12 in 25 - Believe – Christmas Blue Ornaments – Joan Elliott Designs

Last week I was on a high because all the plans I had made had gone well and I achieved everything I'd set out to do.  This week…..not so good!

Some things have gone well, including the finish of my final stitch for the 12 in 25 Christmas Ornament Sal, hosted by Carol from   Stitching Dream Blogspot

‘Believe’ was the 9^th of the Blue Ornaments that I changed to Gold, from Joan Elliott.

I even managed to correct last month’s one that I had mistakenly finished on the wrong side.

So, here’s my little tree, displaying this years efforts, well 10 of them anyway! 

The other two have already gone to their new home.

Thank you Carol, for the fun challenge again this year and roll on January!!

I managed a new start last week, which I also FFO'd and one other FFO.

The new start that I fully finished was ‘Snowman’, a free chart from  Erin Elizabeth Designs 

And the other FFO was ‘Toy Shoppe’ from Dimensions.

I ordered the custom frame from  Picture Frames Express .

Now, the things that didn't go so well were the two stich-a-longs. I feel bad, having promised daily updates, because I’ve not done a single one.

I’m still playing catch up with ‘A Pretty Song’ the Holiday Countdown from Evertote, /Roxy Floss Co and Modern Folk Embroidery.

I’ve just finished day 6 and love how it’s coming along.

As for the Santa Claws is coming to Town, from Historische Stickmuster , well I’ve not touched it at all since then.

As you know, I changed the linen because I felt to was too stiff and swapped it for a lighter colour.  But I’m not happy with that either, so I ordered four new pieces of linen from 123 stitch. 

All I have to do now is decide which one to use and start over again.   Third time lucky!

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Tis the Season to be Jolly!

I know I’m a few days late, but Happy December my stitchey friends, I hope all your planning for the ‘Big Day’ is going well and you have some time relax and enjoy the season.

I love the lead up to Christmas and I’ve been busy decorating, but the one job I really hate is putting the lights on my tree. 

It’s only a 6 foot one, so how those of you that have much bigger trees (and more than one come to that) manage, I’ll never know. One thing I do know for sure is that when the time comes for a new tree,  it will definitely be a pre-lit one!

I’ve no finishes to show you at the moment but I do have three new starts.

The first is my final ornament for the 12 in 25 Christmas Ornament Sal.

As I was pulling out my ornaments to decorate this morning, I realised I had made a blunder on the one from last month and I can’t believe that I didn’t notice it before.

As you know, I’m finishing them all the same with the stitching attached to the velvet side, but somehow I managed to attach this one to the back, instead of the front. 

Now I have to try and prise it off carefully, because I don't have any of the velvet left and try again.  Oh well, there’s never a dull moment when I’m trying to FFo things, Lol!

My next new start is the Evertote, /Roxy Floss Co / Modern Folk Embroidery, Holiday Countdown 2025, that this year is called ‘A Pretty Song’. 

I hope to have daily progress on my Instagram,  but failing that, I’ll be back here next week.  This is the first two days stitching and the two beautiful threads.

My final start is ‘Santa Claus is coming to Town’ from Historische Stickmuster , and the chart is actually an incredibly fantastic freebie, in four parts, that can be downloaded from their web site.

You can also purchase the Soie d’Alger silk thread and fabric pack from there too.

I did get the silks and fabric but to be honest, I didn’t much care for the 34ct fabric that came with it.  It was so stiff, so I put it aside and pulled a piece of 36ct ‘Parchment’ linen that I already had.  It’s a little bit lighter in colour but I think it will be fine.

Here’s my small start.

I don’t know about you, but I’m already enjoy all the ‘flossmas’ recordings on YouTube.  The trouble is, I keep finding new ones to watch and I’m getting nothing else done around the house, Lol!

Well, that’s it for now.  Enjoy all the festive goings-on and especially enjoy time with all the special people in your life, be them friends or family.

I’ll be back in a day or two with some more progress, so in the meantime……….

 Happy Crafting!

Sue

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 Oh, how could I have forgotten, it’s the Jingle Ball this weekend!

I hope to cross paths with some if you if you are attending and if the time difference permits.

I finished enough pre-stitching to hopefully make two snow globes at Liz Mathews class.

12 in 25 - Merry Christmas – Christmas Blue Ornaments – Joan Elliott Designs

 Can you believe that we are already half way through November?

I’ve been busy stitching again this week and have just finished my latest ornament for the 12 in 25  ornament  stitch-a- long. 

Just one more to go for this year and I’m already thinking about what I want to do for next!

The plans that I mentioned last week have gone well for once and I managed to do everything I had hoped, so after finishing my ornament, I continued with the stitching on the Hindeloopen Pinwheel, from Modern Folk Embroidery, which I also managed to finish.

Now I just have to tackle the fully finishing!

Knitting wise, which I appreciate doesn’t look that interesting, I reached and cast off the stitches for the underarms and am about to cast on the first sleeve.

And the final thing I stitched on was my oldest wip.

I started  ‘Top Shoppe’, a Dimensions Gold Collection Petites kit in November last year and was hoping to get it finished in time for Christmas that year.  But I had forgotten that these kits can be a little complicated, due to the fact that the number of threads used and the type of stitch used varies a lot throughout the piece.

I did make great progress at the time, but realising I wasn’t going to get it done, I put it away, in favour of other stitching.

Yesterday, I pulled it out again and this time I AM going to finish it!

Here’s where I left it last night.

The other thing I was happy to get done, was to frame a couple of projects.

Firstly, the frame I ordered from Picture Frames Express for Log Cabin Christmas arrived and I’m so happy with the way this turned out.

The second one was an older project.

I was out shopping in the week and came upon a frame in the homeware store ‘Dunelm Mill’ which I thought would work well with the Blackbird Design ‘Flowers For You’ that I stitched to honour my mum.

The frame was a little big which meant that I was going to have a 2’’ border all the way around.   I was fine with that, but in the end I decided to put it on a  piece of mount board with a piece of scrapbook paper behind it.

This coming week I’m going to be stitching some more on the ‘The Toy Shoppe’, fully finish the Hindeloopen Pinwheel and possibly make a start on the pre-stitching for Liz Mathews  Jingle Ball ‘Snow Globe’ project, because the ball is just around the corner!

Are you going to the ball and if so what projects or classes will you be taking?

 Happy Stitching!

Sue

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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

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Christmas Blue Ornaments – Joy – Joan Elliott Designs

 ‘Joy’ is the latest of my  ‘12in25’ ornament for the stitch-a- long hosted by  Carol  from   Stitching Dream Blogspot

Fully finishing to come very soon and them it will join the other eight ornaments that are already done.

  And there are just three more to go !

 Happy  Stitching!

Sue

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Updated  16/10/25, to show the Fully Finishing of Ornament.

Chart – Blue Christmas Ornaments

Designer –    Joan Elliott Designs

 Fabric -  32ct Antique White Evenweave

Threads – DMC

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