Threads, SAL message, Christmas

In between finally decorating the tree and some last-minute gift wrapping I found some time to try out those pretty Tamar threads. I’m stitching four versions of my usual “thread trial motif”, and so far I have finished the Kloster blocks on all of them. Tonight I hope to be able to do some cutting and perhaps a few bars. If you’re looking for a small motif to use when you want to try out some new threads, feel free to use the one below – it has Kloster blocks, bars, a filling stitch (use whichever one you like) and some backstitch, which should suffice to test most thread combinations!

Thread trial motif

Now for the SAL message. No, not the fact that it’s only a week until January (exciting though that is) – but the rather worrying circumstance that some of the welcome emails have not got through to people joining the SAL. When you sign up, you should receive a welcome email with your username and the password for the SAL blog very soon afterwards; usually the same day. If you’ve signed up but haven’t received the email, please check that it hasn’t ended up in your spam folder; if it is nowhere to be found, contact us and we’ll re-send it.

And finally a very happy Christmas to everyone – with many stitchy presents under the tree, and the greatest present of all lying in the manger.

Happy Christmas!

DBC Christmas Craft Event

Every November our church (Dunchurch Baptist Church, or DBC) organises a Christmas Craft Event for the children from the local villages. Entry is £2 (adults free if accompanied by a responsible child) and then they can do as many of the crafts on offer as they like and can fit into two hours. There are usually about ten different crafts to do, ranging from Christmas cards and decorated biscuits to Father Christmas doorhangers and snowflake ornaments. It won’t surprise you that I generally do something stitchy, aimed at the slightly older children. Some of the younger ones do come and have a try though, assisted by Mum or Grandma (and in one case, Dad); and I always seem to get as least as many boys as girls. One year the boys doing stitching actually outnumbered the girls!

For the past few weeks I’ve been collecting the various materials needed for this year’s craft, and yesterday and this morning I’ve been putting everything together ready for this afternoon. The result: 30 pieces of black felt with a star drawn on them in silver, and 30 kits containing (with minor variations) a piece of sticky-back foam, red ribbon, gold cord, red coton à broder, eight gold and eight silver star sequins, and 16 beads.

Black felt with pre-drawn stars Christmas Craft kits

And what is it going to be? Well, hopefully they will end up with something like this:

Sparkly star Christmas tree ornament

Wish me luck!