WIPocalypse February

WIPocalypse is hosted by Mel at Measi's Mutterings   I currently have two WIP projects I want to focus on. 

I have only worked on my tablecloth this month. Now I have completed the buttonhole stitch all the way around I can start on the hardanger design. I don't have a chart but it seems to fall naturally into a pattern, even the corner. I am satin stitching around the cross stitched designs.

This is how far I have done this month.

Next month I will be working on my embroidery piece for the stitch a day in March. This is an online SAL with Clare at Hello! Hooray! 

I haven't done any since 2022 and I'd really like to finish it. I'm enjoying learning about the various stitches, I already knew quite a few but it's always good to refresh. 

I mark the fabric section with my erasable fabric pen - it disappear after a while, and I'm using the threads from my 'left over' bag. They are threads left from doing kits, I must of had them for ages as it's been a long time since I did a kitted piece.

I'm hoping by doing a stitch a day in March for the WIPocalypse SAL I will get quite a bit done.

This month's question is about how many SALs we do, I've been quite surprised by my list.

10th of each month is Fully Finished Objects with Rachel and Large Project or UFO with Needlecraft Haven 

15th of each month is Gifted Gorgeousness with Jo

20th of each month is Biscornu with Needlecraft Haven

3rd Friday of each month is International Hermit and Stitch Weekend (IHSW) with Jo

Last Friday of each month is Smalls with Rachel 

Last Sunday of each month is WIPocalypse with Mel 

I also stitch the JCS Stitchalong on Facebook with Jo and the Seasonal Challenges with Needlecraft Haven.

What a lot of SALs but they do keep me focussed on my projects.

February Smalls

 

Rachel at Ten Hour Stitcher is the host of Smalls SAL 2024, I love this SAL at the end of each month to see what little things everyone has stitched. 

I have stitched three more Santa Smalls for my 2024 tree for the Ansley Church (St. Laurence's) Christmas Tree Festival. 

They are small, between 2 and 3 inches high, and I'll be finishing them with felt backing and gold hanging. I need to stitch at least 2 a month to have enough for the tree, hopefully I can do a few more.

If you would like to stitch a Santa I could call the tree Santas from Around the World which would be amazing.

You can stitch on plastic canvas or perforated paper if you have any but if you'd prefer to stitch on fabric please use a design that is just Santa and is no more than 3" x 3" in size. 

If you send me your finished Santa on whatever you've used in a card it should be normal letter post. I will add backing and hanging ribbon and make up any fabric ones. 

Let me know if you need anymore info, it would be so nice if you have time to stitch and send a Santa, it does make the tree special with ornaments from everyone, thank you.

I have also stitched one of this year's Seasonal Challenges on Needlecraft Haven. This year we have four Christmas designs and 4 other designs that we can stitch over the year.

I decided to stitch Hen House, a free design from Pinker n Punkin I haven't stitched the wording as it would make the design too big for what I plan to use it for.

I'll be sharing my finushed Santas and Hen House in my March FFO post.... how is it the third month of 2024 already.

IHSW February 2024

International Hermit and Stitch Weekend is based on Facebook, hosted by Jo, Joyce, Ee Koon and Bonnie IHSW on Facebook. 

This is my second IHSW, it's lovely see everyone's progress especially as it's stitchers from around the world, it's great to be part of an  International craft.

My tablecloth was originally a Round Robin in 2010 and was on the theme of the four seasons. It's been in my UFO bag for years. 

The hardanger edging took me ages to work out, but thankfully it did meet when I finally got round it all. 

I'm completing the kloster blocks for the edging and satin stitching the embellishing for each design.  

This is where I was at the end of January IHSW 

And this is how it looks now

I'm so pleased with it, not just how it looks but how much I have done. I will hopefully have all the blocks done by the end of April. I would like to take this on our cruise holiday as I only need one thread and no chart. 

Gifted Gorgeousness February 2024

Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted each month by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching. GG, on the 15th of each month, is 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. If you visit Jo's blog you'll find the links to everyone's Gifted Gorgeousness posts, thanks Jo.

February is always a month of gifts for us as Hubby and I celebrate Valentine's Day, it's the Needlecraft Haven Valentine Exchange and it's our son's girlfriend's and our daughter's birthdays. I can only share the gift I made for our son's girlfriend as her birthday is the 16th (hence my delay in posting). Our daughter's birthday is the 17th, they both turn 30 this year, in fact they are only 8/10 hours apart in age. We will not be seeing our daughter until the 19th so I'll share her gift next month.

Our son has bought his girlfriend a sewing machine so I made her a sewing box. Another one of my recovering boxes projects, the top is slightly padded so can be a pin/needle cushion too. I filled it will a few sewing essentials. 

This year the Needlecraft Haven Valentine Exchange was a non-stitchy exchange. It was a secret exchange so we didn't sign the card included in the parcels. Each parcel needed to contain a pair of socks, a sweet treat and a love/friendship chart you were happy to pass on from your stash, or a freebie online. 

The Valentine's parcel I sent included a cute pair of Me to You socks, some Guylian chocolate hearts, a packet of Love Hearts along with a Lizzie Kate chart. It's one I have been meaning to stitch but just haven't had time, I did take a working copy before passing it on and I'm going to ask my partner if she would like to do it as a stitch along in the summer. 

I was a bit surprised when my exchange arrived. I received a parcel in the post and put it to one side waiting for the 14th. As it was a busy day I planned to open my parcel in the evening. To my surprise I had small parcel from Amazon which I opened as we were not expecting anything. To my surprise it was a pair of socks with a note from Needlecraft Haven ... so what was in my parcel? 

A beautiful stitched card along with a printed chart and a selection of Green and Black chocolate bars. There was also a preused kit with the unused threads ... a very special kit as I know it belonged to one of the Needlecraft Haven ladies no longer with us and was stitched for me on a previous exchange. I have a guess but I don't know for sure who my very generous Valentine's partner is. 

You may have seen this butterfly in my Fully Finished Objects post. The wooden butterfly was a gift to me at Christmas and now I've stitched it I'm gifting it to a little girl whose family have just moved house and so has a new bedroom. There was no chart so it was fun to make up a design. 

As I said Valentine's Day is special to us as it's the day Hubby asked me to marry him, and 38 years on we still celebrate. All my ornaments are out, I've had some beautiful flowers including red roses and we exchanged cards and small gifts. We had a lovely meal at home with our favourite champagne and eton mess for dessert (the photo includes the chef's cheeky gin and tonic)

What a lovely Gifted Gorgeousness it has been, I hope you've all had a lovely February too. 

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

 Happy Valentine's Day - it's Blog Hop time.

Jo at Serendipitous Stitching is the super host of this fun Blog Hop, a lovely way to visit other blogs which all with Secret Stitching Sweetheart Valentine's photos .... where will yours be. 

Jo has a list of all the bloggers taking part with links to everyone's blog. Have fun hopping around, don't forget to leave a comment to say you've popped by ... comments make bloggers smile 😃 

Jo sent me this beautiful photo ... is it your gorgeous stitching?

February's Fully Finished Objects

Rachel, Ten Hour Stitcher, is the super host of Fully Finished Objects. It's a great opportunity for us to show and tell about the crafty items we have completely finished. It does make me feel like I've achieved something when I see my finishes.

I loved stitchy this butterfly. I haven't stitched on wood before and with no chart it was a bit of a challenge working out what looked best. This will be featured in this month's Gifted Gorgeousness so I'll reveal its destination then.

I have finished another two Santas and changed the hanging thread to last month's Santas to gold. I'll be doing gold hangers for them all, the tree will have white lights, gold tinsel and a gold star on top.

My Santa collection is growing, I've stitched four on plastic canvas so far. I'm going to stitch a variety of Santas on plastic canvas or using perforated paper. 

There will be plenty of room for more Santas if you would like to stitch one, it would be amazing to have Santas from around the world. 

You can stitch on plastic canvas or perforated paper if you have any but if you'd prefer to stitch on fabric please use a design that is just Santa and is no more than 3" x 3" in size. 

If you send me your finished Santa on whatever you've used in a card it should be normal letter post. If sending from overseas please value your letter if asked for customs to £10 or equivalent. If a high value is put I may have to pay a custom charge, thanks.

I will add backing and hanging ribbon and make up any fabric ones. 

Let me know if you need anymore info, it would be so nice if you have time to stitch and send a Santa, it does make the tree special with ornaments from everyone, thank you.

This year I will be donating the Santas to charity, probably nearer the following Christmas and it will be to either a children's hospice, our local hospice or an old peoples' home. It seems a waste for the ornaments to sit in my attic in a tin so over the year I will be looking at where best they could be given

February Plans

This month I hope to: 

• finish three gifts
• work on my tablecloth 
• stitch on my biscornu 
• stitch two Santa ornaments
• stitch one of the Needlecraft Haven Seasonal Challenges

Fingers crossed I can complete them all, there is an extra day in February this year too. 

I also have three very special cakes to bake and decorate too.

I have no photos to share but here's something to make you smile. I have a 'sheep hat' that I wear when Wales play rugby, well I don't wear it, it sits on my lap. This is me in my sheep hat at the Principality Stadium a few years ago.

Anyway it's had a wash ready for the start of the Six Nations competition that starts tomorrow. Hopefully it will dry although I might need to use the hairdryer.

Happy stitching in February, I'm looking forward to joining in Jo's Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop.