May Goals & 2014 Smalls SAL April

April Review
Finish Oakley Owlet (Just Nan) - YES
Start & Finish 2 Baby projects - both will be the Handprint poem (I like to make them unique by personalizing the project) - NO (didn't start either of them yet)
- A family friend is having their 2nd baby girl (I did the first one in pink, this time I will stitch it in purple)
- my sister's friend is also having a baby but they don't want to know if it is a girl or boy (their theme is Jungle)

Finished Just Nan's Limited Edition Oranaments - Little Princess Snow & Lorelei Lamb instead of the baby projects.

May Goals

Start & Finish 2 Baby projects - both babies are due this month.

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April was a very productive month for small projects.  I finished sewing 3 of my Just Nan Limited Edition ornaments together this month.

Oakley Owlet

Little Princess Snow

Lorelei Lamb 

Also in April was the Spring/Easter exchange, here is another photo of my basket.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Z is for ... Zweigart fabrics

Zweigart is 100% cotton and comes in a variety of colours and counts.  Here is a list of Aida sizes ... 6, 8, 11, 14, 16, 18, and 20.

Here are some of the colours for 14ct Aida that I found on the internet.

They also make Cashel 28ct Linen and Belfast 32ct Linen.  

Personally I don't like stitching on linen because it is harder to see the holes. I prefer to use 28ct evenweave.  Charles Craft Monaco is my favourite because it is soft. 

No matter what fabric you use to cross stitch, everyone uses what works for them and their project.

This is the end of my A to Z Challenge.  Thank you for following along with me every day.  :)

Y is for ... Yellow Sunflowers

In 2003, I stitched a Yellow Sunflower Welcome for my sister Pam because it is her favourite flower.  I didn't want to finish it as a picture.  I put it in a wooden tray (clear coat of protection on the wood) and cut a piece of plexiglass to cover the cross stitching, and finished it with a bead of clear caulking.  She loved it, and it is useful.  Photo is shown before plexiglass was added (easier to photograph without the glare).

Just Nan SAL 2014 - April

I know I'm late with my Just Nan update.  If you still don't know about this SAL, please click the icon on the left hand side bar.

Here are two of my Just Nan Limited Edition Ornaments.  First is Little Princess Snow all stitched.  I blended some white DMC Rayon and white DMC Metallic for the huge snowflake in the centre of her back.  Then I continued using the white DMC Rayon for the other big snowflakes at the bottom.  She looks more sparkly in person.  I will show you how she looks all sewn together later this week for my Smalls SAL.

The second is Lorelei Lamb all cross stitched and beaded.  I haven't finished sewing her together yet.

X is for ... Xmas

Last year, I stitched Santa's Village all in a row 6 feet long on 28ct Coffee Lugana.  I sewed it into a quilted hanging banner.

In 2012, I also stitch Sue Hillis' Stitcher's Days of Christmas.  I change a few of the motifs, words and colours.  Then I sewed it into a hanging banner, which is easier to store throughout the year.

W is for ... Wedding Sampler and Winnie-the-Pooh

I stitched this Wedding Sampler in 2009 for my husband's aunt and uncle who celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary.  I created this sampler from several motifies I found in my books and magazines.

I stitched this Winnie-the-Pooh picture called Pooh is Bouncing for a friend several years ago.  This was bought as a kit, but I scrapped the 16ct or 18ct aida and used my favourite 28ct evenweave which made it a lot bigger.

V is for Visiting the Neighbours

I borrowed the patterns (x3) from my friend.  She had them in Cross Stitch & Country Crafts magazines, but you also get them in a Better Homes and Gardens 101 Best Loved Design from Cross Stitch and Country Crafts.  I stitched all three parts as one full scene called Amid Amish Life.

The first part is called Hanging the Quilts.

The second part is called Visiting Neighbours.  Here is a photo of the first and second together.

The third part is called Tending the Gardens.  Here are all 3 parts stitched together.