February 2019 GG & FFG SAL Update

Image from Princess Sassy Pants & Co

This is a rather late GG post.... so what else is new!!!  NB: I am also combining this post with my FFG / Fully Finished Gallery SAL hosted by Rachel (Ten Hour Stitcher) post given that I am so late for that posting date as well!!

Designer Freebies - I have a couple to share!

Design: "You Are So Loved"
Designer: Snowflower Diaries
Source: Snowflower Diaries Blog (link to chart is here)
Started: 26 January 2015
Fabric: 32ct Belfast "Fairy Tale" from Colour Cascade Fabrics
Threads: DMC & Jodryi Designs

Starting point 2 February 2019

as at 2 February 2019

New Start #7/2019
Design: "Peace to My Heart"
Designer: Hands On Design
Source: HOD Blog (link to chart is here)
Started: 6 February 2019
Fabric: 36ct Edinburgh "Feldspar" from Picture This Plus
Threads: purple/green variegated silk from Silks 4 U (1 over 2)

New start 6 February 2019

as at 6 February 2019

Magazine Free Gifts

Finish: #3/2019
Design: "Disney's Piglet"
Source: Free Gift - World of Cross Stitching
Started: 7 February 2017
Finished: 2 February 2019

Happy Chinese New Year!

Starting point 2 February 2019

Finished 2 February 2019

Finish: #4/2019
Design: "Be Bunni"
Source: Free Gift - World of Cross Stitching
Started: 1 January 2016
Finished: 2 February 2019
FFO into a card

Starting point 10 February 2019

Finished 10 February 2019

Finish: #5/2019
Design: "Honey Bee Keep"
Source: Free Gift - Cross Stitcher magazine
Started: 28 June 2016
Finished: 17 February 2019
FFO into a card

Starting Point 15 February 2019

Finished 17 February 2019

As you can see from the pics above I managed to finish a couple of free gifts and turn them into cards for the FFG SAL.  I know it is a very tenuous link for that SAL, but an FFO is an FFO, right??  😸

That's it for my February GG & FFG updates.  If you want to know more about these SALs, details are below:

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL(GG) is hosted by Jo (Serendipitous Stitching) - sign up page (link is here) 
Fully Finished Gallery SAL (FFG) is hosted by Rachel (Ten Hour Stitcher) - sign up page (link is here)

See you next time!

Happy Stitching
Hugs xx

Stitch Maynia Summer Olympics Challenge (Part 1)

Hello!  I thought that I might do a quick mid-way point update on my stitching for the Stitch Maynia Olympics event.

I know that there are multiple events running in the stitching world via Facebook Groups and Bloggers... but I am only participating in one (for a change!)....

So, let's get started!

As I used one piece for mulitple days I will show you that one first...

Lakeside Fantasy SAL / Durene Jones
August - Pegasus (new start)
I stitched on this design for the following days:
Day 1 - Olympic Rings - Blue
Day 3 - Olympic Rings - Yellow
Day 9 - Olympic Rings - Red
Day 10 - Equestrian Events - Animals / Horse


Pegasus as he looks now after the Olympic stitching days

Collection Tralala
Moutons de Saisons Été (WIP)
Day 2 - Opening Ceremony - International Theme
(You have seen this one before - sorry....)


left pic: before - right pic: after
Finished the left border and started the red border

Snowflower Diaries
Joyful World SAL - March (WIP)
Day 4 - Aquatics Events - Water


top pic: before - bottom pic: after
stitched more of the blue water

Lizzie Kate
Double Double (new start)
Day 5 - Olympic Rings - Black

New start - stitched "Toil"

Jean Farish
Holly Garland (WIP)
Day 6 - Gymnastics - Speciality Stitches (cable stitch outer box)
Day 7 - Olympic Rings - Green (more of the green leaves)

stitched the outer box and more of the green leaves

Day 8 - Triathalon - stitch on 3 projects
Fail... had a blow out on the final leg of the triathalon!
I only managed to stitch on 2 WIPs on Friday night as we went out for dinner


Kate Knight Peacock Freebie
After pic - left; Before pic - right



Kate Knight Floral Bookmark Freebie
After pic - left; before pic - right

Mill Hill Kit
Winter Holiday Collection - Scottie (new start)
Day 11 - Olympic Flag - White

New start - stitched the white and black

So that's it for my mid-way Stitch Maynia Olympics update.  Tonight I need to find something with wheels (preferably a bike!) to stitch on!  I don't think I have anything with wheels in amongst my WIPs so this could be an interesting one!

