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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Log Cabin Mr Snowman – Little House Needlework + Framing of Log Cabin Christmas

I started stitching the ‘Log Cabin Christmas’ series from Little House Needlework in October last year and at the time I completed the first three charts. 

Over the course of this year, I have been stitching the rest and have just completed the 9^th and final panel, which means I have a ‘ BIG FINISH!

The 9th panel is Log Cabin Mr. Snowman.

 

 I decided to stitch all 9 panels onto one large piece of fabric.

I love how it’s turned out and can’t wait to get it framed, in fact the frame is already ordered, so it will be on my wall for Christmas this year.

Updated

Here's the framing of  Log Cabin Christmas ( 15/11/25)

With that stitch finished, I decided it was time to make a start on the next project from the Quintessential Frisian Smalls Sal.

This is the ‘ Hindleoopen Pinwheel.

I’ve only made a very small start on the band that goes around the sides.

The last thing I’ve picked up this week is my knitting and I've just realized I have a bit of a red theme going on here.

Nothing very much to see at the moment but I have added around 8 inches to the length.  I’ll soon be up to the split and ready to start on the sleeves!

So this it for this week.

My plans for next week are to carry on adding to my knitting, stitching on the pinwheel and make a start on my 12 in 12 Christmas ornament. 

If I have time, I would also like to pick up a wip from last year and add some stitches to my Dimensions ‘Toy Shoppe’, so with me luck.

Oh, one last thing before I go.   

I had some happy, happy, happy mail arrive this week.

My 2025 Christmas Countdown from Evertote, Yah!

 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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Chart- Log Cabin Christmas – 9 part series - Log Cabin Christmas

Designer – Little House Needleworks

Fabric – 32ct Zweigart Linen – Raw

Threads – Called for Classic Colorworks

 

Chart – Hindeloopen Pinwheel – Quintessential Frisian Smalls

Designer – Modern Folk Embroidery

Linen – 36ct Linen – Porcelain – Roxy Floss Co / Evertote

Thread – Falu Red (hand overdyed cotton) – Roxy Floss Co

  

Pattern – Dover Jumper

Designer – Margaret Holzmann

Yarn – Pure Wool Superwash Dk – Cygnet Yarns

Shade – Claret  (592)

 

Log Cabin Christmas Part 8 , - Little House Needle Works

So here I am, eight months into this 9 part cross stitch project and I’m already finding myself wondering what other part series, if any, I will stitch next year.

I think it's the thought of guaranteed little finishes throughout the year, that makes them such fun to stitch, and at the end of this project I'll have one bigger finish to frame, so it's win, win!

Here's the penultimate square of the 'Log Cabin Christmas' series and it's aptly named  ‘Log Cabin Christmas’

How cute are that Owl and birdie on the roof?

Just one final square to go and it will be framed and on my wall in time for Christmas!

Happy Stitching!

Sue

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 Project Information

Chart- Log Cabin Christmas – Part 8- ‘Log Cabin Christmas

Designer – Little House Needleworks

Fabric – 32ct Zweigart Linen – Raw

Threads – Called for Classic Colorworks

Log Cabin Christmas, Mrs Snow - Little House Needle Works

I just managed to squeeze in one last new start and finish before the end of June and that brings us nicely to the middle of the year.

This little square is the 7^th in the ‘Log Cabin Christmas’ series, so just two more to go.

It’s also time for a quick round up of my progress for June.

I started the month with 7 wips, (3 of which I didn’t touch at all) and I had 5 new starts.

Then there were 5 finishes and 11 Fully Finishes, of which 7 were the components of the Bee Contained Etui.

Despite not touching my stitching for 7 out of the 30 days, all in all I think I had a good month.

 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

 

Project Information

 

Chart- Log Cabin Christmas – Part 6- In the Woods Deer

Designer – Little House Needleworks

Fabric – 32ct Zweigart Linen – Raw

Threads – Called for Classic Colorworks

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

I’m well past the half way mark of Log Cabin Christmas

now and have just finished Part 6, which is ‘In The Woods Deer’.

I’m really enjoying working on this, but I think, as we head into warmer days, it’s time to put Christmas/Winter stitching aside for a little while I think because I want to do some Summer stitching.

First though I wanted to get some more stitches into my Chatelaine, ‘Hummingbird Lace Mandala’.

This is where I let it the last time you saw it back in March.

Between then and now, I’ve stitched the first 1 over 1 hummingbird,

worked on the borders of specialist stitches 

and the second flower.  

I’ve also added lots of beads, because I’ve decided to bead as I go, instead of leaving it all until the end as I did with Butterfly Lace.

I did make a little blunder though……….while adding beads to the second flower, I realised that I used the wrong beads on the first one, so at some point I’m going to sit and pick the out, which is a bit of a pain.

There’s one last thing to share with you today.

I’ve seen other stitchers' use Flower Frogs, which are designed for arranging flowers, to display/store their scissors and I wanted one too, so when I saw this beautiful Green Glass one on ebay, I knew it had to come and live with me.

So, until next time

 Happy Stitching!

Sue

 

Project Information

Chart- Log Cabin Christmas – Part 6- In the Woods Deer

Designer – Little House Needleworks

Fabric – 32ct Zweigart Linen – Raw

Threads – Called for Classic Colorworks

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

Log Cabin Quilt – Log Cabin Christmas - Little House Needle Works

I’m finding it hard to believe that we are almost ¼ of the way through the year already, with tomorrow being the 1^st of April and it reminds me of my mum telling me that as you get older the time seems to fly by so much faster. Well she wasn’t wrong because it only seems like five minutes ago we were celebrating the New Year!

So as we look forward to the prospect of ‘April Showers’ we can also enjoy the lighter evenings now the clocks have been put forward and we are into British Summer Time and hopefully some warm and sunny weather and stitching out on the patio, enjoying the garden.

I did manage to get one last new start and finish in this month and that was the centre square of Log Cabin Christmas, and that was Log Cabin Quilt.

This one took a little longer than the rest to stitch because to all intense and purposes it is full coverage.

So now I’m passed the half way mark and just have four more charts to stitch to finish the whole thing.

There is also one final wip that I put some stitches into, ‘Sing for Joy’ from Cottage Garden Samplings.

I finished filling in the little house, put some more stitches into the big flower above it and you may remember the last time I shared it, I was saying that I had picked out a slub in the fabric. I had to fudge my way around the leaf that the house sits on, making it fatter, because picking the slub out left white threads showing.  Well, I finished off filling it in and although I can still see where the pulled thread was, I don’t think you would notice if you didn’t know what had happened.

Now for a little re-cap of my stitching for the month of March, because it’s always fun to see written down in one place what I actually achieved.

To start with, I managed to get some stitches in every day during the month.

5 new starts

8 finishes

3 Fully Finishes – two of which were old pieces that I framed.

And I worked on 3 other wips.      

Plans for April………..well, I don’t really have any but I fancy having a new start or two, aside from the sal segments, Christmas ornament and squares for Log Cabin Christmas, so I’m going to have a sort through my charts and see what I have kitted and ready to go.

Happy Stitching!

Sue

 

Project Information

 

Chart- Log Cabin Christmas – Part 5- Log Cabin Quilt

Designer – Little House Needleworks

Fabric – 32ct Zweigart Linen – Raw

Threads – Called for Classic Colorworks

 

Chart – Sing For Joy

Designer – Cottage Garden Samplings

Fabric -  36ct Linen – Nicolas Flamel Designs ( Putty)

Threads – Weeks Dye Works

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

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

Designer – Little House Needleworks

Fabric – 32ct Zweigart Linen – Raw

Threads – Called for Classic Colorworks

Log Cabin Fox - Little House Needle Works

 Time for my November round-up.

Sadly, I didn’t get around to stitching my 12 in 24 Christmas ornament in November, so to keep up with the sal, I’m going to try and stitch two this month.  Having said that, I still won’t have all twelve to hang up, because the two Mill Hill ones have already been given to my Goddaughters two girls, so they can hang them on their own trees.

I did manage quite a bit of stitching though, despite a busy month, including a couple of short break away.

To start with, I had three new starts, Log Cabin Fox from Little House Needleworks, the third part of Log Cabin Christmas, was also a finish.

My other new starts were Country Charm by Fiona Baker and Toy Shoppe from Dimensions Gold Collection Petites.

Country Charm is definitely not for those who are not a fan of back stitching because there’s a ton of it this one.

The original was stitched on Aida but I decided to stitch mine on Linen and love th way it’s looking.

As for the Dimensions kit, I’m asking myself why I wanted to stitch another one of these after the fun and games I had with ‘ A Kiss for Snowman’ last year.  

If you’ve ever stitched one of these, you stitch with varying numbers of threads throughout and I had to frog so many times while working on it.

Long story short, nothing had changed with this one either;

The frog has visited several times already!

I’m still loving it though and have yet another one in the wings, waiting to be stitched.

My second finish for the month was ‘Dream of a Winter Garden from Modern Folk Embroidery.

The only other wip  I stitch on in November was 'Santa’s House' from Cottage Garden Samplings, which I made some great progress on.  This is where it was the last time you saw it.

And here it is now.

So all in all I got through quite a bit last month and am looking forward to an equally productive month of December.

 

Happy Stitching!

Sue

x

 

Log Cabin Bunnies

Designer – Little House Needleworks

Fabric – 32ct Belfast Linen – Raw (called for)

Threads – Classic Color Works (Called For)

 

Country Charm – from The World of Cross Stitching Magazine

Designer – Fiona Baker

Fabric – 36ct Linen – Parchment – Nicolas Flamel Designs

Threads – DMC’s

 

Toy Shoppe  

Kit - Dimensions Gold Collection Petites

 

Dream of a Winter Garden

Designer – Jacob de Graaf – Modern Folk Embroidery

Fabric – 36ct Linen – Doubloom – Picture the Plus

Threads – Roxy Floss Co