11. Joan Elliott Round Robin 2012

Joan Elliott Round Robin 2012

stitched on hand-dyed Crafty Kitten evenweave.

10. Happiness is Cross Stitching Peace

This is a January finish for the Needlecraft Haven Freebie Challenge.  
Peace by Happiness is Cross Stitching blog.  
I stitched it over 1 on 28 count sparkly evenweave.  
It's framed using a Christmas card I kept for this purpose.  I keep lots of cards that look like frames because I like to horde, and sometimes they come in useful.

9. Frosted Stitches Ornie

I stitched an ornie for a dear friend of mine for her Birthday.  Last Christmas I saw this ornie chart on Leftsox blog and wanted to stitch it but didn't have any green evenweave.  Luckily Mouse had a piece and sent it to me.  I literally needed less than 3 inches square!  In return I promised to make her one.  Fast forward to a year later, "I really must make that ornie for Mouse" I thought.  "Good job it's her Birthday in January because it won't be done by Christmas."

8. Dragon Dreams - First Dragonlet of Christmas

On the First Day of Christmas my True Love sent to me - 

A Partridge and a Dragonlet in a Pear Tree!

The first in a series designed by Dragon Dreams exclusively for their Facebook page.

Stitched in DMC on 28 count green evenweave.

I changed the tree to variegated green.

7. Silver Cute Dwarf Pumpkin Kitty

Freebie from Silver Cute Dwarf

Stitched on 28 count beige evenweave using recommended DMC.

6. Indigo Rose Band Sampler Round Robin

Stitched for Linda on 28 count evenweave.

Bands taken from "Margaret"

5. Snowdrop Birthday Card

Cover gift from Cross Stitcher issue 91, January 2000

Subbed the aida for evenweave.

Sent as a Birthday card

4. Thank You Card

Stitched on 32 count white evenweave.

The words are a traditional Chinese saying which Joan Elliott used in her Wit and Wisdom book.  I charted the words myself then used part of one of Joan's borders.  But here's the time-saving part - only stitched the back stitch and coloured in the pink and green!  Then I stitched the white and gold on top.  Looks great and saved a couple of day's work.

3. JBW Alphabet Cat January

This is one of my new monthly challenges, the JBW Alphabet Cat from JCS Hallowe'en issue 2012.  I've decided to stitch one a month in appropriate colours for that month.  So here is January's offering.

The fabric is 28 count white sparkly evenweave and the backing is a piece of ribbon stitched onto some navy 14count aida for ease of finishing and to make the design stand out more.  I'm planning to get a little snowflake charm to attach before I stitch it together.

2. Balades et Broderie Noel

The Needlecraft Haven October Freebie Challenge, Freebie from Balades et Broderie

Stitched over 1 on 28count evenweave.

I'm not a fan of stitching long straight borders so I changed the white border into a backstitched lace effect instead.  I really enjoyed stitching this design, more than I initially thought I would.  Stitching over 1 made all the difference for me, it's just so sweet and delicate!  Christine really does have great taste in choosing these designs for us each month.

Pictured above on its backing fabric.

And below it is on our tree.

  

1. Elizabeth Designs Joyous Noel

I won this chart from Shirlee, the Easily Influenced Stitcher.  It arrived on 18th December, I ordered the fabric, satin thread and charms on the 19th, they arrived on the 21st, I started stitching on the 22nd and finished on the 2nd January.

I used all DMC but did get the DMC satin for the baubles which is a PITA to stitch with but looks great.  It would have been easier if I'd needed 2 strands because I use the secured needle method of stitching so less slippage but for coverage, three strands were needed.

I used a Just Buttons cardinal instead of the Mill Hill bird (cheaper and nicer) but as it was slightly bigger I used it on the top garland instead of the round wreath, which now has the red star. The variegated threads worked well on this.  The green is DMC 92 and the red 115 (of course!).

I do enjoy having a seasonal stitch to work on over Christmas and this was a lovely one.  The fabric is 28 count platinum linen and has distorted a little due to the satin stitching in the words so I think I'll get it professionally stretched and framed.  I got a framing voucher for Christmas so that's ok!