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! 

🎄 

Finishes 2009

A new craze hit ACN...Ink Circles.

My favourite is Bramble and Rose. We stitched this design as a 'stitchalong'. We all did our own interpretation, mine being in red Caron threads.  Other members did gold thread, variegated greens or blues. I had mine made into a firescreen.

This triangles version hangs in my inlaws' sunroom.

And the original Circles we have in our sunroom.

I had an unusual commission - a ring cushion in lilac featuring The Stig for a friend's wedding.

My sons had a stocking each.  Although I did the cross stitching, I can't take the credit for the making up - Thanks Colly!

ACN has a long running UFO page (unfinished object).  It's a great way to dig out those long forgotten pieces that have been started and then put aside as something else takes your fancy.  A few members are serial starters and joined the UFO section to work on one project, once a week for say a month, before moving onto the next project for a month etc. 

This lion was started by one member but she didn't want it any longer so I adopted it and finished it for my husband's grandad.

This is another stunning Mystic Stitch design 'Peaceful Morning'. I love the richness of the greens.

I learned how to make a book fold for an exchange.

Hellboy was a secret stitch for my husband's birthday.

And a couple of fob exchanges.

I don't have many UFO's in my stash as I am usually very good at finishing each project before moving onto the next one, but this one was hidden away for about 5 years before completion.