Mini Magical Mystery SAL - The Back 2

Welcome back for the second back pattern for the Mini Magical Mystery SAL - it's again towards the end of the patterns that I'm giving this second one - I've just been too run off my feet to do it earlier. Last time it was cross stitched - this time it's done with back and straight stitches. I stitched mine last night in some stolen time - it doesn't take long to do - especially if one doesn't get confused about where to start and then has to rip tiny backstitches.

Mini Magical Mystery SAL 17 - Part 1

Welcome back for day one of the seventeenth round of mini mystery stitching! This is the first of two mini mysteries that will be done this month - it's a month of mysteries as there is also the Advent Mystery SAL and the NYE Mystery! On top of that I'll be posting the second "back" later today as I've finally found time to stitch it!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 30

Welcome to the 30th part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! Sadly it's the final part of this SAL where you get the final pieces of the puzzle and the excitement of the daily patterns is over, unless you are joining in with the Mini Magical Mystery SAL 17, in which case that post will be here shortly as it starts today! I'll be back one more time tomorrow to show my day 30 stitching, give the pattern for the back, and if I have time to fully finish it the photo of it fully finished. Also good to know: If you prefer larger mysteries the four part Advent Mystery will be starting on Wednesday!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 29

Welcome to the 29th part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! It's the penultimate part of the SAL so things are getting pretty exciting! I'm sure you'll be overjoyed with the colour of today! It's your favourite one - DMC 022!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 28

Welcome to the 28th part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! Just two more parts to go after today! I don't know about you but I'm really keen to have mine finished because I can't wait to see how the next few days make mine - and yours - look. So exciting!

NFSAL 2020 - November

Welcome to the eleventh part of this year's NFSAL posts! Yesterday I was thinking happily that I was on top of all the things and didn't have any SAL stuff left today - and then I saw the NFSAL post was still due today... talk about a yikes moment. I didn't get the backstitched part complete this month but I did do the cross stitch (not that it's all that much).

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 27

Welcome to the 27th part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! Today we are again using a colour you haven't seen for a while - it's that time of the SAL apparently! Since it was previously only used in the border you may have been wondering if you'd see it elsewhere - the answer is yes, you will!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 26

Welcome to the 26th part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! We have now entered what I usually consider the end days of a Mystery SAL (or hours in one that posts every four hours) the time when t's get crossed and i's get dotted and I'm sure you are dying to use more DMC 022 - however for today I have to disappoint you as we aren't using it today - maybe tomorrow... who knows...

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 25

Welcome to the 25th part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! As you probably realised when you saw part 24 you have now finished the border! From now on it's centre all the way, though I'm sure you might be wondering where I'm going to put the remaining stitches that you get today and the final five days. You don't have to wait for today's stitches but do for the rest hehe.

A Blackwork Christmas - November

Welcome to the eleventh edition of A Blackwork Christmas SAL! Today I'm running late again - It's been quite the day what with one thing and another and I was rather distracted from my stitching as a result. I did manage to finish the stocking though as I'd planned - with the amount of work planned there just isn't space left to not finish something before the post.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 24

Welcome to the 24th part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! Today you are getting to use the beloved DMC 022 - I know you loved using it yesterday so I thought I'd give you some more today! I'm certain you will be surprised where it's used too!

News: Update and More - November Edition

After the extra health issues earlier this year and getting far behind with far too many things I think I can say I'm more or less caught up with everything. In the end I sent a mass email with everyone as BCC to those of you who donated by PayPal and hadn't been emailed a reward yet. If you haven't received one yet please check your spam folder of the email listed with PayPal. If you still can't find it please let me know!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 23

Welcome to the 23rd part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! Today you are getting to stitch two colours! Not something I've done very often but today it was unavoidable. There is some more 007 to stitch and you will be overjoyed to hear that 022 is back too! Take care with stitch placement today, you wouldn't want to have to rip!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 22

Welcome to the 22nd part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! I'm afraid that after your brief respite in the centre I'm sending you back to the work camps in the border. You knew it was too good to be true to be working in the centre... and it was...

