Church stitching

Last week I had a meeting with the church to discuss the altar cloth. It was definitely more repair than restoration and I explained about how the goldwork had either disintegrated or previous stitchers had cut the holding threads ready to remove it. 

I also wanted to check that my work was what they expected and wanted. I have done 26 hours so far, removing the old threads and securing loose threads, as well as stitching the main flowers, smaller flowers and other small designs.

The photos show how each piece was and now I've stitched, I have completed two flowers.

This photo shows the whole area I have done, before and after.

I also researched the gold thread as on one section it was replaced but looked quite brassy. I realised that was artificial gold and thanks to the Golden-Hinde who are gold thread specialists I know which real gold to use. The church are going to look into purchasing this so for now I am concentrating on the stitching. 

The next flower has had previous repair but the colour is wrong (too red) which you can see on the main photo. My first job is to darn across to replace the background or there is nothing to hold my stitches. I am hoping not to remove the red but overstitch in orange, the red will then give me a background to stitch onto.

I have stitched two pieces for my church tree in Jo Verso's 12 Days of Christmas. They are an easy stitch and I have replaced the French knots with beads. Looking in my stash I found quite a few off cuts of Christmas fabric which hopefully will be the perfect size to use for the backing.

Thank you to everyone who has offered to stitch a 12 days ornament. It can be any of the 12 days, no need to make up either. By posting the finished piece as fabric in a card any postage will be minimal especially overseas.

My stitching time may be slightly reduced this month. I don't mind at all as our son and girlfriend have a puppy, they just moved into their own owned house and have wanted a dog for ages but couldn't have one when renting. 

Say hello to Maple, she's only 10 weeks so for a while we're on puppy sitting duties when they are both out until she gets used to being left. She is lovely, she adores them and is settling in well, they only picked her up Friday.

Hello February

Whoo hoo I made it through Dry January - details in my other blog Clare's Dry January and I'm y7% of the way to my target ... not sure I will get there but every penny, and pounds, helps towards Nuneaton North Scout Group Minibus Appeal.

I have been working on the church altar cloth, I met with the church warden today who is pleased with how it's going. I'll share more on a separate post later this month.

I have been stitching but gifts as it's our daughter's birthday this month and our son's girlfriend's. I'll share when the gifts have been given. 

I can share this little stitch ... Jo Verso's Day 1 in her 12 days of Christmas from her Cards and Keepsakes Book.

I used beads on the edging instead of French knots because they were hard to place on the fabric.

I'm doing the 12 days of Christmas for my church tree this year. I know many friends have stitched in the past for my trees and I also know how much the gifted stitching is appreciated by everyone at church.

If you would like to add to my tree this year you can stitch any design and any day (it doesn't matter if they are a one of the series), please choose your favourite out of any series.

There is no need to finish your ornament, please send the stitched piece in a card and I will make it up - thank you.

New home gifts

Finally yesterday our son and his girlfriend moved into their own home after renting for a few years. They were hoping to be in before Christmas but it took a little longer.

Our son runs a games business organising social meet ups twice a week and all day events throughout the year. He started All Mana of Games in a small room in a local pub  it has grown so much in 4 years he now fills a church hall with people enjoying time together playing board games, Dungeons and Dragons and Warhammer, we're so proud of him. 

I stitched them a couple of coasters as a moving in gift. I found a dice pattern on etsy and changed the number to 6, their new house. It was tiny stitching with lits of little bits of colour and I added the white to give dimension.

And of course I baked a few cakes, they have friends helping today so much needed energy. 

 

A big project

I have many gifts to stitch this year as well as ornaments for my church tree as I'm doing a new theme after a few years recycling old ones. 

However I'm going to have to be very careful with my time and make sure I stitch in time required order especially as I have a large project to do this winter/spring.

Church have a beautiful altar cloth in need of repair. They have some funding but have asked me to mend the stitching and missing gold work. 

This is how it looked with the threads when I picked it up. 

There has already been some repair, the gold on the left design on the small piece and the third from  on right on the main design.

The colours included didn't seem quite right so I have used my DMC chart to check/change some. It was quite difficult as colours change over time. 

I wasn't intending to do any gold work but in places the holding stitches have been cut ready to replace and it is all disintegrating so I am taking it out as I work along. 

I'm starting at the left of the big piece, it seems to be stump work as the embroidery did not originally go through to the back and some pieces are not fully attached. I think two other stitchers have worked on repairs as some stitching now goes through to the back, at times it's hard to see what is original and what is repair. I'm trying to not go through the backing but it's not easy as the original fabric is falling apart.

So far I have done a small flower, it had no colour and I removed the gold. Hopefully it will look ok once the gold is there too.

I have also finished the first design (furthest right on the main picture), again removing the gold. I think I stitch a bit more blocky but it is now attached all round to the fabric. The photos show how it was when I got it, how it was after I'd removed the gold and tidied it up  and now after my stitching.

It is hard without a pattern, I'm trying to use the other designs as an idea but they all look different, hopefully this looks ok. 

I'm now working on this design, I've already done over 14 hours so it will be a long project. I think after this design I'm going to replace the gold work on the two I've done, that will help me see how it looks, I just need to see if there is enough gold in the items provided or if I need to order new. 

I'm only stitching when the daylight is good and couple of hours and not every day as I find it tiring on my eyes and stiffening on my back as I am sitting at the dining table.

As well as a stitching challenge I'm doing Dry January to help raise funds for our Scout minibus. Here's the link where you can read my story  there's a few photos too - Dry January Fundraising This is my family in 1999 when my Dad received his Silver Acorn, a high award in Scouting.

A busy month all in all and February is looking to be even busier with a few trips away already planned. 

Tom Mouse

My first stitch of 2026 was a little free kit that had been in my to do project bag for ages ..  years in fact. So long ago I no longer had the chart so I only had the photo to stitch from. 

I took this as my stitching (if I had time) on our cruise in December and I did make a start. I think the trickiest thing was working out the colours as there was three very light shades; creamy, beige and peachy. 

I'm so pleased how he came out, such a cutei character.

I haven't made him up yet but he'll be a Christmas card using the mount from the kit, although I will probably add some stars and a border.

Of course after I'd stitched him and was looking through my charts for my next project I found the chart, I'd saved the magazine page .... hee hee typical. 

First finish

I've finished my first ornament of 2026 and as with other years it us stuffed with the previous year's orts.

Winter Witch was one of the Challenge Designs at Needlecraft Haven and initially I wasn't sure about it but now she's stitched I love her. 

I save my orts in a beautiful bon bon jar my late mother-in-law bought me many years ago. It's surprising how many there are in just one year.

I'm very pleased with how she turned out. She's hanging on our tree and will be soon packed away with all the others until later this year when the festivities begin again.

Today is the start of Dry January and I'll be taking part this year to raise a bit more for our Scouts' minibus appeal. I have been involved in Scouting all my life, my parents were when I was young and Dad all his life. This year marks my 40th year as an adult volunteer so I'm trying to raise £400 to help towards buying a new minibus.

It's only day one so no problem at all but I fid make a Mocktail Espresso Martini as it's New Year's Day. It was very nice.

This is the link to my Just Giving page, I'll be sharing my non-alcoholic drinks throughout the month which I hope will keep me going. 

This photo that I'm using for the appeal was taken in 1999 when my Dad received Scoutings' second highest award, The Silver Acorn. As you can see our son was a cub, my step-dad also a uniformed volunteer and my Mum was wearing her Medal if Merit for her service to Scouting. 

Back to stitching, I have a big project that I need to get on with but I need to sort out a few smaller projects too. 

Wishing you all busy needles in 2026.