Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Wishing you all a very 

Merry Christmas & 

a Joyous New Year!!

May you be surrounded by beautiful memories & those you hold dear & may your days be filled with Love, Laughter & Happiness.

Here is a small gift from me to you.

 This was designed to go with my earlier designs "Noel" & "Merry Christmas" that you can see here:

https://smalltownstitchin.blogspot.com/2010/12/tis-season.html

 

heart = 321

X = 319

. = 676 & back-stitch on leaves (opt.)

0 = 729

lg. black dot = 680

As always my color choices are just a suggestion, so pick the colors you love most and stitch away. 

I would love to see your finished pieces.

Take Care Everyone

Hugs, Sandy

 

2018 Smalls SAL for December

Hello Dear Friends & Followers;

Hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season and are doing well. 

I thought we were going to get away without having a white Christmas this year, but at 4:30 pm on Christmas Eve it started to snow and left with a dusting for a powdered sugar landscape. It did the same thing on Christmas and left us with around 2 inches of snow. We've been here for 35 years and it would have been a first if it didn't snow.

Here is my final Smalls SAL update. 

Not sure if I will participate next year.

I stitched up two of my mini Quaker Snowflakes.

I will finish these with a ribbon for hanging and blue or white felt backing.

I plan to stitch a lot more of them and turn them into mini ornaments to add to a pine wreath to hag by the front door during the winter season and maybe a few magnets to add a little winter to the kitchen.

I finished off two other smalls that I stitched earlier.

"Merry Solstice" by The Primitive Hare

This is a free chart and can be found HERE 

 I stitched this one on 28 count Mocha/Beige evenweave using DMC Gold metallic 1 strand over 2 threads. I added a 1/4" gold ribbon hanger, two corded trims in rust, gold, and cream and a scattering of plastic crystal snowflakes. 

This one was stitched on the same 28 count only over one thread using my own hand-dyed thread. I finished it off with a 1/4" silver ribbon hanger, a silver ribbon bow, blue and silver corded trim, and a scattering of mini plastic crystal snowflakes.

And Finally 

They got arms !!!

I found a wrapped wire that resembles wood and shaped it into arms. It will do for now, I just need to bend/shape them a bit so they don't look like their being held up at gun point. I may make arms from the same batting later on but I'm not sure just yet. I'll live with them the way they are for a while and see how I feel later on.

Well, that's it for 2018, so until next time.....

Take Care & Happy New Year

Hugs, Sandy

 

October 2018 Smalls SAL

Hello Friends, Hope you are all doing well. 

It's time once again for the Smalls SAL, and here is what I've been stitching.

 I stitched this little magnet using DMC's Coloris threads on 28 evenweave and used one coordinating thread from each one to make the cording. No chart for this one just stitched hearts.

 

"Samhain" by The Primitive Hare  

I finished as an ornament and added a cording of jute twine couched in place with a with the same DMC Color Variations thread that I used for the pumpkin. I wanted it to have a more primitive look.

 

Here is a shot of the back. I found this cute pumpkin fat quarter at Walmart for .97 cents.

I've been doing a lot of 'free hand" needlework since I don't have a printer yet and came up with this fall inspired piece with a little help from Lizzie Kate leaflet #543 "Gather a Harvest".

 I fell in love with the pumpkin on the end with the curly stem and fat black birdie, so I added one on each end of a scrap of 18 count rustic Aida then added a tall pumpkin in the middle using the same leaves then a couple of gourds in between with curly stems and baby black birdies. I added a saying that popped into my head while stitching with the help of an alphabet leaflet, then hand stitched the piece onto a some of the pumpkin fabric I bought, frayed the edges and added a bow. I backed it with a piece of yellow fabric I had in my stash.

This piece was stitched with my own hand-dyed threads and one DMC Color Variations.

That's it for now, so until next time.......

Take Care Everyone &

Have A Great Weekend

Hugs, Sandy

A New Halloween Gift

Hello Friends; Hope all is well with you all.

So, my laptop has been in the shop since Monday and I've not heard back from them yet. When the hubs dropped it off they said it could be a problem with Windows 10, said they've seen a lot of this with the PC's that had the upgrade from Windows 8/8.1 to Windows 10 from the factory. But also said it could be the processor and if that was the case the labor alone would cost almost as much as mine new, mine was $300 at Walmart in 2015. Hopefully it's the easier fix.

Since we haven't chosen a printer yet I'm back to posting charts the way I started.

I'll most likely replace this chart with a better version once I get a new all-in-one printer.

