Gifted Gorgeousness SAL 2015 - Update #7

Well, here we are again... another GG SAL post.  These regular monthly posts really show how quickly this year is flying by!

Since the June GG post I have only managed to stitch on 1 of my GG pieces.....

Moutons de Saisons "Printemps et ete" - 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

Moutons de Saisons "printemps"
The last time you saw, and I stitched on "printemps" was back in March.... I left my sweet little sheep looking like this:

After some love and and attention this week he now looks like this:

There would have been even more progress with this one if I hadn't had to restitch certain areas twice.... darn frog decided to come and sit on my lap this week!!!

I plan to keep stitching on this one for another day or two and then change projects again on the weekend.... so you will see this little cutie again next month!

I do have two other stitching finishes to show you soon - both are gifts so I can't show you until I have sent them off to their new homes.... so fingers crossed next month's GG post will be a lot more exciting than this one!!

Don't forget to visit Jo's blog for the link ups to everyone's GG post for the month!

Til next time, happy stitching
Hugs xx 

If you're not sure what this particular SAL is all about.... Jo from Serendipitous Stitching hosts this SAL - the link to my post late last year about the SAL is here.... but essentially this 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.

The Alphabet Club & Christmas SAL's

Hi there!

I know I should be giving you a stitching update but I forgot to take some photos on the weekend, so instead of a Monday stitching update I thought I might do a post on a couple of new SAL's that I have recently signed up for...... yes... I know, not another SAL!! ;o)

Those of you that are observant may have noticed that I have added a couple of new badges / images on my sidebar under the SAL's that I am doing and I thought that today's post would be good time to let you know about these two new fun SAL's that are starting up in blogasphere... and hopefully you can all come and join in the fun!

The first one that I wanted to mention is "The Alphabet Club".

"They only met online, but it changed their lives forever."  

This delightful idea came about through an email conversation between Jo (Serendipitous Stitching) and Chiara who blogs at The Grey Tail.  After a number of emails they came up with the idea of an A-Z language challenge and called it "The Alphabet Club" .

This is a posting challenge which will be a monthly posting on the first Saturday of the month (loosely called "Detention Day" after the movie "The Breakfast Club"). Each month's post can be about anything relating to the relevant month's letter/theme from stitching to designers and/or local customs, etc - those of us taking part will all link up with our posts on Chiara's link up post.  As there are 26 letters in the alphabet this will be going for a long time..... 26 months to be exact!! :o)

For the full details of how this came about, and for more in depth info on what it is all about, pop over to Chiara's blog (link here), but as a heads up, the first post will appear on the first Saturday in August and will relate to the letter "A". Jo couldn't wait til August and she has posted a pre-start post which is a great read - link is here.

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The second new SAL that I have signed up for is a sister SAL to the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL that Jo hosts.

This one is called the "Christmas Ornie SAL" and will have it's first monthly posting in August.    Kaye from (Kitten Stitching) has taken up the challenge to host this SAL.  I believe there used to be a SAL blog sometime ago that lapsed and now Kaye has started up a brand new blog for this SAL (link is here).

There are monthly themes commencing in August and running through to December 2015.  The themes are:

August -          Mr and/or Mrs Santa
September -   Christmas Tree/Presents
October -        Angels / Nativity
November -    Snowflakes / Snowman/Wintry scene
December -     Free Choice

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I am really looking forward getting started with both of these new SAL's and as long as I can get myself organised I should have something to post each month...  So if you're looking for a new posting or stitching challenge, please join in with these two great new SAL's

Til next time when I will be back with some GG SAL and TUSAL posts, have a great week and.....

Happy stitching!
Hugs xx
#realstitchersdontsteal

Summer Postcard Blog Hop

Today's post is devoted to Summer.... and boy, do we need a visit from Summer - today has started off very foggy and damp and now it is raining.... but then it is Winter down-under so I shouldn't be at all surprised by today's weather! Although strangely we have so far had quite a mild Winter and when the sun is out and there isn't a cold wind blowing, it has been so gorgeous outside ♥

Of course if it's Winter down my way.... then it must be Summer in the Northern Hemisphere! Goes without saying really, doesn't it?

Why am I talking about the weather?  Well, I mention this because I recently signed up to participate in Jo's (Serendipitous Stitching) annual Summer Blog Hop. The theme of this year's Summer Blog Hop is Pets (a theme dear to my heart ♥).  We all sent an email to Jo with something that we have stitched (or crafted) which relates to a pet that we have (or had) and a little message about what pets mean to us.

The blog hop has now started and I am the first cab off the rank to receive a Pet inspired Summer postcard!

This is the postcard that I received from Cheryl:

Cheryl blogs over at "Today I Found...." and the message that she sent along with her postcard is:

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I have enjoyed the company of cats all my life.  I remember there always being 5 cats around at any given time during my childhood. 

Funny thing ... I currently have 5 kitty friends that I visit with on a regular basis.  They are "alley cats" who live with various neighbors all sharing the alley that runs between our buildings. 

The cat sampler pictured is one that I designed a few years ago.  I am sharing the pattern on my website here: http://hobbyloco.com/patterns/cat_sampler.html

Enjoy! ~ Cheryl

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Thank you Cheryl for sending such a sweet postcard for the blog hop.... and thank you for the link to your lovely freebie kitty sampler.

I wonder who will receive my postcard..... stay tuned to Jo's blog to find out who is next on the blog hop list for a postcard.

Til next time, happy stitching

Hugs xx

Stitching Update.... Nora Corbett's "Prancer"

Hello!

I have just realised that I have been extremely remiss in my stitching updates lately.... I recently showed you my progress on Nora Corbett's "Comet" but I completely forgot to show you the companion piece "Prancer".

So I will now correct that over-sight.... here is my current progress shot for Nora Corbett's "Prancer"

The last time I showed you "Prancer" he looked like this..

Now my gorgeous reindeer looks like this:

I have just placed an order for some more of this beautiful "Arabian Nights" fabric from the Stitches & Spice website so that I can stitch some more of these sweet reindeers when I have finished these two!

That's it for today....

Til next time, happy stitching!

#realstitchersdontsteal

Stitching Update.... Happy Howloween!

Who's ready for a stitching update?  So far I have been sticking to the weekly rotation and over the last week I have been beavering away on "Happy Howloween".

Last time I showed you this WIP was back in April when I was doing the A-Z Blog Challenge.  I originally started stitching this crazy little design back in January and with a bit of luck the next time I pick this one up it will be a finish!

So how much have I stitched on it since the last update?

April pic below:

June WIP update pic:

Not bad, huh?  Spending a whole week on a WIP is certainly helping these projects move along at a cracking pace rather than the snail's pace that they were doing!

For those that might be interested and haven't seen my previous post - "Happy Howloween" is a freebie design from Brooke Nolan and you can find the design on Brooke's website - the link to the freebie page is here.

That's it for today....

Til next time, happy stitching!

#realstitchersdontsteal