Fully Finished in November

 

Rachel, Ten Hour Stitcher, hosts Fully Finished Objects for us to show and tell about the crafty items we have completely finished. Thanks Rachel, your FFO prompt each month really helps me finish my projects instead of them still in my project folders.

I'm late posting this month, I had drafted my post before we went away but didn't have time to actually post it.

My first finish is an ornament for JCS Stitch Along on Facebook. This fun monthly SAl using the Just Cross Stitch Ornament Magazine is hosted by Jo, I'm always behind and not sure I have done all the months, this was for June.

My other two finishes are for my 12 Days of Christmas, again a group on Facebook hosted by Jo but also with the ladies at Needlecraft Haven. I can't believe we have just two months to go although I haven't even started the eleventh days yet. 

My two series are by Plum Street Samplers and Jardin Prive.

As we start November

 

It's November, blimey how did that happen. I cannot believe we have just 2 months left of 2021, what a strange year. 

My WIPocalypse plans have not always been on plan each month but it has been a good way to keep an eye on what I'm doing, and when. Here's my October plans and how I did:

• Valentine's design for TT SAL - stitched but not finished 
• 12 Days of Christmas - Ten Lords a Leaping (PSS and JP designs) - both finished 
• JCS ornament SAL - My Big Toe Designs - Merry Christmas - finished
• JCS ornament SAL  - Lisa LeAnn Designs - O Christmas Tree - not started
• JCS ornament SAL - The Little Stitcher - St. Lucy's Light - not started
• Summer and Autumn Challenge with Needlecraft Haven - not started
• Halloween Exchange with Needlecraft Haven - completed

My November plans are: 

• 12 Days of Christmas - Eleven Pipers Piping (PSS and JP designs)
• A set of Christmas gifts
• Making up a special Christmas gift
• Christmas Ornament Exchange with Needlecraft Haven
• Spring design for TT SAL 

And speaking of Topsy Turvy SAL the next theme runs over two months so a chance to do a bigger piece or just enjoy more time to finish. The TT SAL theme for November and December is Spring. 

You can join Topsy Turvy SAL on Facebook, with Needlecraft Haven or by blogging on your own blog. I'm not sure what I'm making for 'spring's but here are a few freebie designs I found:

Jardin Prive - Spring Tree

Kitty & Me - Is it spring yet?

Sarah White - Say hello to spring

The Fat Quarter Shop - Spring 

You'll also find lots of free designs on DMC web page and at Lovecrafts. There are so so many super designs it's going to be a hard choice. I have already stitched the tree from Jardin Prive, it's a lovely design. I did all four trees and change them in the frame for each season. 

Happy stitching, whether you are busy with festive designs or joining in with TTSAL, it's always so lovely to see everyone's projects and finishes. 

Halloween Trick or Treat Blog Hop 2021

 🎃🦇👻🕸 Happy Halloween 🕸👻🦇🎃

It's that time of year when we celebrate anything spooky, All Hallow's Eve is a celebration of the dead the day before All Saint's Day when we celebrate all who did good. Nowadays it's a chance to dress up and decorate our homes with ghosts, spiders, ghouls and most importantly pumpkins. 

I don't carve a pumpkin now our children are grown up but I do decorate the lounge with my Halloween ornaments, although some are more harvest/autumn than Halloween. 

Halloween also means it's Blog Hop time thanks to the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching. You need to collect a letter from each blog to reveal a Mystery Phrase. Pop over to Jo's blog to see the list of bloggers who have a spooky letter ....

..... my letter is 

Jo asked us all to include a photo of something we have stitched for Halloween. My stitching isn't actually mine, it's a cushion stitched by our daughter Philippa in 2006 when she was 12, hard to believe that was 15 years ago! 

Keep my letter safe and follow the Halloween Trick or Treat Blog Hop 2021 by visiting 

http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com

Have a super Halloween be that enjoying a film, dressing up, pumpkin carving or just eating treats (no-one likes a trick), have fun being spooky 👻🕸🦇

Topsy Turvy October - Valentine's

 

Today is the opening day for the second Topsy Turvy SAL album on Facebook - Valentine's Oct 21

As well as joining the TT SAL on Facebook, you can post about your stitching on your own blog or join in with the members of Needlecraft Haven.

