Hands to Work - Christmas Holly

Design: Christmas Holly

Designer: Hands to Work (Just Cross Stitch Ornaments 2007)

Fabric: Listed 40ct Vintage Maple Syrup (Lakeside Linens)

Threads: Listed Crescent Colours Belle Soie

I'm still here!

Happy New Year to anyone who may still be following me, and to any new followers too!  

I haven't finished any stitching, but I do have a quick little crafty project I can show you.  I came across this idea for a wedding invitation ornament on a blog just over a year ago, and thought it was absolutely gorgeous and a wonderful idea for a keepsake.  With Jase and Nic only having just had their December wedding (pictures here) I would have loved to have made one for them straight away, but with Christmas looming, and having to prepare for our move to Dubai, I really just didn't have the time.  Also, all the clear baubles I could find on the internet were sold out, so I wouldn't have been able to anyway.  Throughout the year I've been keeping an eye out for when the baubles became available again, and eventually found some during the summer, so was able to make the ornament in time to give to Jase and Nic for Christmas.  Inside the bauble is Jase and Nic's wedding invitation, with the key details cut into quarter inch strips.  Chota, their little Jack Russell played her part at the wedding too, so I've attached a stirling silver Jack Russell charm.  It was so easy to do, and I was absolutely thrilled with how it turned out.  When I get the opportunity I will definitely be using this idea again.  You can find the simple steps to follow here on Christy's blog.

It's been a busy few months for me, with yet again not a lot of stitching getting done, but I've been having a lovely time.  Towards the end of October and the beginning of November, Jason, Matthew and Nic came out to visit us in Dubai.  We had a brilliant time - sightseeing, cocktails at the Burj Al Arab, and going up the Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world, then staying until the evening for a meal while watching the Dubai Fountain show.  It was so lovely having them here with us, and we missed them terribly when they left to go back home! 

I love this photo that Jason took of the Burj Khalifa in the evening before the fountain show.

Jason, Nic and Matthew at the Souk Madinat, after a fantastic Friday afternoon Brunch at the Al Qasr Hotel, Madinat, Jumeirah.

Colin, Jason, myself and Matthew before cocktails at the Burj Al Arab.

Soon after they left I became very ill, only just recovering in time to make my own flight back home to UK on the 1st December, so that I could start preparing for Christmas.  Colin followed me home on the 18th for our first Christmas together in three years.  Jason, Nic, Matthew and Chota came home for Christmas this year too.  We had yet another brilliant time, and even found time to carry out our family Christmas tradition of doing a puzzle together.  This was a 2000 piece puzzle, not the biggest we've done, we've done one with 3000 pieces before, but this one was a little challenging with a lot of white and pale blue. 

And now here I am!  I arrived back in Dubai on the 7th, and can't believe that by the end of the month I will have been out here with Colin for a year! I'm hoping this year to get plenty of stitching and finishing done.  I know I've said it before, but I really must!  I have all my lovely stash here with me, so no excuse not to really.  So here's hoping to be blogging again soon!

Peace, Love, Joy

I've now finished making up all three of the Peace, Love, Joy ornaments by Renato Parolin. I stitched them all back in April but had only finished Joy (more pictures of Joy can be seen here). It's lovely to see them now all finished together.

I've changed the listed fabric and thread and have stitched them on 40ct R & R Light Espresso Linen, 1 over 2 with DMC 347. I've added the date to the back and finished them off with silk ribbon for the bow and hanger.

Another Christmas Ornament!

I've had this one on my 'to do list' for ages! It's one of five designs called A Touch of Holly by Teresa Wentzler from the December 1996 issue of Just Cross Stitch. The chart also includes a bell, heart, star and fan and gives instructions so that they can all be finished together as a bellpull. I think I shall probably one day just stitch a couple more of the ornaments though.

I've stitched it as the chart recommends using DMC threads on 28ct Dove Grey Monaco from Charles Craft. The border and background pattern are stitched over 2 and the tree was done 1 over 1. For the back I used the same background pattern as the front and also added the date.




It's good to see a few of my finishes actually getting completed at last! I still have a few more to do though!

Hope everyone has been enjoying their Bank Holiday weekend. I'm having a nice quiet day here. Youngest DS Matthew who is studying at Brighton University came home for a visit on Friday but left to go back again yesterday. It was lovely to have him home even though it was only for a short time. I'm getting very excited - only 11 days left before DH Colin is back home again for another 6 weeks!!

