Gifted Gorgeousness December 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. Thank you Jo for hosting GG in 2024.

December 1st of our Christmas Exchange at Needlecraft Haven. My parcel arrived from Mary, the card is beautiful (the photo doesn't do it justice). 

Mary stitched me a gorgeous ornament themed on decorating a tree, perfect for me. Thank you Mary, and for the candy cane thread.

My exchange gift was to Christine and I stitched one of Durene Jone's lovely Christmas designs. I used some chenille wool to edge it which I thought looked very snowy.

I have been upcycling last year's Christmas cards so included one in Christine's exchange along with Irish Cream and Wintermint threads. Christine is our Christmas Exchange every year, thank you Christine for another great exchange.

I have made two Christmas humbugs, one for our daughter and her hubby, the other for our son and his girlfriend. They are designed by Faby Reilly and there are four in the series. Our daughter keeps her's on show all year round, I think she knows what is being stitched next year.... or maybe not hee hee 

The tree at church looks lovely, a real Santa Tree. Thank you to everyone who stitched and sent a Santa, you can read about the festival on my St Laurence's Christmas Tree Festival post.

As I mentioned I have been upcycling Christmas cards, I have some other cards to do too which I'd like to do in the calm between Christmas and New Year. I know the cards can be recycled but I think it's a shame to waste the beautiful designs and I have so many stickers sheets from Mum's (and many other craft bits I need to use up). It's fun too thinking which design to give to who.

Here's my upcycled Christmas cards:

It's been another fun year of crafts and stitching, I wonder what 2025 will bring. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year with busy needles in 2025

December's Fully Finished Objects

Rachel, Ten Hour Stitcher, is the super host of Fully Finished Objects which is a great opportunity to show and tell about our crafty items that are completely finished.

I have two shareable finishes, the first is the Reindeer ornament I stitched for Christine for the Needlecraft Haven Christmas Exchange. I'll show the parcel I sent and the one I received in my December Gifted Gorgeousness post. It was a Durene Jones design that I edged in white chenille wool.

The other finish is the humbug I stitched for our daughter and her hubby. I have made them these before and I was so touched that she has them out all year round. There are four in the series so guess what I'm stitching them next year.

My final Fully Finished for 2024 is my Santa Tree, it looks super. Thank you to those who stitched a Santa, I really do appreciate your kindness. I have blogged about my tree and others on display at the Festival... here's the link 

Thank you Rachel for hosting Fully Finished in 2024, wishing all my stitchy friends a very Merry Christmas and busy needles in 2025.

St Laurence's Christmas Tree Festival 2024

My Santa Tree is up and looks lovely, thank you to everyone who stitched a Santa. I also used some cardboard santas we had in our Christmas box and some large felt santas I made when our children were young (they must be about 30 years old)

We visited the church on Sunday to see all the beautiful trees, such a lot of work goes into all of them by local businesses, social groups, schools and individuals. I'm always amazed at the variety of themes. It was impossible to take a photo of all 60 trees so I took a few of my favourite displays.

Local Tourist Tree - Diana K

Snakes and Ladders - Maureen W

Artistree - Ansley Village Art Group

The 12 days of Christmas - Debbie S

The Clangers - Ansley Ringers

Straw Tree - Helen B & Liz K

The church looked amazing with the Angles on high and baubles hanging, the scent of the real trees really make sit Christmassy.

The biggest tree is the Memory Tree where names of loved ones no longer with us to share this wonderful time of year can be  written on stars and added to the tree. I always put a star on for my Dad and Hubby's Dad, this year my Mum and Hubby's Mum were also added. 

If you are local it really is worth a visit but for those who live further away I hope you've enjoyed seeing the wonderful displays .... wishing you all a very Merry Christmas 

It's beginning to feel like Christmas

This year has certainly flown by and today starts the festive time of year.  I have upcycled some of the Christmas cards we received last year, it seems such a waste to throw them away and I have an enjoyable time with glue and stickers.

Yesterday Hubby and I caught the train to the train to Atherstone, a small market town just one stop away. It was a main resting stop on the Watling Street, a Roman road from London to Holyhead that is now the A5. My Dad's family are from this area and I have fond memories of visiting it when I was young.

Yesterday was their Dicken's Christmas Light Switch On with market stalls, fairground rides, bands and choirs. The little ones singing in ghe church was lovely, all dressed in Victorian clothes. We did enjoy our mulled cider and mulled wine in the Market Square.

It's Advent time, time for calendars and Opening Day for Needlecraft Haven's Christmas Exchange. I'll be sharing Exchange stitches in my FFO and GG posts later in the month. 

Hubby treated me to the beauty advent from Boots filled with No.7 beauty products. I put together a beer and chocolate advent for him, I make one every year for him usually when he's out for the day. 

We bought a candle advent for our house and gave one to our daughter & son-in-law and our son & girlfriend for their houses. It's a lovely way to fill our home with Christmassy smells.

Our decorations will go up after the 7th but our advent candles are in the window from today. Enjoy the build up to Christmas, it will soon be here. 

Gifted Gorgeousness November 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.

My gifts this month are from Mary, Le Coeur Celtique. She stitched these two beautiful Santas that I finished to match the others, the tree goes up 5th December.

Mary was my exchange stitcher for this year's Autumn Exchange on Needlecraft Haven. Along with my lovely ornament Mary included a card, chocolate and thread to match the stitched design. It was a super exchange parcel, my ornament is still on display.

My exchange parcel went to Julie. The design was actually a biscornu design and I was so pleased to find an acorn charm in my stash. I made a card and included some éclairs as the treat and matching thread.

My final gifts are not stitching related. Our daughter is taking part in the Christmas appeal at her work, Sport Wales. We have donated two bags for young boys, this is what was in each bag ... hopefully they will bring a bit of festive joy. 

I can't believe it will be Christmas next month, this year has certainly flown by. 

November's Fully Finished Objects

Rachel, Ten Hour Stitcher, is the super host of Fully Finished Objects which is a great opportunity to show and tell about our crafty items that are completely finished.

I haven't been stitching much this year and as most of my stitching is gifted I can only share once given. My first FFO is a gift for my friends' 40th anniversary, I did show it in last month's Gifted Gorgeousness.

It's a while since I did any beadwork but I managed to find my beading needle, annoyingly it still didn't go through some beads as their holes were too small.

My friend Mary sent two lovely Santas for my tree. I'll be putting it up early December along with the others who help fill St Laurence's with Christmas joy. They are lovely, thank you Mary.

My final Fully Finished Object is a huge one ... it's taken my years to finish this. My tablecloth was a Round Robin in 2010. I placed the various Lizzie Kate designs and once home I just needed to do the edging.

Just being the word but in reality it has taken ages. It was a big job to work out the alignment and for ages it stayed in my to do bag. I did a bit then put it away and other big projects came first.

This year I took it on our holidays and although I don't stitch much when away I did get started and then decided to focus hard on finishing it. The cutting took as long as the stitching. I have only done kloster blocks as doing wrapped bars would have taken even longer. 

I'm really pleased with it and it fits our table well. Thank you to everyone who stitched on this RR.

My final Fully Finished Object is the ornament I stitched for the Needlecraft Haven Autumn Exchange. I'll share details in my Gorgeousness Gifted post in a few days.

Thank you Rachel for hosting and thank you to everyone who pops by and leaves a comment.