12 in 25 Christmas Ornament Sal

It’s back to the  Joan Elliott charts for my 8^th  Christmas ornament and this month it’s ‘Peace’.

I’m not sure if there will be any more new starts or fully finishes before the end of August because I've decided to go back and work on my Chatelaine.

I’ve not picked up ‘Hummingbird Lace Mandala’ since making a major faux par around three months ago and currently have less to show now, than I had the last time you saw it.

The reason,  I noticed, after deciding to bead as I go, that I had misread the chart and had been using the wrong colour beads, so I’ve had to frog all the ones I had already attached.

To say my heart was in my mouth as I snipped the threads is an understatement but I’m relieved to say I took my time and removed every single bead without too many problems, and I’m back to sewing them back on...........in the correct colours this time!

Happy  Stitching!

Sue

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Project Details

Chart – Christmas Blue Ornaments

Designer – Joan Elliott

Fabric -  32ct Antique White Evenweave

Threads – DMC

Hummingbird Lace Mandala - Chatelaine

Designer - Martina Rosenberg
Fabric – 28ct Jobelan Evenweave – Antique White
Threads – Called for Silks, DMC and Petite Treasure Braid
Beads – Swarovski Crystals and Delica Beads

Lolly Claus – Satsuma Street

OK, so we are into the second half of the year now , so I decided it was time for a bit of change from my usual Joan Elliott Christmas ornaments and make a start on the two ornaments  I make for my goddaughters two girls each year.

Every year so far they have had various Mill Hill ornaments,  but this year I’ve gone with Satsuma Street for a change. 

There are not as many sparkles on these ones, but oh how I love Jody’s designs, because they are just as cute, if not more so!

This one is ‘Lolly Claus’

I backed it with sticky backed felt and couldn’t decide on a beaded hanger or twisted cord.  In the end I went a Pink and Red cord!

Happy  Stitching!

Sue

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Project Details

Chart – Lolly Claus

Designer – Jody Rice – Satsuma Street

Fabric - Perforated Paper - Kit

Threads – DMC

Noel – Christmas Blue Ornaments – Joan Elloitt

Once again it’s time to stitch another of my 12 in 25 Christmas ornaments and this is No.6 for June, which means we are half way through the Sal.

I’m still working my way through the 9 charts of Joan Elliott’s 'Christmas Blue Ornaments' and this one is ‘Noel’.

Once it was finished I decided to go right on and FFO it

and at the same time I FFO’d the previous two months ornaments as well.  It seems quicker somehow to do two or three at the same time, especially when they are all being finished in the same way.

The next thing I stitched on was my Cross Stitch Camp piece, ‘Twilight Moon’ from Tiny Modernist which I'm about half way through.

That’s about it for now. 

I’ve not really given much thought as what I’m going to stitch on over the weekend, although I’ve not touched my Chatelaine for several weeks, so maybe I’ll put some stitches into that, who knows!

Whatever you’re plans are this weekend………..

 Happy  Stitching!

Sue

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 Project Details

Chart – Blue Christmas Ornaments

Designer – Joan Elliott

Fabric -  32ct Antique White Evenweave

Threads – DMC

 Project Details

Chart - Twilight Moon

Designer -  Tiny Modernist

Fabric - 32ct Twilight Blue - Wichelt.

Floss  - Called for ThreadWorx and Anchor.

 

Christmas Blue Ornaments No. 4 – Joan Elliott (12 in 25)

A quick stitch this past weekend and it was my May Christmas Ornament for the 12 in 25 Sal.  

I'm pleased because it was back to, in my opinion, one of the more normal ornaments from the chart ‘Christmas Blue Ornaments’ by  Joan Elliott.   I say 'more normal' because last months ornament was one of the two silhouettes in the collection and I wasn't so keen on it when it finished, but I'm hoping I'll be happier once it's FFO'd.

This months ornament is ‘Let it Snow’

And these are my other four ornaments so far.

 Happy Stitching!

Sue

 

Project Details

Stitch-a-long – 12 in 25 (1 Christmas Ornament each month) hosted by Carol at the  Stitching Dream Blogspot

 

Chart – Blue Christmas Ornaments & Small Christmas Tree 

Designers – Joan Elliott  (Joan Elliott Designs)  &  Jacob de Graaf (Modern Folk Embroidery)

 Threads – DMC 6 strand cotton

Christmas Blue Ornaments – Joan Elliott (12 in 25 - April)

 You'll have noticed that I've been absent from my socials for a while but it's not because I've not been stitching, quite the opposite in fact. 

I have worked on several thing, but I was extremely lazy when it came to dragging out my laptop to update you with everything and as we all know, it's more fun stitching than it is typing, Lol!

Anyways, back on the 10th April, I finished stitching my 4^th Christmas ornament for the 12 in 25 Ornament Sal, that's hosted by Carol, over at the  Stitching Dream Blogspot  and it's the 3rd chart from 'Christmas Blue Ornaments' by Joan Elliott.

As I think I’ve mentioned before, I plan to stitch all nine of the ornaments but of that nine there are two that I’m not so keen on, and this is one of them.  I think it’s the fact that they are silhouettes and lack the detail in the other ornaments.

