Advent post - 17th

Hello my blogging friends!

Early last year I had to go into hospital for an unexpected operation. I've been recovering and now I'm back again, and so, today I’m joining Jo for her Annual Advent Calendar Blog Hop. You can read all about the Hop over on her blog HERE

Jo asked us to share a picture of some Christmas stitching and to talk about our Christmas Trees.

Most years I seem to be stitching yet another Christmas tree, and this year is no different! So here is this year's finish:

Badge, kit from Cross Stitcher magazine

This tree was stitched on plastic, I expect many of you saw it in the magazine, I found it a little hard to stitch! The felt was attached to the back with double sided sticky tape 

and a few stitches so hopefully it won't come adrift.

Not the neatest, I know! 

Jo also asked us to talk about our actual Christmas Trees: 

I remember at mum and dad's when I was very young we had a real tree with lots of tinsel, and the mess of needles as Christmas went on. The tree had an angel,  pretty decorations and lovely lights, although the lights often wouldn't work as they needed new bulbs.

As we have two little monsters of cats we don't have real trees.  Our latest  is ceramic. I made it 20 years ago, as in it came from a mould and I painted it (during a ceramic class) and then it was fired.

and a couple of years ago we found this little tree somewhere which sits on our dining table on the actual day.

So, as I haven't been here for the last year I just wanted to let you know I haven't given up stitching.

I'm currently working on "Snow Place Like Home" 

(from CrossStitcher magazine! Issue 365 - January 2021)

Just added the blackbird this weekend.

and the CrossStitcher Festive SAL 

Do have a look at Jo's blog HERE for more festive stitching 

from the Advent Blog Hop.

I'll try not to leave it so long till I'm here again!

Happy Christmas everyone!

Barbara xx

Christmas Hop 2019 - Day 20

Hello!

Today is my day on Jo's advent calendar bloghop! If you haven't already visited her, pop over to see all the fun!! 

HERE!

And, what a surprise, I haven't been able to stitch as fast as I thought I would!!!

I've been stitching this little free kit from CrossStitcher magazine every spare minute ...... and I still have more backstitching to do!! I don't know why but my photos look a little fuzzy to me, they were alright in "files", so, if you can't see them very well don't forget to double click on the photo and all should be much clearer!

The kit has a frame to make it into a Christmas Card, so I guess you could say this is my virtual Christmas Card to all my friends! (The binding you can see here is only temporary, to stop the edges fraying.)

CrossStitcher Issue 351

Despite the little tree being finished, it's still not FFO'd. I wasn't sure what to do with it really!

PM25 Christmas Tree by Anchor

But now I've decided ..... it will be an ornament. I'm going to add  ric rak, then make it up into a little cushion thingy that can hang from a tree. I am aiming to finish very soon as otherwise I shall probably lose track of it!

This year Jo asked us to talk about our favourite Christmas film. My favourite film of all time has already been mentioned and is "It's a Wonderful Life"! but there are so many I really love but I'm not sure of their names (what am I like?!?), but I do think Christmas isn't Christmas without seeing at least one version of "A Christmas Carol"!



Have fun, but remember the old saying "A moment on the lips, and a lifetime on the hips" ..... oops, tee hee, did I really just say that out loud type that out loud!?

Ha, ha!

As always, Jo, "Thank You so much for organising us!"



And here's wishing you all a "Very Happy Christmas, and a Happy New Year!"





Hugs,
Barbara xxx

A Cross Stitch Small and Slow Sunday Stitching

Hi there stitching buddies!

I'm linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, 'cos finally I have a few hand stitching projects to work on.

Yay! I finished the first of my three “new to me” cross stitch projects. 

If you already follow me, you might remember?.... this is the one I told you that "took me over" ..... it was meant to be my travel stitching, 

but it's finished already!

Now I need to think how to FFO (fully finish off).

Pattern PM25 "Christmas Tree" by Anchor

But I have to say, with all the needle changes for the different colours it felt it took forever to stitch 

(probably three days) despite being such a tiny picture! Stitched on 14 count

 (14 stitches per inch).

~~~~~~~~~~

Today I’m stitching a little more on this pattern from CrossStitcher - it’s the free gift from the magazine.

 I've found I really needed grid lines, 

but are you supposed to keep putting them in and pulling them out? Possibly not, but I don't want to get the grid threads caught in my cross stitching.

The pink binding is temporary while I stitch, so the rough edges of the fabric don’t catch and ruin my thread. The pink tab on the top helps me to pick up and stitch quicker ..... you know what it’s like 

when you can't easily tell which way up is!

From CrossStitcher Magazine issue 351

~~~~~~~~~~

Just a couple of pictures while writing. My mum was saying how she missed the "Five on Friday" posts I used to do where I showed places DH and I had been walking, so just a couple of photos from a walk today:

This "little" guy was so happy sitting here that when we returned 30 minutes later he was still sitting in the same place! He obviously had plenty of grass to chew well within reach!

