Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party!

If you are feeling like you have no time for relaxation this weekend, I understand completely! And yet, it's so important to make time to slow down, to breathe deeply, and to reset with some relaxing hand stitching. 

I have been enjoying the Countdown to Christmas advent project called "A Pretty Song", This is where my project is as of yesterday. I adore the birds and really want to keep up with the pattern additions we get each day, but it has been a challenge!

In fact my hand stitching has become a little stressful this week as I try to keep up with a couple of advent stitching projects and finish some things for gifts. I have also been taping a short "flossmas"  video every day and it has been a challenge sometimes to get everything done. My goals far exceed my capacity! This is a long time pattern for me, so I have only myself to blame for this stress. It happens every December and in the next 11 days I will struggle to finish all the things I want to make. 

Are you the same? Do you put pressure on yourself to finish too many things in December- baking, shopping, decorating, wrapping, cooking,  visiting, stitching, etc??

Link up your blog post below and share how things are going with your mid December projects!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to Slow Stitching Sunday where we make time to slow down our lives, to breathe deeply, to pick up a needle and thread, and take some slow stitches. 

This weekend I have been attending the Jingle Ball which is an online cross stitch event. My friend Debby and I rented a little Air B'n B in the middle of nowhere which is a renovated 150 year old church with so much character!

We invited our friend Barb to join us for a little holiday, and she is a long time hand stitcher. 

We have had long stitching sessions and started some new projects. This one is a free stitchalong that I started. The pattern is from Anna Gutova at Artmishka Cross Stitch. My friends think it is a radish. It is not! I think it will become a Christmas ornament on some evergreen boughs.

I have been posting a video every day in December on Kathy's Quilts and Stitching showing my 5 advent calendar projects that I am opening every day before Christmas. One of the projects is the Evertote, Roxy Floss Co, and Modern Folk Embroidery holiday countdown collaboration called "A Pretty Song". This photo shows the border and I am making slow progress. You can hear more details on my flosstube if you are interested.

I hope you will link up your blog post below so we can see what you are hand stitching this week!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly linky party where we celebrate all forms of hand stitching. Make a cup of your favourite beverage to enjoy while you visit the blogs of slow stitchers around the world. It's the perfect way to start your Sunday!

I am starting to get into the Christmas spirit with the arrival of the snow. It's a very pretty sparkly world here this weekend and in this photo you can see how much snow fell in a 24 hour period. I just want to stay in my stitching room, watch Christmas movies and make some gifts.

I became mesmerized by my full coverage stitching project for a bit this week.  I tried a sparkly thread called Petit Treasure Braid for the first time. It is not nearly as uncooperative as Kreinik, and it gives a bit of sparkle to the stitching. It's a strange sensory experience for me because it makes a crunchy sound as it pulls through the fabric and it doesn't feel nice in my hands to work with. It made me think about how soothing it is to me to stitch with threads and fabric that are lovely, soft and comforting. I remembered that the tactile enjoyment of my stitching is a very important part of my experience.

This is how far I am this week on Mini Treasure Hunt Bookshelf. I am over the 10% mark now and feel great about that accomplishment. 

It doesn't really look like much, but it is a pointillism kind of process with full coverage. I'll be forcing myself to put in 1 strand of sparkly thread each time I sit down to stitch to fill in the empty spots at the top.

I also posted a flosstube video showing my November stitching projects which you will hopefully be able to see here. 

Today is a day to rest and relax, and enjoy some hand stitching time! How about you? Will you be able to enjoy some slow stitching today? Link up your blog post below and share what you are stitching!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Slow Sunday Stitching

Thank you for dropping by the weekly hand stitching party where we're all about needles, threads, fabric, yarn, inspiration and self care! There is no advertising here, no Black Friday sale emails, nothing to give us grief or stress! It's just pure relaxation, taking deep breaths, and taking one slow stitch at a time. 

And because we are all about slowness, it's not very often that we can announce finishes, but I have had a couple of little finishes to share this week. 

This is "Determined Woman" - pattern by SewBe Stitchery. I finished it without any hanging sleeves or label on the back - I was just "in the zone" and didn't even think about it until I went to hang it on the wall. So it's being hung with some mini clothes pins on this wire hanger. The finished size is 8.25" x 4.25". It will live in the tea room of my shared office space.

