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.