

You can see what all the other Smalls SALers stitched by going to this post on Mary's Threads.

Thanks for visiting and please don't forget to leave a comment as I do love a good chat,

hugs, 

First IHSW for 2020....

This past weekend was International Hermit and Stitch Weekend (IHSW).

It is such a lovely idea, isn't it? To be stitching with other like-minded people from all over the globe, no matter the time zone, all weekend long - bliss!  In fact, any stitching time is great, isn't it?

You can take part on your blog or via the Facebook page - IHSW on Facebook or click on the pic of Hermie below:

My IHSW started on Friday with FNSI (another virtual SAL), you can read all about what I stitched on this post here. 

So, I kept on with my rotation of stitching but added a few more to it.  Altogether I stitched on seven different projects. 

1. Winter Wonderland by CCN 

Progress pics: 

2. Be Joyful by Tempting Tangle Designs.

Before:

Progress: 

3. Christmas Bullfinch by Punochka (from the JCS Christmas Ornie Mag 2019 for the JCS Stitchalong FB group)

Before:

Progress:

4. 2005 Prairie Schooler Santa, which is the first of the yearly PS Santas for a SAL with my dear friend, Marie (we plan to stitch all of them over the next couple of years).

Before:

Progress:

5. Unknown project:

Before:

Progress:

6. Aussie Friends - Australian Bushfire Relief Freebie by Kimberley Young of SassyJack's Stitchery - you can read more about it here.

Before:

 Progress:

7. The Granny Square Daily Temperature SAL by Carolyn Manning Designs. I started this for my New Start Sunday SAL blog

A fresh new start:

Progress:

I am very happy with my productive IHSW and remember to check out the FB page if you would like to see what other stitchers got up to.

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,

Friday Night with Friends....

.... only a small amount of stitching to show for this FnwF.  I was very tired, as I have not been sleeping well and DD was over for the evening to watch the footy with her Dad, so I found it a bit hard to get into it all, really.

However, I did manage to get a few stitches into my new start for September's Hallowe'en Ornament SAL.

Bump in the Night

Tempting Tangle Designs

from JCS Halloween Ornie Mag 2015 (p. 51)

32 ct overdyed evenweave

Mixture of CC and DMC floss

I have also been busy setting up my new SAL blogs

If you want to know anything more about any of these SAL blogs, the links are below:

Christmas Ornie SAL

Prairie Schooler SAL

Americana SAL

Tudor Tuesdays SAL 

Can I please ask, that if you do wish to join that you send me an email with the email address you wish to use to join the SAL and with your blog address, too, please.

Also, it is taking me a bit of time to get everything organised and to set everyone up on the various SALs, so please be patient if you have already requested to join one or two or all of them! I will get there eventually (however, if in a week's time you have not been joined up, please do not hesitate to email me again!)

Have a good week, everyone, 

lots of love,  

Just settling down to watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, while I set up the Tudor Tuesdays SAL blog.  Such fun!

                                       

Quick IHSW update (late, of course!)

Progress on Ebony and Ivory:

Progress on Jour d'Hiver:

I love how both of these projects are progressing, I have a mini rotation going. I alternate stitching one length of floss on each piece. Seems to working at the moment.

Thanks for visiting,

hugs,

TUSAL March update and FNSI update...

... ... well, here I am - a few day's late again!  I am so sorry, my stitching mojo is going so strong (although very erratic in what I find myself stitching) but my blogging mojo is very sluggish at the moment.  I am so far behind on my blog reading and commenting and on replying to my bloggy emails and I just can't seem to get a lot of enthusiasm to blog much at the moment.  I want to blog but the effort of actually writing the post seems to be too much at the moment!  Work is very busy, we are still busy with our family (even more now in a way due to them being scattered to the wind) and we have just had some bad news around my dear father's health, which I think is going to add another layer of complexity to my life.

Oh well, at least blogland is always there, waiting for us to return - so here I am today and I will endeavour to stop my whinging and complaining and show you some stitching instead!

Let's start with my March TUSAL update:


Home ORTs on the left, train ORTs on the right:

Here are all of this year's ORTs so far:

Now, my FNSI - two new projects (why oh why do I keep starting new projects? I have so many WIPs and UFOs already!)

Ebony and Ivory 

Ebony and Ivory

Tempting Tangles Designs

29 ct White Evenweave

Instead of the suggested Dinky Dye silk threads of Black Coral and Charcoal

I am using:

CC Nighty Nite (dark purplish-black)

WDW Grape Ice (light purple)

I must admit, I am really thrilled with my progress on this one so far - I am very pleased with both my fabric and colour choices.

My second new start is:

Jour d'hiver

Jour d'Hiver

Designer: Lilli Violette

28 ct Mocha linen

Using suggested DMC threads

I am, also doing some special stitching and finishing for my Friends Swapaway (which I am far behind on also - sorry Butterfly and Kim) but I will keep that secret for now.

Yesterday morning, when I got up this is what I saw from my back deck:

hot air balloons in the far distance.

And this morning, my rose bushes were looking very pretty:

... and I wish to plant some more in this bare garden bed.

Lastly, my baking mojo came back this afternoon.  I made some Coconut and honey popcorn (oh so easy to make) and some Coconut and golden syrup cookies (both used coconut oil, which apparently is the new big superfood).

Well, that is all for me for now!

Off to do some more stitching and some blog reading.

hugs,