Smalls Report for November

 I'm a little late with my Smalls report. I've been away inland in the caravan, and that is why I actually have some Smalls to show this month. If I had been at home it is likely that all my November stitching would have been on my big WIP, Christmas Dreams.  The extreme heat we are having (today the temp reached 45C or 113F) ended our caravan trip earlier than planned, which is why I am home to make this report. The Smalls Report is hosted by Mary at Mary's Thread.

I have stitched three little Christmas ornaments. They are all ready to have their beads added, and be made up. My task for the next couple of days.

They will all look prettier when they get their beads.

Gifted Gorgeousness Report for November

It's the 15th of the month (again) - time for the Gifted Gorgeousness report.  GG is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.  Anything stitched with gifted supplies, or stitched to be gifted, qualifies for inclusion in the GG report.

My WIP, HAED Christmas Dreams, is stitched with gifted pattern and supplies, and I am very pleased to report that it is now 71.8% finished. It's on track to be completed by mid 2021.  This time last month I was working on the 38th page. I have now stitched 43 of the 66 pages, and made a start on the 44th page.  I took this photo (off the frame) when I finished row 7 of charts (42nd page).

This next photo shows where I am up to now. I didn't take it off the frame for the photo, but I have turned the photo right-side up for ease of viewing.

I picked up my crochet hook  and made a little shopping bag for Miss 3. I had cotton left after making her a dress for her birthday, and thought that would be a good use for it.  I've ordered some large glittery butterfly beads to brighten it up. Miss 3 loves bags,  butterflies, and bling  so I think she will approve. I didn't have a pattern for the bag, but used my favourite twisted treble stitch for the body because it is quite a stretchy stitch and I thought it would work well as a bag.

I also made a batch of beaded angels, using pearl drop beads I was given for my birthday by a friend who recognised that the beads were crying out to be angels. I will keep most of these for my 'hand-crafted' Christmas tree, but some will be gifted this Christmas.

That's all I have to show this month  except that I did make up the Christmas ornaments I had stitched last month.

 I am looking forward to visiting the GG blogs to see all the lovely projects completed and WIPs.

Smalls Report for October

 It's been quite some time since I last had any Smalls to show - five months at least. This month I set Christmas Dreams aside, and finished stitching the last of the Christmas ornaments on my 2020 'to do' list. 

So, here they are:

Two Baby's First Christmas ornaments: one for a friend's grandson and the other for a new little neighbour girl. A family tree ornament for a friend (very similar to the one I stitched for her last year, at her request. This one has two new grandsons included). And the final seven ornaments in the 12 Days of Christmas set I made for my own Christmas tree.

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary at Mary's Thread, and the reporting date is the final Friday in each month.

Gifted Gorgeousness Report for October

 I'm feeling a bit like Alice's White Rabbit - I'm late (yet again) with my Gifted Gorgeousness report. GG is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching, and the day for reporting is the 15th of each month. Anything stitched with gifted supplies, or stitched to be gifted qualifies for the GG report.

I have some gift stitching to show this month. I stitched and finished up this personalised Christmas Tree ornament for a friend. I stitched a similar one for her last year, and she asked me to make another to include the two new grandsons who joined her family this year.

I've added the names to the two Baby's First Christmas ornaments I stitched earlier this year, and I will be making up those two ornaments in the next day or so.

At the beginning of the year I planned to stitch one Twelve Days of Christmas ornament (using gifted supplies or supplies purchased with birthday gift vouchers) per month. This went by the wayside once I started stitching on Christmas Dreams in June. So, this month I have taken a little break from Christmas Dreams, and stitched the remaining seven ornaments to complete the set. I haven't yet made them up into ornaments; that is my task for the next few days.

Speaking of Christmas Dreams - there has been some progress, though it's been resting for the past two weeks. Here's where I was a month ago.

I finished the 6th row of charts, and am now working on the second page of row 7 (my 38th page). This is where I left off stitching 2 weeks ago:

Gifted Gorgeousness, September

  Another month gone - this year is disappearing fast. The 15th of each month is the day on which we can report our 'gifted' stitching - those items destined to be gifts, or stitched using gifted supplies.  

This month I once again have just one project to talk about. I have made good progress on Christmas Dreams, which I am stitching for myself using gifted chart, fabric and most of the floss. This time last month I had stitched 28 pages, today I am stitching on my 34th page. I still have a bit under a quarter of the 34th page to stitch, but I expect to finish the page tomorrow, as it's all plain stitching in just one floss colour (black). I have passed the half-way point now. I am keen to have Christmas Dreams framed and on my wall for Christmas 2021. However my immediate goal is to finish row 6 of charts by the end of September. 

Gifted Gorgeousness Report for August

 I'm a little late for the GG report this month, but better late than never as my Granny used to say. Jo at Serendipitous Stitching hosts the Gifted Gorgeousness Report on the 15th of each month.  Anything stitched with gifted supplies, or stitched to be gifted, qualifies for the GG report.

While I was touring in the caravan, I made these three cotton crocheted sundresses - two for Miss 3, and one for her doll.

And since I got home, I have been stitching madly on Christmas Dreams, and finished two more pages. It's not a great pic, but the best I could do today.  It actually looks so much better on the phone.  I have now finished 28 of the 66 pages.

Summer Blog Hop - Stitching Friends

Please be kind when reading my post. I am just at the end of a caravan trip through outback NSW and Queensland. I have only my mobile phone with me. Usually I can do a blog post on the phone with no problem. Horror of horrors, when I got onto my blog I didn't recognise it. It must have updated. All the soothing words have been replaced by icons that mean nothing to me. I have no idea how to put in links, for a start. Help! 

Jo at Serendipitous Stitching is hosting this Stitching Friends Blog Hop.

My stitching friend is a very busy crafter, with many years of stitching experience. As well as cross stitch, she likes quilting and knitting. Unlike me (I can cope with just one project at a time), she has a number of gorgeous projects on the go.  Again unlike me, she is not particularly fond of Christmas stitching, but she does like stitching Halloween projects, and she seems to be likely to choose band samplers and quaker-style charts. She stitches lovely gifts for her family.  She likes working specialty stitches, and  stitching with silks.  

I wish I was able to put up a pic of a project I think she would like, but I have a steep learning curve to master before I can do that. A chart I think she might like is Lila's Studio's Halloween Quaker. I found it on the 123stitch site.

 

 My stitching friend is Sandy 

http://stitchinginsunnycal.blogspot.com/