 

No part of my designs may be reproduced except by needle and thread without the written consent of Sandra Longan of SLonganDesigns@gmail.com 

"We All Go A Little Batty"

50 x 50 stitches

Use black for the Bats and choose your favorite Halloween variegated/hand-dyed for the words or choose four similar colors for an ombray effect.

I think this would make a cute knob hanger, bowl filler or ornament for your Halloween display.

 

As always, if you choose to stitch up one of my designs I would love to see a picture of it, so I can show it off and give others inspiration for colorways and finishing.

That's it for today, I hope you enjoy the design.

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

Quaker Snowflake Stitched By ......

Here is a picture of my "Quaker Snowflake" design stitched by Robin Brown.

 "Quaker Snowflake"

Stitched by Robin Brown

Robin you did an amazing job on this piece and I hope it graces your home for years to come.

Thank you so very much Robin for sharing your finish with me. 

I love seeing how my designs are stitched and finished by other stitcher's, so if you do stitch one of my designs send me a picture and it will end up on my blog and if you have a blog or photo page I can add a link so everyone can see all of your amazing works. This can help me and other stitcher's with ideas on color ways and finishing.

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

2018 Smalls SAL Update for September

Hello Friends; Hope all is well with you? 

I've been having issues with my desktop PC (it's my backup) and we went camping over the weekend so my Smalls SAL update is a few days late. If things go as planned my laptop will be in the shop today, after being down for a year, to find out if it can be fixed or if a new laptop is a better choice. It only lasted about 3 years before it started having issues, it is an HP. Might want to get the desktop PC fixed instead, it's one my hubs put together for me and has lasted far longer (all most 10 years) before it started having little issues. 

So on to the 2018 Smalls SAL update for September.

There are three stitched finishes all free charts from The Primitive Hare.

First is Samhain for the Halloween season.

"Samhain" by The Primitive Hare

Stitched on 16 count black Aida using DMC Color Variations and a grey DMC solid. Added the leaf for an extra bit of fall, don't know if it will stay or not.

I stitched this next on twice.

"Merry Solstice" by The Primitive Hare

 

Stitched on 28 count Monaco in beige using DMC Gold metallic. Will add the snowflakes for a taste of winter and turn it into a flat hanging piece to add to my door wreath.

And the second version

"Merry Solstice" by The Primitive Hare

 

Stitched over one on the same 28 count Monaco in beige using one of my own hand-dyed threads. I will also add the snowflakes again for a wintry touch and turn it into a stuffed ornament for the tree.

 

That's all for today's post, so until next time......

 

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

Quaker Snowflake Gift

It's cold and windy here today so I thought I would share a pattern with you all.

Here is the chart for my "Quaker Snowflake" design. 

It only uses one color so is a quick stitch even for beginner stitcher's.

"Quaker Snowflake"

By Sandra Longan Designs

Stitch Count - 57x57 

When I stitched this piece I used:

28 count white Monaco from Charles Craft and 

DMC Color Variations 4025. 

As always, if you stitch one of my designs I would love to see a picture of your finished piece, it may well be posted on my blog for everyone to see. 

Well that's it for today, so until next post .......

Take Care & Happy Stitchin' Everyone

Hugs, Sandy

2018 Smalls SAL Update

Here are the two finishes I have for the 2018 Smalls SAL. 

If you want to join in you can click the highlighted link above or click the link on my sidebar, either one will get you there and have all the information you need to get started.

First up .......

"January Snows"

Designed by: Me

Stitched: 10 January 2018 Finished: 26 January 2018

Stitched on Charles Craft 28 count Monaco using DMC threads, Mill Hill Petite Seed Beads and a plastic crystal snowflake. Handmade cording for the edges and a ribbon attached to the back so it can be tied on to a basket or small wreath finish it off. 

I'm going to try and do one for each month and fill a basket with items that represent that month and it's holidays or just the theme of the stitched piece. May have to do some shopping to pull it off though.

Next finish .......

 "Winter Soltice"

Designed by: Me

Stitched: 10 January 2018 Finished: 24 January 2018

Stitched on Charles Craft 28 count Monaco in white using DMC threads and Needle Necessities 150 and Mill Hill Petite Seed Beads. Hand Made cording from DMC threads and a Snowflake Button. The snowflakes stand out more up close and personal, but I wanted them to be subtle. This will count as my Christmas ornament for 2017.

This is the piece that caused me to have so many orts on my January 17th post, I stitched and then frogged the boarder twice before I found the colors that "spoke to me". Tried the blues that I designed it with in the freebie I posted here then I tried dusty purples and neither one worked for me, but Christmas colors won the day. I guess the saying "Third times the charm" was true for this piece. 

