WIPocalypse January

I'm new to joining in this great idea to help get WIP's completed. I currently have two WIP projects I want to focus on. 

WIPocalypse is hosted by Mel at Measi's Mutterings

I have only worked on my tablecloth but I will be working on my embroidery piece for the stitch a day in March. 

Here's where I had got to on my tablecloth at the start of the year. I had completed the buttonhole stitch all the way round so at least I know it meets up. 

There's no chart for this, I'm making it up as I go and have worked out the kloster block pattern. I have also decided to satin stitch around the small designs. I did unpick some of the border as with the satin stitch it was too heavy. 

I think I will satin stitch round the large corner designs too but I'm not sure about the writing yet. I'll be working on it for February's IHSW weekend and when I'm sitting at Mum's to keep her company. Unfortunately she is back in hospital at the moment.

This month's question is about oldest WIPs, well I guess that's my tablecloth as it is a work in progress. I'm sure I could find a few more if I look in the many bags and boxes of 'craft' bits but they would be UFOs as I haven't worked on them for many years. 

January Smalls

 

The lovely Rachel, Ten Hour Stitcher, is the new host of Smalls SAL 2024. Thank you Mary for hosting this previously I love this SAL at the end of each month to see what little things everyone has stitched. 

To start the year off I have two Smalls, both are for my 2024 tree for the Ansley Church (St. Laurence's) Christmas Tree Festival. I'll be doing a Santa Tree

I've stitched these two on plastic canvas, the same as the ones in my January Fully Finished Blog post. I'm going to stitch a variety of Santas on plastic 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. 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.

IHSW January 2024

This is my first ISHW stitchy weekend, I usually focus on one piece at a time anyway but I'm hoping this and WIPocalypse will help me finish my tablecloth ... and so far so good. 

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

I have enjoyed seeing everyone's progress on there from around the world, it's lovely to be International with our 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. There is no chart I p.otted the Lizzie Kate designs and blocked them out so my Rou d Robin frie DS knew where to stitch.

The hardanger edging took me ages to work out, lots of tackmsewing to keep the lines straight but thankfully it did meet when I finally got round it all. 

Now I need to complete the kloster blocks for the edging and decide on the embellishing for each design. I decided to unpick the small borders and do block/satin stitch around them. 

This is where I started. 

And this is where I am after using all my weekend stitching time on it. I'm very pleased with how the edging is going and I think I will do the block/satin stitch around the large designs. I'm not sure about the writing embellishment yet. 

I will be stitching on this when I visit my Mum who is unwell. I stay with her whilst my stepdad goes out, I stitch and Mum knits or mames cards. I will also be taking this on holidays as all I need to take is the tablecloth, perle thread, needle and scissors so it makes a great travelling project. 

Fingers crossed my tablecloth will grow and grow over 2024.

I've decided on my theme for this year's tree at St Laurence's Church Christmas Tree Festival. I'm stitching a Santa Tree.

I've stitched the two on plastic canvas, as I did the small Santas for my friends which you can see in detail below. 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

Biscornu SAL

This year I'm doibg a Buscornu SAL with the lovely ladies at Needlecraft Haven.

We all have a flower biscornu chart from Faby Reilly's collection and every 20th we share photos of our progress. 

My flower is Blue Iris which makes me think of my grandmother. Her name was Iris and she loved blue. 

I've madeva start but this isn't my focus stitching so my biscornu will grow quite slowly.

I'm enjoying the chart and love the blue. I am short of a green so will have to pick one up next time I'm in town.

Gifted Gorgeousness January 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.

Thank you Jo for hosting GG in 2024, I really appreciate it as I know so many other stitchers and crafters.

Winding back the clock to December 2023 here's a few Gifted Gorgeousness pieces I haven't included in a GG post before but you may have seen them on my other posts. The Snowflake and Partridge ornaments were two stash kits as they have been in my stash for quite a while, they were both gifts many many years ago, probably Christmas or in exchange parcels. 

