Gifted Gorgeousness SAL April 2021 update

 Hello Friends,

It's that time of the month when we show what gifts we have been working on or/and what crafty gifts we have received. If you don't know what I'm talking about , check Jo's blog for more info. This is an easy SAL where you have a choice to stitch any designer, color or pattern, just that it should be a gift for someone or gift from someone.

I can't believe I'm posting on 15th itself...its a miracle. Also my first GG post for the year.

First up is a gift I made for my mother , a pillow ornament  which turned out to be bigger than expected.

The pattern was a part of subscription gift of India's only craft magazine "Anchor Needle n thread " , it was a cover kit with fabric, floss and pattern.

This was my first time stitching on canvas and second time stitching with metallic thread. I'm rather proud of my hand sewing skills here.

Pattern from Anchor Needle n thread magazine

In January, I got around to getting my few of my finished projects framed. Below piece was delayed for framing as I wasn't able to get a proper charm. I had to get it reframed as the first time the fabric wasn't properly aligned. This was a birthday gift for my husband last year.

Pattern name :Without a Cat
Designer: Jan Eaton
Pattern source: Tom Pudding Designs

I'll save the other framed pieces for next month. Feels nice to post on time..

Take care and stay safe

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL October 2020 update

 Hello Friends,

It's that time of the month when we show what gifts we have been working on or/and what crafty gifts we have received. If you don't know what I'm talking about , check Jo's blog for more info. This is an easy SAL where you have a choice to stitch any designer, color or pattern, just that it should be a gift for someone or gift from someone.

I have a small gift to show you this month . I was finally able to stitch and send a flower for Clare's flower bouqet. Second week of March I found Clare's post where she asked "Could you help me make a bouquet?". I emailed her about the requirements and address. 

And then the pandemic started. Mail service was shut down from March to July. When mail service resumed in August, I sent  a test mail to UK to see if things were working. Thankfully the mail reached and I started stitching flower for Clare's bouqet.

Magnolia

Designer -Amanda Gregory

Pattern from Ultimate CrossStitch Flowers, 2016

I'm glad to report the Clare received the flower .This is Amanda Gregory's pattern taken from Ultimate CrossStitch Flowers, 2016. The magazine was a free gift for I-phone users.

Cross stitching has taken a back seat and I have been participating in snail mail and postcard swaps.

Not cross stitch related but I though I will share with you guys anyways.

In July, I participated in Junk Mail swap. The idea was to use stuff we have in our stash and not buy anything new.

I made a coaster from an old T-shirt , upcycled some packing materials to make postcards and envelopes.I also made these Yo Yos from extra fabric I had from a dress.

In September I participated in Rain postcard swap. I didn't have any printed postcard for the theme, so I decided to draw some.

October was Mini Autumn swap, again I didn't have any printed postcard for the theme, so I decided to draw some. The requirement of the swap was to write a letter, include a bookmark or tag . Thankfully I had a perfect bookmark , which I made in May, for the theme.

Happy to report all the swap packages were well received. I had so much fun making these packages , it pushed me to try my hands at doodling , not to mention take a good look at my stationary stash.

The pandemic situation hasn't improved in my city , however things are opening up for business now.

Hope you guys are safe .

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL July 2020 update

Hello Friends,
A very late post for the SAL due to absence of stitching Mojo.

It's that time of the month when we show what gifts we have been working on or/and what crafty gifts we have received. If you don't know what I'm talking about , check Jo's blog for more info. This is an easy SAL where you have a choice to stitch any designer, color or pattern, just that it should be a gift for someone or gift from someone.

Like my post, my gift is a late baby gift/sampler for my best friend's daughter who just turned 3.

Sweetet Feet
Maria Diaz
CrossStitcher Magazine, Issued 209

I didn't want to stitch a traditional birth sampler , so I selected this Maria Diaz design and added name and date to it.
This is my first time stitching something depicting human body part ..it was interesting to see how different shades grew into a shape.
I haven't been stitching at all this month, though I have spent some time on my other hobby of snailmailing. I have started another gift for a baby..actually a kid now, hope to show the finished project in next GG post.
That's it from my side..Happy stitching and stay safe.

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL June 2020 update

Hello Friends,
It's that time of the month when we show what gifts we have been working on or/and what crafty gifts we have received. If you don't know what I'm talking about , check Jo's blog for more info. This is an easy SAL where you have a choice to stitch any designer, color or pattern, just that it should be a gift for someone or gift from someone.

For the month of May, I made good progress on my oldest WIP and decided to start a new project on the first day of the month.Here it is ,after 5 days of progress.

Can you guess what it is?
Saturday, 13th June was World Wide Knitting in Public day. If you have been following me for few years, you will know how this day is special to me.Since 2015, when I first found about this event, I have been either organising or participating in the event for the craft group I am part of. This year there was no way knitters were going to meet in public, so the craft group I'm part of decided to meet online. Another online meet up was organised by a Indian yarn manufacturing company. I participated in both and had fun.
I decided to stitch the following pattern to mark the day. I'm not much of knitter so this will be sent to one of my knitter friends when the postal service resumes.

Pattern by Daily Cross Stitch

I have used threads given by my pen pal and my mom, the backing paper is from my pen pal ,so this qualifies for the SAL. Originally my idea was to finish it as an ornament, however I changed my mind last minute and thought of trying something new.
My English speaking friends, what is the proper word for this type of finish?
That's it for the gifts I made.
Now some chit chat..for the first two weeks of the month I was feeling lonely and anxious. There is no improvement in the pandemic situation here and the number of cases are increasing exponentially. The lockdown was relaxed on 8th and it looks like it was a grave mistake to do so. We (Husband and I) haven't stepped out of the house in months and that's the only way I see to keep us safe.
What makes me anxious is not knowing when things will improve? When will I be able to travel? When will I be able to see my parents?
There is a shortage of supplies here and that causes some irritation. I'm not able to pursue my hobby of snail mailing - I miss writing and receiving letters.
The pandemic has given birth to hundreds of apps to connect with people, but somehow I'm starting to feel friendships made over social media are not real. I have this feeling that one day if I stop blogging or posting on Facebook or Instagram , no one will notice. Most of the people care only about likes and followers.
I have been blogging for 5 years now, and during this time few people I thought I made connection with stopped blogging. I miss them and wonder do they miss me/us? It feels that the person doesn't care about the time and efforts put by the other person in the relationship. While I respect the reasons due to which an individual stops using any social media, these experiences have made me hesistant to start a new relationship.
What are your views ? Do you get attached to people over social media? Is it just about comments and likes for you?May be you are a lucky person who made genuine friends thru social media .

Anyways,I'm feeling better now and want to focus on the positives .
I hope I haven't bored with you my rant.
Take care and stay safe.

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL May 2020 update

Hello Friends,
It's that time of the month when we show what gifts we have been working on or/and what crafty gifts we have received. If you don't know what I'm talking about , check Jo's blog for more info. This is an easy SAL where you have a choice to stitch any designer, color or pattern, just that it should be a gift for someone or gift from someone.

Last Saturday, Hubby and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary and I made a little gift for him.

This is a free pattern from Cathy at Hands on Design. Here is the finish from designer look like

Picture courtesy :Hands on design

As you can see, I changed everything in this pattern:fabric,floss color and finished look.
I downloaded this pattern in 2018 , wanting to stitch it for anniversary in 2018. Well, better late than never.
The buttons you see in this design are my maternal grandmother's . Last year, I visited my maternal uncle's house with my mom. During the visit,my aunt , mom and I went up to the store room on the terrace to see what can be used from stuff left behind by my grandparents. I got my hands on these buttons, some zippers and some crocheted pieces. My maternal grandmother was a master crocheter, knitter and embroiderer in addition to be a wonderful cook.
I also wanted to share this macrame key ring I made after attending a free workshop on Instagram this Tuesday. The workshop was designed to use materials we had at home , yarn scraps, threads etc.

I don't know about other countries ,however a lot of Indian artists, crafters and organisations have been conducting free or minimal cost online workshops to help people cope with the pandemic. My snail mailing friend encouraged me to check these workshops as she herself benefited from one she attended. 
I think it's a great idea to learn a skill or two and/or share your skills with others.
Please share if you have picked up any new hobby or a hobby you stopped pursuing years ago during this pandemic .
That's it for today, will try to put some extra stitches this weekend as it is IHSW .

