SAHRR – Center Block

For those not familiar with the acronym, SAHRR, it means Stay At Home Round Robin. From what I understand, this fun idea came from Gail at Qulting Gail. It started in 2020 when it was deemed unsafe to pass around (round robin) a quilt for people to add to over time. You stay at home, follow weekly prompts given by the SAHRR hosts and add a border each week to your project.

Our prompt the first week is to select a center block. This can be a new block, an orphan block or, in my case, an embroidered piece from years ago. I was inspired by Diann at Little Penguin Quilts. She has used embroidered blocks for SAHRR a few times and her recent post reminded me of one I have in the “unfinished” projects box.

 

This is Bells & Bows, designed by Kaaren Johston. Kaaren used to blog at The Painted Quilt. The blog is still available to read but Kaaren stopped posting in 2016. She leaves the blog active so that followers can have access to her many free patterns.

 

I stitched this a while ago but wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Kaaren’s pattern provided instructions to finish it into a little quilt. That is what will happen with SAHRR, the borders will just be a surprise each week.

I stitched this using the called-for variegated DMC 115.

I haven’t pulled fabrics for the borders just yet, but I do have something in mind.

This weekend is Friday Night Sew-In (FNSI), hosted by Wendy at Sugarlane Designs. I purchased sashing fabric for the Dad t-shirt quilt a couple of weeks ago. It has been washed, dried, and is ready for starching. I’ll cut the blocks and attach sashing Friday night.

Have a great weekend, my friends.

See you soon!

Witching Hour Wednesday – SAL Progress

The GaRon Zoom Friends’ Witching Hour stitch-along is still going strong. Today's assignment is to have the letters A through R completed.

Here are the progress photos received from the stitchers this week.

Connie S

Lisa K

Loretta M

Lynne D

Margaret D

Tara B

We are well over halfway through the stitch-along and already thinking about the next one.

 

See you soon!

Snowy Weekend

We were treated to a nice bit of snowfall beginning last Friday morning.

Everything was well covered by nightfall.

Can you spot the male cardinal in the tulip tree?

The front drive

I made a pot of chili and buttermilk cornbread for our supper.

The skies had cleared on Saturday but it was still very cold.

I peeked out the front door and noticed the neighborhood kitty cat had tracked across the front driveway.

Hubby bought himself a snow shovel last week, anticipating the storm. He was like a kid with a new toy.

I baked him a buttermilk pie as a reward for clearing the drive. And…to use up the last of the buttermilk 😊

Santa brought my husband a Bird Buddy so he can see who visits the feeders during the day. I’m sure these two were grateful they didn’t have to scrounge through the snow for some vittles.

I love this photo of our little town, still adorned with Christmas lights and a bit of snow.

Tomorrow is Witching Hour Wednesday. There are still quite a few stitchers working on the SAL.

 

Hope to see you then!

 

Just a Bunch of Numbers

I was preparing my December and 2024 year-end cross stitch stats and thought it would be interesting (for me anyway) to look back to when I first started this hobby. The purpose of this post is more for my records but maybe some of you are as much of a nerd as I am when it comes to keeping track of miscellaneous data 😊.

Before I get too far, let me tell you about December. I completed 5,651 stitches on 3 projects. Most of those were for the Witching Hour stitch-along. I haven’t stitched on it since last week’s update.

I finished Cocoa Quilt by Primrose Cottage. It is stitched on 32 count linen by R&R Reproductions in the color Vintage Homespun. The threads are my own conversion using Aurifloss and Colour & Cotton.

Then I had a tiny start on Fa la la la la by The Scarlett House. This is the chart that came in the GaRon Christmas mystery box. I am stitching this one on 40 count linen by Fox and Rabbit in the color Bake Clay. I’m using the called-for threads.

During 2024, I completed 84,474 stitches.

Below is a count of my cross-stitch hobby from the beginning.

This key will explain the columns on the table:

Starts = obviously, the number of projects started in that year.

FFO = projects fully finished (framed, pillow, flat fold, etc.).

FO = stitching is completed but the project has not been fully finished.

WiP = Work in Progress, stitching is not completed.

Read the chart like this example:

Of the 14 starts in 2019, 6 of those are FFOs, 7 are FOs and there is still 1 WiP left.

 

Year	Starts	FFOs	FOs	WiPs
2018	1	0	1	0
2019*	14	7	6	1
2020**	30	13	8	9
2021	36	23	8	5
2022***	24	14	4	6
2023	15	10	2	3
2024	34	20	10	4
Found project****	1			1
Totals	155	87	39	29

*2019 = Not included in the numbers above, one project requires a restart.

**2020 = Not included in the numbers above, one project is being abandoned.

***2022 = Not included in the numbers above, one project requires a restart.

**** = I track my projects in a book and in reviewing the details for this post, I realized I have one project that was not listed. I’m not sure when I started it, but it is still a WiP.

