Link-up For Fully Finished Gallery SAL - December 2024

Hello!

It's the 10th of December (where did the year go?!) so time for the final Fully Finished Gallery SAL of 2024!

The FFG SAL is the place to show the cross stitched projects you have FFOd since your last link-up.

As hoped for, I have a fully-finished biscornu this month, one of the two I showed in November's Smalls SAL. I thought I'd work in chronological order so finished March's biscornu first.

I found all the back- and whip stitching really therapeutic so am looking forward to finishing April's biscornu soon.

Now it's your turn.

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 stay open for 10 days.

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And please don't forget to follow other links and support fellow fully-finish-offers.

Unlike other years, I have not yet made any stitching plans for 2025. However, I do intend to keep the Smalls and FFG SALs running. I may not have been around much for most of 2024 but I'm not completely bowing out yet!

Take care,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - November 2024

Hi all!

It's the last Friday of the month, so time for the Smalls SAL.

Entries can be anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, a portion of a big design, or even an unfinished Small if you haven't been able to complete it. All Smalls, or part(s) thereof, are welcome!

Well, I am going to surprise you all this month because I have not one but two Small finishes - sort of! Both are halves of their wholes but, seeing as my Smalls have been negligible this year, I'm counting them!

First up is the back for my April Biscornu:

Started - 28th October 2024

Finished - 3rd November 2024

Total stitching time - 3 hours 30 minutes

The back is a slimmed-down version of the front here:

And then there is the back of the March Biscornu:

Started - 4th November 2024

Finished - 10th November 2024

Total stitching time - 3 hours 5 minutes

Which is also a slimmed-down version of the front:

With any luck, at least one of these should be my FFO for December.

Now it's over to you!

Please link up using the URL of your Smalls SAL post, with a title (usually your name) and a thumbnail. The link will stay open for 10 days.

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I am slowly working on another Small, so fingers crossed there will be another entry next month.

But first, see you on 10th December for the FFG SAL.

Take care,

Rachel x

Link-up For Fully Finished Gallery SAL - November 2024

Hello!

It's the 10th of the month so time for the Fully Finished Gallery SAL - the penultimate one of the year already! This is the place to show the cross stitched projects you have FFOd since your last link-up.

This month I have my third and final Nordic Christmas Sampler. Unsurprisingly it's been completed to match the previous two, using complimentary backing fabric and silver bling ribbon:

Now it's your turn.

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 stay open for 10 days.

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And please don't forget to follow other links and support fellow fully-finish-offers.

In 'treat this with trepidation' news, I am stitching again! It's only for a few minutes, and not every day, but does mean that there will actually be something for me to show in the Smalls SAL later this month! Tiny steps...

Take care,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - October 2024

Hi all!

I'm so sorry, guys... I thought we had another Friday in October but realised today (Monday) that we don't! So I'm going to back-post this and pretend that...

It's the last Friday of the month, so time for the Smalls SAL.

Entries can be anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, a portion of a big design, or even an unfinished Small if you haven't been able to complete it. All Smalls, or part(s) thereof, are welcome!

Once again, I have nothing Small to show, having not picked up a needle for two months now.

So it's straight over to you!

Please link up using the URL of your Smalls SAL post, with a title (usually your name) and a thumbnail. The link will stay open for 10 days.

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In a way I feel really bad continuing to run this SAL when the reason Mary handed it over was because she could not commit to a Smalls finish each month.

So, I think you will all agree that it's about time I gave myself a really good talking to and started stitching again. So that's what I'm going to do starting Monday.

I'll start with one of my Nordic Christmas designs as they are small and simple, and at least will give me something to show in November's Smalls SAL! I've set a target of 15 minutes per day to begin with but whether that leads on to anything else remains to be seen.

I also feel bad being away from blogland and emails for so long, so that's another thing I need to rectify. Fingers crossed.

If I don't appear before, I'll be back on 10th for the FFG SAL. 

Take care,

Rachel x

Link-up For Fully Finished Gallery SAL - October 2024

Hello!

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

I may not be stitching etc at the moment but at least this SAL is keeping me on my toes regarding FFOing, even if it is only the tiniest of contributions!

This month is another Nordic Christmas Sampler, completed the same as last month's simple ornie with complimentary backing fabric and silver bling ribbon:

I guess you'll see the third one next month!

Now it's your turn.

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 stay open for 10 days.