The name plaque was for our friend's second grandson and the cute hedgehog ornament was for our son and his girlfriend as it was their first Christmas in their home together. 

I treasure the friendship we share at Needlecraft Haven, the members are very dear to me and are the few friends who I share gifts with at Christmas. Thank you ladies for the lovely items you sent, the socks have already been worn, the ribbon has been put away for next year, the ornaments hung on the tree and are now in the attic waiting for next year. I'm going to enjoy stitching on wood which is new to me, sticky notes are a must in any needlebox and I love the charts and threads. I felt very spoilt and appreciate your kindness, thank you. 

This year my gift to my NH friends was a gift for us all, I planned a Biscornu SAL and purchased everyone a different chart from the lovely designer Faby Reilly. 

Every Wednesday is our stitch night in 'the Parlour' and most of us will be stitching our Biscornus then. The Sal has no time limits or restrictions as it was a gift to enjoy not endure. I included some fabric and a couple of skeins for each project with the gift along with a Santa ornament stitched on plastic canvas. 

I couldn't wait for the New Year so I could use my gift from Mary for the Autumn Exchange. I have filled in every day's stitching and used it to keep track of my blog posts. It's a delight to use especially with my new Team Hearnden pen, our family gift this year from Hubby.

 

Talking of Santa's that's my theme for this year's tree at St Laurence's Christmas Tree Festival. I'll be doing a Santa Tree.

I've stitched the two on plastic canvas, as I did the small Santas for my friends which you can see in detail below. 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.

January's Fully Finished Objects

Rachel, Ten Hour Stitcher, is hosting Fully Finished Objects again in 2024. It's a super chance for us to show and tell about the crafty items we have completely finished.

Thank you Rachel, your FFO prompt each month really helps me finish my projects instead of them still in my project folders. I love the new SAL photo.

My first finishes are from 2023 but couldn't be shared before. You may have seen them already and you may see them again but I haven't included them in a FFO post so a bit of catching up. 

I stitched an ornament for our son and his girlfriend for their first Christmas in their own home.  The Durene Jones snowman was for the Christmas Exchange with the lovely ladies at Needlecraft Haven and the small snowmen (I made six altogether) were for my friends as part of their Christmas gift. 

I also finished my 2023 orts ornie. Every year I stitch a Christmas ornament and use all my orts for the filling. I finished it in time to put on our tree. 

This name plate was for our friends' grandson Riley. I stitched a similar one for their first grandson a few years ago. 

And so to my 2024 finishes, I've had four finishes already but I started stitching them over Betwixmas. I am hoping to have a year of stitching up small bits in my stash, finishing UFOs and completing WIPs. 

I have had this partridge ornament and snowflake in my stash for a while. Both were mini kits, the partridge was plastic canvas and I didn't really like it until I put the backstitch in. The snowflake was on perforated paper and really came to life when the beads were added. 

My last two finishes have brought to mind the theme for this year's tree at St Laurence's Christmas Tree Festival.

I'll be doing a ....  Santa Tree

I've stitched these two on plastic canvas, as I did the small Santas for my friends. I'm going to stitch a variety of Santas on plastic 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. 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.

Finish Count so far in 2024 ......  4

WIPocalypse Introduction

I've decided to join Measi's WIPocalypse and to try to post each month .... and stitch of course too.

I received a beautiful Book of Days for 2024 which means I can record my stitching. I only record what I have worked on not the time or stitches but so far I have stitched every day this year which is rare for me.

This is me and my 2024 plans: 

I'm Clare, known on social media as Aimetu which is a name I made up from two french words (aime means like or friend and tu means you) so it could be translated as your friend.

Stitching wise most of my stitching is for friends and family as gifts, they are probably fed up by now as I have been stitching for nearly 40 years. 

I rarely do big projects although last year I stitched a sampler for our daughter and son-in-law's wedding. I also only stitch something I know is going to have a purpose, a gift, an exchange or for my church tree at Christmas. 

