Gifted Gorgeousness June

Yesterday was Father's Day and also the 15th so it is Gifted Gorgeousness time hosted by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching a lovely chance to 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

I've shared these gifts already in this month's Fully Finished Objects post. The coasters were for our daughter and her hubby as they have moved into their first house, the bookmark for a friend and the name plaque for our daughter's best friend's second daughter (I stitched one for her first daughter when she was born).

My other gifts are all re-gifted. I stitched them for my family and now they are back with me. I have had some in the attic for a while but I have redone our spare bedroom and they are all now on display, although some have been reframed. 

The Veteran Motors was a gift I stitched for my grandfather in 1998 to celebrate his 90th birthday, he worked in the motor industry in Coventry, retiring from Rolls Royce in the 1970s.

What is this life was my Dad's favourite poem and I stitched this for his 80th birthday in 2006. It was originally in a gold frame on his lounge wall but I have reframed it to match the cars and the following two stitchings.

These two were for my Mum, one for Mother's Day the other for her 75th birthday in 201. They were in plain silver frames in Mum's craft room but they are now in matching frames in our front room. 

It's lovely to have these hanging up again instead of being in the attic. I remember stitching these and gifted them, it's nice they are gifted back to me now. 

I'm so pleased with our spare bedroom now as it has so many family items passed onto me, although it is sad my family members are not with us anymore but I love looking at theses items that remind me of them.

The yacht and flag's picture was my dad's, with Mum's two pictures next to it. The pink vase was my grandmothers and the dried flowers are from our daughters wedding. The biscornu is one I stitched as part of a SAL with Needlecraft Haven, Iris was my grandmother's name so it fits there perfectly. The blue dish was a 10th wedding anniversary gift from my Dad and I've put some shells saved from the beach in Wales where we used to have a holiday caravan. The room is full of gifts from me and to me, it's feels a very peaceful room. 

Thanks for visiting to see my GG posts, as usual |I am stitching another gift at the moment but it won't be ready for a while yet. 

June's Fully Finished Objects

Thank you Rachel for hosting another opportunity for us to share our finishes. Pop over to Rachel's blog Ten Hour Stitcher to find the links to everyone's FFO posts.

I have a very special finish to share this month, our daughter and son-in-law have moved into their first house. When then moved into their apartment I stitched two coasters (link to my previous post) so it seemed appropriate to stitch two more.

I decided not to do cross stitch but embroidery. I drew the design on squared paper and used it as a guide although embroidery does not really follow straight lines. I was so pleased with how they turned out and the new home owners liked them.

I also finished a bookmark for my friend who needed a bit of a hug. My stitchy friend Julie gifted me the bookmark chart, it was a kit she had stitched with lots of threads unused so she passed it on. I had some aida band in my stash and just added a row on the left to make it fit.

I also finished this name plaque for our daughter's best friend's little girl. I stitched one for her first daughter Orlagh,  our daughter is her Godmother, so I wanted to stitch one for Innes too. The design is by Durene Jones and was in a magazine many years ago. I have used it many times changing the letter characters to suit, there's rabbits, cats and butterflies on some letters but I swapped them to be all girls. Orlagh was so pleased her little sister has her name too,  I do my gift stitching to make others smile and that really made me smile.

You'll see these projects again soon in my GG post for June, I will have some special gifts to show too.

Gifted Gorgeousness in May

Gifted Gorgeousness time hosted by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching a lovely chance to 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.

We've had new ladders put in to access our loft making it easier for us, especially me. The plan is to have a good clear out but a bit at a time. So far I have sorted all my old frames and cross stitch, I have quite a few to put up but I'll share those another time. These have now been gifted (regifted) to our children. 

I did the Christmas tree names many years ago, I probably have the charts in a box in the attic somewhere. It's not so clear upright but they are our children's names, Michael and Philippa, and are being passed back for them to keep. 

The owl is something my Mum stitched for us and it has been on our walls but not for many years. Our son and his girlfriend are now the guardians of Mr Owl.

It has recently been the Spring/Easter Exchange at Needlecraft Haven. My gifts were from Julie and she also gifted me these kits that still have plenty of thread in. I have found some bookmark aida in my stash and have nearly finished the bookmark already, I only needed to find one length of blue, probably because I doubled the left hand border to fit my fabric, just shows how much extra thread is in a kit.

For the exchange Julie stitched a beautiful hanging spring ornament, such a delicate hanger. My exchange parcel also included some Spring themed threads, a card, some Spring candles and although I didn't choose Easter as my preference Julie sent some Easter chocolates and a card - a lovely exchange, thank you Julie.

My exchange went to Gill who had no preference to her theme but I chose Spring as I have been wanting to stitch this chart for ages, it's one of my magazine page saves from years ago. It was lovely to stitch and fun to make up. I included some matching colour threads and Easter chocolates.

A good month for gifts, given & received. I have a few more I hope to give them soon so I'll share next time.

May's Fully Finished Objects

 Thank you Rachel for hosting another opportunity for us to share our finishes. Pop over to Rachel's blog Ten Hour Stitcher to find the links to everyone's FFO posts.

You may have seen this in my April Gifted Gorgeousness post but I stitched this bookmark for my step dad's birthday. It was a kit gifted to me so it felt good to gift the finished piece.

April 20th was Needlecraft Haven's Spring/Easter Exchange, we chose which design we would like. My partner didn't mind which but as I have been wanting to stitch this design for many years I thought I'd do spring. I have a few folders of old magazine charts that I would like to do, easier than keeping the whole magazine each time but there are certainly more filled folders than time I will have to stitch,

I'll share more details of our exchange in my GG post for May. I haven't been stitching much and what I have stitched are for gifts yet to be given but hopefully this month and next I'll be able to share. 