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And please don't forget to follow other links and support fellow fully-finish-offers.

See you next month!

Take care,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - September 2024

Hi all!

It's the last Friday of the month, so time for the Smalls SAL.

Entries can be anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, a portion of a big design, or even an unfinished Small if you haven't been able to complete it. All Smalls, or part(s) thereof, are welcome!

I have nothing Small this month; I haven't actually picked up a needle since I finished last month's Small. Tell a lie... I have picked up a needle once but it was to get a thorn out of a finger, so I don't think that quite counts!

So it's straight over to you; I hope you've been far more successful than me!

Please link up using the URL of your Smalls SAL post, with a title (usually your name) and a thumbnail. The link will stay open for 10 days.

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Let's see what October brings...

Take care,

Rachel x

Link-up For Fully Finished Gallery SAL - September 2024

Hello!

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

Having spent four months FFOing my four Teeny Weeny US National Parks, I had to find something different this month so I turned to Christmas!

This is the first of the Nordic Christmas Samplers I completed at the beginning of the year. I already had some matching Nordic fabrics to use on the back, but wasn't quite sure how I was going to finish the front. I opted to keep it simple by just sticking it onto a piece of card and then edging it with silver bling ribbon:

I assume the other two Nordic Christmas Samplers I have stitched will be FFOd in a similar manner, so you'll probably guess what to expect in October and November!

Now it's your turn.

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 stay open for 10 days.

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And please don't forget to follow other links and support fellow fully-finish-offers.

See you next month!

Take care,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - August 2024

Hi all!

It's the last Friday of the month, so time for the Smalls SAL.

Entries can be anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, a portion of a big design, or even an unfinished Small if you haven't been able to complete it. All Smalls, or part(s) thereof, are welcome!

This month I actually have a finish! It's the front of the April Biscornu shown last month as a WIP. And it's literally hot off the press as it was finished yesterday (although as I finished it I noticed a tiny error in scroll in the top left which needs fixing).

Started 27th March 2024

Finished 29th August 2024

Total stitching time - 8 hours

I do love how these colours remind me of some of the first flowers of spring.

Now it's over to you.

Please link up using the URL of your Smalls SAL post, with a title (usually your name) and a thumbnail. The link will stay open for 10 days.

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Seeing as the fronts of both the March and April Biscornu have been stitched, I suppose I ought to think about the backs, so one of those will probably be my next project. I guess you'll find out which one it is next month!

Take care,

Rachel x

Link-up For Fully Finished Gallery SAL - August 2024

Hello!

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

Not to break the cycle, this month's FFO is another, and the final, of my US National Parks by TeenyWeenyXStich on etsy. Hot Springs has been FFOd exactly the same as the others, except for the shape of the park, which I can't find, so will have to add later.

Now it's your turn.

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 stay open for 10 days.

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And please don't forget to follow other links and support fellow fully-finish-offers.

See you next month!

Take care,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - July 2024

Morning all!

It's the last Friday of the month, so time for the Smalls SAL.

Entries can be anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, a portion of a big design, or even an unfinished Small if you haven't been able to complete it. All Smalls, or part(s) thereof, are welcome!

This month I have nothing completed, but thought I'd show the progress I have made on the April Biscornu. A tiny bit each day, and it's gradually getting there. I love the cheerful colours on this one:

Now it's over to you.

Please link up using the URL of your Smalls SAL post, with a title (usually your name) and a thumbnail. The link will stay open for 10 days.

 

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See you next month, maybe with the above piece completed.

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL - June 2024

Morning all!

Here is the month-late posting for the June Smalls SAL.

Entries for this Smalls SAL can be anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, a portion of a big design, or even an unfinished Small if you haven't been able to complete it. All Smalls, or part(s) thereof, are welcome!

For June I actually had something - well, half of something - the completed front of the March Biscornu:

Now it's over to you!

Please link up using the URL of your Smalls SAL post, with a title (usually your name) and a thumbnail. The link will stay open for 10 days.

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Back in a minute with the July Smalls SAL.

Take care,

Rachel x

Link-up For Fully Finished Gallery SAL - July 2024

Hello!

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

For the third month in a row I have made a scrapbook page of one of the US National Parks by TeenyWeenyXStich on etsy. This time it was the turn of Rocky Mountain, FFOd more or less the same as the previous two showing its location, entry sign, map and icons:

Having now scrapbooked three out of my four US National Parks, I think it's a foregone conclusion what will be appearing as next month's FFO!

