Fun Finds Friday.....gingerbread men!

Christmas time always makes me think of Gingerbread men....in fact, my mouth's watering just at the thought of them! Here's some calorie free gingerbread men  that would be quick to stitch for cards or tags ......

Image from Pinterest

You can find the free chart here. If you don't like the words 'bite me' you could always back stitch a name or greeting.

Here's another little cutie....

Image from Pinterest

The chart can be found here.

And the final little gingerbread man chart is this one....

Image from Pinterest

And you can find everything you need to know about stitching this one by clicking here.

And just in case you fancy some edible gingerbread men, here's a link to a great recipe :)

Until next time.....happy stitching (and baking!)

Rhona

So many finishes!

Well I certainly managed to make up for last week and having nothing to show! I've done quite a few happy dances this week, I really should be a few pounds lighter....but I'm not :(

The first finish this week is....the seashells. Here's the top part of the design...

.....then those bottom large shells...

....then the little border at the base of the design...

....and here it is in all it's glory...

The pictures aren't that great as it's a miserable rainy day here....the kind you just want to sit in front of a fire with some hot tea and some stitching.

Then remember this....

...well I managed to finish him off too...

I misplaced the magazine so had to guess how to assemble him. He turned out fine and is just waiting for me to put up the Christmas tree where he can have pride of place as this years cross stitched ornament.

And for my final happy dance finish (which technically isn't quite finished as I still have to weave in the ends and add some buttons!) is this adorable little baby cardigan....

This is for my daughters friend who wants neutral colours for her baby. I thought that the pale grey would look nice if she decide to pair it with blue or pink when she discovers the baby's gender. I'm so surprised at how quickly this little cardigan worked up.....I can see there being quite a few of these in a little gift basket for the new Mum.

Well, I'm quite exhausted with all that happy dancing, so I'm off to pop the kettle on for a quick cuppa while I work out what to work on next (please don't mention UFO's and make me feel guilty!)

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Fun Finds Friday.......free chart.

I came across the gorgeous little chart and wanted to share it with you as an antidote to all the Christmas stitching that you're either doing or about to do!

 Images from Facebook

This gorgeous design is by  Maria Brovko and you can find her on Facebook under the title/name Cross stitch patterns by Maria Brovko. her designs are gorgeous and well worth checking out.

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Arghhh...no stitching this week!

I'm just back from a looooong road trip! All the way from New York to Alabama. Two days traveling, two days there, and then two days traveling back home....wow! Ah the things we do to see our (grown up) kids :)

I had planned to do some crocheting in the car (cross stitch is just too difficult to do in a moving vehicle!)  My daughter's friend is pregnant so what better to do than some baby clothes....unfortunately I just grabbed the hook that was suggested on the pattern and when I started crocheting , the little cardigan was turning out super tiny, too small for a preemie or even a doll. The cross stitch kit that I had grabbed to work on in the hotel during the evening didn't work out any better....the fabric was tough, the threads seemed really strange and no matter how careful I was, the stitches seemed to be very bumpy and uneven....so I gave up on that too, so I have nothing to show you except some pictures of our trip.

Hubby and son at the riverfront, Montgomery Alabama......

Outside The Legacy Museum (well worth a visit if you're in Montgomery!)....

So much history here........

 Various shots of the capitol building...

The Alabama river....

A wonderful trip and worth all the driving to see our son.

Now to catch up on all the stitching and crafting that I missed last week!

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Fun Finds Friday.

Isn't this always the way?!!

Image form Facebook

 And that's also the face I put on when that happens!

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Super quick back stitching!

I've been proven wrong yet again! I honestly thought that the back stitching of the sea shells design would take an age to complete and be super boring......well, I'm happy to admit that I was wrong!

This didn't take me as long as I thought it would, and has been (almost) enjoyable as it really is making each shell pop. I decided to be methodical and do this in an organized fashion (how unlike me!) So, starting at the top and working down.....

...then the first shell which was quick and easy with really only the outline of the shell to do and a small bit of the inside...

...this next shell was a bit more fiddly and required a bit of counting to make sure the back stitching was in the right place....

...another fiddly one as the colours are very similar similar so more counting required....

...this next one isn't finished, but has been really easy as the design basically tells you where the back stitching should be....

I'm using a smaller needle to do the back stitching - this is the first time I have done that - usually I just use the same needle that I have used for the rest of the stitching, but, I'm following my own advice which you can see here. Maybe it's the smaller needle that's helping to speed up the back stitching progress or the fact that I'm using the sewing method rather than the stabbing method of back stitching....whatever it is I'm very happy at how quickly it's coming along. 

Here's how the whole thing looks so far...

I know it's rather squint (and a tad dark!), but you get the idea....ooh, almost there!

So....what method do you use for back stitching....stabbing or sewing?

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

Fun Finds Friday....freebie!

I love SAL's (Stitch A-Longs) especially when they are free and even more so, when each part is small enough to complete without it getting in the way of other projects. This one fits the bill. I just love the colours that this example has been stitched with....don't you? The designs could be stitched using any colour combination and they are small enough that you could possibly use up those odds and ends of skeins that we have stashed away.

Image from Pinterest

My first thought was that these little designs would make lovely (and quick to stitch) gift tags or cards - perfect for Christmas.  I think my to-stitch list has just gotten a bit longer!

You can click here to go to the blog -  it looks like there might be a whopping 48 of these little designs by the end of the SAL! If you want to know the colours used and the original layout click here,  and for a chart for each of the the designs so far, click here.

Have I added to you to-stitch list too? Heehee!

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

So much for plans!

I had intended to write last weeks post in advance and have google work it's magic and schedule the post to appear while I was having surgery....unfortunately, life got in the way and I didn't manage to write anything! Ah, the best laid plans and all that.

So after surgery, my doctor told me to 'take it easy and rest up'...well of course, translated into English, that means don't do any housework and just sit and stitch......wouldn't you agree? I had cooked some meals and popped them in the freezer so that I could have more time stitching  recuperate without worrying about meals. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't get comfortable at all to stitch! My leg was bandaged and I couldn't bend it and no matter what way I tried to sit or lie it wasn't conducive to stitching!

I did manage to do some stitching on the seashell design. This is where I was last time I posted...

....and this is where I am now....

...yes, I finally made a concerted effort to finish the last of the large seashells. Unfortunately it did involve some reverse stitching :) but the last bit of stitching to be done on it is quite simple and shouldn't take too long. So now all that's left is the last bit of the border and then allllll of the back stitching. Now I'm kicking myself (but very gently as my leg still hurts!) for not doing more of it as I completed each section.

Here's how the whole thing looks (although you'll have to excuse the slightly crooked picture)...

And I did manage another little design. This one was a request from my hubby, who never asks for anything and puts up with my cross stitching addiction  (along with my many other little quirks), so I really couldn't say no to his request. He wanted me to stitch something for his staff....so here I was thinking he wanted something motivational or inspirational for them.....but no, he asked me to design and stitch him this....

Yes, this is how my hubby motivates his staff :) Actually, it's for when their projects aren't working and it's a funny way for them to ask for help. So when your project isn't working out, you put this up (it's framed, but I didn't take a picture) and others can help and lend support. They all thought it was funny, so I guess it must be working. I never, ever thought I'd be stitching a smiley pooh!

And on that note, I'll say....

....until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

Fun Finds Friday....

Do you ever wonder how to display your stitching? Are you looking for something that's a bit different and oh so cute too? Oh, my....this will take your breath away....

Image from Pinterest

Isn't that adorable? You can click here to find out all about this hanging metal tray and if you're in Hobby Lobby looking for a tray like that, let's hope there's more than one left otherwise we'll have to fight if there's only one left!!! 😆

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Seashells and Santa

I worked a bit more on the seashells design and got the bottom border design completed....

I wasn't in the mood for concentrating and counting, so the large sea shell was abandoned in favour of the quicker and easier bottom border of sea shells! This week I'll have to bite the bullet, turn off the tv and just get on with stitching the last large shell.

Since I had completed another section of the seashells design I decided I would reward myself (any excuse!) and start another small design. I was tempted to do another Halloween design, but I have an old biscuit  tin that I keep for storing some of free magazine kits, and since the lid no longer stays shut as it's so full,I decided I should do one of these instead.  This little Christmas freebie was calling my name...

The design is from CrossStitcher magazine Issue 324.....yes, this kit has been siting waiting to be done for almost a year - but don't ask me how old some of the other kits are that are still waiting to be stitched :). 

At least I will have it finished in plenty time for Christmas this year! Now I feel the urge to start playing Christmas songs and stitch more Christmas designs, but I'll sing quietly till after Halloween!

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

Fun Finds Friday....glow in the dark threads

There's so many ways to add a little something to your stitching....what about Glow in The Dark threads.....have you hard of them....have you used them?

I have to confess that I haven't used them, but I have added them to some of my designs....

....the lettering was outlined using glow in the dark threads - of course you can't see it in the photo but I think it adds a little something and is perfect for Halloween!

Since I haven't used these threads before (my local needlework store doesn't carry them and I can't justify ordering them online!) I did contact DMC (one of the manufacturers) to get some info on the threads and they sound easy enough to use. I stumbled across this helpful article about using these threads and thought I'd share it today as this week's Fun Finds Friday.

Do let me know if you've used glow in the dark threads and how you found them, I'd love to know. 

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

Doing a wee happy dance here!

Yayyy for me! I have a finish....and when I say a finish, I mean a finish finish...all done and dusted...complete and ready to display...

 ...doesn't it look great?

I love the little ruffled ribbon edge. The black and white ribbon worked perfectly...

....not too fussy and doesn't take away from the stitching.

Now that I had a little break from the seashell design I'm eager to get back working on it and get this completed too...

I did some more of the border design ......always a great bit to do when binge watching something (and this week it has been 'Banished'  - anyone else watch this? Too bad there isn't a second season)

The seashell is a bit more complicated than the border as there's more colour changing and no repeating pattern  so it's not as easy to do without concentrating....so no getting caught up on what's on TV - unless of course you don't mind unpicking :)

Now all I have to do is pick another program to binge watch and get some more little X's done on the seashell!

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona