and all ready to go up this, ah it still feels too early to mention it, its still summer, not even had Halloween or bonfire night yet but well you can tell just what season it is most likely to be displayed.
The stitching was finished last year, and I bought the magnetic poster hanger then intending to use that but I had not figured out how to finish off the edges and stiffen it so it would hang well.
A combination of things aligned to get me to the finish.
Firstly, the thought of a complementary colour behind the fabric enhancing the effect from the front previous used in The Twins samplers and The Dragons. Secondly the leftovers from the crafting at Church
A4 sized sheets of orange felt and lastly coming across the item needing some finishing off.
First step fix the few sequins I managed to melt with careless ironing. Then add the felt to the back, the colour through worked and it did indeed add sufficient stiffness but what to do with the sides?
Top and bottom are covered by the hanging frame.
Hmm perhaps ribbon, what did I have, I was thinking I might have something in either yellow or gold to reflect the ribbon on the cross stitch.
What caught my eye was some red and green ribbon with a touch of gold. There was exactly the right amount to sew down both sides and to make a faux hanging loop. I say faux as it is there simply to cover the string loop on the frame and add a little cohesion to the finish.
Any other "hoarders" or recyclers will fully understand my joy at being able to use up exactly the piece of ribbon I had. Nothing left over all used, bliss.
Is it perfect? No, but it is finished which is good and I am happy with the result. I can take the hanger pieces off and use them for something else if I want to as they are magnetic.
Perhaps something for a season that is colder than the current heat wave will make me feel cooler.
Which left me with a bit of a Forestella dilemma, what song to add? Settled on this one.
my BFF had not had the opportunity to finish all of the cross stitch on our SAL ready to start backstitching during our online session. She did let me know beforehand she would still be working on that. So I thought I would work on my Sunday Stitchings kittens. I had been thinking of working on them in other time to get them finished,
So that is what I did until my BFF mentioned she was doing the white in the mouse's eye. As I had not done that and was at the end of a pink thread anyway I stopped to do an eye highlight.
a close up of the worked areas. I have created a design opportunity on the kittens patchwork, I am a stitch out, it will get a fill in not an unpick.
Then we stopped altogether and had a warm beverage of choice. Mine was Hot Chocolate and a piece of Cornish Clotted Cream Shortbread with prunes on top. I never said I wasn't a bit odd.
You may have seen my posts with the castle and dragon sampler using variegated thread or my Christmas gift box which contains non DMC thread that has DMC compatible numbers.
Some was gifted to me and some I bought from TEMU.
Usually I have bought either the variegated sets or toned sets of teal or skin tones.
I did however also get two packs of " random assortment"
Here they are.
At fist glance looking like an OK selection of very usable colours, I did not notice the issue until I was putting thread onto bobbins.
Can you see it?
enlarge it perhaps and take a moment.
See it, it took me a moment as well. Then it made me laugh. At some point in the future when I have a desire to do "something" yet not perhaps to sew I will get my DMC threads out and do a colour match so I know what numbers to put on the bobbins so I can add them to the not DMC storage box.
Once you have signed up each time you complete a search, or a set activity you get points. When you get sufficient points you can convert them to various gift cards , for example Amazon, Starbucks, Burger King, Etsy and more and spend them. Or you can donate them to a charity, there are a lot of options there as well. How many points you need to redeem varies for each type.
Now if you feel like doing that, you could consider using
Now I will be clear you don't have to use that, I think you will find it just fine if you google it. But if you choose the link there is a set up bonus of 1,320 points for you, and for me I get something for the referral. I get 1 point each time you make a search. So if you do then many thanks and if you don't well it didn't hurt to ask.
Shy Bairns get nee sweets as they say locally.
Oh and they also do a Microsoft Cashback thing. Of which I understand less, and went to explore as one of the activities in the rewards thing to get more points. Once there, well I guess I had signed up for that at some stage, managed to use it and there was a little over £15 in cash back waiting. For that you do need a paypal account for the cash back to be credited to.
