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 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.

GG 2017 - February Update

I know late again!!

The GG post check in date was 15th February... and that day just slipped right by me - before I knew it was 17th Feb and now it's the 20th Feb... 5 days late and not a lot to show you either!

Last month I had my lovely giveaway win from Julie at Nifty Needle Nannies, this month I meant to take a photo of some threads that I received from Michelle at Jodyri Designs as a prize for coming 3rd in the Advent Competition she ran during December - but I forgot to take the photo.... sorry!

So what am I going to show you?

How about a pretty pink piggy??

"Piglet" fits into the GG category as he was a Free Gift from the World of Cross Stitching magazine many moons ago!

I needed to stitch on something pink for the Cross Stitch It's Fun / Stitchwats (FB Group) weekly challenge earlier in the month - Piglet was perfect for this challenge - so after many years of hiding in the stash file he came out and was started.  As per the challenge requirements, more than 300 stitches were stitched and now he is waiting for a bit of love again in the next few weeks and he will be a finish.

So that's it - must try harder next month to have something a little bit more exciting to show!

Til next time, happy stitching
hugs xx

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.

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL 2016 - Update #4

Continuing on with my tradition of being late for posting.... here I am late again for my GG post! :o0

Friday Frolic & GG Entry:
This month I have a finished gift to show you.... this was one of my DUCSJC2016 and Cross Stitch Crazy January starts.  When I left it on January 7 it looked like this....

... and now after stitching on it last Friday night for Friday Frolics and IHSW it is finished... and framed!

Finish #15
"With Love" - Designer: Lesley Teare
Free Gift from Cross Stitch Card Shop

With Love - Designer: Lesley Teare
Cross Stitch Card Shop Freebie

The free gift included a card but I decided to paint up a small frame and use the card opening as a mount instead. (Think I went a bit overboard with the dots!! I was definitely feeling my inner dottiness when I painted this on Sunday!!)

So where does the gift part come into my latest finish? Well, I will be sending this one to my Mum for Mother's Day... (hopefully she doesn't read my blog before next Sunday...)

So that was my Friday Frolic stitching... now onto the rest of weekend's stitching...

IHSW Update:
On Saturday I decided that it was high time to start another of the Snowflower Diaries "Joyful World SAL" pieces as I am woefully behind in stitching these cute designs.  Also, I thought that I could use "February" as part of my Stitch Maynia "April Showers Bring May Flowers" SAL entry.  (My stitching for Mum is also an entry for that SAL)

Snowflower Diaries - Joyful World SAL - February

This is where I got to after stitching on this on Saturday, Sunday and Monday evening.

So overall I had quite a successful IHSW!

I do have another WIP to show you... this one is a 2015 WIP that I started as part of last year's crazy January challenges.  When I last showed this one on my blog back on 1 February 2015 it looked like this:

It now looks like this:

Flowerpot Kitty - Designer: Helz Cuppleditch
Free Gift - World of Cross Stitching magazine

This is a Helz Cuppleditch design and was a free gift from The World of Cross Stitching magazine (WOCS).   I have to admit that I am finding the threads in this freebie absolutely horrible to stitch with.... they won't lie flat and they keep fraying/shredding..... and if I have to frog... oh my goodness don't get me started on that! I suspect they are very cheap!! I now remember why I put it away after starting it last year! But I am nearly finished so I will leave it in the stitching basket and try and get it done before the end of April.

The rest of the week just gone I have been stitching on my JCS Christmas Ornie... fingers crossed that will be finished over the weekend.  Sorry forgot to take a progress pic last night...

So that is it for my latest stitching round up.... Before I go, I would like to thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post.  I really appreciate your kind thoughts and wishes :o) I am feeling a lot better this week so hopefully that is a good sign that things are settling down again!

This weekend we have a long weekend here in Australia for Anzac Day so I will be resting, stitching and catching up with Floss Tube, or the many episodes of the Good Wife, Silent Witness and whatever else I have taped on Foxtel!  So a big weekend ahead...

Til next time, happy stitching

PS: if you have noticed all the purple on this post... besides it being my favourite colour... this is my tribute to Prince who passed away overnight ;o( 2016 is turning out to be a very sad year..... ;o(

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.