The finishing will be the same as the rest when I get around to doing it, most likely at the same time as the May one is FFO'd.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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 Project Details

Chart – Blue Christmas Ornaments

Designer – Joan Elliott

Fabric -  32ct Antique White Evenweave

Threads – DMC

Christmas Blue Ornaments - Joan Elliott

Here's my 'March' ornament for the 12 in 25 sal that is hosted by Carol over at Stitching Dreams Blogspot every year.

My plan is to stitch all nine in the series using the same thread conversion, and finish then all in the same way.

Happy  Stitching!

Sue

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 Project Details

Chart – Christmas Blue Ornaments

Designer – Joan Elliott

Fabric -  32ct Antique White Evenweave

Threads – DMC conversion -  3852, 3854, 19, 3855, 3823 and light gold metallic. 

Christmas Blue Ornaments – Joan Elliott (12 in 25)

 When I started on this year’s ornaments for the 12 in 2025 sal, I mentioned that I had a plan.  

I’ve joined in with the sal for the last two years but haven’t stitched any ornaments that fit the colour scheme of my tree or room, so they usually go on a small tree in my sewing room.

This was last year’s tree.

This year I’ve decided that things are going to be different and planned to make a set that can go on my main tree for a change!

I always stitch Mill Hill ornaments for my Goddaughters children as part of the sal, which I will be doing again this year, but the other 9 are going to be from Joan Elliott’s chart, ‘Christmas Blue Ornaments chart.

OK, let’s straight off address the elephant in the room……..

My ornament is Gold/Yellow and not blue at all, Lol!

I changed the DMC‘s to 3852, 3854, 19, 3855, 3823 and light gold metallic.  I then added Antique Glass Beads (03021) from Mill Hill to replace the French knots.

For the finishing I used Lady Dot Creates ‘Daffodil’ Velveteen but it was I a little brighter than I wanted, so  I soaked it coffee for a while to dull the colour and edged it with some gold cording.

I used a fat quarter of fabric I had in my stash for the back.

All nine of the ornaments are going to be finished in the same way.

While I had my finishing bits and bobs out, I decided to FFO my January ornament too, which was the Christmas tree from Modern Folk Embroidery.

I kept the finishing on this very simple, just adding some Chenille around the edge and attached some tiny gems to the decorations.

 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Hand Knitted Socks and a Wip Parade of sorts.

I started knitting this pair of socks using the ‘Seeing Stripes’ sock pattern from West Yorkshire Spinners and Rico, Supeba Fair Isle 4 ply, back in February last year and almost made it 

 down to the toe on the first sock.  But because I wasn’t particularly happy with my choice of yarn, I put it to one side and couldn't bring myself to pick it up again.  That feeling didn't go away and lasted for the rest of the year, so it wasn't until I set myself a challenge for January, that I went back and picked them up again.

So what was the big challenge?

I decided that I was going to work on every wip (work in progress) that I have during the month, something I’m able to achieve because I only had 7  brought forward from 2024 and the plan was to put at least one thread  in each of the six cross stitch projects and finally finish the part knitted socks.

I won’t lie, I had to force myself to pull them out, but once I did, I finished the first sock and completely knitted the second sock in just two days.

But can you spot the mistake?

Silly me started the first sock with a 1 x 1 rib and the second sock with a 2 x 2 rib, but fortunately they are for me and there’s no way I’m going to pull one out and re-knit it.

 Moving on to the cross stitch wip’s that I carried over; 

The first thing I pulled out was the ‘Bee Contained Stitching Box' by Betsy Morgan from the Inspirations ‘Helping Hands 2’ book.

I started this in August 2023 and didn’t pick it up at all last year.  I think the 1 over 1 stitching was putting me off but once I got back into it, I really enjoyed working on it and have nearly finished the largest piece of the stitching.

Next, I worked on Log Cabin Christmas from Little House Needleworks, which I started in April last year.  

This is a 9 part piece, so I had a mini new start for this and stitched on part 4 – In The Woods Bear.

The next project was another multi part piece and that was ‘ A Gathering of Samplers’ from the Ackworth Collection, which consists of 12 little Quaker Samplers that go together to make a book.

Again, it involved another new start and that was pages 5 & 6 of the book.  I came very close to a finish on this too.

Sing For Joy from Cottage Garden Samplings was next up

and I had not stitched on it since starting it as part of my 12 in12 New Years Eve starts in December 2023.

Project 6 was another Christmas stitch, ‘Toy Shopee’,  which is a Diamentions Kit.

I started it November 2024 and got to here,

but it’s hard going as anyone who has stitched one of these kits  knows, …….the changes of stitches and number of threads used for those stitches can be a bit confusing sometimes.

None the less, I made some good progress on it.

Last up was ‘My Stitching Box’, another multi part project from Jeanette Douglass.

Again, it involved another mini start for part 2, which was the lid of the box.

If I had to choose a favourite designer, I think hands down it would have to be  Jeanette.  I just love how delicate her designs look  and the subtle colours she uses.

So, it's not been a bad start to the year, but that wasn’t it for January.   I also had 3 other new starts, one of which was the year long stitch-a-long ‘ All Year Round Sal.

Then there was my 12 in 25 Christmas ornament

and my new Chatelaine

and last but not least I had one fully finish, which was the Country Charm Cushion.

I wonder if I can keep the pace up during February…..you’ll have to watch this space!

 

Happy Crafting!

Sue

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