I'm hoping my stitching increases too as I no longer pick up a needle every night and I'm not sure why, I'm sure life will work it all out for me one way or an other. 

Gifted Gorgeousness April 2025

Yesterday was the 15th so it is Gifted Gorgeousness time hosted by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching a lovely chance to 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 stitching is certainly slower this year and I'm not sure why. I have some new glasses coming so maybe they will help.

Anyway this is a double GG as I received this lovely bookmark kit from Gill. I like a tudor rose design, this looked lovely.

And so I stitched it for my step-dad's birthday as he's an avid reader.

I do have some projects on the go and hopefully will have more to share next month.

April's Fully Finished Objects

Many years ago ... probably 10 or even 15 these were a Round Robin and they have been in the drawer ever since.

I finally had some frames made and have now fully finished them. They are hanging in the conservatory. I might have Autumn and Spring charts somewhere but I have no immediate plans to do them too.

I stitched these years ago... yep more left in a drawer. I went off them as they do not start with capital letters but as I've stitched them it seems a shame not to show them so I had a small frame made to match my other monthly piece and I will change them each month too.

I have cut them to the frame size and used interfacing to back them so they don't fray. I keep them in a drawer between being in the frame so they are kept flat.

It is 40 years ago today I met my Hubby. I was in the Hawthorn Tree pub in Coventry in my Scout Leader's uniform selling raffle tickets 😊

Why do I remember it so clearly 🤔

Because not only did Nick buy a ticket (and in my opinion win first prize 😉) but it was the start of our many adventures, the first being to Lynmouth which we revisited last week 🥰

We would never have guessed back then what a super family we'd have and how many memories we'd make ❤️ 

Here's our first kiss and recent reenactment with the hotel which is now apartments. I have put a few more photos on Facebook 

I don't know where 40 years has gone but I do know I have lots of happy memories.

Gifted Gorgeousness March 2025

 

I haven't been blogging much this year, on this blog or my wine, food and travel blog but I'd like to like to think my posts are quality not quantity hee hee.

Yesterday was the 15th so it was Gifted Gorgeousness hosted by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching a lovely chance to 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.

Our super daughter is now in her third decade so you can imagine how many gifts I have stitched her over time which makes it harder and harder to think of ideas but I do like to stitch for her. I'm very much a re-using person and these two cosmetic jars were just too nice to be thrown out so I stitched a lid and included a tea light for her. I did light one to see how it looked and the glass shone beautifully. 

This year I am trying to focus on completing the stitches on some UFO items and/or finishing pieces that are just lying around. I still have many gifts to stitch as with every year but I'm not stitching church ornaments this year, I'm hoping to do something different but that still uses up some bits and bobs. 

One of my unfinished pieces was a gift many years ago from a friend overseas. She sent the fabric, threads and chart and although I started it it got put aside. Now it is stitched I'm planning on making a cushion for our snug room but I need to set a sewing machine day or it will not get done. 

That is the same with this piece, it was a chart I bought when a friend visited with the idea we would both stitch it, I'm not sure if she did and I found mine in the bottom of a drawer. It does have a stitched border but I'm not going to do it as I think it matches the other piece so it will too become a cushion for the snug room .... once it's stitched I will certainly have to have a sewing day.

Thank you for calling by and catching up with my gifts, I plan to sit in my chair later with a coffee and spend time in blogland reading everyone's news, happy Sunday to you all. 

March's Fully Finished Objects

 

How is it the third month of the year already? Thank you Rachel for hosting another opportunity for us to share our finishes. Pop over to Rachel's blog Ten Hour Stitcher to find the links to everyone's FFO posts.

You may have seen my first finished object as it was in my February gifts post. The design was one of this year's Seasonal Challenges on Needlecraft Haven. I made it into a jar for our son's girlfriend's birthday and filled the jar with teabags.

My other Fully Finished Objects are two jars for our daughter's birthday. They have been upcycled as they were cosmetic cream jars but so sturdy it was a shame to throw them away. She can use them for anything but I lit a candle in one which looked lovely.

I am stitching this year but not finishing much as yet. I will be doing a tree at church but not with stitched ornaments this year as it takes a lot of my time. I'm hoping to share my idea next month.

Gifted Gorgeousness February 2025

 It's Gifted Gorgeousness time...

Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted each month by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching. On the 15th of each month 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.

I couldn't post any Fully Finished items this month as they were gifts but as one gift has been given I can post in Gifted Gorgeousness.

This Hygge design was a challenge piece for this year's Seasonal Challenge at Needlecraft Haven. As soon as I saw it I knew it was just right for our son's girlfriend's birthday. I filled it with tea bags, perfect with the Hygge cookbook. I baked a cake too using M&Ms to decorate it which means her cake is full of her initials.

The 14th was Opening Day for Needlecraft Haven Valentine's Exchange, this year hosted by Mary and was a non-stitchy exchange. We had a budget to shop with to buy our partners sone crafty items.

Christine sent me a lovely pair or scissors, a polka dot retractable measure, a floss ring and a needle threader with clippers, I haven't seen one before. Thank you Christine for my super exchange.

My gifts were for Mary who I know also does quilting so I included a bundle of fat quarter fabrics. Our local haberdashery always has a bargain shelf on which I spotted a ball of thread and heart embellishments. The shop is fairly new to our town, the owners used to run a market stall, and their prices are very good. They only have basic supplies (no DMC thread) but I did find some heart buttons and a pin wheel to finish Mary's exchange parcel.

Not a stitchy but I will share this lovely gift my Hubby gave me on Valentine's Day, we got engaged on 14th February in 1986! The words are so lovely...

Happy Valentine's Day 

Never Forget that 

I LOVE YOU

You are my best friend

My Soul mate

❤️ My Rock ❤️