Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

It's Valentine's Day which can only mean one thing... Time for Jo's (Serendipitous Stitching) very special Valentine's Blog Hop...

The idea behind the blog hop is that we all send a photo of our Valentine's or love inspired stitching to Jo; she then sends the photos out to everyone who has joined in the blog hop... but only Jo knows who got what stitching pic!  It is now up to us to go hopping around blog land and see who has our pic - we then reveal ourselves as the Secret Stitching Sweetheart!

Below is the gorgeous Stitching Sweetheart pic that Jo sent me:

I love this heart... It is so pretty.  Can't wait to see who the clever stitcher is that made it. :o)

To start the blog hop and to also see who received my Secret Stitching Sweetheart picture, please join us all over at Jo's blog - link is here

Whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or not.... enjoy your day... and feel the love! ♥

Happy Stitching... And Happy Valentine's Day

A wee progress report....

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful stitchy weekend :o)

I thought I would drop in and do a bit of an update for you on what I have been stitching on this past week or so.

Friday's night frolic piece
Happily Ever After - Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery
Started: 26 January 2017

I started this piece on Australia Day... and managed to get quite a bit done over the long weekend. On Friday night I did a little bit more of the border and the cute little pussy cat.

I decided to go out on a limb with the fabric.... this is 32ct Belfast "Dark Fantasy" from Colour Cascade Fabrics.  The model piece is stitched on a lighter fabric but I love this fabric and when I did a floss toss everything seemed to work ok.. but time will tell I guess!  I am using the called for DMC floss except for the border (Dinky Dyes "Kalamunda" and centre piece (when I get there I have picked out a Jodyri thread!).

Here's an aside for you.... there is a sentimental reason why I using "Kalamunda" on this piece...   I used to live there! It is a suburb in the Perth Hills and sits between the suburbs of Lesmurdie and Gooseberry Hill.  I was living there when I met hubby - he lived in Lesmurdie and we used to catch the same bus to and from the City every day for about 6 months.  So I just had to put the thread somewhere into this piece :o)

17 A Day Update
Deer & Grapes Mystery SAL - Jean Farish

10 A Day Update
Dog Park - Satsuma Street

These 2 are ticking along nicely now... I am now sticking to the 17 and 10 stitches a day except on the odd occasion where it makes sense to finish 1 or 2 extra to finish a row or where a 1/2 stitch won't work.

2 New Starts! There is always going to be new starts!!
Autumn Bird - Satsuma Street
Started: 4 February 2017

Love the colours in this design.... I have been meaning to buy it... but on Saturday when I was going through my old magazine charts looking for something else I found it!! It was published in Cross Stitch Crazy (I think) a few years ago... So how's that for "Stitch from Stash"?  So pleased that I didn't buy it a couple of weeks ago when I bought her new one! I am missing a couple of thread colours but that is easily rectified.  Fabric is just a pale light blue 28ct fabric that I had in my fabric box.

Kitty Litter - Dimensions Gold Kit
Started: 5 February 2017

I think I have probably given myself another UFO with this.... that little bit that I did yesterday nearly drove me crazy... blended threads... yuck!  I have had this sitting in my stash drawer for a number of years and finally decided to start it as my one and only full coverage piece!  If I ever finish the stitching it will go into our spare room which already has kitty pictures on the wall :o)

I did stitch on a couple of other projects but just realised that I haven't taken photos!  Will rectify that on the next update (who knows one or two of them may be a finish by then!)

Til next time, happy stitching
Hugs x

WIPocalypse Check In - January 2017

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 but I am going to make a slight change to my list.... (hope that is in the rules!)

1.   Prancer (Nora Corbett) - started 3 Jan 2015
2.   Comet (Nora Corbett) - started 5 Jan 2015
3.   Queen Anne's Lace (Nora Corbett) - started 3 April 2016
4.   Queen of Peace (Nora Corbett) - started 8 May 2016
5.   Zenia (Nora Corbett) - started 22 Oct 2016
6.   Deer and Grapes Mystery SAL (Jean Farish) - started February 2015
7.   Jingles Flip-It Series (Lizzie Kate) - started 12 April 2014
8.   Moutons de Saisons - été (Collection Tra La La) - started 9 Jan 2015
9.   Faces of Joan Elliott SAL (Joan Elliott) - started Sept 2014
10. Snow Story (Lizzie Kate) - started 14 May 2016
11. Dog House Sampler (Little House Needleworks) - started 26 Sept 2016
12. 12 Days of Christmas (Plum Street Samplers) - started 25 Dec 2016
13. Halloween Happiness (Sandra Cozzolino) - started 1 Jan 2017
14. Mini Mandala II - C (Chatelaine) - started 1 Feb 2014
15. Fashionista Cat (Design Works Kit) - started 1 Jun 2015
16. Birdcage (Design Works Kit) - started 1 Feb 2015
17. Halloween Sneak Peek (The Trilogy) - started 7 Jan 2015

I have swapped "Dressmaker's Daughter" for an old mystery SAL project that I started back in February 2015.

