7 Feb 2025

A Gathering of Quaker Samplers – Pages 5 & 6

With the finish of pages 5 & 6 of my 'Quaker Sampler Book', a kit from The Cross Stitch Guild, I've hit the half way mark of the project at last.

It was this time last year, when joining in with the 'Winter Cross Stitch Camp, that Sherrie, the Colorado Cross Stitcher hosts, that I chose this as my project for the month.  The brief had been to stitch something with an animal or bird on, hence the swan, but once I had finished the first two pages of the book, I continued on and stitched the next two pages as well.    
At that point I put it away and didn't pick it up again for the rest of the year, but it saw the light of day again thanks to my quest to work on every wip I have in January this year.

 As I stitched  on pages 5 & 6, which are now also finished,
I remembered how much I love the muted colours of the threads in this kit and it's spurred me on to get this little book finished over the next couple of months, with a little bit of luck.

 
My Quaker Sampler Book Kit

Designer – The Cross Stitch Guild / Ackworth Collection

Fabric – 32ct Belfast Linen – Raw

Threads – 6 stranded cotton

Silk Lining fabric


Happy Crafting!

Sue

x

5 Feb 2025

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

x

4 Feb 2025

In The Woods Bear – Log Cabin Christmas - Little House Needle Works

 I started ‘Log Cabin Christmas’, back in October 2024

and so far have stitched four of the nine squares that make up the bigger picture.

And here it is with the latest square, which is ‘In The Woods Bear.


 Happy Stitching!

Sue

X

Chart- Log Cabin Christmas – Part 4- In The Woods Bear

Designer – Little House Needleworks

Fabric – 32ct Zweigart Linen – Raw

Threads – Called for Classic Colorworks

31 Jan 2025

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

X


13 Jan 2025

Country Charm - Fiona Baker

Well, I hit my deadline of fully finishing ‘Country Charm’ in time for my cousin’s 70th birthday on the 8th 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

x

12 Jan 2025

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

x

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

10 Jan 2025

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 65th 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

X


 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