Christmas In July - round-up (plus one new start and three finishes)

Hi all,

So I've reached the end of Christmas In July. If you've been stitching for Christmas In July I hope you enjoyed it!

For the majority of the month I focused on two Lizzie Kate charts, although did have time for a couple of small finishes and a surprise new start and finish.

The big focus was Merry Christmas By The Letter which started like this...

... and ended like this, with 17 hours and 20 minutes of stitching resulting in the addition of four more panels. That brings the total time spent on this so far to 51 hours and 40 minutes. I really hope this will be a finish when I return to it in December.

The other Lizzie Kate Christmas piece was a Tiny Tidings I stitched for the Smalls SAL:

As for the other stitching...

I decided to take some time out on Sunday and stitch a very small Christmas design. I won't tell you what it says - you'll have to find out for yourself (I have tested it and it does work):

QR Code

Stitched on 16ct Holly over-dyed aida with sparkles using DMC 321 and 987

Stitch count 21 wide by 21 high

Started - 31st July 2022

Finished - 31st July 2022

Total stitching time - 1 hour 35 minutes

And finally I finished another two letters (which I've been slowly adding to for the last few months) for Clare's Alphabet Christmas Tree. I won't share pictures of them as Clare won't have received them yet. They'll appear in my August Smalls SAL though.

So quite a successful Christmas month.

The next month with a specific focus is Dark October, meaning that I now have August and September to maybe try to catch up on the Monarchs and The Loneliness Of Autumn.

Or... if I still can't focus on those, perhaps I'll slip in a new start (or three). I've been wanting to try a biscornu for a while and now have some suitable geometric-type charts along with a few Jodyri variegated threads I treated myself to. Sounds like the perfect combination, don't you think?!

Take care,

Rachel x

Smalls SAL - July 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.

Seeing as my focus this month is Christmas In July, so my Smalls SAL is Christmassy. I've stitched a few Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings designs in the past, but none since this time last year, so am due another one. I usually add a few beads to each dsign, but liked the fact this one had space for a charm. How convenient I should have a perfect one in my stash!

Deck The Halls from Tiny Tidings IX by Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Brown over-dyed aida

Started - 23rd July 2022

Finished - 28th July 2022

Total stitching time - 6 hours 35 minutes

At first I wasn't overly keen on the blue house, especially given that all the other Tiny Tidings I've stitched so far stick to browns, greens, pinks and reds. Do you think it might look better with, say, a dark red roof and a mid-brown bricks? Honest opinions please.

Without even looking through my Smalls list, I think next month's offering is going to have to be another Snuffles... but which colour???

Take care,
Rachel x

Smalls SAL - July 2021

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.

To accompany the idea of Christmas In July, I chose a small Lizzie Kate piece. I stitched some of these a few years ago and thought it was about time I stitched some more, even if it's only going to be one each year!

Merry by Lizzie Kate from Tiny Tidings IX

Stitch Count 50 wide by 50 high

Stitched on 16ct Cloud Brown over-dyed aida by sewitall.com

Started - 2nd July 2021

Finished - 5th July 2021

Total stitching time - 5 hours 35 minutes

As is usual with my little Tiny Tidings, I added beads, swapping out white french knots for the gold beads. Much easier and a little bling-y!

Next month... back to a cutie!

Take care,
Rachel x

Christmas In July Update

Hi all!

Now that it's (finally) time for the (much more low-key) Tokyo 2020 Olympics, my stitching for Christmas In July is at an end.

My pace has picked up to an average of an hour a day, allowing time to finish one Christmas piece and make a good start on another, both by Lizzie Kate.

The finished piece I'll show in the monthly Smalls SAL, but here's the new start:

Merry Christmas By The Letter by Lizzie Kate

Stitched on 16ct Golden over-dyed aida

This is what it will look like when finished:

I will add the buttons after all the stitching has been completed, and finally (whenever that may be) create some sort of gold beaded border rather than the white stitched one suggested.

So now I have the Tokyo Olympic new start binge coming up, which is perfect timing as I finish work today for the six week school summer holiday. I'm hoping to post my new starts daily, but life is still very much up in the air at the moment so who knows. But 17 (more) new starts... I can't wait!!!

Take care,

Rachel x

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 - 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

Birthday Stash

Afternoon all!

As stitchers and stashers we all love receiving cross stitch goodies, even if we tell ourselves that we have enough things and don't need any more. I am no exception!

When it comes to birthday and Christmas presents from my mum, I am very cheeky! You see, she rarely goes out and can't browse the www for bargains as I do, so if I see a cross stitch item I like I often buy it on her behalf. This year I have (she has) been collecting Lizzie Kate charts so yesterday I received the following "surprise" birthday presents from her:

Lizzie Kate A-B-C-razy

Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings VIII, IX, X, XIV and XV

Lizzie Kate Santas 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007 and 2012

Thanks mum! I love them all!

These will definitely be put to good use as, during 2016, I intend to stitch one LK ornament each month in the same way I have been stitching a LK flip-it stamp each month this year. They are small and easy enough to start and finish in a few days so will not add to my huge pile of WIPs. And I already have the fabric - nothing like forward-planning!

The more eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that I have already used the A-B-C-razy chart for the little I and J fobs I stitched a couple of weeks ago. I cheekily borrowed the chart before my mum wrapped it!

The postman and internet also delivered surprise goodies from my two bestest stitching buddies.

Ingrid was a VERY naughty girl and gave me the other three charts in the Lizzie Kate Seasonal Alphabet collection to go with the Spring Alphabet I already have.

Lizzie Kate Summer, Autumn and Winter Alphabets

Justine gave me a voucher with which I wanted to buy something special and completely different rather than "yet another" LK chart! Bearing in mind that Justine had previously given me a selection of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Halloween-themed hand-dyed threads, I did go completely different and bought two Halloween-themed charts on which I can use those gorgeous threads. I shall certainly have fun choosing which fabrics and colours to use for these designs! Purple pumpkin anybody!!

White Willow Stitching

Tribal Pumpkin and Tribal Witch Hat

(pictures taken from sewandso.co.uk)

Thank you both so very much for your generosity. Now all I need to do is slip these additional projects into my 2016 stitching schedule as "special" pieces.

Right, enough yapping. With so many WIPs and potential new starts calling me I had better go and do some stitching!

All the best :)
Rachel x