Anyway that was a nice surprise and went towards a PITTA CD, I had been debating treating myself to, and now well it feels mostly free. It includes one of my favourite tracks.
Although I guess it could have been used for some craft supplies...perhaps next time!
Oh I just realised, I finally made some money off the internet! Not from a blog, or a video but just by using it! now that is funny.
and a bit of "what now" laughter at myself, all that stitching and this is th first time I noticed the griding on the pattern is five by five as well as the ten by ten.
the Saturday before was a display and share craft evening at Church. Two hours there abouts from 5 ish to 7 ish. I only took two quilts to display as I was not sure of the space I would have, and three cross stitches that were easy to grab, no taking them off the wall.
As got the demonstrate and share so visitors could take something away.
I did felt needle cases. I did the demo one and there were four made. Well three made their own and the fourth was a little boy who told me he was not allowed to touch pins or needles, so he designed and I sewed.
The blue in the middle is mine, with cut out felt flowers, to the left the flowers are pre- formed ribbon flowers I bought and to the right three cut felt flowers and letter beads that were the little boy's mother and father.
Other crafts on offer were candle making, cross stitch, sewn cards, crochet and a drawing class.
whichever it is I find that I need a little foot stool to be comfortable. Finding one the right hight was proving difficult so many years ago my father made one for me. From a wooden cutlery tray, four knobs a bit of wood, foam, hinges and some brown velvet. I guess the Mice from the Marvellous Mouse Organ and The Wombles are not alone to blame for my make do and mend thoughts.
Perfect.
After many years of use reupholstering was required.
A stapler gun later (a pink one as it was £1 cheaper in that shade than it was in either green or grey) and a new cover was in place.
I keep my seed beads in here, well and random other stuff like tassels. It rather needs a sort out.
But for the moment I am happy to have my foot stool back.
This project had less than auspicious beginnings in very late 2025.
A very blustery day as Winnie the Pooh would say and the wind snatched the gate and slammed it shut in such a way that it twisted the catch jamming it shut. It had to stay that way whilst I took a trip to A&E with my dad in an ambulance. As I fixed the jammed catch the next day the wind played again, another slam and the gate post split.
So a new post and a new gate were required.
An opportunity with the new gate to create access to the garden for hedgehogs.
I asked for a hole to be left in the new gate.
For ease and as they forgot until after the gate was hung the hole is simply the bottom of one of the lats cut off.
It should be sufficient for the intended purpose, but it looks a little unintentional, like a broken bit. That nagged at me and I thought perhaps I could add a small sign over the top of the hole to indicate its purpose.
Hedgehogs welcome, so it was obvious why the gap is there.
"hedgehogs can't read" my mother pointed out. That logic did not take the idea out of my mind.
Indeed having not immediately done something simple my mind then began to Deborahize it.
Not just a sign a frame like a little doorway, with the notice over the top.
Sketched it out then being me started doodling, little plant pots and plants coming up from them and then remembered! I remembered buying a bag of little wooden shapes, there were plant pots, leaves, flowers oh even butterflies in that set. It became something more doable, and perhaps an achievable family project. Something my parents and I could do together.
A trip to the loft and a little strip of thin wood that looked promising for the frame. Found the wood shapes where I thought they were (always a wonderous win) and at the right width to go on my wooden strip.
Choosing which leaves and flowers to add, My mother took over that part of the planning. Quick photo to keep the order in mind.
Back to the loft to get the one long bit of wood into three bits as per the sketch. Glue them together.
My mother coloured in the shapes using water soluble pencils. She found it a bit frustrating as the colours on the pencil was not quite the colour that appeared.
There was a slight design deviation during the colouring process which came to light when I glued the shapes in place.
I added the words..
Then off to the loft, half a tin of clear varnish was sadly solid, the gold tinted varnish was not going to work. None to buy in the local shops so I had to order some on line.
I would note it might have been wise to check that it was going to fit the space, given I had done a quick measurement of it on a bit of brown paper. Sometimes I am not wise.
Fingers crossed then
Varnish arrived project delayed a bit more, more paternal health concerns. Then a lack of energy for clambering into the rather cold loft.
