Boxing Day Blogaversary, Review of 2020 and Plans for 2021

What a wind up to what otherwise was a very low-key Christmas.   I eventually put up a small tree with stitched ornaments as after such a long lockdown, just did not have my usual Jingle-Jangle mojo running.  

And as I sit in my chair this Boxing Day morning, I look up at my tree and see so many memories of Christmases Past.   I looked back to my first Blog posts – back to December 26 2008 and see the ornament that is most prominent, was indeed finished on that day.  So it is a Blogaversary and have enjoyed rekindling my stitching journey with you all.

 

2020 was for me a Year of Clarity and has been a good year to determine what is important in life.  Family, Friends and Fabric.  I have gained a Grandson this year, with the hope that I will meet him within the month.  Friendships have strengthened with enforced distancing and new friendships forged.  

Christmas Day was a festive day with family celebrating together.  I am so honoured that my Heirloom tablecloth is now used each year and has become part of the family tradition.  My sewing room is organised and has promoted more creativity throughout the year and leading into 2021 I am looking to starting up a Floss-tube to run concurrently with this blog (the aim is to kick this into production in February)

This remaining week of December, I will try to organise my stitching projects for 2021 starting by listing them here.

• '    Meteo 2020 SAL – I need to finish off December houses and to fill in the blanks with appropriate motifs
  
• '    Meteo de Moutons 2021 – This will be stitched on aida and I need to spend the time stitching the paddocks the ‘sheep’ will be housed in.  Although I have charted this, have set my own rules and will not start this before Jan 1^st
• '    Shores of Hawk Run Hollow –
  This is a long running WIP and deserves some concentrated stitching on this chart to move it along.  I do not expect this to be finished in 2021, but might aim for 2022 finish
• '    English Floral Sampler – this was high on my rotation this past year and I finished several squares, could I possibly finish P-Z in 2021?
  
• '    12 Days of Christmas – Boothy Threads – this was suggested some months ago as a 2021 SAL – Surely I only have to finish one square each month??  I looked at it again this morning, and it is a fairly intense bit of stitching, the couching has its own chart.  This might be better as a 2 year project
  
• '    History de Moutons – Jardin Privé – This was the chart that inspired me to revisit the Year of the Sheep.  I’ll be stitching the whole 4 charts as one – I really want to get this started in January
• '    Stitching, Sewing, Quilting – Jeremiah Junction – this is an OOP design from 2004 and I have started it, but would like to put some more time into it.  This will have a place in my sewing nook when completed
• '    Let’s Sew – Ursula Andrews – a mid-project sort of project – stitched with one thread of Needle Necessities on a slightly rayonish aida that was in the box of bits.
• '    Halloween – A sampler designed by me, inspired by Robert Burns.  This is the model stitch for my first chart to be released for sale in 2021 – about July
• '    Raise a glass – A sampler designed by me, inspired by vintage crockery.  This is a model stitch for a design to be released for sale in 2021 – about September

 

This is a list of more than 4 charts.  I am going to rethink about stitching charts on a weekly basis.

What are YOUR plans for 2021? 

On the 13th day of December - Advent Calendar Blog Hop

Lucky 13!

Firstly – Seasons Greetings to you all, new and old friends.  Welcome to day 13 of the Christmas 2020 Advent Blog Hop so generously hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.

What a calamitous year we have had.  Here in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, we are now coming out of 7 months of Covid Lockdown.  As I do not have school-age children and remained gainfully employed during the whole time, the lockdown did not have a seemingly full-on impact to my daily life.  As the lockdown has lifted, I realise how little I really socialised, but now can enjoy those little things like going out to a restaurant or take part in Scouting activities at a hall. 

Christmas here in Melbourne is often celebrated with friends and family outside with cold drinks and salads, as it often quite warm and full of sunshine!  So much different than the northern hemisphere.

I’ll share with you a quick Christmas Stitch I have made this past week and one of my favourite Christmas Tablecloth squares. 

