Fully Finished in December

 

Rachel, Ten Hour Stitcher, hosts Fully Finished Objects, a super chance for us to show and tell about the crafty items we have completely finished.

My first finish is a Holly Humbug designed by Faby Reilly. Last year I made a mistletoe one for our daughter and her partner. 

I've made two this year, one for our daughter and now fiance, and one for our son and his girlfriend.

This cute design is by Durene Jones, I stitched it for my partner in this year's Needlecraft Haven Christmas Ornament Exchange. The Opening Day was 1st December, although we delayed it s few days because of the current postal delays. 

This is another Durene Jones design, so cute. I'm hoping Postie delivers it safely, as yet it hasn't arrived at its destination.

The lovely Mary from Mary's Threads sent four beautiful letters for my Alphabet Tree. You can read about and see the tree now in church in my previous blog post 

Thank you to everyone to sent such beautiful letters

Although the tree is up I have two letters to add as these lovelies arrived this week from Barbara at The Flashing Scissors. I have quickly made them up and will add them to the tree when we visit the church later today.

2022 Advent Calendar Blog Hop

Are you joining in Jo's Advent Blog Hop? 

It's such a fun activity in blogland. If you haven't heard of it before pop over to her blog post at Serendipitous Stitching where you can find the link to each blog for each day of Advent.

My day is today and Jo asked for a Christmas or Winter stitchy photo. I couldn't chose one photo as I wanted to share my 12 days of Christmas and I stitched two sets in 2021. 

The ones along our mantle is the set by Plum Street Sampler. These are hung for all of Christmas, however my second set (Jardin Prive's 12 Jours de Noel) are hung on my tree and I add one day at a time starting on Christmas Day. 

Jo's question this year is 'What's for Afters?' - afters is another word for pudding or dessert. 

Christmas Day we have a traditional rich fruit Christmas Pudding, flamed with brandy and served with piping hot custard. But not everyone likes it so we also have a chocolate rolly polly, a chocolate sponge rolled into a swirl filled with cream, very indulgent. 

We have been known to have 'Afters' a long time after our Christmas main as we are all so full ... it is often eaten whilst we watch Dr Who, a family Christmas TV must. 

Thanks Jo for organising another great hop, it's always lovely to see everyone's photos a d read their stories. 

Merry Christmas 🎄

The Alphabet Tree

On Wednesday we put up the Alphabet Tree at church as part of this year's Christmas Tree Festival. I cannot thank you enough for the beautiful ornaments you sent, they all look amazing. I received 34 altogether- thank you. 

I stitched 32 so the tree was decorated with 66 letters, a few baubles, tinsel and lights. It did look good even if I say so myself. 

Again this year I was given the tree next to the lecturn which means for every service everyone is looking at it, quite an honour. I took some photos, hopefully covering all sides so you will see your ornament. 

At the top of the tree I hung the 'S' I stitched for my mother-in-law who passed away earlier this year, and the 'A' my friend Gill stitched. This was for Angi, a member of Needlecraft Haven who at the time was unwell and has since also passed away. A tribute to two special ladies.

We will be visiting the church to see all the trees, I'll blog about them afterwards. If you are near it is worth a visit. 

The church is open every weekend up to Christmas- Saturdays 11am to 5pm and Sundays 12noon to 5pm. Admission is £2.00 to raise church funds, a donation will also be given to Mary Ann Evan's Hospice.

A huge thank you again - wishing you all a Merry Christmas.

As December starts

Welcome to December and the start of not only meteorological winter but it's Advent time too. I have changed my two frames: Drawn Thread December and Jardin Prive winter tree. 

The Advent calendars are out here. My lovely Hubby has bought me the Boots No 7 calendar which is filled with beauty goodies, our daughter will probably have some as it's nice to share. I am so excited that this year it is 24 boxes and not windows... I am already thinking of next year's advent reusing it. 

Every year I make up an advent for my Hubby. It's usually a selection of beers and I can sneakily put it together when he goes on a chaps day out. There is no day out this year but he did take the car for a service and update which gave me a few hours ... but no car! It really was a secret mission this year, thankfully Lidl is only a short walk away. He was  very surprised this morning and amazed I had managed to put it together. 

We spotted a tealight advent in one of the discount stores so bought one for our house, our daughter's home and our son's girlfriend's home. I have lit my first one tonight a d it smells gorgeous, sandalwood and honeysuckle.

Are you joining in Jo's Advent Blog Hop? It's such a fun activity in blogland. If you haven't heard of it before pop over to her blog post at Serendipitous Stitching where you can find the link to each blog ... but only from their given day. My day is .......... now that would be telling 🤫

It's Springtime - Topsy Turvy SAL stitching for December is all about spring, as it was for November

I'm hoping to do the spring design from Durene Jones to match my autumn ornament. 