So I don't have many WIPs but I do have quite a few things that need finishing. I'll be using WIPocalypse to try to finish stitching my two main WIPs, a tablecloth and an embroidery sampler. 

The tablecloth was a Round Robin many years ago. I need to do the hardanger edging and in 2022 I did manage to complete one row of stitches all the way round. It joins up thankfully, I do need to check it's true but the next stage is to stitch the kloster blocks.

My other WIP is an online stitching course with Sarah at Hello Hooray. It's a circle of speciality stitches learning a new stitch each segment. I'm using my spare threads from old finished kits and I plan to make it into a circular table mat, that finish will be quite a challenge. I last worked on this in May 2022.

I'm hoping to make up some finishes that have been sitting in a bag in a draw. I have recently had a frame made for a Jardin Prive piece I finished a few years ago. Hopefully I will get this done soon. 

Thank you Mel for hosting this, I'm hoping that seeing everyone's progress and logging my work I will be productive in 2024.

January - Let the People Choose

 

Let the People Choose is Jo's fun blog idea for the first Saturday of the month. Jo at Serendipitous Stitching asks for theme suggestions which are then voted on by members of IHSW Group on Facebook. The favourite choices are the themes for that month's post ... January's theme is Designer of 2024.

That's a toughie as the year has only just started and I haven't really decided on my projects. However we have a Buscornu SAL this year at Needlecraft Haven and we're all stitching a Faby Reilly design. The designs are all floral, mine is Iris which was my Grandmother's name.

I really like her designs and have actually stitched quite a few. My favourite projects were the Christmas humbugs for our daughter and son's girlfriend.

I have many of her charts including a full set of the monthly designs. I stitched January for a friend's birthday, it was a beautiful design to do.

Hopefully I'll be stitching more of them in 2024. 

My 2023 stitching

A round up of my 2023 stitching which was mainly focused on our daughter and new son-in-law's wedding gift. It was such a special day for us all.

Not cross stitching but I also made eight bean bags for the wedding as they had a Corn Hole game as one of the garden games (grooms father made the boards). Simple you'd think but they caused me so much frustration, especially when I dropped one unsealed bag and our conservatory was suddenly full of noise and a torrent of dried chick peas bouncing on the laminate floor!

As usual most, actually all, of my stitching is for others, either gifts, exchanges or for my church tree. A very special gift was for our son and girlfriend for their first home together. I was so pleased we found matching glasses.

It was a year of special birthdays for three friends all called Julie who all turned 60 ... popular name in 1963.

As well as gifts for other friends' birthdays I stitched a very special coaster for Hubby's aunt who turned 90.

I always stitch something for our daughter for her birthday, this year was a name tag and trinket box. Our son's girlfriend's birthday is the day before, in fact they are only a few hours apart in age, so I stitched a small box for her too.

In April our nephew and fiancée got married, I love this sampler, it's so simple and effective. I also stitched a name plaque for their young daughter. They have recently had another little girl so I'll stitch a name plaque for her some time this year.

I love an exchange, this year I joined in three with Needlecraft Haven: Valentine's, Autumn and Christmas. 

Talking of Christmas my first stitch of 2023 was my 2022 orts ornie. I also stitched a few ornaments and sent them to Cathy for the McDonald's House in Orange. 

My family's Christmas ornaments were both 'firsts' - first married for our daughter and son-in-law and first home for our son and girlfriend.

In January I finished a Lavender and Lace angel for a lady at church. She's in her late 80s and can no longer see well enough to add the beads, it's been in her drawer for years waiting to be finished, it was a pleasure to do it for her.

And finally my hardanger hearts for my church tree. I displayed the White Tree again with the heart additions.

Looking back it's been a lovely year of stitching, quite a few different projects. I've nearly decided about this year's church tree theme, I'll be sharing in my Gifted Gorgeousness January post. 

Wishing everyone happy stitches in 2024.