Smalls SAL link-up - June 2025

Hi all!

Can you believe we're half way through the year already, and this is the sixth time in 2025 I'm saying it's the last Friday of the month so welcome to 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!

Yet again I have just one Small, another Nordic Advent Calendar piece. I'm not happy with my colour choices as I think the red should have been the ribbon and bow, but they look OK. There should have been the number in the top left and a bird in the top right, but I replaced those with snowflakes, as you can see. It'll do!

Nordic Advent day 17 - Presents by Zindagi Designs (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct White aida with pearl/iridescent flecks

Started - 1st June 2025

Finished - 26th June 2025

Total Stitching Time - 5 hours 30 minutes

Now it's your turn.

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 until 7th July.

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I look forward to seeing your contributions!

See you again next month.

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL link-up - April 2025

Hi all!

It's the last Friday of the month so welcome to 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!

Just one Small again for me this month, another of the Nordic Advent Calendar pieces. I like the simplicity of this one:

Nordic Advent day 25 - Tree by Zindagi Designs (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct White aida with pearl/iridescent flecks

Started - 1st April 2025

Finished - 15th April 2025

Total Stitching Time - 4 hours 15 minutes

Now it's your turn.

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 until 5th May.

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I look forward to seeing your contributions!

See you again next month.

Take care,

Rachel x

Night Lantern Stamp - finished!

Hi all!

I have another finish!

This is one of my four 2022 Mischievous March starts, although only the second to be completed.

Here's how I left Night Lantern Stamp after returning and adding a bit to it in 2023...

... and here it is completed:

Night Lantern Stamp by SweetAnnet (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct cream aida

Started - 26th March 2022

Finished - 20th February 2025

Total stitching time - 15 hours 40 minutes

The frosted white and gold beads replace charted white and yellow french knots respectively. I don't think they look as good as the french knots would but as french knots are a definite no-go area for me, beads it was. And I'm still really really happy with the finish.

At the moment, I'm getting on well with this new 'no-plans' approach to my stitching. I never thought I'd be a OAAT stitcher but I'm finding it really satisfying to simply pick up a WIP and stitch a little each day until the project is completed. Of course, it helps that these are small projects so maybe that will change once I've exhausted my supply of small WIPs, but that's quite a way off yet!

Having said that, this was a Mischievous March project and since March is almost upon us I am at odds about whether to start four new projects for Mischievous March 2025. Part of me wants to (well, why not?) but I'm also asking myself if I want increase my WIPs again. I've got a week to make up my mind...

Take care,

Rachel x

 

Japan (Mount Fuji) Bauble - finished!

Hi all!

After the success of showing three Small finishes in the Smalls SAL post, I'm back with another one!

This was the final of the four pieces started for Mischievous March last year.

Here's how I left it after 3h 30m of work:

... and here it is completed:

Japan (Mount Fuji) Bauble by 1000sPatterns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Spring Sky aida

Started - 4th March 2024

Finished - 31st January 2025

Total stitching time - 10 hours 5 minutes

It is supposed to have a bauble top but I just wanted it to be a circle so left it out and adjusted the pattern to compensate. Considering how small it is (39 x 38) I love how this turned out. Now to add this to my Box Of Shame whilst working out how to fully-finish it.

In the meantime I need to find another WIP to finish...

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL link up - January 2025 (including three Small WIP finishes!)

Hi all!

And welcome to the first Smalls SAL of 2025!

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 happens to a lot of us in January, I'm off to a flying start with four - yes, four - entries! One was a January new start, the other three were WIPs.

First is one of the Nordic Advent Calendar pieces which I would like to stitch at one a month specifically for this SAL. As usual I have left off the number and adjusted the pattern a little:

Nordic Advent day 7 - Heart by Zindagi Designs (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct White aida with pearl/iridescent flecks

Started - 1st January 2025

Finished - 10th January 2025

Total Stitching Time - 6 hours 45 minutes

So having finished the Smalls SAL piece I was free to work on whatever I wanted, and that gave me a choice of 63 WIPs!

