BFF SAL 4 - fully finished finally

Finally got the SAL framed. I have to admit, for a pattern we fell out of love with whilst stitching, I am very happy with the result!

Blackwork Stars

This is my first introduction to the world of blackwork, I completed it in a couple of days some months ago.

It has taken a while to find the right frame combination for it, so it's been taking up space on the washing line of smalls in the meantime. 

I like the way the black emphasises the other colours here.  I may create a very slim mount with colour, as it's barely making it at the top and bottom of the frame.  But that job is for another day. Today is about getting things in frames!! 

Bluebell Wood refrramed

I bought a frame today intending it for another of the BFF SAL pieces. But the colour sung to me of bluebells, and is a perfect fit for that project!

Advent Blog Hop 2021

Welcome to the Advent Blog Hop, hosted by Jo over at http://serendipitousstitching.blogspot.com.  Check out her post to see all the other doors. 

I don't often make seasonal stitches, this year I have worked on 3, and finished only one so far.

The topic of the blog this year is our Christmas trees.  And I suddenly realised that I don't really take many of those shots myself!!

Managed to find some better ones from my hubbyman

Here's a rare one from me, with  my (much younger) child a few years ago in a Christmas tree jumper!! 

Our tree is an artificial one, even they manage to shed enough bits, I couldn't deal with pine needles dropping. 

As far as ornaments go, we have several small traditions. 

When hubby and I got our first tree together, we asked our parents for an ornament or two from our respective childhoods to go on our tree.

 These share pride of place every year, blending our old lives and our family traditions together. 

Since we got the bigger tree, we have also started a new tradition, every year we buy a new decoration to add to the collection.   We don't have a particular colour scheme or theme, I just love lots of bright and colourful decorations and tinsel garlands.  The topper is a star which we always intend to replace before the next Christmas (as it is decidedly wobbly and difficult to get straight), and inevitably end up using again! 

We couldn't always afford to buy a tree when I was a child (before we got an artificial one), but I have fond memories of the Xmas lights displayed in the shape of a tree on our wall! 

We generally try to put the tree up on the first Sunday in December, or somewhere close to that time.   This year we managed just the day before I was due to post the hop. 

It's always a family affair, although sometimes we will start the process of putting the tree up between the adults and then we can decorate it as a family.  We will play Christmas carols (once upon a time on CD but now largely on our smart speaker), and sing along while we work. 

I'm really looking forward to our first Christmas in our new home this year, and to celebrate we have bought a brand new tree, a 7ft artificial tree with flocked fake snow. 

I'm doubly looking forward to seeing it all decorated, as last year's Xmas was spent in a state of limbo regarding the impending house move, so we had only our small 2ft fibreoptic tree displayed last year, alongside a garland on the fireplace and my crib. 

I have to admit that we had a minor panic this year at first, as neither of us adults could remember seeing the wicker basket in which our decorations live since the move!! But of course it had been well packed away in a plastic container.  And in fact, the decorations may actually have moved here before we did, as we were packing things into the garage for a few weeks prior to the move! 

Happy Christmas everyone! 

BFF SAL 6 - Short but sweet

Not a massive amount of stitching or blogging in tonight, we were both shattered.

But a little bit of progress, my elf has some hair appearing.  Looks a bit ginger right now! 

Check out my BFF's update on http://apatchworkofcrafts.blogspot.com

BFF SAL 6 - the Other Christmas One

Sorry we were missing last week, we did get together on Skype but I had nothing to share, as I stalled on the SAL, big style. 

It was an odd night this week. Had another attempt, started off with a pointy needle for backstitch and was making such a mess of things it looked like a sketch rather than an outline - that railroad track at the bottom right is supposed to be a nice clean line!

So I stopped, and did a bit of crochet. 

But as my BFF had decided to start on a cover kit we both have, I felt guilty and decided to start the same.  And thus was born BFF SAL 6.  We both started in the same place here, we're working on a rubberised plasticy strange Aida - does it have a real name? The picture here makes it look like there's a fault, but I think it's just a reflection as I can't see it on the real thing! 

I did return to the crochet at the end of the night, and finished off my latest hat.  It requires a pompom, but I shall be purchasing a faux fur one rather than making a woolly one.  I've found in the past that woollen ones are rarely as good as the amount of effort required!

Check out my BFF's update when she's posted on http://apatchworkofcrafts.blogspot.com

Lots of Little Stuff - BFF SAL 5

Made good progress this week after a hard day at the office.  Donkey and cow have hair and ears, sheep have their ears, alk humans now have hands, and Mary has a finished cloak and a Holy Baby!!  Oh, and the Big Onion is finally complete.  I prefer my BFF's variation on the theme here though. 

I have a handful of stitching required for the stones in the path, and then a whole host of backstitch to do.

And then I might start to catch up with my BFF.  I only managed to fit in one of my free hours last week, and entirely forgot about the picture to prove it!  So this week I have a free hour left to work on some of that catch up.

This is the disadvantage of working on a shared pattern.  I would have been quite happy with the pace at which it's progressing, as it will be done well in time for Christmas.  But because I can see how much further my BFF's is going, I feel there's pressure to catch up so we can work on the new bit, the fancy stitch for the central star, together.

Check out my BFF's update on http://apatchworkofcrafts.blogspot.com