Smalls SAL - April 2022

Hello all!

It's the last Friday of the month so time for the Smalls SAL. Thank you, Mary, for continuing to host this fun little SAL. Pop over to Mary's Blog to see what other participants have been stitching in the way of Smalls this month.

Each month I stitch a small project specifically for this SAL which doesn't appear elsewhere on my blog.

This month I thought I'd return to the Cheeky Fruit collection. Back in 2018 (was it really 4 years ago?!) I stitched the raspberry, pear, pineapple and banana, and thought it about time I added a few more. So, to begin with, here is the strawberry:

Strawberry from Fabulous Fruit in Cross Stitch Crazy issue 192 (I think)

Stitched on 16ct Sorbet over-dyed aida

Started - 13th April 2022

Finished - 23rd April 2022

Total stitching time - 6 hours 5 minutes

Isn't he a funny little chap? The chart doesn't call for them, but I think I might add a white french knot to each eye as his don't look quite right without them.

And then there is my usual monarch of the month, the very merry George IV:

No, you haven't missed George IV's post - for the third month in a row I've stitched but not posted A Monarch A Month. Must rectify that soon!

For next month's small I'll be heading under the sea.

Take care,
Rachel x

French Country Pumpkin - finished!

Morning all!

So my ability to concentrate on anything other than a small project hasn't returned yet, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as it means I've got another finish! I'd only spent 15 minutes on this one previously so it almost felt like a new start.

And here it is:

French Country Pumpkin by JBW Designs

Stitched on 16ct Lichen over-dyed aida with ThreadworX 10348 Pumpkin Spice

Started - 4th September 2021

Finished - 20th April 2022

Total stitching time - 6 hours 5 minutes

The thread's a brighter orange than in the photo, but that's the best I could do without the fabric looking wrong. And this time I'll leave you to find the hidden motifs.

This piece was start number 12/13 from last year's Summer Paralympics and has now become finish number 12/13. With that in mind, I think you might be able to guess where I'm (probably) heading next!

Take care,

Rachel x

French Country Squirrel - finished!

Hi all!

Since the end of the Winter Paralympics a month ago I just can't seem to focus on anything relating to stitching or blogging.

Instead of keeping up-to-date, I've fallen behind again. And instead of stitching on the things I should be stitching on, I've been jumping all over the place and choosing the project which most appeals to me that evening.

Which means I have an unplanned finish!

This little cutie was started for day 11 of last year's Tokyo Summer Olympics and was chosen simply because I didn't want to keep changing colours:

French Country Squirrel by JBW Designs

Stitched on 16ct Lichen over-dyed aida with ThreadworX 10771 Autumn

Started - 3rd September 2021

Finished - 9th April 2022

Total stitching time - 6 hours 45 minutes

I love these designs, trying to spot all of the little motifs hidden within - can you see a bird, an owl, a heart, a basket, an apple/pumpkin, a couple of squirrels and various nuts?

I have the perfect backing fabric to make him into a mini pillow so, hopefully, he won't spend too long in my Box Of Shame. It all depends on how focused I can be.

Take care,

Rachel x

Link-up For Fully Finished Gallery SAL - April 2022

Hello all!

It's the 10th of the month so time for another Fully Finished Gallery SAL, the place to show your FFOing achievements since your last link-up.

The link-up for this SAL opens on the 10th of each month and stays open for 10 days so you can join in whenever you're ready.

Yet again I have only one FFO this month. I still have many pieces in a semi-FFOd condition, and I'm still hoping for a really good FFOing session over Easter, but who knows!

This month's finish is last month's Smalls SAL piece - Green Flying Dragon - which has been FFOd in the usual way, with coordinating fabric and barley twist cord:

Nothing else to say about it really!

Now it's over to you.

Please link-up using the URL of your FFG SAL post and not the home page of your blog, adding a thumbnail of a finish and either your name or your blog name as the caption. The link-up will remain open for 10 days, closing at 6am UK time on 20th April.

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And once again I'm looking forward to seeing your achievements for the month.

Next month's post will go live on 10th May at 6am UK time. Hope to see you there!

Take care,
Rachel x

People's Choice SAL - Series of Designs

Hello all!

It's the first Saturday of the month so time for the People's Choice SAL run by Jo from Serendipitous Stitching. Continued thanks to Jo for hosting this unique SAL which has a different theme each month.

This month's theme is Series Of Designs.

This could be a very long post indeed as there are quite a lot of series I have stitched, am stitching or want to stitch. Or at least I thought so, because I then thought, what is the difference between a series of designs and a set of designs?

I decided (and please feel free to disagree) that a set of designs is published at the same time (as would be found in a magazine, for example) but a series is released over time, usually individually, and with a finite number of designs. A series can then become a set once all in the series have been stitched. Or maybe I'm making things too complicated?

So, with that definition in mind, I made my list and then culled it to the following:

Little Kittens by DMC - so far I've stitched two stitched in the series (Sleepy Kitty and Big Eyes Kitty) leaving three more (Three Cute Cats, Sleepy, and Piano Time) to go. Here they all are:

Little Black Cats by Heritage Crafts - all four have been stitched. Going clockwise from top left they are Cream, Coffee, Tea and Sugar:

There are more Little Black Cat designs, a series of six, which are also on my to-do list. One has been started but barely enough to warrant showing the WIP so I'll show all the cover pictures instead:

A Pair Of Swingers, Basket Case and Beached

Bird Watching, Cooling Off and Don't Do It!

Mini Woodland Folk by DMC - all six have been stitched. They are Toby Fox, Ollie Owl, Bert Badger, Frankie Hedgehog, Mollie Mouse and Sally Squirrel.

There is a series of seven in slightly bigger versions which are also on my to do list... one day... maybe:

Bert Badger and Boris Hare


 Frankie Hedgehog and Molly Mouse


 Ollie Owl and Sally Squirrel

Toby Fox

Solos by Valerie Pfeiffer for Heritage Crafts - all four have been stitched - Chick Berry, Humming Along, Lady In Red, and Simply Wren. Valerie has designed lots more birds including a series of Duets and Trios. As much as I would love to stitch them, none are in my stash. Yet!

If time was no object, the series I would love to stitch the most is the Lavender and Lace Seasonal Celtic Ladies. Most have been converted to different (better) colourways on the internet but these are the originals, which I sure most of you are very familiar with:

     

     

Of course, this list could go on if I included all of the Lizzie Kate's I have stitched or stashed, as she's brilliant at creating series and sets, but I think that's enough for this post.

Next month's theme is Witches; Hubble, bubble toil and trouble!

Take care,

Rachel x