Let It Begin With Me - SanMan Originals

Design: Let It Begin With Me (exclusive message board freebie)

Designer: SanMan Originals

Fabric: 28 count evenweave, antique white

Threads: Six Strand Sweets - Jelly Beans for the lettering, toning solids for the symbols

This has been lurking in my stash for nearly four years, stitched but not 'finished'. It was part of the 12 Days of Christmas freebies series that SanMan released in 2004 and I was going to stitch one a day from Christmas Eve onwards. This was the first - and only - one I completed, as my grandmother died unexpectedly on Christmas Day.

I do like the piece - I was a member of CND in my youth - but if I'd shared it with my gran, I can picture her wearing that slightly disapproving look she had - I am too liberal minded for us to have seen eye to eye on many subjects butwe saw past each other's hobby-horses :o)

This is a very simple wallhanging finish, with some lightweight batting inbetween the face and backing. I will use mini pegs to attach it to a hanger, when I've found somewhere suitable for it to hang.

Jungle Room Plaque

I finished this earlier in 2007, and finally made it up into a wallhanging as a Christmas gift for my niece. The pale yellow is to co-ordinate with her room, and I used some mini pegs so it could be hung on a ribbon. I also left a reasonable margin in the hems so that it can be framed at a later date, when Molly's mum is happy to allow a framed picture in the room - little fingers are a tad too curious at the moment!

Years ago, I gave my sister a bellpull for her birthday (I could afford to have it framed) and left about 1.5 inches all round the stitching in total - she had the piece framed last year, and the framer has done an excellent job, which is good for the future - I'd like Molly to enjoy stitched pieces now, but also in the future, and framing behind glass does preserve things - even though it empties the wallet ... LOL

Ready or Not - Lizzie*Kate

Thank you everyone for your comments, and welcome everyone to my blog! I do appreciate everyone who takes the time to drop by, and please feel free to say hi!

Susan - the Christmas Sampler is stitched with two strands of thread for the cross stitch and most of the back stitch. I think it looks delicate because the fabric is 28 count.


This is another little wallhanging finish. The design is a Snippet from Lizzie*Kate called Ready or Not - I remember it seemed to take a long time for a Lizzie*Kate design, as the stitching is quite solid on the Santa!

I'm going to be looking out the rest of my decorations later, as I need to find my Advent Calendar and fill it with chocolates :o)

I'm also going to the next town, which has a nice craft shop with a needlework section - I will only look, honest! LOL

Christmas Sampler - Leisure Arts

Can you tell that this is my new favourite way of finishing medium size projects? I'm actually liking this more than I did, but I think I'm going to give it away - probably to my sister or niece. Teddy bears aren't really my thing.

Joy to the World - Lizzie*Kate

I stitched this before I really got into the sheep collecting side of my stash, so of course I had to get it made up for this year! The design is an old Lizzie*Kate freebie called "Joy to the World".

Again, it's a padded wall hanging and I think I might quilt this one around the inner edge of the border.

I do all my making up by hand, as I haven't really got the space to set up a sewing machine, so it can sometimes take a while, but I find it quite relaxing - as long as everything goes right!


I'd like to say a big "thank you" to all my readers and commenters - I've noticed a few more people dropping by. Welcome to you all, I appreciate your kind words and your interest in my little bit of the web!

Dear Santa, I Can Explain... - Lizzie*Kate

Not the greatest picture - padded wallhangings don't tend to want to lie flat!

This is another finish that has been languishing in my finished pile for several years - in my defence, I hardly went near my stitching in 2006 and for most of 2005 :o)

This was made up quite simply with a couple of remnants from my fabric stash - I didn't have enough of the holly print to go all the way round, and as I'm trying not to buy anything new, went with a matching plain fabric. I think now that the printed fabric all the way round might have been too much anyway.

There is wadding in the middle, and a calico backing, and I hope to get (or make) a wire hanger which I can peg this too with those cute mini clothes pegs.

Sally - I'm setting aside one day a week when I do some finishing, otherwise it just won't happen! It tends to be Sundays, as there's less distractions. I'm hoping that when the backlog is dealt with, my finishing day can go to one day per month, or that I will finish as I go!