This is a Lizzie Kate tiny ornament from 2002.  Found it amongst my pile of Christmas patterns that had been piled on the shelf next to where I’ve been stitching all year.  I guess I’ll be looking through that pile a little bit more critically during 2021.

The 2010 Tablecloth square is one of my favourites, as it represents the year my Dad spent Christmas with me.  The Jill Oxton pattern of a Santa Head is so intense, it took rather a lot longer to complete than it should have, but it looks great.  There are 5 different whites and pale greys in that beard alone.  You can see all the other years celebrated on this tablecloth on this page, with the story behind them all 

What is your favourite Christmas Book?    Goodness – I really could not think of anything past Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. 

It was such a traditional story and I am fortunate to have been gifted my Aunt’s collection of Dickens novels.  Of course, like so many more people, I now tend to look at a filmed version, and you would have to know that The Muppets version is my favourite.

Thank you for inspiring me to delve into the box of memories, as my Aunt’s collection of Dickens had been packed away and I needed to sort them out for this picture.  They are both very old, the frontispiece of the green one shows the date as 1879. 

I have not read these for many years, but the illustrations of these books, well over 100 years old are wonderful. 
Although, having gone down the lazy way of watching movies – the best version HAS to be the Muppets by far.  Check out THIS review of the costumes by Abby Cox – she is so fun to watch…

While I was delving into the box of treasures, I came across a small hand sized book of the poetry of Robert Burns, owned by my Grandfather, which he signed his name in 1918.  I found a verse which has inspired an idea for a sampler.  Something I’ll have to follow up in 2021.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit today and follow along with all the other bloggers on this 2020 Advent journey.

Seeing November out by planning to plan 2021

Good morning Blogging friends.

How did it get to be nearly December already – all of a sudden the restrictions in Melbourne Metro are being released and Christmas Social obligations are building up.

I’ve spent this morning sorting out my new planner/journal for 2021.  I’ve worked with the calendar on my phone for the past 2 years and I just keep loosing track of appointments.  At work I have a daily notebook by my desk and that works for me, so I’ve invested into a book to try and compartmentalise my personal/stitchy/scouting life.

What are your plans for 2021?

I’m planning a holiday to see family and friends in late January.  This will be a road trip and is long awaited.

I’m 99% committed to ramping up my Scouting commitments in 2021 – looking at being a Cub Leader and also more responsibilities on the District Committee

I am also following up the idea of creating a Floss Tube channel of my own.  I intend to keep up with my blog on a weekly basis, but a Floss-Tube would be a fortnightly edition .

I have several designs in my head to chart for myself and also possibly to release.  My goal is to release a stitchers Advent Calendar design in July.  It’s too late to think about December gifts in November… (yes this is in my planner to do list for May-June) 

I’ve bought myself a small mdf shelf/box advent calendar and will work on this for this year.  Do I make it to give it away or make it to keep it myself?   I have 12 months to work that out

 

There’s not been much stitching this week – not much cross stitch to show off.  But I did get inspired by Handy Mum

and worked on this itty bitty gift box.  I have yet to make the itty bitty pincushion that it lives in.  Somewhere along the line, I got distracted, and the sides for the lid are way too big.  Looking closely, the lid is pretty, but not perfect – as I am happy with the box, I might just use the top as a Christmas ornament and make another top, watching my sizing carefully.

I’ve lashed out this morning and bought a subscription to Punch Needle and Cross Stitch Magazine – I’ve been watching so many Floss-Tube channels that are showing charts, and there are so many I’d like to explore (not as if I don’t already have enough projects to stitch!)  So I’m a bit late to the party, but I think Christmas will run through a few months next year.

I will leave you now with a picture of some Marigolds which I’ve planted and have been watching daily for them to bloom.   There has been 2-3 plants which are racing to be the first to be in full bloom, and now there are many due to flower this week.  I’m looking forward to seeing the window boxes full of bloom.

Midway through November - Weather Heating up, Stitching slowing down

 

Hello friends.

