Gifted Gorgeousness April 2018

GG SAL hosted by Jo (Serendipitous Stitching)

Guess what!  I have 2 GG finishes to show you this month! What a surprise......

First up is a GG piece that I have been stitching on for a very long time.... my original post about this gift was way back in 2013, however I didn't start stitching on this particular project until January 2015.

Finish #14/2018
Gift from Kaye (Kitten Stitching)
"Moutons de Saisons - Ete" - Collection Tra La La
Started: 9 January 2015
Finished: 2 April 2018
Fabric: 28ct Cashel "Fairy Forest" Stitches & Spice
Threads: DMC as charted

As you can see from the picture above I didn't have a lot to finish the last time I put it down... so over Easter I made a concerted effort to get that border finished!  I still have the Winter and Autumn ones to do so my Moutons de Saisons will re-appear on the GG posting schedule again one day!

The next finish I have to show you is a more recent start...

Finish #13/2018
Gift from Tiff (Tiffstitches A Blog)
"Dream Big" - Country Cottage Needleworks
Started: 1 May 2017
Finished: 1 April 2018
Fabric: 28ct Brittney "Dawn of Spring" Jodyri Designs
Threads: mix of DMC, Weeks Dye Works & Jodyri Designs

This is another one that I focused on over the Easter break and got finished!  I love the carrot... I stitched that in a Jodyri Designs limited edition thread - it is the same thread that I used for the flowers in the border but looks a little bit different in a large block than in the little flowers.

Are you ready for another mid-month update on Boo Club?

Finish #7, 8 and 11/2018
Giveaway prize from Nifty Needle Nannies 2016
"Boo Club" - Lizzie Kate
Started: 1 January 2018
Fabric: 28ct Lugana "Wicked Garden" Colour Cascade Fabrics
Threads: DMC black & white, all other WDW as per chart

I have now started the Spiders block and the border continues to slowly grow!

That's all for this post.... I will be back again one day soon for more stitchy updates!

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.

WIPocalypse November 2017 Update

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

WIPocalypse is run by Melissa over at Measi's Musings and is now in it's 6th year (amazing!).  The object of the WIPocalypse is to stitch on projects that you want to complete before the end of the world! 

At the beginning of January I picked out 17 WIPocalypse projects to work on in 2017.  The full list of my 17 projects can be found on my WIPocalypse 2017 page.

This update is going to be a pretty good update as I have managed to stitch on a number of my pieces over the month of November.  So here we go for the November show and tell!

12 Days of Christmas (Plum Street Samplers)

Fabric: 28ct Jobelan "Gold Digger" - Colour Cascade Fabrics
Threads: Jodyri Designs (Wuthering Heights, Sense & Sensibility, The Olde Curiousity Shoppe, Midnight Hour)

Day 10 has finally been started

I really need to catch up on this one if I am going to be finished by the end of December!!

Christmas Eve Couriers - Comet (Nora Corbett)

Fabric: 32ct Belfast "Arabian Nights" - Stitches and Spice
Threads: DMC as charted

This is what "Comet" looked like in my last update:

He now looks like this:

The border has been started... so we are really on the home stretch now!

Deer & Grapes Mystery Sampler (Jean Farish)
Fabric: 32ct Lugana "Autumn Glade" - Stitches and Spice
Threads: DMC as charted

August/September 2017 update

November 2017

The deer is now done... still a bit more to do on this one - I am not sure if it will be done before the end of the year now!  I have been a bit bogged down by it again....

Dog House Sampler - Little House Needleworks
Fabric: 28ct plain linen
Threads: DMC as charted

The last time I showed this one was back in October 2016... and this month was the first time I picked it up again since then!

September 2016

November 2017

Mini Mandala II - C (Chatelaine)
Fabric: 32ct cream linen
Threads: NPI Silks as charted

March 2017

November 2017

Little bit more progress... the square has increased by one more row of stitches

Fashionista Cat - Design Works
Kit - 14 ct Aida fabric / DMC threads

June 2015

November 2017

I had a good stitching session on this one during November and it's nice to see some progress at last!

and last but not least... this is also a GG WIP....

Moutons de Saisons - été (Collection Tra La La)
Fabric: 28ct Cashel Linen "Fairy Forest" - Stitches and Spice
Threads: DMC as charted

June 2017

November 2017

That border is slowly coming together and then this little cutie will be done and dusted!!

This month's question is: What finishing style have you never tried but would love to do?
Interesting question given I don't do a lot of final finishing.... I have done pillows/cushions and a couple of flat folds for those pieces that I have managed to finally finish, but one of the finishes that I haven't tried yet is a cube finish.  Maybe that is something I will try one day!!

So that's it for this update! The next check in is on Sunday 31st December 2017. That will be the last one for the year... Can you believe it? If you want to see what everyone else has posted for November drop into Measi's blog and check out the November link up page.

Til next time, happy stitching!

