Smalls SAL - June 2016

Good afternoon everybody,

I can't believe another month has flown by and it's time for the Smalls SAL again, hosted by Heather of Stitching Lotus. As you are probably aware by now I am trying to complete a Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings Christmas Ornament each month. My success continues in June with Mistletoe.

Here are the usual photographs:

 Mistletoe from Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings XIV

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Brown aida from Sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch count 50 wide by 50 high

Started - 6th June 2016

Finished -  21st June 2016

Total stitching time - 7 hours 5 minutes

plus a couple of hours to finish

I'm not getting fed up with these Tiny Tidings ornaments but I'm planning on stitching something different for next month's check-in, just for a change. see you then!

Take care everyone,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - May 2016

Good morning all!

It's the last Thursday of the month so time to post about my piece of work for the Smalls SAL, run by Heather of Stitching Lotus. My aim during 2016 is to complete a Christmas Ornament each month. So far it's all going according to plan. I chose another Lizzie Kate piece this month.

Here's the finished piece before being made up:

..... and after:

 Noel

Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings XIV

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Brown over-dyed aida from sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch Count 51 wide by 48 high

Started - 12th May 2016

Finished - 16th May 2016
Total stitching time - 4 hours 45 minutes
Plus a couple of hours to finish off

I omitted the yellow border around the design as I knew I would be using the gold-coloured cord. I also changed the bauble slightly and added gold beads to compliment the backing fabric. Nice and simple, yet very effective.


I also said I would show you the finish-finished cow piece from last month which Ingrid very kindly and very beautifully made into a pin keep:

 photos courtesy of and with permission from Mii Stitch

The finishing off really is perfect. Thank you, Ingrid, you did a fantastic job!


See you next month with another Christmas Ornament.
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - April 2016

Good morning everyone!

It's just gone past the last Thursday of the month so is time to check in with the Smalls SAL run by Heather of Stitching Lotus. I'm a little later than usual as I did not want to interrupt the flow of my A-Z postings. But now they're all over the world's my oyster!!

This month's piece is another Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings I'm afraid, not the CCN I thought I would be stitching. It's been finished in the usual way with matching Christmas fabric and ribbon; I said I had no imagination!

This time I remembered to take a photo of the finished piece before making it up.....

... and after:

 Berry Christmas

Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings XIII

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

Stitch Count 50 wide by 50 high

Started - 18th April 2016

Finished - 22nd April 2016
Total stitching time - 5 hours
Plus a couple of hours to finish off

I'm so happy that my finishing off is getting easier and neater each month. It makes tackling these smalls so much less stressful!

I also stitched a small piece as a gift for the lady who runs the Dairy Cottage where Justine, Ingrid and I have our stitching retreat breaks. Everything in the cottage is cow related so we thought we would each add a small cow to her collection. Ingrid will kindly be finishing all three into matching pin keeps ready for our next break in just under a fortnight! This is my effort:

Friesian Cow (magazine chart)

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

Stitch Count 55 wide by 37 high

Started - 2nd April 2016

Finished - 8th April 2016
Total stitching time - 8 hours 20 minutes

I'll show the completed pin keep next month, along with my next Christmas ornie!

Happy stitching :)
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - March 2016

Good morning everybody!

It's the last Thursday of the month so time to check in for the Smalls SAL run by Heather of Stitching Lotus. This year I am planning to stitch a Christmas ornament each month.

For March I chose Joy from the Lizzie Kate 12 Blessings range and for the third month in a row actually finish-finished it into a little ornament with matching fabric and ribbon:

 Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Brown aida from sewitall.com 2 over 1

Stitch count 36 wide by 36 high

Started - 6th March 2016

Finished - 6th March 2016

Total stitching time - 3 hours 5 minutes

plus a couple of hours to finish off.

If you are familiar with the chart you will see I messed around with it quite a bit, leaving out the candy cane, altering the stocking from having stitched stars to having gold beads and changing and relocating the charm. This chart was a Christmas gift from Mii Stitch who did not know at the time that my mum's name is Joy so was a very apt choice. I hope you don't mind my alterations!

Next month's small will probably be a CCN rather than LK chart. See you at the end of April!

Happy stitching everyone :)
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - February 2016

Hello everybody!

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

This month I have another Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings which I have not only stitched but, for the second month in a row, actually finished! I love the simplicity of these designs and how they stitch up so quickly! Here's how it looked after the stitching.....

..... and after I had made it into an ornament using wadding, Christmas fabric, Christmas ribbon and matching cording:

Joyeux Noel

Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings XV

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

Stitch Count 49 wide by 49 high

Started - 15th February 2016

Finished - 17th February 2016
Total stitching time - 4 hours 55 minutes
Plus a couple of hours to finish off

The wadding is still a little thin at the top but overall I am much happier with the finish this month. I will certainly not be embarrassed putting this one on display at Christmas!

Now to pop over to some of the other Samlls SAL blogs.

See you next month.
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - January 2016

Good evening everybody!

This year I am participating in the Smalls SAL run by Heather from Stitching Lotus. If you're popping over from there to me for the first time, hello! If you're one of my regular followers, then hello to you too!

Each month I plan to stitch (and finish-finish) a small Christmas Ornament specifically for this SAL so that, come December, I'll have lots of Christmas goodies with which to decorate a tree. Of course, if I finish any other small pieces I might post about them too!

My choice for January was "Nice List" by Lizzie Kate.

I made a hanging ornament using wadding, Christmas fabric, Christmas ribbon and cording which I whip-stitched over the seams. I have little imagination when it comes to making ornaments so don't be surprised if all 12 are finished the same!! Annoyingly I didn't take a photo of the finished piece before sewing it all together so all you get to see is this at the front...

... and this at the back:

I'm On The Nice List

Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings XV

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

Stitch Count 49 wide by 49 high

Started - 7th January 2016

Finished - 17th January 2016
Total stitching time - 7 hours 15 minutes
Plus three evenings to finish off

I'm certainly not 100% happy with it as the top corners poke a bit, the wadding is thin at the top and I don't like the way the cord has frayed and is hanging. BUT I know you're all going to be polite and tell me it looks fine and that I am being fussy, so I'll shut up about it!

I'm already looking forward to stitching February's ornament and hopefully making a better job of the finishing!

TTFN,
Rachel x