Smalls SAL - January

 It's the last Friday in January, so it's time for the monthly Smalls SAL report, hosted by Mary at Mary's Thread.

 In January I made a good start on my 2022 stitching list. I stitched and finished 17 Christmas ornaments, and I also stitched another five designs to be made up into Christmas ornaments.

These four teddy ornaments are for the 2 year olds on my gift list. Dale Burdett's Santa Teddy is a favourite of mine, and I always enjoy stitching it.

The LA Santa Alphabet (from 'Alphabets Galore' book) is also a design I love to stitch. I do make a few little changes to the charted design.  And I always stitch the child's name and the year on the ornament - it's on the ornament back if you can't see it on the front.

I found this Susan Bates  wreath alphabet last year in a 2019 magazine  'Enjoy Cross Stitching at Christmas' Issue 22, and I used it to make ornaments for one group of 9 siblings and first cousins. These ornaments are for another set of siblings and first cousins, from the other side of the family. The children's given names are stitched on the back of the ornament. 

The other five designs I have stitched are angels. Four are inspired by L& L's 1986 Angel freebie, the Amish Angel. I say 'inspired' because I have made some changes. I replaced the cap with hair, altered the face, and the dress style, replaced the garland with hanging stars, and added backstitching. The wings and sleeves remain as charted. 

This angel is pretty much as charted, apart from some floss changes, a few added beads, and added backstitching. It is L& L's 1987 Christmas Angel freebie. The colours are not true in this photo - the fabric is a pale cream.

I am quite pleased with my January stitching. I can't say the same about 2022, unfortunately. We are only 28 days into the year, and already it has brought major disruption to my household. We are entering our third fight with cancer in 10 years. My partner has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. It's early days, and right now we are in the waiting phase - waiting for appointments, waiting for information, waiting for treatment options.  Stitching is my 'go to' stress reduction technique, and I have really been abusing it!  

Gifted Gorgeousness Report for January 2022

Mid January already. I am pleased to have some stitching to show. I am also very happy that Jo is again hosting the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL on the 15th of each month at Serendipitous Stitching.  Most of my stitching qualifies for inclusion in  the GG SAL, as most of my stitching is destined to be gifted, and virtually all of my stitching is done with gifted supplies.

In January I started stitching my 2022 Christmas gifts.  For some of my great-nieces and nephews I chose the wreath initial chart by Susan Bates, from Issue 22 of 'Enjoy Cross Stitch at Christmas' magazine (2019). I will most likely be making a few more of these this year.

I have now made them up into Christmas ornaments.

This year I have four toddlers on my gift list. I will be making each of them a Santa teddy ornament (designer Dale Burdett, 'A Mini Christmas', DB132).  This is one of my favourites, and I would go so far as to say that there would be a Santa teddy ornament on the Christmas tree of every family whose children regularly visit me at Christmas.  So far I have stitched three of the teddies. Lola's teddy hasn't yet had its external borders or back stitched.

I look forward to checking all the GG posts. It's one of my pleasures each month.