Mini Magical Mystery SAL 17 - Information Post

Hi and welcome to the seventeenth information post for a Mini Magical Mystery SAL! With lockdowns still enforced/sensible for many people I'm continuing with another mystery to keep you stitching! This pattern is the same size as the previous Mini Magical Mysteries and has 372 stitches total. This mystery will start the same Monday as the current mystery ends: 30th November.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 21

Welcome to the 21st part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! This is the first day of the final third of the pattern I hope you are prepared for the stitching of the day! No, no border for you today, some more small area's in the centre that will make big changes instead.

35 x 35 for 2020 - November

Welcome to the eleventh 35 x 35 for 2020! Today's post is rather late because I felt it was important to finish the stitching before taking the picture. As I only had half the final colour of cross stitch and the straight stitches left I knew it wouldn't take all that long to complete. This month there are cross stitches and straight stitches! The straight stitches may look daunting but they stitch up really quickly - there isn't really a wrong way to do them either so just do whatever feels right.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 20

Welcome to the 20th part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! And all of a sudden we got to day 20 and the 2/3 mark of the mystery! Just ten days left after today and we have passed the 2/3 mark of stitches. We have stitched 1384 stitches (including today's part) which is 67.05% of the pattern. The exact third of the way is 1376 stitches so just eight stitches less than our stitch count.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 19

Welcome to the nineteenth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! I'm sure you were all looking forward to another day of stitching DMC 022 in the border... unfortunately I'm going to have to disappoint you as you will NOT be stitching with DMC 022 in the border - or even with DMC 022! I know, I know... but there it is.

Sampler SAL - SAL Announcement Post

For 2021 I thought it would be fun to explore embroidery as a whole with a bit more focus on stitches that are often used in cross stitch and also some of the fancier speciality stitches that seem so daunting when you aren't used to doing them. I also want to do a bit with some finishing methods to help make finishing that much easier.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 18

Welcome to the eighteenth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! Today, like yesterday, will be another joyful day of not stitching in the centre using DMC 022 (or your replacement). Unlike yesterday the stitches *should* be a bit easier to locate. Yay!

Easy Christmas Cards SAL - November

Welcome to the eleventh part of the Easy Christmas Cards SAL! I'm afraid this is a bit late - I'd fallen asleep on the sofa after dinner and didn't wake up till shortly before this had to go up. This month I used plain white perforated paper to make an ornament the exact same size and shape as the ornament on the March card - In fact you could stitch this month's one on perforated plastic too and make a matching card!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 17

Welcome to the seventeenth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! I'm sure you will be delighted to hear that we are going to be using DMC 022 again - colour B. It's *so* exciting to use a colour for the third day in a row after all! *Cough* all joking aside... you are going to need your eagle eye to spot today's stitches, most are pretty sneaky.

Blackwork SAL 2021: Shades of Blackwork - SAL Announcement Post

After the success of the previous Blackwork SALs I decided to include one for 2021 as well — with a difference again, because it's fun to change things up. This year there are only two options given for this SAL — and it's how you stitch them not the patterns given. You can either do a single large piece or you can make the patterns into smallish bookmarks. Obviously if you wish you can have fun with the patterns and do your own thing!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 16

Welcome to the sixteenth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! This is the first day of the second half of the mystery - and you get to do more of the same colour as yesterday! I have spent a chunk of yesterday making sure I have all the patterns for the next month organised and the projects kitted up, though I still have a few to do. The next 6 weeks are super busy!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 15

Welcome to the fifteenth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! Yesterday we hit the first two weeks of the SAL, today we are at the half way mark - not just in terms of days but also in terms of stitches! When you have finished stitching today's part you will be at 1044 stitches, which is just a bit over half (1032 in case you are reading this before coffee) of the 2064 stitches we are doing in total. Now would be a great time to share the progress of your own version!

2020/2021 NYE Mystery SAL!

The time is upon us to prepare for the most fun NYE possible for us stitchers!  This year I have made it smaller than last years - last year was fun but it was very long due to there being a weekend before NYE and the as yet unannounced ten year anniversary of this blog. This year's pattern is smaller and has fewer parts.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 14

Welcome to the fourteenth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! What a difference a week - or two makes! We went from nothing to quite a bit to actually quite a lot in a short space of time! And to show that in pictures...