Hugs xx

June & July WIPocalypse Update

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

WIPocalypse is run by Melissa over at Measi's Musings and is now in it's 6th year (amazing!).  The object of the WIPocalypse is to stitch on projects that you want to complete before the end of the world! 

At the beginning of January I picked out 17 WIPocalypse projects to work on in 2017.  The full list of my 17 projects can be found on my WIPocalypse 2017 page.

Well, here's a thing.... I am woefully late with my June & July update... oh well, I'm here now!! Better late than never!! 😌

12 Days of Christmas (Plum Street Samplers)

Fabric: 28ct Jobelan "Gold Digger" - Colour Cascade Fabrics
Threads: Jodyri Designs (Wuthering Heights, Sense & Sensibility, The Olde Curiousity Shoppe, Midnight Hour)
Stitched on Day 6 and Day 7.... and managed to finish both!

Halloween Happiness (Sandra Cozzolino)

Fabric: 28ct plain purple fabric
Threads: all DMC
June: stitched on the green words, frogs, "L" with the lizard
July: stitched on "A" with ghost, "L" that is a little tree

Deer & Grapes Mystery Sampler (Jean Farish)

Fabric: 32ct Lugana "Autumn Glade" - Stitches and Spice

Progress as at 27th May 2017

Progress as at 26th July

Moutons de Saisons - été (Collection Tra La La)

Fabric: 28ct Cashel Linen "Fairy Forest" - Stitches and Spice

Progress as at March 2017

Progress as at June 2017

I haven't answered the questions this time around... but if you would like to see my stitching spot have a look at my last video... I did a quick video while sitting in stitching spot - complete with stitching buddies!!  Link is here

Sometime in the near future I am planning on doing a WIP parade video so I will link that here as well and you will see my oldest WIP... A couple of years ago I did find some old WIPs which technically you could say are my oldest WIPs... but they are resting!  If you want to look at that post the link is here.

So there you go.... a little bit of an update on my stitching throughout the month of June & July.  The next check in is on Sunday 27th August 2017. If you want to see what everyone else has posted over the last couple of months, drop into Measi's blog and check out the June link up & July link up pages.

Til 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

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL 2016 - Update #8

It's time for a GG update...

Moutons de Saisons "Printemps et Été" - Collection Tralala
Gift from Kaye from Kitten Stitching.  The original post of when Kaye gave me these charts is here.

Tralala Collection - Mouton de Saisons

As you have seen already this month I have been working on "Été" again..... unfortunately though no more progress has been made since I showed you the progress pic last week.  So here is a reminder of what "Été" looks like at the moment!

Progress as at 9 Aug 2016

That's it for this month...

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.

We're all going on a Summer Holiday... (Tenuous Shoe Horn Blog Party)

We're all going on a "Summer Holiday" (Cliff Richard) was one of my favourite songs as a kid!  The other song that reminds of summer is "Summer Love" (Sherbet).  That song and Sherbet's "Howzat" were summer staples for us as kids....

I grew up in the 70's and as a kid I couldn't wait for the Summer / Christmas Holidays to come around - no school and lots of sitting around reading or visiting the local swimming pool and getting tanned (or should I say cooked with all that coconut oil we used to slather on!!!) with the music blaring on our little cassette/tape recorders!  Those were the days!

Ok.... so what am I blabbing about Summer for... well, for one I am freezing and so over Winter - apparently according to the weather boffins it is the coldest winter that we have had for 18 years here in what should be sunny Perth - and don't I know it!  While we humans that live in the Southern Hemisphere are experiencing Winter for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere it is Summer and our lovely Jo (Serendipitous Stitching) is having a Summer Holiday Blog Party for everyone to show off their summer stitching - link to the linky post is here.

Jo's thinking is that while a lot of us stitch for the other seasons during the year as they tend to be covered by Easter, Halloween and Christmas, poor old Summer does occasionally get forgetten about!  So here is a post dedicated to Summer Stitching!!

In preparation for the post I went through my old blog posts to see what I have stitched and finished that relates to Summer.... and I did manage to find some summery stitching.

You can't go past All Our Yesterdays or Margaret Sherry for summer stitching

All Our Yesterdays - Faye Whittaker (Free gift)

Margaret Sherry - Bee Happy

Margaret Sherry - Gardening Snail
(Stitched for a Summer Exchange)

Margaret Sherry - Cool Cats "Summer"

And there are others.....

Beehive Cushion - Keepsake Stitches

Beehive Cupcake - Durene Jones

Lavender Girl - Snowflower Diaries

And just because I can... here's a shoe horn! An Aussie Santa - he is all ready for his day on the beach - after all we do celebrate Christmas in Summer down under!

Aussie Santa

And last but not least... how about an update on my current summer stitching - Moutons de Saisons "Été" - Collection Tralala

The last time I showed you "Été" it looked like this:

July 2016

and it now looks like this:

August 2016

I was going to save this til next week... but I did just have to share it as it is so close to being finished!!

So that's it for my post.... Hope you enjoyed my ramble/reminiscing of my summer stitching!

Til next time, happy stitching

Hugs xx