For Auld Lang Syne

With just 4 hours to go before we start a year, I thought it would be good to have a look at my stats for the current one.

I started the year carrying over 12 Wips, 4 of which just needed fully finishing and 1 was a knitting wip.

I had a total of 70 new starts, which also consisted of multiple starts that go together to complete bigger projects.

There were a total of 68 finishes

And finally I had a grand total of 58 fully finished projects, including the 4 that were carried over from previous years.

So not a bad tally, if I say so myself!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my followers, family, friends, and those who just accidently landed here, and who leave the most kind messages,  a very Happy and Healthy 2026.

And of course loads of time to sew until your hearts content.

 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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‘A Pretty Song’ - 2025 Holiday Countdown

 I always feel sad on Christmas Day, but not for the reasons you might think.

Yes, it’s a time to reflect on love ones lost and of course that leaves me with a heavy heart, but there’s nothing I do to change that and as the years pass you come to terms with that kind of sadness.

The sadness I’m referring to here, is the fact that the ‘2025 Holiday Countdown' has come to an end for another year and the final three days has given us more beautiful artwork from Jacob and three more beautiful Roxy Floss Co threads.

I’ve mentioned before that the artwork this year has been amazing as always and I know for a fact that the Robin from the 25^th December is going to get put in a frame at some point.

The consolation of finishing the Countdown, is that we have several bonus charts to occupy us in the coming weeks and a fabulous pallet of threads to use up.

And I feel safe in the knowledge there will be a new countdown next year.

The other project I’ve been working on this week was the re-start of ‘Santa Claws Is Coming To Town’ from Historische Stickmuster.

I originally started this on the linen that came in the kit but I didn’t like stitching on it because it was stiff and rough on my hands. 

After sorting through my stash I found something softer and lighter and started over but that too didn’t look right, so I ordered four more pieces linen to try. They arrived in due course but I didn’t like any of those either, and in the end I went back to original fabric.

I’ve made a good start, but don’t get me wrong, I know that hate is a strong word, but I really do still hate stitching this fabric.

This time I'll persevere though!

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Project

‘A Pretty Song’ -  Holiday Countdown 2025

 A celebration with Evertote, Modern Folk Embroidery & Roxy Floss Co

Designer – Jacob de Graaf – Modern Folk Embroidery

Fabric – 36ct Linen – Vanilla Custard - Roxy Floss Co, and Evertote

Threads – Roxy Floss Co, and Evertote 

 

Santa Claws Is Coming To Town

Designer – Historische Stickmuster

Fabric –  32-count unbleached linen,

Threads – silk floss Soie d'Alger

 

‘Ginger’ Animal Cracker – Christmas Cookie Series– Stacy Nash

As we head towards the end of the year, the ‘Jingle Ball’ at the start of December seems like a distant memory, but I suddenly realised that I didn’t share the results of my class with Stacy Nash.

She designs a series that she calls Animal Crackers, cute little animals made into stand-up’s, that are very popular among fellow stitchers.

I myself have never made one , but when I saw that Stacy was also doing a ‘Christmas Cookie’ series and designed ‘Ginger’ especially for the Jingle Ball, I just had to dive in.

The pre-stitching was completed,

and I eagerly awaited the class, so I could learn how to make the finished piece.

And her she is............she's so cute!

Now I can honestly say that I understand why so many of us love the Animal Crackers and ‘need’ to make every single one of them.

Don’t be surprised if you see more popping up here!

 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Chart –PDF  – Animal Cracker Christmas Cookie Series ‘Ginger’

Designer – Stacy Nash

Fabric – 36ct Weeks Dye Works –Aztec Red

Threads -   Called For – Weeks Dye Works (+Red Pear)

‘The Tree Lot’ – Hands on Design

Apart from this year’s Holiday Countdown, these cute trees may well be my last finishes for 2025.

Tree 1 was started on 19^th and finished on the 20^th.

Tree 2 took a little longer because it was started on 20^th and finished on the 22^nd.

And the final tree was started on the 22^nd and finished on the 23^rd.

I grew a whole forest in just 5 days!

I’m so pleased with the way the colours pop on the black Aida and can’t wait to fully finish them.