So what did I manage to work on during January?

Faces of Joan Elliott SAL (Joan Elliott)

Bit more hair has appeared along with some colour on her dress and the white trim and some of the flowers in the corner.

Deer and Grapes Mystery SAL (Jean Farish)

This is where this project was when I last stitched on it in February 2015!  I have now pulled this out for a 17 A Day challenge on one of the FB groups that I am in (this is a different challenge to my 10 A Day!)

So after the weekend of doing 17 stitches each day this is where it is up to now:

17 stitches are day are going to add up really quickly!

I have also had 2 mini finishes for the month....

12 Days of Christmas (Plum Street Samplers)
First Day of Christmas is now complete!

Halloween Happiness (Sandra Cozzolino)
Mini finish - the moon is done and the witch has been started!

So that's the update bit out of the way.... now onto the question of the month:

What Stitch-a-Longs (SALs) are you participating in this year?
Maybe the better question for me is what SAL aren't I doing?? :o)

So besides the monthly Christmas Ornie and Halloween Ornie blogs, Smalls SAL, WIPocalypse, and Gifted Gorgeousness SAL's I am also doing:

Lakeside Needlecraft / Durene Jones - Fantasy SAL
Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery - Happily Ever After SAL
Ingleside Imaginarium - Birthstone Dragons SAL

The Linen and Threads SAL is on my list to think about... it is a huge design.... maybe too big for me to tackle this year!

Stitch Maynia SALs (check out the FB group for the list.... there are few of them!)
Cross Stitch It's Fun (Froggin House / Stitchwats SALs / Weekly & Monthly Challenges)
10 A Day FB Group  / 17 A Day Stitchin' Station FB Group....

...and the odd FB SAL that pops up in some of the other groups that I am in....

Most of the FB group SAL's are based around themes for the challenges so I am able to generally use existing stitching projects to fit into/shoe horn into these SAL's.

So that's it for January's WIPocalypse update!  Next month's check in is on 26th February 2017.

Til then, happy stitching and good luck with your WIPocalypse projects!
Hugs xx

Smalls Check In January 2017

Well... That's a great way to start off the year... Late with my first check in!

While I achieved quite a bit of stitching in January, I did only manage to finish one small for the month.

Scottie Dog (Mill Hill Kit)
Started: 15 Aug 2016
Finished: 26 Jan 2017

To see everyone's Smalls post for January, pop over to Heather's blog and check out the link up post.

Next Month – The next Smalls SAL check-in will take place on Friday, 24th February.  

See you next month! Happy Smalls stitching

Hugs xx

January New Starts... so far...

I thought I would give you a bit of an update on on my 2017 new starts so far... yes, there are one or two of them already!!

Halloween Happiness - Sandra Cozzolino/Imaginating
This is my year long Halloween Ornie Blog piece.  The plan is to stitch a part of the design each month to tie in with the monthly theme on the blog.

Started: 1 January 2017
Also stitched a bit more on 13 January as it was Friday 13th!

Fabric & threads: 28ct fabric from stash and DMC threads

Dressmaker's Daughter - Nora Corbett
Started: 1 January 2017

Fabric: Colour Cascade Fabrics 32ct Belfast "Golden Touch"
Threads: DMC

Flip Flops - Mill Hill Kit
Started: 8 January 2017

Birthstone Dragons SAL January - Ingleside Imaginarium
Started: 14 January 2017

Fabric: Hand Dyed by Stephanie - 28ct Opal Lugana "Frozen Fractals"
Threads: DMC; border in Petite Treasure Braid PB26

Dog Park - Satsuma Street
Started: 15 January 2017

This is going to be my "Ten A Day" piece.  I am in catch up mode at the moment so I did 25 stitches on my first day.

Stitching: 15th Jan 2017

For those of you that might not know, the "Ten A Day" project is a Facebook Group Challenge where you choose a WIP or new start that has approx 3,650 stitches and stitch 10 stitches on it each day with the aim being at the end of the year you will have a finish.  Of course that doesn't mean you can't do a smaller or larger project - 3,650 is a guide only.....

stitching: 16 Jan - 21 Jan 2017

Above is an updated photo of "Dog Park" after Saturday's stitching,  I am planning to post my weekly progress on the FB group every Sunday.  I love stitching on this project and do find it quite hard to put it down after the planned number of stitches each day!  By the end of the month I will be up to date and then will continue with 10 stitches a day going forward.

I do have one more new start but as it is a gift I will keep that secret for a wee bit longer!

That's it for now... lots of stitching ahead on new starts and WIPs!  This week is check in week for the 2017 Smalls SAL so fingers crossed I will have a finish by Friday!

Til next time, happy stitching... and no frogging!
Hugs xx