I decided this month to do some speciality stitches using the heart idea from A Feathered Nest. I have loved doing some free hand stitching, it was a bit daunting making up the design as I went along but I'm very pleased with how it has turned out. 

I am on the search now for a centre piece although I'm not 100% sure of what I want, hopefully I will know when I see it.

Hopefully once I have the centre piece I will know how I want to finish it, so many decisions, so much choice.

Topsy Turvy SAL's next two months are all about spring, this could be two individual projects or a larger project over the two months ... I'll be blogging about ideas at the start of November. 

Gifted Gorgeousness for October

Well I am struggling this month to find anything I haven't shown already or that I can show so my news is not much. 

I have been stitching a Valentine's piece for this month's Topsy Turvy SAL, I'm using a lovely red fabric my Mum gave me along with a few other cross stitch pieces. I can't show yet as the 20th is reveal day.

I'm about to start a Faby Reilly design on a piece of 34ct linen that was in the bag from Mum. I can't share the design as it will be a gift for Christmas but here's another sneaky pic. 

Mum also gave me a bag of felt, I used a lovely piece of burgundy to back my Happy New Year piece for last month's Topsy Turvy. I did post it in this month's FFO but here it is again. 

Thanks Jo for hosting Gifted Gorgeousness, if you'd like to see everyone's gifts or received items you can find the links on Jo's blog Serendipitous Stitching 

Happy stitching everyone .... 

Fully Finished Objects in October

 

Rachel, Ten Hour Stitcher, hosts Fully Finished Objects for us to show and tell about the crafty items we have completely finished. I've had a finishing day today, some items I can't share just yet but these are the pieces I can show in this month's FFO. 

Firstly my 12 Days of Christmas using designs from Jardin Prive and Plum Street Sampler. 

I'm enjoying these but I'm regretting using invisible thread for the edging and beads... only three more of each to do. 

My other finish is my first piece for my new Topsy Turvy SAL. I launched this in September with the first month's theme being Happy New Year. I'm very pleased with my finish and can't wait to hang it up in January. 

I'm about to start my next Topsy Turvy piece ... this month it's Valentine's 

Topsy Turvy SAL- Valentine's

Topsy Turvy SAL is in it's second month: you can join in on Facebook, with Needlecraft Haven or by blogging on your own blog. October stitching is all about 'Valentine's' - a chance to stitch or make anything about love, hearts, friendship 

I have found a few freebie designs online, I'm not sure what I'm making this month, so much choice. Here are my finds:

Heart of hearts

Hearts 2 cross stitch

Love heart

Valentine's

I also found this page is full of ideas using various crafts:      Snuggly Monkey

This photo is a mini pillow I stitched a few years ago for Valentine's although I do also display it on our wedding anniversary. It's a Primative Hare freebie.

The sharing time for Valentine's is the 20th October - you can add to the Facebook album or post on your blog. There is also an album on Needlecraft Haven.

I'm a little late with my September WIPocalypse, here's how I did: 

• New Year design for TT SAL - stitched
• 12 Days of Christmas - Nine Ladies Dancing, PSS and JP designs - both stitched
• JCS ornament SAL - My Big Toe Designs - Merry Christmas - a little more stitched
• JCS ornament SAL  - Lisa LeAnn Designs - O Christmas Tree - nothing
• JCS ornament SAL - The Little Stitcher - St. Lucy's Light - nothing 
• Summer Challenge with Needlecraft Haven  - nothing

Here's my October plans, hopefully I will get a little bit more done than last month: 

• Valentine's design for TT SAL
• 12 Days of Christmas - Ten Lords a Leaping(PSS and JP designs)
• JCS ornament SAL - My Big Toe Designs - Merry Christmas
• JCS ornament SAL  - Lisa LeAnn Designs - O Christmas Tree
• JCS ornament SAL - The Little Stitcher - St. Lucy's Light
• Summer and Autumn Challenge with Needlecraft Haven
• Halloween Exchange with Needlecraft Haven