Now it's your turn.

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 stay open for 10 days.

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And please don't forget to follow other links and support fellow fully-finish-offers.

See you next month!

Take care,
Rachel x

PS I'm so sorry for missing last month's Small's SAL post; I haven't been near my blog since this time last month (an my emails for much longer) and the fact I am the host totally slipped me by. I'll do a double post this month.

PPS Partly because of the above, I think it's about time I pulled myself together. I've got a couple more weeks of school, then a six week break for the school summer holiday. With the Olympics being timed perfectly at the beginning, it'll be a good time to refocus and regroup and any other buzzword which means getting back to 'normal'. I don't know if this will include the Olympic and Paralympic Stitching Challenges I had planned, but maybe throwing myself into those will get me back on track. We'll see...

Link-up For Fully Finished Gallery SAL - June 2024

Hello!

Good grief, another month gone, so it's time for June's edition of the Fully Finished Gallery SAL, the place to show your cross stitched FFOing achievements since your last link-up.

I only managed to FFO one thing again this month - another scrapbook page of one of the US National Parks as charted by TeenyWeenyXStich on etsy. This time I chose Grand Teton.

I did the same as last month - printed off a map and a few icons related to Grand Teton National Park and stuck them on a piece of torn paper mounted on card. Again, the arrow on the map points to the Park, which has been highlighted with a tiny white pin:

(photo to follow because I can't find it anywhere!)

Two of these National Parks down, two to go!

Now it's your turn.

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 stay open for 10 days.

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And please don't forget to follow other links and support fellow fully-finish-offers.

Hope to see you next month!

Take care,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL link-up - May 2024

Morning all!

It's the last Friday of the month, so time for the Smalls SAL.

Entries can be anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, a portion of a big design, or even an unfinished Small if you haven't been able to complete it. All Smalls, or part(s) thereof, are welcome!

As with April, for May I have nothing again, which is awful considering I've just taken over the hosting, but that's life at the moment.

So, again, this SAL is being handed straight over to you!

Please link up using the URL of your Smalls SAL post, with a title (usually your name) and a thumbnail. The link will stay open for 10 days.

 

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Please stick with this SAL and with me... I will read blogs and leave comments, and read and reply to emails at some point, just not quite yet.

Hoping everything is OK with everyone and blog-land.

Take care,

Rachel x

Link-up For Fully Finished Gallery SAL - May 2024

Hello again!

Another 10th of the month is here again so it's time for May's edition of the Fully Finished Gallery SAL, the place to show your cross stitched FFOing achievements since your last link-up.

This month I've got something totally different to show. I was very much hoping for four, but one is a start and will indicate what I have planned for the remaining three.

This is Grand Canyon National Park, one of the US National Parks as charted by TeenyWeenyXStich on etsy, stitched for last year's Mischievous March, and now completed as an 8"x8" scrapbook page.

All I did was print off a map of US National Parks and a few icons related to Grand Canyon National Park (which I've probably broken copyright laws for since they are pictures of a fridge magnet and various commemorative sew on patches) and stick them on a piece of torn paper mounted on card. The arrow on the map points to the Park, which has been highlighted with a tiny white pin. Et voila...

I've printed off the icons etc. for the other three US National Parks I've stitched so, in theory, they shouldn't take too long to FFO. Famous last words!

Now it's your turn.

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 stay open for 10 days.

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And please don't forget to follow other links and support fellow fully-finish-offers.

Hope to see you next month!

Take care,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL link-up - April 2024

Hello!

It's the last Friday of the month, so time for the Smalls SAL.

Entries can be anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, a portion of a big design, or even an unfinished Small if you haven't been able to complete it. All Smalls, or part(s) thereof, are welcome!

For April I have nothing! Not exactly ideal but that's how it is this month.

So, with nothing to waffle on about, I'll hand this SAL straight over to you!

Please link up using the URL of your Smalls SAL post, with a title (usually your name) and a thumbnail. The link will stay open for 10 days.

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Hopefully you've been much more productive than me. Fingers crossed I'll have something(s) next month.

Take care,

Rachel x

Link-up For Fully Finished Gallery SAL - April 2024

Hello!

I'm AWOL again, but have scheduled this post, and hopefully it works!

It's already another 10th of the month, so here is April's edition of the Fully Finished Gallery SAL, the place to show your cross stitched FFOing achievements since your last link-up.

