A growing plantation...

.....of TPS christmas trees. Merry christmas to all of you, see you again next year!


Feliz Navidad y un prospero ano nuevo...
Birgit

Probably my last ornament for 2007

I haven't posted for a while but thought I'd share this last ornament with you all. I do have one other which is stitched and not finished but since it's now 5.30pm on Saturday, I don't think it will be finished before Christmas. So this will be it for me for 2007. Merry Christmas everyone!

Holly Days Stocking (I left off the backstitched "Holly Days")
by Mill Hill

Threads: DMC
Stitched on perforated paper

by Barb in TX

I've finally got an ornament to post on here. I made this for my grandgirl. The design is by Lorri Birmingham and from the Leisure Arts Big Book of Christmas Quickies.
Thanks for looking.

Barb in TX

Christmas Stocking and Ornament

I like stiching ornaments with red colors. These are the Lili Points and Anael Designs (French Designers).

July and August finishes :-)

Yes, I'm a little behind. :-) I haven't finished off an ornament since June. Time sure did get away from me. But I have two finishes to report, Toy Shop Sign from CHS using the recommended 36 count Lakeside Linens with the DMC conversion and a tree (I can't remember the name) from Erica Michaels using the recommended 40 count Lakeside Linens using assorted Crescent Colours cotton floss both from the 2007 JCS Ornament issue. I have three more to finish off this week so I'll be posted those later. I met my goal of 12 finished ornaments in 2007! Thanks for such a wonderful stitch-a-long.

gifts for the better half

I stitched a design from The Sampler Girl (Merry Christmas My Love) this year for my DH, using VC silks on a 40 (?) count coffee-dyed linen. I just love how it came out. I made up the personalization on the backside.

Last year, I stitched a design from The Needle's Content for him. It was my first attempt at ruching, and because the ribbon was a thick velvet one, I had to improvise quite a bit but it came out looking pretty good. :)

gifts for the kids

Here are the three ornaments I've stitched for the kids for little surprise gifts. I'm going to make them a special ornament each Christmas from now on, as I also do for their wonderful Daddy.

Normally, I avoid aida but I just loved this deep, rich Victorian red. All three are stitched in either DMC or another colorfast floss for washability. ;) The talented designers are, from top to bottom: "Christmas Partridge" by Stacy Nash Primitives (Rowen's ornie), "Dash Away All" by The Sampler Girl (Max's ornie), and "Christmas Bear" by Beth Hendzlik (Nicky's ornie). Other than Rowen's ornament, I used my own choice of colors rather than those suggested, and made various other little changes.

Victorian Lace Snowflake

Here is another ornament finish for this year. This is Victorian Lace Snowflake and it's designed by Rosewood Manor (you can find it in this year's JCS ornament issue). I changed up the fabric and threads per my notes below the picture.


Stitched on 28ct Millennium Blue Cashel Linen
Stitched with Kreinik #4 braid in 032 and Mill Hill beads 00161

Thanks for looking!

A new project...

During this year here with you in this SAL I got my 12 ornaments stitched and finished, I am really very content.......for the next year I am planning to plant a "Christmas Wood" (Christmas trees, The Prairie Schooler). Here is the beginning.....


Feliz Navidad a todos!
Birgit

Perpetual Christmas Card

Here's a little 'perpetual Christmas card' that I sent off to my Mom yesterday. Hopefully it won't hit a snag in the international mails and will arrive in time to hang from one of her windows (or wherever she decides to hang it - LOL!). The front side is based on an old Barrick Samplers design, but has been reworked for Christmas. The backside has all our names, using an alphabet very loosely based on a Brightneedle alphabet.

I used silks from my stash on a piece of 28 ct DMC natural linen. The twisted cord is a DMC metallic that I thought went well. The cuties in the picture are baby photos of my mom (top) and myself (bottom). ;)

Another new Member

Hello, I'm also new to the group. I'm Jennifer from the East Coast of the US. (You can check out my blog at http://sweetpeastitching.blogspot.com/ for more about me). My husband and I love to visit lighthouses and I stitched this one up for us this year.

Sea Girt Lighthouse, NJ, US

Design from Treetrunk Designs "Guardians of our Waterways"

Stitched with DMC over 1 on 18 ct

Dec 11/07

I posted the semi-finished version before, but here are three of my snowmen in their completed version. They are sitting on their backing fabric. Happy Holidays and all the best in 2008 to all of my stitching friends!

Hello

I am new to the group but am looking forward to stitching an ornament or two each month. So far this year I've stitched 20 in the last two months but I'm hoping to do some big projects next year as well. Thanks for allowing me to join you and I hope I will be able to contribute something worthwhile.

SandyB

Hello everyone...

My name is Chris. I also have accepted Nicki's invitation and am a new member to the Christmas Ornament SAL. Thanks Nicki. Seeing the beautiful ornaments that have been posted during the last several weeks is inspiring. I plan is to join you as often as I can on the ornament stitching weekends. Please feel welcome to visit me at my blog - Chris' Stitching and Strumming.

May the upcoming holiday be filled with health and happiness to all.

New to the SAL

Hello to everyone! My name is Teresa and I have accepted the invitation to join this lovely group of stitchers. I look forward to posting pictures of my finished ornaments. Come and visit me at http://sewmanythoughts.blogspot.com/. My thanks to Nicki.

My warmest wishes to all of you for a very special holiday season.

Teresa

One done

JBW Designs

Nordic Mitten

It's been awhile for me but here is a finish I used for a recent ornament exchange. I should have a couple more to share soon.

Hello everyone!

I thought I'd pop in and let you know that we have 100 stitchers signed up for this blog. From all corners of the world! And I've just sent off our 101st invite. A special welcome to Alexandrina from Russia and Akiko from Japan as numbers 100 and 101!

I hope and think I have replied to everyone who wanted to join but if your email has got caught by hotmail's spam filter I apologise. Quite a few have ended up in the junk folder so I hope I've caught them!

I've been bad at stitching ornaments myself and have a lot more going on now than when I started the blog last year. So I'd like to ask if anyone else would be interested in taking over the admin of the blog. Please let me know if you would be able to.

I hope you're all merrily ornament stitching!
Nicki

Winter Love

Hi! It's been a long time since I had a post here but I have stitched a couple of ornaments recently.



Winter Love - SamSarah Design Studio
Stitched on 28ct Natural Light Jobelan using DMC floss and JABC buttons

I have to wash and press the second ornament, so I'll post a photo in a couple of days! Thanks for looking!

Christmas Tree Toys

Hello,
Look at my new christmas tree toys. The center of these toys was stitched on linen by DMC 115 threads. The charts are from magazines The Cross Stitcher and Point de croix.

Finally!

I've been busy stitching things for exchanges & knitting for felted handbags - but I finally stitched an ornament!!

"Joy" is from the 2007 JCS ornament issue.

October and November Ornaments

These are the ornaments that I am doing for gifts this year. The first two are by Brittercup Designs (Poinsettia and Christmas Puppy) from the 2007 and 2006 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issues. The third is Curious Reindeer from the 2007 BH&G Christmas Book. I changed most of the threads and stitched them all over one. The fabrics are a Silkweaver Solo, China Pearl Jobelan, and SMF Leprechaun.

Mill Hill's Treasure

Welcome to my Mill Hill's Treasure Box! There are the beaded and charmed mittens and stockings.

Going on......

....with some freebies from there. I am not so happy with the snowmen, would have been better to finish them in circles. I will give them away to a family with two little boys...

And then two ornaments in red from JCS

Greetings from the Canarian Islands in the sun

Birgit

catching up?

I have been stitching ornaments, and even finishing them, but then I hide them away till it's time to send them to their new owners. So, I keep forgetting to include them here. Oops.

Mary Garry, Christmas pin cushion
stitched on 30 ct R&R American Chestnut

The Needle's Prayse, The Gift
stitched one-over-two on 36 ct ivory linen

I'm sure there are more, but at least it's a start. ;)

Noel

Yes I'm thick, I did one last month and never included it because I'd 'forgotten' all about it!

Glory Bee's Noel, stitched on 14ct opalescent, using The Dye Shop Frosty's Scarf.

A Ornie for October.

For October, I finished an ornament I started in February. This the Blackwork poinsettia by Lynne Herzberg from the December 2006 issue of The Gift of Stitching.

As usual, I used none of the recommended supplies. Instead, I used:

DMC 115 (red)
Watercolours Emerald
Mill Hill beads 02011

Other changes include:

Only one strand for backstitching the flower
Five beads instead of nine
Not backstitching the outer border

Since the DMC is variegated, I stitched with two loaded needles to complete the holbein stitches for the petals. The fabric is 28 count Queen Anne's Lace jobelan.

I am plotting my next ornament for the November SAL and planning a finishing frenzy in early December. I've really enjoyed participating in this blog. I think I've stitched roughly 14 ornaments this year thanks to this SAL!

Here Comes Santa

I did have great intentions, but unfortunately due to circumstances, I was only able to complete the one ornament. It was a great opportunity to start to use the mountain of 14 count Aida in my stash and all that leftover thread. The design is from the Leisure Arts Best 250 Christmas Quickies and has been finished as a hanging ornament.

Finishing festival

Instead of stitching ornies this weekend I finished like a fiend. And I have all sorts of holes in my finger to show how often I forgot I was using a sewing needle rather than an xs needle. Silly me!
I know this looks like a lot, but it's my standard format -- stitch all year then spend many late nights at the end finishing like a fool.

These are what got finished this weekend:


And over the last couple weeks I've gotten the stitching and/or finishing done on these:




I'm especially proud of the over-1 spool:

Partridge in a Pear Tree

Oh ive been so bad at stitching Christmas ornaments all year. This is only my second but i plan to make more in the next few months!! It's from The Prairie Schooler 12 Days of Christmas but instead of stitching this as one big piece im making 12 little ornaments. I just need to buy some ribbon so that i can finish it as an ornament, i'll hopefully do that tomorrow.

EEF Christmas pillow.

On 32 ct linen with Weeks threads and vintage little buttons. It was funny to stitch it.

Finishing Marathon

I forced myself to make this Christmas ornie weekend a finishing weekend. And, as usual, I was somewhat thwarted -- I couldn't find my stuffing for anything! Finally with fresh stuffing in hand I was able to get these together Sunday night:

Thanks for all the inspiration everyone!

Crafting xmas finishes

Other two crafting ornaments.

fabric: Kogut
buttons: Shelley's

fabric: flannel Debbie Mumm

And a non-properly ornament: a wall bag

fabrics: Debbie Mumm
buttons: Shelley's

All the projects are from the book "Crafting Christmas Gifts" by Tone Finnanger.