Here is where I was with my Snowman & Reindeer X stitch last time we checked in. I was feeling fairly confident I could finish this for the holiday season. Now? Hmmm, just not sure with everything else I am working on.
I had quite a bit of encouragement to add the extra bird from the original pattern. I had been debating if I should. I took everyones advice and did. There he is on the top branch. I am continuing to fill in the background, I still need to add all the backstitching and there is still the snowman I am hoping to tweak a bit. Here is where I am now
Now and before picture
Below are the links to the others in this SAL and now I am off to check in on their projects.
What have been working on that takes away from my X stitching ~ hand quilting a kings size log cabin quilt top gifted to me, a baby quilt for a nephew, and crafting some Christmas junk journals for gifting.
It never fails, before you know it, Christmas is just around the corner with thoughts of sugar plum fairies dancing in our heads, Through out this year I have been working not only on my hand quilting and cross stitch projects but on holiday junk journals for gift giving. I thought it would be fun to give you a sneak peak at some of the projects in the works and/or completed.
These first 2 are Charles Dickens themed. The covers are made from recycled cereal boxes and bound with 1″ rings. This one below measures 4.5″x 7″. She has 10 pages filled with tags and ephemeral for journaling on.
This one below is also Dickens themed and is slightly larger measuring 6″ X 8″. Most of the digital prints are from The Graphic’s Fairy and some from The Digital Collage Club. Music pages from old piano sheet music books from the Goodwill. I also use magazine photos I find, like the horse & sleigh above. Ribbons ties are from my fabric stash. Shhhh – and you might have noticed the December 20th, not 25th, this is for a daughter (her birthday).
This next one is an envelope style with journal pocket card placed in front of the envelope. Both was made using a file folder. Angel themed, it measures 8.5 “x 5” I am not entirely done with this one. I am planning on adding some glitter edging to some of the cards. It is filled with all kinds of angel ephemera. All of the gifts have an original vintage Christmas postcard inside.
Simply made using a legal size red envelope this one has a tuck spot for journal cards in the front. This gift is bird themed with most of the ephemera inside and out having some sort of winter, bird, or Santa picture. Red sari ribbon and taffeta lace embellishments. The inside is filled with Christmas eye candy.
All of my journals have been made with a person in mind. This one is for a childhood friend who I share a special bond with. Measuring 5.5″ X 7.25″ this envelope is packed with 12 journaling cards, one for each month of the coming year. I love the red and gold sari remnant. I have not added a closure but I am thinking some white dotted swiss tule for a wintery effect. I will of course add a personal note to each journal before sending them off.
This hold in your hand cutie measures 3.5″ X 4″ and is Angel and Madonna/motherhood themed. Lots of lace and wispy threads are poking out and it is jam packed with goodies. The cover was made out of a jello box and there are 5 signatures with 10 making 20 pages in each signature.
The last photo I’m sharing is of envelope style journal pockets. These were made with cereal box or file folders for covers and I have 8 of them ready to go. I mostly used pages from Little Golden books that were Christmas themed, as well as other collected photos and ephemera. These are mostly for grandkids and their young families. I will tuck in a gift check and a restaurant gift card.
I am making it a bit easier on myself this year with no big gifts to ship with expensive post office fees. I hope you enjoyed this sneak peak.
What crafty holiday projects have you been working on?
Things are settling down, finally. Just a quick update on my BH and how he is doing. Not all testing has been completed, but the consensus seems to be that after a broncoscopy he suffered a severe bleed which led to the blood loss and consequently hospital stay. He is feeling much better with that resolved now.
With that hurtle over, I have made some real headway with Jane’s quilt. I am not showing last posts picture but starting with where I am now
What you are looking at is the bottom half of the quilt. I had completed 9 white/light logs on the left side of the picture last time. I have now completed all of the white – yay – with the small section of colored blocks still to finish, in the corner and up above, then I will be able to say – I am more than half way completed.
Below are the inks to the others in this HQAL. Now I am off to check in with the others and see how they are doing. Stay well and smiling and I will see you at our next posting.
Hand Quilt Along Links
This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.
October has come in like a lamb here in the northwest corner of the states. It’s been so lovely. I have been enjoying the weather and some outdoor cross stitching. At our last check in I was the on the tail end of family visiting and did not get much accomplished but managed to get in some stitching. Here is where I was last time.
I have been working steadily in the late afternoons and after dinner getting some consistent stiches in. I finished the antlers and have been filling in the background now.
There is actually another bird to go onto the top branch but I am debating whether I really need to or want to add it. I still want to get Mr. Snowman filled in more and there is quite a bit of background and all the backstitching to do. I am feeling a time restraint for getting this done for Christmas. I guess I’ll wait and see how I do in the next three weeks and then make a decision.
Please check out what everyone else has been up to by clicking their names below. We live all over the world so you may need to allow for time differences as we’re posting today at local time. Avis, Claire, Gun, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny,
Back in August I shared a picture of a block for a new baby quilt design. It’s a simple nine patch. I had been gifted some fabric scraps and was hoping I could get a nice size quilt out of one. I just love the fabric with the children, it’s so precious – and scraps it sure was. It was touch and go to get enough squares cut out from it. I had enough of the blue print on hand that complimented the other perfectly.
But I managed – I framed in the the blocks with solid blue for a bold baby boy statement 🙂
The blocks measure 10 x 10. The sashing is 3″ with a 1/4″ seam, with the quilt measuring 40″ square.
I found a fun children’s print at Joanns for the backing. Now to sandwich it with the batting and get started. I think these whales are the perfect match. It may be hard to see but the children are at the sea, there is a boy fishing too in the blocks above. You can see in this block I have 2 of the children with their sand bucket and shovel. I am showing you my ‘faux pas’ of placements. It happens and you just go with it and smile…. in fact it may never get noticed!
The quilt is for a nephew who is expecting baby #2 in January.
Quite soon now, I will begin another baby quilt but I am waiting on the gender reveal before I start. This one will be for ….. a new great grand baby due in April. Soooooo excited!
Piecing Life Together One Stitch At A Time 
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