#24HoursOfCrossStitch - October Challenges

Hi all,

Here is my monthly posting for the #24HoursOfCrossStitch Challenge, the brainchild of Jen from QuirksandStitches (blog fairly inactive but she does do Facebook, Instagram and Flosstube).

This is also a good excuse to round up and summarise all the stitching I achieved during the month. Apologies that much of this is a repetition of yesterday's Dark October post but I need to put the same piccies in here too.

I had so much fun again this month, although it was made a little easier by stitching on thirteen different projects and therefore having so many to choose from. I'm still shoe-horning though, so for those of you who like that fun element I haven't let you down!

I've slightly changed the way I'm listing everything so that it's more in keeping with the format of the challenges. The same information is still there though.


1) Stitch for 24 hours during the month, including a minimum of 24 minutes each day

Not a problem! I stitched for a total of 70 hours 30 minutes during October, much more than usual due to stitching a little bit for Dark October most mornings and treating myself to a couple of selfish and intense stitching days.


2) Fill in the acrostic DARK OCTOBER XS, explain the connections and pick a 24 minute, 4 hour or 8 hour goal for each letter.

I'd planned my month around nine projects, duplicating four in order to complete the 13 letter acrostic. However, towards the end of the month four additional projects which just 'happened to slip in' conveniently replaced the four duplicates. Total goal time adds up to just under 40 hours. All goals were achieved.

 D - A Little Wizard Of The Night by Soda Stitch (WIP)

Connection - it is being stitched on Dusky Sky fabric

Goal - at least 24 minutes

Actual - 5h 45m (a couple of good long sessions when hubby was away!)

A - Haunted Library by Mill Hill (new start)

Connection - in libraries fiction books are shelved alphabetically by author

Goal - at least 4 hours

Actual - 6h 30m

R - Spooky Hootie by Pinoy Stitch (new start)

Connection - RIP is written on the gravestone

Goal - at least 4 hours from start to finish

Actual - 6h 10m

K - Trick Or Treat by Sue Hillis Designs (new start)

Connection - when children go trick of treating they knock on doors

Goal - at least 4 hours

Actual - 9h 40m

 O - A Little Witch Of The Night by Soda Stitch (WIP)

Connection - she has bright orange hair

Goal - at least 24 minutes

Actual - 1h 45m

C - Hocus Pocus by Sue Hillis Designs (unplanned new start)

Connection - there is a cat in the design

Goal - originally none, but at least 24 minutes once started

Actual - 2h

T - October Birthstone by Palkolap (new start)

Connection - the birthstone of the month is tourmaline

Goal - at least 4 hours from start to finish

Actual - 5h 40m

O - Candelabra by Sue Hillis Designs (unplanned new start)

Connection - because it's very ornate

Goal - originally none, but at least 24 minutes once started

Actual - 1h 55m

B - Hogwarts In A Bottle by CutePatternsbyMaria (WIP)

Connection - a lot of backstitching needed to be added to the buildings

Goal - at least 8 hours

Actual - 15h 35m

E - Chandelier by Sue Hillis Designs (new start)

Connection - it's being stitched with Etoile thread

Goal - at least 8 hours from start to finish

Actual - 8h 30m

R - Bird Candelabra by Sue Hillis Designs (unplanned new start)

Connection - it's home to three rooks (or ravens? but definitely not crows) 

Goal - originally none, but at least 24 minutes once started

Actual - 1h 45m

X - Kings And Queens by Bothy Threads (WIP)

Connection - Edward II was the tenth (X in Roman numerals) monarch

Goal - at least 4 hours from start to finish

Actual - 4h 30m

S - Boo! by Sue Hillis Designs (unplanned new start)

Connection - when someone shouts 'boo!' it's usually to scare you!

Goal - originally none, but at least 24 minutes once started

Actual - 45m

3) Connect 12 or more of the given holidays to your projects and stitch for at least 24 minutes on each. (Each of my thirteen projects went on one holiday. See above for time spent on each one.)

The 14th is definitely my favourite!

1st - World Vegetarian Day - October In Tourmaline - I'm an October baby and I've been a vegetarian for 31 years.

2nd - National Walk and Bike to School Day - A Little Wizard Of The Night - why walk or bike when you can use a broom and fly?

6th - National Mad Hatter Day - Boo! - because there's a hat in the design.

9th - National Chess Day - Kings and Queens - there are kings and queens on a chess board (although my queen usually goes AWOL quite quickly!)

10th - World Mental Health Day - Candelabra - there are candles on the candelabra, and candles often help people relax and improve their mental well-being.

11th - World Egg Day - Bird Candelabra - birds lay eggs.

12th - National Farmers' Day - Spooky Hootie - one type of owl is a Barn Owl and barns are usually associated with farms.

14th - National Kick Butt Day - Chandelier - in The Phantom of the Opera, the Phantom brings down the chandelier onto the audience in the Paris Opera House as a message that he means business and shouldn't be messed with. Is this the 19th century version of kicking butt?!

19th National New Friends Day - Hogwarts In A Bottle - because school is a good place to make new friends.

26th - National Pumpkin Day - A Little Witch Of The Night - she has a pumpkin hanging from her broom (although I haven't stitched it yet!)

27th - National Black Cat Day - Hocus Pocus - because there's a black cat on the design.

28th - National Chocolate Day - Trick Or Treat - when children (or adults!) go trick-or-treating at Halloween it's usually in exchange for chocolate.

29th - National Hermit Day - Haunted Library - if you're going to be a hermit then a library is as good a place as any.

What fun!

November's challenges are out and already being populated. However, since I have no intention of stitching on so many different projects in November, they may be a little more difficult to fill in. Find out this time next month.

Take care,
Rachel x