I hope this makes sense to you. I had to add the italicized notes so I will remember what this means in the future.

I need to spend some time planning how and when to finish the remaining FOs and what to do about the WiPs. Are there some that I will not stitch? My tastes have changed since we’ve moved and I’ve also “outgrown” some projects.

There are many projects that are either partially or fully kitted but not started…we won’t even get into those.

At some point, I will list and prioritize my quilts. There aren’t nearly as many of those projects.

If you read to the end, thank you! I’m off to get hot tea, this exercise made my brain hurt 😊

A Puzzle and A Blessing Sampler

Happy Friday!!

I hope you are having a nice start to 2025.  Things are slowly getting back to normal here, despite a head cold. I started feeling punky on Monday, but I’m feeling a little better now.

 

My daughter and her boyfriend came for a visit in September, and they bought a Harry Potter 1000 piece puzzle a couple of days before they returned home. 

We had a very small start on it then, so we left it on a table in the family room. We made a little more progress when they came at Thanksgiving. And we finally finished it during the Christmas holiday.

Santa brought them a puzzle board. It has four drawers that hold pieces and a cover to protect the puzzle when they aren't working on it. It rotates and, because it is thin and flat, it can slide under a bed for storage.

 

There is something in the cross stitch community called a blessing sampler. It is said that if you begin a sampler on January 1^st and finish it by January 31^st then your needle will be “blessed” for the whole year.  It’s a silly but fun thing to do.

 

I selected the English Rose sampler that I received in one of the mystery boxes I shared about here.

 

English Rose Sampler is designed by The Proper Stitcher. I’m stitching it on 36 count linen and using the called-for Victoria Clayton silk threads.

This is the progress I made on Wednesday.

I’ve tallied my December stitches and will include those when I put together a 2024 recap over the weekend. I also need to think about what 2025 might look like in my crafting world.  What about you? Are you making any plans for the new year?

 

Hope you have a nice weekend and I’ll be back soon 😊

Witching Hour Wednesday – SAL Progress and Winners

Witching Hour Wednesday – SAL Progress and Winners

You can visit the November 1st post to learn more about this stitch along.

November 1

The links below will take you to previous posts regarding SAL progress.

November 6

November 20

December 4

December 18

 

Everyone who is still actively participating in the SAL was put into a drawing for gift certificates to GaRon Stitchery’s online store.

 

Our first winner was Margaret D.

Our second winner was Lynne D.

The December 29^th assignment was to complete the letters M, N and O.  These stitchers submitted some beautiful assignments.

Connie S

Lisa K

Loretta M

Lynne D

Sandi L

Sheila N

Tara B

Margaret D

And lastly, my progress...

Jeanna

Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2025!

See you soon,

Cross Stitch Mystery Boxes

This post was to go up on Monday, December 23^rd , obviously it did not. I’m not sure what happened but then I got distracted by the holidays and I never checked Blogger.  So here it is...

 

I received three cross stitch mystery boxes over the last month. One was for my birthday and two for Christmas. A mystery box is a surprise. You don't know what is in it until you open it. I love a good surprise!

 

The first is from Hobby House Needleworks.

 

We received a beautiful Winterbury travel case.

It contained a pretty Hobby House ornament.

A mother of pearl floss winder by Sajou, scissors and floss ring made by Minnie McBean's Needlework and Fripperies...

My favorite part is the Hands Across the Sea chart Neeltje Cornelia van Buren 1903, 36 count linen by Mason Linens in the color Antique Button and the Soie d'alger silk floss.

The top lifts out to reveal a sectioned bottom.

The next box is from GaRon Stitchery.

It contained the chart Fa la la la la by Scarlett House and the supplies needed to stitch it. We received DMC and Classic Colorworks floss, 40 count linen from Fox and Rabbit in the color Baked Clay, a scissor fob, needle, needle minder, as well as the velveteen and pom poms for finishing the project into a pillow.

The last box is from Alicia at The Fanciful Flamingo.

A card describing the contents.

A card so you can list the details of the project.

Removing the tissue presented a canvas bag, chart and 36 count linen by Atomic Ranch in the color Mellowstone.

A custom needle minder by Drooling Moose Designs...

Candy, a pack of size 26 Bohin needles, Bespoke scissor fob by Deb Prior and decorative pins from Jersey Girl Stitch Co.

All of those items so that I can stitch this exclusive pattern The English Rose by my sweet friend Annie, The Proper Stitcher. 

I love every one of these boxes, which is amazing. You take a risk with anything mystery, but I had some hints. I knew who the designers were for each of the boxes, and I was able to choose my fabric count.

Tomorrow kicks off 2025 and it is also Witching Hour Wednesday. Come back to see everyone's progress on the stitch along.