I have been slightly distracted these past 2 weeks and don’t appear to have made much progress on anything but will at least share my progress with you.

I last left you with my 2” Churn Dash blocks.   They are not perfect and the fussy cut squares for the middle are not perfect, but I am happy with my progress so far.  I hope to have this finished – quilted and all this weekend.

I got sidelined by a couple of mug-mats for which there are no photos. These have been gifted to work colleagues and I hope they like them.  I used up a few of my scraps. 

I have a mug-mat by my machine and it was gifted to me some years ago and although it has a Christmas Theme, I use it all year around.  Do you like mug-mats?  I like that I can usually make one in an evening for an emergency gift.  Add a cute mug and a sachet of Tea, tie up with a ribbon and there you go...

I got my hair coloured again – now that restrictions have lifted in Victoria I had a chance to spend time with my hairdresser and she has done a marvellous job.  Allan got his hair trimmed too – don’t we make a cute couple?? 

I so enjoy having blue hair.  My sister has purple hair, but mine is blue.  I should be re-doing this in about 4 months, but for now it has vibrancy. 
I have been blonde, I have been brown, I have been red, I have had to colour my hair since I was in my early 20's - I feel that now in 2020 I have come into myself and am enjoying all that life has to offer.

I did pick up my needle and worked a bit on the English Floral Sampler. I am up to P for Pansy.  I might try to finish the other 2 pansies this weekend.  This pattern is from UK Cross Stitcher magazine, and was a series in 1993. 

I’ve been stitching this very slowly since 2004.  It seems that a lot of UFO’s are becoming WIP’s - this is good. 

Next week on my rotation should be SOHRH – It has been a few months since I’ve worked on that, and I may have to put it aside for a day or two, as I’ve just realised Christmas is around the corner, and I really need to get one or two ornaments completed.  You are here to keep me honest, so I hope to show you some SOHRH progress on my next post.

Planning – it seems to be the time of year to think about Planning for 2021.  I have lashed out and bought myself a small planner/journal.  It should live in my handbag all year.  I’m not happy about keeping all my appointments and thoughts in my head or in my phone.  I have been pretty consistent this year with notebooks, but there are a lot of plans for my stitching life for 2021 and I need to be organised. 

(evil voice on my shoulder:  “Let’s see how long that lasts!”)

What are you planning for 2021?    I am planning ‘Year of the Sheepie revisited’  My weather chart is ready to go, using sheep instead of houses.  I have 4 or so sheepie charts ready to be kitted out.  I want to take part in a SAL for Christmas ornaments (Jo – this is your doing, so you better be ready to stitch Bothy Threads 12 days of Christmas with me)  I am planning to start a floss-tube channel of my own (over thinking the process) I am planning a Stitchers Advent Calendar – either a project or design release for July-August 2021.  There are still charts which will remain in my rotation to complete and I’m sure there will be new charts that call to me.  Where will I find the time??  I don’t know either…  How many of you work full time as well as stitch?  Do you work part-time?  Are you retired and consequently busier than you ever were?

 

Off to put fabric under needle for the weekend.  Please leave me a comment.  What do you like to see in Floss-tubes?   What annoys you?  It is all research for me… 

 

Stitching start to November 2020.

 

Hello friends.

One week on from Halloween and a wee bit of a stitching start to November.

Firstly, I had a finish on my Christmas Heirloom Tablecloth for 2019. 

Each square symbolises something for that particular year with the names of those around the table.  As I had a knee replacement in September 2019 and needed a cane to walk both before and immediately afterwards, decided Candy Canes were the perfect choice.    This was finished on Halloween, leaving me plenty of time to stitch on the 2020 Temperature SAL for October.

I really need to work on what motifs to stitch to fill in the gaps.  It is good to see that the month is not completely blue and I am cheered by the little yellow house in the first week.  The 3^rd of November will be the same colour, but that will wait until the first week in December to be stitched.

