Country Charm - Fiona Baker

Well, I hit my deadline of fully finishing ‘Country Charm’ in time for my cousin’s 70^th birthday on the 8^th January but it was down to the wire!

Don’t ask me why I left it until the day before to actually sew the cushion, given that I finished the cross stitch 6 days prior, and considering I was attempting to put in a covered zip for the first time. 

But I did, and then I had a problem putting on the binding and had to unpick part of it........talk about panic, Lol!

Anyway, it all turned out well in the end and I’m happy to say that my cousin loved it.

Project Details

Country Charm – from The World of Cross Stitching Magazine

Designer – Fiona Baker

Fabric – 36ct Linen – Parchment – Nicolas Flamel Designs

Threads – DMC’s

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Christmas Tree – Modern Folk Embroidery (12 in 25)

I’m going to join in with the 12 in 25 ornament sal, which Carol from Stitching Dream Blogspot  is kindly hosting again this year.

For my first ornament and incidentally, my first finish of the year, I decided to stitch the little freebie chart that was given

to us by Jacob from Modern Folk Embroidery, as part of the Nordic Holiday Countdown last December.

It was stitched on a piece of 18ct white Aida from my scraps,  using Roxy Floss Co thread’ Take A Bough’ from the 2023 Holiday Countdown Box.

 

Talking of sals, I’ve also decided to join in with

the ‘All Year Round’ sal from Cross Stitcher Magazine which  actually started back in September. 

As I’ve only just joined in, I’ve started by stitching January

and then, other stitching permitting,  I’ll work backwards and catch up with the previous months, with the aim of finishing it on time in August.

This is my start of catching up on December.

 Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Project Details

Chart -  All Year Round Sal

Designer -  Amanda Butler - Cross Stitcher Magazine

Fabric – 18ct White Aida - Zweigart

Threads – DMC, Anchor and various threads from stash

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Chart -  Christmas Tree (Free Chart)

Designer -  Modern Folk Embroidery

Fabric – 18ct White Aida - Zweigart

Threads – Roxy Floss Co - from 2023 Holiday Countdown Box

First Post of 2025

Before I do a quick round up of my stitching for 2024 and tell you about my plans for 2025, I just want to wish everyone a slightly delayed Happy new Year.

I felt like I had a good, productive 2024, with a couple of very special finishes, so here we go with all the stats.

I’ve never really been happy, having too many wips on the go at any one time, because I find myself getting a little overwhelmed and then feeling guilty for not stitching on them and getting them finished. But last year I started with 15 wips, which was way more than I would normally have, and that was due to the fact that at the last minute, I decided to join in with the 12 in 12 sal (12 new starts in 12 hours)on New Year’s Eve 2023……..what was I thinking, Lol!

I also managed 37 new starts through the course of the year and had a total of 49 finishes, during the 350 days that I actually stitched on.

The big accomplishment of the year was getting my first Chatelaine; ‘Butterfly Lace Mandala’ completed, which I started back in 2021 on my 65^th birthday.

I also had a good go at fully finishing things straight away last year, instead of just leaving them in my finishing box of doom.

The good news is that there are fewer projects in there now, than there were at the start of the year. because my total of 42 FFO’s included a few of my older finishes!

My plans for 2025 are to work on and hopefully finish the two stitching boxes I have in progress.

The first is ‘My Stitching Box from Jeanette Douglas

and the other one is Bee Contained by Betsy Morgan from the Helping Hands Book.

The another couple of things I know I’m going to work on and were both New Year Day starts are my second Chatelaine, ‘ Humming Bird Lace Mandala.

By the way, Butterfly Lace is now on my wall and has pride of place above my fireplace in my living room.

The other new start is my first reproduction sampler, Mary Allcorn 1764, from Hobby House Press.

So, all in all I feel like I had a good stitching year and am well on my way this year, with some beautiful charts to keep me busy.

 

I hope you all have a productive 2025 too.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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 My Stitching Box

Designer – Jeanette Douglas

Fabric – 32ct Zweigart Evenweave – Antique White

Threads – Classic Colorworks Belle Soie, NPI Silk, Gloriana Silk Floss & Rainbow Gallery Splendor

Beads – Mill Hill

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Bee Contained – from Willing Hands 2

Designer – Betsy Morgan

Fabric – 32ct Linen – Lemon Squash

Dyer – Nicholas Flamel Designs – Etsy

Threads – Gloriana Florimell Silk

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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

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Mary Allcorn 1764

Designer – Hobby House Press

Fabric – 36ct  Thornfield - Needle & Flax

Threads –Gloriana Silks and Classic Color Works Belle Soie Silks 

 

 

 

Country Charm - Fiona Baker

I have one final finish that I’ve managed to sneak over the line  before the bells ring in a new year.

As you know, I’ve been on a bit of a deadline, but I’m pleased to say I stitched the last of the beads and sequins on this morning.

 The fabric I ordered from Etsy also arrived this morning, so I have six days left in which to  get my sewing machine out

and make the cushion, so it’s all looking good, although I still can’t help wondering why I set myself these tight deadlines!!

Country Charm – from The World of Cross Stitching Magazine

Designer – Fiona Baker

Fabric – 36ct Linen – Parchment – Nicolas Flamel Designs

Threads – DMC’s

 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Santa's House - Cottage Garden Samplings

A year ago today, I decided to join in with the 12 x 12 Sal, which in my case equated to  12 new starts in the 12 hours leading up to midnight on New Year’s Eve. 

Up until now I had finished 10 of my 12 stitches with just 'Sing For Joy (which incidentally I haven't picked up since starting it) and Santa’s House still needing to be completed.

But today I put the final stitches into Santa's House, bringing my total to 11, which I'm very happy with.

 This is where it was when I last stitch on it.

And here it is finished.

I’m not joining in with the Sal again this year because I’m not really happy having so many Wips, but I will be having a new start later today, so pop back tomorrow to see what it is I start.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Santa’s House

Designer – Vinniey P. S. Tan- Cottage Garden Samplings

Fabric – 36ct Linen – Grey Sand – X Ju Designs

Threads – Cottage Garden Threads & DMC

The Nordic Holiday Countdown 2025 - Its a Finish!

As we rush headlong towards the end of another year, it’s almost time for my round-up for 2024, but before we get there, I was hoping for just a couple more finishes.

The first project was my Nordic Holiday Countdown, which I’m pleased to report I did manage to finish.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was missing my day 6 thread that was unfortunately absent from my countdown package, but I decided at the time to replace it with the DMC alternative.

My daily stitching was going well and then I hit another snag on day 17, when I found that I had a duplicate colour and not the one I should have had. This time I made the decision to leave this part of the stitching  and see if the replacement would arrive before I got to the end.  As yet it hasn’t, so I had a look at my previous two sets of countdown threads and picked out ‘Yule Be Pine’ from the 2023 countdown and used that in its place, in order to have it finished this year.

So, that was it for another year.

A big, big thank you to Caroline and all the crew at Evertote, for coordinating everything and for her daily floss tubes,

 Kerri from Roxy Floss Co for the stunning array of beautiful threads

and last but not least, Jacob of Modern Folk Embroidery for another spectacular project, his wonderful music, art work and informative floss tube videos.

I’m sad that it’s come to an end but there was one last little gift for us, another of  Jacobs beautiful charts to keep us busy until the 2025 Holiday Countdown goes on sale in February.

The second project I’m hoping to have finished is 'Country Charm', designed by Fiona Baker, and it’s so close.

This is the piece I’m stitching as a 70th birthday pressie for my cousin, and I need to have it finished and FFO’d by the 6^th January. So wish me luck!

There's just a small amount of cross stitch left to do on the right hand side and then finish the back stitching, so I think I'm on track for a finish, as long as the finishing fabric that I've 

ordered from Etsy arrives in time.  I've had notification to say it's on it's way it’s on its way, so my fingers are crossed.

As yet I have no plans for stitching on New Years Ever, although I do have a few things that I could possibly start but New Years Day I will definitely be starting my new Chatelaine, Humming Bird Lace, so do check back to see all the glorious silk threads and beautiful crystals!

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Chatelaine - Butterfly Lace Mandala

 She’s back from the framers and she’s a bit of a big beast!

I knew she was going to be large, but I hadn’t taken into account the extra width of the three mats, which I don’t usually bother having. 

She just a smidge under 29 inches square! 

On this occasion they really add something to the piece and also keep the art glass from resting on the crystals.

Just in case you missed the stats before, here they are again.

Started 9th September 2021
Finish 31st August 2024
Total of stitching days = 109
Total beads & crystals = 3414
Total cost (unframed) £253.47

The framing was done by my usual framers,  Frames of London and cost wise, let’s just say it cost significantly more for framing than the project cost, and leave it at that, but worth every penny I might add.

You can go back and see the  previous pictures  here.

I plan to start Humming Bird Mandala on New Years Day

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

Happy Stitching!
Sue
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