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL April 2020 update

Hello Friends,
It's that time of the month when we show what gifts we have been working on or/and what crafty gifts we have received. If you don't know what I'm talking about , check Jo's blog for more info. This is an easy SAL where you have a choice to stitch any designer, color or pattern, just that it should be a gift for someone or gift from someone.

I have finished two projects that come under gift category.
First is a late birthday gift for my husband.

This is a design by Jan Eaton published by Tom Pudding Designs, a freebie which can be found here.
The empty space is where a cat charm will be added once the lockdown is over and I order it .
Second finish is a ornament I stitched to join the hashtag #bewellandstitch . As the design is a freebie from designer Autumn Lane Stitchery, I'm considering it as a gift.

I forgot to share in my last GG post that Immediate Media Co offered many of their magazines free last month.
I was able to download The World Of Cross Stitching Feb 2020, Cross Stitch Crazy Mar 2020 and Cross Stitch Gold Jan 2020 for free on my i-phone.
Do you keep any eye for such offers or don't care about magazines?

Also, I forgot to share that I was able to locate my missing Lizzie Kate pattern which I declared missing in my Feb post here. What a relief !

In life update, the virus is spreading like a fire here in India and we are doing everything to be safe. We have local laws where we can't get out of our building more than once a week.It is stressful but thank god for house chores, hobbies and Netflix , which help in keeping mind off.

I hope you are safe and healthy.

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL March 2020 update

Hello Friends,
It's that time of the month when we show what gifts we have been working on or/and what crafty gifts we have received. If you don't know what I'm talking about , check Jo's blog for more info. This is an easy SAL where you have a choice to stitch any designer, color or pattern, just that it should be a gift for someone or gift from someone.

I finished stitching the Lizzie Kate piece I showed you in my last GG update.My version:

This is how the original finished piece was supposed to look like

I decided not to stitch the beads but I may add them one day.The pattern was a giveaway win and the fabric was received in a swap.

14th of March was my husband's birthday and it has become a tradition to stitch something small for him every year, mostly a suprise. For last three years I have stitched a owl for him, as we both love owls. He once mentioned that enough of owls now..so I decided to stitch something which he loves more than owl?-Cats

Its always fun to look for patterns in stash or online to meet liking of the recipients.I picked up a free pattern by Tom Pudding and started stitching.Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish it on time as I only get an hour of stitching when he is not around. I showed the incomplete piece to him on his birthday and he was still appreciative .

Another piece I can show in gifted category is this bookmark which I made for a bookmark swap in 2017, only to find my partner is allergic to felt. The same group was organising a  bookmark swap this month and I asked my partner about her allergies. She said she has none. Out came this bookmark from my stack of finished pieces.

The buttons were received in a swap with Preeti and the felt was given to me by my cat's earlier owners/parents.

Giveaway Update:

No one showed interest in the pattern I offered in my last GG post, so now the pattern is up for selling.

As we are talking about selling, I have first time put up some of my stash for selling on facebook. Most of the patterns were the ones I have already stitched and were beginner level so none of you blog friends would have liked it. 

I think with each passing year I'm becoming more and more particular about not hoarding things (OCD?). The moment I stop using a thing- be it a piece of cloth, footwear,bag,utensil or cross stitch pattern, I want it to give it away ASAP.

Its not a space problem or I need money, its just that my mind feels calm when I don't have extra things in my house.

Other life updates:

I hope you all are keeping safe with the pandemic hitting almost all countries of the world. My city is under lock down, I'm working from home and observing social distancing.

It was my birthday last month and I was spoil rotten by my husband. He got me a customised cake on theme of a Indian postcard as snail mailing is my new hobby.

 I also got a new phone and these beautiful flowers. We went for brunch and watched a movie . It was a lovely day.

This has become a long post. Ending with prayers for everyone to be safe and calm.

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL February 2020 update

Hello Friends,
It's that time of the month when we show what gifts we have been working on or/and what crafty gifts we have received. If you don't know what I'm talking about , check Jo's blog for more info. This is an easy SAL where you have a choice to stitch any designer, color or pattern, just that it should be a gift for someone or gift from someone.

Happy to report that I have something to show this month:

I started a Lizzie Kate pattern on 19th of last month . Here is the progress till now:

The chart was giveaway prize I won on Tiffany's blog and the fabric was received in an exchange with Diya.

