Come visit with me as I stitch and craft my way from one Christmas to the next - I like to have Christmas projects close by me all year. I have a particular fondness for Santas and Angels. If you have the time, leave a comment so I know you've visited.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Gifted Gorgeousness Report for November

Here we are again, with the penultimate GG report for 2016. I have a few projects to show.


First, the birth sampler I stitched for my great-niece Annabelle, now finished and framed.  I added some hearts and Annabelle's birth details.  I framed it myself in a white wooden frame purchased from a discount shop, and I had a custom mat made for it.  Annabelle is 14 months old now, healthy and gorgeous, but she had a difficult start to life, spending her first 3 months in Neonatal Intensive Care, and having a number of major surgeries in that time.

 Cicely Mary Barker's Apple Blossom Fairies (DMC)


And here is my progress to date on a growth chart for my great-nephew, 2 year old Angus. A family friend gave my niece the Semco 'Peter Rabbit Growth Chart' kit at her baby shower, and my niece intended to stitch it, but being a new mum who was working as a primary school teacher, and renovating a newly purchased home, she never got around to it.  So, a couple of months ago she handed the chart over to me to stitch, which I was pleased to do for her.  I was hoping to finish it for Christmas, but that is unlikely now.  I will give it my best try, though.  So far I have completed 2 of the 4 pages, with Peter Rabbit and Jemina Puddleduck stitched.  I am about to start stitching the Flopsy Bunnies, and hope to finish that page in the coming week, before I head off on my cruise round New Zealand.  That will leave just the top page featuring a squirrel, and I will then add Angus's name and birth and growth details.  I have organised my sister (Angus's adoring Nanna) to make it up into a wall hanging when it;s finished.  My sister has great sewing machine skills, which I totally lack.



I made a few changes to the Growth Chart stitching.  It was charted to be stitched using half cross stitch for the characters on 14 count Aida.  There were also largeish unstitched areas within the characters (eg all the white areas on Jemima, and the palest areas on Peter Rabbit.).  To me it looked unfinished, and I just didn't like the effect at all.  So I changed the half-cross to full cross, and stitched the 'unstitched' areas.  This meant, of course, that I had to re-kit the design, as there wasn't nearly enough floss included in the kit to allow for these changes.  The floss supplied wasn't identified by number, so I had to guess at the floss shades.  I am quite happy with the colour so far.

I have so enjoyed being part of the Gifted Gorgeousness group this year, and look forward to checking on all the reports for November.

13 comments:

Tiffstitch said...

Beautiful work on both! That's a really nice growth chart and I wonder if the squirrel is Timmy Tiptoes?

Elfie said...

Probably! Thank you - my knowledge of Beatrix Potter has huge defecits!

Bea said...

Love the growth chart. I grew up with the Beatrix Potter characters so I really like what you've done. He could be Squirrel Nutkin as well.

Elfie said...

Oh! More than one Beatrix Potter squirrel - who knew! I will have to go search for an identity for the squirrel - he is the only character on the growth chart without a charted name.

Elfie said...

After much searching thru Beatrix Potter character pics, the growth chart squirrel looks like Squirrel Nutkin to me.

Brigitte said...

So lovely to see some details of this growth chart. I love Beatrix Potter's designs and have already stitched one or two of them. They are all so sweet.
Great birth sampler, too.

Le trame della Galaverna said...

Very beautiful projects

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Thanks for taking part in GG this month. I am so pleased that you enjoy the SAL as much as I do. Your blog is always a pleasure to visit and see the ornies.

I like the way you've added the date Amelia came home. I can't quite read her birth weight but it's in kg anyway and we still do lbs and oz here!

Maybe you should get a copy of the Beatrix Potter books to go with the height chart?

Elfie said...

Thanks for the idea of getting a Beatrix Potter book to go with the growth chart - I will definitely do that. Annabelle was 3lb 8 oz born - she was 10 weeks premature.

Mini said...

Lovely birth sampler and height chart. I love stitching for babies.

Julie said...

Such a lovely framed gift, it really is a masterpiece.
Peter Rabbit is one of my favourites, your version of the growth chart is fabulous.
Enjoy your cruise!

Kaisievic said...

Lovely birth sampler for your great niece and I love the Peter Rabbit growth chart, it is coming along beautifully.

Barb said...

Those are just wonderful gifts for the children. I do love anything with Beatrix Potter's animals!