Gifted Gorgeousness in November

The 15th of each month means it's Gifted Gorgeousness time, the time each month when we share our latest gifts. These can be gifts given or received, or any item made using fabric, threads, buttons, ribbon, chart, backing fabric that has been gifted.

This great idea is hosted each month by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching,  if you visit her blog you'll find the links to everyone's Gifted Gorgeousness posts. Thank you Jo for hosting another year of GG, it's great fun posting and reading and keeps me visiting blogland! 

At the end of October I took part in the Needlecraft Haven Autumn Exchange. It's always fun taking part in our exchanges even though we are only a few. My beautiful ornament was stitched by Julie, it is now hanging at the top of my ornament tree, it looks lovely, thank you Julie. 

Although the exchange did not require additional items Julie also included some love threads and ribbon in my parcel. They were all wrapped in tissue paper with the leaves as decorations. I managed to save the leaves, they make a perfect addition to my autumn dish.

My Autumn Exchange parcel travelled across country to Gill. I stitched an autumn heart of leaves with all the colour changes, it was quite a tricky stitch but I love the effect. I included a few cosy treats, warming hot chocolate and a bar of caramelised hazelnut chocolate. 

These next two GG items go back quite a few years. My Black Labrador picture was the start of two overseas friendships. We had a beautiful black lab so I bought the chart to stitch, only to find it only had one half of the chart. I put a message on the 123stitch forum and two lovely ladies, one in Canada the other in the US, replied that they had the chart and sent over a copy. That was over 25 years ago and we have been pen friends ever since, and since the pandemic we have enjoyed a few video calls.

My Millennium sampler chart was a gift from my Hubby in 1999 and took me 18 months to complete. It came on all our holidays, I have fond memories of stitching on the ferry boat on the way to Norway. As with the Black Labrador picture it has been in our attic for many years but now we have turned our smallest bedroom into the 'Snug' they are both hanging on our walls again.

My final gift is a very special one. When our daughter and then boyfriend moved into their first home I stitched them a 'first' ornament which is in my 2019 post. I have just realised that was the year I first did the White Tree at church so it's very apt that I'm doing that theme again this year as it is their first year as Mr & Mrs. 

To mark this special Christmas I stitched this gorgeous ornament from Cross Stitcher magazine although I did change the hat and scarf colour to red (it was originally blue). The backing fabric was also a gift, some fabric I gave to my Mum from the above mentioned holiday to Norway and because she is no longer using her fabrics she has given me any she had left ... more memories, more connections, isn't life amazing at times. 

It's the time of year for gifts and I have finally sorted my stitching 'to do' list. I'm looking forward to stitching them but mostly giving ... the best part of Christmas. It doesn't have to be anything big, it can be a simple as a hug, a phone call or just time but giving is the best thing you gift. 

Enjoy your season preparations, happy giving!