I started with one left over from Mischievous March 2024, having decided it was small and simple enough to not require much brain power. There is supposed to be a spider on the left of the pumpkin but that is one thing I absolutely won't stitch. Here's the finish:

Halloween Pumpkin (magazine chart)

Stitched on 16ct Azalea aida

Started - 11th March 2024

Finished - 20th January 2025

Total Stitching Time - 11 hours 55 minutes

Then I went right back to my fourth oldest WIP. I started this back in 2008 and wasn't sure why I had never finished it. Then I discovered that I was using some of the DMC metallic threads, including for the backstitching, and they are really awful to work with. I'd left it with only the two eyes, the eight crumbs and the majority of the backstitching to do, so just over one hour (and a lot of frustration) later I had another Small finish:

Greedy Robin by Mouseloft

Stitched on 14ct cream aida

Started - September 2008

Finished - 21st January 2025

Total Stitching Time - 4 hours 5 minutes

Then I picked up another WIP from 2008. This one was put aside after stitching just the giraffe's face as it had bad memories attached to it. But 16 years have made a difference so I bit the bullet and finished it in just under two hours:

Giraffe by Mouseloft

Stitched on 14ct rustic green aida

Started - March 2008

Finished - 23rd January 2025

Total Stitching Time - 3 hours 5 minutes

So not only is that a good Smalls start, it's also a good start for the year, and clears out three old WIPs, which made me question why I'd never finished them sooner! Only 60 WIPs now left to choose from!

Now it's your turn.

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 until 10th February.

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Back next month, but probably not with four Smalls!

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

Smalls SAL link-up - February 2024

Good morning one and all,

Here we are again - the last Friday of the month - so it's 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 three Smalls this month - a Christmas piece, a new start, and a monarch.

Here is this month's Nordic Christmas Sampler. This is the Star which was charted as Day 1. I swapped some of the colours and am not that taken with my interpretation but am not going to frog and restitch:

Nordic Christmas Sampler Day 1 - star by ZindagiDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct White with iridescent pearl/opal flecks

Started - 1st February 2024

Finished - 5th February 2024

Total stitching time - 8 hours 15 minutes

Second is a new start and finish. After a break from stitching for eight days (yes, I know.... shocking... but rather forced upon me than by choice!) I wanted to stitch something simple so started the February Geometric Square by Magical Quilts And More which will be finished as a biscornu. The back is not as detailed as the front because... well... what's the point?! I thought it apt that I should start this on St. Valentine's Day with appropriately coloured love-themed fabric and thread:

February Geometric Square by Magical Quilts And More

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Pink aida with Jodyri thread #53 Tropical Bay

Started - 14th February 2024

Finished - 19th February 2024

Total stitching time - 10 hours 25 minutes

Finally, at the end of last month I was at a bit of a loose end so stitched the next monarch, Victoria. Goodness knows when her actual 'A Monarch A Month' post will appear but at least she's ready to go!) I'm not sure I like her features and expression, but she was rather haughty so they kind of work:

Victoria from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Stitched on 32ct Vintage Grey murano

Started - 27th January 2024

Finished - 30th January 2024

Total stitching time - 6 hours 45 minutes

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

Smalls SAL - December 2023

Hello all!

It's the last Friday of the month, and of the year, so here's my final Smalls SAL post of 2023. Thank you once again, Mary, for hosting.

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

For December, I went totally overboard!

I started off with something Small and Christmassy; a QR code similar to the one I stitched a couple of years ago. I won't include what it says just yet, instead hope you have an app that can read it!

QR Code by NorthEastStitching (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Holly with sparkles over-dyed aida using ThreadworX 1085 Christmas Time

Started - 2nd December 2023

Finished - 2nd December 2023

Total Stitching time - 2 hours 30 minutes

And then, prepare yourself for more... lots more!

You see, I sort of went shopping on etsy during the Black Friday sales. There is one particular store I have had as a favourite for a long time but never bought anything from, and that is LaSelvaDesign. The store's contents are mostly small cute animal charts and during the sales I gave in and purchased two sets (although I am eyeing up a few lots more!)

Anyway I fancied a quick stitch so out came this little chap...

Front-Facing Dolphin (right) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Lagoon over-dyed aida

Started - 3rd December 2023

Finished - 4th December 2023

Total stitching time - 2 hours 45 minutes

...followed by this one...

Swimming Dolphin (right) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Lagoon over-dyed aida

Started - 11th December 2023

Finished - 11th December 2023

Total stitching time - 2 hours 55 minutes

...and then the third one to complete the set!

Jumping Dolphin (left) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Lagoon over-dyed aida

Started - 16th December 2023

Finished - 16th December 2023

Total stitching time - 2 hours 50 minutes

Bearing in mind the mirror-image charts are also provided with the purchased charts (hence the 'left' or 'right' added to the titles) this isn't strictly the complete set, but one of each pose will suffice for now!

And then, if that wasn't enough, out came the second set!

First up was this one...

Side-Facing Scarlet Macaw (left) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Icy Topaz over-dyed aida

Started - 20th December 2023

Finished - 20th December 2023

Total stitching time - 4 hours 35 minutes

...followed by this one...

Front-Facing Scarlet Macaw (right) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Icy Topaz over-dyed aida

Started - 21st December 2023

Finished - 21st December 2023

Total stitching time - 4 hours 5 minutes

...and finally this one!

Flying Scarlet Macaw (left) by LaSelvaDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Icy Topaz over-dyed aida

Started - 22nd December 2023

Finished - 23rd December 2023

Total stitching time - 3 hours 55 minutes

It was a bit exceptionally naughty of me to start more projects when I should have been concentrating on other things, but I think you can see why I couldn't resist them! Anyway, it was the build-up to Christmas and for once I was free enough to be able to stitch during the day. Sometimes school holidays are great!!

So that's all the Smalls from me for this year then. Next year I have the first 12 of yet another set of Advent ornies planned, so let's see what happens.

In more news...

You should have read by now that Mary is handing over the reigns of the Small SAL, and it is me who will be taking them on!

The format will be exactly the same... link up on the last Friday of the month with anything Small you have cross stitched during the month, be it an individual piece, part of a set, or a portion of a big design. What constitutes Small is very much up to you... for me it is a design of about 45x45 stitches, or one that would take under 10 hours to stitch, but if you think 100x100 is Small, then it's Small! I look forward to seeing your cross stitched submissions in 2024.

Finally, all that remains to be said is thank you, Mary, for taking over the Smalls SAL from Heather and hosting for the last five years. Hopefully you'll still drop in, but with the pressure off to stitch a Small each month we all know it will be at your own pace.

See you in the Smalls SAL next year then!

Take care,
Rachel x

Merry Christmas By The Letter - finished?

Hi all,

For Christmas in July 2021 I started Lizzie Kate's Merry Christmas By The Letter. I carried on in December 2021, and again during Christmas in July 2022. Then it got put aside until this month, when I was determined it would become a pre-Christmas finish.

So with trashy Christmas films in the background (most of which tell roughly the same story so you don't actually have to 'watch' them) I set to work.

Here's how I left it in July 2022:

And now all finished after having added the final three letters, the fireplace and the buttons (and having gone through about two dozen trashy Christmas films!):

Merry Christmas By The Letter by Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Golden over-dyed aida

Started - 6th July 2021

Finished - 20th December 2023

Total stitching time - 76 hours 45 minutes

I made a few subtle changes to the layout, leaving out a row of snowflakes under the 'Y' (although I don't know why!) and moving some letters around a space or two.

The reason I'm questioning whether or not it's finished is because I'm tempted to make some additions. Part of me says leave it as it is but part says it might look better if:

 - the fireplace was extended to make a full hearth rather than just the top half

 - a wreath of beads was added to the fireplace

 - and maybe a small border of holly, with beads for the berries, was added

I don't know. What do you think? If I did make any or all of the above additions they would not be until next year's Christmas in July so I've got six months to think about them!

Take care,

Rachel x

 

Moonset Ornaments 1, 2, 3 and 4 all finished (possibly!)

Good morning one and all!

For Naughty November I started four new projects, all of which were fairly small and all of which I hoped to finish during the month.

Well, I didn't quite manage it, but wasn't far off; just one day off in fact, finishing the final design on 1st December.

As is usual for my WBTW projects, I made a few small changes...

 - the lighter parts of the moon in all four were stitched using a blend of 762 and C415, and the darker parts using 168 and C318.

 - the Gates and Lamppost have had one strand of normal 3799 replaced with C3799.

 - the Cenotaph and Cross were stitched with the brighter 167, 738, 3823 and 3865 instead of the muted 840, 841, 842 and 3866 respectively.

Other than that, they are stitched as charted!

Ornament 1

Hmmm... compared to the cover picture above, the black cats are a bit lost in the shadows. I'm thinking of frogging the shadows and either stitching them in one strand or subbing for a lighter grey than 3799.

Ornament 1 'Gate' from Moonset by Whispered By The Wind

Stitched on 32ct Vintage Dark Grey Murano

Started - 4th November 2023

Finished - 27th November 2023

Total stitching time - 21 hours

Ornament 2

Even taking into account perspective, this seems a little out of proportion to me... that's one big owl! But at least the Cenotaph doesn't (quite) look like a skyscraper anymore!

Ornament 2 'Cenotaph' from Moonset by Whispered By The Wind

Stitched on 32ct Vintage Dark Grey Murano

Started - 11th November 2023

Finished - 28th November 2023

Total stitching time - 15 hours 5 minutes

Ornament 3

I really love the detail of the cross on this one but, again, the owl looks a little too big.

Ornament 3 'Cross' from Moonset by Whispered By The Wind

Stitched on 32ct Vintage Dark Grey Murano

Started - 18th November 2023

Finished - 30th November 2023

Total stitching time - 10 hours 50 minutes

Ornament 4

Although this is as charted, I think the lamppost needs a base. It's artistic, but looks incomplete. I should have enough spare fabric for another 10 or so rows, so maybe this one isn't complete after all! It's nice to have a little bit of colour though.

Ornament 4 'Lamppost' from Moonrise by Whispered By The Wind

Stitched on 32ct Vintage Dark Grey Murano

Started - 25th November 2023

Finished - 1st December 2023

Total stitching time - 5 hours 55 minutes

So that's all four of my Naughty November starts finished, unless I change the shadows and /or extend the lamppost. It's also another four pieces added to my Box Of Shame; if I don't get FFOing soon, I'll need a bigger box!

Time to focus on Christmas stitching now and, if I'm lucky, another finish.

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL - November 2023

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 (or more) specifically for this SAL which doesn't appear elsewhere on my blog.

Having finished all the Advent Calendar, I wanted something non-Christmassy this month, so out came an old favourite, Snuffles The Baby Dragon. This is him in Lime:

Snuffles In Lime by FuzzyFoxDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Lime over-dyed aida with DMC 704, 906 and 907

Started - 1st November 2023

Finished - 2nd November 2023

Total Stitching time - 3 hours 50 minutes

This is now my sixth Snuffles; the collection continues to grow!

Next month, being December, a little Christmas something, I think.

Take care,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - October 2023

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 (or more) specifically for this SAL which doesn't appear elsewhere on my blog.

So, I haven't linked up to this Smalls SAL for six months (sorry, Mary) but am back this month in time to show the final two little Advent ornies:

Red And White Advent Calendar Day 19 Star by Durene Jones

Stitched on 16ct white with silver lurex aida using a blend of DMC 725 and DMC Etoile 725

Started - 5th May 2023

Finished - 6th October 2023

(mislaid for a few months!)

Total Stitching time - 3 hours

Red And White Advent Calendar Day 16 Stocking by Durene Jones

Stitched on 16ct white with silver lurex aida using a blend of DMC 603 and DMC Etoile 603

Started - 7th October 2023

Finished - 10th October 2023

Total Stitching time - 3 hours 25 minutes

These have all been so enjoyable to stitch, and are one of those designs that I would happily stitch all over again but in a different colour scheme.

Talking of stitching all over again, next month's Small SAL will see the return of an old favourite 🐉!

Take care,
Rachel x

Deathly Hallows In A Bottle - finished!

Hi all!

For Dark October my plan was to try to make some progress on two or three Halloween-ish WIPs. The first, Haunted Library, received 10 hours of progress, the second has resulted in a finish!

This is Deathly Hallows in a Bottle the last of the four Harry Potter themed bottles I started during Mischievous March 2021. It's not exactly Halloween-y but does at least have 'deathly' in the title so is good for Dark October! The last time I worked on this, for the April A-Z Challenge, it didn't float my boat at all and I gave it an enjoyment rating of 4/10. This time, however, I couldn't put it down! Strange how quickly tastes change.

Here's where I picked it up:

Here it is without any backstitching:

And completed:

Deathly Hallows In A Bottle by MagicStitchStudio (no longer on etsy)

Stitched on 16ct Sketch Grey over-dyed aida

Started - 5th March 2021

Finished - 24th October 2023

Total stitching time - 18 hours 5 minutes

So not only can I now cross one off my WIP list, I can also cross off Mischievous March 2021 as having being completed; a double woo-hoo!

There's still a week of Dark October left and I'm switching to a third WIP, one which I think may receive a lot of attention!

Take care,

Rachel x

Link-up For Fully Finished Gallery SAL - May 2023

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.

April went by in a blur and May has, so far, not been much better so only one Advent ornie for me this month, but that's better than none! I missed posting it to the Smalls SAL, so you get the details as well:

Red And White Advent Calendar Day 18 Cracker by Durene Jones

Stitched on 16ct white with silver lurex aida using a blend of DMC 699 and DMC Etoile 699

Started - 23rd April 2023

Finished - 4th May 2023

Total stitching time - 3 hours

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 remain open for 10 days, closing at 6am UK time on 20th May.

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

Next month's post will go live on 10th June at 6am UK time.

Take care,

Rachel x