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.

Gifted Gorgeousness report for February

I'm late with my Gifted Gorgeousness update - it's been that sort of year, unfortunately. Hectic, unpredictable, and often not very comfortable! Hopefully things will settle down soon. Fingers crossed!

I've been stitching whenever I can. All the stitching I have done so far this year is destined to be gifted at Christmas, so everything I have stitched in the past month is eligible for the GG  update. And they will all be made up into Christmas ornaments in the next week or so.

I'll start with the ones I most enjoyed stitching - four button and/or bead decorated Christmas trees that will be added to the 'take home gift' basket for adult Christmas visitors.

 I stitched this Santa for a nephew and his wife. It's adapted from a needlpoint design in  JCS Special Ornament issue 1991.

This Santa is for a young niece. The chart came from BH&G's Treasury of Christmas Cross Stitch Designs (2003).

Two very young nieces will be getting these Barbara Mock Santas (Christmas Quickies #175, 1990).

More Barbara Mock Santas for 4 young nephews.

Four more ornaments for neighbour children.  The stocking design is adapted from the chart in LA's Christmas Caboodle leaflet, and the tiny teddy is adapted from Graphworks Mini Motif Designs Christmas Vol 8.

And, last but not least, a TIAG angel for a dear friend.

So, there it is - a review of my February stitching efforts. 

Smalls Report for January

I've been working hard on my Smalls in the past month, and I am pleased to be able to say that all the little ornaments I stitched in late December and January have now been finished up. There were 22 in all. This year the Smalls SAL is being hosted by Mary at Mary's Threads blog.


These 5 ornaments are for the dogs in our extended family. If you have excellent vision you may see the 'bones' decorating the heart wreaths. I adapted the design from a Pat Waters wreath in 'A Christmas Collection' by substituting Smyrna crosses over 4 for the cross stitches over 2, eliminating some of the decorations, and rounding off the edges.

Here are the four Jeremiah Junction nutcracker Christmas ornaments I stitched for the grandchildren of a friend.

These three Dale Burdett Christmas teddy ornaments will be in the Christmas stockings of our family toddlers having their third Christmas in 2019.

Four Christmas stocking ornaments for Christmas visitors. They were inspired by a design in LA's Christmas Caboodle leaflet, but I totally changed the stocking, which I stitched with Smyrna crosses over 4. The tiny teddies are adapted from  Graphworks Mini Motif Designs Christmas Vol 8.

My favourites - two beaded Christmas tree ornaments, my own design.

Three little angel ornaments, stitched for neigbourhood young girls. I was inspired by TIAG's Amish Angel, but the only parts that survived unchanged (apart from changes to the floss colours and decoration) were the wings and sleeves.

And, last but not least, a quirky Sam Hawkins ornament for a neighbourhood young boy.

Here are all 22 Christmas ornaments together in one picture.

I have made a good start on my Christmas stitching. I still have lots to cross off the list, so I plan to be stitching as much as I can in February.

Gifted Gorgeousness Report January 2019

Already half-way through January - how did that happen! There goes my NY resolution #1 - not to complain about the speed at which time is passing. I knew I couldn't win on that one! Today is the reporting day for the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.

I have made a good  start to the New Year. My radiation burns are now healed, and I am pretty much back to my usual activity level. This week I resumed my hydrotherapy exercise sessions, and I already feel the benefit. I am a happy camper!

I've been busy with my needle in the past month, and there are now 21 stitched designs waiting to be made up into Christmas ornaments.  I don't quite know how that happened - usually I stitch a batch of 4 to 6 designs and then finish them up. I guess a lot was happening in my life, and it was just easier to keep on stitching. I will be busy finishing up the ornaments in the coming weeks. I did show pics of some of these stitched designs in my Smalls post for December, but I have since added the bead trims, and stitched the matching back pieces, so they are now ready to make up.

This is my latest 'finish' - my first bead decorated Christmas tree for 2019. It will be the first ornament in my box of take-home gifts for 2019 Christmas visitors.

