IHSW January 2019

Image from Princess Sassy Pants & Co

Welcome back to my blog!  Today I am here to report on my stitching for the past weekend while I hermitted!!!  The weekend just gone was the 3rd weekend of the month which means it was International Hermit and Stitch Weekend (IHSW).  I tend to hermit and stitch most weekends but there is something special when you know that around the world other stitchers are also joining you in your craziness!!!

IHSW also coincides with Friday Off The Grid (FB group) and Friday Frolics run by our own Kitten Stitching Kaye.

Stand by for the update!

Friday 18 January 2019

Finish #2/2019
Design: JOY
Designer: Rovaris
Source: Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue 2018
Started: 6 January 2019
Finished: 18 January 2019

Fabric: 32ct Raw Gold Belfast
Threads: DMC 840; red Mill Hill beads for holly on tree branch
Joydri Designs Threads as per below:
December 2016 Limited Edition"Elf" (fussy cut for the letters, green present and leaves)
"Genie of the Ring" (dress and hat on the elf, bird and 2nd present)
March 2017 Club Exclusive "Winter Frost" (snowflake and ribbon on 2nd present)

Design: Bentley Bear
Source: Free Gift - Cross Stitch Crazy Issue 138 (June 2010)
Started: 22 January 2016

Stitching Challenge Starting Point 18 January 2019

Stitching Challenge Finishing Point 18 January 2019

Saturday 19 January 2019

Design: Hocus Pocus Trilogy - Muriel
Source: Mill Hill kit
Started: 13 October 2017

Stitching Challenge Starting Point 19 January 2019

Stitching Challenge Finishing Point 19 January 2019

New Start #5/2019
Design: Forever & Ever
Design: Cottage Garden Samplings
Started: 19 January 2019

Fabric: 36ct Edinburgh "Feldspar" Picture This Plus
Threads: Weeks Dye Works as charted
Stitched 1 over 2

Stitching Challenge Finishing Point 20 January 2019

Sunday 20th January 2019

I stitched the fill in colour on the Forever and Ever "L" first up to complete my stitching challenge requirements, and then moved onto:

Design: S'Mores Bear B-Q
Designer: Tempting Tangles
Source: Just Cross Stitch October 2016
Started: 26 August 2018

Stitching Challenge Starting Point 20 January 2019

Stitching Challenge Finishing Point 20 January 2019

Fabric: 28ct Cashel Linen "Rocky Creek Canyon" Stitches & Spices
Threads: DMC, Dinky Dyes Silk "Pilbara", Classic Colour Works "Hickory Sticks"
I am stitching the silk and CCW 1 over 2 and the DMC 2 over 2 - just for something different!

Design: Morning Has Broken
Designer: Mari Richards
Source: Cross Stitch Collection
Started: 17 May 2018

Stitching Challenge Starting Point 20 January 2019

Stitching Challenge Finishing Point 20 January 2019

So there you have it... lots of stitching variety for the weekend.. This variety was lead mainly by the stitching challenge in the Magical School of Stitching & Literature as I had to stitch 200+ stitches for 5 separate tasks (Classes) plus I decided to do an extra task and watch the first movie while I stitched... So with some fenangling I managed to get all the stitches done by bedtime on Sunday!!

Now I am off to find something else to stitch for my Mira SAL and another Magical Stitching challenge.  I certainly have plenty of Mira's to choose from.... 😼

See you next time!

Happy Stitching
Hugs xx

Gifted Gorgeousness - January 2019

Image from Princess Sassy Pants & Co

Happy GG New Year! It's time to start off a brand new GG year and this year I am planning to post way more regularly than I did in 2018! Although as you will notice I am late posting this month - so I am already behind the eight-ball! I did have great intentions to post on time but alas... my plans did not come to fruition!

First up... we have a gift of fabric from stitching friend
Earlier this month I was stitching a small Christmas Ornie design on a left over scrap of fabric that was gifted to me way back when.... in fact I can even show you the original post if you want to click in the link here.  This fabric also became a part of the very first GG post I ever made... link to that post is here.

Design: "JOY"
Designer: Rovaris
Source: Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue 2018
Started: 6 January 2019

as at 15 January 2019

Next up we have a Free Design from a Designer
Link to freebie chart is below

Design: "Happy Howloween"
Designer: Brooke's Books
Source: Brooke's Books Website (link to freebie page)
Started: 14 January 2015

Stitching Challenge starting point 11 January 2019

Stitching Challenge finishing point 12 January 2019

And last but not least, a gift from a Stitching Friend
Chart was purchased using a gift certificate from Linda (Stitching with my Furbabies)

Design: Fur-ever Friends - Laurel Burch (Mill Hill Kit)
Started: 17 May 2017
Source: Mill Hill Kit

Stitching Challenge starting point 21 January 2019

Stitching Challenge finishing point 13 January 2019

I stitched on "Happy Howloween" and "Fur-ever Friends" for a couple of stitching challenges (Cross Stitch Finish Line Stitchathon and Magical School of Stitching & Literature stitching challenge).  As the challenges were in 2 different Facebook groups I was able to use the stitch totals for both challenges!  Love it when that happens 😸

That's it for my January GG update.  See you again soon.  If you want to know more about the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL pop over to Jo's blog and check out her sign up page (link is here)

Til next time, Happy Stitching! 😻

Hugs xx

Stitch Maynia 2018 Starts 15 - 18 / May Update 2018

Image from Princess Sassy Pants website

Ok, so as you have probably realised today is a bit of a catch up blogging day....  May was a busy month for one reason or another, and I didn't get back to post the last of my Stitch Maynia starts... and then we went to Singapore for a week for Hubby's milestone birthday celebrations and now it's June!

The last start that I showed you was start #14 - so here we go for the last 4 official Stitch Maynia starts.

Start 15/18 - 15th May 2018
Start #43/2018
Enjoy the Moment Tea Sampler
Gail Bussi
Fabric: 28ct Lugana - "Pixie Kiss" / Hand Dyed by Stephanie
Thread: DMC as charted
Source: Cross Stitch Collection May 2011

Start 16/18 - 16th May 2018
Start #44/2018
Violet
Mill Hill Kit

Start 17/18 - 17th May 2018
Start #45/2018
Morning Has Broken
Mari Richards
Fabric: 28ct Opal Lugana - "Galene" / Under The Sea Fabrics
Thread: DMC as charted
Source: Cross Stitch Collection

Start 18/18 - 18th May 2018
Start #46/2018
Pink Sparrow Sampler
With Thy Needle & Thread
Fabric: 36ct Edinburgh - "Dubloon" / Picture This Plus
Thread: WDW, GAST as charted

So that was Stitch Maynia!  I loved doing the 18 starts for 18 days... and I left my favourite til the last... Pink Sparrow got some more love during May which I will show shortly...

The rest of May was filled with the following:

Start #47/2018
Christmas Penguin
Helz Chuppleditch
Source: Free Gift - World of Cross Stitching
Started: 19th May 2018

WIP Update
Winter Bluster - Glendon Place

WIP Update
Tabby Cat - Mill Hill Kit

WIP Update
Happy Birthday Puppy

WIP Update
Pink Sparrow Sampler
With Thy Needle & Thread

not a great photo.. sorry

I loved stitching on Pink Sparrow during May... I took this one to Singapore with me not expecting to get much done but I did manage to get a couple of hours in here and there... I put this away after stitching on 31st May with a heavy heart - I could have just kept on stitching, but June has to be a catch up month for my other WIPs... Pink Sparrow will come out again soon for some more love!

Stitching Graph for May

Having 19 starts in one month makes for a very big graph...

June's plans are to mainly try and catch up on the Sheep Virtues and my monthly Christmas stitching.  Stitch Maynia has the World Cup SAL during June so I am going to try and fit some of my WIPs into that SAL and hopefully I will have heaps of progress next month!

Til then, happy stitching
Hugs x

Stitch Maynia 2018 Starts 8 - 14 / Gifted Gorgeousness May 2018

Image from Princess Sassy Pants website

Week 2 of Stitch Maynia 2018 has been and gone and my new starts have been continuing as planned for the most part...

Start 8/18 - 8th May 2018
Start #36/2018
Queen's Heart
Just Nan
Fabric: 28ct Opal Lugana - studio sessions piece / Colour Cascade Fabrics
Thread: DMC as charted

Start 9/18 - 9th May 2018
Start #37/2018
Jasmine Mix
Just Nan
Fabric: 32ct Opal Belfast - "Year of the Rooster" Limited Edition - Jodyri Designs
Thread: DMC as charted

Start 10/18 - 10th May 2018
Start #38/2018
Tabby Cat
Mill Hill Kit
Fabric: 14ct perforated paper (kit)
Thread: DMC (kit)

Start 11/18 - 11th May 2018
Start #39/2018
Old Glory
Little House Needleworks
Fabric: 28ct Lugana "Dapple" Picture This Plus
Thread: DMC

Start 12/18 - 12th May 2018
Start #40/2018
Nothing But Tea
The Sampler Girl
Fabric: 28ct Evenweave coffee dyed (base fabric was light grey)
Thread: "Masquerade" Jodyri Designs

GG SAL hosted by Jo (Serendipitous Stitching)

The next couple of starts also fall into the GG category for May....

Start 13/18 - 13th May 2018
Start #41/2018
Mother's Day Bookmark
Kate Knight
Source: Free Gift from Cross Stitch Crazy
Fabric: 14ct Aida (kit)
Thread: DMC (kit)

Start 14/18 - 14th May 2018
Start #42/2018
Proverb's 3-4
Paola Gattiblu
Source: Giveaway Gift from Kaye (Kitten Stitching)
Fabric: 28ct Evenweave coffee dyed (base fabric was light grey)
Thread: "Blue Moon" Jodyri Designs

I love these 2 Gatta (cat) designs... they are so gorgeous and I do plan to stitch them both..... Thank you Kaye :o)

Til next time, have a great stitchy week... take care and happy stitching xx

Because I love this picture so much I am going to keep it at the bottom of every GG post.... Miss Mouse is the most loving puppy you could ever have... her love is a gift to us so I think it is quite fitting that she is in my 2018 GG posts!

Jo from Serendipitous Stitching hosts the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL.  The GG SAL is about stitching charts/kits or using fabrics & threads that we have received as gifts, won in giveaways or anything that is intended be a gift or giveaway prize... or anything else that you can loosely use the word "gift" for!!  If you wish to sign up for this SAL, click on link here, or the button on my sidebar and you will be re-directed to Jo's blog.

Stitch Maynia 2018 (Starts 1-7)

Image from Princess Sassy Pants website

It has begun!  The craziness that is Stitch Maynia 2018 is up and running! 

If you have been hearing, or seeing, all the recent references to Stitch Maynia around the social media world, but don't actually know what Stitch Maynia is about.... below is my brief description....

Back in 2015 a group of stitchers decided to give themselves a challenge and do 15 starts in 15 days in the month of May.  Now this sounded like a manic type of thing to do hence the challenge was called "Stitch Mania" with Mania being spelt with a "y" to denote the month of May!  A Facebook group was born out of the original challenge and this year the challenge just seems to have completely exploded!  A link to the Stitch Maynia Facebook Group is linked here.  The group has over 10,000 people in it now and it is just the most fun place to go to see beautiful stitching*** 

This year my Stitch Maynia plan is to try and do 18 starts in 18 days for 2018 and then spend the rest of the month of May focusing on one or two WIPs (that part is still to be decided about!)

So hold onto your hats... take a seat, grab a cuppa and enjoy the show!

Start 1/18 - 1st May 2018
Start #29/2018
Awareness Ribbon Sampler
Ink Circles
Fabric: 32ct Belfast - studio sessions piece / Colour Cascade Fabrics
Thread: Jodyri "Perfect Purple" / DMC
Source: Free chart - 2006 Complimentary Chart Book (Free goodies - Ink Circles website)
Notes:  I am stitching this in purples for Fibro Awareness as a SAL with the Fibro Stitchers FB Group

Start 2/18 - 2nd May 2018
Start #30/2018
American Pie
Mill Hill Kit
Fabric: 14ct perforated paper
Thread: DMC kit threads

Start 3/18 - 3rd May 2018
Start #31/2018
Cookie Bear
Gill Cooper
Fabric: 14ct Aida
Thread: DMC kit threads
Source: Free gift - World of Cross Stitching Magazine Issue #265

Start 4/18 - 5th May 2018
Start #32/2018
Boo Club - Eek
Lizzie Kate
Fabric: 28ct Lugana "Wicked Garden" / Colour Cascade Fabrics
Thread: DMC & WDW, Classic Colourworks as charted

(NB: as you can see I still have the "Spider" block and more border to complete from last month before I can say I am up to date on this one!)

Start 5/18 - 5th May 2018
Start #33/2018
Lesson #1 Summer Schoolhouse Series
With Thy Needle & Thread
Fabric: 28ct Lugana "Mushroom"
Thread: Classic Colourworks/Weeks Dye Works as charted
Notes: stitched 1 over 1 on 28ct

Starts 4 & 5 were both started on Saturday 5th May as we were out on Friday 4th and I didn't end up getting any stitching time in other than 15 mins to stitch a tiny bit more of the spider web on Boo Club so that I could start "Eek".  I then spent way too much time on "Eek" o Saturday afternoon which meant that "Lesson 1" only got a light touch when we got back from dinner on Saturday night.... busy social weekend in our house - for a change!

Start 6/18 - 6th May 2018
Start #34/2018
Forest Snowfall
Country Cottage Needleworks
Fabric: 28ct Opal Brittney "November Rain" 2017 Limited Edition / Jodyri Designs
Thread:  DMC & Classic Colourworks as charted
Other SALs: #pcforestsnowfallsal with Chelsea & Priscilla

Start 7/18 - 7th May 2018
Start #35/2018
Temple View
Maia Kit
Fabric: 18ct Aida (kit fabric)
Thread:  Anchor (kit thread)

I have had this kit (and it's sister kit "Pagoda View") in my stash for quite some time... I even did a post about it when I received it from the UK in 2010!

So that's Week 1 of "Stitch Maynia"  done and dusted.... 11 more starts to come to achieve 100% for this challenge - I am pretty sure that I can manage that 😉  The next phase of the challenge I am combining with another Stitch Maynia group SAL celebrating Katy "The Stash Queen's" birthday, which means I there should, hopefully, be some method to my madness! Or not!! 😁

Til next time, happy Stitch Maynia and happy stitching
Hugs xx



*** Stitch Maynia FB Group Disclaimer... they do allow adult stitching type content so be aware that there is the occasional subversive post in the group! Most of us just scroll on by, or block the poster, if we don't wish to see that sort of stitching.