The second finish is "Bird Nerd" which was a free pattern offered by Amity of Boomerang Stitches. 

I love this finish so much because I really am a bird nerd! I thought I would finish this in 2024 and confidently put the date on at the bottom... but here it is finally being finished at the end of 2025! I loved this thrifted frame for the birds, however it does cut a tiny bit off the tail on the bird on the right to fit it in the frame. I just didn't want the bird on the left to have her beak against the frame! Finished size is 6.5" x 3.5" and it has 5,476 stitches.

I will also remember that "Bird Nerd" was my first project using Pattern Keeper, which is an android APP that makes stitching complex cross stitch patterns so much easier. 

Today there won't be much time for hand stitching because I'm diving into the Quiltville mystery called Lupine and Laughter. I'll be making my version from the scrap bags and am so happy to be starting another Bonnie Hunter adventure! 

What are you hand stitching today? Link up your blog post below and share your projects with us!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday

There is a growing quilt on my design wall - Tennessee mystery by Edyta Sitar. I have completed step #5 and am now sewing 24 sawtooth star blocks for step #6. It is slow going!

I'm not loving the darkness of the zigzag border, but there are 3 more borders after the stars, so I will just keep going and see how it all works out.

I wish it was growing faster since I want to be ready to start the Quiltville mystery starting soon!

Have you started the Tennesse mystery quilt?

Are you planning to start the Lupine and Laughter mystery on November 21?

Linking up to Design Wall Monday

Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party! We invite you to settle in for some relaxation, visit our inspiring stitchers at the links below, and take some time to put a few stitches into one of your favourite projects.

It has been rainy, dark and dreary weather here this week, and that is perfect stitching weather. I have made progress on several projects including "Serenity" by Pansy Patch which I started in April. I enjoyed finishing the lady's wonderful skirt and don't have much more to go to finish this one.

My friend Debby started this pattern also and we compared our houses. Both of us have made mistakes on the house and yet... we are not changing anything. "Done is better than perfect" and so we carry on stitching!

I finished the stitching for "Determined Woman" by SewBe Stitchery and will finish it as a miniature wallhanging. Today I was auditioning fabrics (playing in the fabric stash) for the binding. I liked all the choices, so you will see next week which one I picked!

And because that stitchery will soon be finished, I am starting a new project called "Louisa's Wisdom" by the same pattern designer. Here is the thread audition process.

Today I will be doing more quilt binding, and have recently finished a 2 more quilts that will need binding, so that is fun to look forward to!

What are you hand stitching today? 

Share your slow stitching projects with us below!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party! We invite you to settle in for some relaxation, visit our inspiring stitchers at the links below, and take some time to put a few stitches in one of your favourite projects.

This week I finished stitching the unique animals in the Needlework Press "Gather Together" which is a collection of 9  unusual animals (patterns from antique samplers). I worked on this project while watching the Blue Jays world series and it helped to bring me joy even though they lost the last game! I think I will finish it into a little wallhanging to use for Thanksgiving.

My full coverage project also got some attention this week and is almost at 10% of the total stitches. This is a Heaven and Earth Design pattern called Mini Treasure Hunt Bookshelf stitched on 25 count  easy grid lugana. There are lots of blank places across the top of the design until I decide if I am going to use white threads or Kreinik threads which would be prettier and sparkly, but which I detest stitching with. Maybe I'll put in some stitches in both options and see which I think looks best.

Today I'll be working on binding a quilt for the quilt guild. It will be a relaxing and enjoyable task - my favourite mindless hand stitching! 

What are you hand stitching today? Link up your slow progress below!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party here at Slow Sunday Stitching!

It has been a wild week for me with watching the Toronto Blue Jays vs. LA Dodgers baseball games. I am staying up too late at night and not stitching at much as usual. But I do try to put a few stitches into a project in each game. I have been stitching on the Needlework Press "Gather Together" which is a collection of unusual animals, and I am loving it!

