
Christmas Of Gnomes Cross Stitch Project Update
Hello friends,
In November 2024 I began a new Christmas Cross Stitch Project, Christmas of Gnomes, from Sodastitch Design on Etsy. The plan was to only work on the cross stitch project in the months of November and December leading up to Christmas. I love doing seasonal cross stitch projects, and this project fills the months leading up to Christmas.

I used the called for DMC threads, and bought 32 count Lugana opalescent even weave in the colour Eucalyptus from Country Stitch in New Zealand. I've been stitching the design 2 x 2.
In 2023 I finished the second row of gnomes (I started as close to the middle of the project as possible), and began the first row of gnomes. It was a lot of fun using bright Christmas colours along with the opalescent Evenweave, and began stitching the Christmas tree in the top row.

In November and December 2024 I managed to finish the entire top row, and began the third row of cross stitching featuring a gnome carrying a gingerbread cookie.



This is my first time stitching on Evenweave, and it's been a little tricky to get the stitches looking square, as the holes in between the threads are quite small. I've really enjoyed this project so far, and now look forward to working on it later on this year. I'm not sure if I'll get the project finished in 2025, but if I'm quite close to the end, I may continue to work on it in January 2026 until it is finished.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
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Winter Aurora Cabin Cross Stitch Project Update
Hello friends,
Each winter I pull out my Aurora Cabin cross stitch kit by Dimensions, and stitch the lovely aurora and snow scene while the weather is cold. I never feel like stitching it in the other seasons, so it's now my winter cross stitching project.

At the beginning of winter I was only 25% finished, but now at the start of spring I think I'm at around 66% finished. I'm hoping to get the Aurora Cabin cross stitch project finished next winter.

And now that it's spring, I've begun a new cross stitch project, another Dimensions kit, Victorian Charm. My sister and I are both fans of the TV show Charmed, and this cross stitch kit reminds us of the house in the TV show.

Our plan is to stitch on this together over the spring and summer, and see how much progress we get. Luckily the aida fabric is a dark navy blue, so we don't have to fill in the night sky in full cross stitch. And I've made a very small start on this so far.

As this is a small project, not as big as the Aurora Cabin kit, I should make some good headway this year.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
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Framing Two Cross Stitch Projects
Hello friends,
Recently during our vacation at home I got a chance to frame two recent cross stitch finishes, Tonight We Ride, and also Gathering Acorns. Due to their shape and size, we didn't have any appropriate frames in our stash, so I had to pop along to Spotlight to hunt for some. Luckily they had a sale, so we got the frames for half price, and then I framed them using my normal cross stitch framing method.
The Tonight We Ride cross stitch project ended up in a big frame, as it was a weird size. I'm not sure where to put it yet, but it really looks great.

Luckily the Gathering Acorns cross stitch project was a standard size, so it was easy to frame, and it looks adorable on our bedroom wall.

I'm making great progress on my Dimensions Aurora Cabin cross stitch project, and I'm over halfway through now, but I doubt I'll get it finished before spring.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
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Gathering Acorns Cross Stitch Project
Hello friends,
I had an autumn cross stitch start and a finish!
After completing the Tonight We Ride cross stitch project in early autumn, I pulled out the Gathering Acorns cross stitch pattern from Cottage Garden Samplings, which I've had in storage for a while. I decided to use a fat quarter of 18 count Aida in the colour Antique White from Stitch NZ I also had lying around. Stitch NZ are my favorite cross stitch supplier in NZ, as they have a large range of fabric in many sizes. I also bought Gentle Arts Sampler Thread in the colour of Maple Syrup from them, which was the main background colour for the squirrel. The rest of the thread colours used in the project were DMC that I had in stash.

The stitch count for the project was only 100 stitches wide by 130 stitches tall, so it didn't take very long at all to stitch up 2x1. I started in the middle, which was in the lower part of the squirrel, and worked my way out. I managed to finish stitching Gathering Acorns a couple of days before winter started on the 1st of June.

I really love the autumnal colours of the squirrel and the pie dish, and the pattern was very easy to follow.




I'm really happy with how the project looks, and I hope to frame it soon, along with the Tonight We Ride project. In the mean time I'm moved onto a winter cross stitch project, which is a Dimensions Gold Collection kit called Aurora Cabin. I had previously started this a couple of years ago, and I like to pull it out of storage each winter to work on it.
Hubby and I will be on holiday next week, so there won't be a blog post out. I'll see you all in July.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
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Tonight We Ride Cross Stitch Project Finish
Hello friends,
I finally have a cross stitch project finish! I started the Tonight We Ride cross stitch project by Autumn Lane Stitchery back in September 2023, when all the new Halloween cross stitch projects by many designers were released In September. I loved the witchy aesthetic, along with the pretty orange autumnal fabric.

After ordering Fiber on a Whim Aida 16 count fabric in the shade Pumpkin for the project from 123 Stitch, I started in the middle of the fabric, and got to work.

Over September and October 2023 I worked on the main house in the middle. This project requires a lot of DMC 310 Black, and I really mean heaps and heaps of it. Thank goodness I have a huge cone of DMC 310 black that I got from Stitch NZ a year ago. If you're working on projects needing a lot of black 310 DMC, I really advise to buying a cone of it.
By the time it got to the 31st of October, and Halloween for the North Hemisphere, I was done with all the black stitching. I decided to give this project a break over the summer, as I've finally figured out that I am a mood stitcher, and specifically a seasonal mood stitcher. I like stitching seasonal projects in the season I'm currently in.

Over the summer I worked on some other projects that weren't seasonal, and on the first day of autumn in March 2024 it was time to pull out Tonight We Ride again, so I could finally get it finished. I was super motivated to get the project done, and it wasn't long before I had made significant progress.

And I got Tonight We Ride finished and off the hoop on the 9th of April. I love the witchy autumnal feel of the project, and the Pumpkin Aida just adds to the aesthetic.

All that remains now is to wash and hang the project. But that involves finding a picture frame that fits it, and it may take a while of searching at our local op shop to track one down. I've already started another autumnal project, but that's a story for another time.
Have a wonderful day
Julie-Ann
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