Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2024

Welcome to this years Easter themed Hop, those of you who have visited with me before or who have come here via the host's blog will know what is happening. But just in case you are new to my blog and the concept of the hop here is a little explanation and a link to the Host Hop so you can start at the beginning.

CLICK HERE link to Serendipitous Stitching.

Each participating blogger will post something Easter or Spring themed and a letter. Hop around the blogs in the order the links appear on the host blog, or by following the next place to go links on each blog, collect the letters to spell out a phrase then finish back with the host and comment the answer. 

I have been Easter Hopping for some years now and if you are new to the hop concept you can find my previous hop posts by clicking on the hop label  at the bottom of a page. Or there is a HOP's tab at the top of the host blog page with hops from past years and the relevant links.

That explanation got a bit longer than anticipated, in complete opposite to my stitch for this year which ended up a lot smaller than anticipated.

I was a tad late with my stitching this year you you have this very small bunny with a touch of gold from a very large spool of blending thread.

And here is the letter you came for presented by my Easter blackwork bunny.

Just in case it is too faint to see for you that's a P

And  to get to the next participant Click Here and I hope you have fun hopping at some point over the weekend.

Comments are always welcome on any post at anytime.

Oh and just to close here is the themed Forestella (well one of them performing solo) that feels appropriate for the day. I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you for stopping by.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart blog hop 2024

 Welcome to the Valentine Day blog hop hosted by serendipitous stitching there is a slight difference to this hop. The image shared is something on the title theme stitched by another hop participant. 

My stitch is making its appearance on someone else's blog, but where I do not know. I will be hopping around looking for it.

Links to all of the hop participants can be found on the host blog by clicking on the link above.

The image sent to me certainly fits the theme and looks like it was both fun to stitch and finish.

I wonder who made it...off to find out....

Have fun hopping and I hope you have a love filled day.

And a little update, as you can see from the comments the origin of this delightful stitch has been identified and you can pop over to see more at Le Coeur Celtique by clicking here or using the link from my Blog list to the right.

Advent Calendar 2023 Blog hop day 17

 and it is my turn to provide a picture for today, if you came her from  Serendipitous Stitching then you will know what the advent hop is all about, if not CLICK HERE  for a proper introduction but basically  we share a Christmas make and answer a question Jo sets for us.

I was a bit behind on my Christmas Stitching, but here is my advent stitch.

I am quite please with how my interpretation of Durene Jones redwork heart turned out.

And he question this year was about our Santa related traditions. For the first six years of my life  we lived in a house with a coal fire. Letters to Santa were burnt in the fire and the smoke took your wish list off to the North Pole.  Christmas eve the fire was not banked it was left to go out and the little door left open. Then we moved, no fire, central heating and how were we to get out wish list to Santa? Well my grandparents still had a fire at first and the letters were sent from there. Then their home was modernised and no fire there either. But by then without me recalling just how the lac had stopped bothering me.

I hope you all have a happy Christmas and enjoy the rest of the hop.

Click HERE to link back to the host site and for more advent.

Or follow the link to the added later Forestella Song (linked to the image and not to the season) Forestella 포레스텔라 - Lay Silk On My Heart 내 마음에 주단을 깔고 [Color_Coded_Han|Rom|Eng] (youtube.com)

Halloween Trick or Treat Blog Hop 2023

 Here we are again, time for the Halloween Hop, if you have participated before and came here via the hop then just keep going, if you are new to the hop  Click Here to visit the host blog and find out what it is all about.

Here is my stitch for this year, it has to be the smallest Halloween stitch I have done so far, I had left it late this year so small was required. Although small he has a lot of character with just a few lines and two French knots.

It comes from Better Holmes 2001 Cros stitch Designs 

I am going to use a stitch from a previous hop to share the letter for this one. Here it is.

then for the next letter Click HERE to go to the next blog on the hop to collect your next letter. Oh we are not all blogging from the same times zone so if a post/letter is not up yet please pop back later to collect the full set.

Oh and if you would like to see past hops Click here all links should open in new windows and are to other blogs.

And as a little addition (some posts are getting them as I find a song that feels right) here is a little Korean ghost story of a song.