I have changed the fabric and colors from the ones suggested in the pattern. I'n using Anchor variegated floss for stitching the design.

I wanted to complete this before posting for GG , however as you can see that's not what happened.
I would like to pass this chart to one of my active blog followers , so if you are interested, leave a comment and spread the word. If you plan to follow me for participating in the giveaway, I accept that you interact thru comments in future.

I will draw a name on my birthday-27th feb and declare the winner in next GG post.I plan to finish stitching the pattern before that :)

An update I would like to share is that I have started working again after a planned break . I now work as a consultant so lesser working hours give me flexibility to manage the house and work properly.

The funny thing is while I was on a break and had so much time on my hands, I couldn't find inspiration to stitch. Now , I try to stitch everyday before going to work-duration varies from 5 mins to 1 hour.

My husband gifted me this cross stitch theme cup for my new office .

Another little handmade gift I got was this coin purse made using a sewing machine by husband's 85 year old aunt . She really inspires me with her zeal to create things at her age.

Not a proper gift but I made this quick card, using a lace heart I won thru a cross stitch giveaway on Instagram, for a secret Valentine's day exchange on Ravelry.

That's it for the GG update.
Its getting hotter here day by day and feels like summer ..not the good kind of summer which people in UK enjoy. 😂
Hope you have a good month with lots of stitching time.

Good bye 2019!

Hello beautiful people of the blog world,

Its last day of the year and decade 😊.

This year I'm no mood of looking back and accounting my achievements or learnings etc. Neither do I have any resolutions...I just want to be happy whatever year or day it is.

2019 surely brought a lot of changes in my life-Left Kuwait, Moved to India,moved into a new home,decided to take a break in my professional career, crafting bug missing...

The obvious reason I have not posted on my blog is that I haven't been crafting...I have been travelling a lot, attending weddings, entertaining guests and pursuing my hobby of snail mailing. No complaints here..just enjoying this phase.

I thought of posting for the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL today before its too late.

If you don't know what I'm talking about , check Jo's blog for more info. This is a easy SAL where you have choice to stitch any designer, color or pattern, just that it should be a gift for someone or gift from someone.

I finished a beanie for myself , as the pattern is a free one from the designer , I'm including this for GG SAL.

Layered Yarn beanie
Pattern from Gina Michele

The people at Immediate media company were kind  enough to offer January 2019 issue of CrossStitch Crazy magazine and December 2019 issue of The World of Cross Stitching  magazine on the first weekend of this month.

So , I'm shoe horning these as gifts too...

That's it from my side crafting wise.

I hope to craft more in 2020 and promise to be a better blog follower.

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL October 2019 update and IHSW

Hello Friends,
It's that time of the month when we show what gifts we have been working on or/and what crafty gifts we have received. If you don't know what I'm talking about , check Jo's blog for more info. This is a easy SAL where you have choice to stitch any designer, color or pattern, just that it should be a gift for someone or gift from someone.

Also , it was IHSW this past weekend , so I'm clubbing these two in one post.

I actually stitched this IHSW after missing it for 6 months.

I started a new project on Friday morning and finished it yesterday evening.

Here it is:

Pattern source:Cross Stitch Crazy magazine, Issue 142

This will be sent to my best friend for her birthday in November. This finish gets double GG points as it was a gift in an exchange I did with Kerry (who sadly doesn't blog anymore) . 

The funny thing is Kerry forgot to send me the chart with the kit and then I contacted Kerry and the magazine to see if they can send me the chart. Well, it didn't work but I liked the design so much that I charted it in excel looking at the cover pic.

I still don't know the designer which is the case with all cover kits I have.

Some other crafting, I really enjoyed making these Diwali (Hindu festival of lights) cards and decorating postcards for Diwali wishes. The idea was to revive letter writing/postcard writing as in this digital media no one cares about a handwritten card.

While we are talking about Diwali, can anyone of you help me in locating the source and designer of this design?

There is serious shortage of designs depicting religions other than Christianity(no offence to anyone here) in the cross stitching world. So I was pretty happy to see the following design on The World of Cross Stitching magazine's facebook page.

If you have bought November 2019 issue of he World of Cross Stitching magazine and would like to share the original pattern with me , I would be really appreciate that.

It was nice feeling to stitch after a gap of months, hope I can continue this now.