 

So as I had what I classify as two finishes in the first two days, I justified starting a new project.  The 3 motifs were in an American stitching magazine in 2005 and designed by Jeremiah Junction.  As far as I can tell, they are now OOP (out of print).  I’m stitching mostly with the called for DMC floss, but have decided to use a variegated floss in my stash for the lettering. I’ve changed out the god-bothery sayings on each one, replacing them with something more suited for my stitching nook.  I am stitching all three together as one panel specifically to hang on my wall.  Of course I’ll show my progress as I go here.  This week I should pick up my English floral sampler.

 
This morning however, I woke up feeling the need to cut fabric into itty bitty bits and sew back together again.  So I finished a mini-quilt flimsy, needing only now to put quilt and bind it.   

Then I decided to cut even smaller pieces… these churn-dash squares are 2” finished…  yep.. insane.. mini quiltmakers are insane…  I think this mini quilt will end up about 7” x 9”  They will both be finished as mug-mats and put into the 2020 gift basket.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2020

 

HALLOWEEN FINISHES FOR 2020

Ok so technically the quilt is not 'finished' but who cares???   Doesn't it look SPOOKTACULAR??

The two older finishes are now finally cushions and the new finish from last weekend is also now a permanent addition to my Halloween cushion collection

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FRIENDS

AND FINALLY - AN UPLOAD TO YouTube - MY FIRST

Halloween 2020

October finishes off in a fine fashion

 

Things were happening during October, although I don’t feel that I accomplished much stitching.

I forgot, in my last post to show you the updated Temperature SAL – I stitched all of September and one week into October.  I really got enthused over the little yellow house, after all the weeks of blues and greens.  It has appeared that the colours will return to blues and greens for the rest of October, as it has been chilly again.  I think I’ll be putting lock motifs onto each month March-June and August to October, as it appears we will be out of such strict lockdown in early November. (but enough about Covid talk as there are plenty of other venues to discuss this, and I don’t want to mention it  except to placemark it in history)

Something else to get really excited about, was showing off a lovely quilt finish.   I finished the flimsy (quilt top) two years ago, it was a MSQC tutorial pattern if I remember correctly, and took me only a weekend to put it together.  The intention was always to stitch bees on it, and I did – there are 6 little bumblebees buzzing around the stars, turning them into sunflowers.

  I did not overthink the backing fabric, just using two fabrics and not thinking about how wide each panel was going to be.  I stitched a label on Aida and incorporated that into the binding. 
I really love the overall look.  The yellow binding just sets off the whole quilt entirely.   

Of course the main excitement, was picking up the prop for the quilt photo-shoot.    A BRAND NEW CAR!!!!

HoneyB is a Toyota Hybrid CH-R – the 2020 model.  I have waited 18 weeks to pick her up.  She drives like a dream.  My little Yaris is 14 years old, and somewhat tired.  My son will be the new owner of that car.  I decided in March that I would get a new car and overthought the process all thw way to the end of June when I made the decision between the Sporty Yellow CH-R or the super safe Subaru sedan – a blue Boxer.   The funky yellow colour and the style (and a really good price) was the bit that put me over the line.  I’ve had the car a whole 6 days and it will take me several more weeks to learn all the gadgets and bits and bobs.  

This past weekend I decided to stitch something for this year’s Halloween.  I found a pattern in a 2012 Halloween ornament magazine and scrambled in my fabric collection and specially flosses - a mixture of Dinky Dyes, Six Strand Sweets and Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe. The body of the ravens are perfect for this floss specially dyed for me for another Halloween project a few years ago, by Nancy of The Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe. I like the blue sheen to the black ravens...

The pic makes it look a little bit washed out, no matter what I do. The lettering is not so washed out as it appears. The fabric is called Prank and was part of a Fabric of the Month club some 6 years ago from Picture This Plus. I have all these bits of evenweave in bright colours and I will eventually stitch on them

I hope to take this and another couple of Halloween finishes from a couple of years ago and finish them into cushions in time for Saturday.  I doubt if I’ll be going to the extremes of previous years for decorations, might just decorate my stitchy nook.  I’ll share pictures with you then.