Of course I reworked the design removing the back stitched inner boarders and bringing in the cross stitched boarder with two solid colored bands of DMC 500 and 814 and the center band in Needle Necessities.

Tomorrow is "supply the cabin" day or more commonly grocery shopping, think I'll try and talk the hubs into Hardee's so I don't have to cook. 

Well, that's it for today all, so until next post .......

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

Celebrating the Winter Solstice

Today is the Winter Solstice also known as the first day of Winter, so in celebration I'm sharing a winter themed chart.

The colors I used are:

Heart - DMC 803 also first backstitched border

1 - DMC 334 second backstitched border

0 - DMC 3756 third backstitched border

Dot - DMC 3865 and backstitched snowflakes

The gray dots can be either French or Colonial Knots or Petite Seed Beads

Stitched size is 4" x 4"

Two strands of floss used.

Hope you all enjoy the chart, and as always if you happen to stitch one of my designs I would love to see a picture.

Take Care & Happy Winter Solstice

Hugs, Sandy

Stitchin' Gift for You

I haven't been in the designing mood here lately, but last night and then this afternoon I started and finished a little Christmas ornament design for all my stitchin' followers.

It is done in: 

DMC 498 for the heart symbol and lettering

DMC B5200 or white for the dot symbol

51 x 53 or about 3-3/4" x 3-3/4" (3.68 x 3.72) on 14/28 ct.

Stitched with two strands of floss.

Do Not Stitch the black line ;}

I included the numbers in case anyone wanted to add a wedding date or birth date in place of Christmas. 

Hope you all enjoy stitchin' this little ornament and if you do stitch it up I would love to see a picture.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

Hugs, Sandy

Two Gifts To You For My Birthday

Today is my birthday so in honor of another year older, here are two winter gifts to stitch.

"Frosty Friends"

"Frosty Friends Holiday Greetins"

Hope you enjoy them. 

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

A Christmas Gift

I've been trying to come up with a stitchy gift for Christmas and I finally think I got it.

What says Christmas to a small child more than leaving out milk and cookies for Santa.

"Sweet Christmas Wishes"

A little ornament for hanging on your tree, wreath or package.

As always feel free to change up the colors to match your Christmas vision.

That's it for this evening everyone, thank you for stopping by and leaving your thoughts behind. Until next time......

Take Care & Happy Stitchin'

Hugs, Sandy

2014 Smalls SAL Update !!

It's the last Wednesday of February and time for my 2014 Small Stitch-A-Long update.

Since it's February, I stitched up two Valentine smalls.

First up is my version of the Valentine Freebie I posted for everyone. 

I finished this up on Feb. 13th and left it for my DH to find on his keyboard in the morning before going to work.

"Be My Valentine"

Designer: Sandra D. Longan {A.K.A. Sandy In Montana}

Stitched on 28ct. Evenweave lightly hand-dyed by me after stitchin', backed with dark red 14ct. Aida and fringed.

Thread used: 115 DMC Variegated Red {My fave color of floss}

I changed it quite a bit from the original, as I stitched it I just didn't like all of the hearts.

"Love Never Fails"

Designer: The Primitive Hare

Stitched on 28ct. Evenweave that was hand-dyed around the outside edges of the design and left to fade inward to give a slightly aged look to the piece. 

Thread used: Light Mauve and Dark Mauve hand-dyed threads, dyed by me and DMC variegated #53.

Were getting a two day warm up into the 30's before it crashes back down into the single digits. We go shopping on Saturday and it's going to be -5 degrees, time to pull out my thermal under's and down coat.

 That's it for today, thank you so much for stoppin' by and leaving your thoughts behind.

Take Care & Happy Stitchin' Everyone

Hugs, Sandy

Blessed Christmas

I know that this is very last minute, but I just had to send out a little Christmas love to everyone who still reads my blog.

I want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !!!

BLESSED CHRISTMAS

Choose your two favorite colors of floss, one for the words and one for the snow. Then pick your favorite fabric. 

Quick and simple little ornament chart. I left out the 1/4 stitches, but you can add them for a fuller look to the words. 

Everything is stitched with two strands of floss.

Copyright 2013. Sandra Longan Designs. All rights reserved.

Take Care Everyone & Happy Stitching !!

Sandy

Last Stitchey Finish of 2011

Here is my last finish for 2011, I hope to have more finishes in 2012 but you know how it goes when your a stitcher with all of our ebbs and flows.
I finished this earlier this month, but only got around to making and attaching the tassels today.