L - Lickle Ted

14th April "L" Post

"Lickle Ted"

It's Tuesday 14th April which means it is posting Day 12 of the "Blogging from A to Z April 2015 Challenge".

Today is "L" - "Lickle Ted"

Lickle Ted: a cute little teddy originally drawn by Michael Abrams and now licensed by DMC for the purposes of amusing children and grown ups alike...

 When I was looking for an "L" design to stitch I immediately thought of "Lickle Ted".  Now I have a stack of designs from magazines that I have collected over the years that I have been stitching.... and every now and then I go through the folders and re-evaluate what designs I might want to stitch and I try to do a bit of a "clean-up"...  However, no matter what I decide I won't ever stitch, I always end up keeping this cute little teddy bear!

This particular design is from the UK "World of Cross Stitching" magazine.  He was the free gift with the Christmas Magazine (Issue 104) back in 2005.

This design is only stitched with one thread of floss and so far it is stitching up very quickly.... but sadly he is now going to go away again as I need to stitch on a "M" project for tomorrow's post!



Til then.... Happy Stitching and Happy Blogging!
Hugs xx

Day 28, 29, 30, 31 - and that's all folks!

Yep, that's right we have reached the end of January... which means we have now reached the end of my January challenges of 15 new starts in 15 days, and 31 days of stitching either new starts or old WIP's - and I did it!!!  Well, really it wasn't that hard, was it?  I just had to stitch every day and be a bit organised and do some pre-planning.

The last couple of starts were all smalls and free gifts that I had in my stash as my stitching time in the evenings wasn't a lot this last week and I had to make the most of it!

So what did I start for the last 4 days?

Day 28 - The third mouse in the Margaret Sherry Christmas mouse trio.  More purple!!

Christmas Mouse #3 - designed by Margaret Sherry

I managed to get a good start on this one on Thursday night as Hubby was out so I had a quick early tea when I got home from work and then started stitching!  I am looking forward to getting back to these three meeces in the next couple of weeks and hopefully getting them finished before the end of the year!

Day 29 - Free Gift from The World of Cross Stitching magazine (WOCS) - unfortunately I can't remember what issue it is as the chart was separated from the mag when I first decided to stitch it!

This is a Helz Cuppleditch design and it is just so cute!  I really like her designs and have collected a few now that have been in the UK magazines.

Flowerpot Kitten - designed by Helz Cuppleditch

As this is a free kit I am using the included aida and threads.  Although I am sort of thinking I should have changed the fabric to a nice coloured one.... but I will stick with what I have started now!

Day 30 - Free Gift from The World of Cross Stitching magazine (WOCS) - unfortunately again the chart was separated from the mag and I had forgotten to write the issue number on it!

This one is the adorable Fizzy Moon!

Fizzy Moon

Not many stitches on this one on Friday night.  I was a bit side tracked when I got home from work on Friday night and I didn't really get going til late and then it was time for bed!  But a start is a start even if its only about 20 stitches!

Day 31 - another Margaret Sherry design, and another freebie! This one is from Cross Stitch Crazy issue 171 and is a Christmas kitty.  Do you think I like kitties??

Merry Christmas Kitten - designed by Margaret Sherry

I know yesterday was a Saturday and normally I would get a few more stitches in than this... but we went to see Les Misérables at the Crown Theatre and by the time we got home last night I didn't have a lot of hours left for stitching!  But we loved the show... first time seeing Les Misérables for Hubby but I had seen it many years ago (like about 20 or more!) when it came to Perth for the first time. This would have to be my all time favourite theatre/musical... just love the show and the music. Always brings a tear or two to my eyes when I hear songs like "Bring him home" and "On my Own". This new touring cast was amazing!

So that's it for the January challenges.... I am toying with the idea of continuing into February and making it 59 days of stitching on something new or an old WIP, but actually I think that I now need to concentrate on finishing some of these lovely new starts.... that doesn't mean to say that I won't have some new starts in February as I actually have one lined up to start once I get off the computer!! And I have couple of others that I meant to start in January but didn't so with a bit of luck they will get a showing in February!