First coat on, then well its cold and a bit damp in the loft so more time for that to dry than suggested on the tin.
A couple of bright and sunny days then snow..even colder in the loft but had to go up to get the containers down to put the Christmas decorations in so second coat done. With hopes it might be dry by the time I actually get around to putting the decorations back up in the loft.
Nope still too cold for a speedy dry, but then the gate is not itself dry enough at this point for attaching the sign (which still have my fingers crossed for it fitting) and with the first named storm of the year approaching with some snow on the ground more waiting it is then.
And waiting equals contemplating, glue it on or screw it on? ?
And more snow, and rain and wind and it being very cold, so extra contemplation time.... and a TV program with David Attenborough about the wildlife in London, and people cutting holes in fences between gardens for hedgehogs and calling it a hedgehog highway . And oh, they have little signs up over the gaps saying that. So perhaps not as mad an idea as I thought.
The way the weather is going, and it is the time of year for poor weather the gate might get painted , we are onto the third named storm of the year and still in January.
As is oft the case the initial hurry hurry has become ah no rush perhaps better wait for the better weather and being able to get the gate painted first.
February comes and goes with lots more inclement weather, March comes with a couple of promising sunny days and then back to the wet weather.
even more of the hurry hurry has faded even with my mother asking about it.
April and I have the green paint for the gate, which only leaked a little bit (I bought it off the internet and some reviewers had a less successful and much wetter delivery). I am waiting foe some sunny days to dry the gate so I can paint it and for it to dry.
So sunny days, not many, but very warm and the gate is dry and perhaps enough for the paint to dry, and my brother visiting because of my Father health and my Mother decided that we should paint the fence together as he is taller and could paint the top.
.
All nice and green, now and it dried fast. Fast enough to get the sign attached. Drilled some holes, not necessarily all in the right places. Glue and tacks (which my brother had to knock in as all that painting apparently weakened my arms )
Hopefully now we have the sign up and the weather is getting better the hedgehogs will come a visiting.
And that the sign stays in place a good long time, it being a family effort in design and make and placement, and my poorly Dad managed to pop outside for a moment and provide quality control. He deemed it as quite smart looking.
Oh and it fit, crossed fingers were successful. And yes the path ended up with its share of green paint.
I expect the slugs and snails that live in our garden will be hoping the sign is a failure.
is something that comes up on both Facebook groups and I have a feeling there is a blog that promotes that as well.
So my dragons, from the WOX and designed by Anne Stokes, the backstitch on the teal dragon was somewhat slower going than on the blue. Nothing to do with the change in thread , it just was.
The eyes were supposed to be French knots but instead I just did little black stitches and a teeny stitch of gold blending filament. I may have mentioned before that I have a Little BIT of gold blending filament.
I had decided that behind the warm toned linen I would put some gold card. Actual I started out thinking I would use some dark gold sparkly wrapping paper. and that looked rather good the sparkle came through in a delightful manner. But, you could feel that but coming couldn't you, I was a bit concerned the glittery part would come off the paper and do weird things to the fabric over time. So time to hunt for the gold card, I was pretty sure I had some, and indeed I did.
If you have visited before then you know I save stuff, I make do and mend and recycle where I can. Therefore it will not be a surprise that the gold card had a life before adding to this piece. It was the top of a box of chocolates from Thorntons that a former team leader and his wife gifted me many years ago. Thanks Ian and Sue, the box has extended the life and usefulness of that gift past the consumption of the chocolates.
The wide frame I has was rejected and became the home for an earlier finish, as per my earlier post and this thinner frame with a touch of gold felt as if it fitted both the frame and its intended destination much better.
I like the changes I made to the material used, the colour of the knotwork and the thread count that let me use an 8" square aperture for it,
My BFF and I both started with the needlebook. I did a bit of drawn thread at top and bottom then started stitching it to the blue felt. I was halfway across the top when I realised I was stitching it on the wrong part of the felt for it to close as a book,
I was mid sentence when it dawned on me and the exclamation of "I am sewing it on the wrong way up" flowed out into the conversation...I will let Roni tell you her reaction to that Click HERE.
So I unpicked it and started again. However, it was perhaps fortuitous as it gave me pause to consider how to attach the ribbon.
I used crossed stitches with sewing thread and found it very therapeutic, if somewhat slow.
Roni and I agreed that we would finish both the needle case and scissor keeper off screen. I had intended this as a gift and all of a sudden instead of posting it the opportunity for an in person hand over if I finished faster occurred. Plus we have a solid plan for BFF 24
So here they are, with added beads, and initials. Changed the ribbon to go with the little silver L
Snowdrops
I rather enjoyed this one. It has the possibility of being a repeat project. I have felt in the stash, and ribbon and well everything I need I guess.
I have been framing today, after the Sunday stitching and before ninja hunting on the dragons.
As the framed items are gifts can't post them just yet. However, when holding finished stitches up for my BFF to see over Messenger she oft asks me to put something behind to stop the light coming through and distorting the image she can see.
That reminded me of the unplanned result of adding yellow paper behind the design on a birth sampler because there were cut out Ducks in the mount I wanted to emphasise. The result was a subtle warming of the cross stitched piece.
So in this instance I thought something much more intentional and reflective of the colours I would want as the subtle shade.
So it does not look like much but here it is.
It is for three finishes , one bigger than the other two. In person, I can see the difference it makes and on pieces that are not full coverage I think I may well do variations on this as a framing technique in future.
I didn't think it would show much on the photographs but it does come through and I am quite pleased with the result. So now to arrange getting them to the recipients.
Then once I can post the full pictures perhaps you will tell me if you can see the difference the back sheet makes or if I am seeing it because I know it is there?
by looking back at 2025. It has not been an easy year, it got progressively more difficult and those issues which came to light in November will inevitably result in more challenging times ahead for 2026.
What that will mean for the crafting and the blog I do not know. The blogging community has become quieter of late and I don't want to become part of the encroaching silence.
The crafting is my meditation, my safe place.
However as noted in my previous post some crafts, such as the quilting take more space, more preparation and planning so may fall somewhat by the way side.
Having completed the Mini Brother felting project I may have, with kits left, have done with that, I will wait a bit yet and see.
Looking at into 2025 well Hark the Herald Angels got some stitching done, but I am still working on the robes. Millennium is still stalled on the comet and the Earth. The illusion quilt remains unquilted
The a year in flowers is finished, but unframed. The ties for the tie quilt have been unpicked and the BFF quilt completed.
Do I have projects for the year ahead?
Yes, the dragons to finish, perhaps some progress on the two projects with angels.
Things to frame ideas swirling in my head, but what will get done or worked on, well only time will tell.
And for today, well I think more on the dragons, the right dragon appears to be a little less bitty so it looks like quite good progress, also I have been stitching it whilst watching "normal" TV with my parents, and it does go much faster when I am not trying to read captions as well as watch something and stitch at the same time. Much as I am still enjoying the Korean and other Asian films and programs.
And there is still Forestella with the prospect of a new album sometime in 2026 hopefully, there might be inspiration for some further crafting links to songs or logo images.
And the BFF SAL and RAL is indeed holding steady through its own challenges and changes.
After completing the snow man and the reindeer, I had another cone kit arrive with the WOX .
I added pearl beads and a bow to this one.
took a picture of the whole group together
And sent it off to the WOX and to my surprised delight it was published as Star Letter. I am currently subscribing so no rush to the shops or e-bay to get a copy this time.
I have waited to post about this for the prize to arrive.
I will admit that the delight over the Star Letter has been somewhat tempered by my father being unwell at the moment, receiving the three kits perked me up just a little. I have other projects that I am working on to keep my sanity, so nice as these kits are I don't expect to be starting them immediately.
This is on black paper, with metallic watercolours.
It has a look of a chalk painting here.
I am having fun with these little pictures with metallic paint.
I'd not thought of adding paintings into the blog before this.
Possibly as these little paintings are for adding to other things that I thought of it at this time. The pumpkin went onto note paper for a letter to my pen pal for instance.