Joy Ornament

Today I finished putting together the first of the Peace, Love and Joy ornaments by Renato Parolin an Italian designer, that I mentioned I had stitched in an earlier post. I changed the listed DMC to 347 and as I want the ornaments to be finished a little smaller then the models on the chart I have stitched them 1 over 2 on 40ct Light Espresso R & R Linen. The front and back are joined together with whip stitch and I have also added the date to the back.




I'm looking forward to having all three completed but will probably finish Peace and Love between other finishes that I still have left to do from last year! Hope to have more to show soon!

Thank you for visiting! :o)

September's Monthly Challenge

Design: Windy Willows complimentary found here
Fabric: 32ct Belfast Flax Linen
Threads: DMC 347

Better late then never! Last night I finally got around to adding the trim to my finish for the Jayne's Attic September challenge. The design is Noel a complimentary design from Windy Willows which can be find here. I've not been very adventurous with the finish, just a simple little ornament with a ruched ribbon trim. The fabric is 32ct Belfast Flax Linen and was stitched 1 over 1 with DMC 347.

Yet again I've not had many finishes to share. I mentioned in a previous post that DH Colin would be returning to work overseas, so the last few weeks have been a little busy for me. Colin started his new job last month as a marine offshore terminal manager, for export oil operations stationed in the Black Sea. He was away for just over 4 weeks and has been back home again now for just over a week. It's a very short trip home this time, as he's off again next Monday. This will mean that he is able to slot into his regular work schedule of 6 weeks on and 6 weeks off (travelling in his own time of course!), which works out brilliant, as it means he's going to be home for Christmas! It's been several years since Colin last worked overseas and I surprised myself at how quickly I settled back into my old routine, perhaps because it was all I had ever known since before we were married, and we've been married now for 26 years!

Due to bad weather delaying the start of a dive which Colin also had to supervise while he was away, he wasn't able to make it home in time to see our youngest Matthew off to Brighton University, missing it by just a few days! That was one hectic week for me, having to get everything organised and seeing Matthew off on my own, not to mention really, really sad too! I thought this time it would be easier as I'd already gone through it with Jase. It wasn't though, I bawled my eyes out just as much and couldn't walk into his room without bursting into tears for days after, just the same as it was with Jase! Last weekend we went to Brighton and dropped off the last of his things he wanted with him. It was so upsetting again leaving him but I'm a lot happier now, after seeing how well he is settling in.

I know I don't post too often, but thank you so much for continuing to drop by. I really do appreciate it! :o)

Christmas Ornament

Too late for Christmas but I thought I would get this little ornament finished anyway so that I could put it away. The stitching was actually completed at least a couple of weeks before Christmas but I just never got around to making it up! It's Christmas Heart, a Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin design from the 2000 issue of JCS Ornaments. I wanted it tiny so I've stitched it 1 over 1 on 32ct Wichelt Lambswool Linen using the listed Gentle Art Sampler Threads. For the cording I used DMC 221, which matched up well. I think it turned out really cute done 1 over 1!




I'm now looking forward to making a start on the monthly challenge for February on the Jayne's Attic forum. The design chosen is Valentine Heart a complimentary design by Kristine Herber (Dragonfly Stitches). My fabric and thread is ready and I think I've already decided on how I would like to finish it!

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend! :o)

Just Nan - Tie One On

Colin remembered to bring the camera home last night so I can now share my Tie One On, Limited Edition Whimzi from Just Nan. I don't know why but it took ages to get a half decent picture of this one, it's still got a slight blur to it even now! This was nice and quick to stitch and finish in the little whimzi frame!

Another Just Nan Finish

'C' for me, from Just Nan's Ornamental Letters. I picked this up quickly to take with me to stitch when I popped round to see my Mum a few months ago and it's been hanging around since waiting to be made up. Last weekend I decided to get it done and have finished it as an ornament. Stitched on 32ct Flax Belfast Linen using DMC threads. Can you tell that the Flax is one of my favourites! I've used it quite a bit recently and have it also in 28ct and 40ct. I've added Antique MH beads to the whipstitched edges. I've always liked this finish and after seeing Su's gorgeous ornament she had recently finished and trimmed with beaded pink trim, I just had to add beads to this too! It took a little longer to do then I had expected but I'm really pleased with how it's turned out...the beads add just that little bit of sparkle under the lights! I've also added a little of the silk ribbon to the tassel that I had left over from making the hanger.



A simple backstitched date done 1 over 1.