Slow Sunday Stitching - New Year's Eve

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party! It's New Year's Eve today and the whole world will be preparing to wrap up 2023 and start a fresh year ahead.

In 2023 I naively entered the wonderful world of Flosstube and discovered so many interesting folks enjoying a wide variety of hand stitching - mostly cross stitch.  As a result, I experimented with a number of new products such as variegated hand dyed threads, and the world of Mill Hill kits which combines stitching with beading. There are so many amazing creative opportunities!

I recently heard about the 12 x 12 event started by Kea Bee. The idea is that on New Year's Eve you start 12 new projects, and starting at noon you put stitches into a new project every hour. That is a lot of new WIP's to add to a collection that is already too big! 

So I decided that I will try a variation of this idea and work on 12 projects, one each hour, but they will mostly be projects that I have already been working on. What better way to bring in 2024 than by stitching all day long!

I have spent time the past week on preparing to start a few new projects, but mostly working on WIP's. I put command hooks on the wall and hung up my projects so that I could put stitches into 12 projects today. I have spare ribs, carrots and potatoes in the crock pot for supper, so I have the whole day to stitch...I'm so excited! You can pop over to my Youtube channel to see what I plan to stitch today.

Are you ending 2023 with some hand stitching? We love to know what you're working on so tell us in the comments and/or link up your blog post below.

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Happy Christmas Eve everyone and welcome to the weekly hand stitching party! If you have been as busy this week as I have been with the usual pre-Christmas shopping, wrapping, cleaning, cooking (and eating), you probably haven't had much time for stitching. But today is the day for at least a few moments of relaxation, and putting some stitches into your projects.

My stitching time this week has mostly been cutting and sewing the blocks for the Quiltville mystery, but there has been a bit of time here and there to stitch a little motif on my Christmas Quaker.  

But most importantly, this morning I will be traveling to meet my grand nephew who was born on Winter Solstice! 

I have now become a great Auntie and take my responsibilities very seriously... can't wait for cuddle time! Seriously, how many times in your life do you get to hold a brand new baby? And one that shares a gene pool with you?! It's so rare, and I am savouring every moment! And later this evening I plan to enjoy some Christmas cross stitch and some hot apple cider which will also be wonderful!

What are your plans for Christmas Eve? Will you have a chance to enjoy some calming hand stitching?

I wish all of you my wonderful blog readers a very Merry Christmas!

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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. 

First up today I would like to show you my favourite ornament this year. This is a gift that a friend made for me -  a fox made from a dried orange. Here are the instructions if you would like to make some yourself. And it smells quite yummy hanging on the tree. So fun!

I have been enjoying stitching the Little Quaker Christmas pattern by Susan Ache (free pattern at Fat Quarter Shop) in small amounts of time. I haven't made a lot of progress, but many of the holiday parties are done now, and hopefully there will be more time this week to stitch while watching some Christmas movies. 

I have also been spreading Christmas cheer and visiting friends and relatives.🎄 I really missed this during the lonely days of covid lockdowns so maybe I am making up for lost time this year? This is a photo with my Dad - we enjoy being together at any time of the year, but especially at Christmas.

What are your plans for today? Will you be enjoying some time with needles and threads? Link up your blog post below and share your projects with us. 

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Hello stitchers and welcome to the weekly hand stitching party! 

It's that time of year again when we have to be diligent about the societal, cultural, family, and self imposed pressures to be in a frenetic and overextended state during the holiday season. How about we don't put any pressure on ourselves, and just do what we have the energy, finances, and desire to do??

I have started my December cross stitch (Free Little Quaker Christmas) project and I put in some stitches every night before bedtime. This is the right side length of the project completed, which allowed me to trim to fabric on the bottom. I was very pleased with this progress and stitched the gold bell.

 

And as soon as the bell was finished and I started those little pink stars, I realized the bell was the wrong size, and I had to remove most of those stitches! Maybe stitching at bedtime is not always a good choice!!?? LOL

So I abandoned the right side and I moved to the top for some fresh energy and am really enjoying this project once again.

I also finally finished hand stitching the binding on my Christmas Bargello tablerunner. Isn't this backing fabric fun?

This was pieced at a class I took with my sister in the summer at Cherished Pieces. I machine quilted it through the rectangles following the bargello pattern using black, green, white and red threads.

Finished size: 15.5" x 45.5"

Now it's your turn... what are you hand stitching this time of year? Are you finding moments to relax and enjoy your pretty threads and projects? Link up your blog post below and share your slow progress with us.

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Switching it up!

Happy Sunday stitchers! 

It's a day for rest, renewal, and stitching!  We hope you will join us as we slowly stitch creative projects using needles and threads.

I am switching up the projects in my sewing room this weekend. I have finished all the fall and thanksgiving things that I could, and it's time to put everything into hibernation until next fall (except for BOO which I want to finish this week).

I did finish one more sweet project. This is Melisa's Mini Pumpkin Sampler pattern stitched on 14 count tea dyed Aida. It was delightful to stitch! I wish I would have trimmed more of the edge so that there wasn't so much space between the stitches and the binding, but I have some ideas on how to fix that space - which I may or may not try next fall when I see it again! LOL

I love the little  piece of backing fabric I found - isn't it perfect?!? And I do enjoy putting little bindings (single fold, cut at 1.5") on these mini  stitcheries.

If you would have told me this time last year, that I'd be into cross stitch in such a big way in 2023 I would never have believed you. But here I am -  totally addicted! I attended the Jingle Ball virtual event this weekend and downloaded many free charts, and bought some fabulous new exclusive designs. I didn't enjoy the stitching rooms as the sound was not manageable for me in the rooms that I visited. But that's okay - the ballroom videos and chats with designers were great entertainment and well worth the $10 price of admission.

Of course I started a new Christmas project which is a free chart called Little  Quaker Christmas. This pattern by Susan Ache is still a free download over at Fat Quarter Shop. The thread listed is Aurifloss which I don't have, so I converted the colours to DMC floss and called it "close enough". The reds are kind of orangey, but I'm willing to give them a try.

I detested the 22 count linen fabric I had bought from Michael's and quickly started my stitching over on an old 14 count white Aida. Here is my start - a cute little Christmas tree. You can see how tiny it is compared to the needle minder that my friend Jackie gave me!

What are you stitching at the beginning of  December? Are you making any Christmas gifts this year? I hope you will link up your blog post below and share your plans and projects with us.

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Thanks for dropping by the weekly hand stitching party where we're all about needles, threads, fabric, inspiration and self care! There is no advertising here, no Black Friday sales, 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 a finish, but I have had a few little finishes this week. 

I posted my finished Mill Hill kit on Thursday, and my mini squirrel sampler finish on Friday. And today, another finish - "Owls and Acorns" (a free chart from Blue Ribbon Designs). I just love these owls, and although the dark brown thread coverage isn't great on the photo, it looks better in real life. The oak leaves, acorns, letters and the pumpkins were all so fun to stitch!

I was on a roll of finishing little projects there are a couple more smalls around here that I can easily finish with a batting, backing and little binding. 

But I think the desire to finish things is passing now that the annual Quiltville mystery is starting! Today I hope to be digging through scraps and choosing pieces to sew into step #1 HST blocks.

What are you hand stitching at the end of November? Are you finishing things? Starting new things? Share your projects with us below.

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party where you can visit with members of the Slow Sunday Stitching crew around the world, right from the comfort of your own home! 

I have 2 accomplishments to share this week!

First, I have almost finished all the cross stitching on my Mill Hill kit called 'Gobble Gobble'. I really enjoyed stitching on the perforated paper that came in the kit. Today I'll be working on stitching the beads which will be really fun!

Second, I finished stitching Melisa's Mini Pumpkin Sampler. What a fun pattern - thank you Melisa! I used my own fall floss colours and learned that I really like stitching letters. I don't enjoy "block" stitching, like where all the orange stitches are  in the big pumpkin because it's kind of boring. But I guess it's good for those stitching times when you don't need to really concentrate on the stitching.

I have 2 guild quilts that I am binding and would like to return them in a finished state next weekend, so I also must get going on that.

But I'm starting to get the itch to stop stitching fall/everything, and start stitching Christmas. Are you a seasonal stitcher - influenced by calendar? Or do you work on your scheduled projects no matter the time of year?

Please link up your instagram or blog post below and share your slow stitching projects with us.

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party!

It's time to take a deep breath, pick up your needle and threads, and put some stitches in a project that makes your heart happy.

I finally finished a cross stitch this week. Now it is an "FFO" - a Fully Finished Object!

I had been debating how to finish some of my UFOs and decided to just add a binding and make them into little wallhangings. This pattern is called "Strawberry Faire" by October House.

I sandwiched the stitchery like I do when making a quilt (top, batting and backing) and attached a binding. Then I made a little triangle label (usually a 4"  square folded on the bias) to attach to the bottom corner. And I put 2 smaller folded squares in the top corners to put a tiny dowel in for hanging. Then I stitched the binding down.

I adore the perfect backing fabric that I found at Ye Olde Fabric Shoppe, with the little animals and fall foliage! The finished size of this little quilt  is: 6.25" x 4.25"

I have chosen bindings for these 4 stitcheries - 1 done and 3 to go. Today I will work on adding binding to these projects and turn them into little wallhangings.

My question for you this week is... how do you prefer to slow stitch? Do you listen to music or silence? Do you usually stitch in the football stands, medical appointment waiting rooms, or your crafty corner?

In her Monday blog post Bonnie Hunter said: 

I love the contemplation time that the slow hand stitching brings. ⁣

Do you enjoy the quiet time to reflect and ponder? Sometimes I do enjoy that, but if I'm not waiting at a medical appointment (a perfect time to hand stitch!) I enjoy listening to a podcast or watching a flosstube video while I stitch. Currently my favourite flosstubes are: Running with scissors (with Jane and Julie), Momma loves you GB, Sew me Sarah, Helen D., Sarah's stitchy spot, Cross stitch Cait, and Colorado cross stitcher. If you have a favourite flosstube channel, please tell us in the comments.

We look forward to seeing what you are hand stitching today!

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party!

Last night we turned the clocks back one hour because it is the end of Daylight Saving Time. Which means (in theory) that we all get an extra hour of sleep. In truth it feels like we only get an extra hour of darkness every evening! 

I will be a tired stitcher today because of the time change and also because I got the double whammy of 2 vaccines (flu and covid) after work on Friday. My body needs time to adjust and rest, and I will happily give that to myself! Last year I missed a month of work with a 2 week covid episode and a very nasty 2 week flu, so I am hoping these shots give me a fighting chance to not have to go through that again.

In her most recent flosstube episode, Sheri the Colorado Cross Stitcher talked about "comfort stitching". She encouraged us to think about what that means to each of us. 

To me comfort stitching means an "easy" project, requiring no concentration and lots of warm fuzzies.... which for me is quilt binding. I love to snuggle under a beautiful scrappy quilt that a guild friend creatively pieced, and another talented friend quilted on her long arm, and I slowly finish it with a hand stitched binding. A quilt made by 3 quilters to give to someone in need  brings much comfort to all the makers.

Earlier in the week I started a Mill Hill kit and it was like Christmas morning dumping out the contents to see what was in the package - pretty floss, and sparkly beads!

The instruction booklet is intense, but I dove in and started reading.

The first thing I did was play with organize the DMC floss that came in a clump. There are 11 colours in this kit. I punched holes around an old thank you card that came with an online order, wrote the numbers and names of the floss beside each hole, and threaded the floss through. Works for me!

This is NOT a comfort stitch! This is intense stitching with lots of colour changes and concentration is required. The design is pieced on perforated paper, which is an interesting change from stitching on Aida cloth and linens. The holes are filled in with beads once all the floss stitching is done. I am using highlighters to show me the stitching that I've done. I am enjoying the process so far, but it's put away until my brain power has restored itself!

What is a "comfort stitch" for you? Are you working on comfort stitching today, or a challenging project, or both??! Share your slow progress with us and link up your instagram or blog post below.

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Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly hand stitching party! It's such a fun party because you can stay in your pyjamas and join us from the comfort of your own home!

But on some special Sundays, I go to a real life, in-person hand stitching get-together which is co-ordinated by my friend Debby and hosted by her Mom Dorothy (who rents the party room at her apartment building). Many of the stitchers I haven't met before, so it is great fun to see what others are creating and make new friends. Here are some of the ladies from the last party. You can see a crocheted tea cozy being made for a Christmas gift, and some embroidery, cross stitch, and quilt binding was going on. 

We also have fun snacks to enjoy. Do you see the one eyed cookies?!? Some people are so just creative!

We joke that some of us do a lot of stitching, and some of us just come to make memories!

Here is a cross stitch being made by Katie. She is a really fast stitcher and made all these letters during our Sunday meeting.  She thought the project would be smaller and wasn't really liking it, so I volunteered to give is a place on the wall at my house to my house if she didn't like it when it was done!

Debby generously finished the binding on the community comfort quilt that I have been working on. She is a really fast stitcher and she finished stitching 3 sides of the quilt. It would have taken me all week! 

Because Debby was doing the binding, I was able to spend time on a cross stitch sampler, and finished "Owls and Acorns" (a free chart from Blue Ribbon Designs). I used all the called for "Gentle Arts" floss which was lovely to work with. It was stitched on a piece of old white 14 count aida cloth that I lightly tea dyed to make it a bit more fall looking. I love how this turned out! And now it joins the UFO pile! 

I also stitched a little pumpkin from Melisa's pattern called Mini Pumpkin Sampler. So cute! I will work on this project on Halloween night when the kids are coming for trick-or-treating.

Are you stitching anything for Halloween? Costumes? Decorations? 

Link up your blog or instagram post below and share your projects with us!

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Slow Sunday Stitching

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

I had a lovely visit with some quilting friends last weekend, and I must share a photo of our Slow Sunday Stitching friend Deanna (who blogs at "In stitches with Deanna"). 

It was so realxing to watch her hand quilting hearts on a sweet lap quilt. You can see the whole design on her blog, and the amazing centre pattern (called La Fin Du Monde) that she made in a class with Libs Elliott. 

I have slowly been continuing the cross stitching on Owls and Acorns (a free chart pattern from Blue Ribbon Designs). I started the vines and pumpkins.  Much more progress has been made on this sampler, but this seems to be the only photo I took.

I also made and sewed a binding to a scrappy community outreach quilt. Yesterday I finished hand stitching the binding on one side - only 3 more sides to go. This has to be finished to submit to the guild collection by next Saturday. I think I can do it!

Thank you to those who left comments on last week's post. I was so happy to hear from those of you that have the same challenge as I do in terms of finishing projects. You almost made it seem like I am "normal"! You truly are my tribe! LOL

I hope you will link up your blog or instagram link  below and share the projects you are putting stitches into this week.

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