Christmas begins

Since I cannot stitch for the foreseeable future, I thought I would share with you some of my stitched Christmas decorations.

This advent calendar was probably the first Christmas design I ever stitched and is over 20 years old now.  It's had items such as crayons, little boxes of Smarties and small cars left each night by Father Christmas's elves who were checking up on the boys when they were young.  These days Cadbury Heroes are featured and it remains a firm favourite to begin the festive season.

Around 10 years ago there was a fashion for name trees. A company online would chart up your name and mirror it to create a unique design (turn your head sideways to read the words).  An American Christmas ornament magazine then shared "Joy" and "Peace" and this pair was my first attempt at both lacing and creating an ornament.

Despite my elder son having had his own place for the last few Christmases, I do still hang his stocking.  These two stockings were stitched by me but made up by my hardanger designer friend Colly (who also creates the most amazing quilts, bags and cushions).

The next quartet of designs each feature a button and are by Shepherd's Bush designs.  They're quick to stitch up, I hand stitched the edges to create a tab at the top and bottom and backed each with interfacing to protect the stitching at the back.  The brass bell pulls were purchased via my local craft store and all match to unify them but at the end of the season, I remove them and wrap in tissue paper to protect both the stitching and the bell pulls.

The 12 Days of Christmas.  I stitched this twice as the first attempt was a lesson in how to measure twice before stitching begins....guess how far I reached before realising there was insufficient fabric.

This Merry Christmas banner is one of my favourite Christmas makes.  It's very simple, stitched in a gingham design that could be adapted to any colour theme. A wooden bead is threaded between each letter.

And finally my Christmas Robin is framed and on display. 

Have a happy Christmas all! 

🎄 

I almost forgot!

This little finish. 

Wind the bobbin up....

I was recently gifted a beautiful selection of threads for my hardanger. 

Each of the DMC and Anchor pearl threads now has a home in this handy storage container along with the threads I started with.

A gorgeous wooden box was also gifted which contained a selection of Caron and Needlepoint threads.  I have spent the last couple of weeks winding my own Caron threads onto bobbins to join them.  

I've also reorganised my box of freebie cover kits and given most of them away.  All that is left to sort is the two cabinets and an old tea chest...

Further progress.

A stitchy day with my lovely Hardanger designer friend Colly resulted in a further page finish. 

Sky section up next.

Needles and hooks

Our friends came to visit today.  Lots to eat and drink, a good natter and a few stitches added to my butterfly heart. 

For the last 18 months, this fabulous cross stitched Eddie Stobart lorry was painstakingly created by Richard.  The chart was made from a photograph of the actual lorry named after our Colly!

Colly herself has just put the last stitch in a crocheted blanket.

While I finished another page of my butterfly heart.

Ring Cushion finished.

Lastly the beads were added to lend a bit of bling. 

The design will now be returned to be made into the ring cushion.  I'll ask for a photo to upload when that has been done.

Frogging and weaving

It wasn't until I posted the photo on yesterday's entry that I noticed the cross stitched flowers were incorrectly placed....out came the frogs this morning to unpick and restitch them.

Next up is the woven bars.

Firstly the heart shapes.

And then the outside border.

Cutting edge

This is the part I tend to procrastinate over, particularly if it's on a piece for someone else.

Good light and time, along with a sharp pair of snips.   Lift each thread, double check, angle the scissors and cut.

Once all the selected threads have been cut it's time to remove them.

Stage one complete

All the surface stitching has been worked; the kloster blocks, the buttonhole stitch, Rhodes hearts and tiny cross stitch flowers.

Next comes the hold-your-breath moments...

Friendship - the family you choose

My favourite place on earth is home to all manner of creatures in a garden so filled with happiness and love, you can hear, smell, taste and feel it.

At one end of the garden is a beautiful railwayman's cottage.

At the other is a cabin filled to the brim with fabrics, yarns, threads, and so many beautifully created craft items both made by the owner and all the people whose lives she has touched.

I consider myself one of these lucky people to have her part of our family as our adopted mum/granny for around the last 10 years

She never complains about me plaguing her to overlock my fabric.  She has taught me to do hardanger and speciality stitches, the basics of quilting and how to make a patchwork bag, how to crotchet and introduced me to the delights of Yankee Candles.  She is always there if I have a problem or if I just fancy mooch round the garden centre!

There are little bits of her all around us, from granny's bonnets in the garden to cushions and quilts and bags she has made me as gifts. I have even immortalised her garden in cross stitch.

This lady also happens to be none other than the designer of Cols Creations! 

Fabric all secured, I did manage half a dozen or so stitches today. However I'm always so relaxed at their's that I was simply happy sitting, chatting and watching the birds.

Other finishes

Since this blog thus far has brought together my finished projects in one place, there are a number that I simply cannot recall what year I completed them. Therefore they have been planted here.

A 'seasons' stitchalong on ACN prompted this quartet of hardanger tiles designed by Cols Creations.

Thunder Ridge

Northern Lights

And my first Yorkshire Terrier.  She lived to the grand age of 13.

How many more pieces I've created over the last 25 years I simply cannot remember! Most of these have been gifts given before I've thought to take a photo.

From here on in I'm going to endeavour to keep a record of my projects.