Easter Blog Hop 2023

Time once more to celebrate Easter by "hopping" around the participating blogs collecting letters to make up a seasonally inspired phrase. 

Organised by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching you can find a list  of and links to all of the participants over on her blog, and that is also the place to go once you have collected all the letters to comment the answer.

CLICK HERE to pop directly to her blog.

Now its not just collecting letters but sharing themed stitches, this is my stitch for this year and I am sticking to the bunny theme.

if you are wondering about that letter you need, well here it is, blackwork Rabbit is back again.

now you can either nip back to Jo's blog or link to the next blog in the hop Mary's Thread by 

Clicking Here

 Have fun., oh and don't forget to leave comments as you hop, we bloggers all like a comment from a real person a visiting.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart 2023

 February 14th and Jo from Serendipitous Stitching Annual Blog Hop themed for the day.

Each participating Blog sends a picture to Jo who then sends them back out as anonymous images for us to enjoy and wonder at on the day 

This is the picture that I have received, what a pretty finish. Mind I will note that whilst coffee is not something I imbibe I do know some people for whom it is indeed the love of their life.

I do wonder who has sent it , hopefully they will leave a comment identifying themselves, or maybe you can have a guess. All the participating blogs are listed and there are links to them all over at 

I am off now to see if I can find who received my themed item, and if anyone has guessed it was from me.

I hope you are all having a a delightful 14th. And to view all the participants and the links to their blogs, and share in the fun CLICK HERE to pop over to Jo and her 

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop of 2023

2022 Advent Calendar Blog Hop

 Welcome to the 2022 Advent hop as hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching, if you did not arrive her from Jo's blog then you could always CLICK HERE to follow the Advent thus far and view days 1-17.

I have day 18 and the first thing to do is share my delight that the door for my day had an oriental feel quite reflective of this years discovery of the Chinese historical drama, subtitles and all. 

The second, and to be honest the first part of the hop is share my little Christmas Stitch.

This is the Robin from Lucie Heaton's Winter Wildlife collection found in The World of Cross Stitching issue 312 (Nov 2021)

I stitched on royal blue Aida and added a little Krendix blending filament here and there for some Christmas sparkle. 

Whilst the design is from over a year ago I have only finished stitching it and it is not fully and finally framed.  Rather it is peeking through a foil card saved from last year with this in mind.

In addition to sharing a Christmas Stitch, Jo poses a question each year, so far we have shared our favourite Christmas books, films, songs, decorations, traditions (you can link to previous years hops at Jo's blog or follow the Christmas labels on here to see more) and the question this year?

What is for Afters, now some participants had not come across that term for desert or pudding, however it is one quite familiar to me and what's for "afters" a familiar question.

So, Christmas Afters, well for so many years it was a Mrs Peeks Christmas pudding, usually bought the year before and having sat waiting its turn.  On one memorable occasion we bought a rather large one and when Christmas rolled around it was too large for the number of people, so it waited and it waited and..well you get the picture. By the year we got around to eating it (please note they have a best before and not a use by date) it had matured wonderfully and was amazing.

In recent years it has bee a bit more difficult as the candied peel is difficult for my mother to swallow and finding a pud with no peel and no alcohol is just very difficult.

We have tried various chocolate puddings or sticky toffee puddings , but what is available one year that we have enjoyed does not appear to be there the following year.

So I have been reading the answers to this years question with interest as so far the Afters question for this year remains in question.

Thank you for joining in with the advent, and reading my blog, I would be delighted if you would leave a comment.

I do hope you will be visiting with me before the 25th but either way Happy Christmas and delicious afters whatever they are.

Don't forget to visit Jo tomorrow and see what's behind the next door in the Advent.

Click here

Halloween Trick or Treat Blog Hopp 2022

Halloween, yes already, that is not a trick time does fly. And the Treat? Seeing lots of spooky stitches as you hop around.

Pop over to serendipitous Stitching (Click Here) for a full explanation and the starting point if you have not come here from there or another hop participant.

