January Challenge

Every month on Needlecraft Haven we have a challenge piece, usually a Christmas theme. Our lovely Havener Christine choses a freebie chart each month for us to stitch and uploads a Gallery at the end of the month for our photos.

January's chart was a cute New Year penguin, it's nice to have a momentum as each year changes. You can find the details of our Challenge on the forum Needlecraft Haven - if you are not a member already send a request stating you read about it on my blog

The forum is quite busy at the moment with our Valentine Exchange under way and our Easter Exchange sign up open. Being February 1st there will be lots of changes tomorrow too, one of which will be month two of our Four seasons' SAL stitching on spring. I've finished stitching and just have to make it up, all ready then for when the gallery opens in March.

I have just about finished a gift for early February and my needlecase for the Meet Up exchange. Talking of which it will soon be time to arrange our spring Get Together.

I've just written up my wine/travel blog Aimetu's about our three special meals last week - quite a journey all told.

This year I'm aiming to read 50 books, I've just finished my 4th which was The Miniaturist by Jesse Burton - very intriguing with all the various characters.

I'm not sure what I'll pick up next, I do have a few paperbacks I want to read so I can pass on and make some space on our shelves. I hope your January was a good one and that February will be too.

My first 2017 tree ornament

I've decided for 2017 my theme for the church tree festival will be 'Winter Wonderland'. Lots of deigns of snowy houses and snowmen, all stitched on blue fabric.

I have sorted through my stash and found a nice variety of fabric in various shades of blue and different count sizes.

I have all the Just Cross Stitch Christmas magazines so will be browsing through for designs to use. My first ornament was from the 2009 magazine - It took a Miracle by Still Stitching with Susan

I'll be finishing them all at once later in the year when I have a sewing machine and will get my sewing machine out. 

I have also finished stitching the Needlecraft Haven Meet Up exchange piece, this time it's gone a needlecase. I'll be making it up later this week but can't share any details for a few weeks until opening day. 

Another exchange I can't share just yet is the Valentine's Exchange, it's not a stitched exchange, just a bit of fun. 

I have also stitched Needlecraft Haven's first monthly challenge of 2017. I'll be finishing it later this week and can reveal it at the end of the month. 

Tonight I'm going to start my spring design for the Four Season's SAL - not a bad start to 2017 

First finish of 2017

Hubby and I are still unwell so plenty of sofa time which means plenty of stitching time !!

Every year I save my orts in a bonbon jar my MIL bought me from a second hand shop a few years ago. I love glass and this jar really caught my eye. It looks great as the year progresses and it gets filled with all my orts, their different colours shining through.

2016 orts

The jar is not so full this time so I guess I didn't stitch so much in 2016 - hopefully 2017's jar will be a bit fuller.

I need a full jar as I use the orts to fill an ornament. Every Christmas/New Year I stitch an ornament for the tree and stuff it with the orts. With being sofa bound yesterday and today I have stitched and finished my 2016 orts ornament.

It's Blackwork Journey by Yuletide Memories and is in the 2016 Just Cross Stitch Christmas magazine.

2016 orts ornament

As today I am still on the sofa it gives me a great chance to start 2017 stitching and start filling my jar!!