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

Smalls SAL link-up - March 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!

This month I am back to having just the one Small; the Nordic Advent Calendar piece. And, as usual, the design has been adjusted to account for the omitted number, and the colours adjusted more to my liking!

Nordic Advent day 3 - Hope by Zindagi Designs (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct White aida with pearl/iridescent flecks

Started - 1st March 2025

Finished - 7th March 2025

Total Stitching Time - 5 hours

There are a couple of Smalls I am close to finishing, but I'll save the reveal for another post.

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 March.

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I look forward to seeing your contributions!

See you again next month.

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL link up - February 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!

This month I have three smalls.

The first is one of the Nordic Advent Calendar pieces which I stitch specifically for this SAL. And as usual I have altered the design slightly to take into account the fact I omit the number:

Nordic Advent day 5 - Bauble by Zindagi Designs (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct White aida with pearl/iridescent flecks

Started - 1st February 2025

Finished - 6th February 2025

Total Stitching Time - 5 hours 15 minutes

The other two Smalls you might have seen in previous posts as finishes from my WIP pile:

Japan (Mount Fuji) Bauble

Night Lantern Stamp

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 March.

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I look forward to seeing your contributions!

See you again next month.

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 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

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.

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.

I look forward to seeing your Small accomplishments this month!

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL link-up - January 2024

Good morning one and all,

And welcome to the new home of the Smalls SAL! Once again, thank you Mary for hosting for the last five years, and thank you for choosing me to take over; I'm really excited to be hosting!

I've kept the new logo similar. Judging by the size of the needle, that hoop must be about 0.75" making the design a very small Small indeed!

The Smalls SAL will continue as usual, with the link-up opening on the last Friday of the month and staying open for (yes, you guessed it!) ten days.

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!

So let's start the ball rolling with my red-themed Smalls this month.

This is the first of the Nordic Christmas Sampler charts I will be stitching over the next two years or so. There are only four colours in these designs - brown, ecru, grey and red - but that didn't stop me making changes! The red 349 and ecru are as charted, but the brownish-grey 648 has been subbed with a nice silvery-grey 2, and the 869 brown used for the outer and inner borders has been, and will continue to be, subbed with one the other colours, in this instance red:

Nordic Christmas Sampler Day 16 - snowflake by ZindagiDesigns (etsy)

Stitched on 16ct White with iridescent pearl/opal flecks

Started - 1st January 2024

Finished - 7th January 2024

Total stitching time - 5 hours 45 minutes

I knew the borders would be quite time-consuming (3 hours) but also really like them. They will be good for those evening when mindless stitching is required!

Then I have a simple Santa for Clare's Christmas Tree. You will have seen a similar Santa last year but I'm not going to show all of this one here as it's a gift and I would like Clare to have that honour:

Santa, based on Red and White Advent Calendar day 13 by Durene Jones

Stitched on 16ct White with iridescent pearl/opal flecks using 666 and Etoile 666

Started - 12th January 2024

Finished - 13th January 2024

Total stitching time - 2 hours 50 minutes

And, although his details as 'A Monarch A Month' won't be posted for a while yet, the next monarch has finally been stitched (about time too!)

William IV from Kings and Queens by Bothy Threads

Stitched on 32ct Vintage Grey murano

Started - 9th January 2024

Finished - 12th January 2024

Total stitching time - 5 hours 15 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.

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.

I look forward to seeing your Small accomplishments this month.

Take care,

Rachel x