 I wanted to get them all done and dusted before the big day, but didn't have to time to get to Hobbycraft for those little pals that people used to stand them in, because our local one closed.  Instead, I had a look in a couple of charity shops to see in I could find an alternative, and found this tray with four wire egg cups

And here they are fully finished.

I used some florist foam and decorated them with foliage from my garden. 

I would just like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who visits my blog on a regular basis and those who just stumble upon while searching the web for something else  and end up here, for the lovely comments you leave for me.  

We all know we don't keep our blogs in the hope of nice things being said about us, rather for the sheer joy of stitching and maybe inspiring others, but I'm got going to lie, it's heart warming to know that others appreciate and like what I do.

Wishing you all the joys of the season.  

Have a Peaceful and Happy Christmas, and most of all......

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Project

The Tree Lot

Designer – Hands on Design

Fabric – 16ct Black Aida

Threads – Classic ColorWorks

‘A Pretty Song’ - 2025 Holiday Countdown – Day 21 & 22

 The Holiday Countdown,  ‘A Pretty Song’, is coming along nicely, and after these two days we have just three more to go.

Day 21 the floss was a pretty pink called Piglet.   Very Apt!

The artwork is a drawing by Willen Wenckebach dated 1870 – 1937 and is called Children in the Snow.

And then yesterday we had ‘Brick House, a beautiful coppery brown accompanied by artwork from a Egyptian textile of a grapevine inhabited by two birds, from the 5^th to17th century.

 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Project

‘A Pretty Song’ -  Holiday Countdown 2025

 A celebration with Evertote, Modern Folk Embroidery & Roxy Floss Co

Designer – Jacob de Graaf – Modern Folk Embroidery

Fabric – 36ct Linen – Vanilla Custard - Roxy Floss C0 / Evertote

Threads – Roxy Floss C0 / Evertote

 

 

‘A Pretty Song’ - 2025 Holiday Countdown – Day 19 & 20

 I really didn’t have an intension of having any more new starts before Christmas, but after deciding to put the Sal from Historische Stickmuster to one side because I couldn’t decide on the fabric, I  pulled out ‘The Tree Lot’ from Hands on Design.

I’m not sure that stitching on Black is something I’m really enjoying, but to make it a little easier, I decided to stitch it on 16ct Aida, and I made some good progress on my first afternoon of stitching.

I do love how the colours pop though!

I've also completed days 19 and 20 of the 2025 Holiday Countdown, ‘A Pretty Song’.

Day 19’s art work is a Limestone statuette of a bird.  ca.600-480BCE  and the thread was very special.  ‘Parakeet’ is a beautiful blue with tiny specks of green.

And today we had ‘Lipstick’, a rich variegated red and a very sweet thread bobbin....that was a nice surprise!

The art work shows details from ‘The Falcon Hunt’, a tapestry from the Southern Netherlands, ca 1500-1530.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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‘A Pretty Song’ -  Holiday Countdown 2025

 A celebration with Evertote, Modern Folk Embroidery & Roxy Floss Co

Designer – Jacob de Graaf – Modern Folk Embroidery

Fabric – 36ct Linen – Vanilla Custard - Roxy Floss Co,  and Evertote

Threads – Roxy Floss Co, and Evertote,

The Tree Lot

Designer – Hands on Design

Fabric – 16ct Black Aida

Threads – Classic Color Works (Called for)

‘A Pretty Song’ - 2025 Holiday Countdown – Day 17 & 18

As the stitching progresses, we are now adding to the centre of piece and we have two more beautiful threads from Roxy Floss Co,

Cashmere and Belladonna

We’ve also had some more artwork on the back of one of the charts.

This is a silver box in the shape of a swan by Huybert van de Berch, Dordrecht, 1639.

There was no artwork on day 18 because Jacob from Modern Folk Embroidery has kindly given us another bonus chart, making 4 extra charts so far.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Project

‘A Pretty Song’ -  Holiday Countdown 2025

 A celebration with Evertote, Modern Folk Embroidery & Roxy Floss Co

Designer – Jacob de Graaf – Modern Folk Embroidery

Fabric – 36ct Linen – Vanilla Custard - Roxy Floss C0 / Evertote

Threads – Roxy Floss C0 / Evertote