This is my themed stitch for this year, completed on material I coloured myself using T Shirt Dye pens.

it did come with red eyed bats on the original pattern, but I was not fond of the bats (don't mistake me I like bats (proof I like bats) just not the ones on this pattern. Oddly at first glance I thought oh lot of black, yet it felt when stitching it there was more grey than black.

They don't have your letter; your letter is here with a former Halloween Hop star Ollie the Owl and his friend Itsy Bitsy.

In this case they are sewn on white, and I just applied a filter to the picture so it co-ordinated with the cats.

And now you have your letter from me follow this link to the next blog and enjoy your hopping. Oh and it would be nice if you left a comment on each hop as you go.. 

Link to marysthread your next blog

Stitching Friends are Friends who Count 2022

 In 2020 Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching hosted for her Summer HOP the theme of Stitching Friends are Friends who Count, it went so well it is establishing itself as a new HOP. Welcome to the third year.

So this is how it works, participating bloggers are assigned another blog to read and get to know the blogger. Then share something that they think their new stitching friend will like, either something previously sewn or something seen in a pattern. With a little added twist that who the post is about won't be revealed till the end, just in case you want to try and guess. 

Here is a link to my post from last year if you missed it and want to have a try with that one as well.

Now I will link to individual posts for the "Friends" blog as I go, so if you want to play the guessing game leave the links till last.

Introduction time, this bloggers current blog started in 2010, however that looks to not be her first foray into the world of blogging and some issues with the previous attempts  Third Time Lucky

A prolific stitcher with a wide taste in designs and finishes one of her early WIP's caught my eye being as it was the same pattern as one I have done, although hers is on a beautiful fabric unlike mine on the white aida that came with the kit.  UFO update

This is my version....oh look what a surprise (not) it is a dragon! My dragon's story

Rod |Stewart concert in Birmingham, cheese and onion on toast  a  very appropriate repast I think, this stitcher likes to get together with fellow stitchers both by participating in hops and in person visiting Wales  adding to their wonderous stash and future projects. And also the home of Dragons.

A Grand parent, and also blessed with the company of dogs this person likes a fairy on top of the Christmas Tree but that is certainly not the limit of Christmas finishes both decorations and gifts.

Indeed the blog is a great place for finishing inspiration as there are many variations.

Now something I have made that might be appreciated, not a piece of stitching but them the blog I have been perusing  is peppered with non stitching delights of one sort of another I am sure that will be ok.

This is a plaster plaque I was given and painted myself.

There is a pattern for this image should stitching it be your desire....

As my mother is rather fond of it I may well do that one day.

So it is time to make a beverage of your choice, get out the cookies, pull up a chair and spend some quality time with  ??????????????

And whilst you do remember that Stitching friends are friends who COUNT.

For more introductions a guessing games pop over to Serendipitous Stitching to find a list of all this years participants. Click HERE to link

The People choose Outer Space

 This is a monthly share a pattern (current or past) on a theme voted for by previous participants.

So today I think I have enough to participate.

Firstly the moon and stars from this birth sampler I designed inspired by both the child's name and the nursery picture the grandmother to be sent me.

I had been looking for material that matched the wall colour but had to settle for including it in the shades of the moon. CLICK HERE for an in progress image.

Like Jo I have also completed the stitching on this little bear but I have not fully finished it as yet.

but it made its appearance as part CLICK HERE for a reminder of that of a Christmas Advent

And of course there is Millennium and the Solar System (minus the Sun)

Which had some of it sewn during the Eurovision and the appropriately (for this theme) titled UK entry

Spaceman

Now if you did not space walk to my blog from Jo's then pop on over by clicking HERE and seeing what else is being shared on the theme.

And just for those popping in after I have discovered this delightful group a link to a themed piece of music I have become very fond of.

Hijo de la Luna - Forestella [Immortal Songs 2] | KBS WORLD TV 240121 (youtube.com)

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2022

 Here we are at Easter and it is Hop time once more. If you have not arrived here having started at serendipitous stitching then click on the link to see what it is all about and make a start at collecting letters.

This year I am back to the rabbit theme and once more that is a Peter Rabbit. A cover kit it came with a card to display it in, but I did not like that and found something a little different. I am very pleased with how it came out.