Yet again I have just the one FFO to show. This was FFOd a while ago but kept in reserve until I had FFOd the other three in this set. Well, that hasn't happened so out it comes!

This is Chick Berry by Valerie Pfeiffer, one of her 'Solos' birds, FFOd as a mini pillow with coordinating fabric and barley twist cord:

I really will have to try hard to finish the other three for next month!

Now it's your turn.

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 stay open for 10 days.

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And please don't forget to follow other links and support fellow fully-finish-offers.

Back again next month for another FFG SAL.

Take care,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL link-up - March 2024

Good morning one and all,

It's the last Friday of the month, so time for the Smalls SAL.

Entries can be anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, a portion of a big design, or even an unfinished Small if you haven't been able to complete it. All Smalls, or part(s) thereof, are welcome!

I only have this month's Nordic Christmas Sampler, this time Love from day 15. Under the 'Love' banner was a simple geometric design, but I thought it should be hearts so stitched those instead:

Nordic Christmas Sampler Day 15 - love by ZindagiDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct White with iridescent pearl/opal flecks

Started - 2nd March 2024

Finished - 13th March 2024

Total stitching time - 6 hours 40 minutes

I really like this one; it's definitely my favourite so far.

Now it's your turn.

You know the format - please link up using the URL of your Smalls SAL post, with a title (usually your name) and a thumbnail. The link will stay open for 10 days.

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I look forward to seeing your Small accomplishments this month!

Take care,

Rachel x

Mischievous March New Start #4 - April Biscornu

Morning all!

Yet another week when I couldn't decide what to start, so took the easy way out with another biscornu.

This is April's biscornu which I chose to stitch in bright spring colours. I've altered the design very slightly to account for it being stitched on aida instead of evenweave, but it doesn't look much different.

April Biscornu by Magical Quilts And More

Stitched on 16ct Rhododendron overdyed aida with Jodyri thread Passionberry Cake

Stitching time to date - 1 hour 30 minutes

Next weekend will be the final Mischievous March new start, a Snuffles in traditional grey/coral colours chosen by Leonore. All I have to do is find the right fabric.

Take care,

Rachel x

Mischievous March New Start #3 - March Biscornu

Morning all!

So having looked through a list of potential new starts, I decided that they were all too big if I wanted to keep to the idea that all Mischievous March new starts should be small. So what to do?

Well, I went back to an old friend - variegated thread - so that I could stitch another biscornu.

It wasn't my intention to stitch the months in order, nor to stitch them as birthstones (as the designer intended) nor in colours relevant to the month. However, having done a lovely-dovey coloured theme for February, and starting this on St Patrick's Day, I thought why not?

So here is the start of March's biscornu. The thread sort of resembles the green of Ireland with the yellow being the Leprechaun's gold and the brown being the pot. And it's stitched on a fabric called Clover, so there are the Irish connections!

March Biscornu by Magical Quilts And More

Stitched on 16ct Clover overdyed aida with Jodyri thread 194 Toxic Banana

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 35 minutes

I love how it's looking so far.

No idea what start number 4 will be yet!

Take care,

Rachel x

A-Z of WIPs Challenge 2024 - E and F

Good afternoon!

The A-Z of WIPs Challenge 2024 is a little SAL being attempted by Serendipitous Jo and myself to stitch our way through an alphabet of WIPs at two/three per month, starting with A and B in January and finishing with Y and Z in December. 

A to D have been successfully completed, so now it's the turn of E and F.

E is for... Elixir Of Luck by CrazyBlendShop (etsy)

Started March 2022 - last worked on April 2023.

I'm sounding like a broken record here, but this was another WIP I didn't want to put down after its two days of attention. I was hoping to stitch all of the bits above the liquid but didn't quite make it. The  pale yellows are really soothing to work with but next time (whenever that may be) I've got the lovely richer darker yellows to look forward to.

Stitching time to date - 9 hours 5 minutes

F is for... France, an 'All Around The World' chart by Soda Stitch

Started July 2021 - last worked on April 2023.

I usually stitch from right to left, but just had to finish the iconic Eiffel tower before carrying on with the lady.

Stitching time to date - 6 hours 10 minutes

These may have only been out for a couple of days, but I really enjoyed working on both and am again happy with my progress.

Next month G and H, where I'm hoping for not one but two 'G' finishes before heading off to a magical village for H.

Take care,

Rachel x