December Sampler Accent - Periwinkle Promises

I think I will scan this and replace the picture, but this will give you an idea of how one of my last 2007 finishes looks!

It's another little sampler accent kit from Periwinkle Promises, and doesn't it look all serene, with the little angels on it ... those angels caused rather a lot of swearing and frogging, as the spacing isn't consistent across the row, something I failed to recognise, until my angels didn't line up under their haloes ...


I'm still to be convinced that silk is somehow "better" than cotton for stitching with too.


This shall be finished as a mini-pillow, hopefully before this December!


Design details:
To be added

Ho Ho Ho Scissor Case - Lizzie*Kate

This was rather easier to stitch than the "Autumn" Scissor Case - no fiddly over one parts, and I used just two colours. I think I used GAST Buckeye Scarlet and Dried Thyme rather than the Weeks Dye Works threads called for, as I don't particularly like those - I think they stitch up thin.

I wish there was a more general "winter" kit like this - perhaps one day there will be ...

Design Details

To be added

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

Christmas Bells - Janlynn

This was the Christmas card I stitched for my parents. The kit came from a charity shop, and although it wouldn't necessarily be a design I'd choose to stitch again, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I substituted beads for the charted red and gold french knots, and they added a bit of Christmas sparkle to the design, as well as looking neater. I can't stitch french knots - technically, mine are colonial knots, and they can look a tad baggy!

The card mount had embossed holly leaves on it which was a nice touch, I thought.

Design details:

To be added.

The White Cat - Bent Creek

I'm not sure why I like this, but I do :o) I'm really one of the least cat loving personI know, although my partner is fond of them, and would love for us to have one!

I think it's the expression on the cat's face that I love. This mouldered for a while in my finishing pile, but I got the motivation to finish it up when I got my wonderful packet of mini buttons which I've often mentioned before! I wanted a simple finish, so I just made it into a mini pillow/pin cushion. The back is a very small beige country floral print, which echoes the flowers on the front.

Christmas Wishes Stocking - Thistle Threads

This is the made up ornament I stitched for my sister. I'm not entirely happy with it - I tried to get an even border of aida round the stitching, but that didn't really work, so I made it more of a freehand shape. I can see why the designer made it for one of her pre-shaped cards now... LOL

The Holly and The Ivy

This was the Christmas card I gave my sister and BIL this Christmas just gone. The design was a free cover kit from one of the UK stitching magazines (Cross Stitcher, I think) back in the 90s. I mounted it in a better quality card, and used peel-offs for the greetings inside and out. I'm not very good with peel-offs, even manipulating them with tweezers, so the writing got a bit distorted!

Only a few more Christmas pieces to post about, then I can get onto this year's stitching!

Christmas Ornament - Brightneedle

This cute little pincushion is a Brightneedle ornament, stitched in petit point over one. the design is from the 2002 JCS Ornament Issue, I think. This would have been stitched about four years ago, and it was only this Christmas that I made it into a finished article!

Stitching as Therapy

Isn't stitching soothing in times of stress? Sorting and kitting up my stash was an excellent displacement activity for some of my worries about Dear Partner this week, and working on My Favorite Things is helping me deal with the news from my dearest friend this weekend. These things aren't stuff I feel comfortable talking about yet in a public blog, but my mind can't dwell on them while I have needle and thread in hand, and the calm, repetitive nature of stitching does bring peace to my frazzled brain.

Goals, reviews and future plans...

Where has February gone? Even with an extra day, it's just zipped by!

Fortunately, I achieved my goals for the month, so I'm a happy bunny :o) (white rabbit! by the way)

I'm still very behind on posting pictures to my blog, or even writing much to this one, but I'm getting there - at least photographs have been taken of everything I stitched in 2007, plus exchanges that have arrived here, and some of the things I've made this year ... I'm in awe of the people whose blogs I read, who manage to write something entertaining regularly, and post regular updates!

I don't know if I've mentioned, but my new job is part time, flexible hours (and it's bliss...) - so Thursday and Friday I had the flat to myself, so I hauled out the charts from my stash, the boxes of fabby from my stash, and tried to kit as much as I could up! And yup, it took a day and a half ... obviously, some of the fabric that the charts called for I had, and some I didn't, so often it was judgement calls - and have you noticed how inaccurate the cover photos on charts can be when it comes to fabric colour? I used to specify a lot of print in previous roles, and would never have accepted some of the repro I've seen... Anyway, I have nearly *blushes* 150 projects ready to go with fabby, and I've divided them up into little groups of 8 or 10, and my goal is to work my way through a bag in six months... the upside of this is that I've really looked at my stash, and some charts on my pile I just didn't feel like giving up my precious hoard of fabric to use, so they will probably get passed on.

As a result of this exercise, I have a new start - one of the many Drawn Thread charts in my stash, none of which I have stitched. It's called My Favorite Things, and can be seen here.

I'm not actually stitching it on the specified fabric, but the floss toss worked for me, and I'm enjoying it so far. It's a little more challenging that a lot of the things I've been working on lately, but that's a good thing - and the instructions are incredibly clear.


The picture is a little dark, but it shows my progress after one evening - I've nearly completed four sections, just the backstich tree trunks to do but I can't find my floss in that colour. There's something like 32 sections in total LOL so there's a way to go yet. I have a craft shop within five minutes walk of the apartment, so the lack of floss will shortly be rectified :o) Unfortunately, the shop has become less of a needlework shop in the time I've lived here, and more a papercraft shop, but that seems to be a general trend. At least I'm okay if I run out of DMC :o)