This group is for the extended family dogs. If you have good vision and a touch of imagination, you may see bones decorating the wreaths. I adapted the wreath design from a Pat Waters design in 'A Christmas Collection II' leaflet. I replaced the cross stitches with Smyrna crosses over 4 with 3 tweeded strands, omitted some of the decoration, and smoothed out the edges.

I have stitched several of this design every year for over 30 years, for different children - obviously I like it! I really enjoy changing the stocking designs. I think I have stitched one for every child who has  come into my life. The original design is from LA's Christmas Caboodle leafket (1986). The tiny teddy is adapted from a design in Graphworks Mini Motif Designs Vol 8.

This Dale Burdett teddy ('A Mini Christmas' DB 132, 1990) is another favourite to stitch. I have stitched many of these over the years.

I loved stitching these little angels for two neighbourhood sisters. The starting point was TIAG's Amish Angel freebie, but really the only things that survived relatively unchanged were the wings and sleeves.

Another angel for another little neighbour, and a Sam Hawkins design for her brother.

And, finally,  the four nutcrackers I stitched for the grandchildren of a long-term friend.

I have to be quite stern with myself now, and get these designs finished up into ornaments before I stitch any more designs. So, tomorrow will see me washing, ironing, cutting cardboard and felt, and getting the job started.

December Smalls SAL Report

Another year is almost gone. Soon we will be trying to remember to use '2019' when writing the date. And if 2019 passes as quickly as 2018 did, we will be waving it goodby way too soon for my liking.

I have made a start already on my 2019 Christmas gift stitching. So far I have stitched 5 designs which will be made into Christmas ornaments for the children in my life. I have stitched four Jeremiah Junction (Nutcracker Factory 3) nutcrackers for the grandchildren of a long-term friend. They  will be flying to opposite ends of the world in November - the boys' nutcrackers to England, and the girls' nutcrackers to New Zealand.

The other design I have stitched will be a Christmas gift for a young neighbour. The designer is Sam Hawkins, and the chart was in a booklet called '50 Santas to cross stitch'.

So, that brings my 2018 stitching story to an end. It was quite a productive year. I stitched 59 Christmas ornaments and  8 framed pieces, all but one given away as Christmas gifts. My crochet hook was also quite active. I made 4 dresses and 2 ponchos for toddlers, a number of beanies, and lots of crochet shopping bags for young girls.  And I beaded 51 largeish angels, very few of which are still in my possession. As you might guess, I had lots of sitting time in 2018, recovering from assorted operations and medical interventions. There were times when my hands were pretty much all I could move! Fortunately I had a  grandmother who gave me excellent advice when I was 17. She told me to keep my hands busy to ward off arthritis. I have always followed her instruction, and while it didn't prevent arthritis (I have severe osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis), it has allowed me to keep my hands flexible. I have always been grateful for her wisdom.

So now there is nothing more to say than Happy New Year!

Gifted Gorgeousness Report for December

Well, here we are - the final GG report for 2018. This year has slipped  by way too quickly for my liking. I am hoping that 2019 will proceed at a gentler pace (and also require fewer medical interventions). If you're not familiar with the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL, you can check it out on Jo's blog.

I had thought that all my gift stitching was finished, but when I found stitching on my floor frame was too uncomfortable, and I had to return my HAED Christmas Dreams to the UFO basket until I have healed from my radiation treatment, I decided to stitch some extra Christmas gifts. Earlier in the year I stitched a dinosaur name sampler for a great-nephew, and I was quite taken with the dinosaur alphabet, designed by Clare Crompton.  So I decided to stitch name samplers for three young honorary nephews (two brothers and their first cousin). To keep the cost down I decided the samplers would need to fit into purchased frames. Here are the stitched (not yet laundered) samplers I stitched, which fit matted 23cm x 18cm (9" x 7") purchased frames:

It's hard to believe given the colour variation in the pictures  but they are all stitched over 2 on a solid colour very pale blue 28 count fabric. 

And here are the framed name samplers. The photos have some reflections unfortunately. I wasn't able to get any clearer photos.

I have enjoyed taking part in GG this year, and watching progress of all the lovely gift-related stitching. I wish you all a happy Christmas.