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.