Maybe, as I come across them I might share some previous paintings, and perhaps I might get back into doing some on occasion just because? Because I have paint and brushes and well why not.
I don't have a pumpkin song link so the song from Ghost in the shell it is. And because I am drawn to it even when some of the blending sounds are not my usual thing still I delight in them.
If you would rather have cross-stitches on a Halloween theme, you can search using the Halloween label or the search bar. There are some pumpkins!
I bought some metallic watercolour paints. Whilst I do occasionally paint I am not that good at it, and certainly not with water colours but sometimes I see a pretty looking craft item and well..
So with low expectations I drew out a couple of dragons ( what else, well there was else but I might share them later) and gave it a go.
I like them, I like the way they look on the black and I like knowing that them drying out is not an issue as is the case with my acrylic metallics.
If you have been visiting me for some time you will have seen these dragon designs before.
Celtic Knot Dragon
The sheen only shows a little bit on the picture compared to reality.
It was fun, so I tried something seasonal, for sharing later and am already thinking about what else I can paint to try the other colours.
I had my concerns about the folding, and I did wonder about the amount of dye. I was more right than I would like to be on the dye.
Once unfolded there should have been stars from the triangle added colour to the spiral folds.
Nope.
On the front only the top quarter had much colour, that and what had been the edge and was now the middle.
The back was a tad lighter but had a half area with some colour.
Still disappointing and I mulled over a fix perhaps.
I did have some yellow and red left but not much.
I added a little extra water, laid the T-shirt out on the ground and
on the front went from this
to this
and with the dye that seeped through the back became
That is upside down on the line. I expect that
there will be some fading as it dries.
I also expect there might be more fix contemplations when this is dry.
Although quite what that might be I am not sure.
Oh and there was one little extra from this that I had not considered
Coloured thread, from the tying. It is rather pretty. I an not sure what I will do with it, perhaps I will use it to quilt more circles on the original bits-a-quilt.
And if you have not seen it already CLICK HERE to see the start of the journey for my BFF.
Some time ago, and I have a feeling it was years now, I bought a little tie-dye kit. Well I bought two, one for me and one for my BFF. The original thought was we would give it a go together at some point.
But getting togethers that have the time and scope for doing something like this proved difficult. There was also the thought of what to dye. The kit came with a piece of material to make a bandana style scarf alongside the dye, gloves rubber bands, and an instruction booklet.
We thought perhaps T shirts white T shirts. All the stuff says cotton is best, the more cotton content the better the dye will take.
Ah but finding something nice enough that if it worked it would be worth it but cheap enough that if it went horribly wrong it would be no great loss.
I mentioned that we were having a get together, and we met in a city centre and there was a Primark, and 100% white cotton T shirts that were only £2.50 (in the men's department, the ladies were 50p more) and so three came home with me. Only one was destined to be for this new craft experiment. The other two, some point in the I hope near future are for the dye pastels and the T-shirt dye pens. It will make a change to use them for the function stated on the packaging and not for anything else.
Anyway back to the project, I have based the tie part on a you tube video rather than anything from the book. Although loosely based might be a better description.
First step soak in warm water, and let it dry a little. Then fold as per the video, which is harder then it looks.
Then pleat, also much harder than it looks. I could have taken more time to try and get the pleats even, I could but I didn't. Sometimes I just feel like doing and am more relaxed about how it might turn out.
Then tie it in place.
I did that with thread, it looked fine but I did not get it knotted enough and it did go a bit loose. I added the rubber bands. That may well have a detrimental impact on the intended result. Mind there are lots of things that will be doing that.
Then on with the generously sized gloves to add the colour.
I had red, yellow and blue to work with and this was the result.
I used all of the blue, there is a little of the other two left, not sure if I will used them later or not.
The book said to wrap in tin foil and leave it at least overnight to dry.
Will post the result later. When it is dry and I can as the chorus says "free your colours"
My BFF also obtained a T-shirt, she may look at more tutorials than me, I have been after all this time a tad impatient to get something done.