Overall I have really loved doing the January challenges, and while I know that I have a lot of WIP's now... the challenge has got me right back into stitching and blogging again, and that is a good thing!   Now I just have to keep up the momentum and continue for the year as I started the first month!  Thank you to everyone that has read my posts and commented on them - all your comments are greatly appreciated and I have tried to respond to every comment except for those that were a "no-reply" blogger (with those ones I have tried to find your blog on your google profile and where I can I have tried to repay your comment with a comment).  I am still getting around to catching up on my blog reading so that it is next challenge to conquer!

Til my next post, happy stitching!

If you want to have a look at any of my previous updates for the FB CrosstitchCrazy Event and Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge 2015 (DUCJC2015) the links are below:

Day 1 - Winter Witch    Day 2 - "Eek!"    Day 3 - "Prancer"  Day 4 - "Autumn Fab Fob"    Day 5 - "Comet"    Day 6 - "Koala"  Day 7 - "Sneak Peek - Halloween"    Day 8 - "Printemps"    Day 9 - "été"
Day 10 - "Joyeux Noel"    Day 11 - "Feeling Festive"    Day 12 - "New Year's Magic"  Day 13 - "Grumpy Kitty"    Day 14 - "Happy Howloween"   Day 15 - "Happy Owl O Ween"    Day 16 - WIP "Faces of JE Mystery SAL"   Day 17 - WIP "Lizzie Kate's Jingles"    Day 18 - "Witch & Friends"
Day 19 - "Mini Mandala II - C"     Day 20 - WIP "Spring Bouquet"  Day 21 - WIP "Bonsai & Buddha"    Day 22 - Katie Kitty  Day 23 - Peter Polar Bear     Day 24 - MS Christmas Mouse #1  Day 25 - Mary Mouse  Day 26 - You are so Loved  Day 27 - MS Christmas Mouse # 2  Day 28 - MS Christmas Mouse #3  Day 29 - Flowerpot Kitten   Day 30 - Fizzy Moon   Day 31 - MS Christmas Kitten

Til next time, Happy Stitching

Day 22, 23 & 24 - Still going strong!

So are you ready for another update?

Days 22, 23 and 24 are all new starts, and I have returned to a couple of my favourite Designers - Brooke Nolan and Margaret Sherry.

Day 22 and Day 23 are both Brooke Nolan freebie designs.  Currently Brooke is designing 25 Advent Animals of which one new animal is released each month.  There is a Facebook group for those stitching these animals, but the charts are actually downloaded from Brooke's website.  The link is here if you are interested in stitching these designs as well.

So onto the pics..

Day 22 - Katie Kitty

Katie Kitty - Brooke Nolan

Day 23 - Peter Polar Bear

Peter Polar Bear - Brooke Nolan

I am stitching both of these on the same piece of fabric - 32ct Belfast "Moonbeam" from Stitches & Spice.  I do plan to stitch more of these little cuties over the next couple of days and they will also be on this same piece of fabric.  Stay tuned to see some of the Advent Animals later in the week.

Day 24 saw me go back to Margaret Sherry....  Yesterday I was looking for something small and quick to stitch as my next start and I remembered that there was a Margaret Sherry free gift that came with Issue 220 of The World of Cross Stitching (WOCS) that would be perfect for this!

Xmas Mouse #1 - Margaret Sherry

There are three little Christmas mouses in this freebie.... they are very similar to some other Christmas mouses that have previously appeared in WOCS, which is a bit of a shame and very disappointing, but nevertheless they are still cute! The freebie kit included a piece of Aida that would need cutting if you were going to make the cards, but I have decided to stitch them as one piece and turn them into a hanger when I have stitched all three.

So that's it, I am all up to date again with my posting, so it's time to go and find some stitching to do!