This mount is a slightly un Christmas Christmas card I received in 2021, it somehow feels fitting to have something from Christmas in my Easter post. The placement of the bunny just called out for it to be used. The moon and grass are metallic, I think to can see the sheen a little better in the picture below.

So happy Easter to you all and here is the letter you popped over to see.

and yes if you are a regular hopper you have seen the blackwork hare before, he has a regular job now presenting the Easter Hop letter.

Click Here to link to elfin stitches and the next letter in the hop.

Gifted Gorgeousness February Link-up Post

Time for the monthly blog hosted by Jo over at serendipitous stitching where basically we share anything crafting related that is a gift from or to you .

I noted with some delight on an update to my GG link up post from April 2021 CLICK HERE that I had a letter with picture printed in a cross stitch magazine.

My gift for that arrived in January 2022 after the GG for that month and I had already posted so I saved them for this month.

One bookmark pattern (my mother likes that) and two kits. One with a finishing method I have not tried before.  They may become Sunday Stitchings if I want a breather from the Country Companions booklet.

So pop on over to Jo's blog to see who else is participating this month or maybe you are a craft blogger and would like to join in the joining options are there as well.

CLICK HERE

Secret Stitching Sweetheart 2022

 This is the valentine hop hosed by Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching participants send a picture of a themed piece of stitching to Jo.

Jo then shuffles them all around and sends them back to be displayed on the participating blogs. We then go hopping from participating blog to blog viewing all the pictures and looking to see who received our stitch. (leaving comments along the way) and also waiting for the comment on out blog from the creator of the image being shared 

This beautiful biscornu is the picture I have received.  

very pretty in pink with beads. (maybe the next BFF should be something with beads)

The full list of participating blogs (with links) is available at JO's blogCLICK HERE  for the link. 

Gifted Gorgeousness January 2022

 Welcome to the January Gifted Gorgeousness link up hosted by Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching.

The format remains exactly the same, but basically anything connected to the word "gift" is allowed, whether it was a gift TO you or is a gift FROM you.

And I received a lovely surprise of needles and material for Christmas from an non sewing friend.

So nice that she made the effort to find something for me that is outside her comfort zone. It will be fun thinking what to make with it.

To see what else participants were gifted or gave or indeed if you are a blogger yourself to join in with the link up pop on over to Serendipitous Stitching Click HERE

Advent Calendar 2021 day 1

 Oh this year I have the first door and the first day in the Advent Calendar hosted by Jo over at serendipitous stitching

For those of you new to the advent, each participating blogger is assigned a day, asked to post a picture of something Christmas themed and answer a question. Click here for the link to previous years advents and hops

So I shall start with a little bit of Christmas themed stitching with this tinsel adorned cat by Durene Jones, aptly named Christmas cat.

And this years question, tell us about your tree.  Well for many years our tree was a very old (even older now, it must be over 80 ) tree with a little wooden base, fold down branches that even had little clasps to hold candles. We always hung glass fish with bristle tails from the bottom branches.  Unusual and I have never seen any others, I asked my mother about them and she said that they had not always had a tree, when she was young they had a wind bush that hung from the ceiling and the fish hung from that. (I will try and add pictures of the fish later if you are curious and want to pop back on 24th).they are also rather old and fragile and have a rest some years.

Now we still have that tree, but after years and years of enthusiastic folding and unfolding the branches are not as securely held as once they were.  we had a few years with a fibre optic tree but getting the bulb replaced when it wore out was not successful, and too may bendings to fit it into the box was making it rather lopsided.

As the years have passed something smaller and simpler has become the norm, and lights have joined the decorations both old, handmade and each year at least one thing that is new.  I no longer attempt to put everything we have on there every year.  Sometimes we have a colour theme sometimes not.

The top used to be a star, but recently it has been a cross stitched Fairy, and last year the elves perched up the top as well.

Now I am adding a picture of our tree from last year with the lights as well this years tree is still in the loft and that is where it will stay till Christmas Eve as traditionally in our home we do not decorate until then (other than my Christmas Embroideries which go up today). (maybe I will pop back on 24th an update with this years alongside the fishes)

Yes those are hoops in the background , quilting hoops not cross stitch.