Bookmark SAL - November

Welcome to the eleventh part of the Bookmark SAL! I'm running a bit late today, yesterday's headache ate into the time planned for stitching this and I wanted to have the half I was working on finished so I could show the shape/colours before making the post. This month there are two colour suggestions and two ways to finish the bookmark!

Temperature SAL 2021 - Announcement Post

I had so much fun with the Temperature SAL in 2020 that I decided to do one in 2021 too! One thing I noticed is that the pattern was a bit on the complicated side, so I decided for 2021 to make things simpler while still making it fun to do. I also made it in three sizes so you can have a larger or smaller border - or none - depending on which you prefer. The border is the only part that makes it a different size - the daily stitch pattern is the same size for all three. I give the border patterns below, the daily patterns I'll give on the first of January.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 13

Welcome to the thirteenth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! As promised yesterday that part didn't have as much visual impact on the embroidery as the day before did. It did make some nice arches though. Today's part will also be a bit more impactful, probably it's the use of the dark brown that does it.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 12

Welcome to the twelfth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! What a difference a few stitches make! Yesterday's part really changed how things look - today's won't as much but it's still a bit more in the puzzle of what things will become.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 11

Welcome to the eleventh part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! Today marks the start of the second third of the pattern and I have already seen people wonder where the rest of the stitches will fit. Don't worry they will - and there will even be space left for over 800 more... but I'm not adding those as well hehe.

Blackwork SAL 2020 - November

Welcome to the eleventh part of the 2020 Blackwork SAL! This month you will again get two pattern options - one that is original to the design and one I added to make the numbers. In some of the patterns there are a couple of extra variations added to make choosing even more difficult - the first pattern looks so different when the focus is on a different part of the pattern that I made those options easy for you.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 10

Welcome to the tenth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! Today we have reached a third of the SAL! We still have 20 days to go so plenty of stitching left fortunately! After today's stitching you will be 20 stitches past a third of the total stitches clocking in at 708 of 2064, where 688 would be a third. Just some fun facts to start your stitching day!

Ornament of the Month 2021 SAL Announcement Post

When I first started this SAL back in 2015 I wanted to make an ornament a month for an entire year so at the end of it I'd have twelve ornaments for my Christmas tree. I chose birthstones as my theme and then discovered that which stones they are depends on where you live. So instead of just picking one and leaving it at that for every month that had more stones, I made more patterns! In the end I'd made nineteen patterns which I tried to stitch twice every month - I didn't always manage.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 9

Welcome to the ninth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! It was fun making you happy with a new colour yesterday! Today you get to use it some more. Today it's a count carefully situation - you don't want to add too much, but also don't want to add too little...

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 8

Welcome to the eighth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! As we head into the second week I have added a new colour to the pattern - no, not one I didn't tell you about, just one we haven't used yet! I hope you take the time to count carefully as you stitch this part as a stitch in the wrong place will result in ripping later. Nobody wants *that*!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 7

Welcome to the seventh part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! And all of a sudden the first week of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 is past! I hope you have enjoyed the mystery so far, it's been fun seeing the (daily) posts some of you have been making with your progress! I can't wait to see more! If you are stitching along but haven't posted yet it would be fun to see what your one week progress has been *grin*.

Friday Freebie - Announcement Post

Some years ago I used to have a regular Friday Freebie post - one where you'd never know what was going to happen next and could be any size, shape or colour depending on my mood, the weather, time or year etc. Some I'd stitch in advance, some I didn't depending on time and my health at that time. I decided that for 2021 I'd not only do that on the 5th Friday of the month if I was up to it but also do it on another day of the month to give me a bit more creative freedom during the year. This is a SAL you can skip ones you don't like so much or don't have time for as the next month's pattern won't rely on you finishing the month before.

Ornament of the Month 2020 - November

Welcome to the eleventh Ornament of the Month for 2020! I'm running a little late - I'd hoped to be able to finish the ornament in time but alas the arm that was inflicted with the flu jab a few days ago wasn't feeling very cooperative - but at least I'm no longer feeling so horrid. I always get ill for a day or two after the jab while my body deals with the invaders - this year worse than others - joy. What you will see is a mostly finished ornament - but fully stitched. This month's colours of the month are dark blue, red and yellow. I used yellow last month and don't have a second red Kreinik so went with the blue as I did have a second dark blue thread.

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 6

Welcome to the sixth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! It's been so fun seeing the assorted colours people are coming up with! I've seen two people use purple - both in different places so it's going to be interesting to see how they differ!  This for me is one of the most fun parts - seeing how everyone's chosen colours look once stitched!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 5

Welcome to the fifth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! As luck would have it this is the 1250th post on my blog - I was going to make a special post about it yesterday evening but I'd gotten my flu jab yesterday morning and I was feeling a bit ill yesterday evening while my immune system panicked. It's still eek-ing today, silly immune system. However I'm not so icky now that I can't do stuff!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 4

Welcome to the fourth part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! If all goes to plan (which I hope it does!) this post will pop up as per usual at midday my time - while I'm on my way back from my yearly dr's check-up, which is fortunately happening despite the stricter lockdown measures we are having (which will become even stricter as of tonight). If things don't go entirely to plan it will go up when I'm back, which will be about 30 minutes late - you'll know which one it is by the time this goes up. Lots of stitches today - the most you will get in this SAL and the only time you'll get this many!

Weavers Animals Band Sampler SAL - Part 11

Welcome to the eleventh part of the Weavers Animals Band Sampler SAL! This month the small size has fewer stitches than the standard size - all because the standard size has a border that the small size doesn't. The good news is that I am finally going to show the final borders for this SAL - now the standard size people can see what those few stitches they got last month join up to!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 3

Welcome to the third part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! I hope that it's not been too difficult to keep up so far since it's quite a jump up in number of stitches a day compared to the usual Mini Mysteries. I had been planning to do mine in the evening but forgot yesterday. Fortunately I had to get up nice and early *cough* as the landlord has sent painters to paint the doors and windows on the outside so I've had more than triple the time available for the job. Still having people at my doors and windows does make me feel watched... and a bit judged on my cleaning/tidiness too - I'll survive but I feel awkward. They have probably seen worse and don't care hehe.

NFSAL 2021 - Announcement Post

Welcome to the first of this year's announcement posts! This one is, as you may have noticed, for the NFSAL - its back for another year! This will be the sixth year I'm doing the NFSAL and the second one solely on my blog rather than (also) on Deviant Art where it all began. If you want to read more of the history of the NFSAL please check out my post from last year! Like last year I'll be giving several options - which one you choose to do is entirely up to you!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 2

Welcome to the second part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! I've seen some lovely colours show up in the Facebook group! I can't wait to see things progress with them and the ones I haven't seen yet - it's just so fun to see how things progress with different colours on different fabrics! Remember to make a new post for every update - it's not spam if you do!

Mini Magical Mystery SAL 16 - Final Post

Welcome back for the final post of the sixteenth Mini Magical Mystery SAL! Don't worry it's not over - the Mini Magical Mystery SAL 17 starts 30th November and you have a whole month of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 (that started yesterday) to tide you over! This post is just a final post showing my stitching of part seven and what I'm planning to do with it.  I do hope you all had fun! I have loved seeing your stitching in the mystery Facebook group!

Temperature SAL - November

Welcome to the eleventh Temperature SAL post! What a busy day it's been - and will continue to be for the next few weeks as not only is there the usual stuff and the Autumn Mystery SAL but there are also some SAL information posts coming up in the next few weeks starting tomorrow! Tomorrow is the first of the posts that will let you know what I have planned for next year. I'm so excited to show you what I have been planning the last few months! For now I'll continue with the scheduled Temperature SAL post, as that's what you are here for!

The Autumn Mystery SAL 2020 - Part 1

Welcome to the first part of the Autumn Mystery SAL 2020! This time it's different from my usual standard sized mysteries as there are between 68 and 80 stitches per part and only one part a day for a whole month instead of around 80 stitches per part every four hours over a long weekend.