Til then, if you want to have a look at any of my previous updates for the FB CrosstitchCrazy Event and Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge 2015 (DUCJC2015) the links are below:

Day 1 - Winter Witch  Day 2 - "Eek!"  Day 3 - "Prancer"
Day 4 - "Autumn Fab Fob"  Day 5 - "Comet"  Day 6 - "Koala"
Day 7 - "Sneak Peek - Halloween"  Day 8 - "Printemps"  Day 9 - "été"
Day 10 - "Joyeux Noel"  Day 11 - "Feeling Festive"  Day 12 - "New Year's Magic"
Day 13 - "Grumpy Kitty"  Day 14 - "Happy Howloween"  Day 15 - "Happy Owl O Ween"
Day 16 - WIP "Faces of JE Mystery SAL"  Day 17 - WIP "Lizzie Kate's Jingles"
Day 18 - "Witch & Friends"  Day 19 - "Mini Mandala II - C"  Day 20 - WIP "Spring Bouquet"
Day 21 - WIP "Bonsai & Buddha"

Til next time, Happy Stitching!

Honeybees and Lavender

The pedigree of honey does not concern the bee, 

a clover, anytime, to him, is aristocracy

~ Emily Dickinson ~

My own Lavender and Bees

Bees and Lavender would have to be two of my favourites things.  When I started typing this post I was going to include a web image of some bees and lavender.... but then I realised that all I had to do was go outside and take a photo!  But as with all great plans, the wind and bees decided not to co-operate.  But I did manage to get a photo of a bee on my pink ruffled lavender eventually!

Now why do I post about bees and lavender do I hear you ask?  Well, this post was inspired by my musings as to what to stitch for the exchange that Heather (Heather's Stitching Story) had arranged.  As previously mentioned, I was late sending the exchange package to CJ.  Partly this was because I was very time poor when trying to get organised for this exchange, but the other issue was that I couldn't think of what to stitch! Until I decided upon a theme of "Bees and Lavender".

Then everything fell into place.....

Firstly I went straight to the Snowflower Diaries Blog and downloaded the "Lavender Girl" design that I had had my eye on to stitch for quite some time.  Once stitched I turned the lavender girl into a pretty little hanger.

"Lavender Girl"
Designer: Maja, Snowflower Diaries
Stitched July 2014

So that was the Lavender stitch.... now for the bee stitch!  I remembered that I had downloaded a freebie sometime ago which had a beehive and bees as the design, and from memory I thought that it should be a quick stitch.  The other great thing about this design was that it had some different types of stitches instead of just cross stitch, so a great way to spread my stitching wings and try something different.

Honey Pin Cushion
Designer: Keepsake Stitches
Stitched July 2014

The "Honey Pin Cushion" is a freebie from the Keepsake Stitches website.  I loved this design and it was so simple to put together as a little cushion.  Of course it was only after I have put it together that I realised that I had stuffed up my bee on the back.... it should have been yellow and black... not yellow and blue! Goodness know what I was thinking when I stitched that!  But hey, every masterpiece has to have a deliberate mistake, doesn't it!!!

So that was the stitching side done, now all I had to do was find some extras....

Exchange gift sent to CJ
July 2014

As you can see from the photo above, I also sent CJ some lavender inspired gifts - a lavender scented candle in a tin, 2015 diary with lavender fields on the front cover, lavender coloured beads, pen, notebook and sticky notes that are sort of lavender coloured!  I hope that she liked the gift... and more importantly that it arrived safe and sound!

I did find a third design to stitch but, as I was almost three weeks late sending my package off, I decided not to include this one in the package... which meant that I didn't have to rush and I could take my time and really enjoy the stitching of the cupcake.... I just fell in love with this cupcake as soon as I saw it - it was one of those "I have to stitch this now" moments!!

"Honeybees Cupcake"
Designer: Durene Jones

This sweet little design was published in the World of Cross Stitching magazine issue 216.  They have a regular feature called "Cupcake of the Month" designed by Durene Jones.  Some of the cupcakes are really sweet but this is the first one that I just had to stitch right there and then!  Not sure yet how I will finally "finish" this sweet cupcake but I will certainly show you when it is finally all done.

So that's it for Honeybees and Lavender - two of my favourite things!!  It's now time for me to buzz off and leave you in peace to smell the lavender....

Til next time, happy stitching
Stitching Noni xx