Til my next update, happy stitching

Hugs xx

Whipping those WIP's to the finish line!

WIP update
Isn't it a great feeling to get those long time WIPs (not going to say UFO's!) out and start showing them some more love?  If you saw my last post then you would have seen that I stitched on a 2015 WIP recently.

The other long lost WIP that I have been stitching on recently is Nora Corbett's "Christmas Eve Couriers - Comet".

The last time I showed you "Comet" was way back in June 2015... I have just re-read that post where I rabbited on about a stitching rotation... no, that never really happens in my stitching life no matter how much I try to do it!!!

June 2015....

Comet now looks like this:

July 2016

Over the last couple of evenings I have managed to finish the antlers of "Comet" and I am starting on his head.  As he is still on the q-snaps I might stitch on him again today...

New starts:
I can't believe it... I forgot to show you 2 other new starts that I had in June....

First up is another of those old kits that I had languishing in the bottom drawer of the craft room.  I have no idea when I bought this but it would have been in the late 1980's or early 1990's.  I pulled it out last month to start stitching it for the Vintage SAL on one of the FB groups.  This is as far as I got....

This one is called "Honey Do" and is stitched on 14ct vinyl.... very strange medium to stitch on but, I do like the design so I will get back to it again very soon and get it finished.  The kit came with the magnetic notebook accessories to put it all together.  Once done it will be a nice little addition to the fridge or even a nice little gift for someone... :o)

The other new start that I had in June was the "June" design for the Snowflower Diaries "Joyful World SAL".  I don't have some of the threads for this so I started with what I have got... It is stitched on a pale blue 28ct linen from my stash.

So that's new starts and WIP's covered....onto finishes! :o)

Finishes Update:
First up on the finishes list is a mini finish....

Most of my stitching time over the last week or so was dedicated to the new Durene Jones / Lakeside Needlecraft Fantasy SAL.  When I last showed you the border stitching it looked like this:

5 July 2016

Well, surprise, surprise, I have finished all the circles...

11 July 2016

... and I have now put it away until the first character is released in August.  Depending on how much stitching is involved in each character I may start/stitch the border each month when a character is released or I may leave the border til the end.... who knows!

The fabric I am using for this one is "Silver Springs" 32ct Jobelan from Colour Cascades Fabrics using a variegated thread from Cottage Garden Threads called "Heliotrope".

Finish #26
"Stitching Witch"
Designer: Maria Warmke (The Stitcherhood)
Started: 7 July 2016
Finished: 8 July 2016
Fabric: Name unknown (cardmakers pack) - Colour Cascade Fabrics
Thread: Nevermore - Jodyri Designs

This design is called "Stitching Witch" and is designed by Maria Warmke from The Stitcherhood.  How perfect is this design for my Halloween Ornie Blog July post?  This month's theme was "witches accessories" and this design has a hat and a cauldron - tick... and then needle and scissors!!  It was published in the October 2014 issue of the Just Cross Stitch magazine.

I stitched this on a piece of fabric from Colour Cascades Fabric - no name as it was in a cardmakers pack - just love the colours!  The thread I used was "Nevermore" from Jodyri Designs.  The design called for all black thread but I decided to try something different for a change!!

I think I am now up to date on all my WIP stitching... it's time to sign off now and get back on the couch with my stitching in front of the fire (we have rain with storms forecast today... oh well it is winter!).

Til next time, happy stitching
Hugs xx

WIPs and Finishes....

Morning All!! Today's post is a very quick stitching update with WIPs and finishes on show :o)

Let's start with my 2 latest finishes.... I did manage to get both of these finished by 31 May... but I haven't as yet posted them on my blog.

Finish # 18
Christmas Test Drive - Mosey N' Me
Just Cross Stitch Christmas 2015 issue

Started: 7 May 2016
Finished: 27 May 2016

Stitched on plain green 28ct linen with DMC threads

Finish # 19
Penguin Christmas Card
Free Gift - Cross Stitch Crazy

Started: 12 May 2016
Finished: 29 May 2016

Freebie christmas card.... stitched using fabric and threads included in the free gift.

Whine and WIPs - June SAL event for Stitch Maynia Facebook Group
The month long SAL for Stitch Maynia this month is called "Whine and WIPs".  The SAL is all about stitching on WIPs that make you whine for whatever reason..... including because you dislike then for some reason or you just wanted to get them finished... you get the idea!

My plans for this month is that I would like to try and stitch on all my current WIPs this month as my whine is that I want to get them finished and I just never seem to have enough stitching time!!

So far the WIP's I have worked on are:

Mini Mandala II - C
Last stitched date: 19 January 2016

As at 1 June 2016

Joyful World SAL - February
Last stitched date: 3 February 2016

As at 2 June 2016

Joyful World SAL - April
Last stitched date: 11 May 2016

As at 3 June 2016

Joyful World SAL - March
Last stitched date: 10 May 2016

As at 4 June 2016

Faces of Joan Elliott SAL - Holly Fairy
Last stitched date: 25 April 2016

as at 5 June 2016

One more WIP for you.... this one is the Queen of Peace by Nora Corbett.  The last time I showed this to you it looked like this:

So now it looks like this.....

"Queen of Peace" as at 31 May 2016

You may notice that I have had to frog some of what I had previously stitched.... I was out by one in the green which put everything that I had previously stitched off... I knew that I wouldn't be able to fudge it as I went along... so... out it came!! Oh well I am slowly getting back up to the same spot!

That's my update for Whine and WIPs so far.... more to come later in the month.

Til next time.... happy stitching!
Hugs xx

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL 2016; IHSW Pt1; Stitch Maynia

Hello!  I'm back.... This post is a real Heinz variety post... it is a mix of Stitch Maynia, IHSW and Gifted Gorgeousness...

Stitch Maynia Update:

First up I will show you the last of my Stitch Maynia starts (Starts 10 - 15)

Day 10 - "Joyful World SAL - March" (Snowflower Diaries)

Day 11 - "Joyful World SAL - April" (Snowflower Diaries)

Day 12 - Christmas Card Freebie (Cross Stitch Crazy magazine)

Day 13 - Christmas Card Freebie (Cross Stitch Crazy magazine)

Day 14 - "Snow Story - Cold Hands" (Lizzie Kate)

Stitched on 32ct Belfast
"Into the Blue" from Stitches and Spice
Threads: Weeks Dye Works

Day 15 - Floral Bookmark - Cross Stitch Crazy Freebie

Designer: Kate Knight

So that's it... Stitch Maynia (my version....) is over for 2016 and I think I did pretty well in the end.  I managed to get some starts happening on some of the WIPs / SAL's that I am working on as well as starting a couple of small things that I will try and finish off in between WIP stitching over the next couple of months - which means I should be well on my way to starting and finishing 31 pieces before the end of the year :o)

Gifted Gorgeousness Stitching:

Now.... onto my GG update!  I have to say that this month I have very little offerings to show you :o(

I didn't stitch on any of my pieces that form the traditional part of my GG stitching... but I have a plan.... and I can tell you that the Kate Knight bookmark above is actually for my Mum as part of her birthday present.  So as I said... slim offerings this month but I at least I did have something to show you!

IHSW Part 1 Update:
Yes... that's right - Part 1!  Joysze organised for last weekend to be the first part of IHSW for May... the coming weekend is Part 2 (and is the weekend that is normally when it would be IHSW!).

My stitching on Friday, Saturday and Sunday you can see above!  I also did stitch on my Trick or Treat spider but forgot to take a photo of him after my Sunday stitching.  (He is nearly finished so I will just wait now til he is done)

So overall part 1 of May's IHSW went quite well!  I finally managed to start the Lizzie Kate "Snow Story" that I have been itching to start for months... even with all that white!!

So that's it for this update... told you it was a Heinz post :o)

Til next time, happy stitching

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 the button below or the button on my sidebar and you will be re-directed to Jo's blog.