I also stitched on Tiny Modernist's Spooky Night SAL on Halloween night. I have finished 8 motifs and now it will go into "the vault" for storage until next fall. I am a seasonal stitcher and once Halloween is over, I'm on to Christmas stitching!

Yesterday I posted a flosstube video of my October stitching using a new (to me) platform. I'm not loving new technology, but I know I will get used to it over time!

What are you hand stitching this week? Please share your slow progress by linking up your blog post below.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Slow Sunday Stitching

 Welcome to Slow Stitching Sunday where we make time to slow down our lives, to breathe deeply, to pick up a needle and thread, and take some slow stitches. We are enjoying a wonderful autumn season where I live and here are some reminders of how to enjoy this time of year.

This week I have been focused on adding stitches to my Spooky Night SAL by Tiny Modernist.

I'm finishing the blocks across the top of the design, and it's reminding me of why I prefer to start a cross stitch at the top. See how I have to hold the finished roll of stitching in my left hand because of the centre start in the SAL? It doesn't affect my stitching, but does make my left hand work harder than is necessary in holding the bulk. I'm going to put in as many stitches as possible this week because I know that once Halloween is over  I will lose interest in this project, and then probably put it away for a finish next year.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to do some hand stitching on vintage blocks that my friend Debby was working on. She was turning useable bits and pieces of an old quilt into project bags. See how she appliquéd crocheted doilies on top of the sections that were threadbare?

I was drawn to adding a few stitches to them just for the pleasure of it. They were so soft to work with. 

I am looking forward to more quiet evenings at home as winter approaches and getting out some quilting projects to finish.  What are you hand stitching this week?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party!

Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee or pumpkin spice latte to enjoy while visiting the blog links of stitchers around the world. It's so inspiring to see what other people are creating with their own two hands.

This is what I stitched this week with my little hands - a moth! This is one step in the Spooky Night mystery SAL by Tiny Modernist. I was way overly optimistic in thinking I could finish this pattern by Halloween! I have stitched 5 of the 14 sections, so maybe my revised goal could be to finish half of the project by the end of the month?

It would be easier to meet my stitching goals if I didn't get so distracted doing other interesting things! Yesterday I took a card making class with my daughter and we made 5 different types of cards. (Please excuse the poor quality selfie, but that is not my forté!)

The classes were hosted and beautifully organized by the Papercrafter's Workshop and we had a blast! It was so much fun to work in a medium that is new to me.

Creative energy is so amazing and interesting.  I had so many crazy ideas about combining paper crafting and stitching. My creative mind went off madly in all directions! My mind and my craft desk are in a whirlwind and who knows what could happen next!?! 😂😂 

I did have some semblance of order at times this week and was able to finish my Mini Sunflower Sampler into a miniature wallhanging (pattern by the most generous Melisa at Pinker 'n Punkin). The top one is the Mini Squirrel Sampler, the middle one is the newly completed Mini Sunflower Sampler, and the bottom one is the Mini Apple Sampler. Melisa has so many little treats that I want to stitch - I think the next one to start will be the Little Hoot Stamp.

What are you hand stitching today? Are you buzzing with creativity and in your "work uniform" (aka pajamas) today? Link up your blog post below and share your projects with us!

**Sorry about the coding error - I think I fixed it and the link party is now open!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Slow Sunday Stitching

It's Sunday and you know what that means... it's time for the weekly hand stitching party! We hope you will pick up your needles and thread or yarn and start making some stitches. 

Here in Canada we are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend. I know it seems early for those who celebrate at other times of the year, but we really enjoy having a 3 day weekend to spend time outdoors with family and friends while the weather is still good. Today I will be hosting a Thanksgiving lunch for my family and after the dishes are done hope to have time for some stitching.

I have finished a large quilt and will have more to say once I get a photo of the finish, but for now I can share that my hands are tired from all the binding!

And maybe from too much cross stitch!?! This is a pattern from Lola Crow called "Pumpkin Party". It was an exclusive design for the Harvest Moon online event from Lindy Stitches and I could not resist it. I got the DMC floss from Michael's last week and started it on Slow Sunday Stitching. This is how far I got this week.

We have a very determined and strong raccoon in the neighbourhood who regularly tries to remove 2 cinder blocks from the top of the composter, and is sometimes successful. I'm sure she is this adorable, but wow does she make a mess!

