I'd rather be stitchin'

27 Oct 2025

Seasons – Autumn – Lila’s Studio

Time is rolling on but I’m still in the mood for Autumn stitching, so after finishing Harvest Tiny Town last week, I pulled out a few more charts to choose from with the aim of trying to use up some of my stash.

The first one I picked out was from the Lila’s Studio collection ‘Seasons’ and I found a scrap of 32ct Weeks Dye Works ‘Parchment’ which was the perfect size.

But when I looked through my threads I didn’t have one single skein of the called for threads, so I ended up doing my own colour conversion.

I think it looks ok!

I added a strip of burgundy wool along the bottom, topped with a cream braid and used the same burgundy wool for the back.

After that I decided to stitch ‘Pumpkin Faire’ from October House Fibre Arts.

I've already stitched a couple of the other designs from this series and just love the detail in the pumpkin on this one.

I pulled out another scrap of the 32ct Parchment linen from Weeks Dye Works and the called for threads.

I was getting on really well, until I realised that one of the threads ‘Sweet Potato’, should have been Classic Colorworks and not Weeks Dye Works as the rest of the threads were.

How did I not notice that the pattern in the pumpkin wasn’t showing up?

I debated whether to carry on stitching or to scrap it and start again, but the pattern is the whole point of the piece, so I ended up making it into a small pin pillow, using another piece of wool on the back and ruffled ribbon around the sides.

At least it didn’t go to waste,

Then I started again, this time on a scrap of 36ct ‘Antique 'Sampler Collection' from Nicholas Flemel Designs, on Etsy

Lastly this week, I actually put my sewing needle down and picked up my knitting needles again.

I purchased the book ‘ The Art of Circular Yokes’ by Kerry Bogert, almost 3 years ago with the intention of knitting

‘The Dover’ pullover which has a yoke of traveling, twisted Bavarian stitches.

I ordered the wool, which is ‘Superwash Dk, Pure Wool’ in shade 592, Claret back in September and did the cast on, but then for some reason I didn’t knit any more than a few rows.

Well, this weekend I pulled it out and finished the twisted 1 x 1 rib and around 6’’ of the body.

That’s about it for now, so whatever you are working on at the moment.............

Happy Crafting!

Seasons - Autumn

Designer – Lila’s Studio

Fabric – 32ct Weeks Dye Works – Parchment

Threads - My own colour conversion –

The Gentle Arts – Cranberry, Dried Thyme & Tarnished Gold.

Weeks Dye Works – Kohl.

Classic Colorworks – Ye Olde Gold, Onion Skin, Khaki Mocha, Weeping Willow & Hickory Sticks.

Pumpkin Faire

Designer - October House Fiber Arts

Fabric - 36ct Antique Sampler Collection - Nicholas Flemel Designs

Threads - Called For

Small Pumpkin Pin Pillow ( from Pumpkin Faire)

Designer - October House Fiber Arts

Fabric – 32ct Weeks Dye Works – Parchment

Threads - Called For + 1 Weeks Dye Works

22 Oct 2025

Quintessential Frisian Smalls Sal – Biscornu

When Caroline from Evertote, Jacob from Modern Folk Embroidery, and Kerri from Roxy Floss Co announced the ‘Quintessential Frisian Smalls Sal, I was keen to stitch along, but I have to be honest, I had doubts if I would enjoy stitching in one colour for a length of time.

I don’t know why I was worried though, because the more I stitch on this little collection, the more I want to stitch and the 'Falu Red' thread is to die for!

The project for October was a cute little Biscornu, which looks incredibly difficult, but is in fact quite simple to make.

It’s all in the finishing!

The stitching is just two squares, one for the top and another for the bottom.

While I was stitching mine, I decided to add some evenly spaced threads, which were later removed, to aid the placing of the panels at a 45 degree angle when finishing.

The shape is achieved by offsetting the corners, positioning a corner from the top square at the centre of one of the sides of the bottom square and whip stitching through the back stitch around the squares.

