Gifted Gorgeousness report for April

April 15 - time for the Gifted

Gorgeousness report. GG is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.  Once again, all my stitching in the past month qualifies for GG, as all my stitching will be gifted.


I'm working my way through my Christmas list. I finished up the ornaments I had stitched last month, and I have stitched and finished another 13 Christmas ornaments. That brings to 68 the number of Christmas ornaments I have made this year to date.

Here are group photos of my March-April finished Christmas ornaments. The first picture shows the ornaments stitched in February/March but not actually finished into ornaments at the last GG report. Since I put individual pics of these in my last (Smalls SAL) post, I haven't repeated them today.

And the next 2 photos show the finished ornaments that I stitched and finished up after the March GG report.

This Donna Vermillion Giampa initial Santa is for my niece's foster son. The chart is from the Christmas Soup booklet.

This tiny stocking Christmas ornament is for a friend's much loved dog. This one just grew as I stitched, so there is no designer to credit.

This Need'l Love Hearts and Branches ornament will go into my gift basket for Christmas visitors. Some of my Christmas visitors are really not into bling, so I like to offer an alternative to my bead decorated trees.

I stitched this for my oldest niece. The message comes from a chart in the 2015 JCS Christmas Ornament issue. Somehow, this ornament didn't get into a group picture.

And now three little poinsettia ornaments. The poinsettias are Jill Oxton design (JO Cross Stitch & Beading Issue 47).  These ornaments are going into the gift basket for Christmas visitors.

Four more beaded Christmas trees for the Christmas gift basket.

And, finally, two personalised Christmas tree ornaments, one for a long-term friend  the other for my youngest sister.

It's many months since I last picked up a crochet hook, but the urge took me this week. I made a dress and cap and a matching pillow cover for a great-niece's doll.

That's it for this month. I'm looking forward to catching up on all the GG stitching.

Smalls SAL Report for March

I missed last month's Smalls report, so I am pleased to be organised for this one. The Smalls SAL is hosted by Mary at Mary's Thread.  All my stitching so far this year has been on small projects - all Christmas ornaments.  This is a group photo of my latest batch of finished ornaments.

I have made four personalised Christmas trees for a sister, two nieces, and a friend. I took inspiration from two different charts (a Barbara Mock design and a Dale Burdett design) for these, but I doubt any designer would wish to claim my trees. 

I stitched a special blue tree for a nephew and his partner, adapted from a Pat Waters design. The recipients are not really into Christmas, but they do like the colour blue.

Two more beaded Christmas trees  my own designs. These are headed for my take-home gift basket for Christmas visitors.

A Barbara Mock angel for my second sister, who has a special fondness for angels.

Barbara Mock gingerbread babies for a young greatniece.

The Need'l Love Company's Heart wreaths (Hollyberry Noel) with minor changes for two nieces.

Beaded wreaths for a greatniece and greatnephew. These are my own design.

Finished too late to be included in the group photo, this ornament is for my oldest niece, and includes the message section of Susan Greening Davis's 'Memories' ornament published in the 2015 JCS Christmas Ornament Issue.

That makes a total of 56 Christmas ornaments stitched amd finished so far this year. Just 12 more to go. 

That completes my Smalls report for this month.  I will be popping in to see all the projects stitched by other Smalls SAL participants.

Gifted Gorgeousness March report

This year is just whipping by.  Already it is time for the third Gifted Gorgeousness report of 2019. Jo at Serendipitous Stitching hosts the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL.

I have finished up the designs I stitched in February - 20 in all. They will all be gifted at Christmas. Here they are all together.

The bead decorated trees are still my favourites.

This TIAG Angel is my next favourite. I stitched it for a dear friend.

I love stitching Santas. Most of these are Barbara Mock designs, except for Angus's Santa which was designed by Patrice Boerens; the Santa face which was in BH&G's Treasury of Christmas Cross Stitch Designs; and the Santa with list, which I found in the 1991 JCS Special Ornament Issue.

I stitched this Barbara Mock tree for a favourite aunt. I changed the hearts to make the shape smoother, and added a few beads.

These little stockings amd the small angel are for neighbouring children.

I have stitched, but not yet finished up, another 8 ornament designs. Two beaded wreath designs for the children of my oldest niece. 

A Barbara Mock gingerbread design for a young great-niece.

A  Christmas tree adapted from a Pat Waters design (Country Crafts leaflet #109, A Christmas Collection) for a nephew and his partner, who really aren't fussed on Christmas decorations, but love the colour blue.

A personalised Christmas tree for a nephew and his family, adapted from a Dale Burdett design.

A personalised Christmas tree for a niece and her family. It's adapted from a Barbara Mock design, in Dimension's Christmas Quickies II.

A heart design for another niece, adapted from a design in Need'l Love Company's Hollyberry Noel leaflet. 

 Finally, another bead decorated Christmas tree to add to the gift basket for Christmas visitors.

And that brings me to the end of my March GG report. I'm looking forward to popping in to see all the other GG stitching progress this month.