Gifted Gorgeousness Report for August

The 15th of each month is the reporting day for the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching. I didn't do GG reports for June and July, because I was travelling round the country (Australia) in a caravan, and didn't get to do any stitching. I did take some kitted little projects with me, but I just didn't get around to stitching. Most unusual for me! I did, however, read over 20 books - I got into the habit of buying books in one town (from a charity shop usually), then dropping them off at a charity shop in the next town. It worked well for me!

As soon as we got home I picked up a project and got back on the stitching groove. Pretty much all of my stitching usually qualifies for the GG report, since my projects are typically gifted to family or friends.

I stitched these six bead decorated Christmas tree ornaments to add to my gift basket for Christmas visitors. These are smaller than the ornaments I usually make. The smallest one is almost 4 cm ( about 1.75") long, and the tallest one is 7.5 cm  (3") long.

 And all together:

I also stitched a name sampler for a great-niece, for a Christmas gift. It matches the name sampler I stitched for her big brother before we went on our trip. Claire Crompton is the designer of the dinosaur alphabet. I changed the dinosaurs around and also changed floss colours for some of the letters.

Sarah turns 2 in August, and I made her a crochet poncho and cap for her birthday.

I spent a few hours in my craft room, and sorted through the huge pile of Christmas baubles I have accrued over the year. All were discarded by other people, and many were missing their hangers. So, I made a Christmas wreath which I will gift to a friend, who needs a little Christmas bling in her life. It's quite large - the base cane wreath has a 60 cm (24") diameter. Miss Angela was quite taken with the wreath, so I let her pose for the camera next to it.

I've nearly finished my 2019 stitching list. I'm waiting for the birth of my niece's baby in September so I can stitch baby's name on the 3 Christmas ornaments I have stitched for baby, parents  and grandparents. My 2019 stitching list will then be finished. Unless I can think up another project. Or maybe I will bring Christmas Dreams down to my stitching chair. It's 18 months since I last stitched on it, so it's about time it saw the light again.

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.

Gifted Gorgeousness post for May

I am having great trouble adjusting to the pace at which this year is disappearing. I guess it's a sign that I am showing my age. Here we are again - time for the GG report, hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.

All my stitching this month qualifies for GG, as all will be gifted. These are the Christmas ornaments I have finished since the last GG report.  I did already show this pic in the last Smalls report. Not so many finished this month. The angel is pretty heavily adapted from one of TIAG's Band of Angels; the stocking is my own design; and the poinsettias are Jill Oxton designs (Issue 47 JO Cross Stitch & Beading).

I stitched this retrospective Baby's First Christmas ornament for a 4 year old who has just joined the extended family of a friend. All the other children in the family have First Christmas ornaments on the Christmas Tree, and I didn't want Oliver to be the odd one out.

Oliver's First Christmas ornament is my 76th Christmas ornament for this year. Three of them haven't yet been finished, as I am waiting for an expected baby's name and birth date to add final details. 

These are my 2019 Christmas ormaments:

There are  actually  82 finished ornaments  - 9 were made in December 2018. The three unfinished ornaments aren't in the pic. So, I have 85 ornaments for Christmas giving.

I have also stitched Cicely Mary Barker Flower Fairy name samplers for two little honorary nieces, first cousins. I will frame them and give them as Christmas gifts. I have now stitched all the items on my 2019 stitching list. I will probably add a few more to the list - maybe name samplers for my youngest sister's two grandchildren. 

My final items are not cross stitch, but I'm showing them anyway, just because I love them. Some little white beaded angels, which I have made for a friend. I found the beads for the bodies in a charity shop, and they inspired me to create some Christmas angels. I had all the other bits and pieces in my stash. My friend collects quirky angels, and I am sure she will love them, and make room for them on her Christmas tree. 

That's all from me this month. I'm looking forward to seeing all the other Gifted Gorgeousness creations.

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.

Easter Blog Hop

Jo at Serendipitous Stitching is hosting this Easter blog hop.

My letter is:

I have chosen to share a picture of one of my favourite cross-stitched birds, a Graham Ross design of a kookaburra. I stitched this kookaburra way back in the 20th century  and it hangs on my loungeroom wall, where I see it every day. I am lucky to have real kookaburras visit my garden regularly, and I often wake up to the sound of the kookaburra's call.

To continue with the Easter blog hop, your next blog to visit is: Mary's

Happy Easter!

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.