Once the edges are stitch together and the Biscornu stuffed, a button or in my case a bead is stitched through the centre and pulled tight to give it it’s unusual shape.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

20 Oct 2025

Harvest Tiny Town – Heart in Hand

I’ve often wondered if other stitchers' prefer to work on projects that are ‘in season’ or don’t have a problem stitching Christmas in spring time.

I tend to fall into the first category, preferring to stitch on and have finishes that I can display straight away, instead of having to pack them away for several months before being able to enjoy them.

That said, at this time of year, most are probably thinking about autumn, harvest time and of course Halloween, including me, although I’m not big on the latter.

Back at the end of August I started stitching ‘Harvest Tiny Town’ from Heart in Hand and I’ve just finished it.

I have some of the other Tiny Towns waiting to be stitched, and have already finished the Christmas one,

which I finished as a flat fold, but having finished this latest one, I was debating on a method of finishing them all in the same manor. That was when I came across the finishing boards from Paisleys and Polka Dots and decided I could finish them

with magnets on the back, making them interchangeable.

Chart – Harvest Tiny Town

Designer – Heart in Hand

Fabric – Weeks Dye Works – Parchment

Threads - Classic Colorworks, Weeks Dye Works & DMC

Happy Stitching!

Sue

Deer Santa – Satsuma Street

We are getting ever closer to the end of the ‘12in25’ ornament stitch-a- long that is hosted every year by Carol from Stitching Dream Blogspot and we only have three left to complete this year’s collection.

As you already know, I’ve been working my way through the ornaments from Joan Elliott’s ‘Blue Christmas Ornaments', and two beaded ornaments that I stitch each year for my Goddaughter’s two girls.

I wanted to take my October ornament to stitch while on our cruise and the ‘Deer Santa’ kit from Satsuma Street was the

perfect choice, because it had everything I needed in it and I could stitch without the need for my magnifier or light.

The eyesight is definitely going as I’m getting older. Lol!

Happy Stitching!

Sue

18 Oct 2025

Quick Catch Up!

Apart from a very quick post about my Scissor Keep from the Quintessential Friesian Smalls, you must have been wondering where I have been hiding out since 10^th September?

Well it’s been a bit of a month to be honest, sprinkled with stitching, obviously, an exciting thing, a sad thing and a couple of extremely stupid things that I could well have done without happening.

The exciting thing that happened was my first cruise.

I think I mentioned before that I have a group of friends who have known each other since junior school and that four out of the five of us were 70 this year.

So at the start of the year we planned for 8 of us to go on our first cruise…..just a short 7 day one from Southampton to Northern Europe on the MSC Virtuosa, which holds 6000 passengers.

Unfortunately it didn’t all go to plan, as one person decided to leave our friendship group (I’ll say no more about that) and just one week before we were due to go one couple came down with Covid and had to drop out, so we were down to just five of us.

We still managed to have a wonderful time and I’m still in awe of the sheer size of the ship and how beautiful the interior

was with the stairs in the atrium covered in Swarovski crystals.

Also I would never have believed someone telling me that at 69 (I’m the baby of the group) that I would be up parting at 1am in the morning…….I think I’m still suffering, Lol!

Thank you to my wonderful friends for such special memories.

I guess I need to start think about what we all do for my 70th next year.

The sad news I mentioned was that just before we went away, a friend's dad passed away after a short stay in hospital, so I have a funeral to attend this week.

It’s so sad to think that summer last year we were all celebrating David and Kaija’s 50^th Wedding Anniversary.

Rest in Peace David.

Now to the things I could have done without happening.

Somehow, I managed to pick up the awful cough and cold that is doing the rounds over here, and have had a very fuzzy head due to sinusitis.

As a result of this, I managed to back my car into the corner wall of my home, damaging the back light as well as the bumper. That’s going into the garage on Monday but its £400 I could do without having to spend right now, especially as I have some redecoration starting indoors this week too.

As the cold progressed, things didn’t get any better, and due to my own stupid fault, I managed to walk into an open kitchen cupboard and gave myself a black eye.