Don't forget tomorrow to go over to serendipitous stitching for the link to door 2.

I wish you all the joys of the season and that all your Christmas preparations will be complete in time for you to relax and enjoy the day.

The countdown has begun!

For those popping back  to see fish here they are.

I don't know what the box they originally came in looked like.

This is the box that they have been kept in as long as I can recall.

Here they are in the box.

Alongside glass trumpets and horns (they made a sound when I was little but over enthusiastic blowing ruptured the papers and they are silent now).

They have not gone on the tree this year but this is what they look like as they spin, as I was making the little videos I could hear a particular tune in my head and it was not a Christmas one.

 

And not quite last this years tree, more lights and a silver and gold theme not for any design reason but because I have a cold and they were the easiest to reach as the little ones are the new to us this year baubles.

And on the top, well this year it is a bow, for my brother however it is a fairy, a mouse fairy, a once was a real mouse now a tree topper mouse fairy as there is a taxidermist in his wife's family.

Halloween Trick or Treat Blog Hop 2021

Wow it is that time already?  Indeed it is scary how time passes so fast, almost like magic!

If you are a blog hop regular you can skip this paragraph, if this is all new to you then read on. The hop is hosted by Jo over at serendipitousstitching she gives participating bloggers a letter to post alongside their themed stitching and if you hop from blog to blog collecting the letters and hopefully enjoying some spooky or magic stitching and leaving comments (we bloggers like comments) along the way you will discover the phrase for this year.  So if you did not start over with Jo and you want to join in you might like to click on the link above and start at the beginning. That's assuming I am not the beginning as I don't know where my letter comes at time of posting.

This year I had 99% of my stitch for the blog finished nice and early, very early but not as early as my BFF which probably spurred me on.

This is from Cross Stitch Crazy's Fantasy Collection Designer Chart Book. The individual design does not have a title listed but comes under the heading "Cast a Spell" and is by Shannon Wasilieff.

If you have visited with me before you will be aware that on occasion ( OK quite often with smaller designs) I change things a bit from the original. In this instance instead of the 10 different colours charted for the dress, hat and ribbons I used just 2, but variegated thread I had in my oddments box. 

The hair was supposed to be 3 shades, I blended two in the needle (some call that tweeding) instead. 

Left off a potion bottle and wand, added to the purple smoke (originally 1 shade I again used variegated).

And....(I chuckle yes there is an and) on the original in the middle of the purple smoke was  a bit of green...but that space was just too serendipitous not to make better use of and that was the last 1%  of this project that had to wait till Jo sent me my letter.

And here it is conjured up for you by this rather bonny witch.

Letter collected (comment left ?) time for the link to the next blog on your journey to discover just

CLICK HERE to visit needlepensword. and keep on collecting. Don't forget to go back to Jo at the end and comment your answer (you can't check it straight away as she will moderate comments and not reveal it or peoples guesses till the hop is over.  Good hopping...

And in 2025 adding a link to a suitable Forestella# song. 

Stitching Friends Summer Blog Hop 2021

Last year Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching hosted a Stitching Friends are Friends Who Count HOP, as her summer hop. The theme and the process of  finding new blogging friends was so popular it has remained the theme for this years summer hop.

Here is the link to Last Years home page and participants list if you missed it.

So this is how it works, participating bloggers are assigned another blog to read and get to know the blogger and then introduce on their own blog. Then share something that they think their new stitching friend will like, either something previously sewn or something seen in a pattern . With a little added twist that who the post is about won't be revealed till the end, just in case you want to try and guess.

Now I will link to individual posts as I go, so if you do want to play the guessing game leave the links till last.

So on to my introduction, this blogger started blogging in 2014 spurred on by a stitch along of what must rank as her most stitched designer Just Nan. Her first post however was not from that designer but was one of the recurring themes of her blog, a sampler featuring one of the recurring themes of mine, a dragon. And I must admit one of the few samplers that I have ever strongly contemplated doing and from a designer I have sewn.

So I think she might like this one 

Dragon Dreams ICE bucket challenge brr chilly. 

