Welcome to our new member....

NIKKI

This is what Nikki tells us about herself:

I live in Maine ( born in California). Married 50 years, retired from State of Maine 2 years ago after working there 18 years. I have 4 grown children and 3 grandchildren.

I have been cross stitching for over 40 years. I picked it up when looking for a gift to make for a relative and bought a kit. I was hooked. I don't do kits now, and prefer Lugana 28 or 32ct and choose my own threads.

Some of my favorite designers over the years are Chatelaine, Paula Vaughan, Lanarte, Blackbird Designs, Rosewood Manor, Moira Blackburn, The Drawn Tread, Victoria Sampler,  LHN to name a few.

The name of my blog is Nikki's Crossed Stitches that I started probably about 8 years ago, there are some long gaps where I wasn't posting; but have started again.    XX

XX Nikki's Crossed Stitches

I am in Instagram, but I don't post there; just read and follow a few people.

I belong to quite a few Facebook Cross Stitching Groups, Victoria Sampler CHAT Group, Cross Stitching  Exchange, Chtelaine Support Group, Prim Stitcher's Society, For The Love of Samplers, Stitcher's of Moira Blackburn Designs, Our Sampler Years, and others.

I am currently working on Scotland Mandala, by Chatelaine. After I retired in Sept 2017, a friend and I took a trip to Scotland for 3 weeks and drove all over the country. I have always wanted to go, and through Genealogy found I had some Irish/Scottish ancestors. I also had become a HUGE fan of Diana Gabaldon series of Outlander books about Scotland.............so I gifted myself the Chart and all the beads and silk threads, and am still working on it. I think I am about half done with it.

I found out about your Christmas SAL after you made a comment on my Blog, and I followed your profile and was looking at your Blogs.

I need some small things to stitch in between working on the Scotland Mandala, and my crocheting, so I thought joining your SAL would be fun, and at the end of the year I would have some ornaments to keep or give as gifts!!!

I do a LOT of crocheting too.....next to cross stitch, it is my 2nd favorite thing to do. I make hats for the Homeless, and have started making blankets for The Linus Project that donates them to children with Traumatic or Serious illnesses.  I also kn it, but prefer to crochet. I love to read, and as I mentioned Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander series of books is my favorite. There is a TV series on Starz going into Season 5 next month based on her books, and she is due to release Book #9in the series, after a 5 year wait. I am so excited to read it.

I have attached some XS finishes I had done over the years.

Wow! I think that we would all have to agree that Nikki has some gorgeous finishes here.  Welcome to our humble SAL and we all hope that you enjoy yourself.

hugs, 

P.S. Love those Santas, Nikki.

An early Merry Christmas to you all....

... this is the inaugural post of the Christmas Ornie SAL 2015.  I hope that we can all have fun together as we stitch some Christmas Ornies.  Don't worry, we still have time, about five months to stitch some little beauties.

So, some housekeeping:

• this blog is still under construction, so forgive me if there are still a few things missing.
• If you want to join, please email me at: kayedep@gmail.com
• Our themes are on the right hand sidebar, we are starting with Mr and/or Mrs Santa for August (we have a long lead in to get us started)
• I have tried to keep them fairly flexible as we do have less than half a year, so that is why there are choices within a month's theme
• Please feel free to use our badge and link back to this blog on your own gorgeous blog:

.... and if you are interested in creating this stitchery, it is a freebie from Allie Oops designs, which you can find here.  (Just scroll down until you find it).

• There will be a blogroll of each of the contributors, but that is still under construction, too.

(Ooooh, as I am writing this post, I can see that Debbie B has started following the blog already - hurray!  Welcome, Debbie!)

• Also, please check out our Sister Blog, Hallowe'en Ornie SAL 2015, hosted by our very own Jo P - you will find a link on the sidebar.

Anyway, that is all from me, as I have to pop off to work now to pay for all of my stash.

Merry Xmas to you all,

P.S. I forgot to tell you all, that each month there will be a giveaway of a Christmas pattern chosen at random from that month's posts - so that should give you some incentive to stitch away - lol!