I know!! This is a bit funny, a veggie taking photos of cattle! But still, he does look cute!

~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, and this was a delicious veggie meal we had last week at our favourite cafe. Not the clearest photo, I took it with the camera rather than phone and there wasn't really enough light.

Nut Roast with steamed Kale, roast parsnip and carrot,
with a special gravy, and finished with a salad of pea shoots

It was such a tasty meal we've ordered one to cook at home for our Christmas dinner. Just hope the train strikes are all finished so we can go and collect the order!

~~~~~~~~~~

Even more hand stitching:

 When I was browsing on Pinterest last week I saw some teeny "Cocktail Napkins"!

Well, as I'm always thinking "Eco" and "Save the World" I thought this would be a good idea! 

I hate going into restaurants and being given paper napkins (often with each course) that get very little use and then go straight into landfill, so this is my very latest hand stitched "Squirrel" .....

using a small piece of Osnaburgh (6" x6") I'm now considering how to decorate! 

This isn't the lace I'm going to use, I was just testing to see if it was suitable. I think the napkin needs brightening up, but not too much as I do plan to use, and wash it plenty, and it might not last too long if it gets stained! So, its not meant to be a heirloom piece!

And, of course, I want this finished NOW! Tee hee!

Must go now, lots of you to visit, and I want to carry on with some of this stitching!

I do hope you'll come back to visit on 20th ..... when I'll be joining in with Jo's On line Advent Calendar. Why not pop over to see what is happening so far HERE.

Hope you are having fun, stitching, too!

Hugs,

Barbara xxx

Linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching

(may add to this list later)

Gifted Gorgeousness & TUSAL - November/October

"GIFTED GORGEOUSNESS" is a monthly link party run by the wonderful Jo of Serendipitous Stitching, where we post about stitching gifts we have received or given, or indeed anything related to the word "gift". Link runs from the 15th until the end of the month. If you would like to find out more and maybe join up go HERE!

I was so busy in October ..... I completely ran out of time and missed posting. I was trying to complete my Improv quilt: “Portrait of a Polka Dot Lady”, for a 1st November reveal ..... I’ve never attempted Improv before, and found I’m too precise for this method, but I will finish her ..... soonish!

***********

Gifted Gorgeousness and TUSAL - November

Yay! I had a finish for Halloween/Fall!
I stitched this little owl, a freebie I'd seen over at Rhona's blog (with a link to the free pattern). Nice to stitch in only one colour, although a teeny bit hard on the eyes. I haven't quite decided how to fully finish off though!

Not a very bright photo I'm afraid ..... the little specks of colour in my ORTS (above the owl) have mostly come from the Christmas stitching that I started as soon as I got the latest copy of CrossStitcher home! (not affiliated by the way!) 

Oh, and the bits of yellow cotton came
from the little fob I made for my malore Mellor.

This next project is not a gift, well, not yet anyway!

After finishing the owl I went back to a little bit of embroidery I started w-a-y back ..... which will be a purse some day. I think I had boro stitching in mind, or something like that. I'm hoping the raw edges won't fray too much!

Using some of my scraps.

Since I started writing this post my Christmas stitching has progressed somewhat (and now even more so, but no more photos at the moment!).

Free gift from CrossStitcher issue 338
- Mrs Christmas

There was a second gift which can be ordered via CrossStitcher! A sample of DMC's new Étoile thread, with Aida (Antique White 10 x 8"), a pattern, and a size 24 tapestry needle, which then arrived within a couple of days. (Just pay postage - offer runs to 4 Dec or when stocks run out)

Yesterday I was reading a review of Étoile on Mary Corbet's blog, and this evening I started stitching this piece.

Étoile is a sparkly thread, looking slightly woolly, the strands appeared thinner than normal DMC but covered the fabric well, IMHO.

I thought the thread would catch on my fingers but so far I have managed to stitch without any catches or tangles.  I'd say my thread stitched in a similar way to ordinary stranded cotton.

It seems good so far to me! I'd say I like it!

For this stitching I used 2 strands, cut shorter than usual at approximately 12" long.

Gifted Gorgeousness and TUSAL - October

And, Yay! A finish last month too, Seagulls and Stripes, but not FFO!

This was a freebie from CrossStitcher 332

Oh and then I was working on my Elizabethan Nosegay too (which is a gift I received some years back) but you can find out what happened with this one over at Kitten Stitching and the Friday Frolics.

Thank you all for your lovely comments! Especially Gwen (of Texas Ranger) for her suggestions for my Polka Dot Lady art quilt. I haven't had a chance to use the sewing machine lately but I hope to get back to that very soon.

I hope you are keeping well and managing to find time to do lots of stitching!!!

Hugs,

Barbara xxx