‘All Year Round’ Stitch-a-long

I’m on a high and a low today

The high is that I have completed the final segment of the ‘All Year Round Sal that was being published in Cross Stitcher Magazine every month for the last year and I’m sad for exactly the same reason.

I’m going to miss the anticipation of what the next flower might be and incidentally, I was totally wrong last month when I said I thought we would end with SunFlowers, Lol!

 The August segment was in fact Pink Waterlilies and a pretty Blue dragonfly.

I’m not going to lie, the back stitch, despite the fact I don’t mind doing it, was a bit of a pig, when trying to do it on 18ct Aida with stitches falling halfway along or in the centre of the block, but all in all I’ve really enjoyed working on this so much.

I was considering putting it in a frame but in the end I found an old hoop that was the perfect size.  I gave it a couple of coats of green acrylic paint and then added an organza bow and sprig of artificial flowers.

I still need to add a covered board on the back, but will tackle that at the weekend.

 Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Project Details

All Year Round Sal – from Cross Stitcher Magazine

Designer – Amanda Butler

Fabric – 18ct Aida – White Zweigart

Threads – Anchor and DMC’s

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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All Year Round Stitch-a-Long – June & July

 Can you believe that we are already halfway through the month and almost half way through the year too.

I’ve been on a roll with the ‘All Year Round’ sal, thanks to the fact that the magazine  ‘Cross Stitcher’, which hosts the sal each month, publishes it a month in advance.

So not only did I have the chart for June but also for July, so instead of just stitching the right segment during the appropriate month (ie June during June) I decided to go on and stitch July as well.

The June  potion features solitary flower heads of Centarea Cyanus, better known as Cornflowers.

Don’t you just love that cute little bee!

The section for July really indicates that summer is in full bloom, adding a big pop of yellow with the pretty Roses.

You can almost smell their fragrance!

Now I have just one segment left to stitch for August and the sal with be finished and I wonder what flower we will get?

I’m thinking Sun Flowers, what do you think?

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Project Details

All Year Round Sal – from Cross Stitcher Magazine

Designer – Amanda Butler

Fabric – 18ct Aida – White Zweigart

Threads – Anchor and DMC’s

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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All Year Round Stitch-a-Long – May

 Just four more segments to go on the ‘All Year Round’ Sal and May is the final one for Spring.

This features the common blue butterfly as it feeds on the nectar of Anemone Blanda which is better know as the Winter Windflower.

I also stitched on Mary Allcorn 1764.

I completed the band of flower vases and the band of Satin Stitch.

 I used two strands of threads for this because I wasn’t happy with the coverage of just one and was much happier with the results.

Finally I made a start on the most prominent alphabet on the sampler, stitched in Algerian Eyelets over four threads and also the band of tiny Algerian Eyelets below it, stitched over two threads.

That’s about it for now.

I still have to sort out what I plan to stitch for the virtual  ‘Cross Stitch Camp’ this year and get the latest badge stitched, as well as stitch my May ornament for 12 in 25, so enough to keep me going until the end of the month, so until then,

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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 Project Details

All Year Round Sal - from Cross Stitcher Magazine

Designer - Amanda Butler

Fabric - 18ct Aida - White Zweigart

Threads - Anchor and DMC's Standard Cotton Threads

Mary Allcorn 1764

Designer – Hobby House Press

Fabric – 36ct

Threads –Gloriana Silks and Classic Color Works Belle Soie Silks

All Year Round Stitch-a-Long – April

 

This section of the ‘All Year Round’ Sal reminds me so  much of my love of sitting in the garden and enjoying  my  own Cherry Tree, which is not currently in blossom but covered in Clematis, and watching the Blue Tits in the bird bath and queuing for the bird feeders.

Incidentally, I have a pair nesting in the box on my garden shed again this year too!

 Project Details

All Year Round Sal – from Cross Stitcher Magazine

Designer – Amanda Butler

Fabric – 18ct Aida – White Zweigart

Threads – Anchor and DMC’s

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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All Year Round Stitch-a-Long – September & March

This week I continued to stitch on my ' All Year Round' sal and stitched the September  segment, which is where the sal originally started (I didn't start mine until January, hence me playing catch-up) and the March segment, which sort of brings me up to date. I say sort of because the next issue of ‘Cross Stitcher’ magazine is already out, with the April chart.

So first is the September segment, which is beautiful Poppies 

and nestled between them is a cute little field mouse.

It's these extra special little details that add to my enjoyment  stitching this design, and the March segment is no different.

This part has lovely sunny Golden Daffodils to welcome the spring. 

The Peacock Butterfly is a great addition because they usually hibernate over the winter and emerge from their chrysalis  from early March.

Project Details

All Year Round Sal – from Cross Stitcher Magazine

Designer – Amanda Butler

Fabric – 18ct Aida – White Zweigart

Threads – Anchor and DMC’s

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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All Year Round Stitch-a-Long – February & December

Because I started this sal late, I’m working my way both ways around this circle and trying to catch up with the panels that have gone in the months passed.

The last time you saw it I had finished the January segment and made a small start on December.

On thing I will say about this, is that if you don't like back stitching this isn't the project for you, Lol!

As soon as we hit February, I wanted to get that part done,

before going back to finish off December.

Although the chart for March has already been published in Cross Stitcher Magazine, I’m not going to start it until March but I do intend to make a start on November panel as soon as I can.

 

Project Details

All Year Round Sal – from Cross Stitcher Magazine

Designer – Amanda Butler

Fabric – 18ct Aida – White Zweigart

Threads – Anchor and DMC’s

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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