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

Smalls SAL - November 2018

Hi all!

For the penultimate time in 2018 it's the last Friday of the month and time to post my piece for the Smalls SAL, run by Heather of Stitching Lotus.

November saw me go bananas and stitch another piece of cheeky fruit:

Banana from Fabulous Fruit
Designed by Jenny Barton in Cross Stitch Crazy magazine issue 192 (I think)

Stitched on 16ct Sundrop over-dyed aida from Sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch count 35 wide by 38 high

Started - 1st November 2018

Finished - 4th November 2018

Total stitching time - 5 hours 45 minutes

I actually made a mistake and stitched it off-centre which meant I just about had the required amount of fabric to make it into an ornie - and I mean just! So I very carefully finished it off using yellow spotted backing fabric and coordinating barley twist cord:

And here's my four pieces of healthy fruit salad I've stitched this year:

There are still six more pieces of fruit to stitch but I won't be doing them for a long while yet; I'm not so keen on them and four is a healthy enough fruit salad to be getting on with!

For the final month of 2018... something Christmassy.

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL - September 2018

Hello again!

It's the last Friday of September (well, it was yesterday!) so time for another check-in for the Smalls SAL run by Heather of Stitching Lotus. Continued thanks to our host for running this SAL.

For September I went all tropical and fruity and stitched another cheeky fruit to add to my collection:

Pineapple from Fabulous Fruit
Designed by Jenny Barton in Cross Stitch Crazy magazine issue 192 (I think)

Stitched on 16ct Peach Cobbler over-dyed aida from Sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch count 37 wide by 41 high

Started - 1st September 2018

Finished - 4th September 2018

Total stitching time - 4 hours 50 minutes

This one was finished off using spotty orange backing fabric and orange barley twist cord:

I've got one more fruit I am planning to stitch this year and then I'll show them all together.

For October I'm adding to my Parliament and stitching in a colour I rarely get to use.

Take care,
Rachel x

PS I haven't read any blogs for the whole of September so will be doing a bit of catching up soon!

Smalls SAL - March 2018

Hello everybody!

It's the last Friday of the month again so time to check in with the Smalls SAL run by Heather of Stitching Lotus.

This month I stitched another piece of cheeky fruit. May I introduce Percy Pear:

Pear from Fabulous Fruit
Designed by Jenny Barton in Cross Stitch Crazy magazine issue 192 (I think)

Stitched on 16ct Lichen over-dyed aida from sewitall.com 2 over 1
Stitch count - 29 wide by 39 high
Started - 1st March 2018
Finished - 4th March 2018
Total stitching time - 4 hours 30 minutes

I don't think he's quite as cute as January's raspberry but he's still a lot of fun and looking forward to great big hug!

And, as usual, he's been finished in my usual way:

Next month... a second Australian tweety.

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL - January 2018

Good afternoon everybody!

It's the start of a new year for the Smalls SAL and thanks as ever go to Heather at Stitching Lotus for running this SAL for another year.

After stitching on the same project each month for the whole of 2017, this year I've decided to stitch different smalls each month, just to give me (and you) some variety.

So here's my first project of the year. The chart for this cheeky chappy (sadly named Rupert the Raspberry) appeared on my blog back in April 2016 when I was stitching the April A-Z Challenge. I said he'd make an appearance one day and, almost two years later, here he is!

Raspberry from Fabulous Fruit
Designed by Jenny Barton in Cross Stitch Crazy magazine issue 192 (I think)

Stitched on 16ct Shrimp over-dyed aida from sewitall.com 2 over 1
Stitch count - 32 wide by 39 high
Started - 1st January 2018
Finished - 4th January 2018
Total stitching time - 6 hours 25 minutes

He was such a fun little stitch - really easy but also very effective. Even the backstitching was fun to do! I'm planning three more of these fruity-fellows this year but don't know when they'll appear.

And I've actually finished him off too! He's been made into a little hanging ornament which lives in the kitchen above the fruit bowl.

I hope you like him!

Back next month with a little tweety.
Rachel x