Here's the link to the 2021 post with all the freebie links. You can join in the Topsy Turvy SAL on Facebook, with Needlecraft Haven or by posting on your own blog. 

As usual photos of this month's stitching can be shared from the 20th.

Yesterday we put up the Alphabet Tree at church. Pop by tomorrow to see photos of a very special tree.

November round up and Temperature SAL

I have been very busy this month but not busy posting on my blog. The main reason is time - my hours and minutes have been filled getting all my Christmas crafting done and it isn't the right time to share photos.  

However I have made a little bit of a catch up on my Temperature SAL - my winter cake band covers January to the end of March and then October to the end of the year. I have just started stitching my October days so I do have a bit of catching up to do. 

Tomorrow is opening day for the Needlecraft Haven Christmas Exchange, I am pleased to know my ornament has arrived with my partner but as we have had no post for a week mine is yet to arrive. The post strikes seem to have had a big effect on our local area, we haven't had deliveries on the non strike days. 

Last week I posted my Christmas cards to our overseas friends and I am relieved to know they are beginning to arrive. Tomorrow is card writing day and then Friday will be posting day for any card or parcel for the UK ... and my fingers will be crossed! 

Tomorrow is December - can you believe it? It will be a busy day, as well as the usual change over of ornaments there are all the advent items to put out - and it's Advent Calendar day which is always exciting. 

Online it is Topsy Turvy SAL start day for December, Christmas Forum and Advent time at Needlecraft Haven and Christmas Tree Church Festival blog time ... busy but so so exciting. 

Apologies for my lack of reading and commentating, I will catch up on everyone's blog posts soon. Time to sign off and pop up to church to set up the Alphabet Tree.

Thank you to everyone who has stitched a letter - here they are all together - I stitched 32 using either a DMC or Assisi chart and I received 34 beautiful designs from all over the world - thank you. 

Gifted Gorgeousnesses in November

 

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.

My first GG goes back to October and is both sent and received. Needlecraft Haven's Halloween Exchange is always fun. I stitched one of Durene Jones' cats for Mary and I received a beautiful ornament from Mel along with some yummy treats and thread. 

I stitched Durene Jones' little ghost for our daughter and her fiance. I'm not sure if the do anything anymore for Halloween but it was fun to and an excuse to send a few treats too. 

Along with my Halloween Exchange Mel also sent two beautiful letters for the Alphabet Tree. Thank you to everyone who has sent a letter or letters, I'll be putting the tree up at church on 30th November. It's always an exciting, and emotional, moment when the tree has been decorated with all the ornaments hanging. I'll take plenty of photos for a future blog post. 

This time of year most of my stitching is gifts and gifts that cannot be shared, it just means my January Gifted Gorgeousnesses is a full blog post.

Fully Finished Objects in November

 

Rachel, Ten Hour Stitcher, hosts Fully Finished Objects, a super chance for us to show and tell about the crafty items we have completely finished.

This month I have a few finishes. Although one is not a fully finished object I am happy dancing. 

Firstly I can now include my Halloween ornament that I stitched Mary for the Needlecraft Haven Halloween Exchange. It's another from Durene Jones, her designs are lovely. 

I also stitched one of her designs for a little Halloween ornament I sent to our daughter, of course the parcel included a few treats too. 

I also finished two lovely letters sent by Melanie for the Alphabet Tree, thank you Mel.

My next FFO is a little heart for October's Topsy Turvy SAL with the theme Valentine's. It's a chart from an old magazine but I didn't save the details of which one. I stitched it on plastic canvas. 

I'm enjoying the Topsy Turvy SAL as it doesn't take up all my stitching time and is a change to stitching all the current themed items. It's spring this month, and December, so it will be nice to stitch something spring themed amist all the Christmas preparations.

I have also stitched and finished my ornament for the Needlecraft Haven Christmas Exchange but I can't share just yet.

I can however share my Temperature SAL summer cake and finish. These flowers show the temperatures for April through to the end of September. I have recorded the highest and lowest temperature each day for the location we are in. It's lovely to look back and remember where we were especially on the bright yellow hot days. 

To finish it I have backed it using backing parchment. I used pva glue for just sticking the paper to the edges, this makes it wipeable so easy to keep clean after being round a cake. I'm looking forward to using it, I best get on and stitch the winter one. 

I have also been upcycling some Christmas cards. Using cards we've previously received I have added some gold or silver detail and made new cards to give this year. I enjoy doing it and I do love a bit of recycling. Here's a few I made. 

My final finish is not fully but I am so so pleased to have finally finished the buttonhole edgings on my tablecloth. I don't pick it up very often so it's a slow go and the marking out took as long as the stitching. Now I can focus on the kloster blocks before deciding which holes to cut. This piece was a Round Robin quite a few years ago that I didn't make up so it will be nice to get it finished.