This is the front of the ornament, I saw this in someones photo files (sorry can't recall whom or where) and loved the outside edge design on her mini pillow but changed up the middle for a simpler stitch. It is stitched with woven bars with picots and doves eyes, algerian eyelets and then a satin stitched star center with satin hearts in Kreinik and Mill Hill beads in gold.

This is the back of the ornament.

The Ornament is stitched on 32ct. ivory linen using Caron Wildflowers in Black Watch
for the kloster blocks, the red is DMC Color Variations floss in 4210, DMC #8 Pearl Cotton in Ecru, Kreinik #4 braid in gold and Mill Hill beads in gold finish off the stitching.
I made the tassels with 4210 as well.
I made a pillow out of dark green satin for the inside.

I hope everyone had a wonderful and Blessed Christmas / Holiday Season.
Wishing you love, good health and lots of stitching in the New Year.

Take Care and Happy Stitching
Hugs, Sandy

Three More Finishes to Share

I tucked three more finishes under my stitching belt over the last couple weeks.

I know I said I was done doing Valentine stitching but couldn't resist this one after I saw the letters in an antique sampler.

Design: Love Pillow
Finished: 02-16-2010
Stitched on an 18ct. evenweave using DMC 4210 in floss and #5 Pearle Cotton. Backed & bordered with a burgundy cotton fabric.

I finally finished off another piece I stitched last year.
For St. Patrick's Day.
I just had to do something for this holiday since my heritage is Irish from my daddy's side.

Design: Little Bit O' Blarney
Designer: The Sweetheart Tree
Finished: 02-19-2010
Finished as a heart ornament using DMC #5 Pearle Cotton in 500, 503 & 504 for the twisted cording trim and the hanger. Backed with White felt.

One more heart finish (I think I'm into heart shapes right now) for St. Patrick's Day.

Design: Sun Catcher #2
Modified to be a bit different from the Valentine's Day heart in my last post.
Finished: 02-23-2010
Stitched on 22ct. Hardanger fabric from Charles Craft using DMC 4045 in floss and #5 Pearle Cotton. Finished with a silver Shamrock and twisted cording in DMC #5 - 500 & 4045, backed with green felt. Stitching backed with dark green satin.

Stitched 1 year ago. Finished 1 day ago

Some of you might remember this little Hardanger finish from my 2009 finishes album on Webshots.
Well, yesterday I pulled it out of the waiting to be finished box and turned it into a heart ornament for Valentine's Day.

Design: "Suncatcher #2"
Suncatchers I In Hardanger Embroidery (1991)
Designers: Roz Watnemo & Susan Meier
Stitched on 28ct white Monaco using DMC Color Variations 4210.
Trim made from four strands of DMC #5 Perle Cotton 814.

Happy Valentines Day !!
Take Care & Happy Stitching ... Sandy

The Last Finish of 2009

This was my Santa Themed mantle this year.
We are the proud owners of eight Santa's and two Angel's (so far), and since we never managed to bring our tree up from the basement this year, I went with a large pine wreath and a few cross stitched ornaments.

This is my last finish of 2009. I finished it on Christmas Eve.

Design: Merry Christmas (12-24-2009)
Designer: Sandy in Montana
Stitched on 28ct. Carolina Linen in Sand from Charles Craft using DMC threads, Mill Hill beads and two snowflakes from Jesse James Company.

Take Care & Happy Stitching
Sandy

2nd Memory Ornament for my MIL

Here is the second "Memory Needle Roll Ornaments" for my MIL.
This one is in Memory of her father.

Design: "Memory Needle Roll Ornament"
Designer: Sandy In Montana
Stitched on 28ct Zweigart linen hand-dyed by me in a light tan rinse. Using DMC, GAST in Evergreen & Kreinik threads. Tied with 1/4" brown satin ribbon.

Merry Christmas to All
Happy Stitching ... Sandy

1st Memory Ornament for my MIL

I decided to stitch up "Memory Needle Roll Ornaments" for my MIL for Christmas. This is the first of two.
In memory of her mother.

Design: "Memory Needle Roll Ornament"
Designer: Sandy In Montana
Stitched on 28ct. Zweigart linen hand-dyed by me in a light wine rinse. Using DMC threads #'s 500, 501, 915 & 917, Mill Hill beads in white and two swarovski crystal butterflies in wine/magenta. Tied with sheer white 3/8" ribbons.

Wishing all of my readers a
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Happy Stitching Everyone .... Sandy