This blogger has the skills to deal with chilly, she knits, wearable clothing type knits. My own knitting is less impressive and considerably slower. I have no recommendations for knitting other than to say don't knit like me.

Her warming skills are not limited to the wearable, as she also quilts, projects large and small, quick and those that have taken just that little bit longer as she mentioned in her contribution to Jo's Tenth Blogaversary . I have been there with some of my quilts but the one that took the longest was also dragon themed. 

Oh and there are cakes of various kinds but most importantly as far as I am concerned there are chocolate cakes. Maybe I will take a closer look at those.

Turning back to the sewing,  she might like this free Durene Jones  biscornu from Durene's  Facebook page.

as this twisty odd mathematically inspired shape is another one of her favourites. She is an enthusiastic participant in Jo's blog hops, in other themed stitch challenges and exchanges (which I note often appear to include chocolate of some sort)  

So if you have not guessed who it is by now her is another clue, something else I am also fond of, the Celtic Knot, and which this blogger loves, or at least the title of her blog would would suggest that is the case, once you have translated it from the language of the country in which she currently resides. 

Now before I reveal my allocated blogger just a reminder if you did not come here from Jo's blog of the link to the home page of the hop for this year pop on over to serendipitous stitching for the links to all the 

And the blogger I have had the delight of introducing ? It is Mary from La Coeur Celtique Click Here to jump to her blog rather than to any individual post, or pop back to the beginning of this post and take the links to individual posts if you have not done so already.

And remember, stitching friends are friends who count.

Gifted gorgeousness Link up July 2020

 The months just fly over and here it is another 15th of the month and the format stays the same, anything connected to the word gift is allowed gifts to or from.

This month I have another bag to share, made from the top section of the curtains I bought for the neutral fabric for my chorley-crossed quilt but the top part certainly was not neutral.

What is was was shades of purple, so it just had to be for my purple loving BFF.

I could not share it till it had been gifted.

Now pop over to this themed link up hosts page and see what she and the other participants have under the gift theme.Click here for serendipitousstitching21/07/gifted-gorgeousness-july-link-up-post.html

June Gifted gorgeousness link up

 Wow the 15th came around again fast and I have an item to share under the theme as set by Jo at serendipitousstitching of something sewing or craft related either received as a gift  or made as a gift.

You have seen part of this before,  actually longer ago that I realised now that I come to think of it Back in February and I was killing two birds with one stone as the piece I picked for the Secret Sweetheart looked perfect for my BFF's coming birthday and her new crafting space.  I sent it off to Jo just as the cross stitch and finished it to a book later.  Amusingly my BFF(randomly selected by Jo) had this as her Secret Sweetheart stitch.  

When it came to finishing it I had a very pale purple notebook and the size was a match . Just to give it a bit of  something as it was not getting a "frame" I drew threads around the edges so a little of the book colour would show through.  It is just glued on with a strong craft glue.  It was intended for her 2021 birthday and we did manage to get together and exchange gifts a few months on from birthdays.

Now if you are getting deja vu from another participant in the link up well yes you may well have seen this before as I am posting this as a gift I made and my BFF is posting it as a gift received.  

We should both be posting again in a day or two with our progress on our BFF Stitchalong.

Things with wings

 both my mother and I are fond of them which means that I can join in this months 

hosted by Jo over at serendipitousstitching as this month the choice was for butterflies which are one of my mothers favourite winged things.

I make them for her as gifts and have shared some of those butterflies here in the past sweet-pea-plus. ,wooden-heart, perforated-paper they have even turned up in my quilting a-flutterby-of-roses.

In this instance I am going to share a piece stitched a long time ago which had not till now made an appearance on my blog.

It is one of a pair of patterns and although I have thus far only stitched one of the pair I have the frame and mount for the second ready and waiting (it has been waiting for so long I expect the in waiting mount will be lighter having fades slightly having seen the light of day.

This was a slow stitch as I could only work on it for ten or fifteen minuets a night just before bed so it would be a surprise for my mother.

Tropical butterflies

 

I had the frames made to size and the mounts cut to fit (this was before I was cutting my own mounts) so I should get round to making the second one. My mother could rotate them if she does not feel like having both up at the same time.