Smalls Report for March

I'm running late for this month's Smalls SAL. Not only late - also not finished! I got off to a good start, then got sidetracked by life's little diversions.


Here's what I have finished.  First up, my little gingerbreads. The chart for the first 2 photos was in LA's Christmas Caboodle #4 leaflet, and the third photo is a Barbara Mock design from Christmas Quickies II leaflet.

Next up, a batch of Told in A Garden angels - five finished up, and three waiting to be made up into ornaments:

My Twelve Days ornament for March. The three hen chart was in a DMC leaflet called 'La Ferme'.

Another ornament featuring my favourite Dale Burdett teddy (A Mini Christmas booklet):

Here's a group photo of this past month's
finished  Christmas ornaments:

Smalls Report for February

The end of the month is here, and that is my reminder to put up my post for the Smalls SAL, hosted by Mary at Mary's Thread.  So far this year I have stitched only 'smalls' - and all my finishes for this year so far are Christmas ornaments. This past month has been a very productive one. Today I have 20 finished Christmas ornaments to show.  My target was 8 for February, so I am currently way ahead of schedule.

First up are my ten tiny stocking Christmas ornaments. I adapted a Kooler Design Studio chart (LA 3428, Christmas Ornaments) for a one-dimensional plastic canvas stocking by smoothing out the edges,  adding the 'cuff' for the name, and attaching a back to make a real little open-top stocking.

 

The final stocking I made missed the group  photo, so it gets a solo appearance:

This is my '2 Turtle Doves' Christmas ornament.  I modified Lesley Grant's design (UK Cross Stitcher magazine Dec 1995) by omitting the charted dove cote, adding a second turtle dove  and adding the border and text.

These four initial ornaments are for the grandchildren of an old friend - two English brothers and two Kiwi sisters. The designer is Alma Lynne (A-Z Christmas Alphabets and Borders).

  

I made this angel for a dear friend who has a fondness for angels, the colour purple, and hearts. The designer is Patricia Behrens (Two Hour Crossstitch), but I have to admit to making a lot of changes, including omitting the musical instrument, making a few changes to the dress, and adding the facial features. 

This ornament is for my favourite aunt. I found the 'JOY' chart on-line as part of a Christmas ornament freebie chart  and I added a tiny Kooler angel and the border.

And, last but not least, three Santa ornaments. The Santa initial ((LA Alphabets Galore, 1998) is for a greatnephew, the other two (designer Barbara Mock, Christmas Quickies) are for two young neighbourhood sisters.

Thank you for visiting.  

Smalls SAL for January (a week early, as it happens)

It's already the end of January - I'm just amazed at how quickly we got here! It's (almost) time for the first Smalls SAL report for 2020. Mary from Marys Threads is the host of the Smalls SAL.

I have started on my annual ornament stitching marathon. I have just finished up my first 11 Christmas ornaments for 2020.  Here they are alltogether:

I'll start with the first of my 12 Days of Christmas ornaments, which I am stitching for myself.  

Designer: Linda Calverley, The Cross Stitcher (UK) Dec 1995.

I added the border and text.

This ornament is for my oldest nephew and his partner. They have quite a large collection of my Christmas ornaments.

Five ornaments for great-nieces and nephews:

Designer: Barbara Mock, Christmas Quickies II

Designer: Dale Burdett, A Mini Christmas DB 132 

Designer:  Barbara Mock, Christmas Quickies I

LA's Alphabets Galore booklet

LA's Alphabets Galore booklet

And four ornaments for neighbour children:

LA's Alphabets Galore booklet

I am pleased to have made a start on my stitching list. I'm hoping to finish eight ornaments in February. I'll enjoy visiting the blogs of all the Smalls stitchers.

Smalls Report for August

The end of August already - this year is just flying by! The last Friday of the month is reporting day for the Smalls SAL hosted by Mary at Mary's Thread.

This month I have stitched three angels that will be made up into Christmas ornaments. I had meant to have them finished up for this report, but that just hasn't happened. Next week, perhaps.  The first two ornaments were inspired by DMC angel charts, and the third ornament's angel just grew as I stitched.

A friend recently asked me to stitch Christmas ornaments for her two new puppies, so although I had finished my 2019 stitching list, I still have something to stitch.  I've stitched one, one more to go.

Smalls Report for July

I missed last month's Smalls SAL, but I am happy to have stitched some Smalls this month. I did no stitching at all while I was away in the caravan on my trek round Australia in June and the first 3 weeks of July. We travelled just on 15,000 km (9,350 miles) in 52 days, visiting all but one of our mainland States. I had a great time enjoying the ever changing countryside. These are some of my favourite pics.

In the week or so that I have been home I have stitched one more Christmas gift - another dinosaur name sampler. Six little dinosaurs for my  two year old great-niece, who is fascinated by dinosaurs at present.  Believe it or not, the fabric is antique white. The designer of the dinosaur alphabet is Clare Crompton. I changed the dinosaurs around, and also changed the floss colours for the letters.

I stitched them all together on the one fabric piece, with a view to framing the sampler in a purchased frame.

I will enjoy visiting all the Smalls blogs to see what everyone has been working on.

Smalls Report for May

Here we are again - the end of the month, and time for the Smalls SAL, hosted by Mary at Mary's Thread.

I have to confess to getting out the shoehorn for this report. I am showing six little dinosaurs finished this month. The designer is Clare Crompton, though I swapped some of the dinosaurs to balance my sampler. So, here they are:

And here they are all stitched on the one fabric piece, ready to frame for a great-nephew's Christmas gift. Believe it or not, the fabric is an unstained piece of antique white. I don't know where the shading came from. It's not really there!

I will be stitching at least one more name sampler this year  for Angus's little sister. Sarah has a liking for dinosaurs, so there may be more dinosaurs to show soon.

Smalls Report for April

Well, here we are - time for the monthly Smalls SAL report hosted by Mary.  Already four months of the year has passed. I have less to show this month. Once again, all my stitching was on Smalls, but I did less stitching in April than in previous months. I have finished just four Christmas ornaments this month.

I stitched a TIAG angel, from the Band of Angels chart. I did make a number of changes, including changes to the banner and message, omitting the parcel and gold hanging cord, and changing the sleeves and hands. I stitched this ornament for a cousin who has just won the latest battle in her fight with cancer.

This little Christmas ornament is for a 4 year old I met recently, and who has just joined the extended family of a friend.

And here are two more Jill Oxton poinsettias to add to my take-home gift basket for Christmas visitors.

I also stitched three ornaments for a brother's family. They are expecting a new arrival in September, and as the ornaments I stitched for the prospective parents and grandparents are personalised Christmas trees with a heart for each family member, I have to wait for baby's birth before I finish stitching and making up these three ornaments. I probably shouldn't be showing these yet, as they are unfinished, but the fact that they complete my Christmas ornament stitching list for 2019 tipped my hand. I now have 75 Christmas ornaments - 72 finished, and these three which will have to sit waiting till I know baby's gender and name.

So, that completes my Smalls report for this month. I'm looking forward to popping in to participants' blogs to see the lovely Smalls stitched in the past month.