What are you stitching today? Are you starting any projects for Halloween? Link up your blog post below and share your hand stitching with us.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party!

I changed my blog header to reflect the fall season since it's my favourite time of the year and it's finally here! We can actually walk outside and enjoy lovely comfortable weather!

The blog header photo is one of my favourite fall embroideries. You can still get the free pattern by Melisa of Pinker 'n Punkin if you want to enjoy making one for yourself.

This week I made a video of the projects I worked on in September. It's a helpful process to do this kind of review since as a hand stitcher it often feels like I don't make much progress. But when I see my projects all together, it does feel very rewarding!

In September I attended the Harvest Moon Hangout (online event) and was delighted to attend an interview with Amie of Lola Crow. I took a photo of my Extraordinary Birds project I was stitching on while Amie was sharing her original version of this design. It was very exciting for me!

And I finally worked on the Primrose Cottage pattern called 'Hello Summer" project. This pattern was free to their newsletter subscribers and I stitched it on 18 count aida 1 thread over 1 square. Then it became a little pillow filled with walnut shells and a few polly pellets. I couched a bit of red trim around the edge to finish it off.

The finished size is 4" x 5.25" and it is so cute!

The pattern for 'Hello Autumn' was just emailed this week, so I'm ready to get going on that one!

What are you hand stitching today? Are you stitching seasonal projects? Are you finishing anything? Share your progress with us below!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly celebration of all hand stitched crafts! We hope you will join us in setting aside a few moments each Sunday for some relaxing stitching on your favourite project. Pick up a needle and thread, breathe deeply, and enjoy a little vacation from the responsibilities of your life.

This week I have really enjoyed working on a Halloween project called Spooky House SAL by Tiny Modernist. 

There are so many Halloween blocks to stitch and it has been the perfect project to work on at this time of year. Here is the haunted house, which in spite of all that backstitch, was great fun to stitch! I have had my nose so close to the pattern that until I stand back to see what I've stitched, I have no idea what it really looks like! LOL 

I have finished 3 of the centre blocks, and have started on the 4th block. Although it looks a little wonky, I 99% sure the blocks are straight! 👀 It is so fun when a project grabs your attention, and you just can't put it down! Yesterday I stitched over 600 stitches on the 4th block for this project, and I just love it! 

I am so smitten that I can't even remember what else I should be working on! I think it's the combination of a great pattern and an easy to work on fabric (which is the recommended 28-count Jobelan in “Sage/Summer Khaki” from Wichelt).

Do you have any projects that have grabbed a hold of you and taken all of your attention? Link up your blog post below and share your project with us.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the regular weekly practice of relaxing with some hand stitching! We encourage you to join us... all you have to do is take a deep breath, find your hand stitching project and put in some stitches.

I have been attending some of the events at the Lindy Stitches Harvest Moon online event. It has been fun to meet new stitching friends and chat with old friends. I did buy a couple of new patterns that were irresistible, and will continue to attend today to see the interview with Amie of Lola Crow Designs.

During the event I was madly trying to finish up the gift I was making for my grandbaby's first birthday party. And I'm very happy to say I finished it in time for the party! I blurred out the personal details, but you can see the lovely design by Silver Creek Samplers. This was the perfect gift for celebrating the the miracle our family has received in this new life!

This is what the back of the tiny wallhanging looks like - little triangles in the top 2 corners to hold the wooden dowel, and a little triangle label with star charm stitched on in the bottom corner. I was hand stitching the binding at the last minute of course!

And here's the birthday boy! He loved eating his little cake made especially for him by his Mom. Everything about his party was delightful, from the gorgeous fall weather, to meeting with friends and family to celebrate the joy of having this wonderful addition to the family. Such a blessing!

This was the best photo I could get of the 3 second cousins together at the party - it was total chaos and so much fun to have them together! We have a red head, a brunette, and a blond - we never mix them up! And of course Max the granddog has to get in the photo too!

So today I will be relaxing, attending Harvest Moon and doing some hand stitching on one of my many ongoing projects!

What are you hand stitching today? Share your slow progress with us and link up your blog post below!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter